3 for dinner on a Sunday. 2nd trip here. For has been very good both times as has the service, one time at the bar and the other at a table. We really like the atmosphere and the food. read more

All four of us ordered the Tri State Bowl and it was amazing! I can't wait to go back and have it again. I had a pineapple mimosa that was also delicious. read more

Rusk Kitchen & Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I got to check out this place today and I must say the ambiance was beautiful! If you know anything about the historic area of east walnut hills then this place did an amazing job with keeping the historic and mixed with modern design! And the art work is a beautiful touch! They are currently in the midst of updating their menu as I was told that they brought in a Michelin chef to help revamp the menu! I liked the kids menu option as my niece got the burger and fries (the only critique was the fries were too salty but hot and fresh) & I got the chicken alfredo. Overall the pasta was good and made me curious to try some additional items when I come back! As the menu is changing not every item is still available as they are removing items as they finish out the current menu. Our waiter was great and very attentive! I forgot his name but I would remember the face! He made sure to check in frequently without being over bearing and very hospitable! Can't wait to come back for a happy hour. read more

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I would give the restaurant another shot considering I went during burger week. I feel like places don't always perform their best during promotions like that. My burger was overcooked and dry. It was supposed to come with a tomato jam but just had 2 tomato slices on it. That was disappointing. The jam might've elevated the flavor. I've never had peanut butter on a burger, and that was interesting. I also ordered the brussel sprouts which appeared to be and tasted like frozen brussel sprouts from Kroger that would be steamed in the bag but with a little sauce and crunchy topping added. I was not able to make it to the rooftop, but I may return to check that out. read more

Stumbled upon a wonderful restaurant tonight! Beautiful, warm decor. Food was fresh, tasty and service was so friendly and attentive!

Showed up for our 6:30 outdoor reservation only to be told the rooftop was too busy and we could only eat inside. The "host" was unapologetic. What is the point of a reservation! Host didn't even check us in for reservation so now Open Table says we no showed. Just ridiculous. read more

What an amazing experience!! Great food, great service, and a beautiful atmosphere!! Highly recommend!!

I can confidently state that all the concerns expressed in prior reviews have been addressed. We had a wonderful experience. The food was delicious. I had a mango beer, which was excellent. The Bavarian pretzel as an appetizer was very tasty. I also had a chicken sandwich which was excellent. Highly recommend. The service was spot on. The atmosphere was enjoyable, especially on the rooftop during an especially lovely evening. Don't be concerned about prior reviews. You will enjoy your evening. read more

Really nice remodel with spacious seating, including an outside balcony with a good amount of seating. Great service with very attentive help- cheers to them. Terrific food, everything ordered was cooked well. The King Burger was super tasty and not greasy at all including the bacon. Salmon also was cooked to perfection. Good size portions and fair pricing. Would definitely recommend and go back to. read more

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Great ambience. Nice alternative in walnut hills area. Cajun pasta was good and the wine selection worked great

Waited an hour after ordering and never got our food. Drinks terrible. Had to leave and go eat somewhere else. Service terrible. Will not be back. read more

-the "rooftop" is a joke. It is on the roof, however the view is the back of a brick building. -the food is mid at best. I got the steak and fries and they actually forgot half my meal (garlic aoli, seasonal vegetables, and truffle fries) and just left it off because they didn't have any of it... but almost had me pay full price. - this place should be consider a bar that happens to have food... read more

I've been to Rusk I few times now and have always had an enjoyable experience. The food is pretty good plus the portions are decent so you definitely get your money's worth, the drinks are amazing, and the service has been great every time. I'll continue to visit. read more

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The whipped ricotta was delicious. My husband had the grouper sandwich & he liked it. It was very large. I had the Ahi tuna tower. It was very tasty. I wouldn't call it a tower lol. It came with a tiny bit of salad in the middle- not a bed of greens. If I had known that fact, which I did ask about, I would have ordered a side salad. It's a fun funky place. This was our second time bringing friends. Last time, about a year ago, I had the salmon entree & it was very good. read more

Food and service were both great. We had our kids with us though and while they do have high chairs, I was really put off by the fact that they don't have a changing table in either of the bathrooms. It's 2024. Please install at least one. read more

Beautiful place but the food wasn't so good. Would probably only go for drinks and appetizers. Cornbread catfish doesn't go well due to cornbread fries quicker then the fish so it taste like uncooked fish in a overcooked coating. read more

Will give this place the benefit of the doubt for it being opening weekend, but a little disappointed initially with the quality of the food and service. Hopefully they are able to sort things out. read more

Horrible service. We came on a Friday night, there was hardly anyone in the main dining area. We sat at the bar and ordered a bottle of wine. It was about 20-25 minutes before we were approached about ordering. Once we ordered a few apps it was easily something purchased from Costco. No one checked on us after the food delivered. Very disappointed. read more

Food was excellent. Unfortunately there were two, very high employees working there. (6pm mind you) high as in super wasted. One fell asleep on the bar. We talked to the manager and I guess they were both sent home. I knew instantly they were totally wasted, not sure how she wouldn't have known that. Every other employee knew it. We asked for a number to contact the managers supervisor and she wouldn't provide it stating that "they don't want to be bothered" with customers. Ok then! I hope that's not accurate if I owned a place I would sure want to know about this situation. Wasn't a great experience obviously because of that. read more

This is a beautiful space for a drink. It's located in one of Cincinnati's most vibrant neighborhoods. The staff is attentive and friendly.

DO NOT order food here. Ordered the popcorn chicken which first of all was not even popcorn, it was just tenders basically, and then it was RAW. drinks were pretty good though. hopefully we don't get salmonella! read more

Rusk Kitchen & Bar - raw chicken - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

All 4 of us definitely enjoyed our evening at Rusk tonight! The ambience was exceptional, the food was delicious - and we loved the clever names for the interesting and varied menu offerings. We sat at a booth downstairs, but afterwards went upstairs to see what that was like...what a cozy, low-key, and comfortable atmosphere. The big bar up there also had a nice vibe to it. I had the French onion soup - YUM! The salmon with wilted kale - YUMMY! Our waitress, Valencia, was super friendly and attentive. We really enjoyed meeting her and having her as our server. Our friends travel a lot, but when they return to Cincinnati this summer, they will definitely come back to Rusk. Being in our neighborhood, my husband and I agree that we'll be back sooner rather than later. We really think Rusk is a home run! Thank you so much for a lovely evening! read more

Rusk was great! The ambiance/decor of the restaurant was perfectly modern and hip (even had live music!) and it would be a great place to pop into a grab a drink at the bar. For dinner, I had the seasonal burger with fries - wasn't overly impressed with the fries honestly I expected better but that didn't stop me from eating them all. Service was fast & food came out quickly. I hope to get back there this summer to try out some drinks on the rooftop! read more

In a word: Outstanding. Upon entering, my husband, Matt, and I were immediately impressed with the ambiance and décor. Upscale, yet warm and welcoming. Our server, Chaz, made us feel at home by establishing a quick rapport and by being attentive and personable. Chaz checked on us periodically to ensure our needs were met. The elevated menu is impressive - we went on a Sunday morning for brunch. Matt ordered the Sweet Cheese + Blackberry Pancakes and I had the Classic Eggs Benedict. Both were scrumptious. The potatoes served on the side were savory and the side of fruit was perfectly fresh. And the prices were surprisingly affordable! As Dave, the owner, made the rounds, helping staff and checking on customers, he stopped by our table and introduced himself. Dave is friendly, down-to-earth, and just a really nice guy. Rusk is the perfect addition to Woodburn Avenue in East Walnut Hills. While we went solely for brunch, Rusk has a full-service bar, a second floor and patio, and all the makings of a terrific venue whether you're in the mood to eat, party, or both! Looking forward to our next visit! read more

Sad to see so much effort put into decor , and so little to service . Waited 75 minutes last night, food never showed. Maitre de, after talking our name and number, ran off to join another circus. If you are planning to eat here, I suggest packing a lunch. This is a prime example of why insurance executives wives should never be allowed to fulfill their dream of owning a restaurant . Pitiful, don't go read more

Great place! Cute and friendly environment. Drinks are amazing. Only thing is i wish the owner/manager didn't look like a bum.. I'm sorry but if you make your employees wear a uniform don't ruin it but wearing jeans, new balances and a wrinkling blazer ... read more

I love the rooftop especially on a summer/spring day. The cocktails are pretty good. Brunch was really delicious but their lunch and dinner menu is pretty average. One time I ordered a charcuterie board and it didn't arrive for like 40 min. We ended up leaving before it came out. Overall good vibes, but would recommend more for the cocktails and vibes. read more

Service was excellent. Main course came out way too fast as we had only just started our appetizers. Food was 6/10 that we had. Was looking for a nice evening out and we were sat and had plate's finished in 30 minutes because it was all too fast so all in all a bit of a bummer. read more

Beautiful space. Went for lunch today. Service was off, food wasn't hot and wasn't that great. I want to like this place because it's in my neighborhood and could be so great. But again, was disappointed. read more

*Reposting my Google review to make sure people see it* This is probably the worst restaurant in Cincinnati. My girlfriend and I really enjoy going out to eat, trying new places, and being able to recommend lesser known spots and hidden gems to our friends. Our only recommendation for Rusk is DON"T GO. I lived just down the street from Rusk when they opened and was so excited to have a new restaurant within walking distance. I held off going until I heard someone talking about it at work and decided we needed to give it a try. I can't go into real detail with this experience because it was a long time ago now, but I remember not getting a spoon for the soup I ordered, the soup being cold either the whole time or by the time I got a spoon, and everything just being very...mid. So we left disappointed but chalked it up to a new place working out the kinks. We later heard mixed reviews from people and that there may have been a change in management so we though things had gotten better. Fast forward and now it's December 2023 and my girlfriend is craving a French Dip- esque sandwich and we see Rusk ahs one...yknow it's been almost 6 months lets give them another shot. BIG MISTAKE. We walk in, get our table, yadda yadda...everything is fine but nothing about the ambience or service are blowing our minds (we're both in the industry so we get Rusk isn't fine dining) so whatever. She orders the French Connection, I order the Cajun Chicken Alfredo...I wish I could find the pictures of this wack ass food. Both dishes come out like lukewarm, the pasta was just so bland. Idk how you'd call it Cajun. The sandwich looked like the beef had just been sitting in Ju for hours and then topped with 2 catawampus rectangles of cheese that weren't even fully melted. I tried to power through the pasta but still didn't finish it, and my girlfriend made it MAYBE a quarter of the way into the sandwich before we decided to just make her something at home. We were hurt, we really tried to give this place another chance and can say with almost 100% certainty we will never spend another dollar here. read more

Rusk is off to a shaky start, at best. We went in on Saturday night, informed that the kitchen was backed up and it was "drinks only" we said sure, simply to get a feel for the atmosphere. Wrong decision. Noise: It is SO LOUD, and was only 3/4ths full. They really need to consider sound-proofing the main floor as it was nearly scream-level to talk to across the table. Lighting: the lights were on the brightest level, which made it feel like a chain-hotel bar. They tried to make an adjustment around 9pm, but still, the fluorescent lighting at that time of night felt like last call. Rooftop: because it was so cold, I guess, the rooftop was closed. No heaters and a single fire pit. This is Cincinnati, it'll be cold 6 months out of the year. I'd consider utilizing the space. Limited menu: As we took in our "drinks only" menu, their drink menu is 5 drinks large, plus a quarter-page list of wine. Service: on top of a limited menu, the drinks we did order took over a half hour. Not acceptable in this market. Woodburn and Twenties can sling alcohol in 5 minutes or less. Needless to say there are so many other options around the area. I will not be going back any time soon and wouldn't recommend. Do not understand the hype. read more

The food was fabulous, but the service was absolutely terrible. We went on a not busy Saturday night and sat in one of the rooftop igloos. The service was poor from the beginning, and by the end it has gotten even worse. It took over 2 1/2 hours to get drinks and food for seven people. We had to go inside to the bar to get our drinks on several occasions and to even get refills of water. Other people complained similarly but management did nothing except dismiss us. Someone who appeared to be the manager, took my last drink order, repeated it to me, and then went to the other end of the bar and used a completely different alcohol for the drinks than what I had asked for. She then made another drink halfway and then walked away from it for over 10 minutes to never return. Someone else had to finish it up. Again, the food was good, but the service made this a terrible experience. read more

we had a wonderful birthday celebration at Rusk. We reserved one of the igloos upstairs. I'll be honest with you I've never really been that thrilled with the thought of sitting in an igloo but I was very surprised! It was cozy without feeling cramped. Our waiter game was just so attentive and pretty much spoiled us! The food was great to transfer great everything which is top notch! Especially Gabe! read more

Service and ambiance were great and our cocktails were yummy. Ahi tuna appetizer was decent but wouldn't come back for any of the food.

While the hostess appeared to be friendly, she was just thinly masking a rather smarmy demeanor. Sat us without menus. We sat for nearly 10 minutes with no one acknowledging us. We got our own menus and then were informed that our server was unavailable because she was "doing a party thing for the photographers". Whatever that means. So we gave her (the hostess) our order. All 4 items had to be repeated to her. Twice. We are literally the only people in this restaurant and there are 3 employees wandering around. And, now almost 20 minutes in we are still waiting for a mule and a glass of wine. When the glass of wine arrived the hostess handed it to me. As if I was supposed to take it from her instead of putting it on the table. We had to ask for silverware and napkins. The only saving grace here is the kitchen. The food came out fast, fresh and delicious. We may or may not come back. They definitely could benefit from some front of house hospitality training. read more

Came in on a Sunday for lunch a couple weeks ago on a beautiful day hoping to sit outside on the roof but it was closed. It was not busy in the restaurant but the food took a while and when it came out my sandwich had nothing on it that was supposed to be, so it wasn't that good. The manager said the kitchen help was new, but I feel the manager should have been back in the kitchen making sure they knew what they were doing. I think they have a lot of improvements to make. read more

New menu was great. Loved the heirloom salad with tofu. Good service and lively atmosphere. Will come back to try the appetizers! Beautiful evening on top deck. read more

Had high hopes for this place. Service, location and ambiance were great. But it all comes down to the food. All four people in my party disliked their food. I had the eggs Benedict and the egg was over cooked, the English muffin was cold and hard to but through. The French toast was do dry it was hard to get down even when doused in syrup. read more

We really enjoyed our time at Rusk. The service was great and very attentive and friendly. The food was even better. Definitely going to become a go-to for us. read more

High quality food at reasonable price. Service and timing of food was also good. I flew in from FL to visit family in Cincy and found this spot on Yelp. We had table for 6 for Sunday brunch that I reserved on Open Table. We all ordered from breakfast menu and all were very happy with our food selection. The only negative was that 3 of us ordered a Bloody Mary that, although well presented w/celery and bacon, was very weak and lacking in flavor - fresh brewed ice tea was good though! read more