The Red Leprechaun. Cincinnati, Ohio

20 West Freedom Way

Guinness Tag: $8.00 | Overall Rating: 6.95

Today's Dedicated Pint: DDC Publishing Company | DDCPUBLISHING

This Pub opened up right around the same time I initially started this massive Irish Pub crawl. I actually poured a Guinness behind the bar on their grand opening as Mr. Red, and I even washed their windows during Paddy's Squeegee's glory days (my window washing company) for their first 5 or 6 months in business. One of the owners occasionally worked as a DJ at Great American Ballpark, and you could say that I had a good little "in" as soon as these guys opened the doors. They're good dudes. I wanted to give the Pub a year or two before writing about it, that way it could work out some of the kinks, grow some patina, and hopefully fix some things (the time lapse helped a little bit, but not much).

The Red Leprechaun certainly has the eye candy. It's aesthetically pleasing both inside and out. It has a few unique touches such as an old payphone, red lighting, a music stage, and the bar itself, which was brought to Cincinnati from Ireland. The curb appeal is really welcoming, broadcasting live greenery alongside a quaint patio, beautiful windows, and a marvelous front door. I've always touted that just because you open a Pub that looks the part, that alone doesn't automatically put you at the top of the totem pole against the others. I've slapped great ratings on Pubs that look awful, but play the game better than most. Pete's out in the Cold. "Build it and they'll come" works for some things, but at the end of the day, you still need to play the part. You could build a beautiful football stadium along a scenic cityscape, but if the product on the field consistently sucks .... cough, Bengals, people aren't going to be too thrilled at the end of the day. The same standard applies to Pubs/bars/restaurants.

When the Lep originally opened, they marketed themselves as a college type bar, posting pictures on their social media of obnoxiously annoying looking college kids dancing inside what looked like a night club. Thankfully, they veered away from that. I kept saying to myself: if you're going to open an Irish Pub, you have to know who your audience is, and you have to trust that those people will support you so long as you've done everything the right way. These guys were (and still are) grasping for anyone they can get to walk through their door (which is fine, if that's what you have to do to survive). When Pubs try to cater to everyone, rather than a specific target audience, it can often hurt the overall charm. Look at the places in America (that people know about) who cater to everyone: BDUBS, Applebee's, Old Bag of Nails. Successful? Sure. Charming, memorable, and brag worthy? No. Am I saying you should exclude anyone who walks through your door? Absolutely F'ing not. The Red Lep is a good-looking Pub, and it's CERTAINLY better than Applebee's haha, but it just doesn't scratch my itch like some of the others out in the wild.

It sits on what you'd think would be an incredibly busy street, yet it doesn't see a whole lot of foot traffic unless there's something going on at either the ballpark, arena, or Paycor Stadium (where the Cincinnati Bengals play). It's not the easiest place in the world to establish 40+ regulars every week on top of the random flow. I'm sure as hell not driving downtown every week to spend $20 to park and another $60 to hang out for a couple of hours, especially if there's an annoying event going on down the street like "Disney on Ice" or "Monster Truck Rally." I'll stop in whenever I happen to be downtown (if they're even open), and that's unfortunately the problem this Pub faces. Downtown Cincinnati, specifically "the banks," is a tough spot for bar owners; the rent is expensive as heck, the demographics are tough during nightfall, and it's a bit of a ghost town during the slower months. So many places have opened and closed here, such as Johnny Rockets, Burgerfi, Howl at the Moon, Toby Keith's I Love this Bar, Pies & Pints, Nation Kitchen, and many more. Man do I wish Johnny Rockets could have made it work, I think they arrived too early. It's a tough environment, and I respect everyone who tries to make it work here.

There are many things that unfortunately annoy me about the Red Lep, and I say unfortunately because I really wanted to like this place. However, when you're never open before 4 p.m. during the work week, charge $6.50 after tax for a bottle of Miller Highlife (we're not in Manhattan, stop charging people like it), and don't carefully choose who tends your bar, then you can't possibly expect me to frequent here multiple times a month (forget about each week).

People in the area may be shocked to hear that I dislike this place, and that's ok. I have my reasons to dislike it, and they have their reasons to claim satisfaction. Don't get it twisted, though, I'm not saying this place isn't worthy of your time and that you can't have a fun evening here, because you can surely enjoy bending the elbows at the Red Leprechaun if you arrive with the right crowd or pick the right day. Is the Craic consistent, prominent, or organic here? No. Not at all. I can't possibly recommend the place if I'm not confident that you'll surely run into the type of Craic the Erin Rose, Mulligan's, The Dead Rabbit, Dublin's, Slainte House, Corcoran's, or the 20+ others produce on a daily basis.

The Craic at the Red Lep is (tried to be) manufactured, rather than letting it develop organically from the regulars alongside a genuinely great bartender. I'll give an example here in a second. What makes my journey of Stepping Foot Inside Every Irish Pub in America so neat for me, is that I can see the rising and falling trends in real time, I can see who played off of who, and it's really easy to point out who's original and who's just mimicking the big guys. When I snagged a barstool inside Pat O'Shea's in the Highlands area of Louisville, I instantly correlated it with Pat O'Brien's down in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Everything the guy did, from the outdoor signage to the patio, was so similar to the world famous, "Pat O'Brien's." I even pointed it out to the owner of the place when I ran into him, asking him, "Have you ever been to Pat O'Brien's down in New Orleans?" To which he replied with something along the lines of, "You caught me." I told him that I liked his Pub even more than O'Brien's, and everything he did was better. He did it the right way, and rather than looking like he was trying to steal someone else's ideas, it actually acts as a compliment and a tip of the hat to Pat O'Brien's, because of the perfect execution. It's evident the guys behind the Red Leprechaun are handpicking different things from different Pubs in America that work and trying to replicate the same things for themselves. It's fine; do what works, I don't blame ya. I personally just don't like it very much.

For one, they decorate the place really nice for Christmas, however, if you look at any picture from Butch McGuire's in Chicago or The Dead Rabbit in NYC, you'll notice the Red Leprechaun in Cincinnati is clearly posing off the other guys' ideas. It's not organic, it's forced, and I look at it as embarrassing. For seconds, the whole "this bar counter came from Ireland" isn't as unique as you might think, and I don't think it should be the number one thing you brag about when describing your atmosphere. I think it should be the icing on top, rather than the focal point. There are many, many Pubs out there that have something or some things that have been transported from the Emerald Isle, and the great ones don't even boast about it unless you ask. Be your own Pub, damn it, stop trying to mimic someone else's, and if you do: you HAVE to do it better than them. If you copy someone else's ideas and put up a lesser product, then don't get mad at someone like me (who's been to more Pubs throughout the United States than anyone else in human history) for thinking you missed the mark. It may work for the others, but you can't fool me. I'm being strong with my opinions here, but I believe it needs to be said. These articles aren't meant for everyone, anyway, and in the famous words of the notorious Irish fighter, Conor McGregor, "I apologize to absolutely nobody."

There are good things about the place, and I feel bad for going this long without pointing them out. They pour a great pint of Guinness, and a consistent one at that. Their barstools in the dining room are awesome: they're lightweight, wooden, cushioned, and cozy. They have snug booths for intimate dinner sessions, and they provide exceptional toiletries with pleasant wallpaper. The patio offers a great view of the Roebling Bridge along the Ohio River, the music stage is quaint, and the windows are beautiful. Some of the signage is authentic, and the light fixtures throughout the place are nice as well.

My biggest gripes with the place are the bartenders, the pricing, the hours of operation, bare shelving, the whiskey selection, and the corny cocktails. All of which, should probably leave for a worse rating than a 6.00, but hey, whatever. There are a few bartenders in Cincinnati who single handedly have more experience behind the bar than half (if not most) of the bar staff here at the Red Leprechaun combined. They do pour a good Guinness, they play good music (for the most part), and the lighting is prime. Sipping on a Guinness under this roof while the sun is setting is a pretty beautiful experience, and I vividly remember shedding a tear one night as I gazed out the window during a sunset, reminiscing about everything I've been through here in Cincinnati.

The Craic at the Red Leprechaun will never be able to sniff the level of Craic that Hap's over in Oakley pumps out, unfortunately. The Red Leprechaun is cool for a random night out for people either out of town or just stumbling around, looking for a less crowded place than what's available down the street (Jefferson Social). If you're looking to throw some darts, meet some longtime locals, enjoy a few beers for less than 10 bucks, feel like you're in a close-knit group, and receive great hospitality/hear some fun stories from a genuine bartender, then The Red Leprechaun is not where you want to go. Go to Hap's.

Sorry guys, but you just don't cut it for me. Your bar looks nice, though. Focus on your corporate crap like the Fishbowl and leave the stuff that requires true originality to the pros. I hope you prove me wrong as time moves on, and I wish you the best. No hard feelings. I'm off to Boston.

Slainte.