Tucked into the heart of Pendleton, Lucius Q is the kind of place that pulls you in before you even…read morereach the door--the irresistible aroma of smoked meat drifting out onto the street is enough to make you stop in your tracks (and immediately start craving barbecue). Every visit feels like a treat, but lately they've taken things up a notch with a lineup of signature cocktails. I tried the espresso martini, and it was outstanding--smooth, balanced, and the perfect complement to the bold, smoky flavors coming out of the kitchen. As for the food, it's consistently excellent. The dry rub wings are my go-to: perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of heat and flavor, and even better when paired with their bama white sauce. If you're leaning sandwich, you can't go wrong with a pulled pork or pulled chicken sammy topped with their Carolina gold sauce--it's tangy, slightly sweet, and completely addictive. And the fries? Thick-cut, crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside--exactly what great fries should be. Beyond the food and drinks, Lucius Q really shines as a place to gather. They have a fantastic event space that comfortably holds around 50 people--perfect for parties or private events. It's also one of the rare downtown spots with plenty of TVs, making it a great place to catch a game. Add in live music most Fridays and a great outdoor patio for those perfect Cincinnati weather days, and it's easy to see why this place is always buzzing. Lucius Q is one of those spots I simply can't walk past without slowing down and breathing it in. Whether you're a Pendleton regular or just passing through downtown Cincinnati, it's a must-visit that delivers every single time.

Very sad. Was there many times when I lived in Cincinnati…read moreand it was the best OK? Went back there a few weeks ago and not happy at all Brisket was very dry and it's so-called burnt ends were like eating leather it has really gone downhill

Stopped in on a Friday about 3:30pm for a quick cocktail and sat at the nearly empty bar. The good…read morenews is that the full menu was available. The bad news is that the hubby and I went out to lunch earlier so we weren't very hungry but the delicious smells emanating from the back were just too hard to resist! We split a sliced brisket sandwich and upgraded to fries as the side. The brisket literally fell apart in the mouth, it was so tender. Super tasty although next time I would add the onion, pickles, and slaw to the sammy.

Ive been thinking about these wings for three days. Perfect cook. Crispy.. and then they had the…read moreaudacity to dry rub them in grippo seasoning. Just an absolute banger. The staff is cool and patient, they know everything about the varieties of wings and can lead you right. As far as the ambience... it's a bar: go have fun and be cool.

I came on a Sunday around 630 on a cold winter evening, we ordered our food at the counter and then…read moresat down - the food was delivered maybe 10 minutes or so later & it looked and smelled amazing! I got the 2 loaded hot dogs with mac & cheese & mashed potatoes - my meal came to be 14$. The hot dogs were so good - the perfect snap on the meat and the toppings complimented it so well the perfect amount of sweetness and no soggy bun! The mac and cheese is basic in my opinion - nothing to write home about . The mashed potatoes were very good and I like how they finish them off on the grill to give a little cripsy crust. The staff was nice enough and checked on the table often - the place was clean and i like how they still have the record machine to control the music in the dining room. I haven't been here in years and I am honestly not sure why because it was delicious!

I do not care how many times I crave and boost about Eli's BBQ. They NEVER let me down. When I…read moretell you the rib tips are the best in the city, that's exactly what I mean. When there is not a need/desire for bbq sauce, you know you have good ribs. The front of the house is always welcoming and personable, Love, love both the OTR location and the Riverside locations. You really get your $ worth.

Great bbq Super sides…read moreEnjoyed everything they have! New B&B in Wells bar across from Braxton. (Used to be in Wooden Cask) Worth checking out!!

So Beard and Bellies moved from its previous location in Wooden Cask-…read more I think they left the flava in the old location I was one of the first customers when they opened for the day and thought I would be treated to only the freshest pulled pork- The pork was so dry I could hardly chew it. I wish I would have tried something else The house pickles and onions are a nice accompaniment- The deviled egg potato salad and broccoli salad were "meh" and the portions are very small. The best part of the meal was the buttered bread- Did like the location change- it was an upgrade from the previous one- I will go back EVENTUALLY- but it's gonna take some time to forget this meal -

Smoked Justis is AMAZING. Food 10/10, service 10/10, people 10/10. We had Dawson as our server and…read morehe was so polite, attentive and friendly. He made our experience even better. Definitely try the smoked wings, brisket grilled cheese and sweet tea!

Ordered the Smoked Meat Plate (double) with Pulled Chicken and Turkey. It's served with cornbread…read moreand two sides. I selected Mac & Cheese and a side salad. The food wasn't bad, it just didn't leave a lasting impression. The meat was dry. I'm not sure what I expected to taste, but I was under impressed. Mac & Cheese was bland. Our server at the bar was fantastic! *Sidenote: my travel partner suggested the restaurant and LOVES it. We just have different taste buds. Parking: Street parking is hard to find. Spaces are extremely close to each other. Price: $20 - $30

lucius q never misses. i got the burnt ends smoked turkey greens and mac and cheese and every…read moresingle thing was incredible. the burnt ends are my all time favorite here, absolutely crispy juicy and cooked to perfection. the sauce is already perfect but i always double dip in the carolina gold, it gives that smokey vinegary kick that just makes it even better. the greens are some of the best ive ever had, almost like my grandma used to make, full of flavor and cooked just right. the mac and cheese hits too, creamy with that extra little bonus flavor and crunch from the cheez it crumbs on top. its unique and it works so well. i love this place and i highly recommend it to anyone craving great bbq or those unique soul food flavors that stick with you. five stars every time

Delicious bbq! And good people to boot! Will be going back…read moreagain and again! Love this place!

Really good bbq here... but a bit pricey. Really neat ambience, especially the outdoor patio area…read more Great service!

We came on a Sunday to grab some BBQ before the football games. We ordered ribs and wings,…read moreunfortunately they were already out of brisket. The wings itself were very small. The ribs were a little dried out and tough to eat. I have been here more than once and had a better experience our first time. I do love to eat local and hope the next time we come we get a better experience. The dry rub flavor on the wings were sweeter than I thought it would be and tasted like Grippos seasoning. Hopefully I will be back soon to try again.

Wow what a gem!! Perfect brisket melts in your mouth and pulled pork very good I had sweet…read morepotato and coleslaw a delicious meal My sister had loaded baked potato cornbread and smoked wings She loved the wings Service was quick and dependable A great place for a family dinner

We decided to try out this little bbq joint Fort Wright. They had lots of the bbq favourites such…read moreas smoked turkey, sausages, ribs, and more. I went with the smoked wings with hot bbq sauce (you could get regular bbq or just dry as well). They were huge wings and absolutely delicious. They smoked them to perfection and the bbq sauce was hearty and flavourful. I got a baked potato with cheese as a side and I really liked it as well. My wife got smoked turkey and sausage and really enjoyed that. The service was excellent and the restaurant really looked and smelled awesome. This was an excellent lunch and we will definitely be back.

I got 6 wings of their dillonator & 6 of their g-funk wings. They know exactly what they are doing…read morehere with their BBQ. I also got some baked beans and a corn muffin. I wish I ordered 5 instead of 1. I can eat those all day long. Never have I ever had cornbread that bomb in my life. Come get you some! The lovely lady upfront with the red curly hair was nice and helpful. The other cashier which was a young boy also seemed pretty nice! If you're craving BBQ, ya'll gotta come try this spot out. It's right off the freeway. Nice building with a good amount of seating.

Look, as the winner of the 1992 Barbecue Competition, with Gary Burbank as judge, I'm basically the…read moreLeBron James of ribs. I've eaten my way through every smokehouse in Cincinnati, so when I say Midwest Best BBQ is the real deal, believe me. My arteries are practically Yelp-certified. The team of servers and cooks seems like they recruited an entire football team of young men from the University of Cincinnati; service so fast you'd think they were running a two-minute drill, attentive enough to make your mom jealous, and coordinated like they're protecting the quarterback only this time, the quarterback is your pulled-pork sandwich. Their wings, rubs, and sauces? Every single flavor profile was so good I nearly proposed to the coleslaw. And don't get me started on the G-Funk wings. They're delightful, though naming wings after a rap genre means you half expect Dr. Dre to hand you wet wipes. And let's talk about the smoking schedule. They've got a night smoker and a day smoker, which sounds less like a BBQ setup and more like a buddy-cop movie: "Day Smoker plays by the rules, Night Smoker breaks 'em, but together they deliver justice... in the form of brisket." Mark, one of the owners, literally smokes meat during a half-day shift with the love and passion of a Michelin-star chef who moonlights as Cupid. This guy makes ribs like he's serenading them. If Hallmark made a "Brisket Romance" channel, Mark would star in every single movie. I bought several pounds of meat to take home. Not "a pound." Several. Because nothing says "self-control" like hiding a bag of smoked chicken behind your kale in the fridge. Exclamation point. Period. Now, location... ...here's the kicker. They're hidden off the road over a hundred yards. That's right, it's the Area 51 of BBQ. You basically need Google Maps, a Sherpa, and divine intervention to find them. Yet, somehow, when you do, it feels like stumbling upon the Ark of the Covenant... ...only tastier, and fewer Nazis melting. Inside? Casual. TVs locked on Bengals or Reds games, so you can watch disappointment while you eat happiness. Patio? Shaded. Perfect for when you want to sweat from the hot sauce, not the sun. The sides? Top echelon. Beans, slaw, cornbread, each one a little sidekick to the main meat superhero. And for the low-carb crowd, this place is a protein paradise. Keto bros rejoice: you can bench-press your brisket guilt-free. Bottom line: Midwest Best BBQ doesn't just feed you, it baptizes you in smoke, sauce, and joy. And if you're not leaving with meat sweats, did you even go?

Normally when I go to yelp to write a review, its because I had a bad experience…read more But tonight my wife and I came here for a date which I grew up going here time to time on special occasions, and my wife and I have not been here in a while. This place I was so impressed with. These businesses are the businesses that deserve to hold a special place in the world... firstly our food was delicious, it came out hot, presented well and was just perfect. Second our service was spectacular, we had Ron as our server he was a true gentleman friendly, attentive, and very experienced from what we could tell. The main host was very accommodating, at first we were sat in a spot we did not like we told him and he moved us to a perfect spot with no hesitation. Third the price was very fair and well worth what we paid. We have been to almost all of the "fine dining spots in Cincinnati, such as Capital Grille, Primavista, Precinct etc and this place by FAR provides the best dining experience in Cincinnati. If you are looking for an amazing meal, amazing service and you are in Cincinnati you better give this place a try. Very impressed and hope this place continues the service and food they provide for years to come and doesn't change.

$100 Food Poisoning…read more My husband was really wanting ribs and we had always heard good things about this restaurant. We didn't have a reservation but were seated pretty quickly on the heated patio upstairs. When we sat down, they instantly gave us our water and then we didn't see our waitress for about fifteen minutes. The waitress finally came and we went ahead and ordered our appetizers, drinks, and ribs all at same time because we didn't know when she'd be back (even told them no need to delay the entree to try to hurry things along). We waited quite a bit for our appetizers- about an hour. The couple next to us even left before they got their entrees and were very upset and spoke to the manager. We got the appetizers first- onion straws and the meatballs/grits. Meatballs were.... not good. Very very herby with an uncomplimentary sauce, grits were bland, but at least the onion straws were good. Ribs can out about 20 minutes later. We shared them and got mac as a side. Mac tasted very generic. We were very excited about the ribs but they were a let down. Sauce was very sweet and for price we paid I expected a bigger slab (we got the full slab). Went ahead and got our check while we were still eating so we could hurry home. Now, the real surprise came that evening. Husband got very very bad food poisoning- like the up all night kind. I'm not sure if it was his side of the ribs or the grits but it was BAD. Can't believe we paid over $100 for someone in the kitchen to not follow basic food safety protocol!! We will not be back! Money is better spent elsewhere!