The diner half of Skully's Music-Diner closed its kitchen in March 2020, and the venue has said it will announce it if the kitchen ever reopens. The music half carried on, and the leopard print walls kept hosting touring bands, hip hop shows and dance nights.
The backstory
Skully's roots go back to a bar and grill near campus in the mid 1990s. When campus redevelopment pushed it out, it landed at 1151 North High Street in 2001, at the north end of the Short North near Fifth Avenue, and it has been there ever since.
In 2015 the food site Tabelog named it the best diner in America. That is a fun fact to carry around a room that is mostly remembered for dancing.
The room
Most concerts are general admission and mostly standing. The main floor faces a raised stage, and a loft upstairs looks down on the action. There are several bars and two patios, one out front and one out back, which is where the smokers end up. It is a midsize club, big enough for a real touring bill and small enough that nobody is far from the stage.
The look is all its own. Leopard print on the walls, leopard print on the bar counter, and an old school layout that puts the music front and center.
What plays here
The calendar splits between concerts and club nights. Touring rock and alternative acts, hip hop, indie showcases, comedy and tribute shows share the stage with DJ parties built around one artist or one decade. Ladies 80s has run for more than a decade and is the house tradition locals know best. Local polls have named Skully's the best dance club in town more than once.
If dance nights are your thing, our dance page tracks them, and rap and hip hop picks up the rest.
Getting there
- COTA buses run up and down High Street, right past the front door.
- Short North parking takes patience on weekend nights. A ride or the bus is often simpler.
- On the first Saturday of every month, Gallery Hop fills the Short North and parts of High Street close to traffic. Leave extra time on those nights.
Good to know
- Guests under 21 usually pay a surcharge, though some shows are exempt. Your ticket lists the age rules.
- Eat before you come unless the venue announces the kitchen is back.
- Newport Music Hall is a straight shot north on High Street if you want a bigger room on the same night.