Ludlow

Ludlow sits minutes from downtown Cincinnati and its live-music options are concentrated along Elm Street and the Ohio River waterfront. Buffalo Bar dates to at least 1963 and reopened in September 2023 after a COVID-related closure. A neighborhood sports bar with regular events, it books live music on Fridays. Bands perform in the back area, with pool and darts rounding out the schedule. It sits alongside Bircus Brewery, Ludlow Tavern, and Second Sight Spirits Distillery on the Elm Street strip. Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club is a floating bar and restaurant on the Ohio River with a longer and more dramatic history. It closed after a barge slammed into it in October 2019, nearly splitting the structure in half and sinking it. After six years, the Northern Kentucky staple, known for its live music, reopened on the river. Reviewers describe it as a barge bar with canned beer, decent food, and regular live music. Weekend live entertainment is considered the main draw.