Surprise! It isn’t what you think. :)3 min read

A new, hip speakeasy has me a tad smitten lately, and I’m not the only one to notice. The NY Timeshas even written about it! Wow, Hey Michelle and The NY Timeswriting about the same thing. Oh, if my teachers could see me now!

This is the place you want to take your cool cousins or hip friends from out of town…it’s not like your other hangouts.

Video Archivecaught my eye, because I think I’m the only one that misses Blockbuster and the ability to get any movie when I want it. No, Netflix doesn’t do that! I’ve gone through my 500 channels and still can never find a good flick I want to watch. So, yes, I miss a video store.

When you come upon this incredible video store in Walnut Hills––with a funky bunny painting on the window––you’re not quite sure what it is. You walk in, and a friendly “movie specialist” is there to help you pick out just the right movie. When you pull it off the shelf, the secret is revealed! A video shelf moves, and, voila…a Quentin Terantino-themed, kick-butt bar is exposed!

Jacob Trevino––who loves movies and is a Molly Wellman-trained mixologist––had the chance to open a bar, and he went all-in on the theme. Everywhere you glance are hints about Terantino, with his movies on TVs and other movies projected above the bar. Pulp Fiction pictures hang around the vintage Wurlitzer jukebox, and there are plenty of creatively named cocktails.

Per usual, I don’t want to tell you everything so you can be surprised too, but you need to go have Jeremy or Jonathan shake you up a drink or a Five Dollar Milkshake ;)

There is a quaint little courtyard with a fire pit and a walk up window to Just Q’in BBQ. They have great theme nights and a Fight Club (join for wine tastings, and after you attend 5, you get a deal on the 6th). And, yes, they have a level 2 sommelier so probs some good wine from off the beaten path because you wouldn’t expect anything common here! Join their Facebookpage for info on all fun upcoming events.  For instance, on Dec. 17th from 6-9 is one my husband “Double O Kevin” would like…James Bond Night! $7/007 cocktails and the movies playing all night. Bonus…if you come all dapper in a tux, you get a martini for free!

Trevino also owns another themed bar in Pleasant Ridge called Overlook Lodge. While it isn’t a “secret bar” it’s definitely one to check out for its sly references to the movie “The Shining.”

• Parking directly out front on the street.  Come with a friend…this area is on the rise, but better safe…

Video Archive – 965 E. McMillian