Near The Kentucky Border Is A Vibrant Ohio Eatery Blending Wood-Fired Pizzas With Arcade Games

Portsmouth is a charming riverside town filled with colorful murals and antiques, but you can add "delicious wood-fired pizza" to that list. Located just off the Ohio River on the border of Kentucky, Oddfellows is a vibrant eatery where pizza, vintage games, community, and history all intersect. The restaurant is in a building constructed in 1852 that was once owned by Milton Kennedy, an abolitionist and Underground Railroad conductor, who used it to house his feed store, a public hall, and Odd Fellows lodge. In later years, the building housed a Civil War hospital on the second floor and was the site of the city's first addiction treatment center.

Its current incarnation was the creation of owners Maddie and Jeremy, who envisioned a communal space where folks could meet over food and games. Sadly, Jeremy died in 2022 before Oddfellows opened, but Maddie continued with the project as a tribute to his life and opened it with Jay, a builder and chef with whom she fell in love. The spirit of community and care infuses Oddfellows, which is known for its warm atmosphere and unique offerings like duckpin bowling and arcade games like Pac-Man, Street Fighter, and Donkey Kong.

Oddfellows announced in January 2026 that it would be featured on America's Best Restaurants, so check it out for yourself by trying the wood-fired pizza, wings, and salads. With its unique pizza flavors, Oddfellows is reason enough to make Portsmouth rival Steubenville, Ohio's "city of murals," known for its controversial pizza style.

While Oddfellows may not be included as one of the best places to get New York-style pizzas outside of New York, that's only because the approach is totally different. Wood-fired pies like the goat cheese with hot honey, Cluck Norris with in-house smoked chicken, mozzarella, blue cheese, and ranch, and Hogfather with pepperoni, ham, and sausage on a garlic butter crust draw people in. Non-pizza treats include house-smoked and wood-fired chicken wings, hot honey fire-roasted carrots, and garlic cheese bread. Oddfellows has brunch every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with specialties like wood-fired breakfast pizzas with blackberries and ricotta or pork belly, pear, sunny-side up eggs, and a hot honey drizzle.

Oddfellows currently has 4.6 stars on Google, with some praising it for its family-friendly atmosphere, where there's something for kids and adults alike, while others note how welcoming the staff is. Josh Oliver writes on Google Reviews that "You can tell this place is locally owned and genuinely supported by the community, and it radiates that small-town charm with big-city quality," while another user waxes even more poetically that "It's like sipping water at a river after a long day of hiking. Just what you need when you need it." 

Folks can reserve bowling lanes for events, where you can enjoy an hour of unlimited bowling (or more than an hour for an extra fee), a private lounge area, and party tables with pizzas and appetizers. For something more casual, head to the arcade, where games cost 50 cents (change machines are available) and some even have free play. Oddfellows also hosts events like an adult prom, live music, trivia nights, and "singo," a combination of bingo and music trivia.