We recently spent a fantastic evening at Knotty Pine on the Bayou in Cold Spring, and it completely blew us away. Tucked away along the Licking River, this hidden gem captures the rustic, cozy charm of a authentic Louisiana bayou shack while delivering high-end, mouthwatering Cajun and seafood specialties that rival anything you would find in New Orleans.  From the moment we walked in, the service was exceptionally warm, welcoming, and attentive without ever feeling rushed. The staff makes you feel right at home, and the relaxed, cabin-like ambiance sets the perfect stage for a memorable night out.  Here are the standout dishes you absolutely cannot miss: First up was the Fried Alligator Bites: If you are hesitant about trying gator, this is the place to do it. Lightly battered and fried to a crisp golden perfection, these tender bites are served over a rich, zesty creole sauce that adds just the right amount of kick. Next was we tried The Cajun Sampler. This is the best option for anyone who wants a bit of everything. It comes packed with blackened chicken and steak strips, spicy sautéed shrimp, and generous cups of house-made red beans & rice and rich Cajun gumbo. The depths of flavor in the gumbo and the perfectly seasoned meats make this a absolute triumph.  We also enjoyed the Crawfish & Crab Étouffée. This dish is a smooth, hearty, and packed with delicate seafood, étouffée is served over a bed of fluffy rice with just enough slow-burning Cajun heat to keep you reaching for another bite. It is pure, soul-warming comfort food.  Of course we have to save room for dessert! This multi-layered slice is rich, decadent, and a local legend for a reason. It is the perfect sweet finish to a bold, spicy meal.  Whether you are looking for a unique date night with your spouse or simply craving authentic Southern seafood, Knotty Pine on the Bayou delivers an unbeatable culinary adventure. Make a reservation, bring a hearty appetite, and prepare to be impressed! read more

So first of the ambiance is kinda confusing, like it feels like they want to be a fine dining restaurant, while also kinda being a sports bar. Not to mention the fact that you HAVE TO HAVE A RESERVATION, was mind boggling for the place. Like the server was very nice and all, that is a plus. Though sadly the food, we had the gumbo and etu fay, it was honestly pretty sad. Like it's up there with the top 5 most sad restaurants I've ever eaten at. The food was pretty bland, and lacked any form of spice. Not to mention it was hard to tell what was actually in it, like a lot of the ingredients tasted over cooked. So yeah it's going to be a no for me. read more

We visited Knotty Pine On the Bayou on a Thursday. The restaurant is pretty good size. I didn't realize this until it was time for a restroom break. It was a long walk. The wicker chairs in the section to the left of the bar as you face the bar were unusually deep and low. Over time I think we all adjusted, but sitting in them definitely felt unusual. There are other chairs throughout the restaurant. I recommend finding a table with different chairs. Our waiter was knowledgeable and very efficient. We hadn't checked on the website, but found out Thursday is oyster day, with $1 oysters and fried oysters and $1.50 for Oyster Bienville. The fried oysters were delicious. The raw oysters were good, though I had one that was gritty. We are going again in two weeks and will try the Oyster Bienville along with other assorted oysters. Two of us had the special Pan Seared Sea Bass. It came highly recommended and did not disappoint. The crisp on the top was delicious and the fish itself was delicate and moist. It did indeed melt in my mouth. The potatoes were very good, though I didn't finish all of them. The greens were good. Mark had a ribeye and is still raving about it today. He ordered the preparation version made with just salt and pepper. He also had a cup of gumbo. He said it had an amazing depth of flavor. We wrapped up with dessert. Three folks had Key Lime Pie. I opted for Karma's Opera Crème Cake. Oh my goodness, it was huge, sweet and delicious. I tried a bit of key lime and it just didn't compare. That said, those who had the Key Lime Pie loved it. Not only would we return, but we have the date already scheduled. I'm looking forward to trying something different. read more

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My co-workers highly recommended Knotty Pine so I decided to check it out on a Tuesday for their fish specials. The scene is quaint and gives a rustic New Orleans feel. My servers were warm and welcoming. I opted for the fried catfish with rice and gravy and collard greens. The greens were delicious! The catfish was perfectly cooked, flaky and piping hot, however missing the kick of cajun seasoning I yearned for. In all, I found my meal satisfying and of good value. While there were a couple of services misses, the waitresses made up for it by providing me with a sample of the gator bites. All I can say is, "WHOA!". They were absolutely DELICIOUS and seriously the highlight of my night. The cajun sauce served with them is the flavor I expect from Cajun food. That said, ask for the cajun sauce! On your fish, your rice and anything that warrants sauce. lol Dine local. read more

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Let me start with - I have wanted to visit Knotty Pine on the Bayou for a long time. It has been on my list for over two years. So I went in with high expectations - me being someone who loves Cajun food. The pros: The help was very good. Our waitress was kind and she knew the menu well. The ambiance was good - we got there right when they opened for dinner at 5pm, so there was no wait, and we got our food quickly. The okays: The food. I LOVE etouffee - but I was disappointed. It was kind of one-note and just okay. The fried alligator bites were also okay, as were the jumbo shrimp (they come with the heads on). My friend had the special scallops over pasta, and he said they were the best scallops he had in his life - so maybe I just misordered. No real negatives. I just was really excited to be blown away by Cajun food, and it was just okay. read more

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I didn't know what to expect with this spot but it did not disappoint. Place has an old school way of taking reservations (call and write you down on a piece of paper), but it works! They were slammed from 5-9 and they still had great service. The crawfish were up there on my list of favorites (which I was also surprised by), but would absolutely return. Decent prices, classic beers on tap, and all the Cajun food you can eat! A fun date night or summer night out to switch things up. read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - Cajun Crawfish Boil - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

Karissa took total care of us. But the whole team was so great. We felt like regulars here which was awesome. The food was delicious as well. The portions are yooge so come hungry! We love it all. The crab cakes were nicely prepared and full of flavor. The potatoes and okra were really great sides too. The shrimp and pasta were flavorful and the shrimp were cooked perfectly. I plan on trying the gumbo next trip. My wife had it and it was fabulous. We enjoyed our time here and so will you. Plan on stopping in. They'll take great care of you and you won't leave hungry! read more

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The restaurant is cute and service is nice. I love the hot sauce selections. I felt like a kid in a candy shop lol. We had sampler and gator bite. Both are good. A little salty for my taste tho. read more

Had an amazing experience with my girlfriends. Came in for Oyster Night-- ordered 2.5 dozen $1 raw oysters and enjoyed a half dozen of $2 Bienville oysters. Best place to get oysters in the Cincinnati area and at an unbeatable price. We ordered many different New Orleans style cocktails and enjoyed the incredible, classy and homey ambiance. The true star of the show was our waitress Karissa. Very knowledgeable of the menu and attentive to our needs. She provided creative solutions to our requests, and encouraged us to try new things. The entire staff was hasty while also maintaining a friendly atmosphere. We had an amazing time and we will be back, if not on the regular! read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - Raw and Bienville Oysters - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

We went for our anniversary. The frog leg appetizers cannot be beat and we shared a sampler. Our server even gave us a complimentary dessert for our celebration. I suggest a reservation. It got busy fast. read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - The delicious opera cream cake to finish the perfect meal. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

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We had absolutely amazing service for my son's birthday. He wanted a nice dinner and they put a candle in his steak which was awesome. The food was absolutely delicious there and next day as leftovers. I did not expect a place straight out of Louisiana right here in Kentucky! read more

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This place is great. Get an authentic experience with great oysters. Service is excellent.

I read on TicTok that this place offered $1 raw oysters. $1.50 chargrilled or fried oysters. Omgggggggg. I ran to this restaurant. They are only sold at this price on Thursday. I ordered 1 dozen raw, 6 chargrilled, and 6 fried. The bartender recommended a yummy drink for me. I was in heaven. Now I will say that me and my daughter were the only black people in the restaurant. She pointed it out to me. I quickly told her that I don't care. We were treated GREAT. Nobody gave us odd looks. I saw this only to express to people to simply give this awesome place a chance. I always judge places on how I'm treated. This place was great. The people were great. The service was great. I ordered 1 dozen of raw oysters..... yet my server thought that I said a half dozen. I only discovered that I had only a half dozen once I had enjoyed 6. He quickly brought me 6 more. They were soooooo good. $1 oysters . I'll be back for 2 or 3 dozen next Thursday for sure. This place is awesome. Try to get there early as this place was PACKED. I was lucky to get the last available packing spot . Yeassssssss I was happy. I'll be back. read more

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I was here on a Saturday evening with reservations. Our server disappeared and even left the restaurant, apparently. No one , even from management, bucked up and filled in. I would say overall that the prices are killers--far beyond the usual gouging that's occurring. The food was meh at best. Easy for 2 to spend $300 and be left wanting to stop at Burger King or Gold Star on the way home. Don't waste your money. read more

This was our first time. Great atmosphere, amazing food and attentive and friendly staff. We will back!!

Fun Cajun restaurant. A little off the beaten path. The ambiance was great and it was decorated for Spooky Season. Portions were huge and my husband and I had plenty to take home. The staff was friendly and answered all the questions we had. Will return as Cajun is a family favorite. read more

This restaurant is an interesting mix of tongue and groove walls and ceilings, eclectic art and log cabin. The staff is welcoming. The food was very tasty. My mom ordered oysters, it was a weekly special. The fried oysters that she was craving were not available. She chose the baked option. She fully enjoyed her choice. She chose the half dozen dinner option. The salad was served with a cup of blue cheese. She loved that. Then her dinner arrived with 6 oysters baked with cheeses and green onions, boiled potatoes and collard greens. She fully enjoyed her meal. I ordered the étouffée. I asked the difference in the sizes. The server explained the small and large differences. I thought it would come with a dinner salad, so I ordered a small. It was delicious but it was a stark contrast to the amount of food my mother was served. I would have made a different choice or ordered a salad if it was explained differently. I ordered the opera cream cake. It reminded me of something my grandmother used to make. A not too sweet chocolate cake with a sweet white frosting with a raspberry sauce. I am not a huge chocolate fan, but it wasn't overly sweet. We will definitely be back. This was not a bad meal, just a learning experience for next time. read more

Well, it had been over 20 years since I had eaten here, so we went tonite on $1 oyster Thursday. We drove 1 hr and 20 mins through a downpour and got the very last legal parking spot only to find out when we sat down at 6:45 that they were already out of oysters. Needless to say, I was understandably (and very visibly) pissed. But it wasn't the server's fault, so.... My wife had a pasta and shrimp dish, and I had a small bowl of etouffee plus the crab cake DINNER which had 3 crab cakes, potatoes, green beans and a salad. So that was enough to fill me up and still have enough room for dessert--Kahlua chocolate cream pie---Oh, mama, it was good. Also got a piece of key lime pie to take home. Everything tasted wonderful. Service by Makayla was spot on--friendly and attentive. Ambiance was pretty good--quiet enough to have a conversation. A 5 star experience. They also have some non-Cajun items on the menu--some seafood, filet, strip and ribeye steaks, etc. So we will be returning sometime to get oysters and other entrees. read more

This place was amazing. The food was excellent, the service was great, and the ambience was down home. If you like the Louisiana style food and feel this place can't be missed. We will be back ! read more

There is very little on the menu we haven't tried. I love the spicy shrimp and blackened chicken pasta. Service is great too read more

Knotty pine is such a fun way to get food we normally can't find in our area. Between the alligator, crayfish and gumbo you really can't go wrong. The staff is always super nice, they take great care of their guest! And when you walk in you are transported to Louisiana. The art on the walls and all the decor is just great. Perfect date night spot if you're looking to try some different things and good for the family too! read more

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This was very good! We had the oyster bienville and it was ok and pretty small for the price. Everything else was fantastic. Creole sauce had a bite with the scallops. Gumbo was great. Fried sea bass was exceptional. I loved the grits and collard greens. We shared the opera cake and it was fine. It was a moist piece of cake with an intersting texture of very sweet frosting. read more

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The food and drinks were amazing. Not pictured but the crab cakes were probably the best I've ever had. The service wasn't great but it was also the holidays and they were probably short staffed so I'll give them a break. read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - Blackened Scallops Pasta - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

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Food and service were great. Gator was the most popular dish at our table, but all was good!

We had a great meal at Knotty Pine on the Bayou. The portions are huge, the service was good, and everything was served hot. The sidewinder fries with Cajun gumbo as an appetizer is literally enough to feed 4 to 6 people, it comes out on a platter. The restaurant does get very loud on the weekends if that is something that you do not care for. We will definitely return! read more

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Amazing service, great food we will recommend this place! And are primed to return and try more! The homestyle food is refreshing and has the down home feeling that is sometimes lacking in some other places' read more

We enjoy going here. Food is great! Service is good. We have only gone with a reservation. Only downside is the tables are tight together and we seem to sit at the table that the traffic needs to squeeze through. read more

The food and the service are impeccable!! Nothing can replace their crawfish and Karmas Opera Crème Cake!! read more

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Food was okay. Wouldn't recommend if you have children. Service was a little rough in terms of attitude.

I've been to this restaurant many times and enjoyed decent food in the past however, the service has always been inconsistent. Unfortunately, last night I had a my single worst experience at a restaurant, ever. Our group of eight arrived at 6 PM and was one of only three tables (other than the bar) that had customers seated. Two hours later, we had still not received our food and all of the tables in the dining room had turned at least once. We had still not received our food and were told there were still several tables ahead of us in the kitchen. We pointed out how that was really not possible given our early arrival. The staff explained that they would get the food out to us as quickly as possible. Less than half the food did come out over the next 10 to 15 minutes; however, the majority of our food had still not arrived at the three hour point and we told the staff that if the food did not arrive within five minutes, we'd be forced to cancel. We had been keeping track of all of the tables around us in the dining room and all of them had turned at least twice and some of them three times over the three hour period since we had arrived. When the food had still not arrived at the three hour and 15 minute point, we informed the restaurant that we wanted to pay for the food we had received, cancel the rest, and leave. We succeeded in doing this, however there was nothing offered by the restaurant in terms of making things right. Very little in the way of an apology and their message was that this was "just one of those things that they couldn't explain". I would think that any reputable restaurant would have comped us for our meal. It is unlikely that any of our group will return. read more

I've been wanting to come here for sometime based on the great reviews on Chowdown Cincinnati Facebook Group. No better time then this past Saturday. It's about a 45 minute drive for me but 100% worth it and totally met my expectations. It's a great place but from the outside doesn't look so great and parking is tricky but they do have a parking lot directly next to them. I started with a cup of crawfish ettoufe as an appetizer. Then I had the blacked scallops with a side of pasta with creole sauce and a salad. The service was awesome and the food top notch. It's so awesome to bring a little bit of NOLA Cajun Creole to the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area. Definitely give them a try. It's worth whatever drive you have to make. read more

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A+. Food was excellent!!! Service was excellent. I highly recommend the Knotty Pine. Ambiance is great and fun.

Nice place to eat with family and friends. I had the catfish and it was delicious. Our waitress did an outstanding job and if you in the area definitely stop by. read more

Knotty Pine On the Bayou - Check in area for table - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Cold Spring, Kentucky

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I enjoy seeking out non- chain restaurants with comfortable environments and great food. Knotty Pine on the Bayou did not disappoint me. It was my first experience with frog legs and they were good. Everyone's meals were good. I had the Bayou Sampler and it was very good. Knotty Pine on the Bayou is over an hour from my house, otherwise it would become a regular 'Go to' location for me. It did lose 1-Star because they were out of a couple of the beers we ordered. read more

Prices are equivalent to high end fine dining. You feel like you are in a rundown cabin. We felt like we were on the porch of a cabin. Plastic glasses, plastic tablecloth, tiny slivers of a baguette bread and butter in a peel and serve like Waffle House. Prices like high end fine dining. Waitress was really sweet but absolutely no ambiance whatsoever. read more

We haven't been there for a while due to a couple bad experiences with overcooked fish. The service is always friendly. Maybe we'll try it again, our friends want to try the southern style food. We had ordered frog legs just for fun and the crawfish. A little pricey to get rubbery fish though read more

Food excellent.. little pricey.. but it's flown in from Louisiana.. t-shirt and shorts kinda place.. had a good time..

Lots to choose from in menu items. Great gumbo and oysters. Good service and friendly staff.

Went to Knotty Pine on the Bayou yesterday. There were four of us and we had a reservation for 5 p.m. we got there at 5 p.m. and were greeted when we came in the door. They seated us past the bar to the end of the restaurant. The restaurant has a very rustic old feel. Our waiter came to the table to take our drink order. Two of us ordered a hurricane, one of us ordered a Long Island iced tea, and the last person ordered a beer. He left to get our drinks and when he returned with them, he took our appetizer order and told us what the specials of the day were. We ordered our appetizers. I ordered the cajun shrimp boil. The waiter stop to tell me that the shrimp came head on to make sure I didn't have an issue with it. I did not. The other appetizers ordered at the table were deep fried frog legs and two orders of crab cakes. My cajun shrimp boil was served with a special sauce on the side which seemed to be mayo and hot sauce. When the waiter brought our appetizers he also took our order for dinner. I ended up ordering the special of the day, which was a Chilean sea bass. The waiter said you could have it one of three ways, grilled, blackened, And lightly breaded on each side and pan fried. I asked which way that he thought was the best and he told me the pan-fried option so that is what I ordered. In addition to that I also ordered the lobster bisque in a cup. Two people at the table ordered the Cajun sampler and the last person at the table ordered a variety of bowls such as etouffee and gumbo. At the end of the dinner I also ordered dessert which was the opera cream cake and a cup of coffee with cream. There are a few things I will say about this restaurant and one is it is very noisy oh, it must be all of the wood on the floor and all the walls and the bars in the middle so I definitely would not call this romantic. Although it is very dark in there. The friends that we went with go there fairly often and really like the place. I really did like everything that they served. I would not call the lobster bisque a "bisque" as it was way too chunky with seafood to be a bisque. But given that it wasn't that way I still liked it very much. The Chilean sea bass was excellent I would order that again as it was perfectly cooked. I also felt that I had a salad along with the Chilean sea bass and greens. The collard greens were okay nothing spectacular. The salad was good but the standout was their onion and mustard dressing that was house-made. Everyone else seemed to enjoy the meal that they got. The last thing that I got was the opera cream cake and it was a chocolate cake with a white icing and a raspberry coulis over all of it. It was a super moist chocolate cake with icing and a very raspberry topping. I liked this as well. It is a little bit pricey to go here but given the fact that thwy cooked everything well we will probably go back! read more

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Best seafood in town, I usually get the blackened halibut. With a side of delicious gumbo. And salad with their homemade mustard onion dressing, They have great mixed drinks as well. My hubby always gets the Cajun sampler, it has chicken, steak, and shrimp and it is excellent. You need to try this spot it is a keeper. Best gumbo, I've tried Papa's and it doesn't hold a candle to this. Try it!!! read more