We entered to hear a Nola style jazz piano player / singer. We loved the vibe. After a minute the bartender greeted us and stated that someone would be with us momentarily. The hostess was also 1/2 servers during Sunday brunch. They seemed very understaffed, like everyone right now so prepare to exercise some patience. Allow yourself some extra time and everything will be good. We ordered the gumbo and cheese grits to start. Both of those were fantastic. Let me preface this with, I recently started eating chicken after not eating it for almost 10 years, so I've never had chicken and waffles. I was really excited for this to be my first experience because I read they were ok-good in the reviews. The waffle was soggy and not very warm. The chicken was ok. We ordered too much food, so we took the jambalaya home. It was ok as well. I wouldn't order the chicken and waffles or the jambalaya again but I'll definitely go back for the gumbo and the cheese grits. read more

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I have been to the French Quarter 8 times in my life. So I was not expecting that level food that I have had in New Orleans. The Shrimp Etouffee I had was inedible. Server was polite and did a good job. My beer was completely flat. I had high hopes but this is not the place. read more

Great food, wonderful and friendly servers, very attentive, good music. Fun place to go to for great creole type food.

Always a great vibe especially in the bar at happy hour and extra-especially if you are in the bar at brunch when they have live music. I think they are the only place in the Cincinnati area that consistently has live music for brunch. The music is always up beat and fun, genres rotate. The service is usually spot on (although we have had a few clunkers). The building is an old refurbed office building on the east end. The food is delicious and always flavorful. It can be a bit heavy at times. But i expect that with cajun food. My one negative is if you are dining with a gluten free person there are limited options. If you are looking for good times and good food i would definitely try brew river. read more

Great Cancun dishes. Friendly staff. Indoor and outdoor seating. Easy parking. Ten beers on tap.

The New Home of Brew river. The music was good and the seating was tight. The weight staff were good. read more

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Today I met a friend for Sunday brunch after hearing another friend a few weeks ago rave about the brunch a few weeks earlier. I made a reservation online and was seated right away, we were surprised by the live music in the bar area, but welcoming on a Sunday morning. We were seated in room off to the side of the bar at a booth for two. Our waiter was very attentive and gave us time to review the drink & food menu. They do have quite the large drink selection, many Southern inspired cocktails as well as wine and craft beer. I started with a kir royale, which you don't see very often on menus and friend with iced tea. Then to the menu variety of brunch items, biscuits& gravy, chicken & waffles as well as southern specialties shrimp & grits , jambalaya. My friend went with shrimp & grits and me with the jambalaya with sausage and eggs. Our food arrived in no time and was good. I then enjoyed a Framboise, Belgian raspberry beet, which is hard to find on tap & they did. After our meal we moved to the bar to listen to the music. Thanks for great Sunday brunch Brew River. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Creole Jambalaya with scrambled eggs - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Restaurant was packed tonight. The service was horrible! They said 2 people were out with the flu. Even if the 2 employees were there, the restaurant was still understaffed. I had to get up and find a manager to get drink and water carafe refills for the table. Asked our waitress several times for the check and never received it. I saw her take a refill bar order and type it into the computer terminal. I walked up to her and when she finished, I reminded her that I asked for the check and wanted to pay. I had to help her figure out the computer system because I was paying with a giftcard and a credit card. When you pay over $100 for a dinner for 3 people you expect good service. When you order another beer you don't expect it to come when you are finishing your meal. We were concerned immediately when we were led to our table. While we were seated the General Manager (we didn't know who he was at the time) kept trying to sneeze into his arm but missed and sneezed onto the water glasses on our table. We had four table settings and 2 forks in total. Had to ask the busboy for another fork and replacement glasses. The waitress was very stressed. She took our drink orders quickly and turned away. She did not ask if we had any questions or wanted to put in an appetizer order. We said "Excuse me, we would like to put in an appetizer order". When she came back with the drinks, we asked if we could put the whole order in. We had to ask if there were any specials. The waitress then said "I can't remember if I put the appetizer order in", but then it showed up. Moving to food. The chef was trained in New Orleans. I have been there several times. My in-laws family is from the region. Gumbo was a major disappointment. I counted 1 okra and minimal sausage and chicken. My wife regularly makes it. We have had it in numerous restaurants in the South including New Orleans and other Louisiana cities. Spicy but not in a typical way. I guess the chef put his twist on it. My wife enjoyed her Shrimp and grits. She has ordered it in many restaurants. She rated it OK but far from the top of her ratings. My son and I got shrimp poboys. I have had better. The waitress made a big deal about the bread being overnighted from New Orleans. Seriously! Fries were overrated! If the bread was such a big deal, it should have been served with the meal. The Mac n cheese with truffle sauce was watery and missing flavor. I am used to more creamy Mac n cheese. Pork rinds were fine. The Boudin ball appetizer was missing rice (They had a different name for it). This might be normal for this chef but not based on our experience. They had a band by the bar but you couldn't hear them. Noise level was very high and tables were packed in the rooms. We so much wanted this to be a great meal. The reviews on Yelp were very positive. My wife and son just came back from New Orleans. As a 10 year Yelp Elite (longest in CIncinnati) and winner of the 2019 Yelptime Achievement award in Cincinnati, I was taken aback by the feedback received by the owner for my original post. I am sorry she felt this was inaccurate and that no one else complained that night. We had run into several friends at the restaurant and they expressed the same disappointment with the service. I have clarified my review and downplayed my "Food sensitivities" as the owner requested. My wife wants to give your restaurant another chance when it isn't so crowded.......... read more

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We really enjoyed our food and the cute drinks. The wait staff was attentive but gave us plenty of time to chat. A very relaxing evening. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Cocktails - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This place was charming as soon as we pulled up! My best friend and I went out for a girls night. This restaurant was top notch! The service provided by Richena was honestly the best service I have ever had and I worked in the restaurant business for 17 years! The table was kept to the things we needed and she anticipated all of our dining needs. Then drum roll....... The food!!! OMG!! The fried green tomatoes were so flavorful and had a wonderful complimentary texture with the feta and garnish. Amazing! Then we order the shrimp and grits And oyster po boy to split so we could try different entrees. I lived in the south and the shrimp and grits were the best I have ever had up north!! Thank you to the talent of the chef and staff for such an enjoyable experience. read more

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We had a group of four for dinner before a show at Riverbend later that night. We arrived 20 minutes earlier than our reservation, but they were more than willing to seat us early. The cocktails were fantastic. I had the catfish (fried) and fried green tomatoes. One person in our group ordered shrimp and grits, but they brought out fried shrimp platter instead. They quickly resolved the issue. Overall, a good experience. read more

Great food, great service, great drinks. Definitely worth another visit. The bartender, Tristan was very polite and friendly and made a great Sazerac. 5*++ read more

In one word: flavorful. This is the first creole restaurant I've ever been to and I can honestly said, it's flavorful dishes separate themselves from other restaurants. We stopped in for brunch and I was extremely happy to see some good lunch dishes on the menu. I easily went with the Buttermilk Chicken sandwich. It was perfect and I wouldn't change a thing. The aioli had the lightest citrus taste with a crunch from the slaw and fried to perfection crispy chicken. Hubs had an omelet with goetta that he really liked; we split a biscuit to taste test and was underwhelmed. Not the best around but they make most everything in house from the chefs own recipes in Louisiana. For this reason, we also ordered a side of jam and it was berry delicious, pun intended. Customer service was a solid 5 out of 5. Our waiter was so kind, explained the menu and restaurant history well. The chef should be proud, our waiter really praised him well. This was a first to me, to see a waiter so proud of his chef. Kudos! I'd happily dine in again! read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Buttermilk chicken sandwich with fries - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Although the menu looked great, it's not authentic Creole food. The food was too sweet and not flavorful enough. (Maybe that's why someone else said they liked it better than the food they ate in New Orleans.) In addition, 3 out of 5 of us were still hungry after eating our brunch dish (ordered off the menu), and we're not large people. My dish cost ~$24. The live band was enjoyable and not too loud, but we left right after finishing our meal because the manager was very RUDE to us. I will say that we are all over 60 years old; so we were not a roudy bunch or unreasonable in any way. Go somewhere else if you want to enjoy yourself! Other places have live music and much better food. read more

It smelled like cigarettes inside so we decided to sit outside. The oyster po boy was strongly lacking oysters and the bread was beyond stale. The only redeeming factor was my mussels dish and MILs shrimp and grits even if it only had 5 shrimp on the plate. Disappointed from how amazing everything looked online. read more

As someone who is a southern food lover I am so happy I came here. The restaurant was cute cozy and felt like home. The service was so great. The food was made to order but honestly didn't take long at all. Still dreaming about the pickled veggies. The poutine was innovative and such a delicious twist. The po boy was so hard to eat but so worth it. I just was so sad they were out of the bread pudding but that just means I have to come back for it. 10/10 would come back. read more

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Mediocre at best. Best part was the mimosa and jazz. Server didn't know menu or ingredients available and was dry for the most part. Food took a long time (not even busy) and came out cold. Hairs in entree, fresh fruit bowl appetizer was a bowl of cantaloupe for $6. Honestly, a fairly awful experience. Don't think I'll choose this restaurant again and I'd reconsider if you're thinking of coming here. read more

Went to BrewRiver for brunch. Cocktails and appetizer's were great. The entertainment consisted of a singer and piano player. The afternoon turned into a loud verbal argument between the two musicians over a previous incident. The argument escalated into a loud screaming match which disrupted the restaurant. Bummer end to a fun Sunday. read more

I really need to get back here because the food is simply outstanding! We stopped by randomly on a Saturday night and were lucky to grab an outside table. They have taken over some parking space to expand the patio and we love it! Lots of mood lighting. Great service outside too and we appreciated the live music. We enjoyed etouffe, jambalaya, and a pizza boy. The food was simply incredible. Every dish! The inside is huge too so we're hoping to eat there again soon in a safe way. Oh, I almost forgot. They brought burst cookies from the local Fire cracker bakery to our table. What a special treat to wrap up our meal! read more

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Such a delicious meal... the shrimp Monica was amazing with perfectly cooked shrimp! We loved the signature drinks and service was great.

Staff was super rude! Miscommunication with kitchen and staff was super rude with us! After miscommunication issue ordered potatoes specifically for the aioli sauce. Order came out without aioli so politely asked for it once again staff got super rude and said they didn't even have it anymore which they should have told me when I ordered the potatoes with the aioli. I understand miscommunication happens so not upset about that what I am upset up was the behavior from staff about it there was absolutely no reason to be rude to us about it! read more

Great ambiance! Loved the food and even the kids meals felt gourmet. Our server, Chena, was amazing.

The food is genuine and a good serving at a fair price. My wife and her sister can be critical but both loved this food, drink and entertainment. Tom A. read more

BrewRiver has got the pandemic protocol down to a science and is delivering hot, fresh, delicious food with keeping everyone's safety in mind! We ordered on their online website and the food was ready in 25 minutes! Curbside pickup is available and they bring it out to your car so you don't even have to get out! We got shrimp and oyster po'boys to split and a large gumbo to split. Still warm and scrumptious when we got home 20 minutes later! This is one of our favorite restaurants in Cincinnati and we can't wait to dine in again when it's safe to do so!! read more

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I recently visited there and I got the Monica Pasta with chicken. Let me start by saying I love the portion of chicken that was given and it was so creamy! I highly recommend that dish. I also got the alligator bites, those were delicious! read more

Wow! We had the chicken and biscuits and Crawfish Decatur and both were to die for! Can't wait to come back! read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - crawfish Decatur and chicken and biscuits with an egg - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Great drinks and food. Had the Pasta Monica and would order again. Service was a little slow given it was not crowded, but they were friendly. read more

I finally made it to this spot. I have seen ads on Facebook for months so wanted to check it out. When we arrived it was not very busy. It was easy to find and parking was easy. We were seated right away. The server came over and got us drinks. They had a special going for a burger and beer but since neither of us drink, didn't get it. The staff was friendly. The server shared the history and the reason for the menu. I ordered the shrimp Po boy which is one of my favorite New Orleans style meals. We also got a burger both with truffle fries. It was not a long wait. The server kept the beverages filled. When the food came unfortunately my fries were not hot. I tried a few but felt it best to request fresh fries or I would have been upset later. The server was very accommodating and got them back out quickly. The fries were good. The po boy was not what I expected. I have eaten many in my day but this unfortunately this did not live up to my expectations. It lacked flavor and had a bitter taste. I think I just like more spice and Cajun which this didn't have. I ate about a third of the sandwich and was done. We did order dessert, creme brûlée, which was very good. Light and tasty. I will probably try to come back and try something different next time like the chicken. I did like the atmosphere and the staff was very friendly. Just didn't like the meal that I ordered. There were several menu items that I was checking out. I was told the burger was really good for those who eat hamburgers. read more

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Celebrated my recent birthday here with my partner. Since our reservation was booked through OpenTable, we were able to share that it was my birthday. The experience was lovely. We started with the pimento cheese appetizer which was great. While waiting on our meals, they brought over some cute little cookies for my birthday. They were delicious! I had the étouffée and my partner had the jambalaya, both of which were large portions and so flavorful. Before leaving, the serve gave us two extra cookies for the way out. A perk of the night was we were also able to listen to live music. Although our server wasn't the most attentive, we would definitely go back and recommend this place to others. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Birthday cookies - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Excellent food and service. We arrived super late as two of our party were t-boned by another car otw to brunch. This was a last minute selection and 30 min before kitchen closing due to the late time of day and accident but was absolutely worth it. We missed the live music but was still good. Started with 2 mimosas, left my heart in NOLA, and old fashioned along with bacon infused donuts. Donuts were mouth watering good and smelled like heaven. All of the entrees photo's were as good as they looked. Scott was great. And team did not rush us out of restaurant which was much appreciated after the crazy morning we had. Completely recommend to anyone in the area missing a taste of NOLA. Really look forward to coming back. read more

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Great food and service. Nice change of pace from most restaurants in Cincy area. Food was good. We had traditional Cajun dishes recommended by our server. read more

This was our second time at the new location and both times, the atmosphere seemed very frenetic. My husband was happy with his meal but my chicken was dry and flavorless. Don't think we'd go back - not a huge fan of the location either. read more

One of the worst dining experiences I have ever had. We had a 7:00 reservation for outside. We sat down promptly at 7. Not a single person waited on us until 7:21 (didnt even take drink orders) at which point I had to go inside to ask if anyone was waiting on our table. Keep in mind the place was not packed. The person I asked said she would check and then disappeared. I had to ask a second person who then came out and took our orders. I only saw a server twice more. 1. To bring us our food and 2. To bring us our check. One meal was wrong and came out with shrimp when chicken was ordered. 0/10 and would highly recommend staying away from read more

Weak! That's the best way to say it. A muffuletta with no taste of olive salad? Blasphemous?

Went for Easter brunch. Reservations for 7, seated right away. Service was friendly and prompt. Very good with answering all our questions and offering suggestions. Drinks and food were both delicious. This is cajun/creole food, so jambalaya, rice and beans, great menu!! Will definitely be back!! read more

Our first visit, Johnny our waiter was very accommodating. Started with the mussels, large portion and served hot and perfectly cooked. I had the fish preparation, halibut with a mushroom sauce served over Parmesan risotto , served hot and cooked just right. My husband had the BLT with fries, really a perfect version, the bread and aioli were outstanding. For dessert, banana cake with caramel sauce, delicious! We will return and recommend. read more

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BrewRiver's atmosphere is incredible! I've been here twice now - once for brunch and again for dinner on a Saturday night and on each occasion, there was live jazz being played. The food is incredible, the staff is knowledgeable and the drinks are all great. I'd definitely recommend enjoying a meal or two here! (The truffle Mac and cheese was especially great and the small size was perfect to split as an appetizer!) read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

1 star since zero isn't an option. I've been here before & had a great experience but after tonight I won't be back. The Manhattan & mediocre fried green tomatoes were the highlights. The gumbo lacked flavor one might expect of gumbo. Salad delivered to the table by the waiter without the shrimp as ordered. The salad was over dressed and not edible. I sent it back. That's when I complained. It took over 15 minutes for the manager to make her way to our table, even then she only took off the item that I sent back. Manager questioned if we paid as we walked out, she didn't know my husband has excellent hearing. Yes, we paid! read more

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Loved it! Service with Addie was attentive and she made great suggestions. The sassy Vodka drink was delicious with a foam that was on the glass after the pink drink was gone. Convinced us that the Poutine was worth getting stuffed and it was an excellent appetizer! I had the Pasta Monica and my husband had the etouffee both with shrimp. Now we're waiting for the espresso cream brûlée... read more

We were greeted nicely and seated right away - and our order was taken very promptly. Our drinks came quickly and they were very good. It went down hill from there. When you have to wait 35 - 40 minutes for your food and you're not the only one - something is wrong. ... My husband noticed a waiter or the gentleman who seated people was walking around and telling each table quietly "sorry, it's taking so long the kitchen is slow today." A restaurant needs to do more than say "sorry". The couple behind my husband had their food come out wrong and she didn't want to send it back because she was afraid how long it would take for the replacement food to come. The restaurant was not packed. A large party had finished, paid and were leaving when we arrived. My husband got the streetcar burger with fruit on the side instead of the fries. The burger was good. It was a thick burger and the fruit was fresh. I got the eggs sardao with the sauce on the side. It was not hot, but there was no way I was going to send it back. I was to hungry at this point. I tasted the crispy potatoes, however they were bland. It took forever to be able to pay too! While they did have a piano player, unless you were seated in the front room, you could not hear the music. read more

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