Old Skool

I was pretty excited about this close-​to-​me new restaurant in Clintonville. Overall, it was a pretty solid place, but needs just a few tweaks to warrant a 4 or 5 star rating.
My husband got takeout for me and my family on a Saturday night. I ordered the cheese curds and the breakfast hot dog (Breakfast Club). The cheese curds were delicious, except that they came unexpectedly with banana peppers. Yes, it’s in the menu, but it seems like an odd/​unusual pairing. I’m hopeful that next time I’ll be able to order just cheese curds with no peppers.
The breakfast hot dog was a little dry, but only because it was overcooked. If the sausage/​hot dog had been cooked properly, it would have been perfect. It happens, so I am going to try it again very soon.
The softdrinks were oddly overpriced. My husband’s wings were very well prepared, but the bourbon BBQ sauce was oddly spicy.
Overall, we’re definitely going to try them again, but I’ll wait a few months until they get the kinks worked out.

Wasn’t initially thinking about having a pint, but the locker in the foyer adorned with Fathead’s (brewing) stickers, paired with the server informing me that it was happy hour, incentivized me to give in to a beer. This quickly became a disappointment as there was no Fathead offering in sight. I had only planned on sharing an app or two with my sister, hoping for a pleasantly light 5−7% ABV craft draft to wash it down with. Again, I was let down by the (almost) alarmingly high ABV of what was on the beer list. I settled for the 7.2% Lagunitas.
The fried pickles were good, but not memorable. I did find it confusing that there was no mention of them being fried on the menu, I had just heard from another that’s what they were. The fries were a cut above the pickles, reminiscent of fair fries when paired with the malt vinegar aioli.
I was discouraged once more when the check came. They charged my sister $ 2.50 for a Sprite (soft drinks are not listed or priced on the menu), and another $ 0.50 for a cup of sauce that the waiter suggested in addition to the one she ordered. I have a fundamental issue with restaurants charging premiums without mentioning the cost incurred when you order. They could have at least offered lids for the plastic sauce cups as a take-​home option, considering there was so much left over.
Overall, they need to put in some more effort if they want to compete with the restaurants and bars that surround them. I’ll probably be back eventually to try out the veggie dogs, and hopefully, their improved beer menu.

Oldskool is a new sports bar by the guys who brought you Local Cantina and Local Bar. If you like those places, then you’ll probably enjoy Oldskool too.
We checked Oldskool out on its third day open. It’s a sports bar with a decent number of big screens. The theme is retro. It’s a loose theme. There’s some 80s stuff and some 70s stuff and some older stuff, but it can’t really be defined as a certain period. Just… retro. There are old TV consoles on the walls showing old movie clips and commercials. There’s an old high school scoreboard. An old pinball machine. Miscellaneous crazy crap on the wall.
The beer list is solid. Smaller than Local Cantina’s, but similar and good. Bodhi, Sohio, bottles of Jackie O’s Spirit Beast, etc. The food is solid too. The menu is primarily hot dogs. They hold their own with Dirty Frank’s. I had a Thai inspired dog with peanut sauce and sriracha and another with buffalo chicken, blue cheese, and celery and enjoyed them both. We split some poutine, which may not please traditionalists because it was skimpy on gravy and cheese, but with its smokey pulled pork it was still good.
You could tell they are still working out the kinks though. The bartenders seemed a bit unsure of themselves, and then we had to leave because the heat stopped working. The manager told us we could stay and hang out, but the bartenders made fairly clear in an unspoken manner that they’d rather everyone leave so we followed their cue.
Overall, a fun place. I’d definitely go back once they iron a few things out, and I’m guessing my 3 rating could rise to a four. Has the potential to be a really fun sports bar.

Another great addition to the south Clintonville neighborhood. Oldskool has everything I want in a close-​to-​home bar: great food, a nice draft list, friendly people, and Pacman.
The menu has a good variety of offerings– poutine, a couple salads, lots of hot dog options, and on-​site smoked meats! Oh, and fried twinkies if you’re into that. There’s also free popcorn! Happy hour is from 3 – 6 Monday-​Friday, and on Wednesdays, all of the dogs are $ 3.
There is not a lack of entertainment options, either. They’ve got lots of TVs for everyone to watch their sportsball. But for me, the two FREE arcade tables steal the show. Give me a beer, some fried pickles, and Pacman, and I’m a happy girl.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Oldskool!