BrewRiver Creole Kitchen — Restaurant in Cincinnati

I'm genuinely saddened to write this review but I feel as though I should for those who have the same expectations I did....

I visited the old location years ago and was blown away by how amazing the food was. I have been wanting to go back for YEARS! Finally had a chance to check out their new location last night only to be very disappointed.

Started with parking; we pulled into the self parking section and parked right next to a couple pulling in at the same time. Their spot was okay but apparently we were "too close" to the endurance of the self parking lot so we had to move......

My husband dropped me off and he went to park farther away. I walked in and stood at the host stand for what seemed like forever.... The bar tender awkwardly said hello after a while but never informed me if there was a hostess so I asked if there even was one... She finally came to the front so I gave her our name for our reservation. For some odd reason she also got the couple's name behind me (whom apologized to me on behalf of the valet staff for making us move.... They thought it was ridiculous also). She then literally walked both of us back to seat us at the same time!!!!! I was directly behind her but she proceeded to seat the other couple first, so I awkwardly had to move aside for her to seat them.... Then she took us to our table which was in the corner by the window and door.... Our "view" was awful, we looked at an abandoned building and watched a service truck fix the restaurant sign our entire dinner... Not to mention it was freezing by the window and door so my husband had to get my sweater.... We arrived at 6pm.... There were plenty of tables, we didn't need to be put in a corner by the door....

Our waiter was terrible!!!!! I was shocked to see what the menu had become, it used to be pages long. I asked him about it and he just simply said "we are only doing seasonal menus now and it's easier since we are bigger...." He never mentioned any of the specials for the day.... We heard the specials from two other servers explaining them to their tables... When I asked, he was so awful at explaining the salmon I opted out of the purchase.... Not to mention I really wanted the lemon dessert but he convinced me not to get it saying, "the cookie is so small you would be disappointed for spending $9 on it"!!!!!! So we got the brownie instead and it was awful!!!! My husband ate it (because he'll eat anything), I took one bite and was done!

The food..... Well our bread and cheese appetizer was not good. The bread was stale and very hard to eat.... Once again, my husband ate the whole thing because he doesn't like wasting food and after one bite I was done. BLT I got was "fine" my husband got the natchez burger and even he described it as, "I didn't care for it".

One thing that bothered be there most...... I'm assuming this was an owner or manager. I say this because I overheard her telling a table by us the reason they moved was because a land side damaged the other building. She visited every surrounding table that had guests, even helped clean and flip them when needed. But no one ever stopped by our table.... Not once to see how everything was... If someone would have checked on us other than or waiter who clearly was just getting through the night, I wouldn't of felt the need to write this...

I've been wanting to visit this restaurant again for years and I was VERY disappointed in what we received...

Dinner time 5:30 – Arrived at 5:20 we were the only people seated inside of the restaurant and 1 couple was on the patio.

Atmosphere – Cozy hole in the wall feel. We like this type of restaurant. Appointed in Mardi Gras and Cajun décor.

Time for food to arrive – 45 minutes. Seemed like a long wait when we were the only table to serve.

Pros:

Fish – The fish was cooked well and tasted good. Nothing special about it. I was a bit disappointed after reading how they use a single more expensive massive cod loin instead of smaller cheap pieces of cod. What I got was 3 small pieces of fish. The dish could have been excellent if it was served with good coleslaw and hot fresh fries (see cons below).

Pasta Monica (subbed chicken) – This was an excellent dish. Very flavorful

Brownie – This was served hot with a ton of warm chocolate sauce and whipped cream. It was like a chocolate volcano (melting cake). It was delicious.

Drinks – Drinks were mixed well with plenty of alcohol and not overfilled with other sweet mixes.

Entertainment – We really enjoyed the live band playing dinner music.

Cons:

Homemade ketchup – This was very awful. It was watery and no one at the table liked it. You have to ask for them to get regular ketchup.

Coleslaw – They do not offer coleslaw with fish and chips. This is just sinful, as you must have coleslaw with fish and chips. I had to pay $5 for a side of coleslaw. It arrived it 2 small ketchup soufflé cups. The Coleslaw was the worst I had ever tasted. Instead of a nice light crispy mix of mayo, sweet, and vinegar. This is more like caulk. It is very thick and pasty with a strong mayo flavor. I tried one bite and found it to be awful, but later tried a 2nd bite to see if it was just me because it was very different than what I was used to. Nope it was still awful. Still felling like I lit a $5 bill on fire and wasted it.

Fries – The fires were victims of the 45 min wait. They were old and cold. How can you not serve hot fries when you only have 1 table to cook for. They had obviously made them early in the process. This is a very picky area for me. I want hot fresh fries and normally would send them back, but we were with friends and as a rule I don’t complain about food when with company.

Malt Vinegar – This was a little head scratching and indicates simple things restaurants can overlook. You have to ask for malt vinegar. Instead of them putting a bottle on your table, they bring you a large soufflé cup full of vinegar. Their miss here is that bottles are designed with a small hole to splash the vinegar on food in small portions. Trying to use an open cup causes the vinegar to pour down the side of the cup. It’s hard to get a few splashes of vinegar when it’s just pouring out. The cup was filled to the brim and the first pour went on my sleeves when I tried to pick it up. What a waste, they now have to trash several ounces of malt vinegar when I only need a few splashes.

Would I return? This is doubtful. Cold fries, very bad homemade ketchup, awful coleslaw, and no ketchup or malt vinegar bottles brought to the table. That could offset the...

There are so many reasons to love Brew River Creole Kitchen, but I'll start with the food. My family has had the pleasure of dining at this restaurant on numerous occasions and it is abundantly clear that the food is prepared with great skill and love. The meals are fresh, unique, and delicious. My family and I frequent New Orleans and have also dined at many exemplary restaurants across the country; yet, my husband maintains that the shrimp po'boy at Brew River is one of the best things he's ever eaten. I have personally sampled a variety of the menu options and would absolutely recommend the poutine, the gumbo, the muffaletta, and the jambalaya. Not only do these dishes measure up to what one might expect in NOLA, but, in some instances, they're even better.

Now onto the drinks. My husband and I are beer fanatics (snobs?) and Brew River never disappoints. There are always new, exciting craft beer options from local and nationwide brewers to try and enjoy. I also have an affinity for Brew River's hurricane cocktail. It's not the overly-sweet, generic version you might find at some establishments; it's light, refreshing, and simultaneously packs a punch (in other words, it's the real deal).

Next: the music. Brew River is not merely a restaurant; it also serves as a music venue for some ridiculously talented local musicians (if you don't believe me, just Google Ben Levin). Thus, Brew River is a great place to grab some drinks and check out some local talent.

Last, but absolutely not least, is the staff. It is evident to anyone paying attention that the owner and head chef pour their hearts and souls into providing a top-notch dining experience for their guests. That level of care shines through the wait staff as well. One can sense that this isn’t merely a job to the employees; rather, it’s a passion.

Now, if you have gone to Brew River recently and are disappointed by some of the measures they have had to take to protect their guests/employees and survive as a business during COVID-19, then I implore you to give them another try once the world settles down a bit. The owner has expressed on multiple platforms that she never imagined they would have to use plastic utensils, change menu options due to astronomical food prices, or make drastic staffing changes; yet, here we are…in the middle of a pandemic. People need to stop acting like this is “business as usual” for this restaurant or any other. I’d also like to add that after not visiting a restaurant for three months due to COVID, I chose Brew River as my re-entry into the world of dining-out because I knew that, without a doubt, they would be following the policies and procedures necessary to keep...