Venice Cafe

The inside of this bar is nothing to be impressed with. There was live music, which was decent but it was SO LOUD. We were all screaming at eachother and couldn't hear servers when they would come to the table. The bathroom stalls were also very small and barely gave you room to sit down.I was decently surprised by their beer listing, with having more than just bud light & coors. They had Market Garden, GLBC, Southern Tier, amongst others. The real redeeming quality was the bar utilizing the restaurant next door (Erie Street Kitchen) to serve food. I got the chicken tenders basket with honey mustard sauce. The tenders were freshly breaded/battered and were sooo good. Juicy, but not gross and not greasy at all. The real winner of the meal was the honey mustard sauce - holy crap. I'm still thinking about it 24 hours later.I truly can't give a high review because the redeeming qualities were due to the food of the restaurant next door.

I was here today for a private event, the haymaker farmers market farm to table brunch. So I can't comment on what a normal day might be like, but everyone working the event was very nice and helpful. The food was outstanding and it's a cute place! I learned about some of the history.... It's been around a long time! All in all a great time was had!

The food and service was excellent Portions were large had dinner the next day. Gumbo was delicious.

OLD STYLE ON TAP! (and it's cheap.)What more do you need? They also have great margaritas, mules, etc. I honestly feel like I'm not in Ohio anymore when I step into this place. It has a very Nashville-vibe which I absolutely love. There seems to be ample seating and they have live music often. It is always crowded, but I'm glad, because it means they will stick around!

A little loud at first, but that's to be expected from a college bar. After the table with the shrill & giggling girls left, it was much better. Staff was very attentive, place was clean and I felt good about eating & drinking there. Beers were nice and cold - perfect. I expected a little more of a selection, but what they had was great.

I left a longer review under Erie St Kitchen, which is the company that leases space from Venice and runs the food portion.While I love the old school atmosphere, the issue with Venice is comfort level with regards to temperatures. Especially in the summertime, if it's hot and/or humid, it gets really sticky inside. And in the winter at times it can be like a boiler room.If you happen to come on a night when the HVAC is set right, it'll be awesome. If not, just plan on having one and moving on.Lastly - they need to do a better job of keeping the kegs cold. Too often I've gone there and had a 'cool' draft beer.

New ownership has done a good job with the Venice. They kept a lot of the "dive" charm that made the Venice unique, but cleaned a lot of things up. It's really nice that the place no longer smells like Urine. It's a cool place to listen to a band with their new raised stage, but it can get pretty crowded and loud if you aren't there specifically to listen to music. The drink specials are usually what draw me here. Until 9pm it's ungodly cheap. They have a whole drink menu of specials. Probably 10 different options. And the happy hour is even good on weekend nights, which is a plus. Adding Erie Street Cafe into the bar was huge too. That place has the best food in Kent, IMO.

Had a few beers with an old friend over lunch and the place is cool. A welcome departure from the normal. Beautiful bar and decor. Old school and warm. Great beer and the Venice and the Erie street kitchen that is in there have the best waitresses...

Great food and drinks. Horrible service, they do not treat their patrons with respect. They are against people letting loose and enjoying themselves. I'm disheartened as a Kent state alumni to see such a great place staffed by people who are against having a good time. Unfortunately will not be back. This bar is lacking a crowd for a reason and it's not the food or drinks.

This place has great potential. Great location, killer food from Erie Street, ample space and regular live music. However, it will only be potential unless ownership seriously steps up. The vandalized tables and benches are a disgrace. The live music is way too loud (and I'm a sound engineer, trust me). The sound is lost to reverb and noise distortion. The bathrooms are too small and not ADA compliant. Now, for the absolute deal breaker for me... THE BAR. Bartenders are extremely rude and curt with everyone. Cocktails are made incorrectly with the wrong ingredients. The alcohol is watered down. I haven't been a college student for 30 years and I know what Grey Goose, Tito's, Tanqueray, Patron, Jameson etc. should taste like. A staff member has admitted to me that they pour Korski and Juarez into Tito's and Cuervo bottles. Again, great potential but you need to do some remodeling, update your sound system if you are going to have live music and for the love of Captain Morgan have some integrity and competence behind the bar. At least tell your bartenders that a Long Island Iced Tea does not contain reposado tequila ever, only blanco. Also adding blue curacao to an already bad drink did not make it special. I hope you consider some updates because the Venice could be great.