10 Fountain Square Plz, Cincinnati, OH | Directions 45202
39.103198 -84.506489 View WebsiteView More
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I took a few co-workers recently to Rock Bottom. Cold beer. Great steaks. I enjoy service, and this place has it.
A Must-Visit for Cincinnati Beer Lovers. Love beer? Were you a little disappointed by the watery beer of the hofbrauhaus and the club atmosphere? You'll probably like Rock Bottoms, a brew pub right off Cincy's fountain square. Inside this place doesn't have the atmosphere of newport's hof, but the beer is much richer. This isn't a budweiser and natty light kinda place. This place is for real beer drinkers who know their stouts from their hefeweizens, or their IPAs from their bocks. Fountain Square is pretty happening these days so the place is never dead. The food is hit-or-miss. I've had hot, absolutely perfect pretzels and been given crappy, room temperature appetizers too. So how nice your experience will be here is a flip of the coin, unless your a fan of beer--which is consistently good. They have a GREAT irish stout, and Fire Chief ale is quite memorable--unfortunately, both are seasonal beers. Me and a friend usually walks there. It's fountain square so parking can be painful.
Table for twelve. The restaurant is right on Fountain Square which is pretty cool. We made reservations for 12 people as we had family in from out of town. They obviously were not ready for us as the waiter at first was going to seat us in two tables. They quickly put two tables together for us. There really is a lot to choose from on the menu and a good variety of their beers. Almost everyone was very happy with their food. They have a great sampler as a appetizer. The only problem we had was that they did not have all the food ready at one time. Four people were served and the rest of us sat and watched them eat. Then they brought over maybe four more servings. And later the rest of us were served. The waiter said he was going to talk to the manager. I understand it was a big party; but they are in the business and should be able to handle that. Other than that it's a nice chain restaurant.
Casual Dinner before going to the Aronoff. If you want to eat downtown before a play, but don't want to spend a lot, try Rock Bottom. It has a great atmosphere. When are you seated, try to get a table that overlooks the newly remodeled Fountain Square. Parking is convenient too since there is a garage below the restaurant.
This chain brews up some great specialty beers to go along with its tasty pub grub..
In Short
Large raised booths and an outside dining area overlooking the square give the restaurant a festive, upscale feel for professionals stopping by from downtown businesses or anyone who likes their microbrews with a solid menu and a sporty atmosphere. Starters are for sharing, like nachos piled high with beans, cheese, tomatoes and jalapenos. The hickory cheeseburger is a favorite entree. Pizza, steak, ribs, sandwiches and salads are also available.
Outdoor Dining....Bad Service. Though the ambience of the interior and the availability of outdoor dining (VERY seasonal) are both a plus of RockBottom, the food is unpredictable and the service has been horrible both times we have visited. It's a great place to watch the game and have drinks, but the food tends to be pricey for what you get and the service is beyond horrible. The first time we waited 45 minutes for our food and the second time...1-1/2 hours because the server forgot to enter the order...definitely not a downtown restaurant where you can go for an hour lunch.
Not bad. The beer and food are just ok, not great, and kind of overpriced. Good place to take a large group of people for a loud, fun time, just make sure you have a reservation. Service is fine, but the outdoor dining area is kind of pathetic.
In The Middle. In the middle of mountainous office buildings, Rock Bottom has one of the worst outdoor dinning experiences anyone could have. When I think of outdoor dinning I think of Teller's Of Hyde Park or Montgomery Inn. Places with some scenery. Who wants to sit outside and look at big pieces of concrete on a beautiful sunny day?
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