Latest reviews from Cincinnati
| 68 /100 2017 BRANCH STREET “Visited the Knox Joseph Distillery at the OTR Stillhouse (cumbersome name, but that seems to be the official one) before an FC Cincinnati game on a Saturday. This place has been open a while now, and I always thought it was just the small box-like bar building right on Central Parkway, but there are stairs leading down to a huge astroturf patio and large bar/taproom building. The line was long due to the pregame crowd, but there was ample space available to sit or stand. Lively atmosphere. Long bar, well staffed, they keep the line moving. The 12 taps had about 8 house beers and a few basic offerings for more basic patrons. There's an in-house food trailer out on the patio. The food is okay and overpriced. I only had one beer and it was good. Prices were fair. Now that I know this place exists and it's not just a distillery tasting room, I will be back to get a better idea of what the rest of their stuff is like.“ |
| 80 /100 8251 BEECHMONT AVE. “Wandering Monsters is tucked back in a shopping center in Anderson, right behind Arthur's. The place is big and welcoming, kid friendly, plenty of tables and space. There are 6 lanes of duckpin bowling in the back. The main room has a large bar in the back, and all ordering is done there. The food is really good. House beers are good and there were some guest taps when I visited (WeldWerks, Untitled Art), along with a few bottles to go. Prices are fair. Flights and small pours are available of everything. Really nice, fun, low key place to hang out and have some food and beers and maybe a few games of duckpin bowling.“ |
| 76 /100 Brew House (Restaurant) 1047 E MCMILLAN ST “I've been meaning to stop in here for years and I finally got here for lunch on a weekday. It was me and a handful of regulars. There are only 4 taps, all craft, but there are a few dozen craft cans and bottles. Very neighborhood low-key vibe. Incredibly friendly service. The food is surprisingly good - really good burgers. Prices are very reasonable. The location is great, by Esoteric brewery and some other good restaurants in East Walnut Hills. Overall, a really cool spot to hang out and have a drink or three.“ |
| 80 /100 6111 RIDGE AVE. “Finally got to hang out here after a few years of it being open. Nice space, not any bigger than the brewpub, just around the corner. There appear to be about 30 taps, with 26 of them on when I visited. Not just more quantity, but more variety than the brewpub taps. Loads of barrel-aged stuff across a lot of different styles. Prices are fair, in line with expectations. Multiple sizes of everything available. They had about a dozen bottles on offer, too. They've also started a full tiki program here. Service was friendly. There's an event space (room) in the back. No patio. No food, but you can order from the brewpub and bring it in. The connection to the brewpub isn't open to the public, so you have to walk around the corner to move between spaces. Nice addition to the small and always busy NG space. This one is slightly more low key, and with more beer, slightly more my speed.“ |
| 74 /100 5230 BEECHMONT AVE. “Cool place. You get a card that you use to pour your own beers by the ounce. You also use it to order your own food. We got pizza. All the beers were good, and the pizza was well made. Large bar area and a nice outdoor space. Good stop.“ |
| 78 /100 120 EAST 8TH STREET “I never realized Voodoo has a franchise model and now there's one in downtown Cincinnati on a mostly forgotten block - 8th Street between Walnut and Main. No idea what was in here previously but they've made nice use of the space. Some long high top tables, as well as some other smaller tables. There's a bar with about 20 seats. Oddly, there's only one TV. 24 taps and some fridges with to-go beer, mostly packs of cans but also a couple bombers of barrel-aged beers (nothing limited). Prices are fair, and service is friendly. Food is decent from the little bit I've had so far. This place is more my speed than the new March First on Fountain Square. Nice to have some beer options downtown again.“ |
| 76 /100 10 FOUNTAIN SQUARE PLAZA “March First took over the old Rock Bottom space on Fountain Square and completely renovated it. It's a large space, with the bar and open seating on the left as you walk in, and full service table seating on the right. Floor to ceiling windows face Fountain Square and the walkway between this space and Potbelly. There are 36 taps, although there weren't that many different beers when I visited. 20-something, and it's a mix of the three breweries they own (March First, Woodburn, FigLeaf), plus Astra seltzers. The food is okay from what I tried, but maybe I didn't order the right thing. Prices are on the high side, especially for food. Service was good. The place was crowded for a weekday lunch. I've never been impressed by their beer but I'd rather see this than a vacant space right on the Square.“ |
| 78 /100 1910 ELM STREET “Whoa beer Disneyland. Absolutely massive joint, huge expansive indoor space and a roof garden I wish had been open. Lots of beers on tap. Quality is above average. This is the spot when you're in Cincy no doubt.“ |
| 72 /100 100 JOE NUXHALL WAY “I went for home opener this year which had very warm weather. Lots of taps but lots of repeats and bunch of macros and standard offerings. However enough ticks for someone not from area like me. Prices were way high. I’ve been to tons of games at Fenway and Yankee stadium and these prices were comparable. Not expected when visiting middle of country. But alas what am I not grabbing a few brews for ballgame.“ |
| 78 /100 115 JOE NUXHALL WAY “Stopped in after the Reds home opener. So needless to say it was jammed. Big space, sleek design and restaraunt industrial feel. Had a winter warmer that was just ok. I was a little tipsy after drinking throughout the game. But overall I would go again if seeing a normal game.“ |
| 74 /100 Robert James Taproom (Bar) 5350 MEDPACE WAY “The Robert James Taproom is inside Element Eatery next to the Medpace headquarters. It's in a large food hall with 10 vendors and occupies the western end of the space. The bar is a large square with tables on all sides. It's a big, busy place so it's well staffed behind the bar. There are 48 taps with some macros (they know the audience here) but some good local and regional craft options, as well. There are always several Fifty West beers on tap due to common ownership with RJ Distillery. Prices are a little on the high side. There are a lot of good food options here so it's a good place to take a group or family, and it's nice to have some nice beer options here, as well.“ |
| 66 /100 IGA Dillonvale/Deer Park (Grocery Store) 3950 E. GALBRAITH ROAD “Located in a small shopping plaza in the Deer Park area. The beer displays are widely separated, with the coolers on the far left of the store near the checkout, and the non-chilled beer on the right side of the store near the deli. No singles, but overall selection of craft stuff is almost as good as most Kroger stores. However, this store seems to get variety 12 packs from the major craft brewers and cideries earlier than Kroger, with some that Kroger never seems to stock. On the whole, the food prices are higher than Kroger, but competitive on a lot of staple items. Deli foods are well regarded by a lot of people but I've never tried them. Not nearly as crowded as Kroger or Meijer, with very ample parking. Not a place a craft enthusiast would want to visit regularly--The Root Cellar is nearby--but worth a stop if you're in the area.“ |
| 80 /100 111 WEST MCMICKEN AVE. “Street parking and not metered. Some of my friends consider this location unsafe after dark. Large open space. Patio seating outside that is gated in. First encounter with guests is to hear them complain that they are not getting any service at their table. Soon as they say that a server comes along and picks up a dirty glass from their table. They are floored. I laugh inside. Who the hell waits 45 minutes to decide to get your own beer at the bar?
There are 10 of us in my party and everyone gets their beer but my keg blows. Service is nice and prompt about switching it out.
Sells cans to go and I assume liquor which does not register with me.
Advice: if you decide to go outside to the patio from inside, mind that step down past the doors. Saw a few yahoos spill their drinks not anticipating a sudden drop in elevation.“ |
| 80 /100 1632 CENTRAL PARKWAY “metered street parking. very professional inside as in you could host a corporate party here. the barrels by the indoor swing are empty and for show. no clue if there is wiki.“ |
| 80 /100 Hoppin' Vines (Restaurant) 8150 MONTGOMERY ROAD “This place has been open for a few years now but I only finally made it here for a birthday party. It has 6 lanes of duckpin bowling in the back. The main room is large, with a big bar in the back. There are 40 taps and a great selection, some stuff I've never seen on draft in Cincy before. Everything is available in multiple sizes, too. The food is good - pizza, salads, apps, not a huge menu. Prices are fair. The service was excellent, although we had a really attentive bartender helping us out frequently in the party room. Fun place for families or just getting some new beers. A more worthwhile visit than most breweries in the area.“ |
| 86 /100 Standard Beer (Beer Store) 112 W 15TH ST. “Standard Beer is a nice, modern bottle shop in OTR, a half block from Taft's Ale House. The space is bright and clean, with beer nicely displayed if not necessarily organized in a way I could figure out. Everything seems to be available as singles, and everything is price tagged. They have a bar with 16 taps and a really nice selection. The overall inventory and selection appear to be pretty tightly managed, catering to connoisseurs. I found a lot here that I haven't seen elsewhere in Cincinnati. This will definitely become a regular stop for me.“ |
| 74 /100 3301 MADISON ROAD “An enormous place -- holy shit. So much room, with so many different areas, inside and out. Multiple bars. Tons of taps, with flights of 4 available for a reasonable price. All 4 beers I tried -- big ABV ones -- were nicely done. Friendly service. It gets loud in here in the evenings, so if you're looking to tick in a comfortable environment, come early, or bring some AirPods to drown out the noise. Worth the stop.“ |
| 46 /100 1621 DANA AVE. “I'm told that this was once a great place but that they fired their previous, skilled brewery, and that now they don't know what they're doing. Yeah, that sums it up. I came here with Alexsdad06, tried 6 beers and wasn't happy with any of them. Their heavy, malty beers were sweet and lacking complexity; one of their IPAs was a diacetyl bomb. It's a pleasant place, but they don't know how to brew. Skip this place.“ |
| 86 /100 6111 RIDGE AVE. “A gem of a place -- my favourite in Cincinnati. Tons of BA beers on tap here, available in 5 or 3 oz pours (the latter for $3, a sweet deal). I hung out with the brewer and Tmoney99 for a couple hours, and it was a hell of a time. Top-notch beers. If you only could hit one place in Cincy, make this it.“ |
| 74 /100 6095 MONTGOMERY ROAD “Great spot, one of my favourites in Cincinnati. They have a solid list of beers, with flights / small pours available. But, psst, go around the corner to the barrel room for the good stuff.“ |
| 76 /100 1660 BLUE ROCK STREET “An all fruited sour brewery. They had over a dozen taps, with 4 oz pours of everything available. Staff will also give free samples. Very friendly service. Beer quality ranged from solid to excellent to ridiculous (smoothie sours). The place sets itself apart from other breweries even if they're not exceptional. Worth the drive <10 minutes north from the downtown. Good spot.“ |
| 64 /100 4003 EASTERN AVE. “Nice little spot in a sort of residential area. They had 24 taps, 11 of which were imperial stouts (!!!) when I visited, including tons of Demogorgon variants. I tried a bunch of them, and they were frankly very difficult to drink -- sweet, messy and boozy. Service was thoughtful, but the beer quality wasn't great. I wouldn't especially recommend the place.“ |
| 52 /100 7605 WOOSTER PIKE “No real reason to come here, as they only serve full pours in plastic cups, but they'll do samples in small plastic cups. Staff weren't friendly or informative about their main tasting room. Skip this.“ |
| 44 /100 2800 WOODBURN AVE “I guess I made a mistake coming here, as I learned talking to the local raters. Clearly, they don't know what they're doing. I got a flight of 4 beers, and they ranged from barely passable to terrible. Sad that this brewery is still in business, as the quality is really bad. Skip this.“ |
| 80 /100 115 JOE NUXHALL WAY “Located by the Reds' stadium, this is an open, modern concept. Lots of German offerings and many are true to form. Staff is pretty well engaged and focused. Good brewery.“ |
| 74 /100 The Taproom On Ludlow (Bar) 360 LUDLOW AVE. “The Taproom on Ludlow just opened on the main street in the Clifton Gaslight business district, which hasn't had a good beer spot for a long time. Dewey's, Arlin's, Gaslight Bar & Grill, and Ludlow Garage have pretty limited draft menus - fine, but nothing you won't find anywhere else in the city. This place has 24 taps, listed on the screens above the bar. The taps are all local, or at least that's how it was when the place was new. Drafts were all priced at $6.75 opening week, and I'm guessing that's about where they'll stay. It's a long L-shaped room that was formerly an Indian restaurant. The doors open to the parking lot and the street. There's a doorway over to Habanero, which has common ownership, and you can order food to your spot at the bar. Service was good. Seems to be drawing a decent crowd so far. It's the best option in my immediate neighborhood so I'm sure I'll be back plenty.“ |
| 76 /100 5959 KELLOGG AVE. “Stopped in here with my family late on a Sunday afternoon. It's right at Kellogg and 275 at the edge of the California neighborhood of Cincinnati. The space is surprisingly huge. The long bar has two sides, kind of an island, with high tops on the left and a few more rooms with lower tables on the other side. There's an event space in the basement. There's a massive deck/patio, too, and the brewing operation is separated from the brewpub area by part of the deck. There are a lot of tap handles, maybe 24, but only about 15 were on when we visited. The service was very good. Attentive and friendly. We ate dinner here and the food was solid. A little on the high end of the local brewpub price scale but you know, inflation and whatnot. This place has been open for a few years and I haven't been able to make it, but it's a whole scene. Draws quite a crowd. Feels like a brewpub I'd visit on a vacation to somewhere hotter and more touristy, but I don't mean that in a negative way. I also like that this anchors the far east end of the city along the river, with 13 Below at the far west end.“ |
| 72 /100 331 E 13TH ST. “Braxton bought the Three Points Urban Brewery location that closed down a few years after opening. It's on a prominent corner in Pendleton, just east of OTR. The space is nice - old brick building with a big, bright, airy, modern interior. Although I liked the Three Points interior design better. All ordering is at the bar up front, which has about 20 taps. Quality is average, so are prices. So is the service. There is a food option attached to the building called Pendalo Wingery, which is wings and fries and stuff and which also only can be ordered at the bar. The food is okay. There are some coolers with a limited selection of Braxton cans and bottles. I preferred the old place's ambience and beer, but this location is fine overall, too. There are other nearby beer options I like better, though.“ |
| 60 /100 5900 MADISON RD. “Visited the "new" (as of early 2020) location of Bad Tom Smith over in Madisonville. The place on Eastern Ave. was a dump so this is a nice upgrade. Nice renovation of an old building on the corner, high ceiling, clean and inviting interior. Long bar on the left with 18 taps. There's a food window mostly with pizza in the back room. Mostly high top table seating. Small patio tucked between it and the next building. The beer isn't good. The service was also not good. Was there for 5+ minutes before either of the bartenders appeared and then they were super slow once they showed up from the back room or wherever they were. Prices are very reasonable, $8 for a flight and pints aren't expensive, either. There's a popcorn machine that kept my kids busy. Curiosity satisfied, but with something like 50 breweries in the metro, I have no idea why I'd return here.“ |
| 76 /100 1910 ELM STREET “So why do so few people mention you gotta climb three everlovin' flights of steps to reach this beer gymnasium? It would be a bit too much to expect air conditioning in this enormous space on this sweltering summer night, so please do factor in the weather and your altitude-navigation capabilities. OK, all that said, there's a big bar slinging 20 or so varieties of Rhinegeist's finest. Pints cost 7 bucks. Beertenders are friendly but busy, so don't expect a lot of TLC. Crowd is mostly young (good step climbers) and very young (parents hoping to tire their children by making them climb steps). Fans that use propellers removed from Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose keep (some) air circulating. Worth the visit.“ |
| 70 /100 412 CENTRAL AVE. “Street parking. Metal, concrete, and old video games. Small beer selection. Two levels with the second featuring old pinball. Separate bar upstairs. They had two smoked beers when I went here which was a very pleasant surprise. Kids had fun. Kinda loud. Nice staff.“ |
| 72 /100 7885 E KEMPER RD “Easy to find. Big warehouse atmosphere. Quick service. Buzzingly busy. Fortunately they had some gas fired fireplaces outside to avoid the large crowd on an omicron covid sunday night. This fear of death thing, promoted by the government, is really getting on my nerves. How about we celebrate life for once? I'm sick of people giving me the stink eye cause I'm not wearing a mask. Quite warm tonight considering the start of winter. OK overall, this is just another one of 7 craft brewers around our hotel in mason. Used to be, when I started RB, you had to look far and wide to find a micro craft brewery, now they are a dime a dozen. One thing that bugged me was that I had to scan a QR code on a phone to see the menu from my perspective. For me, who didn't have a cell phone with me, I felt they were discriminating against the senior citizens. I saw another older guy who was a little perturbed by the same situation as well. I later found out that if I would have walked over to the other side of the bar, I could have seen a hard copy of the menu, what gives? Just tell me eh? BTW, although the help was very friendly, they also charged me a little more than they should have. Overall, considering my complaining about little shit, this place is not half bad. Although we didn't have any food, the pizza coming out of the kitchen smelled and looked good.“ |
| 78 /100 412 CENTRAL AVE. “Rebel Mettle is in a nicely renovated space within an old building on the western edge of downtown, across the street from the I-71 on ramp from 4th. There are two entrances, one on the alley between 4th and 5th, and one on Central. The space forms an L around the old Campanella's Italian restaurant, which was being torn down as of my visit. The space is a nice modern renovation of an old commercial-industrial first floor. There's a bar in the middle and some high tops all around. There are some picnic tables on the alley side. There are a few games in the place, too. They had about 10 things on tap when I visited but had room for more, maybe 16-20 in all. They seem to enjoy putting a twist on classic styles - juniper schwarzbier, for example - but they wind up being pretty good from my limited sample size so far. Bartender was friendly. With Rock Bottom gone, downtown now has this and Moerlein Lager House; you need to go up to OTR for more breweries. So this is a great option if you're deeper into downtown.“ |
| 78 /100 111 WEST MCMICKEN AVE. “Northern Row occupies the first floor of a historic brick warehouse building at the northern end of OTR. There's a small patio facing the lot and a much nicer patio off to the side, between their building and the next one. The inside is a gorgeous rehab. Spacious, plenty of table seating and a good sized L-shaped bar. Good selection, maybe 16-20 taps and a decent variety. All their stuff. Cans available to go. We didn't eat but there's a food menu. Service was good. Prices are in line with the area. Really nice space. I'll be back.“ |
| 88 /100 331 E 13TH ST. “Older building in Cincinnati, Ohio Braxton Brewing tap room is located in the party area of the city. Two dozen tap handles flowing and plenty of to go beer. Food here. Has a local feel. Dim lights, big windows, and upbeat music. My beer was good. I love the place! Cheers!“ |
| 90 /100 316 READING ROAD “Parking is everywhere here at Brewdog in Cincinnati Ohio. Light pop music on the radio. Couple bartenders. 24 beers on tap with plenty of their own beers in cans Food beer. Beers to go and souvenir here. Dim lighting and big windows Set in in older building and is really neat on the set up. Love the place! Cheers!“ |
| 62 /100 Kroger - Blue Ash (Grocery Store) 4100 HUNT ROAD “If you're familiar with Kroger, you pretty much know what to expect. Advantages to this particular Kroger, located in a small strip mall, are more than ample parking and wide aisles. The singles selection is OK, though not quite as good as the nearby Madeira Kroger and certainly not on the same level as Hyde Park Remke or Clifton Market. They have a large selection of kosher foods for the nearby Jewish communities. They have a lot of wine though I'm far from an expert in that area so I can't judge the quality of the selection. OK place to stop but since it is near a couple of major crossroads, it is quite crowded during peak shopping times.“ |
| 74 /100 1445 COMPTON ROAD “surprised I never wrote a review for this place. Came here when it was cold right when Covid hit. good selection. street parking. does flights. small place. nice outdoor area for fairs.“ |
| 80 /100 1445 COMPTON ROAD “My previous visit was almost four years ago. A lot has changed to make the place even better since then. The brewery has expanded to the adjoining property, which has greatly expanded their outdoor beer garden ( including a small stage for music performances) , as well as providing the brewery with an airbnb rental in the house on the property. The brewery is big on local sourcing of ingredients and has made great strides toward having an "urban farm" on the premises. The beers pull off an interesting trick: light on body but big on flavor. This place doesn't make a lot of barrel aged brews, so if that's your main interest, you're well advised to go elsewhere. But if you enjoy quality brews in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, then definitely check it our.“ |
| 62 /100 Whole Foods Market - Kenwood (Cincinnati area) (Grocery Store) 5901 E. GALBRAITH ROAD “Fairly new location in small strip mall behind/beside Kenwood Towne Center shopping mall. Most of the beer is refrigerated, to the far right of the store along the wall, though there are a few scattered non-refrigerated displays. Decent selection of six packs. OK selection of locals and regionals, with 16 Lots, Sonder and Columbus Brewing Company being well represented. Singles selection isn't the best I've seen at a Whole Foods. Bombers and imports fairly well represented. If you're going to be at the Towne Center anyway, it's worth stopping in. But if, like me, your primary interest is singles, The Root Cellar is close by and a much better option.“ |
| 78 /100 4362 MT. CARMEL TOBASCO RD “Housed in a nice old farmhouse with good character and modern decor. Gastro pub style food, burgers and sandwiches, everything we had was tasty. Beer is okay, a couple interesting recipes, nothing off, but nothing memorable. 16 beers on tap with seltzers and cocktails also available.“ |
| 82 /100 7605 WOOSTER PIKE “Should be called 50 East. large. feels like a compound. volleyball by summer and ice skating by winter. Parking is the X factor. Been here twice. Intimate view of the CaNning line. Very friendly staff.“ |
| 14 /100 Marty’s Hops & Vines (Bar) 6110 HAMILTON AVENUE “I stopped in last week to what the fuss was all about. What a disappointment. There were very few beers available, the shelves had a lot of empty space, and I walked out empty handed.
I asked the fellow at the counter if they were discontinuing beer and he said that, no, they were cutting back on inventory temporarily be cause sales had been slow. Sales slow, during the pandemic? All the liquor stores I visit are packed, and alcohol sales are up everywhere, so I don't understand this explanation. Nonetheless, I will probably not go out of my way to visit this establishment again.“ |
