Arnold's Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Cincinnati

There are fancier places, there are more expensive places, there are even places with better food menus, but there is no better restaurant in Cincinnati than Arnold's Bar and Grill. I actually don't have the energy to go into the wonderful food they have, the rotating soups and specials that are always good, and their most famous dish, the Greek Deluxe. One comment on the Greek Deluxe: I've been to this restaurant 50 or 100 times, had the Greek Deluxe the first time I ate there and have never eaten anything else. I've tasted almost every dish, nibbled on the wife's or kids meals, but the Greek Deluxe remains my all-time favorite plate of food on the entire planet. My standard joke about the Greek Deluxe: If I was given a last meal of unlimited Greek Deluxe before execution, and told that I would die when I couldn't eat anymore, it would take 8 days and I'd weigh two thousand pounds pounds before they executed me. And I'd be the happiest corpse you ever saw. Here's the only fact you need to know about Arnold's: In a German Irish city with a long history Arnold's is the longest continually operating business of all time, opening sometime in the mid 1800s, I forget exactly when. The great baseball writer Bill James, who was largely responsible for the Red Sox winning their first World Series in this century, has this line about athletes, that applies to most other fields as well: "Longevity is an excellent indicator of quality". Never more true than in this restaurant. Here's the only tip you need at Arnolds: If you have a chance, no matter what, winter or summer, driving storm or crystal still night, especially on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night around 8 or 9 p.m. Eat out on the patio. Be brave, it's not as risky as it sounds. You can thank me for that piece of advice...

A great place to go, even during the pandemic. We've been there before the pandemic too, and, other than distanced tables and more folks noticeable in the take-out line, Arnold's is the same great Cincinnati restaurant it's always been:

Food: Way better and more varied than the average pub fare. I had their wings as an appetizer, better than most in Cincy, and the Snon as the main course. The salmon was a generous portion bigger than I expected and it was very tasty.

Beer: good selection of Cincinnati brews, plus a lot of other local Ohio brews on tap, including some things I've never had before.

$$: The prices were slightly lower than pub fare average for two even with the salmon. It helps to go during happy hour.

Service: I get real tired of being asked every 3 seconds at most restaurants, "how's it tasting?" these people seem much more human very friendly but they weren't in your face a lot. Beyond that food was quickly delivered and they got the orders right.

Atmosphere: I'll admit the nice thing about the pandemic is there are fewer people in a restaurant;it's not always nice to be elbow-to-elbow with the next table. At Arnold's one never got the sense of overcrowding before, Especially in the outdoor area which this time of year (January)is sealed and heated. There's something about that painted brick area which is so charming and of course that's where the live music is so if you can get a seat there when they've got a musician that's the...

I recommend Arnold’s for work or personal events! This is the second time I have had great food and service from Arnold’s for a group event. My first experience was when they delivered 3 giant containers of hot Poutine to the P&G offices, for a retirement party I was hosting. This time, it was my retirement party and I thought Arnold’s would be a fun place to host a happy hour type party, as it’s a quick walk from the P&G office.

They truly delivered a super event that my 40+ friends really enjoyed— the set-up (back private atrium) with an appetizer buffet, and an open bar system for the attendees. Mario, the event coordinator and manager, worked with me on a budget and approach, that delivered a private space, with great food and open bar, yet kept costs within the range I wanted. Their waiter staff, Jess and Megan, and bartender Carly, were all over the crowd efficiently providing drinks, water and cleaning up and so upbeat and nice. Simply amazing service.

Bonus is the fabulous stage in the historic space and the vibe. I was able to deliver a speech from a great vantage point and it was also a fun photo backdrop (attached photo).

At the end, the staff packaged up the buffet leftovers, and we had another feast when we got home (their famous poutine, meatballs, roasted brussel sprouts and fresh pretzels and beer cheese).

Thank you Arnold’s, Mario, Jess, Megan and Carly for making my retirement party...