Zola Bar & Grill
626 Main St, Covington, KY, 41011
Zola Bar & Grill Menu
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Fazoli's is an Italian-American fast casual restaurant chain headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1988and is now owned by Sentinel Capital Partners. As of 2015, there are 213 Fazoli's located nationwide. The restaurant chain specializes in Italian cuisine and dishes. Carl Howard is the company's president and CEO.
Fazoli's offers a menu of traditional Italian favorites — highlighted by our famous, mouthwatering, garlic bread sticks — combined with a service experience not typically found in the QSR industry and served in a newly re-imagined restaurant environment. And it's all available to our guests at a great price and value. With over 200 restaurants, explosive growth and a booming sales trajectory, Fazoli's has established itself as a leader in the Quick-Service Restaurant segment.
Today, Fazoli's menu consists of classic Italian dishes, baked pastas, their signature Submarinos sandwiches, and other foods, such as:
Twice Baked Lasagna
Chicken Parmigiano
Italian Deli Trio
seasonal salads
Turkey Mozzarella Fresco
Meatball da Vinci
The Primo Italiano
Cheese or Pepperoni Pizza
New York Style Cheesecake
Baked Spaghetti
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
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Address :
626 Main St
Covington, KY, 41011 - Phone (859) 261-7510
- Website https://www.zolapubandgrill.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Ambience : Divey
Noise Level : Average
Music : Juke Box
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Wed, Sat, Sun
Coat Check : No
Smoking : Yes
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Has TV : Yes
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Nikki R.
Great Burgers! This place was really chill (on a Sunday). The burgers are excellent, they actually take the time to spice up the beef. So far my favorite burgers in the area. Our bartender was cool, and there was a lot of great blues coming from the juke. I dig it.
(5)Rj C.
What a cool "dive-bar" spot in Mainstrasse! Better than average bar food, VERY friendly bar tenders and a talented cook in the back room make for a pleasurable experience. Stop down on Tuesday night for authentic bluegrass music, though it sometimes is very busy and standing-room only. I'm a fan of their Zola Burger as well as a few others on the menu including the Memphis BBQ burger. Though I'm personally not a big fan of the asian pasta salad, the chili cheese fries are delicious. A small selection of very good beers and moderate prices make for a good time every time I'm at Zola.
(4)Karina M.
Love, love, loved the Soul Burger. The Caribbean jerk seasoning perfectly accentuated the flavors of the beef and I will definitely come back to order this one next time I get a craving for red meat. And they offered all day Happy Hour on Sundays!
(4)Samantha B.
My girlfriend and I love going to Zola on Saturday afternoons to monch and have a few brews without spending more than a fifty spot. The patty melt is YUMMTASTIC as well as the crunchy slaw. I always eat half and take the other for a snack later because eating a Zola patty melt is sensational! Girlfriend gets a burger or a gyro (I have sampled both, both are fab!) and some sort of cajun jalepeno fries for an app. All around DELISH! Service is always super friendly and the place is never over crowded. I have been on a weekend night and still loved the place. Lots of people but not wall to wall crowded. And even loaded with patrons I still had great service. Fo sho my favorite spot in Scuvington :)
(5)Lewis C.
Good old Zola. I come here quite a lot because it's in Mainstrauss yet you don't have to worry about bro's in Affliction shirts and hammered females getting in screaming fights. It's small and usually pretty low-key. Sometimes the weekends will have it more packed, but on average it is a smaller crowd of mostly regulars casually drinking and having a good time. They usually have live music typically consisting of acoustic duo/trios. Come in on a night when guys from The Turkeys are there - you won't regret it! They're usually there on Thursdays. They run drink specials and always have cheap PBR's, if you're into that kind of thing (I'm very into that kind of thing). The bartenders are always awesome and friendly, and if you can handle a smoking bar (you'll get over it), then come getcha some good food and drink!
(5)Michael R.
Superior food at a reasonable cost and service that has been excellent over more than ten visits in the last two months! While I enjoy their burgers, my wife tries a little of everything and has found it all to be prepared well, with quality ingredients and attention to detail. Their fries are some of the best in the area. I wish they had a decent wiezen/hefeweizen beer in stock, that is about the only negative. I see some have complained about the cigarette smoke, frankly it is worth it to not have suburban hausfraus letting their poorly behaved children run about.
(4)Travis G.
Best Burger in the Cincinnati area. I've been saying it for a while now and I'm finally ready to put it in writing. The meat is seasoned to perfection with a mystery spice that has you waking up in a city a thousand miles away with a hunger for their burger. But it doesn't stop there, they put delicious toppings on a bun that is soft yet holds up to the juicyness of the patty. Their signature burger comes with 2 kinds of pork and sauteed onions and mushrooms. Their black and blue burger has a house made blue cheese sauce that I crave. Steak fries are a wonderful mix of crispy and soft and a side of their blue cheese sauce - yet more mystery seasoning that I can't quite duplicate at home - is a perfect meal. The coleslaw - if you choose to not go with the steak fries - is totally unexpected with an Asian flair, but very tasty. I've tried several of their other dishes and my co-workers continue to get other things, but really, when I walk in the door I know exactly what I want - 1 Zola burger, medium rare, everything on it. Fries. Side of blue cheese sauce for fries. If I get anything else, while perfectly good, I leave slightly disappointed that I didn't get a Zola burger.
(5)Jamie T.
I LOVE Zola. They have some delicious burgers with a variety of great toppings, as well as lots of sandwich and appetizer options. Their drink prices are super cheap too, and there's usually some sort of happy hour going on. I think on Sundays they have an all-day happy hour with $3 wells or something like that. The wait staff is always very friendly and helpful, and every now and then they have some live music inside the bar. Great place to hang out and get a few drinks and some food!
(5)Drew J.
This place is great....but they stopped allowing kids once the smoke ban went in to affect. Bad move, IMO. We used to come here on a regular basis and loved the great beer list and eclectic pub grub. We have two kids and now can't even step foot inside. Too bad. They're missing out on a lot of non-smoking and family business. Shout it out if you change. We're going elsewhere for now.
(1)Blair W.
I liked the vibe of the place - small bar & burger joint with an interesting crowd, the reds on a couple tvs and decent music - but I was pretty unimpressed by the service and food. Service took way too long - we got our drinks right away but then it was probably 15 full minutes before someone came by to take our order. The burger, especially for being so reputable, was very disappointing. I think it was something about their beef I didn't like because everything else (accessories/addons) were very good. I probably won't head back, but if the service improved and you had a taste for their particular beef, you might enjoy it a lot more than I did.
(3)Missy L.
Zola's is pretty much everything you need in a Bar/Grill type situation. Located in Covington's Main Strasse Village, Zola is a cozy establishment with limited outdoor seating as well as a lounge upstairs. The food at Zola is about what you would expect; burgers, fries, chicken fingers, wraps. That being said it is all extremely tasty. During their happy hour all their appetizers are half priced as well. Though, even at regular price everything is very affordable. I have found the service can leave something to be desired at times. It's neither speedy nor particularly friendly. I work in customer service so I hate to get on anyone for the quality of their service, but this has happened nearly every time I've been to Zola's so I feel it deserves to be said. Zola's does offer some good drink deals as well as a fairly well stocked bar. They typically have some type of live music in the evenings. I know The Turkey's play here fairly often. It definitely adds to the experience. So if you find yourself in Main Strasse and are either looking for an affordable meal, or tasty beverage Zola is a good choice (just don't go if you're on a schedule because you will more than likely be late to whatever you have next on your agenda).
(3)Chelsey L.
I've been going to Zola since I have moved to Covington. The bartenders are so friendly and the live music is great. Then the burgers.. oh lawd the burgers. I always get a classic burger with some Cheddar, but I've had bites of the Black & Bleu and the Zola. The burgers are juicy and well seasoned, the bun to meat ratio is perfect the toppings are fresh. They also have some great salads, secret tip coming... Try the Blackened Cobb with their Asian dressing, weird I know but it's delicious. I love sitting outside during the summer, prices are great as well. Try it out on Wednesdays for burger night!
(4)Roger M.
Spicy Jack is my favorite, the staff always greets you when you walk in. The chips are amazing and the burgers are exceptionally large. The price is perfect for the amount of food you get. Im currently working my way down the menu and havent found something I don't like. Always cooked the way I ordered it, the crowd is always at a low rumble, its not too loud in the bar and the restrooms are clean.
(5)Jimmy W.
I have a love hate relationship with Zola's that I'm hoping to work out in the near future :). I love their burgers, especially the spicy jack (a top 3 burger in the Cincy area!) but hate smelling the smoke while eating and the reaking of it after I leave. It says a lot that I will suffer the smoke just so I can get a spicy jack burger. I have always had great service and especially like sitting at a high top while eating to chat with friends and people watch (always a few interesting characters there). Definitely try their burgers cooked to how you want them, grab a beverage, and if you don't mind the smoke, it is a great place to spend the evening with friends..a "local" bar that is a bit dive-ish but stll fun to hang out in.
(4)Cindy G.
We went to Zola on a Saturday night and it was crowded, smoky, and loud. I hear that this is not normally the case here and I am totally willing to give it another shot. But our experience here was just OK. We had the chicken finger special which was only $4.50 from 11pm-1am. We tried to sit on the patio, but it was full. Also, the bartender seemed like he hated his life and did not want to be there. The service was fast, but not the friendliest. I wouldn't come running back to this place, but if we were in the area I would consider it. Cheap, fast, and has live music.
(3)Patrick P.
My burger was yummy! I ordered the Zola Burger and had a couple of Warsteiners (draft) to boot. It was Saturday midday with not much a crowd at the bar. The place did not have many people because it was pretty early. I ordered my beer and sandwich (with a side of their asian slaw) as advised by many of the yelpers. The burger was cooked perfectly and had great flavor. The slaw was really good. I enjoyed everything about the meal. Please note that this bar is still smoking inside - so if you have issues with cigarrette smoke - this bar may not be for you. Service - Quick and friendly Food - Very good - everything was advertised. My sandwich, slaw and two beers was around $15 Atmoshphere - it was nice - they were playing the UC game. The ding was the cigarrette smoke. Please note - I can see if this place is packed that it would take a long time to get your food. I beleive everything is made fresh and could see the kitchen backing up. Since there was no crowd - My food was really good. Enjoy.
(4)Julee E.
Ate here a few weeks back, and then forgot to write my review. All I can say is great atmosphere, great food, and great service. We came for lunch, so we had no problem parking, but I can imagine it gets pretty crazy at night time ... but our server said there is a parking garage around the corner. We will return!!
(5)Sherry R.
Awesome burgers!!!!! Delicious slaw as well! Very good Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale...definitely worth $5 a glass!!! Fun atmosphere too!
(5)Dave S.
We did stop #2 on Cincy Burger seek here and we're not disappointed. The Zola Burger was the choice and was perfectly cooked. My wife got the slaw which was excellent and I the fries. Draft beer choices were good and reasonably priced. The only problem was so many people ordered similar dishes that our order was delivered and consumed by the people at the table next to us. Old school bar atmosphere, will be back if in the neighborhood.
(4)Nicholas R.
Had lunch here for #CincinnatiBurgerWeek and was greatly surprised by the burger. It was the best no frills burger all week. It was just a burger with the normal toppings prepared in an expertly practiced manner. The service was amazing and the bar was great as well.
(5)Joshua B.
First night in Cinci (Monday)I checked out Zola's, ordered a Cajun burger, Tito's and Redbull . Burger was good drink was right, Barmaid(Tracy) was friendly, good enough for me. Only a couple of beers on tap but I'll be back.
(4)Evan B.
Great Burger Mania Wednesday! Had the Caribbean with fries. Place is packed on Wednesday but worth the wait. Future regular.
(4)Gloria Z.
Zola continues to be a 5 star bar with awesomely delicious food and unbeatable prices. It's like a dive bar and pub rolled into one. We'd enjoy it just for drinks or for a meal. The perfect french fry will be found here, along with really good chili, mildly spiced NOT cinnamony, and you get a big bowl for only $3.50. It is 50 cents extra each if you want to do the chopped onion and shredded cheese thing, but those portions are quite generous. Filled my husband up. I had the turkey ciabatta sandwich which was filled perfectly with a variety of delectable components that melded with the turkey to create a phenomenal taste sensation. Ooh, and authentic fresh soft and chewy ciabatta, yum! I had my eye on the gyro plate, too, being devoured nearby. Will probably try that next time. Our server was great. She handled the full bar (10 spots) plus about five tables without missing a beat, and was most pleasant and helpful! Wish I had asked her name. She was on at 3:00 Saturday afternoon. Get yer Christian Moerlien on tap here, mixed drinks only $3.50 at regular price, ok? And served in a nice tall thin glass, which I love. Gotta get back here for happy hour!
(5)Nick F.
Excellent service with amazing food. It's a hole in the wall destination that you can't pass up when you're in the area. Try the fried chicken melt, you won't be disappointed.
(5)Karen K.
First time here and we will definitely come back when in town. Wednesday is burgermania. $6 butgers. Staff very friendly with pub type atmosphere. Must try.
(5)Jessica S.
Last year Zola's was on the list of bars to visit on Mainstrasse for a friend's 21st birthday outing. It was a great place to drink, listen to live music, and have fun with a large group. The upper floor has a pool table and good seating, which was perfect for a party like ours and is the primary reason we stayed there most of the night! I'd been to Zola's before for burgers, too. They're cooked great and the choice of toppings and specialty burgers is fantastic! Definitely a must-visit spot when around Mainstrasse.
(4)Alex S.
I like Zola a lot. Not everyone does, but I do. Let's just get it out of the way - it's a Covington dive bar. Wood everywhere, a bunch of small rooms (but a very nice patio outside), cheap beer selection ah yes. And of course, the awesome dive bar food, including a delicious burger )(one of Greater Cincinnati's best!) Delicious. We learned last night that the kitchen closes at about 1am, which sucked because damn we were hungry. Still, they were nice enough to let us bring in a Lucy Blue's pizza from across the street. And my did we sit there and eat our pizza. They never even bugged us about getting drinks either. Only about half way through our pizza did one of us in the group actually buy a beer. The downside? Well, the smoking of course. It's a KY bar and there's gonna be smoke. And a lot of it. Your clothes are probably going to smell like it for weeks. It can also get crazy on those weekend nights, although we were just there for a quick drink Halloween weekend and still found a table and ate pizza, so really not that crazy. And they often times have great live music! A couple of guys, some microphones and a guitar between them. It always adds to the room, not takes away from it. It's a damn good dive bar with a damn good burger. What more could you want?
(4)Katie W.
I go to Zola all the time during the week to eat and have a drink. prices are great and food is always great. Place isnt that fancy. bartenders always super friendly. Sometimes have acoustic music. Burgers are great! crab cakes are great. Ive had pretty much everything on their menu and never have been disappointed.
(5)Shelby D.
This is probably one of my favorite locations in Covington. My friends and I are here so often that the bartenders know our drink orders without asking. Ummm, does that make us-dare I say-REGULARS?! Yikes! In this place, I'm not sure that's anything to be scared about. The food is pretty darn good and made to order. Don't expect anything fancy-burgers, salads and yummy fried food take up most of the menu. Even though it's not fancy, everything is still delicious! Tuesdays tend to be a little crowded because of The Turkeys. If you don't know who they are, then I suggest you get you butt to Zolas on Tuesday and find out!
(4)Karen Q.
Uber Friendly dive bar with a nice beer selection and the best cheeseburger you will ever eat! Love this place!!!
(5)Peter J.
This place is awesome! Also in Mainstrausse its one of the quieter bars in the area. The food is great and there are a number of craft beers available. But that's not the best part of the place. The best part is the food. The place has bar food that can only be described as off the chain. The hot fries are amazing. Perfect. The wings are great as well as well as the nachos. It's a nice quiet place to go and relax which is a plesant surprise in such a crowded place.
(5)Katherine M.
I enjoy Zola. The atmosphere makes me happy. It's that great Kentucky hometown bar you are looking for. It's relatively inconspicuous and doesn't want to be a flashy bar with trendy things. It's a bar with some pretty good food, and that's what it is. I've mostly come for drinks. The drinks are good, pretty strong, and the place is comfortable. Mostly the band that I have seen here (The Turkeys or one of the guys from the Turkeys or whatever) is good. They play good music that I know, so that always makes me happy. I came for food once and it was pretty good - my chicken tenders were far better than my husband's burger - but the burger was decent, just nothing special. The food is okay, you probably wouldn't come for that. It's just a good bar on Mainstrasse and always a stop for me.
(4)Beth R.
Love Zola French Onion Soup + Warsteiner = happy girl
(4)Andi B.
I love a good burger but I was meeting a friend who is vegetarian. Based on the Yelp reviews we decided on Zola because they said the portabella burger was great. I normally go for a burger, lettuce, tomato and pickle but decided to change it up completely. I picked the mo town burger (I think that was the name) bacon, cheddar, onion straws and BBQ sauce. I got my sauce on the side because I order the chips (crunchy saratoga chip), which they make in-house and are amazing, so I could dip. My friend got the portabella and the asian cole slaw. Hopefully she does a review because it looked great. We had an appetizer that was something like southwest stuffed potato, but neither of us were wowed by it. It is an older bar, converted house so naturally that coupled with the smoking option it is a smokey place. In the summer, they have tables on the sidewalk. Wednesdays are their burger special day, which as of this date is a burger, up to 5 toppings and a side for $6.
(4)Ben B.
The go-to spot for pub grub in Mainstrasse. Great service backs a pretty decent menu! Everyone loves their burgers, and being part time veggie, I have to agree that their Portabella burger is one of the better veggie burgers in the area. Their bleu cheese is also quite fantastic! It can get a bit crammed in here, but an upstairs area and in the summer time patio, this is one of the better bars in Northern Kentucky!
(4)Zack F.
I haven't reviewed Zola's yet? Wow. So, this is my favorite bar in Mainstrasse. Does it deserve 5 stars? I don't even care, it's great in so many ways, and since it's my go to spot, it gets the bump. Surprisingly, they do cater to vegetarians here, and have a really tasty portabella burger. That's given that I don't even like portabella burgers generally. Their coleslaw is even vegetarian, another thing I typically dislike, but it was great. They have a respectable selection of alcohol to choose from and their prices are reasonable. The service is always attentive, friendly and attractive. It definitely has a neighborhood bar feel. If you go enough, you'll know everyone by name. It can get a bit loud, but you can still talk to your friends. They have regular local, live music. Their bluegrass night is a lot of fun. Stop in often is my recommendation.
(5)Matt P.
Went there to check out their "Burgermania" ($6 for a 5 topping burger & side on Wednesdays) and had their Cajun Bell. Burger was great, good quality meat, perfect amount of spice, and toppings we very fresh and worked well together. My only complaint about the food was that the burger was a little over done (ordered medium rare, got medium) so make sure to order a little on the low side. Service was excellent, plenty of seating both inside & outside. Will definitely come back for their Wednesday night Burgermania!
(4)Chelsea V.
Portabella burger, no really- a good one!!! Amazing bar, fantastic food and check the schedule cause you don't want to miss the Turkeys weakly playlist live every week. Lunch or dinner, Zola's has an amazing menu. Black and bleu burger and the potabella to name my couple classic dishes served with fresh fries and a great beer cabinet to wash it all down. Since it is south of the great O- Hi-o river, if the smoke hinders your apetite, feel free to snag a seat outside. Plus- it's conveniently on Main Strasse, so hit up a couple other hot spots while your in the hood.
(4)David D.
Eclectic pub with live music and friendly staff
(4)Amanda S.
Today's word is: Inedible. Say it with me kids! INEDIBLE! Now, let's use it in a sentence! The burger I got at Zola Pub and Grill was INEDIBLE! Yep, that's right. It was so medium that it was raw. Mushy. It may have winked at me. I can't even tell you whether or not it was good because it was inedible. The waitress immediately took it away and tried to get the kitchen to actually cook the damn thing but it was so far gone that I decided to take it home and cook it myself. You know, because I know how to cook a burger (unlike the kitchen staff at Zola's). When I did fully cook it, I noticed that the blackened seasoning is definitely weird. It has a lemony note to it. Not good. But, as other Yelpers have said, their bleu cheese is really tasty. Give it a try...just not on a burger. Aside from that our food was whatever. The onion rings were good but they were just battered and fried rings of onions so not too much to screw up there. My beer, Great Lakes Holy Moses, was decent although I'm totally bummed that they no longer have Turbodog on tap. Unlike some Yelpers, we actually had good service. There was some wine festival happening on Main Strasse so millions of hideously bougie people were swarming the local restaurants, Zola's being one of them. The waitresses handled it with great aplomb. The wait for food was ridiculous but each one of our dishes, when not raw, was served piping hot. Our drinks were always filled and she was more than helpful during the inedible burger fiasco. Actually, I would have totally given Zola's the "Eek! Methinks not" rating but the service from our waitress bumped it up to a "Meh." A very reluctant "Meh" but a "Meh," all the same.
(2)Marcus H.
I've been to Zola Pub and Grill two times now. The first time was back in November 2010 for a 21st birthday, and today (12.18.11) for lunch. We went because we didn't feel like driving far and because it's in walking distance from my house it was a match made in Mainstrasse! They had a spicy soup that was really tasty, and I ordered a burger. Now, if you like a little pink in your burger, order it medium-well, because the medium is a little on the medium-rare side. The burger otherwise was good, the service is what I've come to expect in Mainstrasse - friendly, quirky, and a little slow. It is of course not smoke-free I.e. it is not an establishment that I usually choose to dine, but during a Bengals game on a Sunday afternoon there was only 1 girl smoking in the entire place so it wasn't terrible. My mother would have referred to it as a dive bar, and she would have been right. Decent food, decent atmosphere, decent place.
(3)Jessica M.
Zola is a laid-back bar and restaurant. I've been there a few times now and am always impressed with the quality of the food and the strength of the drinks, especially considering the price. If I lived in Covington, I think this would be one of my go-to places. Unfortunately, I live in Louisville, but I always seem to end up at Zola when I visit friends in Covington. You just can't beat a place where you can get a good meal and a couple of strong drinks for less than $20 (including tip).
(4)Michael E.
Overhyped burger Rounds out average menu You can do better
(3)Greg S.
Zola's was an "after the show" stop with my youngest (teen) daughter on a very nice Sunday afternoon. Located on the east side of Main Street in Covington's Mainstrasse, it is the sister location to the "915 Pub" in Fort Thomas, KY, a few miles to the east. That connection is evident in its menu, and its style. This visit preceded the smoking ban in Northern Kentucky, so we were still subject to the lung filling smoke upon our entry. That should no longer be an issue here. I do believe that of the twenty or so people in the restaurant/bar, we were the only non-smokers. The waiter/bartender arrived at our table quickly, and made a valiant attempt at making us feel welcome. With the amount of customers he had to serve, he was fairly busy and this left little time for small talk. We got menus, and ordered our sodas. The menu is not large, but it is adequate considering this place seems to lean more towards the bar side of the business than the restaurant side. This is all part of our ongoing "Best Burger in Cincinnati" hunt, so it had to be burgers. When our drinks arrived, my daughter ordered the "Zola Burger" which comes with American cheese, and I ordered the "Mushroom Burger" with Swiss. We ordered both of them Medium-Rare. For sides it was traditional fries for her, but I went with something different. As stated earlier, this is a sister pub to the 915 Pub, so they have their delicious Asian Slaw. Of course I went with that. The wait was reasonable considering there were several other tables ahead of us. The burgers, in the middle size wise, not large but not tiny, were nice and hot. The buns, pretty plain by most standards, are a little small considering the price. Both burgers were well seasoned and came as ordered: Medium-Rare. The Zola Burger comes topped with bacon, grilled onions, mushrooms and Capacollo ham. The ham was grilled, which toughened it somewhat, but everything else was fine and the cheese was nicely melted. The fries, not quite steak fries, but not the classic thin fries either, were OK. There was nothing spectacular going on there. The Mushroom burger rated about the same. Overall nice: Nice mushrooms, nicely melted cheese, etc. That leaves the Asian slaw. Since it is made on premises, the quality can vary somewhat. A little more sesame oil here, a little less pepper there; this time it was pretty good. My biggest complaint of the meal was that, unlike an order of fries, a scoop of wet Asian slaw on the plate rapidly infuses into the bun of the burger. This happened here. By the time the burger arrived, about one-third of the bun had been soaked with the slaw juices. Not so bad that I sent it back, but something to note. I had to lay down a napkin and set my burger there so as not to sop of the rest of the liquid with my remaining dry bun. It would be a wise move to send that out in it's own little bowl separately, so this would not occur. Overall, it was an OK experience. The seating choices are at the bar, at some normal height tables in the center, or the bar height tables along the wall. It's a little dark in there, even on a sunny afternoon, except for those seated directly in front of the large, main windows. It was apparent that most of the people in the bar were regulars, and the overall mood was pretty light. I would certainly go back. The burgers were good, the slaw is usually great, and crowd was invitingly friendly.
(3)Cynthia R.
Surprisingly good food for a bar. I was impressed! Minus one star for slow service and another for super smoky environment We settled on Zola after wandering up and down Main St looking for somewhere to eat a late dinner. Zola is a great middle ground between fast food and too-fancy. They did warn us that the kitchen was backed up, so we anticipated a food wait. It was worth it though, as all 4 of us enjoyed what we got. The salads were even a hit. However, as time went on and we just wanted our check, our table was ignored and it became impossible to even make eye contact with a server. Meanwhile, we were in a direct line of fire... er, smoke. I know that's more of a Kentucky gripe vs this specific bar, but still. I did enjoy myself and thought the place had good character. May have to make a Wednesday night visit for the burger special - $6 for unlimited toppings and a side.
(3)Dan M.
Sure, this is a good burger. My burger was a medium well even though I ordered it medium rare. Not to complain but there are basically two parts to making a good burger - using good meat and cooking it correctly. The ingredients on the burger were good and I liked my selection. It came with homemade chips, which were also pretty good. The major reason to go here is that on WEDNESDAYS, BURGERS ARE HALF PRICE. So, naturally, that is when I went and would go back. It's not bad, but I probably wouldn't seek it out for a good burger. Bottom Line: I might be back with friends for a half-priced burger on a Wednesday.
(3)kelly k.
I went here on a Wednesday evening with a good friend. Neither of us had been before, but I'd heard about the burger madness on Wednesday nights. Burger madness is terrific! For $6, we each got a huge burger with 5 toppings. The burger was savory and well-prepared. The toppings were fresh, and I got fries too (fries are always a bonus)! The service was friendly and fast. The entire experience was very enjoyable, and I'll definitely go back. Why not 5 stars? It's a little small, with a hint of smoke in the air. Although not bad for a bar. Parking can be a challenge on Mainstrasse, depending on time of day. Overall, I'd recommend it for burger lovers. Thumbs up!
(4)Susan R.
I regularly lunch here on Wednesdays for "Burgermania" ($6 for any burger & side). My go-to is the Mo' Town, which has BBQ sauce, onion straws, and the other standard burger toppings. The burger was awesome - good quality meat, well-seasoned, and toppings were fresh. My friend always orders the Black & Bleu, and has never been disappointed! They have seating inside and outside, which is really nice in the summer. The service is always good, and relatively fast considering the crowds in there at lunchtime on "Mania" day. I will keep going back here and will be so sad if they ever stop doing the Burgermania special. Such a great burger and such a great deal!
(4)Matthew C.
Burger madness is hard to resist. This place makes it look easy to make a great burger consistently. Probably the best bar food in the city. Great wings, great burgers, great onion rings. In fact the burgers would have won the best burger contest our office had if we hadn't limited to Cincy downtown. Casual atmosphere and laid back service but still attentive. When your downtown lunch options seem stale, pop over to mainstrasse on a Wednesday and get a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings. your stomach will thank you.
(4)Rachael W.
One of our favorite places...good food+good beer+outdoor seating=happy girl. We tend to go through the week and we sit outside when possible, so smoke has never been an issue for us. Overall, we love it here! The food: I've had everything from the burger (my fave) to the quesadillas to chicken fingers and nothing has ever been wrong or even so-so. I LOVE their fries! The service: Ok, the service isn't anything to write home about but it's not terrible either. It's pretty hands-off but I like that. I don't need a waiter to be involved; I need them to bring my food and make sure my drink is never empty.
(5)Irish F.
This is great little spot with good food and adequate service (a lot of multi-tasking, but they get it done). Burgers are excellent, I am actually writing this review in retrospect of reading the burger ratings. Not sure why this place did not make the top 10. Wings are very worthwhile too. Co-diners raved about their fish and chicken sandwiches and said they would come from across the river again. It is smoking, which is only a problem because there is no place to escape to if you are a non-smoker. It is small.
(4)Meli S.
Excellent food. Nice casual atmosphere. I'm a fan!
(4)Michele G.
This use to be my home away from home. They have great burgers. Frank the server/bartender is great. Draft beer is cold. 1/2 price appetizers on one day. They are always running some kind of special. They have out door seating on Main Street.
(4)Matt W.
Burger was cheap, kitchen was open, AND, we got the most badass bar full of people singing songs from the Karate Kid Soundtrack that were playing for the Juke Box. We will be back if we are up for a light night meal in the area in the near future. I got the Zola burger and my cholesterol count immediately doubled when it hit my table. This made me happy about my metabolism.
(5)Christopher D.
Have yet to try any of the food (which goes for most bars in my experience), but have heard good things. I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere and the clientele. The barback/busser was extremely friendly and talked to our table for a while without overstaying his welcome. Overall a very pleasurable experience. However, nothing incredibly noteworthy about this bar. From my experience just another decent bar on mainstrasse that's definitely worthy checking out for a drink or two.
(4)Rawley D.
A couple of bds and I stopped by a couple f Sunday's ago. I had a great Burger and fun enviorment! and a good selection of Taps. Best review I can give is that I will be back!
(4)Tim N.
Very nice Pub and Grub place on Main Strasse. Went there on a Sunday afternoon, soaked up the sun on the chairs on the sidewalk. Half price appetizers and happy hour beer special on sunday made it a most affordable afternoon hang out. Very average bar with very nice staff. Frank the waiter was very frank about our selections and was very accommodating.
(3)Lindsay P.
The burgers were pretty amazing, really the first memorable one I've had in a while. Great seasoning, done per my request and with a great combination of toppings!! We sat inside where there was a fun bluegrass band playing, they were some extremely talented musicians! To top it all off, a good beer selection for whatever your tastes may be for the evening. Will definitely be back for more :)
(4)Bernie W.
Decent food & beer. Hot, friendly waitress & bartender. Didn't like the acoustic musician Thurs night, who played Simon & Garfunkel
(3)Erin L.
Zola is a great bar and grill in the fun Mainstrasse area. Their food is amazing, especially their Asian-style slaw and their giant angus burgers. I usually opt for the chicken sandwiches which are equally delicious. The golden tee golf and bartop game machine keep people busy and the pool tables upstairs are a fun. Drop in and you'll be happy you did!
(4)Bea D.
It was crowded and smokey - we were on the first floor. The second floor is non-smoking. I did not go upstairs, but one would think that the smoke would rise to the second floor. The food was OK. I had a margherita pizza. There was no fresh mozzarella, and very sparse with basil. It was not authentic, but it was OK. The Asian spring rolls, which were recommended by our waiter, are made in-house, and they were quite good. Service became slower and slower as more people filed in from the street. Overall, it was an average experience.
(3)Steve K.
A friend and I were looking for a burger in Mainstrasse one evening and stopped in. Everything on the menu looked great, and as it so happened, I got the wrong burger, but it was so good that I kept it.
(4)Lauren F.
Zola's is a cozy little bar on Main Strasse that offers a pretty decent drink selection and better than usual pub grub as a lot of places in this area of town do. The Black Bean burger is excellent and the service has always been fast and very friendly. Known for superior burgers it's a hot spot for locals to eat and drink. I'm usually not a fan of the late night crowd, a little too middle American for my tastes.
(4)Robin B.
Zola's is the place to go on Tuesday nights for burgers. You can load them up with all the toppings you want including grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon, blu cheese, and fries for $5! The atmosphere is chill on the first floor with a bar and some tables and there is more seating on the second floor with games as well. I went with two other friends and the burgers were made to order to a tee and the fries were nice and hot. We will definitely be back to try a different combination on our burgers.
(5)Keith C.
I tried Zola's for the first time tonight. I didn't get to dine in, but after going to pick-up our order, I'm somewhat glad I didn't decide to actually go to sit down - the patio was filled, and the inside area was fairly full as well with exception of the spots at the bar (I'm generally not a fan of sitting at the bar and staring forward alcohol during my dining experience). On our first try tonight, we decided to keep it simple and order a couple appetizers and a couple salads. Keeping in mind that we went to Zola's and the general vicinity of Covington for the first time tonight, we initially had troubles finding a spot. The streets were crowded and the parking spots were virtually non-existent. With all the one-way streets, we inevitably found our ways circling the blocks through one-way streets trying to a place to park so we could pick up our order. As we finally found one, I made my way inside and was pleasantly greeting by the gal running what appeared to be the entire front of the house (which was a lot of responsibility if you ask me) and she informed me that they were out of croutons for my Caesar salad. They were also out of Avocado for my wife's chef salads. They only have a small handful of salads to pick from, and the two we ordered just happened to be missing critical components. On one of the salads, we actually ordered extra dressing. I found it hilarious that they found the nerve to actually charge us for the extra dressing but they didn't deem it fit to deduct any from our bill for the two major elements missing from the salads they prepared for us. The wait was also longer than what we were told on the phone. When we called the order in, we were told it would be 20 minutes to pickup, which seemed reasonable, but by the time I actually got my order, it had been 35 minutes. Usually this isn't a bad predicament if you are by yourself and just running home and can grab a cold beverage and wait, but I was waiting inside with my wife and two 5 month old children in the car. Upon arrival to our house, we were both pretty hungry and commenced to dig into our crouton-less and avocado-less salads with the additional salad dressing that we paid for, and I found my salad rather disgusting. The lettuce leaves were wilted. Our car ride home was only 10 minutes at most, so either the lettuce was old and wilted before it was tossed in the Caesar dressing, or the salad had been tossed for quite a while and had been just sitting around for some lucky recipient. My wife's salad, the cobb, was actually decent. I didn't give it a try, but she enjoyed it. The appetizer we selected, the spring rolls, were also just ok, but I would have definitely paired it with another dipping sauce - maybe a sweet chili sauce rather than a spicy horseradish mustard sauce. I don't think I'm going back. Too bad; I was looking for some more variety over in Kenton County.
(2)Cynthia R.
Surprisingly good food for a bar. I was impressed! Minus one star for slow service and another for super smoky environment We settled on Zola after wandering up and down Main St looking for somewhere to eat a late dinner. Zola is a great middle ground between fast food and too-fancy. They did warn us that the kitchen was backed up, so we anticipated a food wait. It was worth it though, as all 4 of us enjoyed what we got. The salads were even a hit. However, as time went on and we just wanted our check, our table was ignored and it became impossible to even make eye contact with a server. Meanwhile, we were in a direct line of fire... er, smoke. I know that's more of a Kentucky gripe vs this specific bar, but still. I did enjoy myself and thought the place had good character. May have to make a Wednesday night visit for the burger special - $6 for unlimited toppings and a side.
(3)Dan M.
Sure, this is a good burger. My burger was a medium well even though I ordered it medium rare. Not to complain but there are basically two parts to making a good burger - using good meat and cooking it correctly. The ingredients on the burger were good and I liked my selection. It came with homemade chips, which were also pretty good. The major reason to go here is that on WEDNESDAYS, BURGERS ARE HALF PRICE. So, naturally, that is when I went and would go back. It's not bad, but I probably wouldn't seek it out for a good burger. Bottom Line: I might be back with friends for a half-priced burger on a Wednesday.
(3)kelly k.
I went here on a Wednesday evening with a good friend. Neither of us had been before, but I'd heard about the burger madness on Wednesday nights. Burger madness is terrific! For $6, we each got a huge burger with 5 toppings. The burger was savory and well-prepared. The toppings were fresh, and I got fries too (fries are always a bonus)! The service was friendly and fast. The entire experience was very enjoyable, and I'll definitely go back. Why not 5 stars? It's a little small, with a hint of smoke in the air. Although not bad for a bar. Parking can be a challenge on Mainstrasse, depending on time of day. Overall, I'd recommend it for burger lovers. Thumbs up!
(4)Susan R.
I regularly lunch here on Wednesdays for "Burgermania" ($6 for any burger & side). My go-to is the Mo' Town, which has BBQ sauce, onion straws, and the other standard burger toppings. The burger was awesome - good quality meat, well-seasoned, and toppings were fresh. My friend always orders the Black & Bleu, and has never been disappointed! They have seating inside and outside, which is really nice in the summer. The service is always good, and relatively fast considering the crowds in there at lunchtime on "Mania" day. I will keep going back here and will be so sad if they ever stop doing the Burgermania special. Such a great burger and such a great deal!
(4)Matthew C.
Burger madness is hard to resist. This place makes it look easy to make a great burger consistently. Probably the best bar food in the city. Great wings, great burgers, great onion rings. In fact the burgers would have won the best burger contest our office had if we hadn't limited to Cincy downtown. Casual atmosphere and laid back service but still attentive. When your downtown lunch options seem stale, pop over to mainstrasse on a Wednesday and get a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings. your stomach will thank you.
(4)David W.
Terrific bar, fantastic burgers. Cheap prices. The only thing that prevents me from giving it 5 stars is that they will not do special orders on the burgers. You take the burger as it's listed in the menu, no modifications.
(4)Frank M.
Best Burger menu in Cintucky! Unique burgers that are hard to beat with really creative burger specials. Tip: Wednesday is BurgerMania...all burgers only $6. Also, smoking is allowed inside so try to get a table outside because a single smoker pollutes the small dining room. Just wish they would go smoke free. :-(
(4)Lam D.
After doing a random restaurant search on Yelp we ended up at Zola's for lunch. The inside was just your standard bar/pub with a bar that can seat about 20 people and tables/high-tops for seating while you eat. On Wednesday's there is "Burger-Mania" where you can get a burger with 5 toppings and a side for 6 bucks. Pretty nice deal! The rest of the menu is pretty much your standard bar/pub food (wings/burgers/wraps/salads). Nothing too creative about the food. I ended up getting the Zola burger and fries and a cup of chili and my friend got the grilled grouper with fries. The burger was cooked med rare as requested but really nothing special. Just your standard burger that I think you can get anywhere else. The Grilled Grouper was just the same. Not bad, filling but really nothing special. The highlight was the thick cut fries which a enjoyed. An average outing. The overall cost of the meal was about 17 bucks and the food took about 25-30 minutes to get out after ordering. I would say I would go back as it wasn't bad but in my opinion there are better choices around the area.
(3)Blair W.
I liked the vibe of the place - small bar & burger joint with an interesting crowd, the reds on a couple tvs and decent music - but I was pretty unimpressed by the service and food. Service took way too long - we got our drinks right away but then it was probably 15 full minutes before someone came by to take our order. The burger, especially for being so reputable, was very disappointing. I think it was something about their beef I didn't like because everything else (accessories/addons) were very good. I probably won't head back, but if the service improved and you had a taste for their particular beef, you might enjoy it a lot more than I did.
(3)Chelsea V.
Portabella burger, no really- a good one!!! Amazing bar, fantastic food and check the schedule cause you don't want to miss the Turkeys weakly playlist live every week. Lunch or dinner, Zola's has an amazing menu. Black and bleu burger and the potabella to name my couple classic dishes served with fresh fries and a great beer cabinet to wash it all down. Since it is south of the great O- Hi-o river, if the smoke hinders your apetite, feel free to snag a seat outside. Plus- it's conveniently on Main Strasse, so hit up a couple other hot spots while your in the hood.
(4)David D.
Eclectic pub with live music and friendly staff
(4)Rachael W.
One of our favorite places...good food+good beer+outdoor seating=happy girl. We tend to go through the week and we sit outside when possible, so smoke has never been an issue for us. Overall, we love it here! The food: I've had everything from the burger (my fave) to the quesadillas to chicken fingers and nothing has ever been wrong or even so-so. I LOVE their fries! The service: Ok, the service isn't anything to write home about but it's not terrible either. It's pretty hands-off but I like that. I don't need a waiter to be involved; I need them to bring my food and make sure my drink is never empty.
(5)Irish F.
This is great little spot with good food and adequate service (a lot of multi-tasking, but they get it done). Burgers are excellent, I am actually writing this review in retrospect of reading the burger ratings. Not sure why this place did not make the top 10. Wings are very worthwhile too. Co-diners raved about their fish and chicken sandwiches and said they would come from across the river again. It is smoking, which is only a problem because there is no place to escape to if you are a non-smoker. It is small.
(4)Meli S.
Excellent food. Nice casual atmosphere. I'm a fan!
(4)Michele G.
This use to be my home away from home. They have great burgers. Frank the server/bartender is great. Draft beer is cold. 1/2 price appetizers on one day. They are always running some kind of special. They have out door seating on Main Street.
(4)Erin L.
Zola is a great bar and grill in the fun Mainstrasse area. Their food is amazing, especially their Asian-style slaw and their giant angus burgers. I usually opt for the chicken sandwiches which are equally delicious. The golden tee golf and bartop game machine keep people busy and the pool tables upstairs are a fun. Drop in and you'll be happy you did!
(4)Bea D.
It was crowded and smokey - we were on the first floor. The second floor is non-smoking. I did not go upstairs, but one would think that the smoke would rise to the second floor. The food was OK. I had a margherita pizza. There was no fresh mozzarella, and very sparse with basil. It was not authentic, but it was OK. The Asian spring rolls, which were recommended by our waiter, are made in-house, and they were quite good. Service became slower and slower as more people filed in from the street. Overall, it was an average experience.
(3)Nicholas R.
Had lunch here for #CincinnatiBurgerWeek and was greatly surprised by the burger. It was the best no frills burger all week. It was just a burger with the normal toppings prepared in an expertly practiced manner. The service was amazing and the bar was great as well.
(5)Frank M.
Best Burger menu in Cintucky! Unique burgers that are hard to beat with really creative burger specials. Tip: Wednesday is BurgerMania...all burgers only $6. Also, smoking is allowed inside so try to get a table outside because a single smoker pollutes the small dining room. Just wish they would go smoke free. :-(
(4)Joshua B.
First night in Cinci (Monday)I checked out Zola's, ordered a Cajun burger, Tito's and Redbull . Burger was good drink was right, Barmaid(Tracy) was friendly, good enough for me. Only a couple of beers on tap but I'll be back.
(4)Sherry R.
Awesome burgers!!!!! Delicious slaw as well! Very good Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale...definitely worth $5 a glass!!! Fun atmosphere too!
(5)Evan B.
Great Burger Mania Wednesday! Had the Caribbean with fries. Place is packed on Wednesday but worth the wait. Future regular.
(4)Jamie T.
I LOVE Zola. They have some delicious burgers with a variety of great toppings, as well as lots of sandwich and appetizer options. Their drink prices are super cheap too, and there's usually some sort of happy hour going on. I think on Sundays they have an all-day happy hour with $3 wells or something like that. The wait staff is always very friendly and helpful, and every now and then they have some live music inside the bar. Great place to hang out and get a few drinks and some food!
(5)Nikki R.
Great Burgers! This place was really chill (on a Sunday). The burgers are excellent, they actually take the time to spice up the beef. So far my favorite burgers in the area. Our bartender was cool, and there was a lot of great blues coming from the juke. I dig it.
(5)Matt P.
Went there to check out their "Burgermania" ($6 for a 5 topping burger & side on Wednesdays) and had their Cajun Bell. Burger was great, good quality meat, perfect amount of spice, and toppings we very fresh and worked well together. My only complaint about the food was that the burger was a little over done (ordered medium rare, got medium) so make sure to order a little on the low side. Service was excellent, plenty of seating both inside & outside. Will definitely come back for their Wednesday night Burgermania!
(4)Keith C.
I tried Zola's for the first time tonight. I didn't get to dine in, but after going to pick-up our order, I'm somewhat glad I didn't decide to actually go to sit down - the patio was filled, and the inside area was fairly full as well with exception of the spots at the bar (I'm generally not a fan of sitting at the bar and staring forward alcohol during my dining experience). On our first try tonight, we decided to keep it simple and order a couple appetizers and a couple salads. Keeping in mind that we went to Zola's and the general vicinity of Covington for the first time tonight, we initially had troubles finding a spot. The streets were crowded and the parking spots were virtually non-existent. With all the one-way streets, we inevitably found our ways circling the blocks through one-way streets trying to a place to park so we could pick up our order. As we finally found one, I made my way inside and was pleasantly greeting by the gal running what appeared to be the entire front of the house (which was a lot of responsibility if you ask me) and she informed me that they were out of croutons for my Caesar salad. They were also out of Avocado for my wife's chef salads. They only have a small handful of salads to pick from, and the two we ordered just happened to be missing critical components. On one of the salads, we actually ordered extra dressing. I found it hilarious that they found the nerve to actually charge us for the extra dressing but they didn't deem it fit to deduct any from our bill for the two major elements missing from the salads they prepared for us. The wait was also longer than what we were told on the phone. When we called the order in, we were told it would be 20 minutes to pickup, which seemed reasonable, but by the time I actually got my order, it had been 35 minutes. Usually this isn't a bad predicament if you are by yourself and just running home and can grab a cold beverage and wait, but I was waiting inside with my wife and two 5 month old children in the car. Upon arrival to our house, we were both pretty hungry and commenced to dig into our crouton-less and avocado-less salads with the additional salad dressing that we paid for, and I found my salad rather disgusting. The lettuce leaves were wilted. Our car ride home was only 10 minutes at most, so either the lettuce was old and wilted before it was tossed in the Caesar dressing, or the salad had been tossed for quite a while and had been just sitting around for some lucky recipient. My wife's salad, the cobb, was actually decent. I didn't give it a try, but she enjoyed it. The appetizer we selected, the spring rolls, were also just ok, but I would have definitely paired it with another dipping sauce - maybe a sweet chili sauce rather than a spicy horseradish mustard sauce. I don't think I'm going back. Too bad; I was looking for some more variety over in Kenton County.
(2)David W.
Terrific bar, fantastic burgers. Cheap prices. The only thing that prevents me from giving it 5 stars is that they will not do special orders on the burgers. You take the burger as it's listed in the menu, no modifications.
(4)Karen K.
First time here and we will definitely come back when in town. Wednesday is burgermania. $6 butgers. Staff very friendly with pub type atmosphere. Must try.
(5)Missy L.
Zola's is pretty much everything you need in a Bar/Grill type situation. Located in Covington's Main Strasse Village, Zola is a cozy establishment with limited outdoor seating as well as a lounge upstairs. The food at Zola is about what you would expect; burgers, fries, chicken fingers, wraps. That being said it is all extremely tasty. During their happy hour all their appetizers are half priced as well. Though, even at regular price everything is very affordable. I have found the service can leave something to be desired at times. It's neither speedy nor particularly friendly. I work in customer service so I hate to get on anyone for the quality of their service, but this has happened nearly every time I've been to Zola's so I feel it deserves to be said. Zola's does offer some good drink deals as well as a fairly well stocked bar. They typically have some type of live music in the evenings. I know The Turkey's play here fairly often. It definitely adds to the experience. So if you find yourself in Main Strasse and are either looking for an affordable meal, or tasty beverage Zola is a good choice (just don't go if you're on a schedule because you will more than likely be late to whatever you have next on your agenda).
(3)Chelsey L.
I've been going to Zola since I have moved to Covington. The bartenders are so friendly and the live music is great. Then the burgers.. oh lawd the burgers. I always get a classic burger with some Cheddar, but I've had bites of the Black & Bleu and the Zola. The burgers are juicy and well seasoned, the bun to meat ratio is perfect the toppings are fresh. They also have some great salads, secret tip coming... Try the Blackened Cobb with their Asian dressing, weird I know but it's delicious. I love sitting outside during the summer, prices are great as well. Try it out on Wednesdays for burger night!
(4)Roger M.
Spicy Jack is my favorite, the staff always greets you when you walk in. The chips are amazing and the burgers are exceptionally large. The price is perfect for the amount of food you get. Im currently working my way down the menu and havent found something I don't like. Always cooked the way I ordered it, the crowd is always at a low rumble, its not too loud in the bar and the restrooms are clean.
(5)Drew J.
This place is great....but they stopped allowing kids once the smoke ban went in to affect. Bad move, IMO. We used to come here on a regular basis and loved the great beer list and eclectic pub grub. We have two kids and now can't even step foot inside. Too bad. They're missing out on a lot of non-smoking and family business. Shout it out if you change. We're going elsewhere for now.
(1)Samantha B.
My girlfriend and I love going to Zola on Saturday afternoons to monch and have a few brews without spending more than a fifty spot. The patty melt is YUMMTASTIC as well as the crunchy slaw. I always eat half and take the other for a snack later because eating a Zola patty melt is sensational! Girlfriend gets a burger or a gyro (I have sampled both, both are fab!) and some sort of cajun jalepeno fries for an app. All around DELISH! Service is always super friendly and the place is never over crowded. I have been on a weekend night and still loved the place. Lots of people but not wall to wall crowded. And even loaded with patrons I still had great service. Fo sho my favorite spot in Scuvington :)
(5)Shelby D.
This is probably one of my favorite locations in Covington. My friends and I are here so often that the bartenders know our drink orders without asking. Ummm, does that make us-dare I say-REGULARS?! Yikes! In this place, I'm not sure that's anything to be scared about. The food is pretty darn good and made to order. Don't expect anything fancy-burgers, salads and yummy fried food take up most of the menu. Even though it's not fancy, everything is still delicious! Tuesdays tend to be a little crowded because of The Turkeys. If you don't know who they are, then I suggest you get you butt to Zolas on Tuesday and find out!
(4)Katherine M.
I enjoy Zola. The atmosphere makes me happy. It's that great Kentucky hometown bar you are looking for. It's relatively inconspicuous and doesn't want to be a flashy bar with trendy things. It's a bar with some pretty good food, and that's what it is. I've mostly come for drinks. The drinks are good, pretty strong, and the place is comfortable. Mostly the band that I have seen here (The Turkeys or one of the guys from the Turkeys or whatever) is good. They play good music that I know, so that always makes me happy. I came for food once and it was pretty good - my chicken tenders were far better than my husband's burger - but the burger was decent, just nothing special. The food is okay, you probably wouldn't come for that. It's just a good bar on Mainstrasse and always a stop for me.
(4)Karen Q.
Uber Friendly dive bar with a nice beer selection and the best cheeseburger you will ever eat! Love this place!!!
(5)Andi B.
I love a good burger but I was meeting a friend who is vegetarian. Based on the Yelp reviews we decided on Zola because they said the portabella burger was great. I normally go for a burger, lettuce, tomato and pickle but decided to change it up completely. I picked the mo town burger (I think that was the name) bacon, cheddar, onion straws and BBQ sauce. I got my sauce on the side because I order the chips (crunchy saratoga chip), which they make in-house and are amazing, so I could dip. My friend got the portabella and the asian cole slaw. Hopefully she does a review because it looked great. We had an appetizer that was something like southwest stuffed potato, but neither of us were wowed by it. It is an older bar, converted house so naturally that coupled with the smoking option it is a smokey place. In the summer, they have tables on the sidewalk. Wednesdays are their burger special day, which as of this date is a burger, up to 5 toppings and a side for $6.
(4)Peter J.
This place is awesome! Also in Mainstrausse its one of the quieter bars in the area. The food is great and there are a number of craft beers available. But that's not the best part of the place. The best part is the food. The place has bar food that can only be described as off the chain. The hot fries are amazing. Perfect. The wings are great as well as well as the nachos. It's a nice quiet place to go and relax which is a plesant surprise in such a crowded place.
(5)Ben B.
The go-to spot for pub grub in Mainstrasse. Great service backs a pretty decent menu! Everyone loves their burgers, and being part time veggie, I have to agree that their Portabella burger is one of the better veggie burgers in the area. Their bleu cheese is also quite fantastic! It can get a bit crammed in here, but an upstairs area and in the summer time patio, this is one of the better bars in Northern Kentucky!
(4)Zack F.
I haven't reviewed Zola's yet? Wow. So, this is my favorite bar in Mainstrasse. Does it deserve 5 stars? I don't even care, it's great in so many ways, and since it's my go to spot, it gets the bump. Surprisingly, they do cater to vegetarians here, and have a really tasty portabella burger. That's given that I don't even like portabella burgers generally. Their coleslaw is even vegetarian, another thing I typically dislike, but it was great. They have a respectable selection of alcohol to choose from and their prices are reasonable. The service is always attentive, friendly and attractive. It definitely has a neighborhood bar feel. If you go enough, you'll know everyone by name. It can get a bit loud, but you can still talk to your friends. They have regular local, live music. Their bluegrass night is a lot of fun. Stop in often is my recommendation.
(5)Rj C.
What a cool "dive-bar" spot in Mainstrasse! Better than average bar food, VERY friendly bar tenders and a talented cook in the back room make for a pleasurable experience. Stop down on Tuesday night for authentic bluegrass music, though it sometimes is very busy and standing-room only. I'm a fan of their Zola Burger as well as a few others on the menu including the Memphis BBQ burger. Though I'm personally not a big fan of the asian pasta salad, the chili cheese fries are delicious. A small selection of very good beers and moderate prices make for a good time every time I'm at Zola.
(4)Amanda S.
Today's word is: Inedible. Say it with me kids! INEDIBLE! Now, let's use it in a sentence! The burger I got at Zola Pub and Grill was INEDIBLE! Yep, that's right. It was so medium that it was raw. Mushy. It may have winked at me. I can't even tell you whether or not it was good because it was inedible. The waitress immediately took it away and tried to get the kitchen to actually cook the damn thing but it was so far gone that I decided to take it home and cook it myself. You know, because I know how to cook a burger (unlike the kitchen staff at Zola's). When I did fully cook it, I noticed that the blackened seasoning is definitely weird. It has a lemony note to it. Not good. But, as other Yelpers have said, their bleu cheese is really tasty. Give it a try...just not on a burger. Aside from that our food was whatever. The onion rings were good but they were just battered and fried rings of onions so not too much to screw up there. My beer, Great Lakes Holy Moses, was decent although I'm totally bummed that they no longer have Turbodog on tap. Unlike some Yelpers, we actually had good service. There was some wine festival happening on Main Strasse so millions of hideously bougie people were swarming the local restaurants, Zola's being one of them. The waitresses handled it with great aplomb. The wait for food was ridiculous but each one of our dishes, when not raw, was served piping hot. Our drinks were always filled and she was more than helpful during the inedible burger fiasco. Actually, I would have totally given Zola's the "Eek! Methinks not" rating but the service from our waitress bumped it up to a "Meh." A very reluctant "Meh" but a "Meh," all the same.
(2)Marcus H.
I've been to Zola Pub and Grill two times now. The first time was back in November 2010 for a 21st birthday, and today (12.18.11) for lunch. We went because we didn't feel like driving far and because it's in walking distance from my house it was a match made in Mainstrasse! They had a spicy soup that was really tasty, and I ordered a burger. Now, if you like a little pink in your burger, order it medium-well, because the medium is a little on the medium-rare side. The burger otherwise was good, the service is what I've come to expect in Mainstrasse - friendly, quirky, and a little slow. It is of course not smoke-free I.e. it is not an establishment that I usually choose to dine, but during a Bengals game on a Sunday afternoon there was only 1 girl smoking in the entire place so it wasn't terrible. My mother would have referred to it as a dive bar, and she would have been right. Decent food, decent atmosphere, decent place.
(3)Julee E.
Ate here a few weeks back, and then forgot to write my review. All I can say is great atmosphere, great food, and great service. We came for lunch, so we had no problem parking, but I can imagine it gets pretty crazy at night time ... but our server said there is a parking garage around the corner. We will return!!
(5)Gloria Z.
Zola continues to be a 5 star bar with awesomely delicious food and unbeatable prices. It's like a dive bar and pub rolled into one. We'd enjoy it just for drinks or for a meal. The perfect french fry will be found here, along with really good chili, mildly spiced NOT cinnamony, and you get a big bowl for only $3.50. It is 50 cents extra each if you want to do the chopped onion and shredded cheese thing, but those portions are quite generous. Filled my husband up. I had the turkey ciabatta sandwich which was filled perfectly with a variety of delectable components that melded with the turkey to create a phenomenal taste sensation. Ooh, and authentic fresh soft and chewy ciabatta, yum! I had my eye on the gyro plate, too, being devoured nearby. Will probably try that next time. Our server was great. She handled the full bar (10 spots) plus about five tables without missing a beat, and was most pleasant and helpful! Wish I had asked her name. She was on at 3:00 Saturday afternoon. Get yer Christian Moerlien on tap here, mixed drinks only $3.50 at regular price, ok? And served in a nice tall thin glass, which I love. Gotta get back here for happy hour!
(5)Robin B.
Zola's is the place to go on Tuesday nights for burgers. You can load them up with all the toppings you want including grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon, blu cheese, and fries for $5! The atmosphere is chill on the first floor with a bar and some tables and there is more seating on the second floor with games as well. I went with two other friends and the burgers were made to order to a tee and the fries were nice and hot. We will definitely be back to try a different combination on our burgers.
(5)Jessica M.
Zola is a laid-back bar and restaurant. I've been there a few times now and am always impressed with the quality of the food and the strength of the drinks, especially considering the price. If I lived in Covington, I think this would be one of my go-to places. Unfortunately, I live in Louisville, but I always seem to end up at Zola when I visit friends in Covington. You just can't beat a place where you can get a good meal and a couple of strong drinks for less than $20 (including tip).
(4)Michael E.
Overhyped burger Rounds out average menu You can do better
(3)Greg S.
Zola's was an "after the show" stop with my youngest (teen) daughter on a very nice Sunday afternoon. Located on the east side of Main Street in Covington's Mainstrasse, it is the sister location to the "915 Pub" in Fort Thomas, KY, a few miles to the east. That connection is evident in its menu, and its style. This visit preceded the smoking ban in Northern Kentucky, so we were still subject to the lung filling smoke upon our entry. That should no longer be an issue here. I do believe that of the twenty or so people in the restaurant/bar, we were the only non-smokers. The waiter/bartender arrived at our table quickly, and made a valiant attempt at making us feel welcome. With the amount of customers he had to serve, he was fairly busy and this left little time for small talk. We got menus, and ordered our sodas. The menu is not large, but it is adequate considering this place seems to lean more towards the bar side of the business than the restaurant side. This is all part of our ongoing "Best Burger in Cincinnati" hunt, so it had to be burgers. When our drinks arrived, my daughter ordered the "Zola Burger" which comes with American cheese, and I ordered the "Mushroom Burger" with Swiss. We ordered both of them Medium-Rare. For sides it was traditional fries for her, but I went with something different. As stated earlier, this is a sister pub to the 915 Pub, so they have their delicious Asian Slaw. Of course I went with that. The wait was reasonable considering there were several other tables ahead of us. The burgers, in the middle size wise, not large but not tiny, were nice and hot. The buns, pretty plain by most standards, are a little small considering the price. Both burgers were well seasoned and came as ordered: Medium-Rare. The Zola Burger comes topped with bacon, grilled onions, mushrooms and Capacollo ham. The ham was grilled, which toughened it somewhat, but everything else was fine and the cheese was nicely melted. The fries, not quite steak fries, but not the classic thin fries either, were OK. There was nothing spectacular going on there. The Mushroom burger rated about the same. Overall nice: Nice mushrooms, nicely melted cheese, etc. That leaves the Asian slaw. Since it is made on premises, the quality can vary somewhat. A little more sesame oil here, a little less pepper there; this time it was pretty good. My biggest complaint of the meal was that, unlike an order of fries, a scoop of wet Asian slaw on the plate rapidly infuses into the bun of the burger. This happened here. By the time the burger arrived, about one-third of the bun had been soaked with the slaw juices. Not so bad that I sent it back, but something to note. I had to lay down a napkin and set my burger there so as not to sop of the rest of the liquid with my remaining dry bun. It would be a wise move to send that out in it's own little bowl separately, so this would not occur. Overall, it was an OK experience. The seating choices are at the bar, at some normal height tables in the center, or the bar height tables along the wall. It's a little dark in there, even on a sunny afternoon, except for those seated directly in front of the large, main windows. It was apparent that most of the people in the bar were regulars, and the overall mood was pretty light. I would certainly go back. The burgers were good, the slaw is usually great, and crowd was invitingly friendly.
(3)Karina M.
Love, love, loved the Soul Burger. The Caribbean jerk seasoning perfectly accentuated the flavors of the beef and I will definitely come back to order this one next time I get a craving for red meat. And they offered all day Happy Hour on Sundays!
(4)Cynthia R.
Surprisingly good food for a bar. I was impressed! Minus one star for slow service and another for super smoky environment We settled on Zola after wandering up and down Main St looking for somewhere to eat a late dinner. Zola is a great middle ground between fast food and too-fancy. They did warn us that the kitchen was backed up, so we anticipated a food wait. It was worth it though, as all 4 of us enjoyed what we got. The salads were even a hit. However, as time went on and we just wanted our check, our table was ignored and it became impossible to even make eye contact with a server. Meanwhile, we were in a direct line of fire... er, smoke. I know that's more of a Kentucky gripe vs this specific bar, but still. I did enjoy myself and thought the place had good character. May have to make a Wednesday night visit for the burger special - $6 for unlimited toppings and a side.
(3)Dan M.
Sure, this is a good burger. My burger was a medium well even though I ordered it medium rare. Not to complain but there are basically two parts to making a good burger - using good meat and cooking it correctly. The ingredients on the burger were good and I liked my selection. It came with homemade chips, which were also pretty good. The major reason to go here is that on WEDNESDAYS, BURGERS ARE HALF PRICE. So, naturally, that is when I went and would go back. It's not bad, but I probably wouldn't seek it out for a good burger. Bottom Line: I might be back with friends for a half-priced burger on a Wednesday.
(3)kelly k.
I went here on a Wednesday evening with a good friend. Neither of us had been before, but I'd heard about the burger madness on Wednesday nights. Burger madness is terrific! For $6, we each got a huge burger with 5 toppings. The burger was savory and well-prepared. The toppings were fresh, and I got fries too (fries are always a bonus)! The service was friendly and fast. The entire experience was very enjoyable, and I'll definitely go back. Why not 5 stars? It's a little small, with a hint of smoke in the air. Although not bad for a bar. Parking can be a challenge on Mainstrasse, depending on time of day. Overall, I'd recommend it for burger lovers. Thumbs up!
(4)Blair W.
I liked the vibe of the place - small bar & burger joint with an interesting crowd, the reds on a couple tvs and decent music - but I was pretty unimpressed by the service and food. Service took way too long - we got our drinks right away but then it was probably 15 full minutes before someone came by to take our order. The burger, especially for being so reputable, was very disappointing. I think it was something about their beef I didn't like because everything else (accessories/addons) were very good. I probably won't head back, but if the service improved and you had a taste for their particular beef, you might enjoy it a lot more than I did.
(3)Chelsea V.
Portabella burger, no really- a good one!!! Amazing bar, fantastic food and check the schedule cause you don't want to miss the Turkeys weakly playlist live every week. Lunch or dinner, Zola's has an amazing menu. Black and bleu burger and the potabella to name my couple classic dishes served with fresh fries and a great beer cabinet to wash it all down. Since it is south of the great O- Hi-o river, if the smoke hinders your apetite, feel free to snag a seat outside. Plus- it's conveniently on Main Strasse, so hit up a couple other hot spots while your in the hood.
(4)David D.
Eclectic pub with live music and friendly staff
(4)Rachael W.
One of our favorite places...good food+good beer+outdoor seating=happy girl. We tend to go through the week and we sit outside when possible, so smoke has never been an issue for us. Overall, we love it here! The food: I've had everything from the burger (my fave) to the quesadillas to chicken fingers and nothing has ever been wrong or even so-so. I LOVE their fries! The service: Ok, the service isn't anything to write home about but it's not terrible either. It's pretty hands-off but I like that. I don't need a waiter to be involved; I need them to bring my food and make sure my drink is never empty.
(5)Irish F.
This is great little spot with good food and adequate service (a lot of multi-tasking, but they get it done). Burgers are excellent, I am actually writing this review in retrospect of reading the burger ratings. Not sure why this place did not make the top 10. Wings are very worthwhile too. Co-diners raved about their fish and chicken sandwiches and said they would come from across the river again. It is smoking, which is only a problem because there is no place to escape to if you are a non-smoker. It is small.
(4)Meli S.
Excellent food. Nice casual atmosphere. I'm a fan!
(4)Michele G.
This use to be my home away from home. They have great burgers. Frank the server/bartender is great. Draft beer is cold. 1/2 price appetizers on one day. They are always running some kind of special. They have out door seating on Main Street.
(4)Susan R.
I regularly lunch here on Wednesdays for "Burgermania" ($6 for any burger & side). My go-to is the Mo' Town, which has BBQ sauce, onion straws, and the other standard burger toppings. The burger was awesome - good quality meat, well-seasoned, and toppings were fresh. My friend always orders the Black & Bleu, and has never been disappointed! They have seating inside and outside, which is really nice in the summer. The service is always good, and relatively fast considering the crowds in there at lunchtime on "Mania" day. I will keep going back here and will be so sad if they ever stop doing the Burgermania special. Such a great burger and such a great deal!
(4)Matthew C.
Burger madness is hard to resist. This place makes it look easy to make a great burger consistently. Probably the best bar food in the city. Great wings, great burgers, great onion rings. In fact the burgers would have won the best burger contest our office had if we hadn't limited to Cincy downtown. Casual atmosphere and laid back service but still attentive. When your downtown lunch options seem stale, pop over to mainstrasse on a Wednesday and get a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings. your stomach will thank you.
(4)Steve K.
A friend and I were looking for a burger in Mainstrasse one evening and stopped in. Everything on the menu looked great, and as it so happened, I got the wrong burger, but it was so good that I kept it.
(4)Lauren F.
Zola's is a cozy little bar on Main Strasse that offers a pretty decent drink selection and better than usual pub grub as a lot of places in this area of town do. The Black Bean burger is excellent and the service has always been fast and very friendly. Known for superior burgers it's a hot spot for locals to eat and drink. I'm usually not a fan of the late night crowd, a little too middle American for my tastes.
(4)Rawley D.
A couple of bds and I stopped by a couple f Sunday's ago. I had a great Burger and fun enviorment! and a good selection of Taps. Best review I can give is that I will be back!
(4)Tim N.
Very nice Pub and Grub place on Main Strasse. Went there on a Sunday afternoon, soaked up the sun on the chairs on the sidewalk. Half price appetizers and happy hour beer special on sunday made it a most affordable afternoon hang out. Very average bar with very nice staff. Frank the waiter was very frank about our selections and was very accommodating.
(3)Bernie W.
Decent food & beer. Hot, friendly waitress & bartender. Didn't like the acoustic musician Thurs night, who played Simon & Garfunkel
(3)Greg S.
Zola's was an "after the show" stop with my youngest (teen) daughter on a very nice Sunday afternoon. Located on the east side of Main Street in Covington's Mainstrasse, it is the sister location to the "915 Pub" in Fort Thomas, KY, a few miles to the east. That connection is evident in its menu, and its style. This visit preceded the smoking ban in Northern Kentucky, so we were still subject to the lung filling smoke upon our entry. That should no longer be an issue here. I do believe that of the twenty or so people in the restaurant/bar, we were the only non-smokers. The waiter/bartender arrived at our table quickly, and made a valiant attempt at making us feel welcome. With the amount of customers he had to serve, he was fairly busy and this left little time for small talk. We got menus, and ordered our sodas. The menu is not large, but it is adequate considering this place seems to lean more towards the bar side of the business than the restaurant side. This is all part of our ongoing "Best Burger in Cincinnati" hunt, so it had to be burgers. When our drinks arrived, my daughter ordered the "Zola Burger" which comes with American cheese, and I ordered the "Mushroom Burger" with Swiss. We ordered both of them Medium-Rare. For sides it was traditional fries for her, but I went with something different. As stated earlier, this is a sister pub to the 915 Pub, so they have their delicious Asian Slaw. Of course I went with that. The wait was reasonable considering there were several other tables ahead of us. The burgers, in the middle size wise, not large but not tiny, were nice and hot. The buns, pretty plain by most standards, are a little small considering the price. Both burgers were well seasoned and came as ordered: Medium-Rare. The Zola Burger comes topped with bacon, grilled onions, mushrooms and Capacollo ham. The ham was grilled, which toughened it somewhat, but everything else was fine and the cheese was nicely melted. The fries, not quite steak fries, but not the classic thin fries either, were OK. There was nothing spectacular going on there. The Mushroom burger rated about the same. Overall nice: Nice mushrooms, nicely melted cheese, etc. That leaves the Asian slaw. Since it is made on premises, the quality can vary somewhat. A little more sesame oil here, a little less pepper there; this time it was pretty good. My biggest complaint of the meal was that, unlike an order of fries, a scoop of wet Asian slaw on the plate rapidly infuses into the bun of the burger. This happened here. By the time the burger arrived, about one-third of the bun had been soaked with the slaw juices. Not so bad that I sent it back, but something to note. I had to lay down a napkin and set my burger there so as not to sop of the rest of the liquid with my remaining dry bun. It would be a wise move to send that out in it's own little bowl separately, so this would not occur. Overall, it was an OK experience. The seating choices are at the bar, at some normal height tables in the center, or the bar height tables along the wall. It's a little dark in there, even on a sunny afternoon, except for those seated directly in front of the large, main windows. It was apparent that most of the people in the bar were regulars, and the overall mood was pretty light. I would certainly go back. The burgers were good, the slaw is usually great, and crowd was invitingly friendly.
(3)Matt W.
Burger was cheap, kitchen was open, AND, we got the most badass bar full of people singing songs from the Karate Kid Soundtrack that were playing for the Juke Box. We will be back if we are up for a light night meal in the area in the near future. I got the Zola burger and my cholesterol count immediately doubled when it hit my table. This made me happy about my metabolism.
(5)Christopher D.
Have yet to try any of the food (which goes for most bars in my experience), but have heard good things. I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere and the clientele. The barback/busser was extremely friendly and talked to our table for a while without overstaying his welcome. Overall a very pleasurable experience. However, nothing incredibly noteworthy about this bar. From my experience just another decent bar on mainstrasse that's definitely worthy checking out for a drink or two.
(4)Nick F.
Excellent service with amazing food. It's a hole in the wall destination that you can't pass up when you're in the area. Try the fried chicken melt, you won't be disappointed.
(5)Lindsay P.
The burgers were pretty amazing, really the first memorable one I've had in a while. Great seasoning, done per my request and with a great combination of toppings!! We sat inside where there was a fun bluegrass band playing, they were some extremely talented musicians! To top it all off, a good beer selection for whatever your tastes may be for the evening. Will definitely be back for more :)
(4)Lam D.
After doing a random restaurant search on Yelp we ended up at Zola's for lunch. The inside was just your standard bar/pub with a bar that can seat about 20 people and tables/high-tops for seating while you eat. On Wednesday's there is "Burger-Mania" where you can get a burger with 5 toppings and a side for 6 bucks. Pretty nice deal! The rest of the menu is pretty much your standard bar/pub food (wings/burgers/wraps/salads). Nothing too creative about the food. I ended up getting the Zola burger and fries and a cup of chili and my friend got the grilled grouper with fries. The burger was cooked med rare as requested but really nothing special. Just your standard burger that I think you can get anywhere else. The Grilled Grouper was just the same. Not bad, filling but really nothing special. The highlight was the thick cut fries which a enjoyed. An average outing. The overall cost of the meal was about 17 bucks and the food took about 25-30 minutes to get out after ordering. I would say I would go back as it wasn't bad but in my opinion there are better choices around the area.
(3)Jimmy W.
I have a love hate relationship with Zola's that I'm hoping to work out in the near future :). I love their burgers, especially the spicy jack (a top 3 burger in the Cincy area!) but hate smelling the smoke while eating and the reaking of it after I leave. It says a lot that I will suffer the smoke just so I can get a spicy jack burger. I have always had great service and especially like sitting at a high top while eating to chat with friends and people watch (always a few interesting characters there). Definitely try their burgers cooked to how you want them, grab a beverage, and if you don't mind the smoke, it is a great place to spend the evening with friends..a "local" bar that is a bit dive-ish but stll fun to hang out in.
(4)Cindy G.
We went to Zola on a Saturday night and it was crowded, smoky, and loud. I hear that this is not normally the case here and I am totally willing to give it another shot. But our experience here was just OK. We had the chicken finger special which was only $4.50 from 11pm-1am. We tried to sit on the patio, but it was full. Also, the bartender seemed like he hated his life and did not want to be there. The service was fast, but not the friendliest. I wouldn't come running back to this place, but if we were in the area I would consider it. Cheap, fast, and has live music.
(3)Patrick P.
My burger was yummy! I ordered the Zola Burger and had a couple of Warsteiners (draft) to boot. It was Saturday midday with not much a crowd at the bar. The place did not have many people because it was pretty early. I ordered my beer and sandwich (with a side of their asian slaw) as advised by many of the yelpers. The burger was cooked perfectly and had great flavor. The slaw was really good. I enjoyed everything about the meal. Please note that this bar is still smoking inside - so if you have issues with cigarrette smoke - this bar may not be for you. Service - Quick and friendly Food - Very good - everything was advertised. My sandwich, slaw and two beers was around $15 Atmoshphere - it was nice - they were playing the UC game. The ding was the cigarrette smoke. Please note - I can see if this place is packed that it would take a long time to get your food. I beleive everything is made fresh and could see the kitchen backing up. Since there was no crowd - My food was really good. Enjoy.
(4)Beth R.
Love Zola French Onion Soup + Warsteiner = happy girl
(4)Dave S.
We did stop #2 on Cincy Burger seek here and we're not disappointed. The Zola Burger was the choice and was perfectly cooked. My wife got the slaw which was excellent and I the fries. Draft beer choices were good and reasonably priced. The only problem was so many people ordered similar dishes that our order was delivered and consumed by the people at the table next to us. Old school bar atmosphere, will be back if in the neighborhood.
(4)Lewis C.
Good old Zola. I come here quite a lot because it's in Mainstrauss yet you don't have to worry about bro's in Affliction shirts and hammered females getting in screaming fights. It's small and usually pretty low-key. Sometimes the weekends will have it more packed, but on average it is a smaller crowd of mostly regulars casually drinking and having a good time. They usually have live music typically consisting of acoustic duo/trios. Come in on a night when guys from The Turkeys are there - you won't regret it! They're usually there on Thursdays. They run drink specials and always have cheap PBR's, if you're into that kind of thing (I'm very into that kind of thing). The bartenders are always awesome and friendly, and if you can handle a smoking bar (you'll get over it), then come getcha some good food and drink!
(5)Michael R.
Superior food at a reasonable cost and service that has been excellent over more than ten visits in the last two months! While I enjoy their burgers, my wife tries a little of everything and has found it all to be prepared well, with quality ingredients and attention to detail. Their fries are some of the best in the area. I wish they had a decent wiezen/hefeweizen beer in stock, that is about the only negative. I see some have complained about the cigarette smoke, frankly it is worth it to not have suburban hausfraus letting their poorly behaved children run about.
(4)Travis G.
Best Burger in the Cincinnati area. I've been saying it for a while now and I'm finally ready to put it in writing. The meat is seasoned to perfection with a mystery spice that has you waking up in a city a thousand miles away with a hunger for their burger. But it doesn't stop there, they put delicious toppings on a bun that is soft yet holds up to the juicyness of the patty. Their signature burger comes with 2 kinds of pork and sauteed onions and mushrooms. Their black and blue burger has a house made blue cheese sauce that I crave. Steak fries are a wonderful mix of crispy and soft and a side of their blue cheese sauce - yet more mystery seasoning that I can't quite duplicate at home - is a perfect meal. The coleslaw - if you choose to not go with the steak fries - is totally unexpected with an Asian flair, but very tasty. I've tried several of their other dishes and my co-workers continue to get other things, but really, when I walk in the door I know exactly what I want - 1 Zola burger, medium rare, everything on it. Fries. Side of blue cheese sauce for fries. If I get anything else, while perfectly good, I leave slightly disappointed that I didn't get a Zola burger.
(5)Jessica S.
Last year Zola's was on the list of bars to visit on Mainstrasse for a friend's 21st birthday outing. It was a great place to drink, listen to live music, and have fun with a large group. The upper floor has a pool table and good seating, which was perfect for a party like ours and is the primary reason we stayed there most of the night! I'd been to Zola's before for burgers, too. They're cooked great and the choice of toppings and specialty burgers is fantastic! Definitely a must-visit spot when around Mainstrasse.
(4)Alex S.
I like Zola a lot. Not everyone does, but I do. Let's just get it out of the way - it's a Covington dive bar. Wood everywhere, a bunch of small rooms (but a very nice patio outside), cheap beer selection ah yes. And of course, the awesome dive bar food, including a delicious burger )(one of Greater Cincinnati's best!) Delicious. We learned last night that the kitchen closes at about 1am, which sucked because damn we were hungry. Still, they were nice enough to let us bring in a Lucy Blue's pizza from across the street. And my did we sit there and eat our pizza. They never even bugged us about getting drinks either. Only about half way through our pizza did one of us in the group actually buy a beer. The downside? Well, the smoking of course. It's a KY bar and there's gonna be smoke. And a lot of it. Your clothes are probably going to smell like it for weeks. It can also get crazy on those weekend nights, although we were just there for a quick drink Halloween weekend and still found a table and ate pizza, so really not that crazy. And they often times have great live music! A couple of guys, some microphones and a guitar between them. It always adds to the room, not takes away from it. It's a damn good dive bar with a damn good burger. What more could you want?
(4)Katie W.
I go to Zola all the time during the week to eat and have a drink. prices are great and food is always great. Place isnt that fancy. bartenders always super friendly. Sometimes have acoustic music. Burgers are great! crab cakes are great. Ive had pretty much everything on their menu and never have been disappointed.
(5)Joshua B.
First night in Cinci (Monday)I checked out Zola's, ordered a Cajun burger, Tito's and Redbull . Burger was good drink was right, Barmaid(Tracy) was friendly, good enough for me. Only a couple of beers on tap but I'll be back.
(4)Evan B.
Great Burger Mania Wednesday! Had the Caribbean with fries. Place is packed on Wednesday but worth the wait. Future regular.
(4)Julee E.
Ate here a few weeks back, and then forgot to write my review. All I can say is great atmosphere, great food, and great service. We came for lunch, so we had no problem parking, but I can imagine it gets pretty crazy at night time ... but our server said there is a parking garage around the corner. We will return!!
(5)Sherry R.
Awesome burgers!!!!! Delicious slaw as well! Very good Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale...definitely worth $5 a glass!!! Fun atmosphere too!
(5)Dave S.
We did stop #2 on Cincy Burger seek here and we're not disappointed. The Zola Burger was the choice and was perfectly cooked. My wife got the slaw which was excellent and I the fries. Draft beer choices were good and reasonably priced. The only problem was so many people ordered similar dishes that our order was delivered and consumed by the people at the table next to us. Old school bar atmosphere, will be back if in the neighborhood.
(4)Nicholas R.
Had lunch here for #CincinnatiBurgerWeek and was greatly surprised by the burger. It was the best no frills burger all week. It was just a burger with the normal toppings prepared in an expertly practiced manner. The service was amazing and the bar was great as well.
(5)Jamie T.
I LOVE Zola. They have some delicious burgers with a variety of great toppings, as well as lots of sandwich and appetizer options. Their drink prices are super cheap too, and there's usually some sort of happy hour going on. I think on Sundays they have an all-day happy hour with $3 wells or something like that. The wait staff is always very friendly and helpful, and every now and then they have some live music inside the bar. Great place to hang out and get a few drinks and some food!
(5)Nikki R.
Great Burgers! This place was really chill (on a Sunday). The burgers are excellent, they actually take the time to spice up the beef. So far my favorite burgers in the area. Our bartender was cool, and there was a lot of great blues coming from the juke. I dig it.
(5)Gloria Z.
Zola continues to be a 5 star bar with awesomely delicious food and unbeatable prices. It's like a dive bar and pub rolled into one. We'd enjoy it just for drinks or for a meal. The perfect french fry will be found here, along with really good chili, mildly spiced NOT cinnamony, and you get a big bowl for only $3.50. It is 50 cents extra each if you want to do the chopped onion and shredded cheese thing, but those portions are quite generous. Filled my husband up. I had the turkey ciabatta sandwich which was filled perfectly with a variety of delectable components that melded with the turkey to create a phenomenal taste sensation. Ooh, and authentic fresh soft and chewy ciabatta, yum! I had my eye on the gyro plate, too, being devoured nearby. Will probably try that next time. Our server was great. She handled the full bar (10 spots) plus about five tables without missing a beat, and was most pleasant and helpful! Wish I had asked her name. She was on at 3:00 Saturday afternoon. Get yer Christian Moerlien on tap here, mixed drinks only $3.50 at regular price, ok? And served in a nice tall thin glass, which I love. Gotta get back here for happy hour!
(5)Nick F.
Excellent service with amazing food. It's a hole in the wall destination that you can't pass up when you're in the area. Try the fried chicken melt, you won't be disappointed.
(5)Karen K.
First time here and we will definitely come back when in town. Wednesday is burgermania. $6 butgers. Staff very friendly with pub type atmosphere. Must try.
(5)Lam D.
After doing a random restaurant search on Yelp we ended up at Zola's for lunch. The inside was just your standard bar/pub with a bar that can seat about 20 people and tables/high-tops for seating while you eat. On Wednesday's there is "Burger-Mania" where you can get a burger with 5 toppings and a side for 6 bucks. Pretty nice deal! The rest of the menu is pretty much your standard bar/pub food (wings/burgers/wraps/salads). Nothing too creative about the food. I ended up getting the Zola burger and fries and a cup of chili and my friend got the grilled grouper with fries. The burger was cooked med rare as requested but really nothing special. Just your standard burger that I think you can get anywhere else. The Grilled Grouper was just the same. Not bad, filling but really nothing special. The highlight was the thick cut fries which a enjoyed. An average outing. The overall cost of the meal was about 17 bucks and the food took about 25-30 minutes to get out after ordering. I would say I would go back as it wasn't bad but in my opinion there are better choices around the area.
(3)Jimmy W.
I have a love hate relationship with Zola's that I'm hoping to work out in the near future :). I love their burgers, especially the spicy jack (a top 3 burger in the Cincy area!) but hate smelling the smoke while eating and the reaking of it after I leave. It says a lot that I will suffer the smoke just so I can get a spicy jack burger. I have always had great service and especially like sitting at a high top while eating to chat with friends and people watch (always a few interesting characters there). Definitely try their burgers cooked to how you want them, grab a beverage, and if you don't mind the smoke, it is a great place to spend the evening with friends..a "local" bar that is a bit dive-ish but stll fun to hang out in.
(4)Cindy G.
We went to Zola on a Saturday night and it was crowded, smoky, and loud. I hear that this is not normally the case here and I am totally willing to give it another shot. But our experience here was just OK. We had the chicken finger special which was only $4.50 from 11pm-1am. We tried to sit on the patio, but it was full. Also, the bartender seemed like he hated his life and did not want to be there. The service was fast, but not the friendliest. I wouldn't come running back to this place, but if we were in the area I would consider it. Cheap, fast, and has live music.
(3)Drew J.
This place is great....but they stopped allowing kids once the smoke ban went in to affect. Bad move, IMO. We used to come here on a regular basis and loved the great beer list and eclectic pub grub. We have two kids and now can't even step foot inside. Too bad. They're missing out on a lot of non-smoking and family business. Shout it out if you change. We're going elsewhere for now.
(1)Keith C.
I tried Zola's for the first time tonight. I didn't get to dine in, but after going to pick-up our order, I'm somewhat glad I didn't decide to actually go to sit down - the patio was filled, and the inside area was fairly full as well with exception of the spots at the bar (I'm generally not a fan of sitting at the bar and staring forward alcohol during my dining experience). On our first try tonight, we decided to keep it simple and order a couple appetizers and a couple salads. Keeping in mind that we went to Zola's and the general vicinity of Covington for the first time tonight, we initially had troubles finding a spot. The streets were crowded and the parking spots were virtually non-existent. With all the one-way streets, we inevitably found our ways circling the blocks through one-way streets trying to a place to park so we could pick up our order. As we finally found one, I made my way inside and was pleasantly greeting by the gal running what appeared to be the entire front of the house (which was a lot of responsibility if you ask me) and she informed me that they were out of croutons for my Caesar salad. They were also out of Avocado for my wife's chef salads. They only have a small handful of salads to pick from, and the two we ordered just happened to be missing critical components. On one of the salads, we actually ordered extra dressing. I found it hilarious that they found the nerve to actually charge us for the extra dressing but they didn't deem it fit to deduct any from our bill for the two major elements missing from the salads they prepared for us. The wait was also longer than what we were told on the phone. When we called the order in, we were told it would be 20 minutes to pickup, which seemed reasonable, but by the time I actually got my order, it had been 35 minutes. Usually this isn't a bad predicament if you are by yourself and just running home and can grab a cold beverage and wait, but I was waiting inside with my wife and two 5 month old children in the car. Upon arrival to our house, we were both pretty hungry and commenced to dig into our crouton-less and avocado-less salads with the additional salad dressing that we paid for, and I found my salad rather disgusting. The lettuce leaves were wilted. Our car ride home was only 10 minutes at most, so either the lettuce was old and wilted before it was tossed in the Caesar dressing, or the salad had been tossed for quite a while and had been just sitting around for some lucky recipient. My wife's salad, the cobb, was actually decent. I didn't give it a try, but she enjoyed it. The appetizer we selected, the spring rolls, were also just ok, but I would have definitely paired it with another dipping sauce - maybe a sweet chili sauce rather than a spicy horseradish mustard sauce. I don't think I'm going back. Too bad; I was looking for some more variety over in Kenton County.
(2)David W.
Terrific bar, fantastic burgers. Cheap prices. The only thing that prevents me from giving it 5 stars is that they will not do special orders on the burgers. You take the burger as it's listed in the menu, no modifications.
(4)Frank M.
Best Burger menu in Cintucky! Unique burgers that are hard to beat with really creative burger specials. Tip: Wednesday is BurgerMania...all burgers only $6. Also, smoking is allowed inside so try to get a table outside because a single smoker pollutes the small dining room. Just wish they would go smoke free. :-(
(4)Patrick P.
My burger was yummy! I ordered the Zola Burger and had a couple of Warsteiners (draft) to boot. It was Saturday midday with not much a crowd at the bar. The place did not have many people because it was pretty early. I ordered my beer and sandwich (with a side of their asian slaw) as advised by many of the yelpers. The burger was cooked perfectly and had great flavor. The slaw was really good. I enjoyed everything about the meal. Please note that this bar is still smoking inside - so if you have issues with cigarrette smoke - this bar may not be for you. Service - Quick and friendly Food - Very good - everything was advertised. My sandwich, slaw and two beers was around $15 Atmoshphere - it was nice - they were playing the UC game. The ding was the cigarrette smoke. Please note - I can see if this place is packed that it would take a long time to get your food. I beleive everything is made fresh and could see the kitchen backing up. Since there was no crowd - My food was really good. Enjoy.
(4)Missy L.
Zola's is pretty much everything you need in a Bar/Grill type situation. Located in Covington's Main Strasse Village, Zola is a cozy establishment with limited outdoor seating as well as a lounge upstairs. The food at Zola is about what you would expect; burgers, fries, chicken fingers, wraps. That being said it is all extremely tasty. During their happy hour all their appetizers are half priced as well. Though, even at regular price everything is very affordable. I have found the service can leave something to be desired at times. It's neither speedy nor particularly friendly. I work in customer service so I hate to get on anyone for the quality of their service, but this has happened nearly every time I've been to Zola's so I feel it deserves to be said. Zola's does offer some good drink deals as well as a fairly well stocked bar. They typically have some type of live music in the evenings. I know The Turkey's play here fairly often. It definitely adds to the experience. So if you find yourself in Main Strasse and are either looking for an affordable meal, or tasty beverage Zola is a good choice (just don't go if you're on a schedule because you will more than likely be late to whatever you have next on your agenda).
(3)Chelsey L.
I've been going to Zola since I have moved to Covington. The bartenders are so friendly and the live music is great. Then the burgers.. oh lawd the burgers. I always get a classic burger with some Cheddar, but I've had bites of the Black & Bleu and the Zola. The burgers are juicy and well seasoned, the bun to meat ratio is perfect the toppings are fresh. They also have some great salads, secret tip coming... Try the Blackened Cobb with their Asian dressing, weird I know but it's delicious. I love sitting outside during the summer, prices are great as well. Try it out on Wednesdays for burger night!
(4)Roger M.
Spicy Jack is my favorite, the staff always greets you when you walk in. The chips are amazing and the burgers are exceptionally large. The price is perfect for the amount of food you get. Im currently working my way down the menu and havent found something I don't like. Always cooked the way I ordered it, the crowd is always at a low rumble, its not too loud in the bar and the restrooms are clean.
(5)Jessica S.
Last year Zola's was on the list of bars to visit on Mainstrasse for a friend's 21st birthday outing. It was a great place to drink, listen to live music, and have fun with a large group. The upper floor has a pool table and good seating, which was perfect for a party like ours and is the primary reason we stayed there most of the night! I'd been to Zola's before for burgers, too. They're cooked great and the choice of toppings and specialty burgers is fantastic! Definitely a must-visit spot when around Mainstrasse.
(4)Samantha B.
My girlfriend and I love going to Zola on Saturday afternoons to monch and have a few brews without spending more than a fifty spot. The patty melt is YUMMTASTIC as well as the crunchy slaw. I always eat half and take the other for a snack later because eating a Zola patty melt is sensational! Girlfriend gets a burger or a gyro (I have sampled both, both are fab!) and some sort of cajun jalepeno fries for an app. All around DELISH! Service is always super friendly and the place is never over crowded. I have been on a weekend night and still loved the place. Lots of people but not wall to wall crowded. And even loaded with patrons I still had great service. Fo sho my favorite spot in Scuvington :)
(5)Lewis C.
Good old Zola. I come here quite a lot because it's in Mainstrauss yet you don't have to worry about bro's in Affliction shirts and hammered females getting in screaming fights. It's small and usually pretty low-key. Sometimes the weekends will have it more packed, but on average it is a smaller crowd of mostly regulars casually drinking and having a good time. They usually have live music typically consisting of acoustic duo/trios. Come in on a night when guys from The Turkeys are there - you won't regret it! They're usually there on Thursdays. They run drink specials and always have cheap PBR's, if you're into that kind of thing (I'm very into that kind of thing). The bartenders are always awesome and friendly, and if you can handle a smoking bar (you'll get over it), then come getcha some good food and drink!
(5)Michael R.
Superior food at a reasonable cost and service that has been excellent over more than ten visits in the last two months! While I enjoy their burgers, my wife tries a little of everything and has found it all to be prepared well, with quality ingredients and attention to detail. Their fries are some of the best in the area. I wish they had a decent wiezen/hefeweizen beer in stock, that is about the only negative. I see some have complained about the cigarette smoke, frankly it is worth it to not have suburban hausfraus letting their poorly behaved children run about.
(4)Travis G.
Best Burger in the Cincinnati area. I've been saying it for a while now and I'm finally ready to put it in writing. The meat is seasoned to perfection with a mystery spice that has you waking up in a city a thousand miles away with a hunger for their burger. But it doesn't stop there, they put delicious toppings on a bun that is soft yet holds up to the juicyness of the patty. Their signature burger comes with 2 kinds of pork and sauteed onions and mushrooms. Their black and blue burger has a house made blue cheese sauce that I crave. Steak fries are a wonderful mix of crispy and soft and a side of their blue cheese sauce - yet more mystery seasoning that I can't quite duplicate at home - is a perfect meal. The coleslaw - if you choose to not go with the steak fries - is totally unexpected with an Asian flair, but very tasty. I've tried several of their other dishes and my co-workers continue to get other things, but really, when I walk in the door I know exactly what I want - 1 Zola burger, medium rare, everything on it. Fries. Side of blue cheese sauce for fries. If I get anything else, while perfectly good, I leave slightly disappointed that I didn't get a Zola burger.
(5)Alex S.
I like Zola a lot. Not everyone does, but I do. Let's just get it out of the way - it's a Covington dive bar. Wood everywhere, a bunch of small rooms (but a very nice patio outside), cheap beer selection ah yes. And of course, the awesome dive bar food, including a delicious burger )(one of Greater Cincinnati's best!) Delicious. We learned last night that the kitchen closes at about 1am, which sucked because damn we were hungry. Still, they were nice enough to let us bring in a Lucy Blue's pizza from across the street. And my did we sit there and eat our pizza. They never even bugged us about getting drinks either. Only about half way through our pizza did one of us in the group actually buy a beer. The downside? Well, the smoking of course. It's a KY bar and there's gonna be smoke. And a lot of it. Your clothes are probably going to smell like it for weeks. It can also get crazy on those weekend nights, although we were just there for a quick drink Halloween weekend and still found a table and ate pizza, so really not that crazy. And they often times have great live music! A couple of guys, some microphones and a guitar between them. It always adds to the room, not takes away from it. It's a damn good dive bar with a damn good burger. What more could you want?
(4)Katie W.
I go to Zola all the time during the week to eat and have a drink. prices are great and food is always great. Place isnt that fancy. bartenders always super friendly. Sometimes have acoustic music. Burgers are great! crab cakes are great. Ive had pretty much everything on their menu and never have been disappointed.
(5)Shelby D.
This is probably one of my favorite locations in Covington. My friends and I are here so often that the bartenders know our drink orders without asking. Ummm, does that make us-dare I say-REGULARS?! Yikes! In this place, I'm not sure that's anything to be scared about. The food is pretty darn good and made to order. Don't expect anything fancy-burgers, salads and yummy fried food take up most of the menu. Even though it's not fancy, everything is still delicious! Tuesdays tend to be a little crowded because of The Turkeys. If you don't know who they are, then I suggest you get you butt to Zolas on Tuesday and find out!
(4)Karen Q.
Uber Friendly dive bar with a nice beer selection and the best cheeseburger you will ever eat! Love this place!!!
(5)Katherine M.
I enjoy Zola. The atmosphere makes me happy. It's that great Kentucky hometown bar you are looking for. It's relatively inconspicuous and doesn't want to be a flashy bar with trendy things. It's a bar with some pretty good food, and that's what it is. I've mostly come for drinks. The drinks are good, pretty strong, and the place is comfortable. Mostly the band that I have seen here (The Turkeys or one of the guys from the Turkeys or whatever) is good. They play good music that I know, so that always makes me happy. I came for food once and it was pretty good - my chicken tenders were far better than my husband's burger - but the burger was decent, just nothing special. The food is okay, you probably wouldn't come for that. It's just a good bar on Mainstrasse and always a stop for me.
(4)Andi B.
I love a good burger but I was meeting a friend who is vegetarian. Based on the Yelp reviews we decided on Zola because they said the portabella burger was great. I normally go for a burger, lettuce, tomato and pickle but decided to change it up completely. I picked the mo town burger (I think that was the name) bacon, cheddar, onion straws and BBQ sauce. I got my sauce on the side because I order the chips (crunchy saratoga chip), which they make in-house and are amazing, so I could dip. My friend got the portabella and the asian cole slaw. Hopefully she does a review because it looked great. We had an appetizer that was something like southwest stuffed potato, but neither of us were wowed by it. It is an older bar, converted house so naturally that coupled with the smoking option it is a smokey place. In the summer, they have tables on the sidewalk. Wednesdays are their burger special day, which as of this date is a burger, up to 5 toppings and a side for $6.
(4)Peter J.
This place is awesome! Also in Mainstrausse its one of the quieter bars in the area. The food is great and there are a number of craft beers available. But that's not the best part of the place. The best part is the food. The place has bar food that can only be described as off the chain. The hot fries are amazing. Perfect. The wings are great as well as well as the nachos. It's a nice quiet place to go and relax which is a plesant surprise in such a crowded place.
(5)Ben B.
The go-to spot for pub grub in Mainstrasse. Great service backs a pretty decent menu! Everyone loves their burgers, and being part time veggie, I have to agree that their Portabella burger is one of the better veggie burgers in the area. Their bleu cheese is also quite fantastic! It can get a bit crammed in here, but an upstairs area and in the summer time patio, this is one of the better bars in Northern Kentucky!
(4)Zack F.
I haven't reviewed Zola's yet? Wow. So, this is my favorite bar in Mainstrasse. Does it deserve 5 stars? I don't even care, it's great in so many ways, and since it's my go to spot, it gets the bump. Surprisingly, they do cater to vegetarians here, and have a really tasty portabella burger. That's given that I don't even like portabella burgers generally. Their coleslaw is even vegetarian, another thing I typically dislike, but it was great. They have a respectable selection of alcohol to choose from and their prices are reasonable. The service is always attentive, friendly and attractive. It definitely has a neighborhood bar feel. If you go enough, you'll know everyone by name. It can get a bit loud, but you can still talk to your friends. They have regular local, live music. Their bluegrass night is a lot of fun. Stop in often is my recommendation.
(5)Amanda S.
Today's word is: Inedible. Say it with me kids! INEDIBLE! Now, let's use it in a sentence! The burger I got at Zola Pub and Grill was INEDIBLE! Yep, that's right. It was so medium that it was raw. Mushy. It may have winked at me. I can't even tell you whether or not it was good because it was inedible. The waitress immediately took it away and tried to get the kitchen to actually cook the damn thing but it was so far gone that I decided to take it home and cook it myself. You know, because I know how to cook a burger (unlike the kitchen staff at Zola's). When I did fully cook it, I noticed that the blackened seasoning is definitely weird. It has a lemony note to it. Not good. But, as other Yelpers have said, their bleu cheese is really tasty. Give it a try...just not on a burger. Aside from that our food was whatever. The onion rings were good but they were just battered and fried rings of onions so not too much to screw up there. My beer, Great Lakes Holy Moses, was decent although I'm totally bummed that they no longer have Turbodog on tap. Unlike some Yelpers, we actually had good service. There was some wine festival happening on Main Strasse so millions of hideously bougie people were swarming the local restaurants, Zola's being one of them. The waitresses handled it with great aplomb. The wait for food was ridiculous but each one of our dishes, when not raw, was served piping hot. Our drinks were always filled and she was more than helpful during the inedible burger fiasco. Actually, I would have totally given Zola's the "Eek! Methinks not" rating but the service from our waitress bumped it up to a "Meh." A very reluctant "Meh" but a "Meh," all the same.
(2)Marcus H.
I've been to Zola Pub and Grill two times now. The first time was back in November 2010 for a 21st birthday, and today (12.18.11) for lunch. We went because we didn't feel like driving far and because it's in walking distance from my house it was a match made in Mainstrasse! They had a spicy soup that was really tasty, and I ordered a burger. Now, if you like a little pink in your burger, order it medium-well, because the medium is a little on the medium-rare side. The burger otherwise was good, the service is what I've come to expect in Mainstrasse - friendly, quirky, and a little slow. It is of course not smoke-free I.e. it is not an establishment that I usually choose to dine, but during a Bengals game on a Sunday afternoon there was only 1 girl smoking in the entire place so it wasn't terrible. My mother would have referred to it as a dive bar, and she would have been right. Decent food, decent atmosphere, decent place.
(3)Jessica M.
Zola is a laid-back bar and restaurant. I've been there a few times now and am always impressed with the quality of the food and the strength of the drinks, especially considering the price. If I lived in Covington, I think this would be one of my go-to places. Unfortunately, I live in Louisville, but I always seem to end up at Zola when I visit friends in Covington. You just can't beat a place where you can get a good meal and a couple of strong drinks for less than $20 (including tip).
(4)Michael E.
Overhyped burger Rounds out average menu You can do better
(3)Matt P.
Went there to check out their "Burgermania" ($6 for a 5 topping burger & side on Wednesdays) and had their Cajun Bell. Burger was great, good quality meat, perfect amount of spice, and toppings we very fresh and worked well together. My only complaint about the food was that the burger was a little over done (ordered medium rare, got medium) so make sure to order a little on the low side. Service was excellent, plenty of seating both inside & outside. Will definitely come back for their Wednesday night Burgermania!
(4)Rj C.
What a cool "dive-bar" spot in Mainstrasse! Better than average bar food, VERY friendly bar tenders and a talented cook in the back room make for a pleasurable experience. Stop down on Tuesday night for authentic bluegrass music, though it sometimes is very busy and standing-room only. I'm a fan of their Zola Burger as well as a few others on the menu including the Memphis BBQ burger. Though I'm personally not a big fan of the asian pasta salad, the chili cheese fries are delicious. A small selection of very good beers and moderate prices make for a good time every time I'm at Zola.
(4)Karina M.
Love, love, loved the Soul Burger. The Caribbean jerk seasoning perfectly accentuated the flavors of the beef and I will definitely come back to order this one next time I get a craving for red meat. And they offered all day Happy Hour on Sundays!
(4)Beth R.
Love Zola French Onion Soup + Warsteiner = happy girl
(4)Matt W.
Burger was cheap, kitchen was open, AND, we got the most badass bar full of people singing songs from the Karate Kid Soundtrack that were playing for the Juke Box. We will be back if we are up for a light night meal in the area in the near future. I got the Zola burger and my cholesterol count immediately doubled when it hit my table. This made me happy about my metabolism.
(5)Christopher D.
Have yet to try any of the food (which goes for most bars in my experience), but have heard good things. I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere and the clientele. The barback/busser was extremely friendly and talked to our table for a while without overstaying his welcome. Overall a very pleasurable experience. However, nothing incredibly noteworthy about this bar. From my experience just another decent bar on mainstrasse that's definitely worthy checking out for a drink or two.
(4)Rawley D.
A couple of bds and I stopped by a couple f Sunday's ago. I had a great Burger and fun enviorment! and a good selection of Taps. Best review I can give is that I will be back!
(4)Tim N.
Very nice Pub and Grub place on Main Strasse. Went there on a Sunday afternoon, soaked up the sun on the chairs on the sidewalk. Half price appetizers and happy hour beer special on sunday made it a most affordable afternoon hang out. Very average bar with very nice staff. Frank the waiter was very frank about our selections and was very accommodating.
(3)Lindsay P.
The burgers were pretty amazing, really the first memorable one I've had in a while. Great seasoning, done per my request and with a great combination of toppings!! We sat inside where there was a fun bluegrass band playing, they were some extremely talented musicians! To top it all off, a good beer selection for whatever your tastes may be for the evening. Will definitely be back for more :)
(4)Bernie W.
Decent food & beer. Hot, friendly waitress & bartender. Didn't like the acoustic musician Thurs night, who played Simon & Garfunkel
(3)Erin L.
Zola is a great bar and grill in the fun Mainstrasse area. Their food is amazing, especially their Asian-style slaw and their giant angus burgers. I usually opt for the chicken sandwiches which are equally delicious. The golden tee golf and bartop game machine keep people busy and the pool tables upstairs are a fun. Drop in and you'll be happy you did!
(4)Bea D.
It was crowded and smokey - we were on the first floor. The second floor is non-smoking. I did not go upstairs, but one would think that the smoke would rise to the second floor. The food was OK. I had a margherita pizza. There was no fresh mozzarella, and very sparse with basil. It was not authentic, but it was OK. The Asian spring rolls, which were recommended by our waiter, are made in-house, and they were quite good. Service became slower and slower as more people filed in from the street. Overall, it was an average experience.
(3)Steve K.
A friend and I were looking for a burger in Mainstrasse one evening and stopped in. Everything on the menu looked great, and as it so happened, I got the wrong burger, but it was so good that I kept it.
(4)Lauren F.
Zola's is a cozy little bar on Main Strasse that offers a pretty decent drink selection and better than usual pub grub as a lot of places in this area of town do. The Black Bean burger is excellent and the service has always been fast and very friendly. Known for superior burgers it's a hot spot for locals to eat and drink. I'm usually not a fan of the late night crowd, a little too middle American for my tastes.
(4)Robin B.
Zola's is the place to go on Tuesday nights for burgers. You can load them up with all the toppings you want including grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon, blu cheese, and fries for $5! The atmosphere is chill on the first floor with a bar and some tables and there is more seating on the second floor with games as well. I went with two other friends and the burgers were made to order to a tee and the fries were nice and hot. We will definitely be back to try a different combination on our burgers.
(5)