Great setting for a summer evening! Very crowded and lively with friends in deep conversation. Authentic selection of creole food! The oysters bienville were my favorite appetizers. The étouffé and gumbo were satisfying but could have been better. read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - Best Cajun in KY - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

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Great creole in Northern KY. Had the peel and eat shrimp for an appetizer - they were huge. I ordered the étouffée for my dinner - it was hot and delicious. My daughter tried the fried gator and loved it. The wife ordered the blackened sea bass ( a nightly special) and loved it, but also raved about the green beans. I will come back, this place is a gem. read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - Fried gator - with a side of cheesy grin! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

My family and I just moved back from Texas!! If your looking for awesome creole food this is the place!! We ordered almost everything on the menu! Oysters were amazing.. sea bass and halibut was to die for! Gator and scallop entree also amazing!! Thank you for a memorable delicious evening Knotty Pine. We will be back ASAP read more

The only reason I'm not giving 5*s is because the food is a tad overpriced and the patio catches the evening sun and the tables on the uncovered part of the patio need umbrellas. Otherwise, the food and atmosphere is very good. We ordered drinks and dinner, skipping the appetizers. Glad we did, because the entrees were generous. My wife ordered crab cakes and I had the bien oysters on the half shell. My wife said they were the best crab cakes she's ever eaten. Very delicious in the creole sauce. My oysters were baked to perfection with the melted Parmesan cheese, making it very tasty. For dessert we shared an opera cream cake, which was quite yummy too. All of this and a grand view of the Licking River and surrounding hillside made for a guaranteed return visit. read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - Cajun good times! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

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DUYAM!!! We came to this area to partake in a Geocaching event. Upon concluding or smiley streak, we stumbled across this place. There was a great view off of the outside dining area and inside had an eclectic display of things throughout. The staff was warm helpful and attentive. What absolutely blew my mind we're the flavor profiles of everything that we ordered. This small out of the way place is rocking it from the word go. read more

Started the meal with a Cajun Shrimp Boil. Slightly disappointed with the seasoning of the Boil. The Shrimp had a lack of flavor. I always have the mustard-onion house dressing on my salad and it never disappoints! I tried the Étouffée for the first time. It was delicious. I usually order the Sautéed Shrimp. I now have two favorites. We had excellent service. read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - Cajun Shrimp Boil - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

Wherever there is a crawfish boil, my friends and I are sure to be there makin a mess and stuffing our faces.. when a friend told me about it, of course we headed there for dinner. We had all recently gone to New Orleans and could definitely say that this place captured its soul very well. It was cozy, had a laid back atmosphere, the service was incredibly fast and attentive, and the food was SO. GOOD. The 3 of us shared a full order of the crawfish, the shrimp scampi pasta, cup of gumbo, and a side of the winder fries. I enjoyed every single thing and recommend all! Everything was SO flavorful. My only complaint was that the crawfish we could tell was not fresh.. it had a hint of that stale fishy taste.. but it was seasoned very well. We'll just have to come back and have it again ; ). Finally despite how full we were, we ordered the opera creme cake.. it was the best dessert I had had in a long time and was so fresh and moist; they warmed it up too. That icing on top paired with the raspberry was delicious and we devoured the whole thing easily. I highly recommend this place if you're a fan of creole. It definitely took us back to NOLA! The patio with the hilly views would be great during Spring/Summer. read more

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This place has amazing food, but the low review is for their lack of carry out service. Called at 5:15pm to place a carry out order (which their site says they do and we had just passed there and seen the parking lot was not busy) only to be told they couldn't do one. They said if we would have called between 430 and 5, it would have been ok. I do not understand why you would list this as an option on your web page and not offer it during the times you are open. You are making the same money whether someone dines in or carries out, there is no difference in the price of the food. This looks especially bad during these times considering there is limited capacity for dine in and some people would rather be safe and take food home to enjoy. read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - It says clearly under updated services that takeout is available. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

This place was so yummy and I totally dug the atmosphere! Beautiful views as well ! My favorite things we tried were the fries topped with gumbo and the étouffée! read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - Étouffée - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

The food is fabulous. The sampler is the perfect dinner for two. Their prices have gone up quite a bit but the reliability and quality of food is consistent. We didn't order drinks the last time we were there and felt somewhat ignored. I finally went to the bar to get silverware because our waitress obviously wasn't in a hurry to come back and our food was getting cold. read more

Sea bass was amazing, smashed red potatoes were very good. Blackened chicken was ok. Pasta portion was huge with chicken dinner. Winder fries were good as an app for the table. read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - Pan seared Chilean sea bass special. Delicious! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

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You would never expect a Cajun joint in this part of the world, but these folks do it right. The Cajun dishes were excellent, well flavored and well prepared. Their red beans and rice are different than I've ever eaten, but I could eat them every day. The service was exceptional and we had a pleasant dinner. read more

The service was decent but the food was sub par, the catfish was soggy and tasted like a mildew ridden basement.

It was really great food and service. The specials were cooked just right. Maybe a bit T much spice on some things but it was all cooked perfectly. We ordered sea bass, scallops, a salad as an app sampler definitely will go again. read more

Food is spectacular, but it took FOREVER to get! I'm having a hard time deciding on how to rate this. I settled on 2 stars because even though I really enjoyed the food my irritation level grew throughout the evening. I had reservations for a party of 6 (celebrating my wife's birthday) at 6:00 PM. After the hostesses milled about in confusion they seated at an 8 top table. We ordered drinks and apps and were enjoying each other's company with our drinks when one of the hostesses approached us and began to explain why they now needed our table! Fortunately our waitress (who was terrific) intercepted the hostess and shut that nonsense down. But the kitchen just couldn't seem to get the food out in any kind of timely manner. I didn't time it, but it seemed like we waited 30 minutes for appetizers (which were very good!). We ordered our entrees and we waited at least an hour for them! (Again the food was terrific, except they messed up 1 order but we didn't raise an issue because we didn't want to wait another hour for the correct plate) When we had finally settled up and left it was right at 8PM, so we were there for almost exactly 2 hours. Our waitress was wonderful and the bussing and drink refills were great, but the kitchen is just way too slow. read more

Hadn't been to Knotty Pine in years. The service, ambiance and service was excellent. We celebrated a family birthday and our server made it fun and relaxing. Of course, the alligator was delicious and it's sauce was wonderful. read more

One of the harder reviews to put a star count on. I went from 2 to 4 and back and forth but settled on 3 since it was in the middle. The food alone is easily a 4 or 5 but that is where the exceptional experience ends. Having ate here a couple times the food has always been good. I've had their Cajun sampler, gator appetizer and shrimp scampi along with some of the Cajun peel and eat shrimp I stole from my girlfriend. The sampler was quite good. A lot of food but that is better than not enough. The chicken and shrimp portion of the sampler didn't seem nearly as tasty as the rest however. Shrimp appeared to be just dosed in hot sauce which I am not fond of. (Any vinegar tasting things really) Gator appetizer is somehow not that special. Very tasty but as cliche as it may be I would have been fooled into eating it under the impression of it being chicken. Although I had only a few bites of the peel and eat shrimp they were delicious but more work than I would want to endure for the entire plate. Finally my last meal there was the scampi and it was virtually flavorless. Served over pasta the shrimp was good but the pasta itself was very uneventful. Now that we are past the food the service and ambience is lacking. You will end up spending $25-30 per person just on food and you are given a paper napkin wrapped around mismatched silverware. Obviously these things don't effect your taste buds but if I am shelling out all the money I expect at least a decent table setting. Beyond that the server seemed to clunk the food and drinks around. Doing his job seemed upsetting to him and we were told happy hour was only for those at the bar. How can the bar only be eligible for happy hour? That is ridiculous. You have the food down decently well, would recommend updating the sauce on the scampi pasta but otherwise very tasty. Upgrade your place settings and asinine happy hour regulations and you will easily move up to a 4 or 5. I do not think it is much to ask for more than a little 4x4in tissue paper napkin and matching silverware when I and get that at any restaurant in the same price range and many for half or less. read more

Food is okay. Seems to be a local place that people love because of its history. Service was average. We were celebrating a big event. The server had to have noticed, but never mentioned anything. Would have been nice if she had acknowledged. Pretty overpriced. Two people = $100. The worst part - do not sit in the side room. It was freezing! Every table seemed to be shivering. They need a space heater! It was literally difficult to even enjoy our meal because it was so cold. My husband is never, ever cold and he was even uncomfortable! read more

Great place and wonderful staff. Our group had a birthday celebration dinner and everyone enjoyed the meals. The sea bass was good, fried oysters hit the spot. The chicken and pasta dinner was huge. The opera cream cake was good and light. The portions are generous and the service was very attentive. Thanks Kathy was a great evening. read more

Took all the fathers for their day a few weeks ago. they were all pleased with their choices. Primarily a seafood place, they do offer kids choices and some chicken options. I chose the Cajun chicken pasta as I am not a seafood fan. Portions were huge and I took half home. MIL had beans and rice and enjoyed that. My dad had shrimp and loved it. My husband and FIL did a sampler type of thing. Both were pleased. You really need a reservation as it's not a large place and the few times we've gone they've been packed. Even with a reservation be prepared to wait a bit. A bit on the expensive side, but nice for celebrations or fancy dates. Not that the place is fancy... it's not. But it's expensive for a typical family type meal. This place is probably the closest thing to true Cajun/Creole you'll find in the Cincy area. read more

Great place! Has a comfortable yet classy feel. Food potions were more than ample and very tasty. All fresh prepared in kitchen. True Cajun menu! We each ordered sampler which neither of us could finish. Strongly suggest reservations - especially on weekend. read more

Best Blackened Halibut around! Love the fried Gator also! Make sure to have the Opera Cream cake for dessert!

Best Cajun food Reasonable prices Friendly staff Wide variety of food Beautiful atmosphere read more

The description of this place is deceiving. I am from the south, I've been Blessed to have tasted seafood in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Texas and New Orleans. Maybe you have to know what it's supposed to taste like to know when it's not good. I'm sorry to say The Knotty Pine was not good. I did not enjoy any of the items we ordered. read more

Heard a lot about this place but had never gotten the chance to try it out. Had an appreciation dinner for one of my team members based on his recommendation. I had surf and turf which was outstanding. All the entrees come with a salad, greens or green beans and awesome cajun red skin potatoes. The onion mustard dressing for my salad was awesome! read more

The BEST lobster bisque in this area!! Not always on the menu, so please ask for it next time you are in! Be sure to try the Sea Bass - phenomenal! Our favorite place in NKY!! read more

Made my first visit to this restaurant. I had heard good reviews and decided to try it out. I was part of a group of 4. We arrived about 15 minutes before our reservation but we were seated promptly. Our waiter was polite, prompt and knowledgeable about the menu. One of our party had the special, sea scallops. Large enough portion to share samples. Very well prepared, the person who ordered them declared the bests scallops she had ever had. Another had the rib eye steak, prepared correctly to order, flavorful, quality steak. The Cajun sampler was flavorful. The Cajun shrimp while tasty are very hot. Good beer and wine selection. Very nice bourbon menu. Overall a nice evening with excellent food and great service. read more

So we haven't been in say, five years. Now in less than one month we have been here twice. Food is amazing! Service is terrific. Had the blacken sea bass and gumbo. Wife had sampler, our friends had shrimp scampi. You can't beat the quality. Pricing is also good. Sea bass for $30. Try to get that at Walt's or Ruby's for $30. Obviously this is not either of those restaurants, but equally as good and at half the price. If you haven't been here you need to try it. One word of caution, get reservations or you won't get a table on the weekend. read more

Enjoyed Knotty Pine. I took a friend new in town. The spinach and artichoke Rangoons were really good! The green beans, collard greens were very salty- I could not eat them and I'm not a extremely picky eater. I've also been here before and did not have this experience. Disappointing because this place is very pricey. The potatoes and sea bass were excellent! I would definitely go again. Very quaint little place. read more

I feel like Knotty Pine on the Bayou has a lot of unrealized potential. There's a dearth of places to dine outside in the area and KPOTB has a large deck overlooking the Licking River. However, there are only tables on about 1/3 of the deck and the surrounding grass/weeds are overgrown and unkempt-looking. It's also suffering from a bit of an identity crisis--the interior and exterior of the building says "dive", the servers' tie-dyed t-shirts say "casual, fun", but the menu prices say "upscale". Seriously, the prices at this place are shockingly high. On a recent visit, our server was inattentive and actually rude at times. Our party was 2 adults and a reasonably well-behaved toddler and he acted shocked that we dared to bring a child with us. We had to ask for a booster seat and ask for a kid's menu (they have one, we just weren't given it at first) and ask for a 3rd set of silverware and then ask again for the applesauce that was supposed to come with his meal, but didn't. Kid's menu options are the standard awful, unhealthy stuff that too many restaurants think are the only things kids will eat (e.g. chicken fingers, PB&J on white bread, etc.). The adults' food came out before our drinks. I ordered the crab cake appetizer and small bowl of etouffee. The crab cakes were small and overcooked to the point of almost being burned. The etouffee is the only reason this review is 2 stars vs. 1 because it was actually very good (ridiculously over-priced, but good)--a slow burn heat in a rich gravy sauce with chunks of crab and crawfish over rice. There is clearly some real Louisiana cooking expertise in the kitchen--if they would re-focus their menu, reduce prices (or make the experience and quality commensurate with the current prices), hire/train professional & friendly servers, and revamp the outdoor dining space, this could be a real dining destination in NKY. read more

The food was fantastic, the service was quick, and atmosphere is great! You wouldn't think from the outside- but this is an NKY/Cincinnati gem for half the price of expensive steak houses. Absolutely recommend! read more

1. I would like to provide more stars but once a chef, always a chef. I had the red beans and rice and was very disappointed. For those who know real Cajun/Creole food, canned red kidney beans and half diced up sausage and no spice whatsoever hardly suffice for the true Cajun staple. Mine blow theirs out of the water! 2. Our server Matthew was cold and robotic as well, bringing me the incorrect beer which I first ordered. He did make it right though. He could use some customer service tutoring. 3. The food pricing is way out of line for this establishment. I didn't want to buy the place, just dine there. With that being said, the beer was the best part of the meal. 4. It was a cool evening so we didn't sit outside. It was actually warmer outside than in as it was absolutely freezing in the "restaurant" and that term is loosely used in this case. On a better note, my dining partner had the ribeye and liked it, except for the spicy hot peppers on the side of the plate. If one was allergic to peppers, oh my! Also small portions of the sides as well. Ate there 5/31/15 :-( The End! read more

It is hard to find good seafood, and more importantly good oysters near Cincinnati. Knotty Pine is the best for both, and has a great atmosphere (although I liked the old location better). The service is always amazing, but it can get pretty busy on weekends so I would call ahead and make reservations just to be safe. read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - Oysters on Oysters on Oysters - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

I had a difficult time deciding on how many stars to give Knotty Pine. While the food was good, the prices were extremely high for the overall dining atmosphere. For most Cincinnatians, this place is off the beaten path (aka in the middle of nowhere). My boyfriend and I came here because I, of course, found a groupon. When we arrived, the place felt more like a hometown bar than a fine dining restaurant. There was a gentleman in a tuxedo singing Barry Manilow-type music on a karaoke machine, which was a bit bizarre. For appetizers, we couldn't decide between raw oysters on the half shell or the oysters beinville, so our waiter recommend we try three of each, which I thought was a great idea. While both were yummy, I thought 6 oysters for $18.95 was a bit pricey. (Then again, I have been spoiled by $1 oysters on Thursday nights at The Anchor in OTR...) we also got an order of the knotty winder fries with Cajun seasoning as an appetizer. These were awesome dipped in the Louisiana hot sauce that was on the table. I ordered the sautéed shrimp over pasta for my entrée. These were cooked in hot sauce, butter, lemon and garlic. The hot sauce flavor was a bit overpowering, but it was still tasty. It came with a house salad and bread and butter but again was pricey at $22.95. My boyfriend got the shrimp scampi served over pasta, and it too was good but nothing over-the-top. I will say the shrimp were cooked to perfection. Without the Groupon, our bill was $74 before tip for the two of us and we only had waters to drink. Had we ordered wine, it would have been $100 easily. Here are my overall thoughts: Food - 3 stars for taste, 2 stars for price Ambiance - 2 stars Service - 3 stars Overall - 2.5 stars Sadly, we will probably not make a return visit to knotty pine due to the distance, prices, and atmosphere. There are better seafood options in downtown/OTR... read more

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Talk about delicious!! This place is a little bit of heaven to me. The patio, the live music, THE FOOD-dang!!! I recommend trying the specials or a Cajun sampler, my boyfriend's go-to. No matter what you order, you won't leave hungry or unhappy. The staff is super friendly and EVERYTHING is tasty! read more

Pricey but unique Cajun/New Orleans style food. It's so good. The steak strips are my favorite and the oysters are great too.

Been here once before many years ago on a double-couples date with friends and had a fantastic time. Inspired me to want to return. However- though the food was good, nothing stood out as exceptional. Would come again with others, but not at my own insistence. read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - Sea Bass - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

Great Cajun creole restaurant with crawfish, oysters, jambalaya, red beans and rice, and more. The oysters are big, meaty, and tasty - perfectly shucked. They're much better than the ones you get in the high end steak and seafood places in town. Relaxed atmosphere with pleasant service. Great bourbon menu and good selection of draft craft. read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

Their quality and prices are not in balance. I understand smaller restaurants might charge more in general for fresh, local ingredients but this is not the case here. Being said, the environment and 'support local' aspect is the only reason I am not truly disappointed I tried this restaurant. The best item from our two meals was the crab cakes. Being from Maryland, I am picky but these were decent, sans Old Bay. The sides were green beans and fries. The fries are just large semi spiral cuts of potato and the green beans looked like they came right out of a can. The gumbo had two, maybe three pieces of chicken and no mention of other meat. It was mostly okra. The flavor was OK but I lost interest and didn't finish it. I recommend trying this place if you are in the area and have a coupon (Groupon or the like) so you don't pay full price. Maybe then the quality will meet your expectations. read more

Excellent food and service as always. The sea bass is excellent, not to mention the gumbo!! Cannot wait to go back!!