Let’s go inside LongfellowYou might think this bar in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood looks like any other you’ve been to, with exposed brick walls and weathered paneling. Bartenders stand behind a horseshoe-shaped counter mixing Manhattans with painkillers and popping cheap cans of beer. The music is good and the crowd is laid-back.
But the more you come here, the more you realize there’s something special about Longfellow. The cool bartenders are sociable and friendly to everyone who walks in, from service industry stalwarts to middle-aged golfers in polo shirts and boat shoes. Longfellow may be the coolest bar in Cincinnati, but it’s never too cool. Think of it as a sophisticated dive bar, where familiar tunes by Squeeze and Joy Division are constantly playing and the staff — and customers — are made to feel appreciated and loved.
Today, Longfellow is nationally recognized as one of 27 locations nationwide. 2024 USA TODAY Bar of the Year List.
This list is Food writer for the national USA TODAY network This includes everything from humble and adorable dive bars to upscale cocktail bars.
more:America’s Best Bars 2024 | USA TODAY’s 27 Favorite Spots
Want to take a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
What makes Longfellow stand out?
The bar is old Odd Fellows flagInside, the store is lined with shelves stocked with vintage books and miscellaneous knick-knacks, as well as tea canisters converted into beer taps, but what locals love most may be the “Pay It Forward” chalkboard, which allows customers to buy a specific drink for a specific person, whenever they like.
Longfellow opened in 2017The event came a few years after owners Mike Stankovich and his wife, Shayla Maynard, moved from New York to Cincinnati (Shayla’s hometown). A former punk rocker who grew up in Springfield, Virginia, Stankovich came to the Queen City with an illustrious resume: he helped open Williamsburg’s pioneering pizzeria, Roberta’s, and worked at the tiny Alameda Bistro in Greenpoint, where he was described by The New York Times as “a cross between Jello Biafra and Sam Malone.”
While Stankovich can brag about his life and days in New York, he’s also a humble convert to Cincinnati’s rivertown qualities, soaking up the city’s history and sharing it with his patrons. Instead of talking about Roberta’s or Alameda, he tends to wax poetic about his time working at Bennigan’s in the Washington, DC area, where he worked as a bartender and occasionally witnessed “roadhouse”-style bar brawls.
– Sign up for Keith’s At the Table newsletteravailable exclusively to Cincinnati.com subscribers. –
Longfellow’s menu is reminiscent of working-class bar food, but with a few twists. Chef Casey Hopkins Best soup in townThere are also sandwiches made with leftovers cut with a hand-cranked meat slicer, tuna salad, and buttered hot dogs that can (and should) be topped with anchovies. A customer favorite is the Lunchbox, a plate of bread, onions, cheddar, bologna, mustard, and pickled peppers inspired by a similar bar snack served at one of Stankovic’s favorite bars, McSorley’s Old Ale House in New York City.
Longfellow also has a little surprise for guests: Walk down a short hallway, past the restrooms and turn right to find Joshua Aaron Miller’s annex, The Other Room. It’s part of Longfellow, but specializes in rum cocktails and serves pierogi until late at night.
detail: 1233 Clay Street, Over-the-Rhine; 513-307-4379; Longfellow Bar
