Guidebook for Yellow Springs
Drinks & Nightlife
Live music on Fridays & Saturdays, typically 10pm - 1am; no cover, 21+ after 9pm; includes local and regional touring bands. Open Mic on Tuesdays, 8-11pm; has decent house drum kit, keyboard, guitar & bass amps & PA.
Plenty of seating (with a quieter room off the main area); the dance floor can get crowded (but is friendly!)
Patio overlooks the popular bike path; has a full bar, friendly bartenders, and more than a dozen craft beers on tap.
Their kitchen serves up a variety of appetizers & entrées; we like the Grinder (Italian sub) and the Buffalo Chicken salad; the Nacho plate is huge and tasty (order a half unless you're hungry or sharing!)
Opens at 11am; serves full menu until 9pm.
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Peach's Grill
104 Xenia AveLive music on Fridays & Saturdays, typically 10pm - 1am; no cover, 21+ after 9pm; includes local and regional touring bands. Open Mic on Tuesdays, 8-11pm; has decent house drum kit, keyboard, guitar & bass amps & PA.
Plenty of seating (with a quieter room off the main area); the dance floor can get crowded (but is friendly!)
Patio overlooks the popular bike path; has a full bar, friendly bartenders, and more than a dozen craft beers on tap.
Their kitchen serves up a variety of appetizers & entrées; we like the Grinder (Italian sub) and the Buffalo Chicken salad; the Nacho plate is huge and tasty (order a half unless you're hungry or sharing!)
Opens at 11am; serves full menu until 9pm.
The social hub of Yellow Springs, the Emporium serves a tasty breakfast (the spicy breakfast burrito is to die for!) until 11am or so, has many kinds of coffee on tap, a house piano & guitar (just like us!) Locals hang out for hours, thanks to the great book selection; has free wifi.
They're also the state liquor store, in addition to carrying a huge selection of wines & beers (including many local & regional brands).
Their Friday night wine-tasting runs from 6:30pm to 10pm, with live music starting at 7pm. Closes at 7pm other nights.
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Emporium Wines & Underdog Café
233 Xenia AveThe social hub of Yellow Springs, the Emporium serves a tasty breakfast (the spicy breakfast burrito is to die for!) until 11am or so, has many kinds of coffee on tap, a house piano & guitar (just like us!) Locals hang out for hours, thanks to the great book selection; has free wifi.
They're also the state liquor store, in addition to carrying a huge selection of wines & beers (including many local & regional brands).
Their Friday night wine-tasting runs from 6:30pm to 10pm, with live music starting at 7pm. Closes at 7pm other nights.
The Gulch is the quintessential neighborhood dive bar -- slightly reminiscent of the Mos Eisley Cantina from Star Wars, with great prices, friendly bartenders, a pool table (and plenty of good-natured competition!), a jukebox, and Thursday night karaoke, and often a DJ or live music on weekends.
They're closed Sundays.
Dayton Street Gulch
128 Dayton StThe Gulch is the quintessential neighborhood dive bar -- slightly reminiscent of the Mos Eisley Cantina from Star Wars, with great prices, friendly bartenders, a pool table (and plenty of good-natured competition!), a jukebox, and Thursday night karaoke, and often a DJ or live music on weekends.
They're closed Sundays.
Essentials
Dollar General
330 N Main StClose & convenient, open until 10pm; has a little bit of everything.
Tom's is an astonishingly-good grocery store, stocking a huge variety -- everything from ordinary essentials to exotic fresh fruits & vegetables. They have a great selection of organic foods (including fruits & veggies), a terrific deli (great panini sandwiches!), good meat selection, and much more.
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Tom's Market
242 Xenia AveTom's is an astonishingly-good grocery store, stocking a huge variety -- everything from ordinary essentials to exotic fresh fruits & vegetables. They have a great selection of organic foods (including fruits & veggies), a terrific deli (great panini sandwiches!), good meat selection, and much more.
For a more-alternative take on groceries, Starflower offers a great selection of natural/organic foods, sprouting supplies, supplements, local eggs, and much more.
Starflower Natural Foods
142 Dayton StFor a more-alternative take on groceries, Starflower offers a great selection of natural/organic foods, sprouting supplies, supplements, local eggs, and much more.
Your basic laundromat -- open 24 hours; has a small parking lot (which can be handy during busy weekends!) It's surrounded by lots of cool little shops to browse while you wait.
Highlander Laundry Yellow Springs Laundromat
146 Dayton StYour basic laundromat -- open 24 hours; has a small parking lot (which can be handy during busy weekends!) It's surrounded by lots of cool little shops to browse while you wait.
Food Scene
Great Caribbean & South American restaurant specializing in Jerk Chicken, with lots of vegan & gluten-free options; offers full-menu delivery (including beer & wine).
They open at 11am, and close at 10pm (but genuinely don't mind people arriving that late); closed Tuesdays.
Their Rum Flights are a great way to experience many different rums (and make you feel like you're on vacation!)
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Calypso Grill and Smokehouse
1535 Xenia AveGreat Caribbean & South American restaurant specializing in Jerk Chicken, with lots of vegan & gluten-free options; offers full-menu delivery (including beer & wine).
They open at 11am, and close at 10pm (but genuinely don't mind people arriving that late); closed Tuesdays.
Their Rum Flights are a great way to experience many different rums (and make you feel like you're on vacation!)
A wide variety of authentic Indian cuisine cooked to order -- it's more of a food truck, with seating available at the nearby Corner Cone (perfect for a post-prandial cooling treat!)
Open year-round (great for those cold winter nights!)
Aahar India
101 S Walnut StA wide variety of authentic Indian cuisine cooked to order -- it's more of a food truck, with seating available at the nearby Corner Cone (perfect for a post-prandial cooling treat!)
Open year-round (great for those cold winter nights!)
Relax under the shady canopies of trumpet vines while you enjoy a soft-serve ice cream cone, sundae, or gourmet hot dog (they do offer a veggie hotdog or brat, but they're only so-so).
They're also cool with you using their tables to enjoy the Indian food you've picked up at the Aahar India food truck next door (pro tip -- bump up the spice a notch, then enjoy some ice cream!)
Lines can get long on hot days.
Corner Cone
101 S Walnut StRelax under the shady canopies of trumpet vines while you enjoy a soft-serve ice cream cone, sundae, or gourmet hot dog (they do offer a veggie hotdog or brat, but they're only so-so).
They're also cool with you using their tables to enjoy the Indian food you've picked up at the Aahar India food truck next door (pro tip -- bump up the spice a notch, then enjoy some ice cream!)
Lines can get long on hot days.
The Sunrise has an eclectic menu, with interesting specials (Taco Tuesdays are always exciting); they try hard to get the best local ingredients, often organic, and always with good vegan options (the seitan "wings" are great!) The "Vic Burger" (named after radio station WYSO's "Book Nook" host) is a chef's-choice burger -- just tell them anything you *don't* want, and enjoy the surprise toppings (haven't had a bad one yet!) Their breakfast menu covers all the usual bases (Silver Dollar pancakes are my mom's faves!); dinners can get pricey, but are a cut above the usual. Hours are a bit unusual, but sensible -- they're closed between 2pm and 5pm.
https://www.sunrisecafe.net/
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Sunrise Cafe
259 Xenia AveThe Sunrise has an eclectic menu, with interesting specials (Taco Tuesdays are always exciting); they try hard to get the best local ingredients, often organic, and always with good vegan options (the seitan "wings" are great!) The "Vic Burger" (named after radio station WYSO's "Book Nook" host) is a chef's-choice burger -- just tell them anything you *don't* want, and enjoy the surprise toppings (haven't had a bad one yet!) Their breakfast menu covers all the usual bases (Silver Dollar pancakes are my mom's faves!); dinners can get pricey, but are a cut above the usual. Hours are a bit unusual, but sensible -- they're closed between 2pm and 5pm.
https://www.sunrisecafe.net/
Parks & Nature
Glen Helen is a thousand-acre nature preserve filled with incredible natural beauty, including the Yellow Spring that gives our town its name.
Since it's a nature preserve, it's important to stay on the trails (so you don't damage delicate habitat) -- so it's a good thing that there are lots of great trails!
Parking is cheap -- free if you're on foot or bike.
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Glen Helen Náttúruverndarsvæði
405 Corry StGlen Helen is a thousand-acre nature preserve filled with incredible natural beauty, including the Yellow Spring that gives our town its name.
Since it's a nature preserve, it's important to stay on the trails (so you don't damage delicate habitat) -- so it's a good thing that there are lots of great trails!
Parking is cheap -- free if you're on foot or bike.
The John Bryan State Park is ideal for all sorts of outdoor recreation -- including picnicking, camping, hiking, and even a great disc golf course.
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John Bryan State Park
3790 OH-370The John Bryan State Park is ideal for all sorts of outdoor recreation -- including picnicking, camping, hiking, and even a great disc golf course.
Getting Around
The Greene County CATS buses are an inexpensive way to travel to the nearby cities of Fairborn, Xenia, and Springfield. They have racks for a couple of bikes, and will stop to pick up passengers along their routes (Xenia Avenue / SR-68, and Dayton St). They only run until about 6pm.
Greene CATS Public Transit
2380 Bellbrook AveThe Greene County CATS buses are an inexpensive way to travel to the nearby cities of Fairborn, Xenia, and Springfield. They have racks for a couple of bikes, and will stop to pick up passengers along their routes (Xenia Avenue / SR-68, and Dayton St). They only run until about 6pm.