Darren and the gang at the Scioto Ribber aren't running a restaurant. They're preserving a national…read moretreasure with a smoker attached. I'll give you 20 top reasons this is why I believe this is Ohios best steak house : 1. Darren welcomes you with such casual hospitality that five minutes after sitting down you start wondering if you've accidentally been adopted. 2. The Scioto Ribber is so unpretentious that if a New York food critic walked in wearing a $3,000 suit, the steak would still be the most impressive thing in the room. 3. Some steakhouses sell atmosphere. The Ribber sells steak and lets the atmosphere happen naturally. 4. The menu has less ego than most restaurant owners. 5. The steak arrives looking like it just won a bar fight and a beauty contest on the same day. 6. Every bite tastes like somebody figured out how to barbecue a memory. 7. The char-smoked flavor is so unique that if you served it blindfolded, half the table would think they were eating at a ranch in Montana and the other half would think they died and went to beef heaven. 8. Fancy steakhouses spend millions trying to create authenticity. The Ribber accidentally has it. 9. The wait staff are professionals disguised as neighbors. 10. The service is so genuine that when they ask how you're doing, it feels like they actually want the answer. 11. Other restaurants train employees. The Ribber seems to raise them correctly. 12. The place has more Ohio character than a Reds game, a church festival, and a Fourth of July parade combined. 13. Some restaurants are experiences. The Ribber is an institution with mashed potatoes. 14. You don't leave feeling like a customer. You leave feeling like you attended a family reunion where everybody liked you. 15. The steaks aren't cooked. They're respectfully introduced to fire. 16. The outdoor wood-fired grill does things to beef that should probably require a permit. 17. If a steak could earn a blue-collar PhD, this would be it. 18. The flavor isn't subtle. It walks up, shakes your hand, and tells you exactly where it came from. 19. Most restaurants want to impress you. The Ribber doesn't care. That's why it does. 20. The value is so good that halfway through dinner you start looking around for hidden cameras because surely somebody forgot to charge enough. Bonus Five : 21. Darren runs the place with such affection and quiet pride that you get the feeling he'd rather lose money than let a guest have a mediocre meal. 22. In an era where every restaurant wants to reinvent dining, the Scioto Ribber has spent decades perfecting the radical idea of serving great food by great people. 23. The steaks have more smoke than a political debate but leave a far better taste in your mouth. 24. This isn't just Portsmouth history. It's Ohio history with a baked potato. 25. The Scioto Ribber proves that you don't need valet parking, mood lighting, imported marble, or a sommelier named Sebastian. Sometimes all you need is wood fire, great beef, hardworking people, and an owner who treats guests like family. The two blonds behind the bar are so sharp that hemophiliacs have to file a restraining order The Scioto Ribber is what happens when Americana, hospitality, common sense, and a wood-fired grill get together and decide to show the rest of the restaurant industry how it's done.

Scioto Ribber is definitely good for the area. Friendly service, huge portions, and the kind of…read moreplace where your plate arrives looking like it's preparing for winter. I've heard people call it "the best steak I've ever had," which mostly made me wonder... where else have y'all been eating steak? Feels like the philosophy here is: "Why focus on quality when we can simply give you enough meat to feed a youth baseball team?" That said -- the service is great, the atmosphere is classic local favorite energy, and you will absolutely not leave hungry. Cheers to you, want rush back-but may find myself here again.

Absolutely amazing! Some of the best wood-fired pizza I've…read moreever had. We got the Mac Daddy and the Hog Father with a side of hot honey, and that hot honey was SO good. The whole place has a really cool modern/rustic feel, with a welcoming patio that was great for the dogs too. They have a big outdoor TV for football, duckpin bowling and other activities inside, plus a really nice-looking bar area. Great food, great atmosphere, and just a fun place all around. We will definitely be back! Service was phenomenal with the owner present and attentive.

Stopped in for supper. Everything went well. We ordered a pizza and wings, both done in a wood…read morefired oven. We enjoyed both. We would definitely return!

Everyone loved what they ordered, only complaint was someone ordered a burger and it was too dry…read morefor them (pretty sure it was a smoked burger which is why it was less greasy) but she still enjoyed it. I had the loaded baked potato and jalapeño sausage. Another person ordered the bbq Mac n cheese and everyone enjoyed it. Service was very accommodating since we had young children with us.

4.5/5 stars Stellar…read moreStart We kicked off our visit to this spot, and I gotta say, it was a hit from the get-go! The staff? Top-notch! Super nice, on-the-ball, and made us feel right at home. Spotless and Stylish The place itself was clean and decked out with some Halloween decor. FOOD COMA ALERT Now, the food - oh man, it was THE highlight! My mom and I went for the wings, but hers were SMOKED, and let me tell you, they had FLAVOR! BBQ goodness, the sauce warm and just right. We also dug into some awesome appetizers: stuffed mushrooms were a mom-fave, and those cheese curds? Game-changers with that caramel sauce! Pleasure All Around All in all, we were SUPER pleased with the grub. It hit the spot, and then some! If you're looking for a spot with great eats and top-shelf service, this place checks the boxes. Obviously we don't try everything but the wings did hit the spot. We will return.

Stopped in on a Sunday night for supper. We both got burgers plus a salad and fries. Almost…read moreeverything was excellent, the only issue was the croutons on the salad were very stale, we didn't bring it up as it wasn't a huge deal. They were very slow, by the time we finished our meals the place was empty. Our waitress was great. Would we return? Definitely!!

Everything was great. Food was wonderful. Service rocked. And the vibe was cool. Highly recommend…read morethis little joint.

Most authentic restaurant in the area. Food is always amazing, fresh, and good prices. Been here…read moreseveral times and never left disappointed or hungry!

If you would like some wonderful home cooked Mexican food get yourself here and come hungry. We had…read moreseveral items off the menu and they were all very good and I must say they've got the best guacamole in town!!!

We stopped in for supper a couple days ago at 6:30pm (not realizing they close at 7). They were…read morehappy to take our order! We both had the special fried chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and a vegetable & roll. Our meals were prepared fresh and out in good time. Our waitress was prompt and pleasant. The food was very good! We would strongly consider stopping in again.

Comfort food! Fresh and delicious! I come for the cake! You may have to take it home! Once took me…read morefour days to finish a piece of cake (portions are that big!). Service and ambiance are great. Good home cooking!

Yes, there is an Irish pub in Portsmouth! 100% recommend! The venue came highly recommended by some…read moregood friends....So, I tested their words by going with them for drinks and food. Walking into the pub and heading to the back room where the bar is, it was hard not to reminisce of my time spent in Ireland. The restaurant has a vintage Irish pub decor and a friendly atmosphere. The perfect place to go spend time with family and friends. We sat at the bar and our bartender (Sandy) was absolutely fantastic! She was accommodating, humorous, and just made you feel like you were apart of her family. She made a really great Moscow Mule and a tasty version of a Long Island iced tea I've never had before. I hope to go again soon to try some more food varieties, but on this stop, I had the shepherds pie and was able to try some of the hummus and pita bread. Both I highly recommend and worth giving it a go. I look forward to my next visit! Stop on by and give Port city pub some love.

We really wanted to try this place. The menu online looked good! But we found out it was…read moretemporarily closed. Not sure if it's permanent.

Stopped in for lunch today, met the owner Sugg, who gave us a complete rundown on the history of…read morethe business!!! Now that's amazing. Atmosphere - Great little hometown hamburger stop! We both had the Sugg Burger (of course!) fries and onion rings. All were excellent! Will we return? OF COURSE!!!!

This is kind of a hidden gem in the Portsmouth Ohio area. They have great burgers, hot dogs and…read morewonderful homemade soups. The food and service are always excellent. Remember when you go, it's nothing fancy but onshore is good!!

This family-owned Italian restaurant makes you feel like you've stepped back in time to the 1940s…read morewith checkered table cloths, brick walls, & old time photos. Our waiter may have been the grandson of one of the owners (not sure). Even though he was young he was very engaging and worked hard to please us. The menu was extensive with every Italian dish imaginable, including pizza. We ordered meat ravioli on spaghetti with homemade red sauce and angel hair pasta with little neck clams in white wine sauce. We had a house salad and the meals came with their homemade cheese bread and marinara. Everything was absolutely delicious. We ate every bite (no leftovers to take home)! We highly recommend Belini Cucina. Wish we lived closer so we could go there often!

Stomach filling Italian food for the soul! I'm usually not an Italian food lover because red sauce…read moredoesn't like me, but I very much enjoy the Alfredo sauce here! It's a nice little restaurant, staff is friendly, and the food is very tasty. I typically like to order the stuffed shells with Alfredo sauce, recently I started adding Italian sausage with it for a little bit or zing and protein. The portions are typically huge and worth the price! The only feedback I can give that stopped this from being a 5* review is that often they are missing ingredients for certain dishes. Last time it was Caesar dressing, one time it was the Italian sausage, and the list goes on. They have a chalk board at the front to show you what items/ingredients they are out of for the day. Regardless, there are enough great recipes that you can absolutely find something that will be just as great.

My husband & I stayed at the Holiday Inn for 3 weeks. We had Oscars for breakfast everyday and it…read morewas divine EVERY TIME. So much flavor, great portions. However, the best part is the waitress Lisa! She is ON it every morning, remembers names, always has a smile on her face, and is a literal beam of sunshine. That woman deserves a raise! Truly the best of the best. As for dinner & the bar, we ordered room service twice and everything was perfect. We got a burger and we fully expected it to be soggy. It was as though we had it freshly served in the restaurant. We did wait quite a while (they said it would be 20 minutes and we waited 50), but they quickly called and explained they'd had a rush. We called around 6:30pm so it was understandable. Truly the best food and service. We were never disappointed. Drinks are fantastic and averagely priced. You can't miss with Oscar's!

I traveled to Portsmouth from Cleveland for a business trip that I had to attend in the morning. I…read morewas tired. I wasn't going to look for another restaurant in Portsmouth so I just ate downstairs. Boy, was I lucky! The food at Oscars was absolutely incredible. First, I had a Manhattan prepared by Christie. Top-notch. Service was incredible. Then I had a steak kebab dinner and I have to tell you it is the best kebab steak I ever had. Perfectly prepared vegetables were so fresh and moist. On top of a bed of rice it could not have been better. I cannot recommend this place Hylie enough. Again I was here because I'm in the hotel and I didn't wanna travel around Portsmouth to find a place. I'm glad I stayed here. I highly recommend this restaurant.