Very friendly and attentive service with a very comfortable bar area. Nice big screen TV's with good pictures, perfect for watching the Bengals. The food was good and very plentiful portions. The salad was good and I really enjoyed their shrimp n grits. Could have been a bit more spicy but still I enjoyed it much. Everyone at the table was satisfied. Will be back. read more

Loved the apps! Poppers and grilled oysters were awesome! Gumbo and jambalaya was the same tasting. Love having something a little different on the east side! read more

Went for the 2nd time today to try the breakfast and it was amazing. The owner makes omelets to order and the Cajun was so good I wanted seconds. The rest of the buffet was very good similar to breakfast bar but more character and less we just left church and have time to kill before soccer. Would have been 5 stars but I tried a hurricane and it was the worst thing ever completely made differently than in NOLA or anywhere else for that matter. That being said this may be a regular Sunday thing for me. I highly recommend it. read more

Great Cajun food. Very authentic 'Nawlins style cuisine. The sauce that comes with BBQ shrimp is worthy enough to be soaked up with 3 pieces of bread it's so good! read more

A little pricey but otherwise a great place to get some Cajun food and do some antique shopping next door. I really enjoyed the blackened catfish, jambalaya, collared greens and Cajun Bloody Mary that I had. I look forward to coming back and trying out some other drinks and meals. read more

Great food!! Loved the bbq shrimp Also the oysters were perfect. Atmosphere was also nice. Didn't feel like I was in Cincy! Be back many more times read more

Had this place after a long hot day at Coney Island. I must start by saying I LOVE Cajun/Creole food and just visited New Orleans and the surrounding areas just 2 months prior. It was the most amazing place Ive been, and the food was the best Ive had. So my expectations were pretty high. The Swampwater Grill did not disappoint. The food was authentic, and the setting was very ambient and felt like I was back in Cajun country. My girlfriend and I both decided to have Po'Boys. Myself- alligator (yes, alligator,) and her- shrimp. The housemade remoulade was insane, and the sides- jambalaya with andouille sausage and roasted corn and cheese grits were amazing as well. They also have barbeque shrimp. The REAL Cajun way. NOT shrimp with BBQ sauce. Overall, fantastic place. Prices are a little steep, but you get what you pay for and the portions are large. The waiter was also one of the friendliest and most personable waiters I've had anywhere. Highly suggest. read more

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After a long day at work, pulling up to Swampwater Grill and seeing the packed parking lot, I knew the rumors were true, this was going to be a meal for the ages. Upon entering we were immediately seated and I felt that I was back in New Orleans and almost went zero to 100 on the Ultimate Margarita specials they had going but restrained myself. Our server was very friendly and we started off by ordering a half dozen char-grilled oysters and the jalapeno poopers. Both were really good and the poppers were a half jalapeno with chorizo, cheese and bacon, which made it a top 5 popper I've ever eaten. I had heard great things about the shrimp, crab, and crawfish boil and had to check it out. Unfortunately, crawfish just went out of season so we order the shrimp/crab combo. The shrimp and crab came out and I had to check out the window and make sure we weren't on the bayou they tasted so fresh. Both left me extremely full and satisfied as I stumbled out the door. Overall, this place is a hidden gem of Cincinnati, OH. If you are in the Mt Lookout, Columbia Tusculum area, stop by and give it a try, I think you will leave extremely satisfied. read more

Our waitress was friendly and hospitable, but that was where the positives ended. The table top was sticky. The water was salty or dirty, and sodas flat. The charbroiled oysters tasted like toilet water with an awful, acrid chemical aftertaste. This is not what oysters naturally taste like. It must be the result of something they do to them. I'm from south Louisiana so I have eaten oysters, of every preparation, my entire life. I have lived here for a few years and have had delicious oysters in a number of local establishments. There is no regional variance that accounts for the foul taste of the oysters here. I ate two, to make sure I wasn't imagining it, but left the rest untouched. I felt ill for hours after. But that was nothing compared to what my husband suffered. He ate his "poboy" against my advice and suffered the worst food poisoning I've ever seen. So much so that each time we drive by this place I feel ill again. We have never stopped here again. No one should visit this place except the health department. read more

We had a party of 9. Lee our server was great! Very attentive. The food was Great! Came out hot and timely. We all had different items and no one complained. We will be back. Great place to get great food. read more

I REALLY wanted to like this place, but not only did I not like it, I couldn't wait to get out of there. Service was awful, food was average, and the atmosphere was horrible. I read these other reviews and find it hard to believe we were at the same place. It was a terrible experience and a waste of money. We will never go back. read more

This is by far one of my favorite local restaurants in Cincinnati! Their gumbo soup is amazing! I'll be back soon!

This place is just ok. My husband and I visited on July 28th, 2013. The place had a few people in it but overall it seemed slow. The decor is cool. I really liked the barrel tables at the bar. The server we had was an extremely nice young lady. I ordered water and my husband ordered iced tea. We were told "the store is low on lemons but if we have some do you want them for your drinks"....ok, I get it, you might run out of lemons. We ordered half dozen raw oysters and half dozen grilled. The server told us they were short one oyster for our order. We did not get lemons with our oysters. Very disappointing but I knew that was going to happen. My husband ordered the catfish platter and I ordered a pulled pork sandwich. The side salad that came out before my husband meal was from a bag. This is my second biggest pet peeve when eating out (first is when the server does not pre-bus the table). She also told us that the salad usually comes with cucumbers but they were out. Being out of ONE thing is ok but THREE things? Come on. Her excuse was they are new and cannot predict the volume they need. It is better to toss some product than to be out when a first time guest comes in. You want people to have a good experience because word of mouth will make or break a place. The food was fine. Nothing great honestly. My husbands catfish was too saucy, my pork didn't have all that much flavor, the cole slaw lacked flavor. Our bill was over 50 bucks. Way too pricey for the food we got. read more

Great Cajun flare also the ribs are smoked right out front. Service is always friendly best collard greens in the city, ecseptional jambalaya cheese grits crawfish etouffee and gumbo.. Love this Place read more

Always Great food and service!! Gator bites, jumbalya, pulled pork, are all delicious, we never leave hungry

Overpriced for the quality and amount of food. Not worth going to. For the price there are much better places to go notty pine for example. VERY comparable price better food more authentic nicer staff. Swampwater is rightly named its some place you do not want to be. I highly recommend not wasting your time or money here. read more

I just love this place I love the alligator meat the the gumbo and jambalya was awesome I would go back and back with alot of my friends

This has been our go-to restaurant for Cajun. Usually an easy 4 until tonight. Grilled oysters, which are usually great were overdone . We made it clear to our server and the general attitude was ...guess it sucks to be you. We were charged full price. ..... no visit from a manager ...no attempt to make things right. We had that sinking feeling that most people have experienced at a by restaurant that it may be going south with their service and food. What a shame. We noticed the bill also reflected a $2.50 charge for a sauce substitution. It looked as if the restaurant had no hands-on manager. Not a good practice on Saturday nite. read more

Had a delightful breakfast. Very friendly, great service, good price. Can't wait to come back for the full menu.

Swampwater is a bit hard to find. It is behind the antique mall on Riverside across the street from Riverview East Academy. As the name suggests, the menu has a strong cajun/creole influence. We tried jambalaya, gumbo, red beans & rice, and pulled pork. The food is nicely spiced and flavorful. There is a pepper sauce bar if you want to add more spice. The atmosphere is casual. We suggested to the owner that some blues or zydeco music would greatly help the atmosphere, but I would return for the food alone. read more

We were very disappointed in the food and the service. Overpriced in my opinion and won't be back. " Hey Dude can I help you" was different kind of greeting. read more

Overall very mediocre. Pulled pork was poorly cleaned and had a lot of gristle and fat. Slimy BBQ sauce bottles at the table led me to question the cleanliness of the place. French fries were good, portions ample but the food is really not good and not Cajun. Our server sat in the booth behind us visiting with family the whole time. Avoid any menu item with the signature seafood sauce - it's truly inedible. Will not return. read more

Amazing food, friendly staff. Best breakfast in the tri state. The shrimp amd grits are to die for.

went there today first time ...was awsome the oysters were great ..cant wait to go to the all you can eat crab legs ..if they have that

My girlfriend and I have been to Swampwater Grill two times. There will not be a third. Visit #1: It's attached to an rugged antiques mall but we decided to overlook that and give it a try. It's not horrible in the inside but there are no tables with chairs. Why? My burger wasn't anything special and she didn't think her pulled pork sandwich was any better. The Mac and Cheese was actually penne pasta and was good and she enjoyed the "gator bites" (alligator) which is the only reason I went back for a second time. It's wasn't worth $40, that's for sure, probably not even half that. All the food was better than the bathroom which was leaky and too disgusting to use. Visit #2: They are allegedly a Cajun restaurant but on Sundays before 2 PM you would never notice. They only offered a generic breakfast bar without any kitchen options, even on request. All the food obviously had been sitting for quite a while. The exceptions were things that were missing entirely, like eggs. I ate bacon and sausage links for lack of better options and it was all typical stuff. There was a man and his boy sitting next to us and the child complained about the food. The cook made a pancake fresh for him which was nice. It's only too bad the rest of us paying customers didn't warrant the same attention. $35 after tip and I can think of a dozen places without even trying that would have been a better value. Even something utterly generic and bland like Frisch's is fresher, less expensive, they keep their trays stocked, and the waitress will not vanish for twenty minutes on you. As we walked to the car we couldn't help but talk about how unhappy we were at our overpriced, understocked, thoroughly mediocre meal. Later we'll realize it's even worse than we originally thought. I'll spare you the details but we both called off work the next day. Swampwater Grill. Swampwater? Is that their secret ingredient? read more

There food was great. The fish tasted fresh even though we are no where near an ocean. I came in late so they were caught off guard so the service was a bit rough but overall a great spot. Everyone was kind. Would eat there again. read more

My husband and I have come here multiple times, one of our favorites! The smoked jalapeño poppers as an appetizer is excellent. The pork chop is awesome and so is the shrimp and grits!! I'm anxious to try the blackened mahi mahi sandwich next. read more

If you like fox news and evangelicals on the TV and cold food, this breakfast buffet is for you. Omelet station and sausage gravy only bright spots. read more

Love love this place. Service, atmosphere and food is amazing. Swamp Pasta, Jambalaya is the best. You have to try.

The food caught me by surprise.... I jalapeno poppers were not typical at all. They were wrapped in bacon, grilled, then battered and deep fried. AMAZING! The Quesadilla was equally different and better than any I have had before. Oysters on the half shell are not something I'd typically order in Cincy, but they were really good (especially the grilled oysters!) The incredible food, staff, and beer prices are definitely worth driving across town! read more

Tried to eat their New Years Eve around 5-6 and they wanted to stick us in a back corner booth away from every one when there were multiple booths open in the main dining area.. When we asked if we could sit in the side of the restaurant where everyone else was seated they said ' no, those booths were reserved'. When we asked if they took reservations they said no! WTF? read more

This was a very great location! The food was good (what was available to us), but not excellent. They had big portion sizes, which I'm sure most customers are a fan of. I loved the decor inside, though the outside was bit dull and confusing to find the entrance at first (go in the side door). I ordered the pulled pork with a side of jambalaya and macaroni and cheese. The macaroni and cheese and the jambalaya were the star of the dish, for sure. The pulled pork was bland, the barbecue sauce on the side was fine, but not sweet enough, and the cole slaw that came with it was very soupy and tasted like flavored water. My fiance had the shrimp and grits and while he loved it, there was waaaaaayyy too much grits for those five shrimp. The did not have what we originally wanted, which was the crawfish pie, so that was disappointing, but we will just have to return to try it. All in all, it was a decent place for dinner, but not too exciting. read more

I lived in Baton Rouge and the south for a number of years before moving to CINCINNATI over 10 years ago. I loved the food in Louisiana especially the crawfish boils which evoked wonderful memories of backyard boils with friends. I have finally found authentic fresh boiled crawfish (when in season) in Cincinnati! Will certainly be back for more!! ...if they could only do boiled crabs read more

Thanks for an incredible catered rehearsal dinner for 50 in our back yard. Chris was well prepared, had the timing down to a science and the food was top notch. Thanks and we'll be down to visit the restaurant soon! read more

We went on a weeknight with a large group, and there were a number of other diners there. The atmosphere was casual, the waiter was super, and the food was delicious. There were several different dishes ordered between all of us, and everyone enjoyed their food. We had grilled oysters as an appetizer, and they were wonderful! The garlic bread was extra good too, and the side salad was large and very fresh, full of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, cheese, croutons, etc. Several people commented on how good the macaroni and cheese was also, and the entree portions were plenty large. We would definitely go back again! read more

Best jalapeño poppers I have ever had! These have not only cream cheese but bacon, sausage, and the crust was light and crispy, almost like tempura! We shared the ribs along with two sides, plenty to eat, we enjoyed the rub that was on the ribs, nice smoky flavor, not dripping in sauce like other places, sauce is on the side. The red beans and rice could have had a little more kick for me, but there are flavors at the table you can experiment with. The owner was very accommodating and enjoyed talking about the food, he even brought us out a sample of some sort of smokey flavor butter sauce to dip bread in. It was fantastic, I thought it would be nice on corn on the cob! Atmosphere was nice, a little sports bar like, ( being one of the few people in town that is not a sports fan of any kind) but it was not obnoxious or loud and nice for people who do like it . We will definitely go back! read more

We're picky about our "Cajun" food, as we're longtime "foodies" who moved to the area from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Anytime we hear about a place that offers "great Cajun food", we look at each other and say, "We'll be the judge of that!". Swampwater Grill was an extremely pleasant surprise. We were in the mood for Shrimp Po-Boys, so crossed the river (we live in NKY) and tried the fare. Although the shrimp were battered with cornmeal (true N.O.-style po-boys have shrimp with a light egg-wash and flour batter), the cornmeal batter was extremely light and tasty. The bread was also excellent (not a true "French loaf", but then those probably aren't available in this area). The sides were also quite good. We tried the jambalaya and red beans 'n' rice. RB'n'R is tough to do well...and most places *don't* do it very well. We like our RB'n'R very "creamy"....and if you don't get that meaning, go to a "Popeye's" location, try their RB'n'R and then you'll understand it. Made wth extra lard (sounds disgusting, but it's really not... TRUST me). I know, I know...but we don't eat Cajun food for health reasons! Still, Swampwater's RB'n'R had a good flavor and plenty of tasty sausage (was that real andouille? If it wasn't, it was definitely close!). The real winner in the side dish category was their jambalaya. Very slightly spicy (as it should be) and LOTS of chicken. Most places serve jambalaya that is dry. Not Swampwater... it was extremely moist and was as hearty as you could want. The server was friendly and attentive. Even though the restaurant has been open for about a year and a half, this was our frist time there. It won't be the last. In fact, I'm ready to go again next week. The only thing missing was a Zydeco Band.... and I'm not holding that against them. How many Zydeco Bands can there be around here? read more

Great food, friendly staff. Fun atmosphere. Definitely try them out. (Could use a name change)

I've only been once but it was decent for what it is. Neither my wife nor I ventured into any cajun dishes (though I plan to my next visit), but I liked the ribs. The sauce was quite tasty and not the usual overly sweet BBQ that you find regularly in Cincy. We definitely plan on returning. read more

Fantastic! We actually had our rehearsal dinner here and I am so glad we did. They took such great care of our group, service was top notch. Our drinks were always full. The food was amazing. Our guests had the option of prime rib or chicken. The potion sizes were almost comical. So filling and delicious. Everyone left raving about how awesome it was. Guests from out of town said next time they're in the area, they will make a point to stop at Swamp Water! read more