Awesome brews, great space and location. The reba and island style drafts have me so ready for sunshine and warmer weather. Frequently have live music and always have free parking. Cheers! read more

Fretboard Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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A coworker found this spot when we were staying at a hotel nearby. It has a great, casual vibe, which was exactly what we were looking for. I had the smoked chicken sandwich and onion rings and really enjoyed them! Also, we were there on a Tuesday night , which is trivia night...super fun! read more

Good beer. But the band was way too loud. We sat as far away as we could but still it sucked. We were going to eat and the food looked good but we wouldn't stay cause the music was soo load. Bands and bars never understand....People don't go to listen to the bands. They go to talk and the band should only be background. Couldn't talk so we had one beer and left. And before you say I'm too old, my kids agreed. We hoped the band would take a break but we missed it read more

Food was meh, the staff was rude and rolled their eyes at basic things and also giving rude faces. Unbelievable

Food was a 6,service was a 2 at best. Bartender was rude even when I explained it was my first time here.

The place was pretty warm inside and had a loud live performance. The food was normal bar food and you just sat anywhere you wanted. Service was great and they were helpful when selecting my flight. I liked this more than the Harrison location but not Hamilton. Hoping to get Factory 52 next! read more

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Decided to stay outside Cincinnati for a night as we made our way to Lexington and found this true gem. Located in a small industrial area,the brewery has a musical theme. Great decor,plenty of parking and food is available by Smoked Out Cincy BBQ. Picnic bench type seating. Tried their lager Acoustic which was only 4.0ABV and it was light and refreshing. A pint cost 6.00. They do have Beer To Go. They have recurring weekly events such as Trivia night,Open Mic and Live Music. We went on a Friday night and there was a live band that was great. They did not charge a cover but I'm not sure if this is always the case. For a fun and relaxing evening, I would strongly suggest a visit to Fretboard! read more

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Saturday night they had a band starting at 7pm. We showed up at 6pm and no seating. They did bring out some tables but put us in the back by the romper room crowd. A dozen young couples all standing around drinking while letting their children run wild. Babies crawling on the brewery floor... just gross. While I know they are also patrons, it was ridiculous. (And I have 4 kids but would never think to bring young kids to a glorified bar). Multiple times we were dodging the skee balls flying off the game because the kids were throwing them and zero supervision or staff intervention. Food is just mediocre. No options for gluten free eats. Need to add more gf drink options. Pineapple cider is ok but would love to have more options. Maybe bring in a true gf beer since it's a brewery? read more

Food and service was great and our reunion went very well. It has lots of room for old people to move around and enjoy themselves.

This is a tough one, because the beer here is just fantastic. But the experience we've grown used to (literally like our 10th time here) just wasn't here last night. The three girls behind the bar seemed as if they'd rather be anywhere than where they were in every engagement - except when it was time to pay and tip. Those were the first smiles of the night. And one of the girls was terribly rude to my wife and daughter because they set their EMPTY glasses "next to the merch" as the bar tender called it. Then the food experience was not very good either. Pulled pork was fatty (which does happen - I'm an EggHead - so it's happened to me) but also lacked the good smoked flavor we had always had here. Pork was really bland. Then the BBQ sauce was served to us cold! Warm meat and cold sauce? Seriously? Who does that?? And the Cole slaw was two bites and gone. The mac and cheese was super dried out - like something left over from a week ago. Even our five year-old nephew wouldn't eat it and it's his favorite food! And the wings - one of my all-time fave dishes here - were terrible! Again, lacking the smoked flavor I've come to expect from here, but then they were literally doused with sauce that made them soft and mushy. We'll go back and give it another try because this was our first really bad experience, but it sure seems something was off with the entire Fretboard team last night. Hoping it's a one off, bad night, and not a sign of things to come. There are too many options close by with just as good beer and good food to deal with this again. read more

Great food selections. Very knowledgeable bar staff and fun ambiance. I decided to try the flight and the bar staff was very helpful in me making my decision. All our food was good - pulled pork, Turk sandwich and salad with salmon. We need to come back in the evening when a band is playing. We came on a Sunday and they had a pop-up boutique supporting women owned businesses- very nice!! read more

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This creative themed craft brew pub was such a fun place to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The Latin band kept a percussive beat going so people danced, laughed and still it wasn't too loud to have conversation. Even the staff seemed to enjoy the music while giving attentive service and keeping things clean. Food is provided at an order window by Smoked Out Cincy. We will keep this place in mind next time we are in town. read more

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Service was horrible! One of the whole reasons we went was to get dessert however the waitress never asked if we wanted any only brought us the check when we were done. Never filled waters through the meal, I tried to flag down another server who looked me in the eyes and continue walking never came near us. Oh and when I asked how the veggie burger was she said couldn't tell the difference from real meat. I ordered it and it ended up being a black bean patty that was clearly different. If she had never tried it then should have stated such. While they do have a lot of Gluten free options the food wasn't great, the fries were soggy. The donut hole Sunday was alright but nothing terribly special. read more

Lots of variety in the beers on tap, lots of space to spread out, friendly service and barbecue on site. It's also easy to get to with lots of parking. The one thing to be aware of is that if you open a tab at the bar they'll keep your card and it is NOT the same tab as Smoked Out. So get your food first or plan to use two different methods of payment. read more

The beer is absolutely delicious! Tried a western coast IPA and a Hefewizen. Both were high quality. The bartender was friendly and informative. The atmosphere was a total VIBE!!! The best Playlist I have heard in awhile. Nothing felt crowded or pretentious. Very industrial yet somehow cozy? Absolutely loved it! Wish I lived here so I could become a regular read more

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I will disclose that I was definitely feeling my pre-brewery margaritas while we were here, but that being said, I was very impressed. The beers I tasted were great, especially the Peso and the Wah-wah. The greatest highlight however was the food. I ordered the flying pig sandwich and we got pretzel bites and fries for the table. All were incredible. The pretzel bites hit different and I know for a fact I looked like an animal shoving every last shred of bbq pork into my mouth but I regret nothing. We will definitely be back, hopefully soon. read more

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I love me a location that has giant garage doors so that you still get the outside air and breeze on a nice day. Everyone really enjoyed their beers and the margarita was pretty good. The restaurant inside, Smoked Out, was really good and had generous portions. I was really disappointed in their lack of sours and/or ciders but it was still a pleasant experience. read more

Fretboard Brewing - Large Mac and cheese - Breweries Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Very good selection of brews . We're sharing pints of new release Grateful Spinner IPA and Bootsy IPA . They have bands on select nights. They also have a selection of cans to take home. Plenty of parking. Check it out! read more

Fretboard Brewing - Taproom at Fretboard - Breweries Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Short Summary: Who comes here? The place skews middle age and older. You'll find families with kids earlier in the evening. Parking? Generally plenty and easy access from the street. Beer? 20-25 on tap, all brewed in house, with a few award winners. Food? Yes, solid BBQ based bar food (no burgers or pizza). Mostly fried stuff. Venue? Open in door seating with sports on TV. Outdoor seating is somewhat temporary with it being in a repurposed parking lot. What makes it unique? Live bands and a decent stage. More elaboration. Cincinnati has dozens upon dozens of brew pubs strewn across the city. Fretboard is one of the few in a short circle from out house (others are MPH, March First, and Sonder). One thing we particularly like is they have some great drinkable Pilsner/Kolsch style beers. Of course they have the dark stuff and other trendy ones, but for most days I just want a nice cold one Also, we often come to hear the bands play on a real stage and with sound mixing. The bands are all over the place in genre, but it is this variety we like. They are normally local to regional bands. The food is pretty good bar food. It centers are smoked BBQ and associated fried foods. They do make pork rinds which is pretty unique. read more

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Plant of variety on draft, didn't notice any draft seltzer but maybe I missed it. Indoor or outdoor seating, occasional live music with what looks like a dance floor. I've been here twice now and it looks like they've improved their seating arrangements since last time, plenty of space for groups. On a Saturday night nearing closing time it was pretty empty. They also just opened a taproom in Hamilton that I want to check out, I heard good things about the food! Would return read more

Fretboard Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Not a beer girl but this was a nice spot to come with a group and hang out! They had some ciders available, and a sour that was pretty sweet. My group enjoyed their beers. The food was fine, but ordering was very easy. read more

Very nice and airy space! Coworkers and I went for trivia night which was so much fun. Staff is excellent! Bartenders and kitchen staff were very nice and the one man working in the kitchen went around periodically collecting empty glasses and pre-bussing tables for patrons which I always appreciate. I had the mac n cheese egg rolls which were phenomenal. Friends had pretzel bites, pulled chicken, and fries which they all liked. Everyone enjoyed their beers; reba and the peso were crowd favorites with us tonight. I do wish they had more ciders and maybe more "unique" beers, though. The only cider option was angry orchard- I would have even liked to have seen Rhinegheist since it's Cincy-based. Would love to go beck for live music. Definitely a great spot in Blue Ash. Check this place out! read more

Fretboard Brewing - mac rolls - Breweries Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Fun time at trivia night! Only wish they had a bigger menu with more options. Was a little loud with some groups not playing trivia but enjoying the happy hour. read more

Super! Had the grapefruit IPA and hubs had the Trey Amber. Both great beers and great bbq!! Glad we stppped. read more

Fretboard Brewing - Pulled pork and grapefruit IPA. - Breweries Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

While there are many craft brewery choices in Greater Cincy, Fretboard brings a different vibe to the scene. Although hidden back in an industrial part of Blue Ash, this is still a great destination. The entire place is music themed. The beers have music names, the flight looks like a guitar handle, and the glasses feature guitar picks. They frequently host live music with an impressive stage, sound, and lighting system. The atmosphere here really makes the place! There is corn hole to one side, game tables to the other. The bar features seating or walk up ordering. There are long family style high top tables, or regular tables for seating. Of course you can take home a howler or growler, along with some varieties being canned. Every beer I tasted I enjoyed, but my current favorite to which I couldnt get enough of was the Fugee breakfast ale. It tasted just like mapley french toast (although not too sweet). My second favorite was the Reba strawberry blonde. They have some constants and other specialty beers that rotate. There is delicious food from Smoked Out Cincy food window which is to the right of the stage. There is merchandise that can be purchased if you want to show the business some love. My only complaint is that the staff wasn't overly friendly or helpful. When I asked several questions they werent eager to help at all. At the end, my credit card was literally thrown at me... and I cant say it was busy enough to warrant any of the attitude. read more

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Come for the pulled pork sandwich and stay for the beer, music, and conversation. Love the beer choices, but if unsure, ask for a sample. There are separate tabs from the bar and food window, so get your food first. If you are with someone, share the large sides with your sandwich. We didn't but should have because the large is a better value. The pulled pork was delicious, but the sides were just ok. The Mac and cheese had good flavor, but the cheese was not creamy. The potato salad had a weird texture, and I think it had bacon in it. Some would disagree, but bacon doesn't go in everything. Place is great for work outing. read more

With the increasing number of breweries around the city I'm finding it harder to visit them all. Fretboard Brewing has been open for a little over two years now, and I've only visited them twice. If they were located closer to my house I'm sure my visits would be more often. Fretboard is located in Blue Ash not too far off of I-71 at Pfeiffer in a sort of warehouse district. While the space looks pretty typical of the surrounding buildings on the outside, the renovation on the inside is great! Of their six or seven year round beer offerings, I probably drink Improv (IPA) or Trey (Amber) the most, though their Vlad (Pilsner) has won some national and international awards. But when I'm in the taproom I love trying out the creative seasonals that they have on tap. One thing that make Fretboard stand out from other breweries is that they have live music essentially every weekend. I have not had the chance to check that out, but it seems to be very popular. They are also kid friendly during day with cornhole and giant jenga sets. Smoked Out Cincy is located at the back of the room and features in-house barbecue. I've enjoyed the flying pig sandwich with pulled pork, coleslaw, BBQ sauce, spicy bacon bits, and horseradish aioli ($11). They even offer a limited kids menu when the entire family is in need of some lunch. Fretboard is another great addition to the Cincinnati craft beer scene. read more

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Visited for the first time last month. They were busy, but not so much that you couldn't find a table. I enjoyed the Oohahh Lager, a seasonal collaboration with the Wooly Pig Farm Brewery of Coshocton. This was a great way to spend some time while I awaited my order from Smoked Out. Fretboard has a nice selection of beers, including the Vlad Pilsner and the Peso in My Hand. The facility is spacious and includes a performance space for live music. This is definitely a loud atmosphere, so don't expect a lot of intimate conversations. Staff wears masks and are aggressive about cleanliness. I would definitely like to come back sometime after the pandemic. read more

Forgot to close my tab and left my credit card behind. Called the bar when I got home. No response. Left a message. When no call back. I checked my account.Two unauthorized charges already for appx $25.00. at City bbq. Froze the account. Ordered a replacement. Will dispute the charges I was too late to catch. Then I will call Blue Ash Police and let them know that Fretboard Brewery has at least one credit card thief working there. GFY FretBoard. read more

My husband and I came here a few years ago and loved it! And happen to be near here today! Glad we came by! They have used the parking lot to have tables that are 6 feet apart and umbrellas for the sun. We aren't planning on eating, but last time we had great food. You won't be disappointed when you come here!!! read more

Fretboard Brewing - Left is their Hazy IPA and the right is Brut IPA. Both are awesome!!! - Breweries Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

We absolutely loved their patio seating, the food was amazing and the service was great. We loved their shrimp appetizer, and they have a great selection of draft beers and wine. Love this place! read more

We took a day trip to Cincinnati to check out some sight and shopping at the kenwood shopping center a mall locales in kenwood, so after shopping thought we would grab a drink and some lunch, after checking out yelp and reading some reviews we decided to check out this local brewery, it is located in blue ash, Ohio it is in a industrial part of town and the brewery in in a warehouse type building, you enter on the side and it is very large inside with high top table as well as regular 4 tops, the bar in located next to the brewing area they feature about 24 housemade beers, the bartender was quite friendly and quite knowledgeable about the beers they serve. We weren't sure what we wanted so she let us sample a few. We narrowed it to Peso their Mexican lager that taste similar to Corona beer, very clean flavor very tasty, my wife likes fruit beers and chose peach pickin season it was a light beer with a nice light peach finish very refreshing beer. The brewery shares it's space with a nice BBQ JOINT called smoked out cincy I will say it was great, but deserves it's own review, so check out my review on their yelp page. If you are looking for a cool brewery that has tasty beer and great BBQ you should check it out soon!! read more

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Cute place with good food. Loved the pulled pork and mac and cheese. Nice party room area that can be rented out.

I was invited to come here as an after though. I am probably not the best person to review this place and I don't even like offering the 3 stars as they probably deserve better. I am just not a beer drinker and when I was invited I didn't know it was a brewery. I did have a bite or two of an appetizer while here and it was tasty, but I didn't get to see the menu as I was late and there really were not any seats left and because of the open environment it was loud. Again me being half deaf okay, maybe 40% deaf I could hardly hear anything my friends were saying. I might be back to try the food, if I do I will update this review. read more

Fretboard Brewing - Crowded and loud - Breweries Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Enjoyed Sunday afternoon visit to Fretboard Brewing in Blue Ash located on Creek road the brewery reminds me of the early days of MadTree They currently have 15 beers on tap a mixture of Pilsners, IPA, Red ale, gose I selected a flight as I always like trying a variety of beers whenever I'm visit a craft brewery I tried Crazy Train Belgian Pale Alr, Trey Red Ale, Improv IPA and the highlight of the flight, Shimmy Shimmy Cocoa POP a delicious red ale with a hint of chocolate truly wonderful on the palate. I'm looking forward to returning on future visit, they have live music several nights a week and trying more of their fresh local craft beer. read more

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We stopped at Fretboard Brewing Friday night. We thought it was very cool inside, and a good place to catch a band. We didn't try the BBQ made in site but it looked excellent. The Nati Dread beer (aged in Bourbon Barrels) was my favorite beer there. Reba was pretty decent too. Definitely a fun place to hang out! read more

Fretboard Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I chose Fretboard Blue Ash for my first time hosting a Meetup event. I visited the location three weeks before and was impressed with their venue. I met Amy who was supportive of my group coming. I chose a music group that did not offer typical dance music to encourage my group to talk and interact. The event was a success! About 30 attended, most of whom had never visited this location before. I arrived early to claim and decorate a table. The place was packed with a mix of families and friends. The staff pulled out a couple extra tables near the dance floor for us and others. The band that night allowed for conversation even that close. Kiddos have to leave at 9pm, so we were able to get another table nearby. Feedback from the group was very positive about the venue, the food provided by Smoked Out Cincy, and of course the house brewery selection. read more

I'm giving this place a 4 star review, but I could easily see bumping it up on my next visit. Visited on a crowded weekend night and wasn't able to sample as much as I want. I hear from others that the weeknight vibe is very different and chill, so I'm looking forward to visiting again to get a more full experience, and try some of the food and other beers. If you are in the area- check it out. It's surprising on the inside! read more

To start off, the vibe here is great. If you want a nice small-venue concert space and great beer this is the place for you. It is accompanied by smoked out cincy, which is some fantastic food. There are some very great beers such as the Wah Wah, Reba, and Peso. The reason it is 4 stars is because there are some beers that just don't reach the same level as the others. The upside is the bartenders are very kind and knowledgeable. I would come here again for the overall ambiance and great food. read more

Fretboard Brewing - Flight - Breweries Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This is an amazing hangout - great beer, live music, and BBQ. I came with a co-worker and had two flights so tried most of their beers, and all of them were great. My favorites were the ales (Belgian and NE IPA). The live music was incredible with both classic and original music. I even had the pulled pork sandwich which was amazing. I wish Fretboard was in Philly! read more

Fretboard Brewing - Fries - Breweries Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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