Tom “Bearclaw” McDonald, who has been hosting karaoke at Red Carpet Tavern 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. every Friday and Saturday, encourages singers of all levels to cut loose and belt out their favorite tunes. Bearclaw also helped the tavern win Best of Dayton in the karaoke category in 2022 and 2023.
“From the time he walks in, he brings an energy that’s pretty much unmatched,” said general manager Bret McCauley, of Bearclaw. “If we have people in the bar, he pushes it all the way until everybody is satisfied with the event.”
Best of Dayton 2025 winners
Chase McKenzie, a local math teacher, hosts trivia every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Because of his teaching experience, he’s both adept at crafting questions and engaging with the audience. McKenzie also hosts music bingo on Mondays.
“Chace just knocks it out of the part every week,” McCauley said.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
With Red Carpet Tavern being a smaller venue, the entertainment hosts can be more personal with attendees. While it’s emphatically a bar, the typical bar atmosphere steps aside to make room for the events and the people who attend them.
“It’s a good crowd that comes in here. It’s really laid back,” said Tony Ballard, owner of Red Carpet Tavern. “You don’t have to be an awesome singer. But if you’re an awesome singer, that’s great, too.”
When Ballard bought Red Carpet Tavern last year, his vision was to transform the bar into a “safe, fun environment in Belmont that people go to for good food and a good time” — with entertainment being a significant part of that.
“Some bars that you go into can be a little more rowdy. We’re not trying to have that image,” Ballard said. “I wanted to help improve our neighborhood and keep our neighborhood locally owned. We’re still working on the ultimate vision.”
On top of trivia, music bingo, and karaoke, Red Carpet Tavern also hosts open mic nights and open jams on Tuesdays. Other music events are in the works, as well. The tavern is also lauded for its drink and food menus, namely for breakfast and lunch.
“It’s not a nightclub atmosphere. It’s not as much a bar atmosphere as it is about the event itself. People come here for people and that neighborhood bar basis,” McCauley said. “It’s mainly about staking a claim and being the event spot for karaoke and trivia. This is more about being recognized in the community, that we are that location where people want to go enjoy themselves.”
“It’s an honor to be named Best of Dayton,” Ballard said. “It means a lot.”
Red Carpet Tavern is located at 3301 Wayne Ave. in Dayton. Hours of operation are 3 p.m.-1 a.m. Monday-Wednesday, 12 p.m.-1 a.m. Thursday, 12 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Friday, 9-2:30 a.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 937-723-6554 or visit redcarpettavern.com.