Holy Grail (First Restaurant/Bar at The Banks) set to open 3/17

[dougdirt]

Because people don't go to Hofbrauhaus for the burgers. There's a reason it's on the last page of their food menu. It's not what they want people to order and the quality probably suffers as a result. I personally would be much more inclined to have a burger at the Lager House because I'd be eating Schnitzel or Wurst at the Hofbrauhaus.

And we'll just have to agree to disagree on the things that you can do to make food taste better. I happen to think that if you have better ingredients and a higher grade of meat you can do a hell of a lot to a burger.

I doubt a beer house is doing anything special to their burger or using different quality of meat. Sure, there can be a difference, I just don't think either of those two beer houses are the place you are going to get it. The burger wasn't bad. I have certainly had much worse $9 burgers from places that are "burger places".

And I can't buy the theory that they charge less because people don't go there for the burger. No one is going to the Lager House for a burger either, but it's about 60% more for a burger there (assuming the fries that come with the burger at Hof are the same $2 extra). 60% increase is a whole lot.

[nmculbreth]

We get it Doug, you think the burger is too expensive.... There is a simple solution, don't go there.

I'd love to see a sushi bar go up in the Banks. While there are a lot of good places in Hyde Park / Mount Lookout area, there isn't much in the downtown area. At the very least you'd think there would be more of a need for a sushi bar than a chain steakhouse like Ruth's Chris.

[schmidty622]

I doubt a beer house is doing anything special to their burger or using different quality of meat. Sure, there can be a difference, I just don't think either of those two beer houses are the place you are going to get it. The burger wasn't bad. I have certainly had much worse $9 burgers from places that are "burger places".

And I can't buy the theory that they charge less because people don't go there for the burger. No one is going to the Lager House for a burger either, but it's about 60% more for a burger there (assuming the fries that come with the burger at Hof are the same $2 extra). 60% increase is a whole lot.

Which is why I said we would have to agree to disagree. Because, like many others on here, I don't agree with you.

[Caveat Emperor]

Went to the Hofbrauhaus this weekend. Grabbed a Bacon Cheeseburger and a Pepsi (with plenty of fries) for under $12 (not including the tip). Isn't the Hofbrauhaus a strong comparison for the Lager House?

Night and day. I found the Lager House to be quite good in terms of food quality, whereas I'd never pay money to do anything other than drink at Hofbraushaus.

I don't know that there's much more to be mined out of this topic. You don't like paying money for food. I think any place I can get out for under $20 at is about the same. Those extra $2-$4 don't bother me when it comes to dining out. It bothers you. It's your world, chief -- feel free to bargain hunt for the best "value" cheeseburger around town.

[Reds/Flyers Fan]

While I am sure some cities have similar living expenses as Cincinnati, comparing prices in Cincinnati to those in places like Chicago, New York and DC isn't working for me. The cost of living (and thus, the income of the people who live there) is much higher.

I mentioned Milwaukee, Baltimore, Denver and Pittsburgh in an earlier comparison post. Is Cincinnati not on their level either?

[Sea Ray]

I doubt a beer house is doing anything special to their burger or using different quality of meat. Sure, there can be a difference, I just don't think either of those two beer houses are the place you are going to get it. The burger wasn't bad. I have certainly had much worse $9 burgers from places that are "burger places".

And I can't buy the theory that they charge less because people don't go there for the burger. No one is going to the Lager House for a burger either, but it's about 60% more for a burger there (assuming the fries that come with the burger at Hof are the same $2 extra). 60% increase is a whole lot.

You've been very clear but maybe my comments are what got this going. You never complained about the quality of your burger in fact I took it to mean that you enjoyed your visit. I was merely teasing you a bit for being a non beer drinker and ordering a burger there.

As for the others who said they'd do nothing but drink at the Hofbrauhaus, fine. German food's not for everyone. In fact it's not for Greg Hardman who made it clear that his place would not be a German restaurant.

Seems to me your point is that the Hofbrauhaus can serve a sandwich, fries and drink much cheaper than the Lager House and you did that quite well.

Personally I like the Lager House and will continue to go back. Of course I am burdened with a wife who has expensive tastes. I also understand I'm splurging just a bit by going there

[Sea Ray]

We get it Doug, you think the burger is too expensive.... There is a simple solution, don't go there.

I'd love to see a sushi bar go up in the Banks. While there are a lot of good places in Hyde Park / Mount Lookout area, there isn't much in the downtown area. At the very least you'd think there would be more of a need for a sushi bar than a chain steakhouse like Ruth's Chris.

My guess is Ruth Chris will do better than a soul food restaurant. I'd say keep Ruth Chris and trade Mahagony's for Sushi.

[Reds/Flyers Fan]

Thanks for the quick education on the cosmopolitan lifestyle, but a $10.50 Makers on the rocks is expensive. Period, end of story. Oh, and having traveled extensively away from "Applebee's and Friday's out in the burbs," I feel pretty confident in my assessment.

If you don't want to go there, don't. Nobody is forcing you. Frankly, with the $900,000-plus that the Lager Haus made in its first two weeks - according to a staff member there - it seems to be getting along just fine.

Paying $7.75 for a plastic bottle of Coors Light at GABP is what's outrageous.

[dougdirt]

I mentioned Milwaukee, Baltimore, Denver and Pittsburgh in an earlier comparison post. Is Cincinnati not on their level either?

Some of those places are, yes. But including the likes of New York and some others isn't so much of a good comparison.

[dougdirt]

Night and day. I found the Lager House to be quite good in terms of food quality, whereas I'd never pay money to do anything other than drink at Hofbraushaus.

I don't know that there's much more to be mined out of this topic. You don't like paying money for food. I think any place I can get out for under $20 at is about the same. Those extra $2-$4 don't bother me when it comes to dining out. It bothers you. It's your world, chief -- feel free to bargain hunt for the best "value" cheeseburger around town.

Have you ever eaten at the Hofbrauhaus?

And it isn't that I don't like not paying for food, its that I don't like overpaying for food when, to me at least, comparable places are charging 60% less for incredibly similar food.

[Reds/Flyers Fan]

Went to the Hofbrauhaus this weekend. Grabbed a Bacon Cheeseburger and a Pepsi (with plenty of fries) for under $12 (not including the tip). Isn't the Hofbrauhaus a strong comparison for the Lager House?

I would say 95 percent of the Hofbrauhaus' customers go there for the German food and the beer, not a burger and a Pepsi. Of course you can get away with a much cheaper check if you're ordering sodas or waters.

The average tab at Hofbrauhaus is much, much higher than $12.

[Reds/Flyers Fan]

My guess is Ruth Chris will do better than a soul food restaurant. I'd say keep Ruth Chris and trade Mahagony's for Sushi.

If Mahagony's is good - and I've heard good things about their Hamilton restaurant - it'll make a killing at The Banks. What I'd love to see is a 24-hour diner come in. I know one was originally planned before they hit financing problems.

[remdog]

Sushi is taking off in other parts of town. In fact in the Hyde Park/Mount Lookout area there's a sushi war of sorts going on that savvy folks are taking advantage of. They're running huge half price sales. I took advantage of that myself a few weeks ago. My wife and I had a whole table of sushi along with 3 or 4 drinks (total, not a piece) and the total bill was in the mid $40 dollar range. I'm learning to really like this sushi stuff!

Yes, I agree. A good sushi place would do quite nicely down there. Good idea!

What are the names of these two warring sushi bars? In case I get to Cincinnati this summer. Right now I'm eting a lot of Ikura (the one with the nice salmon roe on top that pops in your mouth when you bite it and a lot of Hamachi (yellowtail tuna) which is very buttery. They catch a lot of Yellowtail off the coast of Newport Beach as well as the rest of SoCal and my favorite fishouse in NB has its' own fishing boat which they send out daily at dawn in a triangle from NB to Catalina Island (about 26 miles) and then down to San Diego (about 100 miles south).

They harpoon all of the fish they catch (no long lines) and they are back at the dock by noon. All of the fish they catch goes on the lunch or dinner menu that day so it's really, fresh! Sushi is very low fat and relatively inexpensive unless you are into sme of the more unusual offerings like sea urchin with a quail's egg.

Hamachi to you!

Rem

[Sea Ray]

What are the names of these two warring sushi bars? In case I get to Cincinnati this summer.

This is the last place I went to and it was fabulous:

http://www.ichibancinci.com/

They have a whole page of half price sushi rolls on it everyday. I suggest you don't order anything but off the half price page. The prices on the page are about $8-12 a roll but that's the full price. They'll knock half off of it on your bill and it's all itemized so you can see how much you're saving. I don't know if it's up to California standards but I know you'll be impressed with the value. There'll be plenty of choices on that page. It's in Mt Lookout Square very close to Zips. They work hard. I think they stay open 'till about 1am. Go down the hill a few spaces and you'll see another Sushi place also on Delta. There are others in Hyde Park and I'm told by the locals that there's quite a war going on.

For those of you who are looking to jump on me for being racist, please stop reading now 'cause I'm not going to get into it with you here but at the risk of being politically incorrect but realistic:

The waiters are locals so language is no problem but the work is done in front (by the window along Delta Av) by Asians who know what they're doing.

[dougdirt]

I would say 95 percent of the Hofbrauhaus' customers go there for the German food and the beer, not a burger and a Pepsi. Of course you can get away with a much cheaper check if you're ordering sodas or waters.

The average tab at Hofbrauhaus is much, much higher than $12.

Of course, but I don't go anywhere and order beers/shots/wines, so that never comes into play with me. The fact that 95% of people go there for something other than a burger shouldn't change anything about the price of a burger. 85% of the people going to the Lager House are going there for something other than the burger. They still charge a whole lot more.