A Profile Of Cleveland's Favorite Dive Bar

The Duck Island Club is an unassuming little bar tucked into a nothing-to-see-here corner between Cleveland’s Ohio City and Tremont neighborhoods. But behind its lackluster exterior is one of the best-loved, most eclectic lounges in Cleveland.

There’s a reason that Cleveland’s Duck Island Club doesn’t have a flashy storefront: It started out as a speakeasy during the Prohibition era. Rumor has it that an entrepreneurial local named Margie opened a speakeasy on the lower floor of her home and allowed gangsters, moonshiners, and bootleggers smuggling booze from nearby Canada to do business there.

Since then, the Duck Island Club has gone through a number of transformations, and still provides the intimate, cozy feel of a speakeasy as an alternative to Ohio City’s much louder bro-bar scene. The club is regularly named one of Cleveland’s best bars, boasting plenty of regulars and an eclectic crowd. Local Clevelanders especially appreciate the laid-back atmosphere and everybody-knows-your-name feeling that the club has spent years cultivating.

The Duck Island Club is home to three separate mini-venues, each with their own vibe. The patio, with a massive tree covered in twinkling lights, is great in the summertime or for a quiet conversation away from the crowd. The bar is the club’s mainstay, where music booms and shots and beers flow. It really gets hopping after 10 p.m., when local and regional bands and DJs start playing.

The lounge, meanwhile, has sleek couches and a more intimate vibe, making it a perfect place to slip away with a date or gather for a birthday party. The walls are lined with local art, and on less crowded nights, dart boards and pool tables are available for a laid-back game.

The menu at The Duck Island Club is as straightforward and unsnobby as its clientele. Both standout craft beers and inexpensive classics are on tap, as well as any shot or liquor you could think of. Cocktails aren’t the bar’s forte (though Tuesdays are $5 martini nights), but most of the bartenders will make you anything you want if you help them out a bit.

The Duck Island Club is located on Freeman Avenue and is open until 2 a.m. seven days a week.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFRhfNeEqa8/?hl=en&tagged=duckislandclub

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.