Holy Grail Tavern (on the Banks)

The Holy Grail Tavern was the first business to open inside the Banks project on... er, the banks.

(You'd think I'd go back and fix awkward sentences like that, but here we are.)

Holy Grail isn't the first of its kind-- it's the third location of the Grail, which I suppose has to keep moving, right?

I visited for lunch, always eager for a new place to eat downtown. (One can even tire of Paula's and Ingredients if one eats there frequently enough.)

We chose a gorgeous, breezy day, so the Holy Grail had its large garage door walls open (think Parker Flats), and though it still smells of sawdust and sounds like construction, it really made the restaurant a great place to be. The tavern is humongous, decked out with TVs (it's a sports bar) on mute (at least for lunch), long bars that could seat 20 people, reservable tables with private taps, and even bar seats right against the open windows. Large and fantastic.

The place was hummin' when we visited, but we had no problem getting a seat. Service was a little slow, but nothing unforgivable. The food was really great for bar food-- I had a turkey burger with swiss and it was juicy and delicious. (Food was a bit pricey-- check the posted menu.) The staff eventually rolled down the garage door because of some intense wind, but the room still felt airy and sunlit.

Holy Grail Tavern website: http://www.holygrailcincy.com/html/home/home.php
Holy Grail on Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/holy-grail-tavern-and-grille-cincinnati-3

Gas Light Café

You know where I rarely visit? Pleasant Ridge.


Dan and I drove out just to go somewhere different for lunch. (Okay, there are comic books across the street. More on this soon.)


Dan had heard that the burgers were Zip's quality... not sure that I agree. It was a good burger, but not great. I ordered the "Gas Light Burger," which is essentially a burger with all the very normal fixins... I found myself wishing I'd ordered something with a little more pizazz. (Not that anything on the menu really jumped out at me, to be honest. It's a bar.)


There was a cute trivia book on the table, which is a big win for me. I can imagine visiting this place with a group of friends on any given weeknight, but for lunch I wasn't impressed. Our server didn't even notice when we walked in, although we were almost the only people in the joint.

Arnold's Bar and Grill

My friends and I finished up our day-tour of Cincinnati at Arnold's. I'd been here once before, with some of Dan's friends. I kind of fell in love that night.

I wanted to bring my friends here for two reasons: 1) it's a great piece of Cincinnati history, what with being the Queen City's oldest bar, and 2) I'd heard they had a great beer list. My friends tried a few different beers throughout the night and seemed happy with their selections.

Most of the table ordered burgers-- it was just that kind of night, I guess. I for one loved mine, and devoured it rather too quickly.

This bar will definitely be one of my Cincinnati staples. I'm telling you, you can't beat that indoor/outdoor patio they have-- I'm anxious to see it come spring/summer when they open it up and host live music. I feel like I could spend hours there, easily.

Arnold's website: http://www.arnoldsbarandgrill.com/

Gordo's Pub & Grill

I've recently talked about Terry's Turf Club and Zip's, but my friend Evan (@nth_degree) insisted that the Cincinnati burger was actually in Norwood, at a place called Gordo's.

First off, I'd like to mention how awesome it was to meet up with Evan, Sara and co. I only know Evan through Twitter-- except for a quick hello during the fateful architecture tour that ended with Dan and I buying a condo-- and spending a little time together at this charming bar was worth the trip on its own.

And then there was the burger. I copied Evan and ordered the Gordo's Burger, which came slathered in bacon, mushrooms, boursin cheese and more. (I'm typically a lettuce and tomato kind of girl, but I'm trying to grow up a bit.) Mm, so delicious! It was a different burger experience for me, but it was definitely one I'd repeat.

So! Who's going back with us? And/or where is the next stop in the Burger Tour?

Gordo's Pub & Grill website: http://www.gordospub.com/

Cock & Bull English Pub

The bad/good news: one of my coworkers is leaving the agency. (Bad for me. Great news for Chad, and I wish him well in all his future endeavors!)

The good/good news: I got to experience Cock & Bull (Covington/Mainstrasse) for the first time.

The mixed emotion news: we were seated outside when it's overcast, rainy and 60° out. Brr.

I had a cider, fish & chips and a side of their chili. The first two I'd highly recommend-- the fish & chips are what they're known for-- and the chili was good if nothing special. (If you're eating outside in autumn... yeah, go ahead and order the chili.)

I really liked our view as well-- Mainstrasse is such a unique little neighborhood. The fountain (pictured) was right next to our table, and we were tucked back in a quiet, more residential area. Plus the leaves were starting to fall, which will win my heart every single time.

Cock & Bull's website (Covington location): http://www.theenglishpub.com/covington.php