Happy hour @ The Cricket Lounge. The Cricket Lounge at the Cincinnatian Hotel is at the top of my list for happy hour favorites. Although the decor is stuck in the 1980's, it remains relevant, given the quality of the materials, furniture and maintenance. The hotel was Cincinnati's first (and still only) "boutique hotel", and the public bathrooms off of the lobby have won national "best bathroom awards" for their, at the time, cutting edge design. It's my first choice when I'm in that part of downtown and nature calls!

7 days a week, from 4-7pm, the Cricket hosts a terrific happy hour with great prices on certain items. The best $5 hamburger in town, served with homemade kettle chips or delicious BBQ pork sliders, 3 for $5, are my usual selections. They come from the same kitchen as the acclaimed Palace Restaurant, next door. Hand made pretzels and great desserts are also to be considered as they are both uncommonly good!

Boz tends the bar many evenings and mixes a fine drink. Happy hour cocktail specials, however, are LAME and not recommended. Pay full price for a well-made cocktail of your choice or stay with the budget theme and do a $3 import ($2 domestic).

The crowd is mostly hotel guests, business people and downtowners in-the-know of a great happy hour value. My pet peeve with this place is the addition of a GD flat screen TV in the lounge ....... embrace conversation with your companion, the bartender or even a total stranger and quit starring at the GD TV!

Every Thursday and Friday night, the Cricket Lounge runs a special- $8.99 for a burger with the usual toppings (lettuce, tomato, onions; cheese is $1, and just about any kind you wish)… and a beer. Not cheap beer, either, but Hoegaarden, Bass or OTR. So,