The Righteous Room Joins Backstage District

September 20, 2009 in Bars

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Image via 5chw4r7z
All of the sudden, Walnut St. seems to be at the heart of Downtown Cincinnati’s revitalization. Between great local spots such as Jeff Ruby’s, Nicholson’s, Bootsy’s, and nada, the Backstage District has been become the go-to place for a night out in the city center.
The latest addition to this Walnut St. district is The Righteous Room, a new lounge that opened in July in an impressively renovated space that used to house the Phoenix Cafe.


It is apparent when you walk though the door that The Righteous Room is no Phoenix Cafe, a place the Business Courier described as a “rough-and-ready watering hole.” The stylish decor, an eclectic mix of old and new, makes itself a focal point immediately. The leaded glass windows and detailed wood door give way to an interior that features swanky vintage-looking wallpaper, windows that open to the street, and several pieces of art depicting purity and sin.

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The highlight for us, though, was the interior bartop. Carrie Farler, General Manager of The Righteous Room, explained the bartop’s markings: “It’s a zinc bartop [weathered] in an acid solution that has the Book of John from the King James Bible etched into it.”
The etching machine had to be loaded with the entire text, the bartop treated and etched, and finally covered with an acrylic sheet to preserve it. “It’s a very fine and tedious process,” said Farler,  ”I mean once it’s there, there’s no turning back.” Though the etchings are faint, created for design and concept rather than readability, it’s a great conversation starter.
In addition to the interesting decor touches, Farler thinks The Righteous Room’s jukebox is a draw. “It’s not necessarily the cheesy top 40 music you’re going to hear anywhere else,” she said. “We’ve got a couple local bands on it – the Bad Veins is on our jukebox along with You, You’re Awesome. So we support local people and we just think it’s a nice change of pace.”
On the weekends, the jukebox gives way to DJs in the courtyard, and though the lounge vibe is still prevalent, some patrons put on their dancing shoes.

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The outdoor courtyard features a large mural, sleek outdoor furniture, and another full-featured bar. When the weather turns chilly, Farler said The Righteous Room will hook up “heater trees” to the underfoot gas lines that are installed in the courtyard (which means less obtrusive heaters without the large tanks attached). Because the outdoor area is protected from the wind by buildings on all sides, it is expected to stay nice and warm throughout most of the year.
Though the bar is open late nights 7 days a week, the best time to visit is definitely the extended happy hour, which runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Happy hour features all drinks (with the exception of bottled wine) at half off – a good time to try the outstanding microbrew and local beer selection.
The other chance to grab a deal is The Righteous Room’s service industry night, which goes down every Sunday. Service night features $3 Absolut drinks, $1.50 Miller Lites and a DJ in the courtyard. 
The Righteous Room
641 Walnut St. 

1 Comment »

  • Lori

    While meandering around downtown after a meeting last week, we came across The Righteous Room. WOW, what a great place, the outside is right there on the inside, what a great atmosphere!