Love this place! The second time that I've had fried gator (first was in Panama City). Great creole type food and oysters are awesome!

Headed to see a concert at Riverfront Live down the street? Stop here for a bite and brew before the show! Have some time to kill? Peruse the attached Antique Shop! The hubs and I were looking for a quick dinner before going to Riverfront Live just minutes down the street and opted for Swampwater Grill based on the options we pulled up on our handy Yelp app. We were not disappointed! Admittedly, I am a cajun food snob, and while it was not the best I have had, it was pretty darn good. Our server was honest when I asked him if certain things were made in house and he gave his opinion on sides that were spot on. I LOVED the fried okra - it tasted super fresh and was not greasy. The same can be said for the catfish - the breading was super light and the fish was cooked perfectly. Ask for a side of their house made tartar sauce if that is your thing. I got the crawfish etouffee on the side and added rice so I could taste them - NOT on top of the catfish as the menu specifies - and am SO glad I did. The catfish is great as a stand alone for sure and doesn't need the etouffee on top. The crawfish etouffee was loaded with tails, and the tomato in the base really came through. It was good - different than what I am used to - but good. The hubs LOVED his blackened shrimp skewer and said he would pass on the fries if given the option again. The jambalaya was reported to be thick and tasty. I was happy they had Abita Purple Haze in bottles for the hubs and Turbo Dog on tap for me (a bit pricey, but worth it). We would give this place another shot if in the area for sure. Whatever they were smoking outside smelled amazing - so perhaps that is our next pick! read more

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Food was excellent as well as the service. We were a big party and they were able to accommodate all of us

I have heard so many raving reviews about this place so we finally got down there to try it. Its a cool atmosphere and has lost of seating. The menu looked really varied and they had a lot to offer. I went with the Mahi sandwich- grilled. It was good! The tarter sauce was kinda strange- seemed more like jusy straight mayonnaise. My date got the shrimp and grits. The grits were not seasoned like at all. Highly disappointed there. The shrimp was seasoned well and grilled perfect. The sauce on top was good - not terrible. It seems it was missing a lot of basic spices and call me crazy but some chives were definitely needed. The waiter was honestly imo the most unpleasant part. He was rude and short and very aggressive. read more

We love this place. Last week we had friends join us for dinner. It was their first time dining at Swampwater Grill. The food was delicious and our waitress was fantastic. We were seated off by ourselves and it was wonderful. We will definitely be coming back! read more

had a double date night and didn't capture all the dishes. The food was amazing and it was our first time there. We had about a 25 minute wait but was definitely worth it. read more

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Ribs were amazing (fall of the bone). Gator was great. Green beans was off the hook. Highly recommend. Service was the fastest my wife and I have ever had and extremely friendly. Ambiance is very laid back and comfortable. Very relaxing. read more

The food was so good. Highly recommend the gator bites appetizer. Service was great, too.

Nice environment, great food great service! I would highly recommend this place to anyone especially the oysters read more

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The fried clams were fresh. Really fresh, and not sandy or gritty or chewy. They were some of the best I've had since living in Boston. My husband had the pork belly sandwich and it melted in your mouth (as a Memphian he approved of that). There were a lot of delicious looking options to choose from. The coleslaw was a little spicy for me, but everything else was delicious. And the waitress did warn me about the spicy coleslaw. It's also nicely located right by an antique store so you can stop by after doing a little bit of shopping. read more

Went to dinner here with a few friends. It was crowded but we were seated within 30 minutes. We started out with the jalapeño poppers appetizer & the fried oysters appetizer - both were heavily breaded & tasted average. My husband ordered the fried catfish with fries while I had the Cajun Delight (crawfish etouffee, gumbo, red beans, jambalaya) which also came with a dinner salad & garlic bread. My etouffee was super spicy but fortunately I like spicy food so it's all good...not for the faint hearted though! We both considered the Cajun/seafood good but not the best we ever had. read more

Swampwater Grill - My dining out group had a good time - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Food was amazing! The service was great. I would highly recommend this for a delicious dinner

So my adventurous husband ask me was I hungry of course I said yes so we get in the car and he heads to Ohio he said he found this good looking seafood place he's been wanting to try I can say I'm glad that he ask me was I hungry or I wouldn't have known about this restaurant it was really awesome we had a little bit of everything the food was well season they also give you nice size portions also the Is customer service was great to they we're really busy but or server made sure he stay on top of everything including keeping or drinks filled for more reviews please visit my old yelp pg Mrs Jackson D. read more

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This was put on my radar by a friend and that was 2 years ago. You can't trust everyone's food recommendations. On a random Sunday afternoon, I thought, what the heck let's ride across town to check this out. Side note: we just returned from NOLA where I had chargrilled oysters for the first time. This place has chargrilled oysters which pulled me in for just another taste of those oysters I can't stop thinking about. Server was prompt and pleasant. I asked him what his favorite thing was on the menu and he highly recommended the blackened swamp platter with catfish. We ordered the poppers for appetizer and it came out piping hot with some unicorn sauce that was delicious. The poppers were unique with delicious cream cheese and a hint of spice (too hot for my young kids). I'm pretty sure I will order these each time I'm here. The chargrilled oysters were just what the Dr ordered and immediately took me back to NOLA (obviously not as good as the real thing but a close second). I wish they topped them off with bacon, maybe I will ask next time. I could have asked for the check at this point because I was already satisfied. The blackened swamp platter with catfish reminded me of a fish dish that I had when I was in NOLA. It was perfectly blackened with an Alfredo like sauce filled with shrimp and a bit of crawfish. The fish was well seasoned the way I prefer and the catfish was fresh. I didn't clean my plate but I sure could have. I had crawfish etoufee and collard greens as a side. The collard greens were good with a spicy touch and the etoufee was surprisingly pretty legit. When I say I enjoyed this meal, I absolutely enjoyed this meal. I tasted my husband's fried catfish platter and that was well seasoned as well. I need you to take a moment of silence for the homemade tarter sauce; I'm the tarter sauce queen and I approve. Overall, this place is like a casual baby version of papadeaux with cheaper prices. I will return for the poppers, chargrilled oysters, blackened platter...heck I will return for everything I ordered because it was good. read more

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I've never ordered something here that wasn't good! Highly recommend the pork chop tomahawk and bread pudding!

Love this place would eat oysters everyday of the week if they were open. Best seafood in town

Pros- Flavorful food Strong drinks Friendly staff Ample parking Cons- Smaller establishment I would for sure recommend. read more

Great food and reasonable prices. Service was slow,but when food showed up it was hat with no complaints. Party of 5 was satisfied even with wait staff MIA. We will return. read more

The Swampwater Grill is a very interesting place. You're not sure when you pull in the parking lot if it's a restaurant or an antique store...turns out it's both. I had the Muffuletta PoBoy with roasted corn cheesy grits. The grits were fantastic! Perfect warm cheesy goodness with the right about of corn mixed in. The sandwich was not bad at all. It's different being on the Po'boy bread but not bad different. Also more oily then I expected but that's the beauty of the Muffuletta isn't it. My cousin had the BBQ shrimp with fried okra. She said it was okay. Nothing super great but not a bad lunch either. The restaurant is quirky. The staff is very friendly and attentive. They play awesome rock music in the "Swamp" bar area. Definitely a dive to try if your in the East End. read more

Swampwater Grill - Muffuletta - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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The best Cajun outside of Louisiana. We had the grilled oysters. We ordered 1/2 dozen and liked them so much we ordered another. Fried shrimp was on point and getting jambalaya and red beans and rice as the two sides made it all the better. Lee was our server and he actually knew service. He was friendly, prompt and accommodating. The kind of server you felt good about leaving a better than 20% tip. In short excellent. read more

Great food and very laid back atmosphere! Each of us tried different entrees and they did not disappoint. From the ribs to gumbo , but the pork chop is the best ever! Get the pork chop!! We were seated right away, party of 5, the server was attentive, friendly and was knowledgeable of the menu. We will definately be back! read more

Went for the first time on Mother's Day while visiting cinci for a concert . Wait time wasn't bad at all . Ordered oysters to start and gator bites - both 10/10 . For entree had Cajun pasta and yes yes yes ! Serving size was huge and delicious. Definitely glad we stopped in to try . read more

Good food for cheap price...I had the ribs, greens, red beans and rice, and Cole slaw. All good but the greens are different. Not my cup of tea. read more

Great time as always! My friend had the grilled oysters as well as the crawfish and shrimp boil. I had the crab and shrimp boil! I don't know how he had room for the bread pudding! Hurricanes were good as well! Service was quick and efficient and I'm happy as always! read more

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Food and service were both great Looking forward to trying one of their specialty drinks in the future We will be back again read more

We've been here several times now - atmosphere, food and service is great. Looks like nothing but is genuinely a hidden spot to get some good Louisiana style food. read more

By far the best Cajun I have found in Cinci so far! Don't let the outside fool you, it's actually a pretty big, spacious place inside. It's decorated pretty cute inside and has a welcoming ambiance. For an app, my husband and I got the gumbo-- BEST we've EVER had, by far. So flavorful and the rice was cooked perfectly. We got the shrimp and crab boil, which was also super good. The shellfish had great Cajun flavor. Being a Cajun place, be ready for a bit of heat. For our sides, we got red beans & rice, and jambalaya. The RB&R was just mediocre-- which was disappointing since it's one of my favorite dishes of all time. Just was realllly bland. The jambalaya was good and I would happily eat it again, but it paled in comparison to the gumbo. The prices were decent for Cajun seafood (which is always high.) We will absolutely go back to try more things! read more

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We have been looking for a place for great oysters and we were so excited when we heard of this place, we tried A LOT of food and we're definitely not disappointed! read more

Swampwater Grill - Oysters garlic and Parmesan - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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This is such a great place. It feels like walking into a Louisiana local spot. The food is spot on! The staff are amazing. Shout out to our server John, he was awesome! Highly recommend this place. read more

Very enjoyable Cajun meal fom the appertizers to the meals. Jalapeno poppers and grilled oysters were very good. 3 of us ordered cajun shrimp with side of cheese grits, Mahi Mahi with seafood sauce and side of jambalaya, seafood pasta that had a shrimp skewer. I recommend all of them. They also serve bbq which I was told was popular. There is a large bar/restaurant area with lots of tvs for sportsgames. Great service. Owner stopped by our table. Happy hour and lunch specials. Attached to antique mall. read more

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We went there for Fat Tuesday this year and it was awesome. Service was excellent, the food is always exceptional. The bourbon slushes are the best in town !!! Definitely worth going read more

Very casual....Great food, great ambiance, great service. Looking for some good Cajun, definitely stop here.

1st time visit. Had pulled pork and gumbo n etouffee sides (they were out of okra). Simply outstanding pulled pork. Seriously as good as Arthur Bryant ot Jack Stack in KC or Germantown Commissary in Memphis. I also tried the gumbo and crawfish etoufee. Not as sold on these cajun dishes. Do have a full cajun menu including muffulettas PoBoys, jambalaya, and other favs. Also offer shrimp and grits (more NC?) I'd come back to try other entrees. read more

Delicious food! Best oysters and crawfish etouffee. So much flavor and the perfect amount of spice.

They have the best Jambalaya! They have great salads too! My husband wanted to go for Father's Day and his birthday this year! If you like Cajun food, you've got to try it! read more

What a great little hideaway you feel like you're on vacation. Rustic home away from home. Our food was the corn grits and blackened grilled shrimp with one side of jambalaya. Cajun catfish with a side of red beans and rice and jambalaya. At first you look at the portions and think maybe it's small except for the grits. Very filling probably the best Cajun Louisiana food by far around this area. This was the best meal we have had out in a very very long time. You won't go wrong with this place. We will definitely be back to try some of the other meals. read more

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We arrived around 5 on Friday night and were seated immediately, got our drinks and food very quickly. My bourbon and coke was ok but looked more like a shot glass vs a regular size drink. Other than that everything was great. We had the gator bites ... delicious! Especially loved the sauce that came with them and the fried jalapeños were a bonus in that dish. My bf got the fried shrimp... I tasted one and really liked the breading. Not at all greasy. I had the blackened mahi sandwich which was awesome. Done perfectly and loved the tartar sauce too. Plus a side of jambalaya which was definitely on the spicy side but tasted great. We took home a giant piece of bread pudding and the bourbon Carmel sauce was outta this world! Overall wonderful dinner experience! read more

This place deserves 6 stars. My daughter ordered the fried oysters with a side of jambalaya and red beans with rice. I ordered the voodoo catfish which is blackened catfish with crawfish etouffee. Both meals were fantastic. The place is very clean. Both social distancing and mask mandates are enforced. This is truly one of the best restaurants we have been to in quite awhile. read more

I love the food here. The potions are way to much but it I am glad for the leftovers. I have had the pasta, Louisiana BBQ shrimp (my favorite) and the jalapeño poppers. The Bloody Mary's are delicious. read more

We went there around 845p and found out they actually close at 930. A little early for a Sat night. Shrimp and grits is good. Mac cheese is so so. Jambalaya is ok. Blackened chicken is very salty, order light spice if you don't like salt. Overall, it's good experience. read more

Swampwater Grill - Blacken swap platter, jambalaya, shrimp and grits, Mac cheese. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio