I traveled to Ohio for Thanksgiving and made a dozen special stops along the way. Click the “continue” link below to see my report of these assorted midwest finds…

*     *     *     *     *     *
Vandalia, IL
#1: Full Moon Bar & Grill
120 S 6th St
Vandalia, IL 62471
(618) 283-4873
[Map]

This little dive just off the main downtown strip has been in business for 20 years. It features a small aquarium and a pool table in the back. It was one of the busier bars I visited on this trip.


Newark, OH
#2: Sparta
16 W Main St
Newark, OH 43055
(740) 345-6040
[Map]

Established in 1900, recently refurbished. Popular Italian-themed bar on the square. I met one of the co-owners, evidently the grand opening had not been too long ago and he was very excited about the work they had put into it and how popular the place is.

#3: Draft House
15 W Main St
Newark, OH 43055
(740) 345-9380
[Map]

Dive bar with VERY loud internet jukebox. In business as Draft House since 1973, but has been a bar far longer. Sadly it only had a handful of people inside, compared to the standing room only crowd in Sparta across the street.


#4: Dew Drop Inn
64 Union St
Newark, OH 43055
(740) 344-5024
[Map]

Big space divided into 2 main areas. Two pool tables, DJ booth and small dance floor. The wall behind the bar is decorated with a jungle scene and lined with stuffed animals.
There was a DJ working during my visit, and what he was playing didn’t fit the atmosphere at all. This was a place decorated with stuffed animals and hanging plants and what was being played was more of a gansta sound. Needless to say, the patrons were pretty much ignoring the music.


#5: Nick’s Saloon
191 S 2nd St
Newark, OH 43055
(740) 349-7713
[Map]

I’m rarely hesitant to enter a bar but I have to admit, I had some trepidation here. It was dark, it was away from other businesses, and it looked very private. But once I worked up the courage to step inside I found I had nothing to be worried about.
This was a classic, rustic dive bar. The bar was covered with photos of the regulars, an internet juke box provided tunes, and pool tables were available in the back.
The bartender was a really nice guy. I asked how late they would be open as it was a pretty quiet night. “2:30,” he replied. “I live alone and I have everything I need here, so I’ll just kick back and watch TV if no one is here. I don’t want anyone coming by and not be able to get a drink.”



#6: Elbow Lounge
76 S 2nd St
Newark, OH 43055
(740) 349-7312
[Map]

This place is definitely a contender for the title of most run-down exterior of any bar I have visited! (Other contenders: Casino Bar (Kansas City, KS) and G&L Bar & Grill (Diagonal, IA). )
When we arrived the place had just opened and we were the first customers. They were waiting for a DJ to arrive and expecting a big crowd later.
This is a rather old building, but I liked the way they put in a modern ceiling without completely hiding the 100+ year old original ceiling.
While this place is easy to find, it’s tricky to figure out how to get to. Your best bet is to park in the paved lot at the SW corner of 1st & Canal and then walk down the alley (Scheilder St.) around to the front of the building.


#7: Tony’s Bar
392 W Main St
Newark, OH 43055
(740) 345-8657
[Map]

I sought this place out specifically because of an online review I found that made this out to be the absolute worst bar in town. Because part of me enjoys seeing a bar that’s really that bad, but mostly because 9 times out of 10 the bar turns out to actually be perfectly find and the reviewer is in fact one of those uptight snobbish types who wants everything cleean, pristine, and high-dollar. That’s the way it turned out to be with Tony’s.
The front part of Tony’s very much resembles a 1950s style diner, down to the booths, the bar stools, and the photos on the walls. The back room has pool tables and is occasionally used for bands.
The selection of beer on tap, while limited, is more varied than most dive bars. This was the only place in town where I had Guinness from tap.


Heath, OH
#8: Big Mike’s
733 Hebron Rd
Heath, OH 43056
[Map]

Formerly a sports bar and now a night club, Big Mike’s is technically the hotel bar for the Quality Inn. However it’s isolated enough from the motel to give it a standalone feel like it’s for the locals as much as it is for the tourists.
I enjoyed the spherical goldfish bowl at the end of the bar. Unfortunately is was so cloudy it was hard to see the fish inside.
The main bar area is separated from the large dance floor room, which is behind the bar.


back in Newark, OH
#9: Somewhere Else
386 W Main St
Newark, OH 43055
(740) 345-0967
[Map]

This as divided into two rooms. The front room was the bar, which like it’s neighbor Tony’s had a lunchcounter feel only more rustic. The back room was a large dance floor. During my visit the bar was being decorated for a bartender’s 30th birthday party the next day.
The men’s room was completely out of soap, paper towels, and toiletpaper. Not that you’d want to poop here, as the toilet is right in your face when you first open the door.

#10: Tristan’s
370 W Church St
Newark, OH
(740) 349-1700
[Map]

Part sports bar, part night club. The exterior looked more like an air conditioning repair business than a bar, but thee inside was nicely done. The staff was friendly, the drinks were good, and the bathrooms were the largest and nicest of any I saw in Newark.

Waldo, OH
#11: Village Tavern
104 S Marion St
Waldo, OH 43356
(740) 726-9622
[Map]

Established in 1840, this is by far the oldest bar I have been to so far.
The front area did not look anything like a bar at all, more like a snack shop. But it served a limited supply of beer and liquor, along with friend walleye sandwiches and other bar food. Hidden away in the back was a much larger room with three pool tables and several booths. The Village Tavern hosts area pool leagues.


Cloverdale, IN
#12: Ye Ole Inn
101 S Main St
Cloverdale, IN 46120
(765) 795-5533
[Map]

Established in 1840, this is by far the oldest bar I have been to so far.
Ye Ole Inn has been open since 2004 in a building that has served many purposes: previously a video store, before that a furniture store, and originally a 1940s gas station.
These eclectic uses explain the unique layout of the bar, broken into multiple rooms. There’s a pool room, the main bar area with the jukebox and a 3-sided arcing bar, and a back nook.
It was pretty quiet here tonight, unusually so according to the bartender. She kept us entertained with conversation and kept the beer flowing.