Ace Hardware & Electric

I literally come here way to often looking for something I don’t know the correct name of. In my ignorance they are usually really patient and ask questions to help them figure out what I’m describing. It’s almost a game because I never know the name of what I need and have to resort to drawing picture and giving a visual description. To their credit they always lead me to the item I need. This never happens at the bigger box stores! I really like this place and they have tons of items in the store. It’s worth going in and exploring! It’s the only hardware store between Clifton and Mt Healthy on Hamilton Ave so I’m in here often.
Not so humbly submitted,
King Michael C.

Thank you Kevin for your help! Love that the store is now clean and organized!

Thank you for being willing to risk burning down your store and personal injury in order to drill a hole into a deceptively marketed IKEA sink. Wouldn’t accept extra tip, either. Turned a very stressful home kitchen delay into almost-​fun.

A living monument to what a hardware store should be. Bill is the original Ace. His place puts the work into working-​class neighborhood. I hope he stays in business forever.

I live in Northside and love, love Bill’s Ace Hardware. It is a treasure. Bill knows where to find everything (even though merchandise is crammed and piled to the ceiling), and he always has guys around who will help. The store is open into the night, so I can just go there when I’m in the middle of a project and need something. If I need help with a job at home like ripping out a carpet, drywalling the ceiling, fixing a lawnmower, Bill has someone for me who can do the job. I support this fantastic neighborhood hardware store.

When I lived in Northside, I loved to go down to the Ace for anything, Bill is very personable. He also remembered what I purchased the last time and asked how everything was working out.
If there were more Bill’s in the world it would be great!

I am a major klutz, so this store scared me a little bit. I was in the neighborhood and I needed to pick up some paint. I walked in and froze a little bit. It is a very cluttered store and I stood there for a second, not knowing whether to move left, right, forward or where to start looking for the items I needed. Enter the amazing staff. They asked if I needed help finding anything within seconds of me walking in. They were very helpful and I was able to get my items and get out of there without hurting myself.

I called Ace in Northside at 13:20 on Feb 24^th 2011 to see if they had hex wrenches. The guy on the phone didn’t even know what a hex wrench was. Then he figured out that an allen wrench and a hex wrench were the same thing. I asked him what brand of wrench they carried and he told me he wasn’t going to go look and that I had to come into the store. I then started to ask another question and he hung up on me! Rude, Ignorant, Asshole. What a shame.

IT says don’t review if you’re connected to the owner. If you grew up in Northside as I did in the 60’s thru the 80’s all the families and business owners had a connection and Bill at ACE Hardware still tries to continue that relationship with customers. To this Day just like the items in the store he knows us and by name… just like Phil over at Park Chili… Bill’s favorite restaurant at least back in the day. Bill was born April 11^th, 1925 and hopefully anyone that has ever known him, or of him, shopped there or knew of family members that did… Will take the TIME TO SEND HIM A BIRTHDAY CARD THIS YEAR… I HOPE WE GET ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO SO THAT IT WILL MAKE NEWS ATTENTION. THANKS FOR STEPPING UP IF YOU DO TO SHOW THANKS FOR THE SERVICE PROVIDED… ON CRANKY DAYS AS WELL AS NON-​CRANKY ONES

i love this place too. the owner is so personable and nice. and he’s right – he probably does have it and no, you won’t be able to find it without help. they are very helpful and i enjoy shopping here.

Bill for King of Northside! I would vote for his reign anyday, especially the day when people are allowed to vote for kings. May his reign last another 900 Northsidian years at least.
So you walk in and it is just stuff. Floor to ceiling stuff. And I cannot determine the categories or groupings of where the stuff goes. There are two main aisles which cannot accommodate more than one person-​width at a time. You walk on down to the island of Bill’s Throne. He may be watching something on a 8 inch black and white tv that is jammed about 20 feet away in yet another wall/​mound of great stuff.
Ace Hardware and Electric is everything you want in a local hardware and more. You have to ask for anything you want because there is no freakin’ way you are going to find it. He’ll probably quote you the price within the dollar for whatever you seek, often spot on even. He’ll prompt one of his gophers to go ‘down there about halfway, middle shelf, between the…’ and sure enough there it will be. His staff is hilariously irreverent and very helpful too.
They only take cash and check and the door reminds you of this fact. Prepare to be amazed. Bill is a local and perhaps international hero. Go give him your business.

Ace H&E is one of the last great neighborhood hardware stores in Cincy. it;s survival is all due to Bill and lately Bob, Northside heroes. A few years back Bill was chosen as the annual 4^th of July parade captain. Yes, Northside loves Ace all that much. Please be careful when entering this space. Forget browsing, whatever you want it is here but you can’t find it. Just ask Bob or staff, they’ll ask Bill, he knows everything.
Wonderful story: Despite it’s name it has no connection with the national Ace Hdwe folks. This store has been Ace since 1949, three years before the national Ace. It’s a DoitBest outlet. Good name. Lately the hours are Noon til 8pm, Mon thru Sat and 1 – 6 on Sunday.
When I first moved to Clifton there were three hardwares near UC plus Bill’s in Northside. All the others are gone. When I moved from Clifton to Northside I thought Ace a weird spot until I realized what a vital part of Northside it is – and that the secret is to ask for what you want.