When I was a lot younger, I went to New Orleans for a conference with my church's youth group. While there, I was fed a lot of the food New Orleans is known for (gumbo, jambalaya, etc.). I went there when I was probably about twelve, so it's been about ten years at least since I've been. I feel in love with the food there, and since I went I have been trying to find comparable food since it is so amazing. In ten years, I have not found anything that has been as good as real New Orleans cuisine until I went to BrewRiver with my husband last weekend. My husband and I wanted to try a few things, so we ordered the Shrimp Po'Boy and Jambalaya to split between the two of us. The food was a good amount as both of us were full at the end of our meal. I will say that I generally get full after a little bit of food, and my husband tends to eat more, so you may want to order more if you're ordering for two people that both have a normal sized appetite (because I will openly admit I usually eat hardly anything before I'm done). The Shrimp Po'Boy was pretty good. I liked how the shrimp was cooked a lot, and I felt it was a pretty large sandwich, so I was okay with paying $15 for it. My husband and I were hesitant to try the fries as they mentioned vinegar, so we opted to get coleslaw instead. The coleslaw was really creamy, and not exactly what either one us of were expecting, but still delicious, albeit the portion was a bit small. The jambalaya was absolutely incredible. It is the closest I've had to real New Orleans cuisine since I've been, and I was so happy with this choice. Everything about it was amazing - the seasonings, the way the chicken was cooked, and the way the andouille sausage was so tender. It was pretty much a perfect meal. My husband agreed it was one of the best meals he has ever had. Though the Shrimp Po'Boy was not the best thing ever, BrewRiver gets five stars for its' Jambalaya alone. In addition to the food, the atmosphere was great. It felt like I was in a restaurant in downtown New Orleans with the vibe. They had live music, and it was really pleasant. I feel like often times when you go to a restaurant and there is live music, it's so difficult to hear over it. The music was played at a reasonable volume, and the piano player was very good. I really need to mention our server too. I'm terrible at remembering the names of servers when they introduce themselves, so I don't know hers, but she was awesome. She was really nice, and came back the perfect amount of times. I really wish it was in my budget to come here more often because I so would. Everything about BrewRiver is great. For now, I will have to settle for coming a couple times in a year, but I will certainly be back! read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Shrimp Po' Boy with coleslaw - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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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

Pretty decent spot. The pork rinds appetizer was delicious, barely got a photo of it we ate it so fast. The food is decent. Slightly underwhelming but still quality. I'm from NOLA so empressinf me with creole food is difficult. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Pork Rinds - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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

I'm a Louisiana native and a first time visitor. Nothing about this place is "creole" or even Lousiana other than some colors and beads. I wasn't greeted by anyone at the door and though I saw the bar, I saw no bartender. I chose to seat myself at the bar where I waited 5-7 minutes for service. Just by reading the details of the menu I knew nothing would be authentic Louisiana cuisine. I went to the most basic item a shrimp poboy and asked for no green chow chow; whatever that is. The shrimp was in a tempura, beer batter with a smidge of remoulde which was tart and 7 pieces of shredded lettuce. Because I had no condiments I asked for ketchup and mayo which is truly was is served on our poboys. It took so long to get this that I nearly finished all of my fries. When I received it the ketchup tasted like cinnamon cocktail sauce! I had to wait again. It again took forever for my server the bartender to come back and check that I went to another server and asked. I later discovered that they don't have basic ketchup, only their homemade cinnamon flavored style of ketchup. I just ate what I had and continued to say this is why I don't eat at "Creole, Cajun, Louisiana" themed restaurants that are not in Louisiana. I'm always disappointed and angered read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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

Yikes. My family loves creole food and trying new places so we booked a table for Sunday afternoon here to celebrate a few birthdays. Not good. The good: The BEST part was the donuts. Those were truly amazing and we may come back just for those. And then leave. Also the service was really nice. The gumbo was delicious. The bad: Between 6 of us we got 5 different entrees and none were good. The medium well burger came out raw and still bleeding. They profusely apologized because it was so bad. But it took 20+ minutes to get a new one. The rest of us were done eating. The biscuit and chicken with gravy tasted like a plate of flour and pepper. It had no flavor at all. I usually will eat anything but I didn't even waste space in my stomach for this. The homemade ketchup was raves about by the waitress but it tasted like salsa with sugar. Come for the donuts. Maybe the booze and a cup of gumbo. And then leave. I never leave bad reviews but I just had to for this. I've never not been able to meet a meal. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - The gravy was jello. - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

As frequent visitors to NOLA we are southern cooking snobs... this place met the mark! Nice atmosphere and vibe for lunch. Food was lick ur plate good only bad was having to pay extra for bread to sop up the gravy definitely will return read more

Brunch. Unfortunately, I would not rush back here. The food wasn't great & our waitress was not very attentive. This place is not an accurate depiction of authentic, New Orleans cuisine due to the limited flavor of most dishes. Don't get the biscuit, it's dry, cold, brittle and tasteless. All of our food came out lukewarm, at best. On a positive note, the live music & BLT+E were great! read more

I was there for Easter brunch with a friend and the service was excellent, the food was tasty, and then mamosawere flowing. I was there again for Mother's Day and we had reservations for noon. We were sat about 10 minutes later and the poor server was swamped. We ordered as soon as the server could -which was maybe 20 minutes later. We received our meal at 1:25 pm. Everyone but me enjoyed their meal. I ordered the biscuits and gravy with a side goetta. I ordered my eggs over medium and one was fully cooked hard on the other one was barely medium. My goetta that I needed to pay extra for was cold and no server in sight. The biscuit was dry. I did order the bacon infused donuts and they were tasty. This place would get 4 stars based on my first visit, 2 on my last visit. Not a good place for holidays. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Poached eggs with "beer"naise sauce, spinach and artichoke hearts! Delish! - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I made reservations for the day after Valentine's Day. We were seated pretty quickly. I loved the old BrewRiver, so I was excited to return back to it's newest incarnation. Unfortunately, the food was not that great, and every five minutes a waitress came by asking if we were okay. The first couple of times it was great to have service - but I was trying to finish a drink before dinner and had not even had a chance to try a bite of my food before the waitress had shown up twice. Drinks were great, but half of the taps on their list were changed out or blown. Food - Boudin Boulettes - These were pretty bland and not tasty at all. Main Course- Some sort of spinach strawberry salad which made it sound like there was strawberries IN the salad - turned out to be mushy spinach with a bland strawberry vinaigrette. Upside - the place is nice with decent parking. read more

I cannot recommend this place enough!!! The food I ordered was better than the food I ate in New Orleans! Our server Megan was very attentive, she was timely and very sweet. The atmosphere was great as well! I highly recommend trying this restaurant!! We will certainly be back!! read more

Buffalo chicken dip was sad. Not a dip more like pulled chicken with hot sauce. No blue cheese or Rand no celery. No text when food was ready so the "dip" was cold. read more

Brewriver was a surprising delight! Live music, cozy environment and a calm tone set the stage for a taste of New Orleans. We had the jambalaya, shrimp po boy, mussels, mac and cheese, gumbo and fried greem tomatoes. Almost everything was top notch - well seasoned jambalaya, perfectly fried green tomatoes and a spicy mussel sauce. The shrimp po boy was atypical with the pickled ginger, the desserts were okay and the service was subpar (she seemed new to waitressing). Despite its few flaws, I would definitely come again for a cute little date spot. read more

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Our group of four was looking for something different on a Friday night and we like to try the independent restaurants. We found BrewRiver online and it is a winner. It was a nice night so we ate outside on the patio. Summer, Our waitress was really friendly and knew the menu. She said they prepared everything fresh so it can take longer but I thought the meals came out quickly. I choose the sausage and chicken jambalaya and it was a huge serving on a rectangular plate. I could only eat half before I was full but had plenty for leftovers. It had a really good flavor & seasoned just right for me but I was surprised how fluffy the rice was. Most places give you a sticky clump of rice but this was not. Two of the people in our party ordered the chicken and one ordered the fish. Everyone was happy with their choice. This is definitely worth a second trip for us. read more

My husband made an early reservation on Valentine's Day. At 5:30pm, it felt like they had just opened the place up. Chilly to the point where I wanted to put my coat on. We ordered a wedge salad to share. I wish I had taken a picture of it because it was so comical...it looked like they had literally cut a head of iceberg lettuce in half, served it open face, but only drizzled it with the slightest amount of dressing, bacon crumbles, and cherry tomatoes. The waitress came by and even acknowledged that she thought we might ask for more dressing Dinner was the redemption. The steak frites were tender and flavorful. The truffle fries were nice and crispy. My husband got the fried chicken, also tender and flavorful. Great crunch on the breading! His came with sides of fried potatoes and coleslaw. For dessert, we ordered the brownie. In the description, it said it was topped with whipped cream. When the waitress brought it out, there was nothing on it. She explained that they 'ran out' of whipped cream, which I thought was pretty crazy considering we were one of the earliest tables. I would figure on Valentine's Day, the kitchen would be sure to stock up on such things, but what do I know. When we bit into it, we found that they had opted to put caramel on it instead, something else that the waitress failed to mention. I probably would've opted to order a different dessert if I had known these things ahead of time because I'm not a huge fan of caramel. Overall, our experience was okay. I might try this place again, but definitely didn't get the hype that others were so excited about. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Steak frites - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Rude customer service. No parking signage. Terrible food. If you go here make sure you are prepared to be treated like trailer trash.

Hanging out with my bestie at the Creole Kitchen. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the food before we devoured it. Delish! read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Best Bubbies! - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Another strong place with a great atmosphere. We had a group and everyone enjoyed the meal they had. We started with a few appetizers. Pork grinds which where good but a little plain, then we had the fried green tomatoes and they nailed it. I had the shrimp and grits and that was really good. Two of the group had salads and really enjoyed them. They are huge so order carefully. read more

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This was once one of our favorite places to eat. However , the last two times we went the food was terrible. We had chicken that was over cooked and tough. I had jambalaya and the rice was not good it was raw . I hate to see this restaurant not succeed, but they need to step up their game . read more

This place is a jewel. The New Orleans feel of the décor and the musician (although way too loud where I was sitting) was also playing music I could imagine them playing in New Orleans. I sat at the bar and stared at the trinkets sitting around and the beautiful wood trim. That bar was beautiful. Anyway, I was handed the brunch menu and when I saw New Orleans bbq shrimp and grits I was sold. It was not a large portion for the price, but it was perfectly cooked grits and tasty shrimp. They also had many craft beers on tap to choose from. The service was great. read more

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The food is fantastic as well as the ambiance but tonight the service was so bad....the worst ever and we've been several times but being held hostage for two hours isn't my idea of a nice evening. Its restaurant week you are suppose to shine - F read more

Ok, im basing my review off of my last visit & this visit. My last visit was a month ago and a lot more memorable then this one unfortunately. Which is why im am giving 3 stars if I had reviewed the last time I would have given 5 stars. The last time I was here the food was amazing!!.. Literally... this time not so much, my pasta Monica arrived 1/4 of the size it did last time, dry as a bone and cold. Sent back to have more sauce added they did so annnd still cold. So instead of remaking it they heated it up in microwave (assumption). Therefore causing shrimp to be hard as a rock and pasta super overdone. Manager adam brought it to the table this way. Will give him an A for effort on trying to make up for me being done with the whole ordeal in general I just simply didnt want it anymore. He asked what the disconnect was. I explained typically if a dish comes back twice, it should be remade. Especially if you are charging Nearly $25 for a pasta dish! He did kindly visit the table multiple times to offer other entrees. I respectfully declined as my boyfriend already had finished eating by the 2nd time my dish left the table. It was a disappointing visit as it was his first time here & Was hoping for a great on how much I talked it up. Boyfriend felt service was lacking as well. read more

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Husband and I were out and about and decided to have an early supper before going home. We arrived minutes after the 4 p.m. opening and we're seated by bartender Nae (sorry if that is misspelled) who would also serve us. We started with drinks - an Old Fashion for him; a Sazarac for me. Nae proved to be a wizard of the bottles. My drink was so well done that I ordered another. Husband was driving or he would have had another as well. For starters he had Jambalya and loved the spiciness. Now I admit I have never met Fried Green Tomatoes that I didn't like, but these were exceptional, crispy and nicely sauced. Then he had Creole Etouffee with chicken and sausage. He was not disappointed. My taste was meaty, spicy and deeply flavorful. I had blackened catfish with fries and was rewarded with moist filets with nice tartar sauce variant. The fries were perfect, hot and crisp on the outside, smooth and tender inside. Even though Nae had the bar to tend she took excellent care of us and we very much appreciated her. We finished with coffee holding a shot of Bailey's and went home happy and satified. This superior neighborhood spot is in danger of closing and that would be a shame. I urge Eastsiders and anyone who enjoys Creole food to rally to give their patronage and keep this jewel open. read more

Raw Chicken. If that doesn't scare you... then idk why you're reading yelp reviews lol. This was a conflicting review.. everything had a "but" factor. Loved the food but some of it was completely raw. Loved the drinks but the service was terrible... How do you go about reviewing something like that?? We had a reservation at 6:15 Got our apps at a reasonable time but spend a good half an hour between finishing them and waiting for the entrees... maybe it felt so long because our waitress never checked on us. Didnt get our entrees until 7:05. By then we were so ready to leave it only took like 15 minutes to eat, pay, and get out. ----------- Comments by item: - Smoked gouda pimento cheese spread Delicious! Then you get a third of the way through and it's totally over whelming. The cheese was difficult to spread and may have been better if it was softer. The bread was so crispy that after 2 or 3 pieces of the thick cheese and tough bread you just got tired of chewing. Probably would be better for 3-4. I wouldn't order again just because I got bored of it. - In house Pickles Awesome, definitely recommend. The ocra pieces were my favorite part. - Buttermilk Chicken Sammich Raw chicken and completely fell apart. Had to be eaten with a fork and knife. Probably would never get another chicken dish just to be safe. - Cinnamon Shrub Perfect drink, it was sweet but not too sweet. - Creole Queen Burger The cleanest burger I have ever eaten. Bread was perfectly warm, soft and fluffy and not too greasy. Every bite had an even distribution of ingredients. Was highly impressed! ------- I would still highly recommend this place and consider it a 5 star establishment, but my last experience just wasn't great so I had to give 3 stars. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Cinnamon shrub, pickles, pimento spread - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Came here after reading about this place on Yelp. Not disappointed in any way. Showed up without reservations and was seated quickly. Brianna our server was knowledgeable and very friendly. Excellent service and food. Our dining group had a variety of dishes and agreed all were of great quality. Definitely plan on coming back again. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

We were looking for place to eat out at this patio, it was so nice, and perfect for date. We had hurricane as aperitif, fried green tomato, pickles, chicken liver, creole pasta, and shrimp and grits, desert of coffee creme brulee, everything was delicious. read more

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The worst! They are marketing themselves as " New Orleans cuisine, that's a joke and it's not a comedy club...wouldn't eat there if it was free! If they were in New Orleans they'd last a week...horrible gumbo, jambalaya and red beans and rice...run down decor! Funky place... read more

Second and last time visiting. Bartenders Noah and Kevin Amazing. Ownership and management are terrible. No respect for customers time. Waited 2 hours not to get served. Food order was put in for 6. 3 tables around us had their food even coming in 30 minutes after our group. As much as I love NOLA AND LOUISIANA, I HATE THIS HOGWASH FALse NEW ORLEANS Hangout known as "Brew River". read more

Was really looking forward to enjoying some creole food with friends last night but our visit was a bust. Mardi Gras is this week so I assumed they would be properly staffed but it was clear they weren't. We waited a very long time for our food and when it came we got our entree first. Appetizer was a distant second and then finally our salad. My wedge salad was literally an entire head of iceburg lettuce cut in half with little more than a teaspoon of dressing on each side. My husband's caesar salad had almost no dressing - he ordered anchovies on top and there was one cut in half. Meanwhile one of the couples in our party of 8 didn't receive their food until the rest of us were almost done. They did enjoy their pasta Monica and their mussels when it finally arrived. Other issues: We couldn't order chardonnay - they said the restaurant ran out! The bills were all messed up with the wrong items on the wrong bills. They left out the Luxardo cherries that were supposed to be in the drinks we ordered so we went to the bar to get a small glass of them and put them in ourselves. The waiter came so infrequently that we ate without napkins because a few of ours had dropped on the floor and we couldn't ask for more. The final irony was when we were leaving and my husband told the hostess about our issues she offered to give him a gift card for a future visit but they had run out!!! OMG talk about a comedy of errors. Summary: food was mediocre, service was poor and the kitchen just couldn't keep up. Big disappointment. We won't be going back. read more

It's been a while since was here, but I am glad I came back. I started off with the gumbo. I came out sort of deconstructed (the rice and onion were on top). The taste was wonderful. Not too hot with big chunks of sausage , okra and chicken. Then onto the shrimp po boy. So fresh...a but messy, but that's ok...and full of flavor. It was hard to put down. Their fries are soaked in vinegar before being fried. It adds a nice layer of flavor. We finished with the gelato cookie sandwiches. They were amazing. The weather was perfect for the patio, good weather, good view and really good food...what more could ask for. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

BrewRiver has become one of our favorite go to places! It's the place that we take any out of town guest, date nights, brunch, special occasions, you name it! We've tried many things on the menu, but the winners in my eyes are the Chicken sandwich and the BBQ shrimp and grits! Service is always amazing, I recommend making a reservation too! Live music every night, very authentic New Orleans vibe throughout! read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Fried Chicken Sandwich - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

We were invited to hear live jazz music at BrewRiver by one of the band members. We made reservations but did not need them since we were dining early and the crowd did not come until we were ready to leave. We started with their homemade Smoked Gouda pimento cheese and toasted Crostini. It was very good in flavor and a little dry in texture. My wife had buttermilk fried chicken with Creole, a basic "special order" salad with Romine and tomato. I enjoyed the coleslaw that naturally came with her chicken. I had the Chicken Etouffee and it was. very good. We ate everything then closed with a Chocolate Brownie with whipped cream. The band was drums, guitar, sax, and bass fiddle. They were very good as well. I would recommend BrewRiver Creole Kitchen highly. Approach via Eastern Ave since construction has closed the exit off of US 50. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - BrewRiver, chicken, salad, cheese, slaw, chicken etouffee - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

We love the new location! We sat outside, and we were pleased to see how well all the social-distancing measures are in place. Our waiter was fabulous- and had a trainee with him, which means he's being trained by the best. Everything was set up to minimize cross-contamination. The plastic wear normally wouldn't be my thing, but this year, I'm appreciating it! The best appetizer- in my opinion, is the chicken liver patè. It's not my husbands thing, but I love, love, love it! We both got a po'boy, which was very good. They have some great beers on tap, and my husband enjoyed trying some new beers. I appreciate their wine list, and had a glass of wine. Our server made sure we always had something to drink. We really enjoy this place, and look forward to our next visit. (And more chicken liver patè!) read more

What a great little local creole restaurant! The food was fantastic, great service, and the best bread pudding I've had! And live music by way of a great jazz band! We'll definitely be back! read more

The best place for brunch! The food is delicious, there is usually a band playing, and the pitchers of mimosas are wonderful!

Great Music, Food was Authentic, hot, and came out pretty quick. Their bar menu is extensive and they have all crafts on tap. If you can't find something to drink here, you won't find it anywhere. Service was top notch and staff was engaging. read more

This place is perfect! Dog friendly was required for us and they far surpassed our expectations. The food and service was amazing and the atmosphere delightful. Wonderfully nice people. Will go back for sure. read more

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen - Father's Day 2020. - Gastropubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Early afternoon brunch witnessing the start of a tragic Bengals game. A concerning setup for displeasure and dyspepsia, but not today. Good food, great atmosphere, terrific music. read more

I've been to BrewRiver a few times now and again last night- good place! I love the new space for BrewRiver, very inviting, spacious and homey, the live bands that perform are a great addition to atmosphere. My boyfriend ordered to Natchez burger and was absolutely thrilled with it, the bite I had was indeed very tasty. I ordered the bean and quinoa burger and unfortunately they were out of the patty. I do wish I had been informed once we had gotten the menus that they were out, fortunately I was excited to finally try the Shrimp Po' Boy. The Po' Boy was tasty my only complaint being the bread, although good, there was a lot of it; so much so that I could't fit my mouth around the sandwich and elected to eat it open faced instead. I also wish there had been a couple more shrimps. But again still very tasty. read more