March First Brewing and Distilling — Restaurant in Sycamore Township

Previously I would have given March First at least 4 stars. Not sure what has changed with this place but it just continues to go downhill. We used to come here at least 2-3 times a week and we would have our monthly department happy hour here. However, since service (and food) have declined we have decided to patronize other local businesses. We have moved our department happy hour to Fretboard even though we like the atmosphere less but service is better and more consistent.

There used to be knowledgeable and fast paced bartenders on staff and now at best most of the staff consists of what I would consider cashiers or order takers at best. They are friendly enough, but their skillset seems to end past pouring a beer. We used to end our nights with a cocktail but stopped doing that if we can't order from someone like Dan or Randy. Wes was also great, not sure what happened to him. The last several Old Fashions we have ordered had approximately 20 dashes of bitters and entirely too much sweetener. The same girl has made it this way several times hence why we stopped ordering from her. Which this is highly disappointing considering the relationship with Cincinnati Distilling. We used to enjoy bringing out of town guests here to try all the bourbons and flavored whiskeys but now there doesn't seem to be a point. Who wants to spend $10 + on a cocktail that isn't made correctly, simple ones at that.

Last Friday will most like be our last visit to March First until we hear they have made improvements on their bar staff. With all the recent closings in the service industry and the new MadTree location I hope management takes this input seriously as I would hate to see another local business go under, especially when product is great just those serving it are...

We hope this review can help more than sound off as a complaint but to assist the business in improving the customer experience as we truly love supporting the Cincinnati Brewery and small business scene. We have unfortunately been let down with recent visits to March First. (As a side note, We have been visiting this brewery for years and even used to bring people from out of town to sample the drinks and enjoy the food when they would visit. We have noticed a decline that culminated with todays visit and this review.) The first thing with our visit today was we ordered flights of beer which included beers we have had there before. The unfotunate thing is some of the beers (specifically Solo) tasted very different and not as good as we have had at the brewery in the past. The inconsistency was dissappointing. The other experience today that will make us think twice about visiting or recommending in the future was the food. We ordered the nachos which ended up being a cold pile of chips with ingredients that looked like what you would expect from a teenager piling together what they found in their parents fridge for a snack. We hope the business can slow down their lofty ambitions of vodkas, whiskey, gin and expansions, etc. and can get back to focusing on delivering a quality product and experience for...

I hosted a couples wedding shower in the Brewhouse Private Room at March First Brewing’s Blue Ash location. We had the most positive experience from the initial booking process all the way through the end of the event. I worked with Jessica for the private room rental and she was amazing. She was responsive, thoroughly answered all my questions, and accommodated all my requests. I had so many issues with responsiveness and clear communication with other venues and I’m happy to say that Jessica made coordinating this party a breeze. I love that March First offers pizza and apps through their catering and all the food was delicious! They also allow you to bring in your own fruit/veggie trays and desserts allowing you to save money there. We were able to get into the space any hour before our event start time to start setting up. They also accommodated drink tickets and private tabs through the private bar. The space truly was perfect for our March Madness Party - plenty of TVs that we could have on different channels and lots of seating. I loved that the weather was nice enough that we were able to have one of the garage doors partially open to allow for some fresh air to flow through the room. Prices were very reasonable as well compared to other venues I explored. Would host another event here in...