It was a “will it, won’t it” kind of day.
Rain had been hitting the Midwest so hard for a week that there had been constant flooding. The skies went from drizzling to pouring and back to drizzling again. It seemed like no one could stay dry for more than an hour and it wasn’t clear when it was ever going to stop …
And that’s not great when holding a party on one of the best outdoor patios in Cincinnati.
Yelp Cincy was doing the new warm weather up right with a BBQ at The Famous Neon’s Unplugged, an incredible bar in Over-the-Rhine … But this wasn’t just any BBQ, oh no, this was a Funny Hat BBQ! Yes, there would be grilling, drinking and a plethora funny hats to top it all off. But, of course, it had to stay dry first.
That's not to say we weren't prepared!
The big day was here and it began with, no surprise, rain! Followed by more rain! Followed by … no rain? (*Cue the Blind Melon*) Yes, the clouds parted, the sun shown through and we had clear skies for our BBQ.
And so, the party began! Yelpers flooded the beautiful outdoor patio to celebrate the coming of spring.
To start, there were seven different types of wings being heated and grilled from Wild Mike’s Wings, just voted best wings in the city. And, for the non-wingers, veggie burgers were cooked up by the bun-full. Ryan B “enjoyed the boneless wings and veggie burgers like they were going out of style.”
To wash it down, Crispin Hard Cider brought five different types of beverages, including different ciders made with honey, maple and blackberries. And the great Glazer’s came with three different types of Don Julio tequilas and ran tastings throughout the night. Best Bartender in the City Molly Wellmann explained what these drinks were, where they came from and how to best enjoy them today.
And did we mention Neon’s itself was voted best new bar in the city? This was clearly a party to celebrate. “Neon's is a great place. And by great, I mean GREAT. This bar has just the right blend of chill and thrill. When you throw Yelp on top, you have the ice cream sundae of events,” Justin R declared.
Of course, no Funny Hat Party would be complete without, well, funny hats! People adorned their tops with an array of amusing items, including sharks, bonnets, lampshades, tiaras and more.
But it was the homemade hats that really shined, and taking home the honored prizes (beautiful red ribbons and gleaming silver spatulas) were the top-three Funny Hat winners: Dan B with his sea monster diorama, Meg V with her knitted Android cap and Justin R with his literal “Funny Hat.” These three? King amongst the crowned!
Yelpers enjoyed the food, the drinks, the amusements, the hats and, of course, the giant Jenga and bocce ball court on Neon’s patio. This was truly an event that onlookers looked on with envy. As Paige M nicely said, “it was three random things that melded perfectly together: cider, chicken wings, and funny headgear.”
And for all those at the party, we tip our hat to you.
But don’t just take our word on the night’s awesomeness, you can read all the reviews right here. You can also check out the other awesome pics by photographer extraordinaire Anna Penny on the Official Yelp Flickr page!
SYOY,
Alex S, Cincy Community Manager
