Alcove by MadTree Brewing — Restaurant in Cincinnati

I've been to Alcove twice now, and both times have been a miserable experience to be frank. I want to clarify firstly the waiters I had both times were great, my issue is honestly with the ownership leaving this place severely understaffed which is wild since it's under MadTree. I try my best not to get mad at food industry staff because I know how stressful the industry is, but I will continue to not recommend Alcove specifically due to the inconsistency of this place.

The first time I went, we were only a party of two. Our waiter was great, but the food was honestly inedible. I got the steak frites, and when I tell you I've had better steaks at Waffle House... the steak was inedible. It was so poorly cooked that I couldn't cut it or chew it, and my friend tried it and literally told me he had no idea how I was even attempting to eat it. I chalked it up to maybe Alcove was drink focused, and I left it at that.

However yesterday I went again for my friend's birthday. She made the reservation for our large party three weeks ago, and when we arrived at 9:03 our table was still not ready for our reservation at 9. Our drinks were taken around 9:20 while we waited for 5 of the 20 to arrive. I will admit they arrived late around 9:30, but our food orders were not taken til 10:15 and food did not arrive til around 10:55. Alcove closes at 11, and honestly while we all felt bad we were having to eat past close, the attitude of the surrounding staff was incredibly rude and uncomfortable. I had multiple people text me about the side eyes we continued to get from the staff, and I don't know why we were considered the problem when we didn't get our food on time in the first place.

My issue is NOT with our waitress who was absolutely phenomenal. It was blatantly clear she was busy doing SO much when other restaurants like Colette take large parties into consideration and plan accordingly (we went there for Valentines with a large party and had NO issue with anything within the same time frame between 430 to 7). If our party was so large and there was a concern about timing, we could've simply been recommended for an earlier dinner time or simply told we couldn't reserve that large of a party that far into the evening. We all literally would've been ok with that.

Our issue again is not with our waitress and honestly not really with the staff. Having to delay going home and closing up always sucks, but management really needs to be better about accommodating for large parties especially if there's weeks to take it into consideration. MadTree should be able to afford more staff or be able to accommodate a party that large that they accepted. While the food was muchhhh better this time, I felt horrible that my friend's birthday dinner was honestly not it.

To our waitress last night, we ALL loved you so much. Thank you for taking care of us 🥺🫶 Our beef is not with you if you read this, and the birthday girl also extends the same sentiment. In her words, "I loved her and only her."

Edit: Stephen, unlike other replies to other reviews where an email and number were provided, you did not leave any information to get in contact with...

Alcove is a nice spot for small plates and drinks during happy hour. The food and cocktail prices outside of happy hour and daily specials are pretty high though.

We ordered pretty much their whole happy hour menu to try stuff for the first time. We found the happy hour menu on their website (attached in photos) and ordered off of that using our phones the whole time between 4–6 pm on a weekday. (The server did not have a printed happy hour menu for some reason.)

When we got our bills we were charged full price instead of happy hour price for several of the items. The server said that, apparently, the advertised happy hour menu posted on the website must be outdated, but again, as I said, the server did not have a new printed happy hour menu or offer to fix our bill for the items listed in the happy hour menu online that we were overcharged for.

It is false advertising, plain and simple, to advertise one price and then only after the item has been ordered and consumed, say "oh no, it's actually a higher price ($14 instead of $8 or for the cocktails if I recall). I hope that they get their "new" happy hour menu both printed and also posted to the website. I don't imagine it's intentional, but still I'm very salty about being charged higher prices because of changes from a "new" happy hour menu that doesn't seem to exist, either online or physically (and also that I never got to see at any point).

It is expected that the server or GM would have done right by honoring the advertised prices posted in the happy hour on the website (which we were ordering off of all late afternoon), in lieu of having a "new" different happy hour menu that both (1) is not posted online and (2) isn't handed out in the restaurant. I checked the website again after this review to confirm that the items I was charged full price for are on it and they definitely still are...

I recently had the pleasure of hosting my husband's surprise 30th birthday party at Alcove, and I can confidently say that it was an unforgettable experience. From start to finish, the team at Alcove went above and beyond to ensure that every aspect of our event was nothing short of amazing.

One of the standout features of our experience was the exceptional service provided by Carrie, our dedicated event coordinator. From the moment we reached out to inquire about hosting the party, Carrie was there to assist us every step of the way. She promptly answered all of our questions, offered valuable suggestions for room layouts, and flawlessly handled all of the day-of responsibilities. We were incredibly grateful for her attention to detail and professionalism, which truly made a difference in the success of the event.

The Gathering Room at Alcove proved to be the perfect space for our gathering of 25 guests. It had a cozy and casual vibe that perfectly matched the atmosphere we were aiming for. The mossy wall added a unique touch and created a warm and inviting ambiance. The versatility of the space allowed our guests to sit or stand comfortably which paired well with the casual feel. It was exactly what we had envisioned for the celebration.

I must also commend the bartenders, Shane and Liv, for their exceptional skills and friendly demeanor. They were not only highly professional but also genuinely personable and fun. I will be raving about the superb lemon drop until I am blue in the face!

All in all, Alcove exceeded our expectations in every aspect. From the exceptional service provided by Carrie, to the perfect setting of the Gathering Room, and the delicious cocktails crafted by Shane and Liv, our evening was truly incredible. If you're looking for a venue to host a special event or simply enjoy a night out, I wholeheartedly...