Chillicothe Dive Bar Guide

Classic Midwestern Ohio Drinking

Just southeast of Columbus, Chillicothe provides the classic neighborhood food & beer oasis experience.
Painted Lady Lounge - Detroit Dive Bar - Interior
Cozy Inn Bar & Grill

Finding an attractive dive bar nestled into a corner of a big city is one thing, but the real dive bar purity is often found a bit off the beaten path in towns like Chillicothe, just southeast of Columbus. Chillicothe in particular specializes in hybrid dive bar-diner hybrids, classic local spots to grab a meal and a beer with a stable set of regulars.

Just south of Chillicothe’s downtown strip, Paint Grill is perhaps the perfect example of this phenomenon, a diner counter nestled in the center of a cinder block-lined building. Across town, Cozy Inn tips the scales a little toward the dive bar side of the spectrum, but the presence of a Friday potato soup special underscores the bar’s dual nature.

Of course, the further out into the more rural parts of Ohio, the more rustic the dive bar drinking options become. The list below features a sprinkling of options in and around Chillicothe for those visiting or just passing through.

Dive Bar Map

Our Chillicothe Dive Bar Recommendations

While we’ve done our fair share of drinking, we haven’t yet hit every Chillicothe Dive Bar. The recommendations below are sorted into tiers to help guide your choices depending on how much time you have to explore Chillicothe. Where we’ve reviewed a location, a score is given.

SFG Reviews

We’ve been lucky enough to visit the locations below in Chillicothe. Each location includes a full review and SFG score to help you decide on how to prioritize your travels.

Paint Grill

SFG Rating: 8 out of 10
Dive bar-diner hybrid home to a classic pork tenderloin.

Cozy Inn Bar & Grill

SFG Rating: 7 out of 10
Friday potato soup and a legendary cheeseburger dive.

SFG Recommendations

We have not yet been lucky enough to visit the Chillicothe options below, but research, word of mouth and reader submissions have led us to recommend these must-visit options.

The Wobbly Ghost Tavern

The purple house on the corner home to darts, beer and karaoke.
Google Map

Other Options

Below you’ll find the truly deep cuts, gems in waiting that we have not yet been able to visit. Let us know if you find a particularly potent destination.

Zane Tavern

887 Eastern Ave, Chillicothe, OH 45601
Google Map

Taylor Brothers Saloon

400 E Main St, Chillicothe, OH 45601
Google Map

Hard Tail

833 Eastern Ave, Chillicothe, OH 45601
Google Map

Contact Us

What did we miss? Send along your ideas on the dives and neighborhood bars we need to visit next.