Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Oakley Pub & Grill - Cincinnati, Ohio

Wednesday night, I headed to Cincinnati with Tim & KG to see THE Greg Dulli. I rarely talk about my likes outside of food here, but let me make this very clear - Greg Dulli (of Afghan Whigs, Twilight Singers & Gutter Twins fame) is the only man besides my husband that I will love until my dying breath. Not the same way, of course. I love the Dulli in a mildly creepy, obsessive way - not an ironing his shirts and dealing with his mother sort of way.

So, on to the food. I'd done my research on the area, and though there's a Dewey's Pizza *right* there as well, Oakley Pub was voted to have the best burgers in Cincinnati. I can have Dewey's right here in Dayton, but I had to see what the fuss was about with these burgers.
Sadly, it was dark and I'd forgotten my camera anyway, so no pics for you.

Wednesday's special happens to be "build your own burger" night for around $6, but I'd been eyeballing one of their specialties, so I ordered the Soul Burger - a jerk seasoned Angus patty with grilled onions & peppers, bacon, mayo & American cheese. Not being a fan of processed American cheese food, I subbed provolone instead and ordered the "unique slaw" as my side instead of fries.

The burger was LEGIT. It was perfectly cooked (just above medium), spot-on with seasonings and the toppings worked very well. Note to the owners/chef: Why the eff would you serve this burger with American cheese? Switch to a stronger white cheese to tango with the jerk seasonings. I think the bun may have been just slightly toasted, but it worked.

The server explained their "unique slaw" as one with an Asian vinaigrette and show mein noodles, which sounded deeeeeelicious. Well, it would have been if there were more than 1 tablespoon of dressing over all 2 cups of the damn cabbage. This is a small, low-maintenance place, otherwise I would have asked for a little extra dressing from the back. I'm sure I'll find my way back there someday, so I'll know to order that ahead if I do (because frankly, the fries looked weak).

After my visit, it's pretty easy to see why they're winning all sorts of accolades for their burgers. It reminds me a lot of Tank's in Dayton - one of my favorite places in town for a burger. The menu is on the small side, but it's almost like everything is their specialty. Limited seating and no hostess - so if they're full, you're outta luck. There's always things you want to tweak about little places like this - but if you did, they would be just like every other eatery on the avenue.

4 out of 5 sporks!

Oakley Pub and Grill on Urbanspoon


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