It may not be called Cheers, but at 16th and High, there’s a place where everybody knows your name.

Bernie’s Bagels and Distillery is a hidden gem of campus history where friends become family and the bartenders always provide a story and a cold beer.

Few things have changed since Bernie Kaplin and Art Shack opened Bernie’s in 1975. Much of the same menu is still available, including soups, sandwiches and their famous bagels. Aside from a few price changes and some rearranging, the spirit of Bernie’s has remained the same.

A regular hangs out at Bernie's Bagels and Distillery as Adam Konealinka, head bartender and Ohio State alumnus, pours a drink for a customer in the background on Wednesday night. Photo by Cameron Sharp.CAMERON SHARP/THE LANTERNA regular hangs out at Bernie’s Bagels and Distillery as Adam Konealinka, head bartender and Ohio State alumnus, pours a drink for a customer in the background on Wednesday night.
Paul Neikirk has been part of the history at Bernie’s. Even before he was hired as a bartender in 1984, he frequented the bar for good food, cold beer and great conversation. He recalled his first trip to Bernie’s in the summer of 1976. His father took him down the stairway from High Street to the basement bar, where they split a pitcher of Stroh’s Dark for $2.50. Since then, Paul has been both a customer and employee.

Neikirk has witnessed many of the changes at the bar over the years. He recalled when Bernie’s used to be half the size it is now, with a recording studio and library on the other side. In the 1980s, the recording studio and library were removed and the current bar was put in, along with a larger stage. The decor has changed too, moving from kegs and lanterns to art and overhead lighting.

He was around for the introduction of the Passport in 1982: a tradition where patrons could drink beers from more than 50 countries around the world. If they tried every beer, they got an engraved mug or a spot on the wall.

Bernie’s is known for hosting underground bands throughout the week, but big-name acts such as Beck, Carol King and the drummer from Deep Purple played at Bernie’s before they were famous. Other celebrities such as Jodie Foster have come down to drink at the bar. When Bill Clinton came to OSU to speak, his secret service came to Bernie’s to check it out for a place to eat, but decided he couldn’t come because it had only two exits.

Some sororities and fraternities frequent Bernie’s for parties because they provide a comfortable atmosphere that people enjoy. “You’re treated like a human, not just a number and people like that,” Neikirk said.

Some university functions, though it has never been official, have been catered by Bernie’s. Neikirk said that in the past, the graduate student welcome back party has been catered by Bernie’s.

“They can afford whoever they want, but they call us because they know us,” he said.

Neikirk has seen many generations come through the door, and now he sees old patrons’ children come to Bernie’s to enjoy the same tradition their parents did.

Through the decades Neikirk has seen other bars came and go, but Bernie’s has stood the test of time. “This place is like the isle of misfit toys – in the sea of corporate bars, we are like that. We are still here. I mean the glasses and booze are the same as other places, but there is something fundamentally different about the history,” he said.

He credits this to loyal customers and a sense of community. “There is a real sense of sameness and community here,” he said.

Merlin Curtis, a regular at Bernie’s for 28 years, enjoys coming to Bernie’s because it is unique. “You just feel at home. People know your name here. It’s really easy to make friends and a really good place to come. You just know all your friends are gonna be here.”

Sarah McCaslin can be reached at [email protected].