Montgomery Inn at the Boathouse

A review of the Montgomery Inn Boathouse. I am a Cincinnati Resident as such I have heard a lot about the Montgomery Inn but only rarely visited any of their locations. Since I was a little boy I have learned the ins and outs of barbeque and as an adult I can put together a pretty decent barbeque meal when I need too. Over the years I have listened to my fellow Cincinnatians rave over Montgomery Inn Ribs and the quality of food serve at the Montgomery Inn Restaurants. Recently at the insistence of my family we took a trip down to the Montgomery in Boathouse. The atmosphere and the service were spectacular however the food was mediocre at best. I did not get the ribs I got the pork chops they were cooked well enough however they were bland. The only real flavor came from the barbeque sauce they served it with and that was overly sweet. My sister in law did order the ribs and she made a similar observation about the sauce. In fact it was so sweet and there was so much of it on her order of ribs that she was scraping it off. Once she was able to taste the rib she noted that it was cooked well and was tender however it lacked the rich smoky flavor normally associated with barbeque ribs. These ribs had to have been baked. For all the hype I have heard over the years I was expecting something extraordinary from the Montgomery Inn. What I got was great service, a fantastic atmosphere but the quality of food was far below what I was expecting and frankly I was disappointed. I am even more disappointed that the Montgomery Inn is recognized as Cincinnati style barbeque simply because it is not very good. I realize I am going to take a lot of heat from my fellow Cincinnatians for say this but I do not understand why the Montgomery Inn so popular. They don’t have good food.…

sweet meat treat. NO city has the offficial BBQ stamp and to each there own cincinnatians know and trust the boathouse to deliver a stellar meal every time and it does. Might I suggest that if you dont like sweet BBQ you try the crab cakes they are amazing as well.…

Overrated BBQ. So I realize I've already started this review off on a bad foot with the title, given that Cincinnatians apparently love Montgomery Inn ribs. I know I've already lost a lot of readers. That being said ... I think you really have to like a sweet sauce to like Montgomery BBQ, and to me, that's not BBQ. I think the taste of this sauce is strangely similar to the "BBQ sauce" that comes with Chicken McNuggets from McDonald's. I don't mean that sarcastically ... there really is a similarity. It's just an overwhelming sugary BBQ blast, with no subtlety of flavor. Ah well, allow me to move on ....

Other meals I've tried at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse have been pretty good. Items are fresh and cooked properly, garnished well.

Service is another matter. I feel like this is a complaint I express often ... is it just me, or are more and more restaurants simply giving up on quality service? Perhaps they're paying their employees less and therefore don't expect as much? Service at this restaurant has been consistently slow through the six or seven times I've visited (and that's probably all the visits there'll be). The servers seem to have an adversarial relationship with the customers; at best sullen, at worst openly annoyed.

If it wasn't for the beautiful view, and the fact that the food is usually good (when you get it), I'd give this restaurant one star. But please, if you really truly believe you know BBQ ... sample your fellow diners' BBQ before ordering your own.…

disappointed. I made reservations for a special occasion for a large party. We arrived on time only to be told that our table was not yet ready. A half an hour later and after a half hearted apology we were seated at two tables near each other but not next to each other. Some food was overcooked, some food was undercooked. Some food was so bad that the waitress herself suggested that she get a replacement , and she had to fight the cooks to get it! I will never go back.…