The Gruff — Restaurant in Covington

I can only comment on the service, cleanliness, and atmosphere because we walked out instead of eating here. My parents were visiting and we were walking Roebling Point and the bridge, and decided to try this for a late lunch. It was Labor Day Monday, beautiful outside, a Reds game was starting soon, and the place was mostly full so we thought it couldn't be half bad. When we walked in, there was a sign saying seat yourself, but there was also a hostess/server at the entrance so we asked about open tables and whether inside vs. outside mattered for service. She said when you find a table they'll be right with us. We walked around the restaurant. Two tables outside and 5-6 inside were not occupied. All covered in dirty dishes, food scraps, and drinks. Servers and kitchen staff we walking by, no one was bussing any of the tables. I went back to the server up front and asked if I could pick out a table for them to clean so we could sit down. She said once we sit at a table someone will eventually come by and clean it. This attitude really irritated me. I've worked in restaurants when I was younger and been to so many cheap dive bars where the bartenders promptly clean off bar space or tables when asked. I didn't want to deal with potentially poor/slow service and substandard food after that interaction, so we left to get takeout...

My family and I don't often venture over to northern Kentucky, but there are definitely some great spots worthy of visiting. The Gruff, just over the suspension bridge in Covington, is definitely one such place. They specialize in brick oven pizza, as well as various fresh sandwiches and salads. We stopped in for brunch and found something for everyone in our family.

I'm not a big brunch fan, as I do not like eggs. However, I was happy to find a number of sandwiches, and even pizza, on their brunch menu! I had a hard time deciding, which is rare for me at brunch, and eventually went with the Gruff BLT with applewood smoked bacon, arugula, pickled green tomato, and black pepper aioli on toasted sourdough with a chopped salad ($12). This was a great sandwich, especially the pickled green tomato. The salad was simple but full of fresh ingredients!

My wife enjoyed the southern chicken biscuit with which came smothered in sausage gravy and topped with bacon and an egg ($12). I almost ordered this without the egg, but was happy when she shared a bite with me. This was very filling and tasty! My kids enjoyed the fresh veggie plate, and the hot dog (both $6). Overall we had a great visit to the Gruff and I definitely want to go back to sample some...

After a spontaneous ride on the BB, we were lookin for a quick bite and stumbled upon this gem! Just a short ride from the dock, located in an awesome neighborhood, we couldn’t have been happier! From the descent down Greenup, the colorful building seemingly popped out of nowhere. We followed locals through the backdoor, we found a table in the corner by the window and enjoyed a wonderful view of the the bridge with the Troll mural and lovely view of the patio was a treat! Greeted and taken care of by a , pink haired friendly, and efficient, server, with perfect customer service skills, The pizza, deviled eggs, chaurtucerie plate, grilled cheese w/ fruit were delicious, the milkshakes, oh, My!!!and the meatloaf sandwich w/ pasta salad as my side was perfect! We ate everything! Lucky for us The Gruff, is located in a beautiful, historic neighborhood, where we walked , and gawked, our meal off, meeting friendly locals on the streets who were willing to share tips and history with our group of teenagers and moms. I definitely will make the trip back to the Gruff and this charming...