Looks can be deceiving from the outside! Inside Food & service was amazing !! First time there and we sat in the speakeasy - our waitress was actually one of the owners Jamie - very friendly and informed us trivia night and the different days professions get 10% off ( fyi - teachers Thursday all day 10% off - first responders and military days as well) Food was very good and a good portion for the price and fresh made burgers. The potatoes are huge and enough for 2 people. The drink menu looked very good with option of fish bowls for a few of their drinks! Definitely would go back - Food & service amazing !! Don't let the outside deceive you - this is an awesome place for food and drinks. read more

Rum Runners Cafe - Near host stand - Burgers Near Me - Kettering, Ohio

Ample, free parking for this well designed restaurant with a "Roaring 20's theme, and accompanying Charleston style music. I ordered fried mushrooms served with cocktail sauce. They were delicious. I could only eat two bites of the cheeseburger because I don't care for char-broiled burgers. The rum cocktail was super sweet, but tasty.Our waitress was very professional, prompt, & attentive. They need a cook. I decline to return. My bill was $32. read more

Happy to try a new restaurant, but . Like everywhere else, the staff is new and not fantastic. The bathroom was dirty with a sticky floor, couldn't pay me to touch the light switch or garbage can. If I can give any advice at all, have a clean cute bathroom, absolutely sets your opinion. It's called Rum Runner, but there are only four seats at the bar. Christmas decorations still up in late May. Food is overall decent and the cocktails are good. Bartender was great! We won't go back! read more

I would not go again. I placed a DoorDash order of the "Lucky" Luciano burger with a side order of chili. One side is included with their combination meals. The chili had a $1.00 up charge. I also separately ordered a side of fries. When the order arrived, there was no side of chili. The burger and fries presentation looked good, but the burger was undercooked and pink. The fries were just okay. I didn't like the seasoning of the burger. It seemed off to me plus it was undercooked. Some people like a little pink in their burgers but this wasn't just a little pink to me. I couldn't eat it as is, so I scraped off the toppings and refried it. This burger comes topped with provolone cheese and mushrooms and they seemed okay. However, the mustard, mayonnaise and pickles I added seemed sloppily put on. It almost seemed like this burger was just thrown together haphazardly. The burger is advertised as 100% chuck and round blend. First impressions count, and although it looked presentable the taste proved otherwise. I would not order from again. Not recommended. read more

Rum Runners Cafe - The "Lucky" Luciano and French Fries - Burgers Near Me - Kettering, Ohio

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Rum Runners exceeded my expectations in terms of customer service and price. The burgers were tasty but I wasn't a huge fan of the buns. The fried pickle chips were excellent, definitely bang for your buck compared to others in town. The only things that could use some improvement are the tables and size of booths. read more

Rum Runners Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Kettering, Ohio

Cute place in Christopher's old location. Super friendly server and the owner stopped by the table to welcome us. Boneless wings in nice sauce. The potato soup was nontraditional but yummy. They feature huge baked potatoes with a choice of toppings. I want to try a burger next time they looked good. read more

We had an amazing server named Kaylaa. We loved her service. She was amazing. The food was okay, but I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if we did not witness the server being talked down too in ear shot and in front of customers. If there was a problem it should have been handled in the back of house. It was uncomfortable to witness and honestly no one deserves to be treated like that. The owner even took over tables that servers had and kept their tips. Unprofessional and horrific to expirence. I do not want to give my money to any manager who would do such a thing. read more

After running errands on a cold day, we decided to grab some lunch. We have been meaning to try Rum Runners for lunch and I am glad that we did. The space was most comfortable and decorated in a fun prohibition vibe. The names of the items on the menu carried the prohibition theme and all sounded appealing. My wife got The Real McCoy burger with onion rings while I got a baked potato with chili, cheese and cheese sauce, The George "Bugs" Moran (love that so many menu items were named after Gangsters). We also shared an order of the Fried Pickles. The burger was delicious and freshly ground. The cook talked with us and shared his approach to grinding and spicing the meat that became the burger. The attention to detail made for a fantastic burger. The onion rings were light with a coating that accentuated the onion. They were indeed flavorful and light with a tasty tang that you would expect from a superior onion ring. The baked potato was huge -- nearly filling the plate! The homemade chili was delicious and paired perfectly with the potato. Our service was amazing! We were well taken care of and the server offered information that was helpful as we made our choices. Far too few places give you info that helps you make up your mind when so many tantalizing options are on the menu. Our only complaint was that we left no room for dessert and could not try the Rum Cake, although one of the cooks and co-owners Terry shared some caramel sauce with us! Damn, you want to take a bath in it. We also met co-owner and cook Jamie who showed us around the restaurant. We really wanted some of the dessert, but we filled up on food and had no room left in our stomachs. We will be back for dessert and... well, for more of everything. Do yourself a favor and visit Rum Runners! read more

Rum Runners Cafe - Amazing baked potato! - Burgers Near Me - Kettering, Ohio

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Amazing drinks!! Great fried pickles!!! BURGERS!!! You need to eat here now!!! Fantastic service!! Amazing food!!! read more

Rum Runners Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Kettering, Ohio

Adorable themed 1920's "Prohibition" restaurant located inside of a strip mall. Very small business with a small business origin story of a single couple bringing this to life. As of this moment, they're still working on their liquor license, so it's restaurant-only, but they have a really neat bar area set-up for when it happens. I'm excited to pop back in, and I'm really looking forward to seeing where Rum Runner's Cafe goes. PROS: -Delicious food. I had a salad because I was trying to be healthy (and it was good!), but I ended up eating more of the french fries and chili instead. I really liked the chili! -Wings were great too. My partner said they were really fresh, and the sauces were really flavorful. He said a few of the wings were slightly too large (wrong sauce-to-meat ratio, I guess. I don't wing), but the majority were absolute perfection. He'd eat them again in a heartbeat. -If you like their sauces, they have some of their sauces available in bottles for to-go purchase for at-home yummy. -They don't skimp on the dressings/dips. You know how some places give you a small enough salad dressing cup that you have to ask for 3 of them? Not here. You could bathe in the dressing cups they provide with your meal. -Really friendly service. Just the single waitress running the place, but she was really soft-spoken and nice, and she did a great job taking our order and refilling drinks. -Comfortable seating. Zero complaints about sitting down here - but we honestly didn't sit long since food was up surprisingly fast. -Variety of available seating. We were really comfortable in a booth, but they have lots of standard tables with armless wooden chairs, too, if you'd prefer that. -Two all-gender restrooms. -Don't worry about parking either. Located inside a strip mall, there's a TON of parking right around Rum Runner's. CONS: -They did a surprisingly great job decorating for the 1920's theme. It doesn't feel as cohesive as if a multi-billion dollar corporation did it (like if Hilton put one in their hotel), but it feels surprisingly cohesive for building out of an old diner space. The overhead fluorescent lights are probably the biggest detractor from their "prohibition", "rum runner" theme, but I'm not sure how they can easily solve that without making the place too dark for most people. read more

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I missed the mark on food pictures because the food didn't last long enough for pictures! Our waitress was fantastic in welcoming us and explaining the menu. Super attentive, and everything you want from a waitress. The vibe is a Prohibition era restaurant with upcoming Speak Easy to open in the near future. We ordered the fried pickles (amazing), followed by a few burgers and a chicken sandwich. Everything. Was cooked perfectly, extremely flavorful, and their sauces make anything better. I will go back just to have wings in their signature sauces. We wrapped up dinner with a sundae and a rum cake. Their chocolate and caramel sauces are out of this world good! The owners have a great story, and it's the epitome of local. Go give them a try as I know it will be worth it. read more

Rum Runners Cafe - Table Logo - Burgers Near Me - Kettering, Ohio

Try this local gem! Tried it today and we loved the chicken sandwich and the coconut shrimp was outstanding! Plus, for $1 we added the BBQ Max and Cheese...washed it all down with a Dark and Story rum cocktail...yum! Possibly better than the food was our Server! She was fun and engaging - made us want to come back for sure! read more

Excellent specialty burgers and very easy to digest. Various discounts depending on the day of the week and the item ordered. Love this place! read more

Small place in Kettering. From the name of it you'd think it would be somewhat of a bar atmosphere, it's not. Small to medium size dining area with a small separate bar which was closed for a private event, on a Saturday night. Strike 1, don't close your bar on a weekend night. Wings were excellent, the in-house sauce is excellent. We ordered a burger and a chicken sandwich. After too long, both drinks empty, our waitress noticed our food didn't come out and was puzzled. She said she had no idea what happened, but we were pretty sure our food was delivered to a close by table. She was nice enough and we asked for our food to go, strike 2. Food came out and we asked for our checks, checks came out with the wrong orders, it was like a buck off so at this point we just paid. Strike 3. No discount was offered for the numerous mistakes. Got home and our take out order wasn't correct, fries with the chicken sandwich and onion rings with the burger, strike 4. Seriously, wtf? Food was good, worth trying again, but the overall experience was not good. read more

Rum Runners Cafe - Chicken wings and fried picked - Burgers Near Me - Kettering, Ohio

Cool atmosphere, friendly staff and great food. Had a Burger with mushrooms and sweet potato fries. Will definitely go back!

A very good hamburger. Beyond that, not much. An attempt at recreating a ritzy 1920's restaurant where gangsters hanged out. The waitress was new, young and not very adept. Little bar area off the dining room was small and empty. But the hamburger WAS very good. read more

Visited Rum Runners this evening and was genuinely impressed by the warm, attentive service and quick turnaround. The food was fantastic--do yourself a favor and add the spiced rum marinade to the chicken. So good! The 1920s speakeasy vibe creates a one-of-a-kind atmosphere you just won't find at a national chain. The owner mentioned that trivia nights will be happening on Wednesdays, which sounds like a great excuse to return. I'll definitely be back! read more

The restaurant interior was nice, not echoey like you sometimes see in newer restaurants. The staff were very nice, and the food came out quickly. Price was reasonable, but the food could have been a little more flavorful. I had the "Cleo Queen of the Bahamas" chicken sandwich with fries. The chicken was cooked well, but I fear they may have forgotten the honey mustard. I also tried the onion rings, but would recommend the fries over them. Overall, a good restaurant if you are looking to eat at a local business. read more

Service was amazing (our server was Chip, who was on her third job of the day, starting at 3 am - so impressed!). Very friendly atmosphere. Burgers were good. Sweet potato fries with caramel sauce were amazing (would have loved a few more as the side dish). Shared the pineapple and mango salad as an appetizer and loved the dressing. Looking forward to the bar being open to increase the Speakeasy vibe! read more

The food was excellent and the staff was attentive and very helpful. We started off with a salted caramel martini, OMG! So GOOOD! For our meal, I had the George "Bugs" Moran potato and the chili on it was delicious. My friend had the recommended "favorite" Plastered German Flapper with onion rings. She said it was wonderful and the onion rings were phenomenal! We enjoyed the decor, that gave the impression of an old fashioned speak easy. I would definitely go back! read more

Food was amazing. The grilled pickles appetizer was amazing. The chicken sandwich and hamburger are both excellent choices. The sweet potato fries are the best we have ever had. Would highly recommend. Friendly and fast service. read more

Rum Runners Cafe - Burger and sweet potato fries. - Burgers Near Me - Kettering, Ohio

The folks operating the place were super friendly. The decor is was neat and very inventive featuring the 1920s. The prices were good. The food was just ok. read more

The food here is amazing, all homemade recipes. The breading on the friend pickles are magnificent, the burger is so juicy, and the service is wonderful. this place has such nice decorative qualities as well. read more

Rum Runners Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Kettering, Ohio

Great food! Great service! We both got the fish & chips! Each plate was 11.95 and totally would've paid more! Friendly staff & owner offered us to try a burger sample with homemade seasoning. It was phenomenal. We will be back!! read more

Rum Runners Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Kettering, Ohio

Great fish and chips. Reasonable pricing. Fast friendly service. Small place but nice. Menu is not extensive but adequate. Would recommend read more

Got 5 meals to go. The two chef salads were very disappointing. You need to have more ham to justify a cost like that.

Recently went to Rum Runners Cafe for an early dinner w a gf. Greeted promptly by hostess/server. The deco and music is the roaring 20's which was entertaining. The menu while not huge had a nice variety of items. I had the burger w a side of the mashed potatoes (I'm not big on fries). While it all was ok and edible there just wasn't anything special abt it. The more distressing thing was we were the only people in the whole place on a Thursday evening. We thought maybe it was cause we were early when we got there, like 4 but we were there a fair bit of time catching up, and no one else came in. Support your local new businesses! Give it a try u might find something delicious! read more

We popped in for lunch on a whim and were delighted!!! It was my husband's "birthday week", so we indulged in cocktails that were SO good! Our server was incredible! She dove in and seated us right from her other job, still in scrubs! That's dedication! When my husband ordered a Dark and Stormy", she chuckled and said, "Oh! Just like me!!!" she was SO charming! The food was SO VERY good! His chicken sandwich was "moist and really flavorful, with a nice charred grill." I had the Coconut Shrimp. It was the only Coconut Shrimp I had ever tried that was really, really coconut flavored. And, I subbed out the cocktail sauce for their spicy bbq sauce. SO flavorful!!! Wonderful experience you all need to try!!! read more

Unfortunately, went for dinner Friday evening, and server quit during visit, and took a long time for anyone else to come back to table. Horrible dinner experience, would not recommend! I ordered a Rum Runner, guessing their signature drink, and was never served said drink, and food was cold! read more

Had fried pickles for appetizer. Very good but too salty Sandwich was awesome! So was salad. And the service was very attentive and friendly. My only complaint was the Oreo taco. Not good. Please come up with some new desserts. How about an ice cream pie ? read more

They are kind, and accommodating. Food is tasty for sure. Once they dial it all in, with liquor it will be AWESOME.

Everything was SO good! The food, the service, the ambiance! So friendly It's a cafe with the history of the 1920's from the moment you walk in the cafe down to the menu. Even the food has a secret bring everyone you know and try for yourself. read more

Hello, Understand that I am old and grumpy, and spend too much time complaining how nothing tastes any good anymore, especially hamburgers. All I want is a hamburger that tastes right. From reading the reviews, I had hopes, so my grandson and I gave it a try tonight. The regular burger made me happy, as it's a simple good burger, as in the old days, and would easily bring me back over and over. The spicy burger, however, more flavorful than hot, is well beyond anything I remember from those old days! This is something special!! My grandson praises the barbecue sauce (we purchased a jar to take home). As I think someone else mentioned, the husband-wife team whose vision is this restaurant are terrific! Bottom line, the world is at last made right again, at least in Kettering! Fred read more

Good food and nice atmosphere. Service was very good . Wish they had a few more things on thier menu. But I think that takes time

This place is my favorite place right now & will probably continue since I hear from people who work there, it's a great place to eat & it's a great place to work. My order here is always correct & you are always asked if everything is OK. They will even escort you & help you to your car if you have a large order or even a weird problem with your car. Try them you will be pleased. They are getting a liquor license soon. Doesn't affect me since I no longer drink alcohol but there is a lot to choose from which isn't always the case for me. Tea, pop & water. read more

Great food, freshly prepared, reasonably priced, and cheerfully delivered, in a quaint , nostalgic atmosphere. The Fried Pickles were thin-cut to perfection and freshly breaded in house. The grilled chicken was tasty and flavorful. The Kaiser roll bun was an excellent choice. It helped bring the sandwich together. The sweet potato fries also had a light, fluffiness to them. The food was clearly cooked to order. I look forward to seeing Rum Runners grow and thrive as a niche themed dining experience, centered around perhaps one of the most charming and captivating decades of them all, the Roaring Twenties. You can feel the promise, passion, and planning put into this place. I can hardly wait to return, refill and relax at Rum Runners. read more

My partner and I decided to try this place out finally and I'm glad we did. Their speakeasy bar is finally open and it's so cute. Plenty of places to sit in the restaurant and the atmosphere is nice, clean, and well lit. We sat in the speakeasy and had great tasting drinks. Reading previous reviews made us get the fried pickles and we were definitely not disappointed. We ordered two burgers and they were well seasoned. You can order your sandwich "spiced ". It's not spicy hot, but rather a blend of Worcestershire, horseradish and onion and perhaps their secret bbq sauce. We got our sandwiches spiced and it's well worth it. The flavor is unique and the burger was very juicy. The sides were great as well. I got onion rings. My partner got sweet potato fries, and they bring out a caramel sauce for the sweet potato fries that's very addicting, Lastly, the service was impressive and everyone is super nice. We got to meet the owners and they are very friendly and hard-working. The type of people you want as friends definitely give this place a try. I really hope it stays around. You can definitely go back to this place just for the speakeasy, and get yourself a really nice drink and sit back and relax. read more

Very friendly service. Beautiful "speak easy" bar. I had an old fashioned that was very tasty. Food was so-so. Chili was great, slightly smoky, very flavorful. Onion rings and fries were good, but over seasoned. The Mac and cheese was ok, not great. The chicken sandwich on a pretzel bun was pretty good. The biggest disappointment was the burger. We had the Al Capone. It's a 6 ounce burger. We had the "spicy" version. We requested it sans BBQ sauce. The burgers do not come with toppings, you have to request them. The burgers seem small on a large bun. It had a mealy taste, possibly due to the "spicy" additions. The thin burger on a large bun was not a great combo. An 8 or 10oz burger would make a huge difference. Especially if you add in the extra ingredients in the spicy version. While I can't recommend Rum Runner overall, they have enough "hits", that you might want to give them a shot. The manager/owner was very nice, and with some tweaks, this place could be a hidden gem. read more

Walked into the restaurant and waited, waited, and waited for the host. Appears there is a need for a waiter/waitress position, cook position, and a supervisor hosting and directing the staff. Empty restaurant with the exception of one couple. There is a small dining area, and even smaller area with a bar. Nothing interesting about the bar, just a small bar, needs something to occupy guests time (maybe music (jazz) for guests, simple dice game period correct). We ordered 6 wings (comes with 2 small celery sticks and ranch dressing) with spicy rum BBQ. Parts of the wings were hard (not eatable) while the skin was like rubber (not crisp). Sauce was good but just wasn't a spicy BBQ rum sauce, more like sweet brown sugar BBQ. $1.83 per wing compared to the competition $1.20, pricey. Second item was the Garden Salad. Pricey at $9.95 for such a small portion compared to the competition where you receive twice the portion for the same cost. The lettuce is not cut into bite size pieces, and too much of the stalk was served resulting in only 50% of salad being consumed, difficult/hard to eat. The salad lacked red onion. The atmosphere, art deco (nice proper décor): however, the menu lacks the 1920s rise of the ice-cream parlor or prohibition (alcohol) era drinks. The menu appears accurate with the description, and as a result, did not have an interest in ordering a burger or chicken sandwich without lettuce, tomato, et cetera. Would like to see (Crispy fried chicken, Buffalo Lemon Pepper Marinade, hot honey mayonnaise, dill pickles, red onion) instead of (A whole breast of chicken grilled served with a house blend honey mustard on a kaiser bun-boring). Too many fried appetizers, don't need fried appetizers with a side of fried onion rings. Outdated, needs menu update, food elevated to the next level (scratch yesterday's 'potato skins' add 'potato skins, pulled pork, cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce'. read more

Excellent wings with exceptionally nice staff. We received our food quickly and it was hot and delicious. We will be back!