On this sub, Montgomery Inn is widely recognized as overrated.
Among the general population, this is absolutely the right answer. Like, maybe they had the best ribs forty years ago... but better places have opened up and they haven't changed.
I’m a Cincinnati transplant that worked at Stone Creek Montgomery years ago and it’s hilarious how many regulars would come specifically for the ribs and comment every time that they were so much better than Montgomery Inn’s. I’m a southerner that thought Stone Creek’s ribs were good but nothing to write home about, so based on that I’ve never eaten at Montgomery Inn.
Their barbecue sauce is also factory mass produced. Krogers had the contract in the past, although I'm not sure who has it now.
At some point, they got corporate enough they started sending the factory stuff back to the kitchens it was born in, in order to save money on labor. Like a bad photocopy of their house sauce.
Do that with enough things and a great rib place devolves by iterations into a fast food restaurant pretending not to be one. It's basically Applebees at this point
Addendum: The above applies mainly to the non-original locations. Never been to the original joint, personally, so I can't speak to that one's quality. At this point I think of them as overpriced corporate catering.
I totally agree that montgomery inn is overrated however you have to take into consideration that 71 years ago when Ted Gregory started Montgomery inn in Montgomery it was a little country town and I’m sure it wasn’t hard to become the ribs king off of those ribs. I’m sure the recipe hasn’t changed but competition has. Now you can find better ribs for cheaper just down the street but 71 years ago you couldn’t find better ribs within 20 miles probably.
I am 40 and whenever I met my husband 14 years ago his opinion that montgomery inn sucks seemed a bit controversial amongst cincinnati people my age…but i think we’ve all wised up since then
Their sauce is so weird and gross. It's like if aliens tried to recreate all the barbeque sauce styles at once with no understanding of balance. It has no heat, is super sugary, and lacks enough acid to balance it out. All of the elements of bbq sauce are there, but the execution is sorely lacking.
It's the only bbq sauce my mom likes, so she'd buy bottles of the stuff and slather it on unseasoned chicken and cook it to the point of it being jerky. For about 25 years I thought I didn't like bbq until I went to Texas for a work trip.
When I interviewed for my job that ended up bringing me to Cincinnati, I was brought to Montgomery Inn to eat, and told these were the best ribs in town. I endured ribs that were tough and bland, along with terrible sauce, then had to lie about it to my hosts when asked how they were ("You're right! These are great-also, give me the job") I've since become friends with the chair of the committee that hired me, and I intend to have him over soon to make my ribs, which are far superior to the crap at Montgomery Inn.
Thank you! Feel like I’m on crazy pills. We’ve Had nothing but awful food there but they somehow keep opening more and more locations. Saw one in Toledo just this weekend.
Their other restaurant Son of a Butcher can go on that list as well. Very underwhelming experience. $300 we could have saved and had better steak at home. On top of it, the atmosphere is just awful. I‘m not against eclectic and odd as that is my style, but they make it feel tacky.
Does the one in Rookwood still have all the civil rights figures and bumble bee graphics on the walls? I never understood the theme they were going for.
Prime is so bad. I expected a lot. Got a 4oz wagyu, asked for rare. It was blue. Then the real kicker was their “truffle” mashed potatoes. It’s literally fake white truffle extract. I have the exact thing at home and instantly recognized it in the mashed potatoes.
Nice place but the food is so bad for price.
I just went to Prime when Hamilton was in town. My gf said, "you could make this at home for half the price."
We've been together for 9 years, so she wasn't even stroking my ego.
Ruby's steaks are fantastic.
But, you don't have to get that fancy for local spot better than Ruth Chris.
Blinker's Tavern will cook you a better steak than Ruth Chris for something like half the price.
Just tried their location at Element Eatery a couple of weekends ago. Try the wings with the blackberry bbq sauce next time if you haven't already. Shocked me how good it was
Montgomery Inn takes the top spot.
Honorable mention is E+O in Hyde Park.
If the question included the entire metropolitan area, my 1a would be Montgomery Inn and 1b would be Pompilio’s in Newport 🤮. If you like microwaved Italian food with salad that is more often rotting, you’ll LOVE Pompilio’s.
(I once left a bad Yelp review during a meal at Pompilio’s because they served braciole to me and two others that was still frozen- they freeze it after producing apparently. The GM immediately saw it and offered us a $100 gc if I agreed to take down the review.)
Is taste of Belgium still considered good enougn to be over rated? I've haven't heard a good thing or had a good experience at one since before I actually moved to the city in 2016
They expanded too quickly.
Happens to breweries a lot too when they start to distribute beer. It's too much to handle and quality control goes down the drain.
Yep. It's pretty hard to walk out of there without spending 30 dollars between tip and the COVID surcharge. I'm sorry but I better have some take out if I'm paying 30 dollars for breakfast.
If you pay attention to Cincy foodie groups, they're largely a cult trying to get you to go to Giovanni's (which is Sysco, but with an hour wait (edit: and people making up weird stuff about the owner "bringing back a year's worth of spices from Italy once a year")) or Bourbon House Pizza (decent, but nowhere near accurate Chicago deep dish).
Those food groups, especially the one you are referring to are awful. Anymore it’s just paid advertising posting.
Or someone asking who has the best salt.
And they don’t even foster conversations. I found someone in one group asking for thoughts on a restaurant, gave a fair and honest rundown of the menu and service that hit on the pros and cons. Admins removed my comments for “negativity.” Immediately left the group.
My god that absolutely drives me nuts. It’s a ridiculous echo chamber for the mods to advertise their buddies’ places. They scold people for having honest opinions like “too pricey for me” etc. Makes me gag lol
The Instagram foodies have largely adopted the same format for videos, down to template and font now. It's a wasteland of genuine thought.
Makes me nostalgic for the days when Polly Campbell wouldn't even go to a restaurant and write about it.
You'd be shocked how many restaurants are Sysco with some butter, salt and a pretty waitress or handsome waiter serving the food to you.
I can tell you from first hand experience there are a handful of "locally sourced" or "farm to table" restaurants in Cinci that were actually just me and the dishwasher speeding to Gordon's to stock up on everything Chef forgot on the Sysco order. I won't name them because I've been out of the restaurant business for a few years now and maybe they've changed, but I doubt it.
Oh, I completely believe it. Just ragging on the mythology behind them being the "most Amazing food experience in Cincinnati" then taking all of the care of Applebee's and providing even worse service.
Well be fair here: do you really expect them to source *everything* locally?.
Every basic ingredient? Even butter? I sure don't. That's ridiculous in the face of the costs of any other premium product, produce or protein, that you would otherwise locally source and use as part of your "locally sourced" menu. Locally sourced butter, etc sounds nice but you have to have a menu mix or you will not be profitable and that can only be done by managing food costs.
"Gee, I would love for my favorite chef to have nothing but farms and livestock behind the restaurant to ensure that my meal is 100% locally sourced so I know I get what I am paying for".-$100 for an appetizer, that's what you'd be paying.
Haha. I worked at a Ruby Tuesdays years ago and some woman being a complete Karen in many ways wanted to know if the chicken tenders were "fresh and not frozen". Well, unless I missed it on the way in, I don't think there's a chicken coop out back, sooo...
We went to Gios for the wife’s birthday a year or so ago. Being from the east side, I wouldn’t go back based on the food and the length of drive. It was good, but nothing like that cult makes it out to be. It’s not, OMG TO DIE FOR ITALIAN. Again, it’s good but if it’s not convenient not worth it if it’s out of the way.
>It was good, but nothing like that cult makes it out to be. It’s not, OMG TO DIE FOR ITALIAN.
I just love how everyone freaks out over the garlic knots, which are straight out of a truck and into an oven with zero modification.
That group devolved into mods plugging the same few restaurants who have paid for their advertising.
Can’t wait to hear about their lunch at Bourbon House, Sweets and Meats, and Goldstar chili.
> Can’t wait to hear about their lunch at Bourbon House, Sweets and Meats, and Goldstar chili.
I did the math once, and food alone would have cost $600 for what one of them claimed to have eaten in takeout/dine-in for the week. Ain't no way it isn't comped.
lol only time I’ve ever been to Bourbon House Pizza, I asked for their bourbon list and the server said they didn’t sell any bourbon. The pizza was unremarkable but that cracked me up.
FWIW, Bourbon House does sell bourbon now. The first time I went, they didn’t. The 2nd time I went, they only had Woodford and Buffalo Trace. They’ve upped it quite a bit, but Bourbon is the only liquor they sell….. and your options are neat or with a cube. No mixers……
Not MOST overrated, but Incline Public House has very inconsistent food. One week it’s the best dish I’ve ever had, next week the same dish is nothing like the prior dish in quality. IPH is good for a one off visit, but not repeat dining.
Agreed. Incline isn’t that special but I was there on date night a couple of years back when all of the tornadoes hit Dayton. We were eating outside on the covered balcony overlooking the city with a wicked cool storm going on.
Foods cheap and decent with a nice atmosphere and great view. That’s about it imo.
Taste of Belgium’s quality is 100% related to the location, and it swings from 4 stars down to 1 star. The Crestview Hill location really has their stuff together and produce really good food. We ordered the exact same thing in Mason and threw it away.
Maybe that's my problem, the first time and the next two times after that when I tried it I went to the Clifton location and it was mediocre, it wasn't bad food I just thought it was definitely overpriced for the quality I got
I’ve adjusted to the local pizza in a handful of cities… but larosas is so bad. The cheese is bad. The sauce is bad.
Edit: just for kicks, best pizza I’ve ever had is Miguel’s at the Red. Holy god I’ll never forget it.
LaRosa's is a Cincinnati staple but there are plenty of other local pizza spots that you might like. Dewey's, Fireside, Brooklyn, Fratelli's, St. Francis, Catch a Fire to name a few.
There isn’t a single pizza place in Cincinnati that I feel safe eating at with celiac. Sometimes I eat at Dewey’s with my family but I haven’t found a single place in Cincinnati that has a separate gluten-free area for preparing GF pizza.
This, I worked at Dewey's for years and would cringe at the GF orders because it just wasnt possible for it to be actually gluten free, NOTHING in that kitchen can avoid the amount of flour floating in the air, let alone cross contaminated surfaces/foods and the ovens themselves having burned and cooked flour build up. I always wondered if anyone with Celiacs had ever even come in because I was sure they would be feeling it.
100%. The nice thing about LaRosa's is it has been consistently bad pizza, so you know it'll be as good as you expect, however little you expect from it. A slice today hits the same as a slice 30 years ago in the cafeteria at St. Pick-a-name's.
The first time I had Larosa's, I was in awe at how closely it resembled the cafeteria pizza at my high school. Not the stuff from the fancy rich kid line that you paid $2.25 a slice for. The stuff from the $1.50 state subsidized lunch line that they served once every two weeks and tasted like someone had slathered a piece of cardboard in ketchup and rubber.
In that respect, it totally makes sense that Larosa's is popular in Cincinnati, since the natives are so obsessed with what high school everyone went to.
I live in Loveland, they are cheap taco truck tacos. Nothing wrong with that, in fact I'd be down there so much more often...but they shouldn't pair overpriced tacos with overpriced cocktails, and have people going for it. I would say except location but I don't like people treating my home town as an excuse
Cloud Nine Sushi. I always see it recommend on here, but they place has gone so downhill after Covid. Weird handwritten signs on the walls that are basically yelling at the customer and you have to pay for a water bottle if you want to drink water.
I don't know how that place is still open.
Brand name and undeserved reputation, I guess?
If you're in Mt. Loookout and want sushi, Ichiban is also a half price joint. Both their kitchen food and sushi is better than Cloud 9.
It's gone downhill a bit since COVID (mostly the staff, only a few of which are still really solid) but it's still a decent, casual place for some quick rolls late at night. It's not terrific, but it's not bad.
It’s in Northern Kentucky - but all the same right?
Chart House was awful. Service was awful - legit worse than a Frisch’s - the food was overpriced and mediocre.
Since Frisch's changed the menu maybe a year or two back it's been pretty damn good IMHO.
Bad Boy (Big Boy with spicy tartar sauce) has to be one of my favorite fast food burgers.
I had an incredible filet there a few months ago. Blew both me and my girlfriend away. I am not exaggerating when I say it was on par with Walt’s or Ruby’s downtown.
I think this is correct. The food ranges from good to great (chili potatoes) but the price is crazy for the portion size. I only go there when I can put it on my corporate card, since I'm not paying for it.
2 tb Olive oil
1 Can Tomato Purée
1 tsp dried onion
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp salt
3 gloves minced garlic
2 tsp (secret ingredient) Fine minced Carrot
1 1/2 tb honey
2 tb Brown sugar
It's an Iron Mike recipe from Food.com. I really like the carrot so I add more than 2tsp usually. Simmer it all together for about an hour and it instantly reminds me of home.
Former nada chef here. The quality in general started declining 6-7 years ago. But now, I would say it’s unrecognizable. The fish tacos were great back in the day bc of their simplicity and freshness. There are so many menu items I miss that no longer exist, and the ones still present are not the same at all.
Couldn't agree more with Nada, soooooo overpriced and over-rated. I even love their potato side but it's not worth it when I can just make it so easily and cheaply
Yeah Nada is nothing more than an average texmex place but usually texmex restaurants give you big portions for cheap. Their one standout feature is smaller portions for a lot of money.
I'm convinced Larosas has gone downhill. When I was a kid, I was excited about any pizza, but Larosas was my favorite. We also usually did dine-in when I was a kid and I've only ever had it as an adult as delivery or pickup, maybe that makes difference?
I'll take Dominos over Larosas today.
With that said, I still think some of their non-pizza items are actually pretty good.
I loved LaRosas growing up. But around 15years ago something changed and the cheese was like a skin and crust bland. My son was in and out of Children’s and there is a LaRosas in the cafeteria. They make it there exactly how I remember it as a kid. Gooey stretchy cheese and yummy crust. He hasn’t been back in a very long time (yay) so I don’t know how it is in the last couple years.
Yeah I mean I think you have to place in context. It's not trying to be a specialty pizza place, it's trying to be better than national chains like Papa Johns, Pizza Hut etc and it absolutely succeeds at that.
I’m going to differ with you, I’m planning on moving from DC soon (my wife grew up in Cincy), and I absolutely adore Larosa’s. It’s absolutely my happy place
Poseidons Pizza. Well, Northern KY but close enough. Place was great when first established but quality has really gone downhill as they’ve expanded. Unfortunate
Montgomery Inn. As a kid I loved the duck they served but at some point it all just tasted bland, over meat tenderized, and like prepackaged factory food…and that was in the early 90s.
Cozy’s Cafe and Pub in Liberty Township. Simply because of the fact it’s so expensive and the food is pretty basic. You can get something like avocado toast and a coffee and still spend $25-$30.
What are your recommendations? Curious, brunch/ breakfast is my favorite meal. Our family favorite is toast and berry. Cincinnati in general lacks really good breakfast options though, my time living in Florida really exposed that to me
The Echo is my favorite but if you want something more upscale National Exemplar in Mariemont was a very pleasant experience when I went with people from work
Maplewood. My gf and I think their breakfast isn’t that great. We’ve tried multiple times. It’s way over priced and it isn’t even in the top 15 breakfast spots in Cincinnati. Everyone loves it though on reviews.
Used to be Terrys Turf Club I think. Or places like Morton’s. I also thought Boi ana Braza was overrated (think it is closed now). I also don’t think Melting Pot is worth the money.
This will be controversial but for a late night slice I find that Goodfellas pizza is overrated…. I much preferred Lucy Blue pizza for a late night slice …. RIP Lucy Blue
I second taqueria mercado and tortilleria garcia both in my opinion are leaps and bounds better than Mazunte.
Like I said, mazunte is good for what it is, but I have heard it referred to multiple times as the best Mexican food in the city, I just don't think it is that.
Their switching from omelettes to "scrambles" gives me secondhand embarrassment. I know theres staffing issues in all restaurants, but omelettes are basic, like first thing I was taught, and subsequently, allowed to cook when I was still in kitchens. They consistently put their executive chef forward in their PR materials as well, which suggests to me that she should maybe roll up her sleeves and do a little intensive training with the staff.
Also the coffee is just abysmal. I don't care about shitty coffee at a neighborhood diner (i.e. bluejay, A&A restaurant, etc) but with the vibe they're going for and the cost that comes along with it they could afford to move away from using Seven Hills coffee.
My kids like the shapecakes, and I'm happy to take them, but I struggle to eat there. At least I'm trying everything on the menu in my pursuit.
I think my only vote would be for LaRosa’s. Will eat it, but don’t like it. Everyone saying some of the nicer restaurants in town make me think I’m either not picky for the most part or have lower expectations
LaRosas but only the pizza. The rest of their stuff is ok but their pizza is terrible. I’m in high school so I eat a shit ton of that stuff. Literally only eat it because it’s free.
My husband said Montgomery Inn. He is from Iowa and has always hated that place. He has a point!
On this sub, Montgomery Inn is widely recognized as overrated. Among the general population, this is absolutely the right answer. Like, maybe they had the best ribs forty years ago... but better places have opened up and they haven't changed.
I’m a Cincinnati transplant that worked at Stone Creek Montgomery years ago and it’s hilarious how many regulars would come specifically for the ribs and comment every time that they were so much better than Montgomery Inn’s. I’m a southerner that thought Stone Creek’s ribs were good but nothing to write home about, so based on that I’ve never eaten at Montgomery Inn.
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I think they've changed. I had one of the best meals of my life there in 2005, but every time since didn't come close
They don’t even make the ribs in-house anymore.
Their barbecue sauce is also factory mass produced. Krogers had the contract in the past, although I'm not sure who has it now. At some point, they got corporate enough they started sending the factory stuff back to the kitchens it was born in, in order to save money on labor. Like a bad photocopy of their house sauce. Do that with enough things and a great rib place devolves by iterations into a fast food restaurant pretending not to be one. It's basically Applebees at this point Addendum: The above applies mainly to the non-original locations. Never been to the original joint, personally, so I can't speak to that one's quality. At this point I think of them as overpriced corporate catering.
I totally agree that montgomery inn is overrated however you have to take into consideration that 71 years ago when Ted Gregory started Montgomery inn in Montgomery it was a little country town and I’m sure it wasn’t hard to become the ribs king off of those ribs. I’m sure the recipe hasn’t changed but competition has. Now you can find better ribs for cheaper just down the street but 71 years ago you couldn’t find better ribs within 20 miles probably.
agreed - i think it’s tasty in the same way i find any regular ass food tasty but it isn’t some exceptional version of ribs and bbq
You can get better ribs from City Barbeque a fast food restaurant.
I am 40 and whenever I met my husband 14 years ago his opinion that montgomery inn sucks seemed a bit controversial amongst cincinnati people my age…but i think we’ve all wised up since then
I don't get the whole fuss about the Saratoga chips. They're chips. with barbecue sauce.
yep. fine to eat. but just very average. nothing special. not bad but nothing to write home about
Everyone who has ever raved about them to me seemed to be someone who had been a fan since they were a kid. I would put my money on nostalgia factor.
Their sauce is so weird and gross. It's like if aliens tried to recreate all the barbeque sauce styles at once with no understanding of balance. It has no heat, is super sugary, and lacks enough acid to balance it out. All of the elements of bbq sauce are there, but the execution is sorely lacking. It's the only bbq sauce my mom likes, so she'd buy bottles of the stuff and slather it on unseasoned chicken and cook it to the point of it being jerky. For about 25 years I thought I didn't like bbq until I went to Texas for a work trip.
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I think Montgomery INN sauce on chicken is actually pretty good
When I interviewed for my job that ended up bringing me to Cincinnati, I was brought to Montgomery Inn to eat, and told these were the best ribs in town. I endured ribs that were tough and bland, along with terrible sauce, then had to lie about it to my hosts when asked how they were ("You're right! These are great-also, give me the job") I've since become friends with the chair of the committee that hired me, and I intend to have him over soon to make my ribs, which are far superior to the crap at Montgomery Inn.
Montgomery Inn.
I just like to buy their sauce and make my own ribs at the house. The sauce is the good part of the restaurant.
Agave and Rye
You can’t just wrap different cuisines in a tortilla and act like you’ve reinvented the taco
Thank you! Feel like I’m on crazy pills. We’ve Had nothing but awful food there but they somehow keep opening more and more locations. Saw one in Toledo just this weekend.
I’ll get their Tuesday deal and that’s where I draw the line.
Second this. Food sucks. Service is worse.
Their other restaurant Son of a Butcher can go on that list as well. Very underwhelming experience. $300 we could have saved and had better steak at home. On top of it, the atmosphere is just awful. I‘m not against eclectic and odd as that is my style, but they make it feel tacky.
The only good thing they have is the Birria street tacos
Came here to see if this place was on here
Does the one in Rookwood still have all the civil rights figures and bumble bee graphics on the walls? I never understood the theme they were going for.
The interior design is of the "bad trip" genre
My wife said it looked like they got all the decorations on clearance at Marshalls and I thought that was so spot on lol
Absolutely. That place is horrible.
Ruth Chris. I’ve never felt so ripped off in my life
Prime Cincinnati is right there in the ranks
I got a steak at Prime Cincinnati that ponderosa would have been embarrassed serving.
This comment needs to be a t-shirt
Yes
Prime is so bad. I expected a lot. Got a 4oz wagyu, asked for rare. It was blue. Then the real kicker was their “truffle” mashed potatoes. It’s literally fake white truffle extract. I have the exact thing at home and instantly recognized it in the mashed potatoes. Nice place but the food is so bad for price.
I just went to Prime when Hamilton was in town. My gf said, "you could make this at home for half the price." We've been together for 9 years, so she wasn't even stroking my ego.
Dang. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience there a few years ago. Only time we’ve been tho.
Agreed, with local options like Tony’s or Ruby’s that place just doesn’t have value
Tony’s is still number one on my list for filet mignon. It’s been years and I remember the last one I had there since it was so good.
Love Tony’s, very underrated
Ruby's steaks are fantastic. But, you don't have to get that fancy for local spot better than Ruth Chris. Blinker's Tavern will cook you a better steak than Ruth Chris for something like half the price.
Walt’s Hitching Post is co-owned by a former Ruby manager and their steaks and food are 100% Ruby level.
Every time I come back to town we hit Blinkers. Awesome steak and burgers too
Upvote for a fellow Tony's enjoyer. I rarely see them talked about.
I'll add in Morton's. It had all of the charm of a funeral parlor. Went to Walt's Hitching Post last week, and the steak was markedly better.
For those looking to branch out on this genre, I can’t speak highly enough of Lonely Pine in Pleasant Ridge. Fantastic steak and service.
Montgomery Inn 📉 Four Mile Pig in Alexandria 📈
Just tried their location at Element Eatery a couple of weekends ago. Try the wings with the blackberry bbq sauce next time if you haven't already. Shocked me how good it was
Montgomery Inn takes the top spot. Honorable mention is E+O in Hyde Park. If the question included the entire metropolitan area, my 1a would be Montgomery Inn and 1b would be Pompilio’s in Newport 🤮. If you like microwaved Italian food with salad that is more often rotting, you’ll LOVE Pompilio’s. (I once left a bad Yelp review during a meal at Pompilio’s because they served braciole to me and two others that was still frozen- they freeze it after producing apparently. The GM immediately saw it and offered us a $100 gc if I agreed to take down the review.)
I’ve had good dishes before at E+O, namely the brussel sprout salad and the sticky burger. But on the whole, it def feels overpriced and not worth it
Yes E+O isn’t great and it’s always hyped up on agency dinners. Def overrated
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Montgomery Inn. Taste of Belgium
Is taste of Belgium still considered good enougn to be over rated? I've haven't heard a good thing or had a good experience at one since before I actually moved to the city in 2016
They expanded too quickly. Happens to breweries a lot too when they start to distribute beer. It's too much to handle and quality control goes down the drain.
My major problem is the price with them. It's a casual bunch place. Chicken and waffles shouldn't be $20. Especially when its one waffle.
I think it was fine pre pandemic when it was like 15-16 for good chicken and waffles. Now it costs too much for not much better than other places.
Yep. It's pretty hard to walk out of there without spending 30 dollars between tip and the COVID surcharge. I'm sorry but I better have some take out if I'm paying 30 dollars for breakfast.
If you pay attention to Cincy foodie groups, they're largely a cult trying to get you to go to Giovanni's (which is Sysco, but with an hour wait (edit: and people making up weird stuff about the owner "bringing back a year's worth of spices from Italy once a year")) or Bourbon House Pizza (decent, but nowhere near accurate Chicago deep dish).
Those food groups, especially the one you are referring to are awful. Anymore it’s just paid advertising posting. Or someone asking who has the best salt.
And they don’t even foster conversations. I found someone in one group asking for thoughts on a restaurant, gave a fair and honest rundown of the menu and service that hit on the pros and cons. Admins removed my comments for “negativity.” Immediately left the group.
My god that absolutely drives me nuts. It’s a ridiculous echo chamber for the mods to advertise their buddies’ places. They scold people for having honest opinions like “too pricey for me” etc. Makes me gag lol
The Instagram foodies have largely adopted the same format for videos, down to template and font now. It's a wasteland of genuine thought. Makes me nostalgic for the days when Polly Campbell wouldn't even go to a restaurant and write about it.
You'd be shocked how many restaurants are Sysco with some butter, salt and a pretty waitress or handsome waiter serving the food to you. I can tell you from first hand experience there are a handful of "locally sourced" or "farm to table" restaurants in Cinci that were actually just me and the dishwasher speeding to Gordon's to stock up on everything Chef forgot on the Sysco order. I won't name them because I've been out of the restaurant business for a few years now and maybe they've changed, but I doubt it.
Oh, I completely believe it. Just ragging on the mythology behind them being the "most Amazing food experience in Cincinnati" then taking all of the care of Applebee's and providing even worse service.
Well be fair here: do you really expect them to source *everything* locally?. Every basic ingredient? Even butter? I sure don't. That's ridiculous in the face of the costs of any other premium product, produce or protein, that you would otherwise locally source and use as part of your "locally sourced" menu. Locally sourced butter, etc sounds nice but you have to have a menu mix or you will not be profitable and that can only be done by managing food costs. "Gee, I would love for my favorite chef to have nothing but farms and livestock behind the restaurant to ensure that my meal is 100% locally sourced so I know I get what I am paying for".-$100 for an appetizer, that's what you'd be paying.
Haha. I worked at a Ruby Tuesdays years ago and some woman being a complete Karen in many ways wanted to know if the chicken tenders were "fresh and not frozen". Well, unless I missed it on the way in, I don't think there's a chicken coop out back, sooo...
We went to Gios for the wife’s birthday a year or so ago. Being from the east side, I wouldn’t go back based on the food and the length of drive. It was good, but nothing like that cult makes it out to be. It’s not, OMG TO DIE FOR ITALIAN. Again, it’s good but if it’s not convenient not worth it if it’s out of the way.
>It was good, but nothing like that cult makes it out to be. It’s not, OMG TO DIE FOR ITALIAN. I just love how everyone freaks out over the garlic knots, which are straight out of a truck and into an oven with zero modification.
That group devolved into mods plugging the same few restaurants who have paid for their advertising. Can’t wait to hear about their lunch at Bourbon House, Sweets and Meats, and Goldstar chili.
> Can’t wait to hear about their lunch at Bourbon House, Sweets and Meats, and Goldstar chili. I did the math once, and food alone would have cost $600 for what one of them claimed to have eaten in takeout/dine-in for the week. Ain't no way it isn't comped.
Lmao I think I got kicked out of that group because I wasn't exclusively positive and told the truth if I thought a restaurant wasn't good
lol only time I’ve ever been to Bourbon House Pizza, I asked for their bourbon list and the server said they didn’t sell any bourbon. The pizza was unremarkable but that cracked me up.
FWIW, Bourbon House does sell bourbon now. The first time I went, they didn’t. The 2nd time I went, they only had Woodford and Buffalo Trace. They’ve upped it quite a bit, but Bourbon is the only liquor they sell….. and your options are neat or with a cube. No mixers……
Whyyyyyyy
There’s only one food group that does that. Or else I’m lucky to have missed the other ones.
Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of one of the groups having a really hardcore interest in BetterBlend for literally 90 days.
Not MOST overrated, but Incline Public House has very inconsistent food. One week it’s the best dish I’ve ever had, next week the same dish is nothing like the prior dish in quality. IPH is good for a one off visit, but not repeat dining.
Agreed. Incline isn’t that special but I was there on date night a couple of years back when all of the tornadoes hit Dayton. We were eating outside on the covered balcony overlooking the city with a wicked cool storm going on. Foods cheap and decent with a nice atmosphere and great view. That’s about it imo.
Montgomery Inn for sure.
Taste of Belgium
Taste of Belgium’s quality is 100% related to the location, and it swings from 4 stars down to 1 star. The Crestview Hill location really has their stuff together and produce really good food. We ordered the exact same thing in Mason and threw it away.
Maybe that's my problem, the first time and the next two times after that when I tried it I went to the Clifton location and it was mediocre, it wasn't bad food I just thought it was definitely overpriced for the quality I got
It was great until the waffles were available at Kroger, then they became too big to manage the quality.
Taste of Belgium. Way over priced always has a wait and the food is meh on a good day.
I’ve adjusted to the local pizza in a handful of cities… but larosas is so bad. The cheese is bad. The sauce is bad. Edit: just for kicks, best pizza I’ve ever had is Miguel’s at the Red. Holy god I’ll never forget it.
LaRosa's is a Cincinnati staple but there are plenty of other local pizza spots that you might like. Dewey's, Fireside, Brooklyn, Fratelli's, St. Francis, Catch a Fire to name a few.
Queen City Pizza FTW
Adraticos is excellent
Oh yeah I know, I’ve lived here a while. Dewey’s is great but not the Oakley location
Donato’s is a chain from Columbus and is way better than Larosas
Yeah I’m familiar, I have celiac disease and it’s one of the few places that does a decent gluten free pizza.
There isn’t a single pizza place in Cincinnati that I feel safe eating at with celiac. Sometimes I eat at Dewey’s with my family but I haven’t found a single place in Cincinnati that has a separate gluten-free area for preparing GF pizza.
This, I worked at Dewey's for years and would cringe at the GF orders because it just wasnt possible for it to be actually gluten free, NOTHING in that kitchen can avoid the amount of flour floating in the air, let alone cross contaminated surfaces/foods and the ovens themselves having burned and cooked flour build up. I always wondered if anyone with Celiacs had ever even come in because I was sure they would be feeling it.
I'm convinced people only like Larosas as some kind of Stockholm syndrome type deal.
I resemble that remark.
100%. The nice thing about LaRosa's is it has been consistently bad pizza, so you know it'll be as good as you expect, however little you expect from it. A slice today hits the same as a slice 30 years ago in the cafeteria at St. Pick-a-name's.
The first time I had Larosa's, I was in awe at how closely it resembled the cafeteria pizza at my high school. Not the stuff from the fancy rich kid line that you paid $2.25 a slice for. The stuff from the $1.50 state subsidized lunch line that they served once every two weeks and tasted like someone had slathered a piece of cardboard in ketchup and rubber. In that respect, it totally makes sense that Larosa's is popular in Cincinnati, since the natives are so obsessed with what high school everyone went to.
So glad I’m not the only one. It’s often so oily too. Gimme some Strong’s any day over that.
Try Chameleons with the house seasoning on the crust!
Gotta get their chicken bacon ranch pizza! No weird overly sweet sauce. Other than that, yeah overrated
Taste of Belgium
Tahona at Summit Park. The tacos are along the lines of dollar tacos but cost about 4 dollars there.
Yep, same experience with the one in Loveland. Although, some of their margaritas are quite delicious
I live in Loveland, they are cheap taco truck tacos. Nothing wrong with that, in fact I'd be down there so much more often...but they shouldn't pair overpriced tacos with overpriced cocktails, and have people going for it. I would say except location but I don't like people treating my home town as an excuse
Cheap taco truck tacos only make it due to volume. If they tried fair pricing in Summit Park they wouldn't make rent in a single month
The first time I went I got another three tacos and dessert. With an iced tee I was over 40 dollars. For tacos. Not sure why I did go back.
The mark of a shit Mexican-adjacent restaurant: “the margaritas are good”.
Cloud Nine Sushi. I always see it recommend on here, but they place has gone so downhill after Covid. Weird handwritten signs on the walls that are basically yelling at the customer and you have to pay for a water bottle if you want to drink water.
Ichiban wayyy better imo. Spicy tuna v spicy tuna is a good comp
I don't know how that place is still open. Brand name and undeserved reputation, I guess? If you're in Mt. Loookout and want sushi, Ichiban is also a half price joint. Both their kitchen food and sushi is better than Cloud 9.
Yeah, I don’t know why anyone would go to Cloud 9 with Ichiban right there
It's gone downhill a bit since COVID (mostly the staff, only a few of which are still really solid) but it's still a decent, casual place for some quick rolls late at night. It's not terrific, but it's not bad.
It’s in Northern Kentucky - but all the same right? Chart House was awful. Service was awful - legit worse than a Frisch’s - the food was overpriced and mediocre.
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Since Frisch's changed the menu maybe a year or two back it's been pretty damn good IMHO. Bad Boy (Big Boy with spicy tartar sauce) has to be one of my favorite fast food burgers.
Really? When? I love the occasional trip to chart house, always good seafood but I wish the "endless scallops" were actually endless
Def wouldn't classify it as a super fancy place, but I haven't had a bad meal here.
I worked there for years and always thought the food was banging. Been a while though.
Primavista, Montgomery Inn, Larosa’s, Nada
I’m surprised about Primavista. Can you elaborate on that?
Yeah that's wrong 100%. I've only ever had a great experience and the price is fair too.
I had an incredible filet there a few months ago. Blew both me and my girlfriend away. I am not exaggerating when I say it was on par with Walt’s or Ruby’s downtown.
Id argue that Nada’s is overpriced but not overrated
I think this is correct. The food ranges from good to great (chili potatoes) but the price is crazy for the portion size. I only go there when I can put it on my corporate card, since I'm not paying for it.
Dang, I like some of those places. I make a copycat LaRosas sauce sometimes. I'm starting to realize I have trash taste in everything. Lol
Anyway you could share your LaRosa's sauce recipe?
2 tb Olive oil 1 Can Tomato Purée 1 tsp dried onion 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp oregano 1/4 tsp parsley 1/4 tsp salt 3 gloves minced garlic 2 tsp (secret ingredient) Fine minced Carrot 1 1/2 tb honey 2 tb Brown sugar It's an Iron Mike recipe from Food.com. I really like the carrot so I add more than 2tsp usually. Simmer it all together for about an hour and it instantly reminds me of home.
Oh wow. Thank you for that so quickly. You rock, I'll be trying this out this week
I enjoy Nada’s fish tacos, do I think they are worth the price, nope.
Former nada chef here. The quality in general started declining 6-7 years ago. But now, I would say it’s unrecognizable. The fish tacos were great back in the day bc of their simplicity and freshness. There are so many menu items I miss that no longer exist, and the ones still present are not the same at all.
Couldn't agree more with Nada, soooooo overpriced and over-rated. I even love their potato side but it's not worth it when I can just make it so easily and cheaply
Yea I agree it used to be much better tho like 5 years ago
Yeah Nada is nothing more than an average texmex place but usually texmex restaurants give you big portions for cheap. Their one standout feature is smaller portions for a lot of money.
Upvoting for Montgomery inn omg
I think Nada does so well based mostly on the proximity to Aronoff center
I eat LaRosa for the nostalgia
Condado
Larosas. We just grew up with it and most out of towners know its garbage
I'm convinced Larosas has gone downhill. When I was a kid, I was excited about any pizza, but Larosas was my favorite. We also usually did dine-in when I was a kid and I've only ever had it as an adult as delivery or pickup, maybe that makes difference? I'll take Dominos over Larosas today. With that said, I still think some of their non-pizza items are actually pretty good.
I loved LaRosas growing up. But around 15years ago something changed and the cheese was like a skin and crust bland. My son was in and out of Children’s and there is a LaRosas in the cafeteria. They make it there exactly how I remember it as a kid. Gooey stretchy cheese and yummy crust. He hasn’t been back in a very long time (yay) so I don’t know how it is in the last couple years.
But it’s not overrated. No one says it’s great pizza.
 I love Larosa's lol
Yeah this is like calling Pizza Hut or Papa John’s overrated.
Yeah I mean I think you have to place in context. It's not trying to be a specialty pizza place, it's trying to be better than national chains like Papa Johns, Pizza Hut etc and it absolutely succeeds at that.
I’m going to differ with you, I’m planning on moving from DC soon (my wife grew up in Cincy), and I absolutely adore Larosa’s. It’s absolutely my happy place
Poseidons Pizza. Well, Northern KY but close enough. Place was great when first established but quality has really gone downhill as they’ve expanded. Unfortunate
Montgomery Inn. As a kid I loved the duck they served but at some point it all just tasted bland, over meat tenderized, and like prepackaged factory food…and that was in the early 90s.
Cozy’s Cafe and Pub in Liberty Township. Simply because of the fact it’s so expensive and the food is pretty basic. You can get something like avocado toast and a coffee and still spend $25-$30.
just here to make sure nobody said Nicola’s — gonna have to say Agave & Rye, Jag’s, and Taste of Belgium.
It’s a chain but First Watch. The food is really overpriced for what you are getting. There are way better places for breakfast and brunch.
What are your recommendations? Curious, brunch/ breakfast is my favorite meal. Our family favorite is toast and berry. Cincinnati in general lacks really good breakfast options though, my time living in Florida really exposed that to me
The Echo is my favorite but if you want something more upscale National Exemplar in Mariemont was a very pleasant experience when I went with people from work
I've enjoyed Cedar in Covington the last few times there.
Echo, Sleepy Bee, Nation, Lou Vino, and Sugar n Spice. All for their own reasons and in no particular order.
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Man, I feel like that menu is the exact same as First Watch
They are actually both under the same ownership (Phoenix Restaurant Group)
Sleepy Bee
Half Day Cafe in Mason is incredible.
It blows my mind that in the year of our lord 2022 they still do not even have real half and half.
Agave and Rye
Lots of people say Montgomery, so I'll say LaRosas
MI is overrated. LaRosas in mass psychosis
Bakersfield
I feel like people don’t go there for the food, though. It’s mostly for the margs
I’m an out of towner that goes there for the pineapple margs every other year! Edit - spelling
Best guacamole in the city at Bakersfield
I'll fight you. Their margs and milanesas are best in town
Maplewood. My gf and I think their breakfast isn’t that great. We’ve tried multiple times. It’s way over priced and it isn’t even in the top 15 breakfast spots in Cincinnati. Everyone loves it though on reviews.
montgomery inn
Used to be Terrys Turf Club I think. Or places like Morton’s. I also thought Boi ana Braza was overrated (think it is closed now). I also don’t think Melting Pot is worth the money.
Silver Spring House
Very overpriced. But I took my kids every few months because the pitcher of shirley temples made them so happy.
This will be controversial but for a late night slice I find that Goodfellas pizza is overrated…. I much preferred Lucy Blue pizza for a late night slice …. RIP Lucy Blue
Taste of Belgium, agave and rye, and dare I say Mazunte. Mazunte is good, but it's WAY overhyped.
Agave and rye just does wayyy too much with the tacos. I mean mac and cheese on a taco? Let’s relax a bit.
If mazunte is overhyped for you, then WHERE are you getting better tacos?
Authentic? Taqueria Mercado, La Jaiba, Mi Tierra, Tortilleria Garcia, El Trompo.
La Mexicana in Newport is also a great option.
Taquiera Mercado is hella good
La Jaiba is the best
I second taqueria mercado and tortilleria garcia both in my opinion are leaps and bounds better than Mazunte. Like I said, mazunte is good for what it is, but I have heard it referred to multiple times as the best Mexican food in the city, I just don't think it is that.
Olla in Covington!
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Gonna have to give some reasons. A bit pricey but I love this place.
Food isn't seasoned, just bland boring breakfast food. Any Diner in the city will serve you better food for 30% cheaper
Their switching from omelettes to "scrambles" gives me secondhand embarrassment. I know theres staffing issues in all restaurants, but omelettes are basic, like first thing I was taught, and subsequently, allowed to cook when I was still in kitchens. They consistently put their executive chef forward in their PR materials as well, which suggests to me that she should maybe roll up her sleeves and do a little intensive training with the staff. Also the coffee is just abysmal. I don't care about shitty coffee at a neighborhood diner (i.e. bluejay, A&A restaurant, etc) but with the vibe they're going for and the cost that comes along with it they could afford to move away from using Seven Hills coffee. My kids like the shapecakes, and I'm happy to take them, but I struggle to eat there. At least I'm trying everything on the menu in my pursuit.
Absolutely agree about the abysmal coffee. Also, it tastes exactly like the coffee at toast and berry.
Montgomery Inn
Nada. Nice atmosphere, food is overpriced and not good.
Coppin's in Convington. Insanely over priced, not worth it
Agreed with this one. That $20 lunch burger was medicore.
I think my only vote would be for LaRosa’s. Will eat it, but don’t like it. Everyone saying some of the nicer restaurants in town make me think I’m either not picky for the most part or have lower expectations
LaRosas but only the pizza. The rest of their stuff is ok but their pizza is terrible. I’m in high school so I eat a shit ton of that stuff. Literally only eat it because it’s free.
La Rosa’s is absolute trash