Brew House — Restaurant in Cincinnati

When I moved to Cincinnati three and a half years ago, one of the first places my boss took me to eat was The Brew House. That was 2012. The first place I took my parents when they came to visit me was The Brew House, many moons ago. The Brew House is a special place for me.

I went there last night (10/06/2015) and realized that over the course of three years nearly everything has changed. First, the menu: Everything on their already awesome menu is evolving. The management has really taken to heart the old adage that there is always room for improvement! The legendary Big Jack is still on the menu, but has been renamed “The Cameron” (apparently that’s Jack’s last name); a nice nod to something that we loved about the old Brew House. It’s true the price that made the Big Jack legendary has gone from $6.50 to $11, but I don’t mind at all considering the HUGE size of the burger (two full sized patties)! I can’t imagine how anyone could have made any profit at all selling that thing for $6.50. Also, the Brew House's run-of-the-mill hamburger has gone from $4.50 to $6.50, but that’s still on the cheap side for burgers of this caliber in the Cincinnati area. They’ve also deleted off the menu some of their lower quality items (which I never saw anyone order, even though I have been eating there regularly since I moved here), they are now offering all sorts of lovely new dishes for moderate prices that are what the historic Brew House is known for and is what everyone I know loves about this restaurant. Bringing the menu up to date is not only what probably saved this restaurant from having to close its doors forever, but what also allowed the new owners to start some MUCH needed renovations.

Let's talk about the renovations they are now making to the front of the building. One word: Gorgeous. No, two words: Gorgeous and Refreshing. The front of the building now sports a largely all glass enclosure that allows one to gaze upon the lovely happenings of East McMillan. With all the new things happening in Walnut hills, I really want to see what’s going on out there! The terrible thing about the old Brew House (before the new owners took over) was the cave-like atmosphere that invited in all sorts of shady characters (I’m pretty sure I saw an actual drug deal happening in the back room before the new owners took over and got rid of that sort of stuff). Now, I can actually go there by myself without worrying about someone following me to my car because they think I’m a prostitute! All the light that the front entrance lets in really brings a refreshing atmosphere, and makes the space feel like a restaurant instead of a festering murder-hole. I just love hearing and watching all the cars drive by on McMillan while I eat, too! The outside sitting space on the side of the building was also a nice addition, and this new renovation is a welcome change and all-around huge improvement.

It's great. So, so great. The new owners are clearly taking my beloved Brew House and trying to make it into something so much better! And they might succeed, but they will only succeed with people who don't know anything about the old Brew House, or are willing to give it a second chance. I find nowadays when I ask my friends to dinner with me, instead responding with “That place is scary, let’s just go somewhere in OTR” I get “Ok, they’ve got an awesome beer selection!” Those of us who truly loved the old Brew House will really appreciate this new and friendly Brew House. The new owners have really turned this place around.

I also want to say that I wish the new owners the best, and I hope they know that they have gone a long way in saving what is still a great little restaurant. It is--and always will be--a special place for me where I can go and enjoy an affordable dinner, cherish the memories, and enjoy the company of my fellow Cincinnatians and Tri-staters. It's a bright, friendly joint that actually has an atmosphere now!...

6/16/2018 The only people who would like the new Brew House are those who didn't experience the old Brew House. The old Brew House was a very cool dive bar with abundant atmosphere, affordable prices, and good food. The new owners of the Brew House think you can slap on a patio and put lots of windows in the front of the building and it all of a sudden upgrades everything. It doesn't.

The only thing all those renovations did was upgrade the price of the food. The Big Jack used to be $6.50. $6.50! The Big Jack, which is now renamed The Cameron (after Jack Cameron, the original owner) is now $11. Why not just keep the original name the same? I'll tell you why. The new owners don't want people associating an almost 100% price increase with a double-decker hamburger that used to be $6.50. So, hey, rename it and people might not catch on. I asked the bartender/waiter why the sudden and drastic price increase, and his answer was something along the lines of, "the price increases reflect the changing neighborhood dynamics." Get real. The new owners also got rid of cherished menu items that had been a mainstay for years.

When Jack owned the place, it was an all-around different restaurant. A dive with a soul. The new Brew House is an overly bright, overly expensive diner/bistro/pub where you can't even enter from the side of the building, anymore. Everyone now has to enter through the front of the building, on McMillan. Last time I was there I had fish and chips and fried pickles for an appetizer. The portions were small and the pickles were burned to a crisp. Oh yeah, they also had wall-to-wall Star Wars art for sale. That's right, Star Wars. F*@#ing Star Wars.

In the times I've been back to TBH, I haven't seen any of the regulars who used to be frequent customers there for years on end. All I've seen are people I don't recognize and who probably don't know any better. I'll continue to support The Brew House, but not because it's better than it used to be. It's not. The new Brew House sucks. I'll continue to go there from infrequent time-to-time to support my memories of...

I heard the service was slow, but wanted to give it a try anyway. WOW. Service was terrible. Didn't eat all my food. It was so cold in there. For some reason they had the a/c and the front door open. When we said something to the waitress, she just closed the front door. That was it. There were bugs flying around our table. After the waitress sprayed cleaner on a table, then ran her hands through her hair, she went back and picked up a tables food, without washing her hands. There's signs up about wearing a mask, but I guess washing your hands is not an issue. Its crazy that restaurants are closing due to the COVID, but the ones that are staying open dont seem to want and...