I will start this out by saying: I lived in New Orleans for 5 years, worked in a top 10 restaurant in the nation that was located in NOLA, so I'd say I know a thing or two about the cuisine there. That being said, BrewRiver Gastropub struggles to make a legitimate attempt at New Orleans cuisine. I went 2 weeks ago with friends hoping to show them what NOLA cuisine is like. I ordered the muffuletta which is traditionally a dry sandwich with fresh ingredients such as olive salad, salami, mozzarella ham&provolone on a large bun with a texture somewhat similar to frenchbread. Wow. Was mine nowhere close at all to the MANY muffulettas I have had. It was greasy as all get out. There was cheesy grease dripping off of the sandwich and my fingers were also covered in the grease as well. My stomach was not pleased. My friends who all ordered traditional NOLA dishes I had suggested, had the same complaint. Also, it was horrifically overpriced. The service wasn't great either, even though we were one of 5 tables in the entire place. NOW to their drinks: the Bloody Mary I had left a lot to be desired, the beer was 6 dollars for an Abita draft. I'll be skipping this place from here on out. Shame since it has the potential to be far better and way more authentic to the New Orleans cuisine I so dearly miss. read more

Excellent food and service! Table of 18 was handled superbly by Tisha! Jambalaya was great, for starters...

This place was OK. The food was pretty good, my husband and I both got the shrimp po boy. He really liked it, it was a little too "different" for me. The service was very slow though. There were maybe a couple other tables there when we arrived as it was very early for dinner and it still took over an hour for the meal. read more

The food / Jambalaya was ok, no spice, pretty bland. They are pretty stingy with their servings, 3 green tomatoes for $12, lol. $4 each. My Jambalaya had maybe 2 to 3" of sausage link in it cut up? Maybe four 1/2" cubes of chicken, really for $18. Again no spice, no heat. Had to ask for hit sauce and they brought be a little container of Tabasco maybe? Their catfish was smothered in bbq sauce. Hard to taste anything other than just bbq sauce. Good, but not what you expect for catfish. Dinner was ok. I had forgotten they were a creole restaurant, now I remember why. But I'm not much of a beer drinker... read more

I was visiting from out of town, and I was looking for a new locally owner restaurant and bar for lunch and a beer. Most items on the menu sounded great. We ordered the burger with blue cheese (I forget the name) and a fried oyster po boy. The burger was of good quality and had a fresh baked bun which makes all the difference. The oyster po boy had a tasty wasabi mayo on it. The beer list was acceptable, but many of the taps on their wall were not being used. I like the location near the city right off the river as it was out of the city, but also super close. I would be happy to return. read more

#baconamazing! Butchered and cured onsite. Best brunch experience in Cincy. Flavors of New Orleans with live jazz. I'm in love. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Bloody Mary - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Great service. Great farm fresh food and a lovely quiet view of the river. Our waitress Brianna handled 14 of us with grace and charm. Wonderful party space read more

Stopped by for lunch, it's in a awesome old house, with beautiful wood carving door frame and matching bar area. There's a big outdoor patio, but with the heat wave we opted to site inside. The service is attentive and prompt. We got the fried risotto balls for an appetizer - it's nice and crunchy on the outside and creamy risotto on the inside but I have to say it's really bland. I'm surprised they didn't season the risotto. The tomato sauce that it came with didn't really compliment the taste of the risotto. For the main meal we got the shrimp po boy with fries - the bread is really nice crispy and toasted. The veggie and sauce was really good and shrimps taste nice and fresh. The fries are really good, a little overly salty for me. read more

We came here for Sunday brunch today. The chicken and waffles are excellent as well as the B LTE. We ordered gumbo and it came out a little cold so the chef, bless his heart, gave us free desserts and two extra gumbos to take home with us. Really loved the server and even the piano player was awesome! We will be back! read more

Went for lunch and was not too impressed. I had a glass of wine, my kids each a soda. Small Mac and cheese for appetizer , burger with fries, cup of soup and BLT, and Cubano with side salad ... 3 people, $73 not including tip. A bit steep for lunch. And the food was really just average. Will not go back. read more

This was a disappointing experience. We have been here several times before and were well pleased but not tonight. The area in which we were seated (upstairs) was VERY LOUD with diners at other table virtually yelling at each other. Impossible to carry on a conversation with our dinner companions. Then our service and food were only so-so. Our waitress was pleasant enough but she was stretched too thin unable to keep up with the pace. Drinks were very slow in arriving and after they were consumed we were not asked if we wanted anymore. The cocktails were very small and not very good. The shrimp in with grits was satisfactory, but nothing noteworthy. The shrimp on the warm Caesar salad tasted like it was going bad -- an odd taste. The Beef Poutine was well below previous dinners there--Tasteless and greasy. The 3 stars are a generous rating for our outing. read more

Great food and vibe. We were in the corner beside a large party which was a little cramped even though the restaurant was slow. Still a great meal and good experience! read more

My husband, son and I came here a couple nights ago for the first time since they opened their new location. We sat at a comfortable booth and ordered our drinks. I had a vanilla pineapple martini from their drink list (I can't remember the name and the website does not list the specialty drinks), and a hurricane. Both were delicious. To start, we ordered the fried green tomatoes and the mussels. The fried green tomatoes with the bacon jam were delicious! The mussels were good, but could use a little more flavor. For dinner, I ordered the buttermilk crispy chicken and my husband ordered shrimp and grits. My son enjoyed some shrimp and fries. The chicken was great, and the portion was large. I loved the coleslaw. My husband liked the shrimp and grits, but was unhappy with the amount of bbq sauce slathered on it. It was overpowering to him to the point where it's all he said he tasted. While eating, I did notice a couple being waited on at the table next to us. The lady serving them did not know the daily specials and was giving them multiple "I think..." responses. Our waitress did not have these issues. I do think it's very important, especially at the price range of this restaurant, for the staff to be fully prepared before evening service begins. Luckily, the other table was recovered by our waitress. I could tell the staff was very novice, which just may be a lack of training or meetings. I ordered creme brûlée for dessert which of course was fantastic. Overall, the food was good quality and tasteful and the drinks were delicious. I would return. I wish gnocchi had been available that night, but I will save that for a future visit. Update to my previous review. I've been here twice since. The second time I came on a Sunday morning and the restaurant was empty. The service was more than slow. My biscuit with fried chicken gravy was ICE COLD. We had to ask another waiter to grab our checks after a half hour of waiting. This experience was a one star. Being hopeful, we came here for Mother's Day. Our server was friendly, and let us know the minute we sat down for our reservations that the kitchen was backed up. Drinks came out pretty timely, but the food took an hour. I had no issue with this given that the restaurant was packed and he warned us. HOWEVER, our food was cold!!! There was no reason for my dish to be cold considering how long we waited. My side of goetta was burnt to a crisp. My mother said her shrimp and grits tasted like she was drinking Worcestershire sauce. The "bacon donuts" had no flavor of bacon whatsoever. They tasted like overly fried dough. I couldn't even taste a hint of bacon. They were drenched through with oil. Overall, the timely drinks were the best part of our meal. Food and service both need some work. I have given this restaurant 3 tries and clearly the bartenders are stealing the show. (This review was written May 12th but for some reason my app did not post) read more

I can't say it enough. These guys are a slice of N'awlins right here in Cincy. I used to miss the N.O. after Essence Fest because the food was so amazing down there. BrewRiver helps me cope with their culinary and cultural artistry. Thanks! - Foodie read more

Decent although overpriced food. I wasn't a big fan of the fries. They do truffle style and they were too oily for me. I got a burger that was supposed to be a Cajun burger but didn't have much spice. The bun was amazing though. Fiancée tried the mushrooms and they were solid. This place has a pretty good beer menu though. read more

I love this place. The staff is passionate about food and beer. It has all the right elements for a cool date.

Food was good, but not exceptional. Prices seemed a bit high compared to similar restaurants.

Today was my first time at this restaurant for Brunch and it was fabulous from top to bottom! We sat on the patio to enjoy the live music which they have everyday. The mimosas were VERY good, although they are a hair overpriced for the amount of mimosa you get ($8). I cannot say enough about the brunch. I got the biscuit and gravy with fried eggs and my friend had the BLT and we were BLOWN AWAY. Everything is local from the Cincy area and made from scratch and it shows! Our service was great they are very knowledgeable about the menu. We will definitely be back to try dinner! read more

This is an awesome place to eat. Never a bad meal. Great atmosphere and awesome service .

Hoping for some great low country boil for their advertised Tuesday special, and it was also our first time trying out the place. Upon arrival we chose to sit on the great outdoor patio they have. I started off with a good porter recommended by our friendly waiter. Next we had the pesto stuffed mushrooms as an app. They were super tasty, but a little burnt. Finally the crawfish boil. The flavor was really good on the crawfish, sausage, and mushroom but the potatoes were undercooked. Maybe I'm spoiled, but I would've liked to have a nut cracker and pick for the claw meat. Luckily I had an extra wet nap in my purse because they didn't have those either. The crawfish deal was 1lb for $15 which wasnt bad, but otherwise place was a little pricey. May return to try other dishes. Seemed to be a more "upscale crowd" which I wasn't expecting. read more

This place is an amazing bite to eat after a hot Reds game! Lovely food and even better people!

We are residents of the neighborhood and used to be able to count on the old location for vegetarian/vegan accommodations personalized by the chef, or at a minimum a staple veggie burger menu option. Now, unless you are okay filling up on overpriced greens, pickles, fries, and underseasoned and also overpriced fried green tomatoes veg-heads and vegans should avoid. Zero protein options and non-existent attempts from the staff to come up with some good alternatives. In this day and age when many are trying to adapt their diets to be more planet, health and animal welfare friendly this is simply unacceptable. Cincinnati is always slow to catch up, but we figured this place would be more thoughtful. Pathetic. We'll never be back and will make sure our friends know to stear clear as well. read more

New Year's Eve I enjoy a great lunch at the Brew River Gastro Pub with some good friends and family. The atmosphere was fun and causal but initially the room temperature felt a little too cold to be totally comfortable. I ordered the Crispy Buttermilk Chicken SAMich but with Sharp cheddar cheese. The bun was lightly toasted & the chicken was crispy, warm, big & delicious. The Truffle fries had great flavor. I sampled the Curried Beef Short Rib Poutine ordered by a fellow diner. It tasted awesome. I would return here again. The service was very attentive & friendly. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - The friendly attractive menu! - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Great place for happy hour! My friend and I met there after work and enjoyed there truffle oil fries and the burgers were the best I have had in a while. I had the original burger and it came out perfectly pink and juicy, the bun slightly buttery. To finish I had the Kings Cake Brew to get my Mardi Gras Spirit Going. It came topped off with a festive sugared rim and little naked baby Jesus. Fun Atmosphere. read more

Went to BRCK for the first time last night, and hopefully NOT the last. Very easy to get to from the Eastside. The food was very good, I had an oyster poboy and the oysters were very good. Cant wait to go back and try the Natchz burger! Great drinks would recommend the Sazerac! read more

I tried River Brew per recommendation I got from someone and I'm very glad I did. It was a nice early evening, so we sat outside on their patio. It's a smaller place, limited seating inside as well as the patio outside. Parking is on the street. Our waiter was Will, and he was great! Very attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. He was more then willing to help suggest alcohol to pair with our meals, or suggest something similar to your normal favorite drink. I got a cider he recommended which was really good. My dad got a peanut butter beer (sounds so weird) but he said its the best beer he's ever had. Dinner was delicious!! I got the Crispy Buttermilk Amish Chicken. Phenomenal. Cooked perfectly, the breading on it had honey incorporated, my mouths watering thinking about it. So incredibly good! My brother got the Fish and Chips, Dad got the Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich, and my brothers girlfriend got the Turkey Goat Cheese Sandwich, and we finished off with sharing the Dark Chocolate Brownie. Everything was really good. We got there early wasn't too crowded, it definitely picked up as the night progressed. Definitely a place to check out. Price a little steep but food was great. Drink selection had lots of options with plenty of knowledge from the waiters. Check it out, it was a good time! read more

My husband and I went here recently and were sadly pretty disappointed. We walked in on a Saturday night and were seated right away which was great. The restaurant itself has a great atmosphere and live music and really does give you a New Orleans type feel. Our waitress was friendly and she let us know that the kitchen was a little backed up. We appreciated the heads up and thought no problem - we weren't in a hurry. What we didn't realize is that by backed up she meant that we would have to wait about an hour and half for our meals to come out! And to make matters worse, the food itself wasn't very good. I got the gnocchi which was very mushy and lacked taste and my husband got a chicken sandwich that was pretty bland. We were so excited to have a good new place open near us but unfortunately I don't think we will be back. read more

Amazing beer list. Great ambiance and great food options. Must add this to the list of spots to try. read more

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Nice menu selection and even though the dining room filled up quick food still came out quickly. Staff was friendly and the food was really good! We will be back for this chill and cozy date spot. read more

Took a risk on a new venue for a 2nd date and came away impressed with the food and beer, but the service was so-so. This place was on my radar for a couple months. After noticing the development sign over the Summer, I grew excited to try a new place in an up n coming neighborhood. I stopped by Brew River Gastropub on a Friday night for a second date. We immediately were impressed by the nice beer garden on the side which features 15-20 tables with good ambiance from over-head string lights. We were quickly met by some sort of manager who was very friendly and showed us to a table. The weather was perfect for sitting outside and the noise level allowed you to have a nice conversation without feeling the awkwardness of some library-level-quiet restaurants. Our server quickly showed up, suggested some beers and we ordered the mac n cheese and truffle fries. I wish I had room for the poutine, but I didn't want to have the belly of a rhinoceros after dinner. The mac n cheese lived up to to its reputation. First off, it passes the rule of truffle oil. Like fried foods and bacon, everything tastes better with truffle oil. In this case, the truffle oil brings the blend of gruyere, fontina, and parmesan over the top. I hardly touched the truffle fries while eating, drinking my BrewRiver Calliope IPA and chatting with my date. The IPA was a perfect compliment to the mac - good suggestion! Our server did seem to be anxious to grab our order, so we eventually settled on the soup of the day (andouille sausage and chicken gumbo) and the amish chicken. The food came out after a reasonable amount of time and looked delicious. This is when the service became decidedly so-so. Our server stopped by to ask how everything was before we even had a first bite. Granted, we were taking our time, chatting and having fun while not in a hurry to stuff our faces. It quickly became clear that he wanted to close us out. We later learned he was finishing a near 12-hr shift and it probably was past 10p at that time. I gave him some empathy. My date, a former server, thought he could have approached the situation differently. The food was delicious. Gumbo was meaty and flavorful and I'd order it again. If I could make a suggest, the dish could use a little more heat. And I mean spicy heat, not temperature. The amish chicken was quite good, although more herby and less crsipy than we envisioned when reading the menu. Not a bad thing. Just different than expected. Upon paying our bill, the remaining waitstaff watched over us without interrupting as we chatted, laughed and finished our beers. Upon leaving, a different server thanked us for coming in and wished us a good night. All in all, a good meal with spotty service. I think the service was a one-time event and would definitely try it again. The food, beer and ambiance are all cool/chic. Oh, and I scored a 3rd date. ;-) Brew on Gastropub, Brew on! read more

Food was not creative with a limited selection, venue was worn and service was average.

We had excellent service and equally awesome food. Happy hour on weekdays from 3-6 is $2.95 craft beers, great selection! We had the poutine for an appetizer, the fries were nothing special but the topping and cheese were awesome and there was a lot of it. We came for burger week so we had the $5 special streetcar burger. It was sooo good from the toppings to the bun. It was definitely on the rare side so if you like your burger more cooked make sure to request it. Will always try to be back before 6 to snag a happy hour beer! read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Get a flight to start and sample 6 local offerings before committing. We picked 5 of the 6 and asked the bartender for a recommendation based on our other choices. Their beer flights are a circular configuration instead of the common paddle, the beers are listed in order clockwise so it's easy to track your favorite. This is the best beer flight flight configuration and organization I've ever seen, not to mention the best variety and beer within the flight. We had: Ithica Laissez Faire, Madtree Granrly Brown, Madtree Happy Amber, Cincy Red, TripleDigit Listermann Chicow and Liefmanns Cuvee Brut. I got the distinct impression that the taps change frequently. We had dinner elsewhere, but the plates I saw looked very good. read more

Addicting neighborhood spot! If you've never done a proper NOLA crawfish boil, go here on Tuesdays.... They fly it in fresh from LA Tuesday mornings! Wasn't really my thing, but my friends who love it traditionally raved about it. The brunch... Game changer. The menu seems simple enough, but everything has a little tweak making it Cajun/original. Order the eggs sardough! It was similar to eggs Benedict, except with the most delicious artichokes. Also the donuts! Couldn't stop eating them. There's typically live music for brunch and dinner, and a fun patio which (I think!!) is pet friendly. Be careful coming on weekends past 6pm, you'll be waiting! read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Crawfish boil! With potatoes, andouille, and corn. - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Went with a group of 8 on a Saturday night - only about a 20 minute wait. First impression was that it was smaller and more casual than expected, but the casual part was a pleasant surprise. Really good selection of beers, many of which I haven't had and wanted to try. Our group ordered a bunch of appetizers, including: stuffed mushrooms, crawfish hush puppies, truffle fries and the meat/cheese plate. All very tasty. We also shared bites of our entrees which included: ribeye (very very good), amish chicken (excellent), pork belly BLT, gumbo, mussels and truffle mac n' cheese. I was very satisfied, had a great time and would absolutely come back again. we have a good and knowledgeable server as well. read more

Fantastic, unique food!! The turkey goat cheese Samich was delicious. Good homemade Ketchup with great fries. Flavor explosion!! read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I went here for brunch with a friend and it just so happened to be their 3 year anniversary weekend. There were balloons and we talked to their brunch performer, Todd, who's been there every Sunday since the opening. He played the Melodica and it was really cool. The Bacon Doughnuts were okay, they were very heavy so my friend and I couldn't finish them. The BrewRiver Benedict was great! The flavors and textures were on fleek. The BLT+E was cute and also very tasty, they don't skimp you on portions. The best part is their Bloody Mary comes with bacon in it, that was awesome. The venue is super cute, would go again for their dinner menu. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I'm not sure how to start this review exactly. I liked it here, but didn't love it. It was quaint. It was nice, but had to switch my chair when I first sat down because I thought I'd hit the floor if I didn't. I wasn't sure of how big the place actually was being my first time here I really like when you can see A whole restaurant and check it out. I looked at photos on the wall which were intriguing. The service was good. I've waitressed so I know what it's like when someone doesn't get their food at the same time as others. My mom liked most of her food, it had vinegar in everything she ate so that threw her off. She hated that there were only two dressing options also. I got the creole queen burger. Really I've had better. I love burgers and the meat was seasoned nicely, but it really wasn't the best burger I've ever had. My boyfriend got bbq shrimp and grits and for the price, it's not worth the quantity compared to other places. I understand though that everything is locally brought in. But for some grits, bbq sauce and shrimp I don't think it costs $20. I'm cheap though so who am I to say where the shrimp came from. I thought it should've been jumbo shrimp. My moms salmon was huge though! Her food was late so they offered free creme brûlée. I've had better food and good ambiance for cheaper. read more

Nice place with a friendly staff. Wide assortment of beer and tasty food. Outdoor seating worked out well. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Our experience at BrewRiver wasn't too bad! The design of the place is really interesting, though it was a bit small in the front room. I was squeezed in right next to the table behind us and nearly knocked elbows with the guy behind me a few times. Some of the portion sizes were smaller than we would have liked, but all was tasty! I had a salad that sounded very good on the menu, but didn't live up to the expectation. The greens were overly bitter and while the vinaigrette had sounded very good, it ended up only tasting like olive oil. I would make a different menu choice next time. However, all of our appetizers were delicious and our server was spectacular! Thanks for a great experience and we will see you next time. read more