Drove from Columbus to meet a friend for dinner. Looked at different places to meet and thought Trotters looked good. Could not have picked a better place. Amy greeted us with a great smile and a friendly attitude. By the time we left 90-minutes later we acted like old friends. We started with the Scotch eggs (after some alcohol). Really tasty with a crunchy exterior and flavorful sausage inside. Then two of us got the Irish egg rolls, one got a burger and one got a Reuben. The egg rolls were just the right amount for a dinner. Crunchy crust that held together with a nice filling. We kept stealing fries from one friend because they were so good. Amy kept our drinks filled, kept us laughing with her comments and really made us feel welcome. Place has a friendly neighborhood vibe working. Felt great. Make this a regular stop if you are in the area, you won't be disappointed. read more

Trotters Tavern - Amy with some grateful guests. - New American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

I love the Brown Jug Sirloin steak. Cooked to order and delicious. Service is excellent and my dinning needs are taken care of. Highly recommended. Best steak in town. It's a small space but it never seems crowded. read more

We could've skipped the wings, but the brown jug never disappoints. The smoked old fashioned hit the spot and the server Ari killed it. Salads were standard, but good. As a BGSU alum, every time I'm back to campus, this is a 100% must stop. read more

See all

Everyone should know about this place!! Trotter's looks like what you'd call a Dive Bar. Small restaurant in a small (quaint) downtown in a college town. You could walk by it and never know what they have inside, and that would be a travesty. They have the Brown Jug steak: a baseball cut sirloin (this sirloin eats more like a filet, I know you think I'm exaggerating but I'm not). It's served in a cast iron skillet with this sauce...this sauce is magic. Bitey, just the perfect amount of acidity. I've been trying to figure out the recipe for years, they're not sharing it. We live in Columbus and we drive up at least once a year for this steak. It's that good. read more

Trotters Tavern - a plate of food and a glass of wine - New American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

See all

The food, prices, service from Ainsley and the ambience all were amazing!!! We both had the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches...OH MY GOODNESS!!! The bun was soft, the meat perfectly seasoned, the fries and chips were delicious! Definitely give them a chance! read more

Amazing food! You have to get the Brown Jug Steak. The service is always great with friendly staff who is knowledgeable. Great bourbon selection which follows the horse racing theme. read more

It was fine. Nothing that spectacular about it. I had a salad that was meh. I liked the atmosphere. Older and cozy. Probably won't be back. read more

I'm originally from BG, and my husband and I always dine at Trotters when we're back in the area visiting our families. We enjoy seeing our favorite waitress, Tracy, and ordering the brown jug steak. We have never had a bad meal. Tracy does a great job and is very personable. The reason for 4 stars -we were disappointed to see how small the salads were last night. They used to be twice as big. read more

Food was good, service was pretty good. They looked short staffed the night we went and a full house. Nice clean place. Much nicer and more quaint once you are inside than it looks from the outside. They have limited hours, so I'd make reservations if you are going on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Call them to make reservations if you'd like confirmation. They did not confirm our reservation online or by phone when we made reservations online. I'd go back. We had fun! read more

To be fair I blame this on the server. I believe she put down our order incorrectly. We both got the brown jug but I ordered the Greek salad but I got the house salad with ranch that was incredibly average. I ordered medium rare but got beyond rare. My wife got medium but received well done, they even butterflied the steak. When they went to remake it they were kinda rude about it. The remade steak was also well done though not butterflied this time. This led me to believe the server / bartender put it in as a rare and well done steak, skipping over the word medium. read more

Very disappointing all around. Ordered drinks and appetizer, and all was very good, however once we ordered the food, it took 45-60 minutes before we had it. Really no excuse for that long. Server barely came over, until toward the end. When finally came out, few sides were cold, and one missing. Took another 10 to get those. Entrees were good, but due to service issue, we will not be back. read more

If you do not know what time to show up (as I did not), your entrance will be met with a wall. Trotters is very small and cozy if you get the single big table they have. Otherwise groups larger than 2 will be butting knees with one another. As a party of four, I was struggling to have keg room, and a bit stressed having no room to lay my arms to cut, nor insufficient space to place all the dishes. The bathroom is in the back, prior to the kitchen, and it is a single for one individual at a time. Make sure you check the little hook lock, because it is flimsy. Also, "studs" is for the men, while girls is apparently, "Phillies"? One of those try to hard to be witty that many may double take as to which door to enter, especially for a foreigner. I came to Trotters for the very first time, under the anticipation that it was the best steak in town. I exited underwhelmed. While I do think that the meat is very good, and of well cut, I absolutely did not like the overbearing sauce juice as well as the mixture of cheese. I ordered the infamous Big Jug which is 15-16 ounces, and managed to eat it all with no troubles. I made the executive decision to pour the very liquid sauce into another bowl, in order to enjoy the meat proper. My displeasure of the sauce is due to it being some sort of A1 vinegar mixed with the actual good juice that comes out of the steak during cooking. I ordered the steak medium rare, and without taking anything off, that way I would test it in traditional original quality. As mentioned earlier, the meat itself is very nice, big, and juicy. The only problem was the sauce and lack of salt. If you like a traditional steak, I would suggest perhaps without the vinegar type juicing it sits in. The fries are not the best, thin and crispy. What was surprisingly good was the mashed potatoes, which actually do blend with the cheese. I'm not exactly sure what the tradition of Trotters is with all the Parmesan cheese. The cheese itself is great, but it does not blend with everything. The mozzarella sticks are cooked a bit too much, too crunchy on the outside, and inside not being melted enough. All in all, the place is nice to get beer and hang with a friend or two. I would not necessarily be eager to return to eat. read more

See all

I really like Trotter's even though in the summer they have the air conditioning set at 96 instead of 69. The steaks are good, the sauce is good and I'm sure clogs my heart but it's yummy. The salads are good. The drink pours are fair. Not BW3 cheapskate pours, and not liquor pours that put the place out of business. They're fair and generous but not over generous pours. (BW3 on the other hand has a goddamn eye dropper metering out crappy liquor.) So I think within the market segment that Twatter's definitely deserves 5 stars. Oh, and the staff is very friendly. The gals at the bar aren't the typical college "doesn't care" type, they understand the meal of a business traveler is important. In town here (I lived here for 3 years) there's no place to get a decent steak at all. Good job to this place. read more

Not sure what the big deal about this place was. I heard it had the best steaks ever. Not the case my friends. They sucked and I spent a fortune and two hours more than necessary figuring this out. No bueno. read more

We rented out the entire place to have our engagement party and they did a spectacular job and we are still getting compliments from our guests. We were able to pick exactly what food we wanted, including the Brown Jug Steak. We thought it would be like a buffet where guests would have to get up for what they wanted but the staff moved about like little ninjas and brought the food, family-style, to each table and made sure that every person had a steak, chicken, sides, and apps. This was impressive when you consider that myself, fiance, parents, and a few others were walking around and mingling...they still made sure we had food. I cannot say enough good things about our experience. If you want to throw a stress-free party, call them up! read more

Really just ok steak, but sadly might be the best in Bowling Green. My second time here and don't need to try a third time. Searching for kind words but can't find too much. Skip here and go to Toledo or Columbus for a better steak. read more

Trotters Tavern - Garden Salad - New American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

See all

I've been here a few times, giving it a couple of chances in hopes that my previous underwhelming experience was out of the norm. Sadly the brown jug steak just isn't that great. There's better steaks even at the chain places. Problem is there aren't chain places in BG. Plan ahead tho. The place is tiny. read more

Really surprised at all the negative reviews. Have been here at least 2 or 3 times since new ownership and the restaurant is every bit as good as the old place. It looks cleaner and brighter sporting the same menu with maybe a few minor changes. This steak is among the best in Toledo area because of it's unique flavor and sauce. Everyone thinks they know what it is but no one agrees. Order a Brown Jug for yourself or split a large Brown Jug. There is plenty for 2 people. read more

Suchhhh good food. Great beer on tap too. You can get a killer steak dinner here for $20 so you can't turn that down.

Eat there the first time and will be back. Good food, great service and quaint atmosphere.

Brown Jug is just amazing. Great atmosphere! Great waitstaff! This is not fast food be prepared to wait. It's worth it.

It's been many years since I've dined here. The sauce taste different but still good. The steak was chewy and raw in the middle (asked for medium). They took back to cook a bit more and it came back WELL done. Not the experience I was hoping for. read more

Trotters Tavern - Big Brown Jug Sirloin - New American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

Trotters is an awesome bar to stop in and have a steak. Always friendly and a great atmosphere, I'm from up north in wisconsin and this always brings me back and makes me feel like I'm at home! read more

Trotters Tavern - Brown jug steak! - New American Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

Very nice place, we had steaks and they were outstanding. Great staff, too, very friendly and accommodating. Will definitely be back.

Good food, good service. We have been coming here for two years. Fix the damn keno machine! Seriously????

Wow. The steak with the brown jug sauce was very tasty. That sauce was amazing and the sirloin was tender and cooked good. Cold beer and a fun sassy bartender/waitress made it an above average meal. Steak was so good I didn't eat the fresh cut fries. They were good but a good steak will win every time. Next time I will get a veggie with the steak. I took it home and enjoyed the leftovers. I was on a trip for work and I almost never take leftovers home because it's a pain. As a salesman on the road I am so happy when I find a good local place to eat. Hard to beat this local place in BG. read more

First time trying Trotters based on recommendation from BG staff member. Have a son at BG. I really enjoyed my Brown Jug Steak meal! 4 of the 5 of us got it. Wife said it was "OK", too vinegar flavored. But overall very good food, good service, racing on TV...all good! read more

Recently changed ownership/management, and we got our food sooner than we had under old management. drinks were good, the place had a thorough scrub-down (all of the chandeliers now work and you can see in there now!). Brown jug special with the caprese salad is the way to go. Enjoyable dinner! read more

I love this place. I use to go here with a girl I really loved. Anyway...I went to BGSU and now live in Los Angeles, and in comparison to Lawry's and other VERY expensive steak places out here, this gives them a run for their money. The brown jug is a warm comfort feel. I get their shrimp, and they are colossal. Get some drinks and just chill. It's a local place and there is a reason why they're still open. read more

I love Trotters. After living in BG most of my life, I only discovered it after moving away. Now it is one of our regular dinner spots when I'm home visiting. My whole family loves it. We all get the brown jug and it is delicious. It is a bit pricey, but what can you do. Only complaint I have is that the salads are not good. I love their ranch, but the salad is made up almost entirely of lettuce stalks instead of leaves which are basically inedible. Steak is wonderful, fries are great, rolls are good. Service is good, drink refills are kept up on and plates are cleared quickly. We've also never had a problem getting in even with a party of 4 or 6, although it is a bit crowded being such a small dining area. read more

Finally tried this place after living here for 8 years and it's amazing! Get the little brown jug or just about anything on the menu. I was surprised by the portion sizes and the friendly staff. Steak was incredibly tender and everything was fresh plus I liked the dimly lit, soft music atmosphere. Don't wait 8 years to try it like I did! read more

There is one reason to go to Trotters and that is the Brown Jug steak. You will pay around 20 dollars for a 16 ounce, and it comes with hand cut french fries, and a salad. The fries are really good, and the salad is.... well a salad, but the steak itself can hold its own against just about any fancy steakhouse offering. I would recommend ordering it medium rare (how a sirloin was intended to be cooked), and don't be surprised when it takes 20-30 minutes to get to you. This is a very thick cut of beef. I would also recommend getting to Trotters earlier than later because the dining room holds maybe 40 people, and those seats fill up very quickly. read more

We used to love coming to trotters. We went there in January on my birthday and the whole group (including other Trotter's veterans) were very under impressed. The steak sauce is now very spicy and I ordered my steak medium and it came out rare and cold in the middle. This was a Tuesday night so I am just hoping to attribute it to them not being on their A game ( I also heard it was under new management). It is going to take me a while to come back but I will eventually because I would have given Trotter's a 5 star review based on previous visits. read more

My dad used to take my younger brother and I to this establishment. 25 years ago it was wonderful and we were always welcomed from the back door entrance through the kitchen to the restaurant. They do not allow that any longer. I was hoping to show an experience to my partner of 12 years and my aged mother of what dad used to show us as privileged children. Walked in, musty smell, air wasn't on, no breeze, sticky tables, plastic menus with pictures. I lament menus that have photos or are in plastic. The service was absolutely terrible. Unacceptable actually. The only thing decent were the half shots of gin in my martinis. The salad was agreeable. However the steaks that came out looking like Fred Flintstone would eat them were absurd and gluttonous. I asked the server who is also the bartender what kind of meat it was and she said it was some type of sirloin. I about choked on an olive from my martini. These were the biggest pieces of ridiculous meat I've ever had served in front of friends and family on a plate. My mother had to ask for a sharper knife because she couldn't saw through the meat. I had the Mediterranean salad. My dad always instilled in us that we always support locally owned businesses before we go to other nationwide establishments or chains. It is utter time for this establishment to close it's doors bid everyone adieu and never come back because it's grotesque. If my boxer of 10 years were with me I would not have cut this meat for him. Please, I urge you to go somewhere else if you're going to dinner with a friend or family or any special occasion because these people who bought this place it's not the same as it was 25 years ago I can tell you that from the bottom of my heart. After spending $137 for dinner I went to the Walmart subway and ordered a cold cut combo FYI. read more

We came here and got the steak. The steak was cooked perfectly, and really good, the only downside is we really didn't like the sauce it was served it. Other than that, it was a quaint little tavern with awesome food and great service! read more

Brown jug is the best steak in NW Ohio. Butter, parmesan, worchester sauce.

Atmosphere is better than the food but it's a good trade off. Recommended if you have an aversion to loud student-filled bars.

Basic Ohio small town eatery. Great if you're a local, not so much as a BGSU parent. Service is iffy on a good night, less so if things get hopping. With only a few tables, the place is usually full. On weekends, it's "call the Fire Marshall" full. Food is ok for small town, mostly comfort food favorites. Very small space, so you're jammed up to the table next to you, the wall, or the kitchen. Folks standing at the bar blocked the main aisle, between the bar and tables, making it hard to get food out of the kitchen and you have pretend you don't hear every word of of the conversations at the tables around you. Overall, not really the well run restaurant I wanted to take my daughter for her birthday. There are plenty of other places close by that aren't so cramped or chaotic, like Easy Street (just down Main Street) or The Stone's Throw pub just up on Wooster. BGSU parents will have a better experience at those establishments. read more

As new comers to the area, we were not at all impressed. 30 year old transplants from NYC, and Trotters came very highly recommended from my BFs colleagues at BGSU. Beer selection was pretty decent, atmosphere was def not a college bar, which is exactly what we were looking for in a bar to "call home". But the food is totally nothing to write home about. He ordered the Brown Jug, as we were told to do, and it was nothing that we couldn't have made at home ( I have Worcestershire sauce and honey at home too). We had a couple beers with dinner, again the selection is good, but upon getting our bill, the waitress seemed to have been absent the day "tally marks" and counting was taught. She charged us for 3 extra beers, and even after the correction the bill was still over $70! For Bar Food and a couple beers, $70 is UNHEARD OF, and I grew up in NYC. So, that was the last we'll see of that place, certainly not worth the cost. read more

Continue to love the Brown Jug under the new ownership, and the Greek salad is great. Unfortunately, we were used to getting generous and well-made vodka martinis, but on our most recent visit the (older) bartender lectured us on how to order a martini. We asked for a "very dry Kettle One martini." We were given a vermouth special. Although we rarely send drinks back, this was undrinkable. When our very nice (and apologetic) waitress sent the drinks back, the woman behind the bar told us to order just Kettle One up next time. Really!? Really!? read more