A Burger and a Bit of Lore at Hot Springs’ Ohio Club

A large mahogany bar anchors the Ohio Club on Hot Springs’ Bathhouse Row, setting the tone before anyone has looked at a menu. It is the sort of bar that asks you to take a moment: dark wood, old-time character, relics and gaming pieces gathered around a room that has absorbed a great many local stories.

The Ohio Club works nicely as a lunch stop, but it has more going on than a historic-room meal. A visitor can settle in for an Angus burger and fries, take a seat at the bar for a cocktail, or come back in the evening when live music gives the room a different tempo.

History is not treated as wallpaper here. Staff members share facts and tales about the building, the bar and Hot Springs, including lore involving gangsters, police shootouts and celebrities. One of the stories points out old bullet holes associated with early-20th-century confrontations. It is best enjoyed as barroom lore, told in the setting that makes such lore especially fun to hear.

The antique-looking mahogany bar back is the room’s main visual event. Its Cincinnati origin is part of the story often told around the bar, and the substantial piece gives the place a presence that newer cocktail rooms generally have to work much harder to create.

Look beyond the polished wood and there are old objects to inspect: relics, gaming pieces and details that keep the space from becoming a generic historic-themed restaurant. The décor has the pleasant clutter of a place with accumulated character rather than a room assembled all at once.

Seating is flexible. There are bar stools, booths, counters and an indoor dining area, along with upstairs seating near a balcony. That variety makes it easy to choose between a close-up bar meal, a booth for a more conventional lunch, or a perch nearer the evening action.

Burgers are a major reason to come hungry. The menu includes the Ohio Burger, classic burger choices, Angus beef sliders and burger-of-the-month offerings, so a burger order does not have to be the same visit after visit.

The kitchen has also handled burgers to a guest’s requested doneness, a small but welcome detail when a historic barroom has you hoping the food will be as considered as the surroundings. Add hot, crisp, well-seasoned fries and the meal lands comfortably beyond basic bar fare.

Onion rings have their own following, and they make a good companion to a burger or sliders when the table is in a sharing mood. This is not a menu that requires much ceremony: order something substantial, claim your seat, and let the old room do the rest.

The sandwich list is broad enough to pull a group beyond burgers. The Bugsy is a house favorite with a memorable name and has been a repeat order, while the hot pastrami, patty melt, BLT and Philly cheesesteak cover several dependable comfort-food directions.

A Reuben is available, and sourdough has been substituted for rye on request. That is a useful option for a diner who likes the corned beef-and-sauerkraut combination but wants a different bread under it.

The mahi mahi sandwich offers a seafood detour from all the beef. It has appeared blackened on a soft hoagie roll, a sturdier lunch than its simple name might suggest.

Vegetarian dishes are clearly labeled on the menu, adding some help for mixed tables. Diners who need strict gluten-free accommodations, especially those managing celiac disease, should confirm current menu details and cross-contact practices directly with the restaurant.

Fried green beans are one of the menu’s more distinctive starters and an easy order for the table. They are a nice change from the usual basket of fries and wings, especially if you are lingering over drinks before deciding on a main course.

There is plenty of fried-bar-food territory to explore beyond them: fried okra, fried portobello mushrooms, fried mushrooms, French fries and onion rings. A plate or two can turn a quick cocktail stop into an unhurried snack without committing everyone to a full meal.

The smoked Old Fashioned is a recurring highlight at the bar, and it may arrive with some tableside flourish, including a flaming finish. It is an appropriate drink for a room full of dark wood and historic tales—classic in its basic idea, then given a little showmanship.

There are plenty of other directions to take. Bloody Marys have been notably substantial and heavily garnished, while dirty martinis, raspberry martinis, chocolate martinis and peach tea cocktails offer a broader range than the name Ohio Club might lead you to expect.

The peach tea mixes iced tea, peach schnapps and whiskey, a straightforward sweet-and-spirituous combination for an afternoon seat at the bar. One chocolate martini has also been customized with a splash of Frangelico, bringing it close to a Toblerone-like flavor.

Non-drinkers are not limited to a glass of water while everyone else orders something festive. The mocktail list includes a Virgin Pineapple Upside Down, a properly named option for joining the cocktail round without the alcohol.

Live bands perform on some evenings, shifting the Ohio Club from historic restaurant to full-fledged nightspot. You can have dinner in the same room where you had a quiet drink earlier, then find the volume and energy rising as the music gets underway.

Conversation can still be manageable in some parts of the venue, but the upstairs area near the performance setup can get very loud, particularly on busy Friday and Saturday nights. That upstairs location suits people who want to be close to the band; diners seeking a less intense meal may prefer another seat.

A cover charge can apply when a band is performing, with one reported charge at $5 per person. Music is not guaranteed on every visit, so an evening centered on a particular performance is worth confirming before heading over.

The Ohio Club can fit several kinds of Hot Springs days: a daytime look at a famously atmospheric barroom, a sandwich lunch between Bathhouse Row stops, an early cocktail, or a long dinner that runs into live music. Its range is one reason it works so well for couples and groups that do not all want the same pace.

Parking in the surrounding area includes street spaces, paid lots and garages, with availability varying by visit. Once inside, the easy choice is usually to give the menu a little time—there is enough beyond the signature burger to make a second round of ordering tempting.