BagPipes Irish Pub

Stopped by Bagpipes last night (Tuesday)…turns out they announced yesterday that they are closing their doors sometime this week, probably before the weekend!
Major bummer! As this point, they are no longer accepting credit cards at the bar and are basically running their liquor stock down… so they are out of a lot of stuff.
We’ll miss you Bagpipes!
I hope something new will fill this space soon!

Oh Bagpipes…
How I wanted you to be so tasty and full of personality, but alas I was disappointed.
The only reason we ended up at Bagpipes is because we took an impromptu business lunch and the wait at Rock Bottom was too long for everyone who had early afternoon meetings. So to Bagpipes we go.
We actually weren’t greeted upon entry into the establishment. By time someone knew we were there we asked if we could sit outside and the girl almost acted like it was going to be an inconvenience for her if we did so. It was in the upper 70’s out with a soft breeze why wouldn’t we want to sit outside right?
We should have known when our drinks took a while to get to us, and they were out of bacon — yes, a restaurant in «porkopolis» was out of bacon — that some of us were not going to make it to our meetings on time! We waited for over a half an hour for 5 sandwiches and fries! So long in fact, that a member of our party got up, went inside, and asked if they forgot about us. The food came out like a slow trickle. A burger and meatloaf sandwich… then a few minutes later, the wrong burger and a Philly sandwich… and a few minutes after that the correct chicken sandwich and another Philly. The server was very apologetic about the slow kitchen and even the cook came from the kitchen to express his sincere apologies.
I would understand if they were busy, but we were one of 2 tables they had in the entire place, and no one sitting at the bar. The food was just okay, nothing stellar, and the fries in particular were terrible — cold like they made them first and then the fries sat out while everything else was being prepared.
It will be way to soon before I return there.

Bagpipes was your basic fake Irish pub. It was the first place I went for dinner at the start of a week of training in Cincy because a) it was close to the hotel and b) I had no idea where anything else was. I visited on a Sunday evening and the place was DEAD. I think there were ten people in the building. The wait staff were attentive (and stylishly dressed in their plaid skirts and knee-​high socks). I had a well-​poured Guinness and a meatloaf sandwich. Both were good and fairly priced.
I don’t really have a negative of Bagpipes (I would have eaten there again but I found other places I liked better). It is what it tries to be, a decent place to have a meal and a drink.

I really wanted BagPipes to be a good bar because of its proximity to my house. Alas I’ve been nothing but disappointed in my first several visits. Bagpipes advertises 27 beers on top and a wide selection of bottles. That would be great if the beer was actually stocked.
On my first trip in, a week after opening, I ordered the Bellhaven Wee Heavy. The bartender explained that they hadn’t gotten their first shipment in yet. I ended up getting the Bagpipes House Beer which turns out be brewed by Hudephol and tastes exactly like Hudy Amber. Next round I got a Rogue Chipotle which was a nice different taste.
The second time in was supposed to be a quick stop with friends to throw back a couple of Irish Car Bombs on our way between other venues. It took about 15 minutes to get 3 of them ready so we decided not to stay for more.
The third trip in started with ordering the Wee Heavy again. And again they were out. Our table also tried to order the Bellhaven Twisted Thistle: out. The Snake Dog IPA: out. Finally we were able to get a Rogue Dead Guy, Stone Levitation, and Rivertown Hop Bomber. I switched over to Bellhaven Scottish for my second round. When the third Hop Bomber came out it was clearly skunked so we decided to go with the advertised special of Moerlein OTR. And again they were out. So we got Moerlein Emancipator.
It’s great to advertise 27 beers on tap and a wide selection of bottles, but having more options missing than present from the last trip has turned me off of here for a while. The service is pleasant, though slow. The prices are closer to Fountain Square than Over the Rhine. BagPipes just isn’t worth it when Nicholson’s is only a few block away if you’re dead set on an Irish or Scottish style pub.
A few positives though. There’s a ton of space so it rarely fills up. They actually list pretty good beers, but avoid Monday and Tuesday because they don’t appear to carry their stock through the weekend well.

UPDATE: CLOSED
Three visits, three letdowns.
If you enjoy the kind of lunch or dinner experience where you hardly see your server, overpay for mediocre and inconsistently cooked food, and get to watch the head chefs drinking shots or playing Golden Tee instead of making sure food is getting to the tables hot, then you’ll love BagPipes.
The joint is spacious, plenty big for parties and groups, but hasn’t been busy the times I visited. That makes the inattentive service even more frustrating.
The juke box is hit-​and-​miss; a lot of Nickleback/​Creed/​generic growl bands one minute, and familiar classic rock/​80s/​90s hits the next. If you happen to show up on a slow night, one of the bartenders/​servers might have it turned up unbearably loud.
Lots of TVs to catch a game (even soccer, cricket, rugby, and golf), so that’s a plus.
Overall, I recommend taking advantage of their vast beer selection for happy hour, but that’s it. If you want a better scotch selection with dressed up food, or a cozy, low budget pub feeling for dinner, make your way to Nicholson’s or Molly Malone’s, respectively.

Man I have been stingy with the stars lately.
Went back to Bagpipes for Opening Day last Thursday and my friends and I had a really good time. They had great beer specials, but sadly by the time of our arrival the supply of Little Kings had been exhausted.
Again this is a standard «Irish» bar, and it could be confused for a million other places. But what makes me give this place an extra star was the great service we received that day. Most of the bartenders had been there since 6am and were still in high spirits well before Razor blasted his walkoff homer. In addition, they brought out a beer bong, which isn’t my cup of tea, but was still fun to watch.
All in all, this is a quality sports bar located downtown. I’m not too crazy on the food, but the beer and TVs are top notch.

Top o’ the morning to ya! Decent beer selection, love the tap options. Ok food. The wine selection is better than I expected out of this place. The location is great and has an outdoor patio that I will visit during the summer. They have some interesting Guinness drinks that I had never seen before. There is a back area where one can sit with friends and others not wanting to be near the bar and TV’s. The place does seem to have WiFi but its rather slow and probably being leeched by nearby residents. The small stage occasionally hosts bands and other entertainment, so if ya like that kinda thing, stop on by and drink a pint.

I stopped into Bagpipes after seeing a play across the street at Cincy Shakes. I was happy to get there right in time to catch the second half of the basketball game. It’s a good spot to watch a good game – rowdy, lots of big screens, plentiful seating, and it doesn’t get too crowded in the back room. Table service was slow, but drinks were reasonably priced (my mixed gin drink was less than $ 4), and the few appetizers we had were pretty good. I wouldn’t go back here in a hurry, but it fit the bill tonight.

I stopped into BagPipes yesterday to see a friend and had a nice time. It wasn’t too crazy except for a group watching basketball in the back room.
Service was good and attentive. I order coffee and looked over the menu while I waited on my friend. Coffee was good and hot which is some times unusual in a bar lol. Anyway I ordered the Fish and Chips. In no time at all the sever returned with my food. Nice and hot fries. Fish was nice and crispy. It was pretty good. I had a good overall experience. I will go back and try other things on the menu.

There’s nothing wrong with another bar/​restaurant opening up in this under-​served corner of downtown. I am doubtful that the city as a whole needs another generic «irish» pub, but this space has been vacant and it’s nice to have another option to catch some basketball games during March Madness… which brings me to my visit to Bagpipes last night.
My friends were trying to think of a place we could meet after work to catch some tournament games. Our expectations were pretty low: beer, bar food, places to sit, and lots of tvs. Bagpipes was even less crowded than we expected, but maybe that’s because most people needed a break from the bar on the day after St. Patrick’s. We had no problem getting a nice big booth in view of two good sized tvs, and our server was prompt with beer refills and food orders.
Here’s the problem. They had a two piece cover band playing from about 5:30pm to at least 9:30pm. They were fine, but it’s March and we were there to watch basketball and would have loved to have been able to focus on games without the distraction of mediocre covers of Crosby, Stills Nash and Young standbys. And the band was LOUD. Like, too loud for conversation. I got the impression that most people who were at Bagpipes were there to watch basketball and talk with friends after work.
Beyond that, the experience was average. Servers and bartenders were friendly, but they were out of a lot of menu items, including some of the beers that were supposed to be on special. The women’s restroom appeared to have not been restocked (toilet paper and towels) since what was probably a very busy St. Patrick’s Day. Not a good sign for a new business if they can’t get someone to restock the restrooms by 8pm.
Bottom line: I don’t want Bagpipes to fail, because there are surprisingly few good sports bars downtown. But I hope management takes a step back and reassesses before it’s too late.

Was glad to see another pub coming into downtown as I am a believer that Cincinnati Downtown has a tremendous amount of potential. But enough of that. More about Bagpipes.
First, cool name!
Next 27 beers on tap and countless in bottles. Beer selection excellent!
For food we had the spinach dip and the wings. Chips with the spinach dip were good. Dip, not so much though, definitely missing something. Wings were excellent! Large and flavorful!
We were there on St. Paddy’s day and of course it was rockin’! It appeared to be understaffed but the staff they had on were managing best they could and in our opinion, no one suffered. I bet next year they add more staffing to take advantage of this great opportunity to showcase their bar as a place to be anytime!
Ambience was fine for me. Never went to Sully’s so have no reference point to what it looked like before. Alot of fresh stone work added it looks like as the stone looks fresh versus rustic. Books on shelves have a shine to em, so like stone gives feel that all is new, and when in pubs, I like the «old» feel.
All in all, I’d go back if I were in the neighborhood.

So, I’ve been waiting to try this place, so my friends and I stopped by on a Monday night. It wasn’t very crowded at all, so my table of 6 had the pick of all the booths.
1. For a bar that has so many beer selections, you would think the staff would know a thing or two about beer. Our server was clueless about beer, brought out the wrong beer twice and finally, just left the wrong beers on our table as freebies.
2. The meals were very expensive for the type of restaurant it is trying to be.
3. I got the Meatloaf Sandwich, served with mashed potatoes. It was gross… like really gross. The meatloaf appeared to have just been nuked in a microwave and my mashed potatoes had a film over top of them like they had been sitting under a heat lamp for 15 minutes. Gross
4. My husband asked for an extra side of tartar sauce to go with his fish sandwich… they brought it out promptly, but then charged us 75 cents for it. SERIOUSLY?!? 75 cents for a tiny plastic cup of tartar sauce?!? If there is an upcharge, they need to tell us.
I won’t be back.

I’m a fan of any business moving into downtown. I want it to thrive, to be an exciting place that people want to check out. So when I heard that a new restaurant had opened up, I was there — especially a restaurant with over 25 beers on tap. Nice.
I never went to Sully’s, the bar in its former space, so I have nothing to compare to. I’ve heard stories, of course, but no real first-​hand experience.
BagPipes is a Scottish themed bar — but not in that quaint «pub-​around-​the-​corner» kind of way. They really go all out to rock the theme. Some of it I loved, like the softly lit old bookcases in the corner. Some of it I didn’t love so much, like the freshly painted stone archway above the bar that was so light-​gray that it looked like it belonged in some sort Frankenstein B-​movie. I think once the paint settled and everything darkens it will be fine, but right now, it was bridging on the realm of cheesiness.
There were a ton of TVs in this place though, so I bet it’s a great spot to sit and watch games as they come up. We also saw a giant party room in the back for special occasions, which could be neat.
They also had a jukebox for music, but you had to pay to play anything — and when the music stopped, it was noticeable. This is the kind of place that always needs background music. It feels awkward without it.
Our waitress came by and she was friendly as can be. In fact, all the staff was chatty and nice and informed on the new menu — and there were a lot of options. I got a beer and a meatloaf sandwich, because I do love some meatloaf.
The beer? Excellent. They really do have a ton on tap and I had a hard time picking what I wanted. The meatloaf? Eh, it was OK. Not terrible but basically just meat on a bun — and more than I wanted to spend for just meat on a bun (the side of mashed potatoes were pretty darn tasty though).
Everything here is maybe a dollar or two more than I’d like it to be (and for some of the meals, way more than it probably should be for bar food.) I know they are new and trying to figure out what everything is worth, but I just don’t see downtowners paying this much for salads and sandwiches.
Still, I think once the décor gets a little worn in, the prices come down a little bit and people come to check it out again, this place will do great. It does seem like a cool spot to watch a game and just hang out with friends. I’m very willing to come back in a little bit and try it again.

I was looking for a quick meal and a beer when I found Bag Pipes. Seemed promising, but ultimately didn’t live up to its potential.
Walking by the window I was encouraged when I saw a Man Utd vs Chelsea replay on the flat screen over the bar. Every other screen was on one of two basketball games, but at least one was on soccer. So I popped in and sat down. Then 10 minutes later someone asks about the UK /​Vandy game and — w/​o checking w/​the two people planted in front of the soccer game — the manager starts zipping around looking for UK. There are 47 other TVs in the place tuned to two different channels. Maybe switch one of those? Or switch the one screen showing soccer. Makes sense. Manager never did find the UK game and couldn’t find his way back to the Man Utd game either. Awesome.
Then I was left to watch some random game while eating my burger, which was alright, not amazing. And the bartender was distracted and/​or over-​matched, so service left something to be desired.
I should have tried Knockback Nats instead, and next time I will.

I live near Bagpipes and for over the past year I had been anxiously waiting for something to go into the old Sully’s space. It’s not without its faults but overall I am satisfied with Bagpipes thus far and believe its an upgrade over Sully’s.
The best aspect of Bagpipes is their beer selection. They have over 20 beers on tap and many other beers in bottles. They have my favorite beer, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, on tap and serve it in a pint glass. I know that not the proper way to serve this particular beer, but I’m not gonna complain about getting more than your typical pour either. I’ve only had the food on opening night, which was hectic, went with the chicken tenders and they were decent. I would like to try more of their menu so I can get a better feel of the restaurant aspect of Bagpipes. (which means I could adjust my rating one way or another)
Another way Bagpipes is better than Sully’s is the ambiance. Sully’s was always obnoxiously loud and had the feeling of a college bar. Instead of a DJ, Bagpipes goes with a jukebox and while you can’t stop people from choosing bad songs, the music is at a much more comfortable level. They’re also might be live bands in the future.
However not everything about the ambiance is great. Bagpipes advertises itself as an Irish bar. It really isn’t. This is a problem with many «Irish pub’s». Just because you throw a couple of Guiness signs up, put fish and chips on the menu and give yourself a fun Irish sounding name, it does not make you an Irish bar. The staff wears kilts to try to make it more Irish, but I typically associate kilts with Scotland not Ireland.
Overall I have enjoyed myself at Bagpipes. Its not my favorite bar in the city, but I like the location, the beer selection and its an upgrade over the previous tenant. With the news of Lodge Bar closing I just hope that crowd doesn’t try to take over Bagpipes and turn it into Sully’s 2.0. (no offense to Lodge Bar fans, just don’t want that atmosphere at Bagpipes)

If they are going to call themselves an Irish bar, they need to pour a Guinness properly!

My sister and I checked out BagPipes before seeing Pride & Prejudice @ the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. The lady at the box office suggested it.
I am going complain first: OVERPRICED! It was about $ 25 for just my dinner and all I had was Fish & Chips and a beer.
The food was OK– nothing special.
The space was HUGE! I had been to Sully’s only once and don’t remember it being that big.
The best part of the evening as the staff was very friendly. We did get our bills while we were still eating but overall everyone was very friendly. I might go back for a beer but probably not for food.

I had been to Sully’s only a few times but the few times that I went were not very pleasant experiences. The food left a lot to be desired, the atmosphere, not spectacular and frankly to me a waste of a perfectly good space.
Well, Sully’s is now Bagpipes. Interesting, I know. I decided to give em a shot because well, let’s be honest, they could only improve on what was in the space before. The first thing that I noticed when I first walked in was that the layout was exactly the same. Huge bar in the middle with tables surrounding it on the outside. The only difference I could spot was the décor and some new stone above the bar itself. It did actually help the environment, the new paint smell however, did not. Don’t worry, I’m sure it will be fine later on.
We were seated in an over sized booth which could probably hold six people if you really tried, we… did not. Four people is sufficient for me and my claustrophobia. Anyway, the booths were large and spacious which was a nice thing. All of the waiters and waitresses wear kilts which was kind of weird at first but I guess it is their little gimmick to try and distinguish themselves. Whatever, I can look past it.
After sitting down at a new restaurant the first thing I usually do is check out the drink selections. I do thing even before looking at the food. I was very, very happy with the amount of beers, wines, and other drinks that were offered. I counted around 20 beers, and that was just on tap. There were far more that came in bottles. Good start I though to myself, good start indeed.
Now, we went in on a weekday a little bit after lunch time so I can’t really rate the service because although our waitress was very attentive, we were her only table. I will give her props for being really nice.
On to the food. Being a «pub» you can only expect so much out of the food. There were some original selections but the food mostly consisted of your basic fried foods, grilled chicken salads, and burger/​sandwiches. I can really tell a lot about a place by how their burger is. So, I went with a Portabella Burger. Little advice, read the description because I actually thought this was a hamburger with grilled portabella on top but it was actually a vegan option. Basically two large portabellas grilled onto a bun. But my waitress was very accommodating and was able to bring me my man meat on a separate plate. The burger was cooked to a perfect medium-​rare on my request and just the right amount of juices came out. Not too much to soak the bun but not too little because of a dry burger.
My girlfriend got the Grilled chicken salad which was WAAAAYYYYY too much for what she got. She basically got refrigerated chicken breast slices on almost too old lettuce all for $ 13. Not in any way worth it and she didn’t even eat it. Just a warning. The other couple with us went with some fried pickles which looked really good, they were in spear form so plan accordingly. There were a fairly good amount for the price. Also, they said their fish sandwich was good as well.
One thing that i noticed was the overpricing of items on their menu. I would potentially think about going back but only if they really thought about their menu prices more. For the many many options downtown for lunch they just aren’t on par in terms of value and bang for your buck.
Overall, Bagpipes does improve on the previous occupants. Barely. What is their saving grace is their great beer list. I really think that this boosted them up from a 2 star to a 3 star all by itself. Talking with my girlfriend we came to the conclusion that although the experience was «OK» we wouldn’t probably ever go back unless it was for a drink. There are just too many better options downtown for people to come to this pub.

My husband and I visited BagPipes on Saturday afternoon, 3-​ish. We wanted to eat before we attending the Cincinnati Beerfest.
We sat at a hightop table in the bar. They weren’t real busy since it was afternoon.
We had the worst service I have ever experienced. Our server was a nice young lady who needs serious training if she is going to make it in her chosen profession.
It took us 20 minutes to get our beers. I ordered the house lager, my hubby, the OTR. Our server walked between our table and the bar 4 or 5 times to tell us the OTR keg had blown and needed to be replaced. Then to tell us it was taking longer than expected, then to tell us it wasn’t being replaced. During this time I never received my beer that was sitting on the bar waiting for me. Hubby switched to Killians, she got his beer and I still was waiting for mine. Then she walked back to the bar and got mine. They sure aren’t going to sell much beer that way.
We ordered our food, me the turkey burger, he the meatloaf sammy. The food was rather blah. Not too exciting. Took quite a bit of time to get, but I do want my turkey burger well cooked. Meanwhile, my husband needed another beer and our server was nowhere to be found. I think she took a break while the food was being prepared. She reappeared when the food was served.
While we sat at our table with empty glasses, the bartender could see us and some type of mangement type walked by serveral times and no one noticed.
This place needs some customer service training and a better menu if they are going to survive in the competitive restaurant business.

Bagpipes occupying the former Sully’s location is much improved in my opinion. Sully’s was effectively a college kid bar. Loud, garish and annoying.
Bagpipes, though effectively using the same space and layout, is a casual Irish/​Scottish pub & restaurant. The interior has been completely redone and is appropriate. Tons of big screens make catching a game satisfying.
Draft list is robust. Probably the greatest asset. Dining menu is inspired by British Isle fare. Staff is friendly and attentive.
Biggest weakness is probably location. The 700 Race spot is a bit out of the way of the downtown core & quite far from the OTR residents who often patron downtown bars. If you’re a hotel/​conventioneer downtown, Bagpipes is a great option, though. Probably not a «destination» yet, but a solid relaunch with lots of potential.