New ‘Lov’s Whiskey Barrel Saloon’ gets its honky-tonk on in Dayton

Lov’s Whiskey Barrel Honky Tonk Saloon is now open at 939 N. Keowee St. in Dayton. It is the brainchild of DeLov Ledbetter, with help from her daughter Lov Lee and niece Megan Nicole Wright, and it opened to the public May 21.

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

Lov’s Whiskey Barrel Honky Tonk Saloon is now open at 939 N. Keowee St. in Dayton. It is the brainchild of DeLov Ledbetter, with help from her daughter Lov Lee and niece Megan Nicole Wright, and it opened to the public May 21.
What to Know
By Mark Fisher
June 18, 2020
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***UPDATE (June 18, 2020)***

DeLov Ledbetter and her husband Shawn are country-music lovers, and DeLov says she always wanted to operate a honky-tonk style bar to show off their musical tastes.

And now, she is doing just that.

PHOTOS: We take you INSIDE Dayton’s new honky-tonk saloon, Lov’s Whiskey Barrel

   

Lov’s Whiskey Barrel Saloon is now open at 939 N. Keowee St. in Dayton. It is the brainchild of DeLov Ledbetter, and with some help from her daughter and niece, it opened to the public May 21, after a statewide shutdown of bars and restaurant dining rooms was lifted.

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“Every day is a little different,” Ledbetter said. “The response so far has been amazing.”

On Wednesdays, Lov’s has become a bike-night stop, and Shawn Ledbetter sets up a grill and hands out barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs, Ledbetter said. Karaoke has started on Saturday nights. Dart leagues and cornhole tournaments are in the works, and live music could start in late July.

The space previously housed the A&A Bar & Grill.

***ORIGINAL STORY (June 5, 2020)***

Dayton has a new honky-tonk-themed saloon, and it’s earning praise from at least one customer who ran a bar and restaurant himself for more than a decade.

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Lov’s Whiskey Barrel Saloon is now open in the space that previously housed the A&A Bar & Grill at 939 N. Keowee St. in Dayton.

PHOTOS: The Dayton area now has its very own honky-tonk saloon: Lov’s Whiskey Barrel

   

Lov’s Whiskey Barrel No. 1 Honky Tonk Saloon is the brainchild of DeLov Ledbetter, and it opened to the public May 21, after a statewide shutdown of bars and restaurant dining rooms was lifted. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to midnight Sunday.

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The new bar has earned praise from James Williams, former owner of the Double Deuce Tavern & Family PIzzeria, which operated from 2017 to January 2020 in Huber Heights, and before that, the Double Deuce bar that opened in 2009 at 17 Brandt St. in Dayton.

“What a great new place,” Williams told this news outlet. “This place reminds you of being in a old-time saloon. They have fixed it up.”

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We are working to get more details about Lov’s Whiskey Barrel Saloon and will update this story with any new information.

Lov's Whiskey Barrel Honky Tonk Saloon is now open at 939 N. Keowee St. in Dayton.

Credit: Mark Fisher

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Credit: Mark Fisher

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About the Author

Mark Fisher, a 1981 graduate of Ohio State University and a 1976 graduate of Beavercreek High School, is a third-generation Dayton-area resident who has worked for the Dayton Daily News since 1983. He covered higher education and K-12 education accountability issues for nearly 20 years before taking over the food and dining beat in 2006.