We had lunch there today. It was really nice. There were three of us. One ordered the pulled pork sandwich. She liked it ~~ it was smoky and a little sweet. Two ordered the burgers. Mine was great! Hand formed and juicy even at well done. Service was good. It was enjoyable.
(4)
Bethany Z.
A nice place to come to get great service and good food. It's right Next to the river, so there is a beautiful view and they have pretty good happy hour deals. We ordered the Wisconsin cheese curds as an app (yum) for the people who love their fried cheese. We then ordered the ultimate blt. It was really good bc they added a fried egg on the top. Best blt ever. My friend ordered a insane chicken sandwich with all kinds of toppings. The two best things about it were, first it was happy hour and pitchers of margaritas were on sale and second our portions were so big we got to take some home and enjoy it later!!!
(4)
Rene T.
It's never fun to go to an establishment and watch someone be treated disrespectfully. It's even worse when the management gives a weak excuse for why it was done. A young man was refused service because he had tats. Seriously? And when they were called out on social media about it, they then claimed that it wasn't the tats, it was where the tats were. So, in the Brothers' managements' mindset, even though you are a respectful customer, they have the right to refuse service because they don't like where your tat is because someone might look. This arbitrary rule is not on their website, their FB page or even on the store window. You just get to find out about it when they publicly embarrass you. So, what if you have a facial deformity? Will they be publicly embarrassed as well because people might look? Good business managers know that respectful paying customers are wonderful no matter what they look like. And given past reviews about mediocre, overpriced food, it's surprising that they would instead concentrate on turning away customers.
(1)
Stephanie P.
Went here for the first time last night after the Labor Day fireworks and it was fun! Music was fun and loud, and the view on the patio is gorgeous. Although it was pretty busy, our server was very attentive. He came around several times during the 1.5 hours we were there, and got our food and drinks very promptly. Thanks, male server who was doing the indoor area by the DJ!
(5)
Amanda H.
Brothers sports bar has been on the levee for a long time now. It's one of those places I love to hate to go. It is so convenient for when we use our aquarium passes, so we find ourselves there a few times a year. The food is always pretty good, but the service perpetually sucks. I've been there when it's packed for NCAA UK games, and when its dead empty on a Tuesday- still sucks equally. One time, we were the only table in the entire restaurant and my server seemed to have lost us. This time we went after the aquarium again. I took Lauren and two of her friends. Out of the 10 or so times I've been there, this was better than the others server wise. She took our order fast, got the food out fast, then nothing. I didn't see her for a solid 15 minutes. Finally she came out and we got the check. Ugh I was rooting for one good service! Anyway to the food. Like I said, if you can just eat at the bar, the food is pretty good. Pub fare, but done well. The girls all split some chicken wings and cheese fries. They ate them all and said they were really good. I went with the blue cheese tavern chips. They had too much blue cheese on them, but other than that they were delicious! Next time I go, I'll def get these again and just order blue cheese chunks on the side. I do like the bar and they have a good beer selection. With lots of TVs, a cool outdoor space, and a killer view, its the place to go for sports and drinks. The food is yummy, but not worth the wait when you have little ones with you.
(2)
Joel L.
The food was meh but the ambience was great. I had lunch on a snowy Saturday and it was about 15% at capacity. I was starving but nothing on the menu looked appetizing. Unlike other bar/grills at the Levee, everything on this menu seemed like typical bar food that I could get anywhere but for a lower price. Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs were fine. The tavern kettle chips were meh. The servers were fine. I moved from the bar to the window to enjoy the view and they went with it without a problem. I really like the look of the place. The layout is also interesting. I didn't try the cocktails but Brothers seems much more of a bar than a grill.
(2)
James C.
Ice cold beers and great bar food. The cheese curds dipped Im bleu cheese is mouth watering good. We followed this with deep fried pickles dipped in ranch dressing. All of this was part of the sports bar experience.
(4)
Ben N.
Based on one experience, I'd say that Brothers is focused like a laser beam on mediocrity. In short, there was just way too much ineptitude and indifference for a non-alcoholic lunch for three that cost almost fifty bucks. The tip-off was Brothers' handling of a burger. You'd think any sports-bar-slash-bar-and-grill could at the very least produce an average burger. Not Brothers. My wife asked whether her burger could be cooked to order, and the server rather vaguely answered in the affirmative. My wife ordered hers medium. The burger she was served, however, was beyond well-done: Every last molecule of flavor and juiciness, and every last hue of pink, was cooked out of it. The sweet-potato tots that came with it sounded too good to be true, and they were. They had none of the great crisp-versus-fluffy contrast of regular tots--which are a guilty pleasure--and they too were almost flavorless. I got the blackened tilapia tacos. These actually had a suprisingly palatable flavor profile, and the fish was cooked properly. But they came out only a couple of degrees above room temperature, and the tortillas apparently hadn't been heated at all. (Inexcusable, really.) Seasoned rice that accompanied the tacos was forgettable. Fried pickles were kinda soggy, and the batter wasn't adhering to them very well, but they tasted OK. I'd say they were overpriced at $7, though. Overall, a dreary and depressing repast. In contrast to some of the other reviews, our server was attentive and friendly enough, even if she didn't go beyond the call. Weird observation: Brothers' logo includes the legend "Est. 1967," but the website's "History of Brothers" section indicates that Brothers was "founded in Lacrosse, Wisconsin in 1990." What the hell? Plusses? --Draft beer list seems varied enough and reasonably priced. --There were plenty of big TVs showing sports, although too many were tuned to motocross when we were there. --Brothers has a patio overlooking the river and the Cincinnati skyline. That ought to be worthwhile on a nice day, assuming that you're having only a drink or two. Basically, Brothers is just a feeding and imbibing station for those drawn by the bright lights, greasy kids stuff, circus sideshow attractions, and general cheesiness of Newport on the Levee. Explaining how we ended up there is too complicated.
(2)
Margaret S.
Went to Brothers on Thursday after enjoying music on the levee. The service was fantastic, our waiter gave us great suggestions for food. We had fried pickles for an appetizer, which I have to say we're the best, also had the Chicken ranch wrap. Enjoyed sitting outside on the patio.
(4)
Emma M.
It had amazing staff, amazing food, and decent pricing on everything, as well as having a vegetarian option. Plus it's so close to the aquarium. During the warm weather they have an outdoor patio that looks out over the ohio river and downtown Cincinnati! I highly recommend this place!
(4)
Lonnetta P.
I love the patio! You can't ask for a better view. The weather was great yesterday evening so we sat outside to take it all in. Huge space so it's great for a group of friends to hang out. They off daily drink specials and offer a pretty basic sports bar food menu. The chicken nachos were big enough for two to split, but sadly I had to search for the chicken. Conveniently located on the levee makes it a great place to grab drinks before a movie. If you wanted to catch a game (no worries), plenty of large screen TVs around. I was very impressed by the music played. I heard a little Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Beyonce', Magic, Elton John and more. The place was kept pretty clean, including the restroom. I will certainly stop back in when visiting Newport.
(3)
Shelby P.
Okay... This is maybe because I'm getting older and maturing a little bit but this place is terrible! It's your typical loud, dark, sleazy bar that you feel weird about going into. The music is ungodly loud, like to the point I couldn't wait to get out of there. The only pro of brothers is it's a great place to people watch! All together I don't think brothers in a good place at all!
(1)
Michael K.
Only because I can't give zero this place just don't Bartenders hav no clue it's cool place to get cheap watered down drinks on thurs nights college night only night Keepin this place open im assuming
(1)
Brandy V.
The good: Chicken nachos, fried pickles and the view outside The bad: Slow service My husband and I stopped in yesterday for some appetizers and drinks. Our server did not tell us about any specials, but later I heard another server telling a table about their drink specials for the night. Tables around us sat dirty almost the entire time we were there. We received our food pretty quick, but after that we hardly saw our server, once she brought us our check we waited a long time for her to finally come back so we could leave. Overall, I would go back and maybe sit at the bar and have a drink and some appetizers. Don't expect too much from this place or you will be disappointed.
(3)
Candace B.
Horrible establishment. Food was stale, the place was not clean. Did I mention they do not allow patrons with tattoos inside? They ought to consider placing a sign up front.
(1)
Sara S.
I came here on lunch, and it was about as expected. The food was okay (not bad, but not great). The wait for our food was almost nonexistant (it felt like 5 minutes)! I would come here again, but it wouldn't be my first choice of restaurants on the Levee.
(3)
Miranda C.
This place has the best burgers around! I also love the friendly service and the big screen TVs!
(5)
Michael C.
Worst service ever. Multiple times. Come in at happy hour it can take a 1/2 hour for bartender to serve you. I went from both sides of the bar multiple times. Waving. Lol. What a joke. Big goofy dudes. No way to run a bar.
(1)
Tiera A.
On Saturday night, I had a great time at Brothers, for the most part. The one thing that kind of bothered me was the experience I had with the bartender. My friend and I ordered a drink and were charged $7.50 a piece for them. We paid the $7.50 and went on about our night. About an hour or so later, we went back and ordered the very same drink and were charged $8.50 by a different bartender. Now $1 is really no big deal but we thought it was strange that we were being charged a different amount. Thinking that he'd go ahead and correct this for us, we very calmly, let the guy know that this isn't what we paid before. I guess the customer isn't always right because this guy preferred to debate with me about the price of the drink rather than correcting this for us. Instead of just charging us the same amount we were charged before and saying something like "the next one is going to be $8.50" this bartender (who referred to himself as the "lead" bartender or something like that) took the time to ask us which bartender served us previously and walked around searching for him. This was such a waste of time. We couldn't believe that this guy would not agree that "we" the customer was right, even with there only being a difference of a dollar. Overall, I've always enjoyed myself at Brothers. I can appreciate their daily specials and ample space for mingling and dancing. It's unfortunate that I had a bad experience with someone on their staff. It's such a silly thing but I didn't appreciate the lack of customer service that my friend and I received. I'll definitely remember that the next time I consider hanging out at Brothers.
(3)
Courtney P.
Here's a time I wish half stars were an option because this place would only receive 2.5. Pros: The food is pretty good. I usually order a chicken wrap or sandwich and they have really good ranch lol. The drinks are super weak but they have a lot of options and lot of beers to choose from. Cons: The service. The times I've gone has usually been a Friday or Saturday. When you walk in and there is no greeter, you do the five minute 'do I seat myself or will they seat me?' talk with yourself. You decide to seat yourself because nobody has come to greet you. You walk around the place and notice all the tables are full and/or dirty and none of the staff offers to help you. When you finally do work that part out, plan to basically be ignored by the entire staff. Every time I go here I say I won't be back but the food is good and somehow I always seem to forget how challenging going here can be because I keep going back. I mean, they have really good ranch dressing.
(3)
Kitty H.
In the mood for burgers and something new so trying Brother's as I type. The place is busy yet we were seated immediately. We waited not more than 8 minutes for our appetizers to arrive. Afterwards, we waited maybe just another 5 for the entrees. The staff is friendly, fast and attentive. The serving portions are generous and delicious. Great happy hour specials too.
(5)
Eileen B.
I went to Brothers for the UK-UC game yesterday, needless to say it was packed by game time. I was impressed with how speedy the service was! Our waiter checked with us frequently, and our food order came out very quickly. I had the walnut burger (the vegetarian burger) and I thought it was good! Definitely better than the run of the mill bean burger other places offer. I would definitely go here again.
(4)
Jill N.
Oh, brother, what a waste of time and money. Speaking of brothers, my super-picky brother is the reason we ended up here in the first place. But that was only after trying to go to Claddaugh Irish Pub and Hofbrauhaus first. Claddaugh is now permanently closed at Newport on the Levee and Hofbrau wasn't going to be open for another 45 minutes. Brother's looked OK. I thought I could at least get a good burger. My first gripe: At 11:15 on Sunday morning, Brother's had very few customers. There were at least a dozen open tables for 3 or more, but the hostess tried to seat us at a high top in the bar. When I asked if they had something lower, she took the three of us to a gigantic booth large enough for 10 that just made me feel silly for asking. But fine, hard to complain about that. I just couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with all the regular sized tables that were vacant. Gripe #2: I ordered a blackened bleu burger and when I asked the server if they cook the burgers to order, she froze like a deer in headlights. After an awkward pause (that again made me feel silly for asking), she answered "not normally but if you want." I should have interpreted that to mean, "no, we are going to cook your little 7 oz. patty until there is no trace of fat, juice, or flavor and it's as tough and dry as shoe leather." When will I ever learn? Gripe #3: In an effort to be ballsy and cool, Brother's has come up with a clever drink with which to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. It's called a car bomb. ha ha, Get it? Those wild and crazy IRA terrorists -- they are such a hoot! This place is a tourist trap and I am embarrassed that I got caught in it. I would really like to give this only 1 star, but my picky brother's fried fish sandwich was not bad.
(2)
Justin R.
Whatever you do, don't ask for a table different from the one they give you. We stood at the hostess table for five minutes without so much as eye contact from the girl at the register, five feet away. The hostess walked up to us and greeted us, then proceeded to seat us next to a larger, louder group. I asked for a table in the back, which seemed to exasperate her. After a minute of apparently checking with Brothers' upper management, she walked us to the back, threw our menus on the table, and walked away. Our waitress came up five minutes after and was incredibly chipper. Never mind the fact that she was the one who initially ignored us. We walked out.
(1)
Andre R.
Visited the area from Washington D.C. and stopped for lunch. The scenery was nice overlooking the Ohio river, decor of the place offered an entertaining look at old American Diners, the open pit flame outside was a nice touch. I found it interesting that the restaurant was half empty with a 30 minute wait. I'm guessing they were low on servers. After finally getting seated we ordered the meals off the kids menu and two adults. I can't say I have to most refined palate but this is Kentucky! I expected a lot more than over chicken nuggets, greasy burgers and dried fries. To add to this no napkins or silverware was dropped. Would have been nice to have the empty plates from our appetizers cleared sometime during the main meal. I think I'll pass on a second visit here. Thanks for having me.
(1)
Larry S.
Only about 20 tables had people, we ordered and then the place filled. We waited 30 mins and I asked where our food was. Was told the place was full. We packed out stuff up and left.
(1)
rick k.
Food is decent but very fast, drinks are well priced for the levee. It is a fun place to hang out on the weekend. Is a national chain, so you get what you would expect. More of a 3-4 star place, but felt compelled to cancel out some one star reviews for the management asking some guy to leave because he has face tattoos.
(5)
Doug D.
The food was mediocre. Upscale bar food similar to Applebee's. There was nothing about my experience that made me say "I want to go back". I had the fish sandwich and it had a heavy batter on it. In most bites the batter was thicker than the fish. The wife had lime chicken and said it was almost warm when she got it. I ordered a cup of soup for an appetizer and it came with my meal. I was very clear that I wanted it before, but that didn't happen. I would have expected better at 6 pm at Newport on the Levee. All in all the experience wasn't bad, but there are too many good restaurants out there to waste my time with mediocre.
(2)
Elizabeth B.
Ate here last night and was pleasantly surprised. No wait on a Friday and great happy hour ($2 wells, $2.50 domestics, and $3.50 imports). I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and fries and ate every last bite of it. My friends order a chicken wrap and also liked it a lot. I would definitely come back here again, for the great happy hour deals if nothing else. Service was a little slow but nothing to complain about. All in all, a good experience.
(4)
Ed D.
Sad to say this was a negative experience from the beginning, as the hostess decided our family of five that includes a special needs three-year-old needed to sit in an area only accessible by stairs. The food is average at best, but when you factor in its price and the wait we had for it then it's tough to justify the thought of a return trip. In fact, sensing frustration, a manager did offer us a gift card to try them again, and we passed. I'd rather pay to try something else than risk this experience again.
(1)
Dominique L.
If you need something to do on a Friday night I'd suggest Brothers. They have a good music playing, dance floor, tv screens with sports playing and a pool table! All that to go along with your drinks makes for a good night! Beware the full menu is not available after 12am so the selection is minimized after that time. I was able to enjoy the stuffed smokehouse burger and my goodness it was the greatest thing. I've never seen a burger made stuffed with bacon. It is a must taste item! Not that thrilled with the kettle chips so you may want to go with fries. My server was fun and attentive. I got the BBQ chicken quesadilla and disliked it, but she took it off so I shared 1/2 the burger with a friend... Best choice I made all night! I say it's worth a stop it's pretty inexpensive and the monthly special is variety colored/flavored Long Island iced tea in a pitcher for $9. Have fun!
(3)
Tabitha W.
You know how an experience can be perfectly fine and then there is one seemingly small thing that just completely pushes it to the other side of fine? #thatjusthappened I ended up visiting Newport on the Levee with a friend who was visiting for the weekend. It was around noon on a Sunday, and we first walked around to view what other restaurant options there were. I appreciated that there was a menu posted outside (for both this restaurant and several of the others we considered). I was a little disappointed that I didn't see a veggie burger on the posted menu, but Brothers seemed to be my friends' top pick, so I figured I could just make a meal out of appetizers. Turns out they did have a veggie burger option that's listed on the menu handed out inside the restaurant (so don't be discouraged by the menu posted outside!), but I already had my heart set on Cheese Curds. My friend went to the men's restroom, and when he came back, he said "well, that was pretty disgusting" and explained that a bartender had basically used the restroom without washing his hands (there was apparently just a quick rinse under the water). My friend and I are both very hygiene-conscious, so knowing that the restaurant staff weren't taking care to thoroughly wash their hands after using the restroom was a little unnerving. I remarked, "well, at least we didn't order drinks". Our food came out soon after that, and the rest of the experience was fine.
(2)
S W.
Nice patio, descent food, but can't overlook poor service. What a disaster. The location is at the Levee, big restaurant with a huge bar area, bar tables and more. The outdoor area has its own bar. It has a wide menu, and a one page gluten free menu.
(1)
Nate S.
I have mixed feelings about this place, maybe it's because I'm getting older, and don't really like the crowded scene anymore. I went there recently on a Thursday. Early on, it was awesome - we had a table, and the drink special was amazing - $1 for mixed well, $2 for bottle domestics (I think - I was doing the well special). As it got later on, our server was harder to keep track up - we went at least a half an hour on multiple occasions without seeing her, but I guess that should be expected when it turns to a dance party.... In general, not a bad place to just grab a drink if you're at the levee, but don't stay there late nights on Thursdays - it's a madhouse.
(3)
Gregory B.
I wasn't impressed with the food. The menu looks good, but I ordered the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and it was cooked to shoe leather. I couldn't eat more than a third of it. My wife had a wrap, she said it was good. The staff were generally friendly, probably a better bar than restaurant.
(2)
Stephen B.
Brother's is sort of like a neighborhood hangout bar located in the middle of an entertainment district. This is actually kind of a cool thing. The only reason I don't give Brother's 4 stars is that I feel the space is a little generic. Still, the food is good and the drinks are cheap. Brother's isn't a bad choice if you're looking for something to do on the levy. One feature that I really like about this bar, is the patio. It's really cool that there is a convertible indoor/outdoor bar. Overall, not my favorite place of all time, but a solid stop for a night out on the levy. Also, as I mentioned before, the drinks are cheap. There are great deals every day of the week.
(3)
Tina F.
Dont Go. I have never complained about a restaurant until now. We waited 1 hour 15 minutes for our food. When it arrived it was cold and burnt. I asked the waitress for refills we cold not get any. (the place was not crowded) I asked for the manager. He said that the food looked ok to him. So I took a piece of the hamburger and handed it to him and told him to feel it. He said it was ok. I handed him the wilted french fry that was cold. He said that sometimes happens. Then I asked him if he would eat the chicken tenders that my son ordered. They were burnt and only 4 small the size of chicken nuggets. He said they looked bad. He brought us some more with a few seconds and they were worse we could not eat the food. He said we ordered and had to pay. We payed for the food and left the food on the it table. The service was poor and so was the food. There is no excuse for the way were treated and the quality of food.
(1)
Michelle M.
The good? Great drink specials and hearty food at a decent price. The bad? Slow service. Maybe it's a bad sign that the allure of Thursday $1 well drinks outweighs average-at-best service, but I'll be back.
(3)
Jorge M.
I have been to Brothers many times during my time in Cincinnati. It has usually been a popular location on thursdays, not sure why. But what makes me give them a low score is the treatment they gave to one of the individuals in my group. I went with a party of five, out of which all but me were international students who are in the in the U.S. three semesters as graduate students only. Everyone in our group was at least 24 years old or older. One of the guys only has the ID from his home country and his student ID (no age on it). He was denied entry because of his foreign ID. The doormen argued he should have brought a passport, but excuse me who in their right mind takes a passport to a bar?!? He showed all his forms of identification and he was still denied entry. I think this was totally unnecessary as he obviously showed he was of age. A vast segment of the patrons who attend Brothers are underage with blatant fake ID's. Hence why its such a common destination for UC undergraduate students. While I have no issues whatsoever since I'm an American citizen this is certainly an issue for anyone whos just stopping by temporarily in the country. Zero incentive for local tourism.
(1)
Dawn B.
Your average sports bar but with space enough to handle the small herd of my friends and I. Plenty to choose from on the menu as well as on tap. The food may be typical bar food, but it's always good each time we come here. Depending on the weeknight and how busy they are can determine what kind of service you'll get. I've never had a bad experience, but sometimes the service can be a little slow. The patio has one of the best views of the city. We always have a good time whenever we come here.
(3)
Tyler M.
Dude, Bro. This place is a nightmare. As much as I love getting ignored at the bar while the bartenders flirt with whichever girl is showing the most cleavage, there was no redeeming factor about this place. Brother's only fuels my referring to this entertainment district as the "Newport Shore." As much as this place made me want to throw back jägerbombs and motorboat someone, I wasn't even able to get a drink until the bartenders were finished socializing. I understand catering to certain clientele, but this place just flat out reeks of poor customer service.
(1)
Courtney C.
I had the bar for this establishment set pretty low. I'd been there for Happy Hours before and was never impressed, but when I went to lunch here with a work group (not my first choice) a couple of weeks ago, the service was just at a whole new low. I have never experienced that level of incompetence before. Our group was maybe ten people, but the bar wasn't crowded, and we were there during standard lunchtime hours. It took our waitress a while to come over and take our order - we'd been sitting maybe 20 minutes before we finally ordered our food. Cut to nearly an hour later, and we're still waiting. Our party ordered a mix of salads and sandwiches - nothing that should have been that complicated. When it finally arrived, my Southwestern Salad was fine, however the fork I was given was still dirty right out of the napkin, and my water glass was sticky (disgusting). Since we'd already been sitting for over an hour (in the middle of the business day), you would think our waitress would have known to ask us if we wanted our checks to expedite the process. But no - we had to flag her down to ask for them, and it was another 15 minutes while she got them together. Again...the bar was not that crowded. I was very surprised that our waitress didn't apologize for (or even acknowledge) our wait. In fact, it seemed like we were inconveniencing her by requesting the checks. Let's just say, I won't be back to Brothers for lunch (or anything else) any time soon - unless I want to block two hours out of my day to allow for impossibly slow service.
(1)
Devika A.
Gorgeous view of the river although food/ drink seem average: - Good location - Good ambience - Food is bar food (although family style) - I think there is better food in Cincinnati although this would be a great hang out spot for Happy Hour with friends on a Wednesday night
(3)
Jon S.
Hey here's a big f*** you to brothers. Not too long ago this place was good for families and everybody but apparently now its 21 and over for every night past Friday. We were turned away at the door like some type of f****** frat party under 21 not welcome. F*** you brothers f****** Newport on the levee f*** this place.
(1)
Stephanie W.
Went to Newport on the Levee on New Years Day. We tried Brother's Bar and Grill. I ordered the chicken nacho's the serving size was large enough to share with several people. Our waitress did not bring us silver wear or napkins. The food was ok, somewhat bland. If ever I the area again. I would try a different restaurant.
(3)
Cindy G.
This place has gotten some bad reviews but what did you expect? I think for what this place stands for at least they are consistent. A drink is a drink. I love the patio. It is probably one of the best views in the city. The food is solid. I wouldn't say good, I wouldn't say bad. The grilled chicken sandwich is decent. If you are looking for a beautiful view, decent drink prices and a place to hang before you go see your movie this is your place. Don't go into it thinking it's the Taj Mahal and you won't be disappointed.
(3)
Jessica M.
great service, food was good. large location to accommodate large parties. next patio with fire pit for cooler nights. great stop on the levee
(5)
Stan M.
Ordered the mahi tacos. Didn't realize they were mini or slider tacos. I thought I may have ordered the appetizer. Nope it was the meal. Disappointing.
(3)
Rob T.
Very good food. Very good service. Read reviews before deciding to eat here, and was a little concerned but i would now definitely choose to come back here. Server was excellent and friendly. Atmosphere is very loud but it feel like a friendly place to have a good time and the loud just makes it feel nice. Stuffed cheddar burger was excellent and the sweet potato tots were delicious. Make sure you eat here!
(5)
Katelyn D.
I would give this place zero stars if I could
(1)
D. S.
Ate there Sat. Aug. 9th while killing some time on the Levee. Ordered wings appetizer and a drink. Without a doubt the WORST wings I've ever had. The wings were small and instead of tossing them in sauce it looked like they dumped 10 wings in a basket and poured the sauce all over them. It was puddled in the bottom of the basket. And to add insult to bad wings...........they were $8.99. Hope the rest of the menu is better. But if you can't do a decent wing...............
(3)
Molly R.
Tried this place after a morning at the Newport Aquarium. We had kids with us and felt they'd have food that everyone would enjoy. The food was okay. Typical bar/pub food. The sweet tots were a delicious substitution for chips. The chips that we received with one dish were over done. The bottled beer we ordered was not very cold and our server, although efficient never cracked a smile. I would probably visit again, but wouldn't say this is a "must eat at" establishment.
(3)
Brian M.
Way to expensive for what the give you. $8 for 3 beer pretzels is a total rip off Bartenders and wait staff seem to not have any interest in the customers. Managed like a dive college bar. Located in a great spot, just needs a change of management
(1)
Phil E.
The food was alright but what really stuck out in my mind was the smell coming from the bar area. We stayed there for the Saturday night crowd and all we kept talking about was how bad the smell was coming from the bar. I don't think they have cleaned the bar ever with the smell coming from there and I refused to drink out of any glasses coming from the bar only opting for bottles.
(2)
Dan T.
Last time we will ever go here. 5 adults and 4 kids. Place was empty, had to wait till they cleaned a table. Got seated and no server for 15 minutes. We got up and left and went to Dewey's. Very rude help
(1)
Kelly W.
There was no one there but the service was great as long as I knew the proper place to search for them.
(2)
Shayna E.
This place is kind of interesting.. A friend suggested we go here. It was college night. None of us are college age. So probably not the right scene. Anyways, we didn't sit at the bar so we got a waitress. She was constantly going MIA for long periods of time. Which made ordering food and drinks very difficult. And it also took about an hour to close our tab and get the hell out. About the food.... None of it sounds appealing or looks appealing. So I just stuck to the pretzel stick things. I barely even finished one.... But I didn't get to eat before we went out. So I really tried to eat it. Wasn't happening.... Glad I didn't order anything else who knows what that would've tasted like. Onto the drinks they do offer a variety of cheap drinks on college night. But it's all aimed to get you white girl wasted as quick as possible. So we all just had beer. Now onto the bathroom scene........ There was glass EVERYWHERE. And it was just nasty. Speaking of glass a table of a bunch of dudes next to us ended up breaking a glass somehow. No one came by to clean it up.... Luckily the guy who broke it had the decency to pick it up with his hands. I get it college bar , college night. But you could put some effort in to picking up glass etc. Oh and actually try to wait the tables. And since it was college night there was a cover. We luckily got there before that started. But one of our friends 30ish got here 20 mins after poor old fella got stuck paying. So beware of that if you aren't in college and wanna go here on a college night. I highly doubt I will return unless it's unexpected and our friends finds a way to drag me in....
(2)
Krystyna C.
Brothers is a sports bar that caters to college-aged frat clowns. There. I said it! They have horrible food, and the service sucks. When I was in here, it was 11:30 am on a Saturday. Considering it was a beautiful day, I didn't expect too many people inside. I was with two others and we opted to sit at the bar because we were only planning only eating a fairly quick lunch before going to a movie. My BBQ chicken wrap was horrible. Absolutely horrible. The chicken had been frozen and microwaved so that was cold and watery. The fries were covered in salt and tasted horrible, even with ketchup. Keep in mind, I've been to Brothers a few times on the weekends for drinks with friends, but unfortunately, even then- its still horrible. For the college frat clowns, this place is fine, but I want more than that when I got out and they don't run specials on the weekends when I can actually go out and enjoy a beverage or two. And this place is located in Newport on the Levee- thus automatically warrenting a low rating due to the $5 parking. Save your money and go somewhere else.
(1)
Nicole H.
Went to Brothers to have lunch on a beautiful Sunday after visiting the Aquarium. To begin, it's not a great impression when guests are standing at the door to be seated, and several employees carry-on their socializing and act like they don't see you - for several minutes. Finally when the only hostess returns to take us to a table at the patio, she says to the group of servers, "do you want this one?" and stops to wait for an answer. Clearly there is a lack of leadership at this establishment. The food was OK -- nothing to rave about.
(2)
Grace M.
I have been here so many times and for being one of my favorite restaurants on the Levee.. I am shocked I have not reviewed this yet- I LOVE this place! I usually order the wings (great mild sauce) and some drink. What is nice about this place is they run happy hour every night until I think around six or seven? Not sure the time exactly but it is so nice they do it on the weekend. Be warned... It can get packed on the weekend nights. They have a good selection of tap beer and cider! I prefer the red apple cider- They also have special on mixed drinks all the time! My boyfriend and Mom like to order their burgers- One of my friends actually drives close to thirty minutes for thier wings alone- I can't begin to describe the sauce.. you just have to try it for yourself- YUMMM
(5)
L B.
I went there on a Sunday. I ordered a beer. They were out. I ordered a different beer. They were out. I ordered another beer. Out. Finally they had my 4th choice. When I checked out, my bill was $6.25. I gave the waitress a $10 bill. I got back $3.00. She just kept the 75 cents. That ended up being her tip. Also, when I got there the table was quite messy. I had to ask the waitress to clean the table. She cleaned 1/2 of it. Not the half in front of me. I had to ask for a rag to clean it properly. She seemed put out by my request.
(1)
Whitney G.
Okay, I go out to a lot of restaurants. I used to be a server, so I know how to be treated at restaurants. I have mixed reviews about this place. I went here on my 21st birthday on a Thursday. My friends and I got there around 7:30 PM. It was pretty full and very loud. Long story short, the hostesses don't acknowledge anyone standing at the door for a few minutes before they seat you, the food is pricey, and the waitresses roll their eyes at you. They also literally just do their job and take your order and drop off your food. They don't ask if you need anything, don't ask for refills, don't ask if the food tastes good, etc. We ended up requesting another server after her and the new one was perfect. He stood there and actually socialized when he could. Now, I'm not sure if that's because he was intimidated of us, but whatever. I gave him five stars. The manager gave us most of our food for free because of the horrible first waitress we had, but overall I will probably not end up going there again.
(2)
Ben L.
Mediocre food for mediocre times. The chicken bacon wrap was really anemic looking and didn't have much flavor. Also, I wasn't too Cray Cray about the fish tacos since they really didn't garner any taste and were bone dry. But they really excel on cooking up a great hotdog. My friend got two and he said the tortilla chips sprinkled on the dog was the best thing that's ever happened for the hotdog. Also service was friendly, but that experience was easily overshadowed by the mediocre food and flavor.
(2)
Alex S.
Brothers is what Brothers is. This is a sports bar on Newport on the Levy through and through. I was going to see a movie with a friend and we stopped in here beforehand for a drink. The bar is like Applebee's light. Wood everywhere, rustic, Americana signs for old products and beer on the wall, booths to sit in or cozy up to the bar. There are TVs everywhere, so if you want to catch the game, you're in the right place. A lot of people have complained about service but I had no issues. We did sit at the bar right in front of three bartenders and it wasn't packed, so that could be what helped us. They do have a nice mix of your regular beers and smaller craft styles. Nothing to amaze me but it's always good to order something other than a Bud. Like all Newport places, you have to pay for parking in the garage below or park on the street. Ugh, awful. They also do have a full menu for food but I didn't try any of it - just pointing out it's there. I wasn't overwhelmed but I wasn't disappointed either. I wanted a drink and I got a drink, easy as that.
(3)
Justin M.
So I didn't have as bad of a time as some of these other reviewers. I actually had a really good time. Of the 4 times I have gone to Brothers bar and grille, all 4 have been pleasent experiences. I ordered different food and drinks each time and was satisfied each time. The first time I went me and my girlfriend ordered a wide variety of things including the chicken fingers, the hot wings, the loaded cheese fries (forget whatbthey actually call them on the menu), and a burger. Everything tasted great. A was decently priced. Maybe a buck or two overpriced but really nothing to complain about. The next few times we visited, the food was still very good and very FAST compared to other places. We even got an order of bonless wings for free because the waitress wanted us to try them but we didn't want to order them. It worked because next time we got them because they were so good. The service was actually pretty good. It was a seat-yourself restaurant the times we went and the waitresses were aware when we sat down. They got our drink orders and were quick with service. The location of Brothers is prime. Right on the levee and has what I think is the best view and patio out of everything on the levee. The fire pit is lit during the winter and there is an outside bar. Speaking of bars, Brothers has one of the best. They have one of the best beer selections in the tri-state. They didn't have Corona though oddly enough. But they do have over 50 different kinds of beer and something like 30 of those are available on tap. Brothers also boasts one of the best happy hours around. They have half priced drinks from 5-7 and also have different happy specials that change regulary. If you want sports, good food, Great drinks and happy hour then brothers is a great choice on Newport on the Levee. You can even catch a flick before it afterwards. Overall 4 out of 5 stars.
(4)
Elisabeth H.
WOW, I'm shocked at all the two and three star reviews on Brothers. We've been going to the levee forever and in the last few weeks have started going into Brothers. It has became my favorite restaurant/bar on the levee. The food is hit or miss some of it is amazing while other menu items are just so so. The happy hour drink specials are AMAZING and the nightly specials are good too. Bartenders are knowledgeable about drinks and friendly. Its a great place to catch a football or basketball game. They also have an awesome patio area in warm weather with a super cool view of Cincinnati. We will continue to hang out here!
(5)
John J.
Food was actually pretty solid. The cheese curds were great, and the louisiana pork sandwich was real tasty. The service however... wow, horrific. We waited 10 mins for a table when half the restaurant was empty. Our waitress didnt even say hello, she introduced herself by saying "what do you want to drink". Having never been, we had some questions on the menu, with which she had no answers for. She also filled my girlfriends iced tea glass with water when she asked for a refill. And I dont think she smiled at us once. If this place just raised the bar with its employee training it could be a big hit, but instead it will idle around, probably never go out of business, but never truly be anyones first choice to go to.
(3)
Ken H.
My cousin and I stopped in for some dinner before going to see the Bearcats game across the river. The place seemed pretty busy and we had to wait about 15 minutes for a bar table, however the table we sat at as well as others around it were available when we walked in so I'm not sure why we had to wait. We started with an order of the fried "cheese curds" and I thought they were delicious. Just a lightly battered ball of deep fried cheese, served with your choice of dipping sauces. The French dip I ordered was on point as well. The beef was tasty and the bread was fresh. If I'm back this way any time soon and in the mood for pretty good bar food, then Brothers it will be.
(3)
Jason B.
Ah Brothers. you've been to one, you've been to them all. Not really my type of bar scene so it drops a couple of stars, but in terms of being the type of bar it is, there's nothing wrong. OK beer selection. OK prices. Nothing to write home about.
(3)
Sarah F.
Tried this place for lunch solely because it was the only place at Newport on the Levee where we hadn't eaten before. And now that we've been, can't say I feel the need to come back. The interior is spacious--SportsCenter on TVs everywhere you look and country music playing--nothing particularly memorable or offensive, just generic. Our server was very efficient and attentive, which we appreciated as we were trying to catch a movie after. I figured a cheeseburger was a safe bet, but was annoyed that it was $1 extra for fries instead of chips The fries were OK--thin and crispy. The burger definitely seemed like a pre-formed frozen patty and the flimsy, white bun was utterly forgettable. There was shredded iceberg for the lettuce and a small, damp ring between the burger and the bottom bun of their 'special' thousand island sauce. There is pretty decent happy hour pricing if you just want drinks and apps, but wouldn't recommend it for a meal.
(2)
Patrick P.
It is a bar with a lively crowd. They have a great outdoor area where you have a spectacular view. The food is pretty good for bar food. The more people you are with the better - heck - invite your therapy group :-)
(3)
Linsey G.
This is one of the newer bars down at Newport on the Levee. Of course it was awesome to have a new addition to the area, but my immediate thoughts were, how awesome could another Newport bar actually be? In all honesty, I actually don't mind Brothers. Sure it gets unreasonably crowded, but they have good drink specials, a great outdoor patio area, and I hear their food is actually decent for bar food as well (I have yet to try it). In case you haven't noticed in my other reviews, I find a good city view to be a pretty great redeeming factor even for the crappiest of bars. The view of our great city from the Kentucky river banks is no slouch either. And for that reason alone, I will go back.
(3)
Edin L.
My husband and I stopped by this establishment last weekend to get a quick bite to eat and watch some college basketball. This is the second time we visited this place and did not eat. When we entered the hostess took a few moments longer than I liked to acknowledge us (this is what happened our first trip). Once she did she told us it would be a 15 minute wait for an inside table or a 30 minute wait to eat on the patio. We were confused since there were plenty of tables and booths available. We decided not to waste our time and went somewhere else.
(1)
Jonathan M.
Food good , service slow but polite, atmosphere not utilized. We went to watch the Bengals game with my family. The three family's in our section were all there to watch the Bengals game, but only half of the Families could see the game because only 1 of the 2 tv's in our section were turned to the game. So we asked if we could turn the other one to the Bengals game so all our parties could watch the game. We were told by our server & the bartender that the channel could not be changed. Then when all 3 tables asked to see the manager the channel amazingly changed and the manager never came to see any of the tables. The Restaurant has so much potential, but I feel it needs new mgt that has had training on customer service. I suggest that the restaurant send their mgt team to the Chic-fil-a training course on customer service.
(2)
Sheena D.
This bar does not really set itself apart from other bars on the levee other than it it a no smoking bar, which is one of it perks.I came here to watch a baseball game and have a drink - and this place accomplished that for me. The food is good, but there is nothing on the menu that is anything to write home about. It's typical bar food and likely frozen or out of a can. I had some guacamole and it wasn't fresh.... They have some good beer specials, but nothing any more exciting than any of the other bars on the levee. All in all its a good place, but it could use something (other than the non smoking aspect) to set itself apart from the other bars on the levee.
(3)
Spazmelda W.
I was very disappointed in this restaurant. We had a lot of relatives visiting from out of town and we had all gone to the aquarium. We thought this would be a good place with food that the kids would like. The food was okay, though they seemed to be out of many things. They did not have the beer my brother in law wanted but did not come and tell him that it wasn't available for about 15-20 minutes. My other brother in law ordered one beer and received something totally different. At that point he'd waited so long he just decided to keep that beer anyway. Everyone liked the fried pickles and the burgers were pretty good. The service was very slow though, and our server disappeared when we were ready to pay the bill. We waited for a very long time for the bills, and he tried to run off again once he'd dropped the bills off at the table. We had to tell him to stay while we stuck our credit cards in the bill holder because we didn't want to take the chance of him running off again for another 15-20 minutes. 3/4 of our party had already left because they were cold and tired of sitting there, and only the bill payers were still sitting there waiting to pay. I was fairly embarrassed that I'd brought all my in-laws to this disappointing and slow restaurant. I don't know if the server had too much to do, they weren't very crowded, but maybe he had other duties. If so, they need more staff working, I would definitely no go back or recommend this place to anyone else.
(2)
Scott N.
Several things contribute to my review of Brothers Bar & Grill. First, it was a gorgeous day. After an extremely hot summer, it was SO nice to be able to sit outside with a view of Cincinnati. Two stars for outdoor seating with a view. Since we sat outside I can't rate the ambience inside, but I'll say the booths looked big and comfortable. Beer selection - one star. For a bar that's not saying much, but I've seen worse. Nothing on the menu grabbed my attention, but the special brews (ask your server - the menu says you should and I did) offered some nice choices. My food was surprisingly delicious. I'd read the reviews and my expectations were low. Maybe that's why it was good. You know how when you have very, very high expectations you tend to be let down rather than be impressed? I believe the opposite is true as well. I had the fried egg sandwich. It comes with three pieces of bread. That is WAY too much. I took off the top and flipped the other to create a normal sandwich with two pieces of bread. The sandwich included fried egg, American cheese and bacon. How could it not be good, right? Well, it wasn't not good, it was delicious! The fries were good, too. Overall it was a delightful afternoon. I will definitely come back.
(4)
Roth M.
Went here for a quick bite and a couple beers before going to a movie. I'd go back for happy hour some time maybe, or maybe for the patio/view, but I doubt I'd get much from the menu. My 2 co-diners were also unimpressed with the food. Beer selection was decent, not great, but Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Rogue Dead Guy, and Bell's Oberon were amongst the typical drafts.
(2)
Robert R.
Terrible service. I've been here about 4 times in the past year, hoping each time that the constant bad service was just an anomoly. Well, it's not. Visited Dec 1 to see some NFL at about 3pm on a Sunday. Many games on TV, but few customers. For a sports bar to be empty on a Sunday afternoon is telling. I waited a few minutes to be seated. The gal at the podium was too busy talking to a friend. I then told her I wanted to watch a specific game. She took me to a table with no view, so she took me to another table with no view. I finally just said let me choose my table. Then I sat there for 10 mins (the place is empty, btw) and Mary, my un-merry waitress, shows up and states, "what do you want to drink?" No hello, nothing. I ask what's on tap. She gives a big sigh and an exasperated look and says very snarkily - "I have 32 beers on tap." We commence to staring at each other for a few seconds. I ask, "do you have a list?" and she says "no". Really people - how would you like me, the customer, to know what you have on tap? You want me to go to the bar and try to figure it out from the tap handles? I ask un-Merry for an amber beer, and she looks at me like I've just asked for a lizard jalapeno beer. She asks, "a light beer?" I say no, amber. We stare at each other a few seconds, and I ask, "do you have Sam Adams?" She walks away and then comes back with a Sam Adams. Not a word from her. Now I sit here for 20 mins. Nothing. No food order, no return visit. I look around and un-Merry is sitting at a table behind me with 3 other servers laughing it up. At another table are 3 servers rolling silverware laughing it up. There was 1 server not socializing, and she was running around working hard. I ask her for my bill, and suddenly un-Merry is jumping up and gives me my bill for $4.24. I put $5 on the table and ask for my change. After getting a shocked, and then angry look, un-Merry gives me my change and I walk away. Terrible service. Management should visit a sports bar at The Banks or Drakes in Florence to see what a professional bar looks like. They are full of people on game day, and the staff is friendly and professional. I will NEVER be back to Brothers.
(1)
Liz J.
This was quite an annoying visit. First time and last time here. It took 45 mins for us to be seated and the place was dead. I just don't understand that. After being seated, it took 15 mins before someone came to our table (which I absolutely can't stand when I notice there's maybe 5 other people in the restaurant). The only good thing about the place was the time for when I ordered and our food arrived. Surprisingly, it was quite fast. Our food was pretty good, but nothing worth going back for.
(2)
Juliane S.
Alex S. stated it best. Brothers is what Brothers is. Sports bar that serves as a good meeting spot before a show at the (now defunct) Southgate House or movie. Decent place for a beer and they have an ok selection. Also a decent place for food....mostly bar food but they do have some pasta dishes. I actually don't like their patio very much because it gets so smoky in the summer time. I've not had bad service but also haven't had great service either. It's a mediocre place and capitalizes on its location rather than any particular redeeming quality.
(3)
Nick M.
Typical bar-type food. They have burgers, wraps, sandwiches...that type of stuff. Loud music...good music selections, just loud!
(3)
Peter B.
I wouldn't bring my brother here!! Walking into Brothers at Newport on the Levee, you are immediately struck by how much of a beer hall it is. Booths along the wall, a long bar down the middle of the room and the requisite vinyl banners advertising beer promotional events are all you need to see to know that this place would be well-suited as a venue in a remake of Patrick Swayzee's classic film "Roadhouse." I try to find something good in every place I visit. In the case of Brother's, it would be that they offer 24 different beers on tap, 21 of which are craft brews. That being said, the choice of spirits is rather limited: there are no liquors with more than 7 letters in their names (gin=good, cointreau = bad!). The food was lack-luster at best. I ordered a club sandwich. Out came a plate with two slices of white bread, some ham, turkey, american cheese and iceberg lettuce. hardly gourmet. The bacon was decent, but that's out it. Brother's claim to fame is that is is just across the walking bridge from Great American Ball Park. I don't think this place offers be enough incentive to cross the Ohio River...
(2)
Matt W.
Three hostesses milled about for 12 minutes before telling us it was a 30 minute wait. Not a single person is in the waiting area. Clueless.
(1)
Jessica S.
Location, location, location. That's pretty much all Brothers has to offer besides an abundance of TVs for sports-watching. The food? No, thanks. The only decent food I've had here are the chips... but only about half of them have been cooked without the taste of burnt oil on them. For $7.99-$9.99 I'd like a burger to have some substance to it. Instead, you get a wafer-thin round of meat that could be compared to Burger King or McDonald's. My level of dissatisfaction I felt like I could eat 10 more of them. Not worth the money at all. But, if you want a big bar, lots of TVs, a pool table, and outdoor seating at the levee, this is an option... but one of many, since most of the other bars/pubs in Newport have all of this (and have better food!).
(2)
Angela C.
Disclaimer: I have not eaten a meal here, only had appetizers and drinks. The two redeeming things about Brothers: 1) It is a non-smoking bar in Kentucky. 2) The happy hour drink prices are ridiculously cheap. I did not enjoy Brother's on a weekend evening- it was packed, loud, and everyone was watching ultimate fighting on tv... and really into it. No offense to Ultimate fighting fans. I also do not like that Brother's requirements to get 15 cent wings on Wednesday: (with valid student ID, military ID, athletic ID or business card), though, to be fair, you can get them for 30 cents each without an ID. That does not affect me, but it seems to say a lot about who Brother's does not welcome... However, weekday happy hour is decent. The appetizers were reasonably priced, if not particularly tasty, and I had two gin and tonics for maybe $3. There was plenty of seating, it was quiet enough to have a conversation, the server was nice, and everything was clean.
(2)
Jamie A.
This place is alright but it's nothing special. I've been several times and never had stellar service but I've never had bad service either. We were told there was a 15 minute wait for a table but over half the restaurant was empty. The food is good - and decently priced. The pretzel appetizer is really good - we always make sure to get that. I've had a couple of their sandwiches and those were pretty tasty. We went on a Friday which apparently is "free fry friday" -- the fact that they typically charge extra for fries is kind of lame. My biggest complaint is that my shoes literally stuck to the floor. I realize it's a sports bar and whatever... but c'mon. I basically walked out of my shoe because it was stuck to the floor. I'm sure I'll eat here many more times. My boyfriend loves the place and most other places on the levee are super pricey.
(3)
Glenn W.
The Cubana sandwich is pretty good, but I think that says more about the quality of cuban's sandwiches in the Dayton area than it does about this one. Good beer selection though. Really the only reason to come here is you're already at Newport and need a drink. Oh... And you're too lazy to walk to hoffbrau.
(3)
Jen L.
Awesome food and awesome service! Loved my salad and husbands stuffed burger. The kettle chips were delicious!
(5)
Debbie M.
I tried this place twice before writing a review...to be fair. Eh. That pretty much sums it up for Brothers. I'm not a drinker, so I can't attest to anything in that arena. We went for an early lunch on a nice day - so that we could sit outside and enjoy a fabulous view of the city. The food was edible. That's about what I can say about it. I had a burger, which I could have made better myself. My husband had the chicken sandwich and when I asked him how it was, he shrugged and said, "its ok." The service was horrible, which I couldn't understand because the place was practically empty. No kidding. There were more staff there than patrons, yet we had to wait FOREVER for our food, then even longer to get the check when we wanted to get the hell outta there. The female servers spent way too much time trying to be cute and flirt with the bartenders than take care of the handful of customers they had. If you want to drink and watch a game with a great view of this city, this is your place. Just don't eat anything. Twice is enough. I'm not going back.
(2)
Peter J.
Brothers, like many have pointed out in their reviews, is your typical sports bar. It takes your typical sports bar tropes and does them very well. The food, though basic, is good and well priced. I highly recommend the Nachos as an appetizeir. Their beer selection is varied and top notch. Ranging from your bargain beers like PBR, and Coor's to higher end domstics like Blue Moon and Great Lakes. The daily drink specials are great if you want to save some money, and are varied enough to keep it intersting and keep you coming back. I highly recommend going on Thursdays for $1 you call its or Sunday's pitcher deal. There is always a seat to watch a game and they are willing to change the channels to get what you want on. The only thing that it really lacks is enough actual bar space on the patio. During Spring and Summer it's great to sit outside on the patio enjoying the view.
(4)
Alyssa T.
Overall, my friends and I had a fun time at Brothers! We went on a Saturday afternoon and the patio was filled so we waited at the bar. The waitress accidentally told us the wrong price for a drink special but instead of making us pay the full price, she allowed us to pay what she had told us :) It didn't take long at all to get a seat outside, but our table was very wobbly. We had to ask twice to get some coasters or something to stick under a table leg. The service outside was also pretty slow. We ordered some of their Wisconsin Cheese Curds to share and they were delicious! Way better than any mozzarella sticks I've had! If I'm in the area again, I'll definitely go back.
(4)
Carla G.
Wow... can service really suck here. We had been to Brothers once before (soon after they opened) and decided to stop by for a beer after seeing a movie at the AMC theaters. As is our tradition, we sat at the bar since we like to interact with the bartenders and talk beer. It was a Tuesday night so craft beer was on special. Nice. But, we must have been wearing our invisibility cloaks because all three bartenders ignored us like we weren't even there. Tom finally had to flag one down and she reluctantly came over to take our order. She was a bit more attentive after that, but she was not willing to spend any more time interacting with us than she had too. They have a good beer selection and if the night had gone better, we probably would make an effort to stop in more often. Instead, we'll be visiting the bar at Claddagh instead.
(2)
Dan M.
The food was ok. Think standard pub fare meets applebee's perhaps a 2/5. However, I did enjoy the billiards tables while I waited, and there are a lot of them. So, 3/5. Bottom Line: I'll be back if I want to play some pool and get some grub.
(3)
Katie W.
This is my first review with a rating under three stars...yikes! However, Brothers Bar and Grill in one word, Woof! I'm giving two stars instead of one simply because my waitress was pleasant enough. Otherwise, I feel like it is over priced bar food. I'm not normally high maintenance at restaurants, but this time I specifically asked for light buffalo sauce on my buffalo chicken wrap. When it arrived my wrap was dripping. I tried to eat it but couldn't bring myself to finish. When my friend and I arrived we were two of about 4 people at the bar, yet we were not acknowledged for about 20 minutes. It is not like this place was understaffed. There were two bartenders, and neither made eye contact until we made a point to walk to the end of the bar where they were standing. Once we ordered our drinks the two bar tenders were very unpleasant for the rest of our time there. On the weekends the bar is packed and it is a fun place to be. There is a decent amount of beer on tap. Still, the continuous country music mixed with moody waitstaff, though it may be for some, is not for me.
(2)
Mike C.
We came here looking for greasy food and beer. Despite a lot of other reviews on here, I didn't think it was all that bad. I still wouldn't give it 3 stars though. We had the spicy garlic wings, which weren't bad. Typical wings that you would find at a bar. I had the chicken ranch wrap. I actually thought this was a pretty decent wrap, again that you would find at a bar. It was pretty dead here since we came at about 8pm on a Sunday, so the service was actually pretty good. Our waitress was always there when we needed a refill or to take our plates. It'd probably be a good place to come with a bunch of friends just for drinks on a game day or if it's busy on a Friday or Saturday night.
(2)
Jeremy M.
I don't exactly understand all of the hatred towards this place in Newport. But at the same time, I'm not sure all of it is undeserved. I got a French Dip here on a Saturday night, while out just having a grand time. It took 10 minutes, but on a Saturday night that's to be expected. Drink service was okay, though I didn't drink alcohol on this night (I was never much of a drinker, honestly). My seating was pretty much towards the back of the place. There isn't nearly enough accessible seating at a bunch of spots on the Levee but this is one of two places where it's glaringly noticeable that this is so indoors. I think I was at one of only 3-4 tables that were low enough that somebody like me won't have to climb up to sit inside. Sure, the back patio has more (to say nothing of wherever that elevator leads to, and yes they DO have an elevator!), but that's only going to go so far in winter when it's 15 degrees. That is a problem. I wouldn't bring 5 disabled buddies here, let's put it like that. Overall, the food and service earned 3 stars given that it was Saturday night. I just can't go any higher than that.
(3)
Stacey L.
My go-to bar down on the Levee! I love to stop in there before or after a movie at the AMC. My favorite thing about this place is that they always have a mixed drink special! I am not a beer drinker and that is the special that most bars seem to offer. And they have drink specials all days and all times. I love that I can sneak in on a Saturday before a movie for a cheap drink. Also, never any cover! The bartenders are super quick here. AND friendly. On my most recent trip in they had a $3.50 3 Olives Vodka Special. My husband and I just told the bartenders to make us whatever they wanted using the vodka. We got 6 different tasty drinks out of them! Their food is also good. They have an apple and walnut salad that is fantastic. I also recommend the soft pretzel appetizer. Depending on what game is on TV, the atmosphere ranges from casual restaurant to insane sports bar. Expect it to be loud on any given evening. If you are trying to avoid the crowd, go out to their patio that has a great view of the city. Definitely a place I will return time and time again!
(5)
Jessica G.
Went here with the boyfriend and another couple one evening while waiting to see a movie. The food was OK...really (in my opinion) not worth the $9 for the burger I had. My dear boyfriend and the French Dip, which was much more tasty than my dried out burger. The waiter was also just OK. He kept forgetting our shots and to bring us more beers. It would be understandable if they were busy....but they were not. There are TVs all over and there is a nice view of the river from their patio. I don't think I would go here again, even to just kill time.
(2)
Jesse F.
Not great, not bad either, just like any other Brother you may have. First off, yes, it's at the Levee so you should already know what sort of crowd you're walking into. That said, Brothers wasn't too bad. The food was your usual chain fare and was predictably filling but not special. The place was filled with TVs so people can do something other than actually have to interact with each other. The waitresses/waters were predictably rather scattered but not terrible. Where Brothers distinguishes itself is the drinks. The pours were decent and the beers were full size. Everything was also pretty cheap, even after happy hour. Would I go there on a Friday or Saturday night? Of course not, but it wasn't too bad for a Thursday. And really, when it comes to family; do you really want to see them more than once a week?
(3)
Trisha K.
Typical BARFood. What wasn't dripping or squirting grease, was dry and bland. There's plenty of other places to eat in the area, so there's no reason for me to return. The service was pleasant starting with the hostess and our waitress was attentive. NEXT!
(2)
Emily C.
Four weeks into a cross-country road trip, I was craving a good quality hamburger. Just two blocks (or so) from my hotel, I was able to walk to the Levee shops, and found Brothers in the back corner. I had no problem getting a table, although the service was a little less than attentive. The burger was good, the bun quality, and the chips were awesome.
(3)
Sean R.
There before the grace of God go I. This is where the troglodytes from Arnie's go when they need to "chillax" and re-apply their axe body spray and gorilla glue hair product. I haven't seen so many diamond studs and backwards "flat-bills" since my 8th grade dance. Brothers is big, but regardless you'll have some buffoon's sweaty back in your face...all...night...long. Preposterous. All the intelligent man can do is kill enough brain cells with hard alcohol to lower oneself to the level of the natives and at Brothers this can be a trying odyssey of fighting through pink polo shirts and ahem "popped collars". In the end Brothers is for bros, it might as well be called douches, for those are the species of men who claim it for there own. Yes friends, here there be dragons. Avoid it.
(1)
Mike D.
Racist dress code, terrible service, awful food and insulting id policies. This isn't a college town where half the patrons are underage, so don't treat people that way. I threatened to punch any of my friends in the face if they ever suggested going here again.
(1)
Cynthia R.
Pluses: - One of the few (the only?) non-smoking bars at the Levee - Happy hour specials Monday-Saturday Minuses: - Slow service - Outside entrance only
(3)
Dallas M.
Stopped here for a quick bite to eat before heading to the theater next door to catch a movie. I was by myself on a business trip so I just decided to seat myself at the bar. It wasn't very busy, but let's face it, it was a random cold Tuesday night. The visit started out a little rough, it took over five minutes for the bartender to acknowledge my existence...as I said, it wasn't busy enough that service would be that slow. The upside is that happy hour was half off drinks, so that is a pretty good deal I thought. I ordered the grilled chicken ranch wrap with the house made kettle chips and a side of queso. The wrap was somewhat bland but the chips were pretty good. Queso was okay but I probably wouldn't bother ordering it again. Overall it just seemed like barely average bar food. Maybe the place picks up on weekends? Forgot to add, the background music was pretty cool lots of 90's and 2000's music that is great if you're in your late 20's early 30's. PS: The restaurant hands out cards to remind patrons to rate them on Yelp. Done and done.
(2)
John B.
I really enjoy the weekday & end specials. The outdoor area is perfect for sitting and chilling with friends and people watching. The pool tables are a nice touch and are often available for play. The service is often best at the bar, especially when it's crowded (which it often is). The amount of tv's in this place is on par with a Best Buy which makes keeping up with all sports games going on in the world quite easy.
(4)
Adam H.
Brother's on paper should be one of the best bars in the area, and sadly because of the slim pickens over here in NKY it is still one of its better bars. The concept is a franchised college-town sports bar, and though it is perched high atop the Levee, for better or for worse it does not stray far from its roots. What Brother's does right is that it is a large sports bar located on the Levee, which is great for watching a game or getting a few drinks before the game, and heck maybe even before a movie. Brother's has a large tap and bottle selection that is both easy on the pallet and wallet. The large tap selection includes the basic domestic swill and some Bell's and other microbrews. On some days you can get bottle specials of Coors, Miller Lite, High Life's and PBRs, and pitchers for 5 bucks. For a penny pincher like myself, my wallet trumps my taste buds more often than not in situations like these. Not to mention this place is also easy on the nose and other senses because this is one of the only non-smoking establishments on this side of the River. Usually the no nonsense prices would warrant at least a 4 star review, so what's my beef? A few things are worth noting. This place turns into a meat-factory on the weekends. The inside is loud, but respites can be found near the pool tables and on the awesome patio providing majestic views of the Queen City. Meat-factories turn me off, but for me this is somewhat bearable because there is no cover, no smoking, and thankfully no mechanical bull. Just like in college you will have to put up with collar-popped idiots, the tough guy who couldn't quite make the college football team looking at ids at the door, and some bitchy bartenders, but hey you get what you pay for! Like a domestic beer, this place has no real identity, lacks taste, but gosh darn it, its cheap and gets the job done. And just like domestic beer, I would not recommend this place outside of something involving sports, college, and/or weekends.
(3)
John M.
Stopped in here before a movie. I usually shy away from restaurants in big touristy type areas but it was convenient and has a good view of downtown Cincy from across the river (these are the only compliments I have). The food is sub-par. It kinda reminds me of the stuff in the cafeteria in college. The bottled beer list is ridiculously bad. They have (and I shit you not) Bud, Bud Select, Bud light, Coors, Coors Light, MGD, MGD 64, High Life, AND High Life Light, and Miller Lite. Look, yellow, fizzy, American beer has its place in life but do we really need this many varieties of what is basically the same beer? The draft beer selection was somewhat better with a bit more variety. If you're at "On the Levee," try someplace else. In fact, go up the street onto Monmouth and try places there. Laslty, what is it with people putting lettuce on nachos here? Lettuce maybe belongs in a taco (actually it should be cabbage, but I'll let it pass on the taco) but it has no business being on top of nachos. Nasty.
(1)
Steve B.
Very Good!! After visiting the Aquarium on a rainy day - it was very nice to be able to go in a nice dry place. We went in early evening around 4pm so there was no rush. Service was great and the food was good!! You have got to try the Gator Balls!!! If you love bacon - you love Gator Balls!! Those were good!
(4)
Tom A.
A good, fun sports bar, and being at Newport on the Levee, it's close to a lot of other attractions at or near the Levee, so parking is ultra convenient, especially if you're going to a Reds game. A wide selection of drinks, a good menu of food, and on select days, drink SPECIALS! Only been once so far (an "after-party" with some other Yelpers, and found it to be great. Also, having many TVs there is a big plus, especially with the NHL playoffs going on. Probably not a destination in itself, but Brothers is a great place to hang out with friends!
(3)
Louise D.
Updated to 3 stars because my second experience was a lot better. I came here for an EACC event and the staff was friendly. The sun deck is excellent and they have Strongbow and Woodchuck as cider. In the summer this is just a nice place to be.
(3)
N M.
Its a Bar at the levy. Good: Great beer specials. Served by attractive bartenders. Great view of the city out back. Ok: The food Not so good: Servers away from the bar Prices after specials are over Weird rules on what you can and can't wear in
(3)
Elly V.
What poor service! Never going back. My mom and I went in to relax, sit on the patio and have a beer. We were told a half an hour after we sat on the patio that we had to move from our seats to another location because a hostess did not seat us. I asked to speak with the manager and his service too was extremely poor. Why would you ask paying patrons to move?? Ask us if we want another beer!! The only saving grace of this place is they have cider on tap.
(1)
David H.
Went to Brothers at Newport on the Levee for the first and last time. Waiter was rude, inattentive and didn't care whether we we there or not. He practically tossed our menus on the table daring us to try and order. It was 11:30 on a Tuesday morning, which was not that long after their opening for the day. I ordered an iced tea. They were out. No apology or would you like to try "x" instead, just "were out." There was no ketchup in the dispenser so I went to an empty table to grab some, no biggie, and it was nearly out as well. Clearly they have no customer service and no management. I doubt they will survive at that location. I won't be going back. Terrible joint.
(1)
Audrey L.
I've been here several times now, and was not too impressed any time I was there. The first time was just for drinks with a bachelorette party. While good for the drinks and atmosphere, the music was entirely too loud! I was a little hoarse from yelling and my ears were ringing after we left. The last time was before a Reds game. We went during happy hour (yay half price beer!). While I enjoyed the happy hour prices, I was upset by their vegetarian selection. Heck, even Hofbrauhaus with their menu of meat, meat, and more meat, has a veggie burger. I do eat fish, and there wasn't even a tuna wrap or sandwich on the menu! When I asked if I could get a "lunch special" tuna melt, I was denied. I said I was even willing to pay full price for it, but they still wouldn't make it for me. I ended up just ordering a caesar salad. I was surprised because the romaine lettuce looked very fresh and good, but the salad was terribly over dressed... too bad! Good view of the river, and good for happy hour, but for the food and later night atmosphere, there are much better places to visit in Cincy and Newport.
(2)
Janet H.
Miserable. There was not a single redeeming factor here. Our entire table had a terrible experience here with the food, drinks, and service. Our server took forever to accomplish anything and apparently couldn't comprehend anything we asked for. I asked for the tilapia and broccoli and whatever other veggies they had available. Server tried to tell me they didn't have any other veggies - when there were several listed. Apparently you can't mix and match - because the dinners come "pre-measured"... which means prepackaged. The fish came out fine, but with grilled red onions and no broccoli. The red onions weren't grilled, only slightly warm and I had to ask twice to get the broccoli that was supposed to have come with my meal. My friend's dinner was entirely cold, parts still frozen, and had to send the entire thing back. My other friend's salad was completely forgotten. No one was given silverware. It took 3 long awaited visits from the server and 3 requests for silverware before we finally got up and got it ourselves from the bar. The reheated and missing portions of our dinner were finally delivered. The tilapia was good - but everything else was over salted. Not once did our server apologize or try to make up for the service gaff's - only offered us a "what can you do?" look and shoulder shrug.
(1)
Damion T.
Worst service ever. Our waitress didn't even bother for 50min! My lady got a manager who had to buy us a round. The bartenders where standing around doing dick while everyone sat with empty glasses. Good job ladies!! The good: They showed the fights with no cover charge. (A full star for that) Happy hour on ALL drinks including top shelf. We were ordering Patron shots for 3 bucks!! No smoking. The slow and suicidal were forced outside. I met the manager the day before and he was nice enough to plug my Iphone in his office to charge while we were there. The bad: The service was waay beyond bad. You will be ignored. The worst drinks too, our margaritas were straight junk. We ordered multiple drinks and extra shots to mix our own at the table while being ignored for almost an hour at a time. The food was forgettable and not on the happy hour deal. The verdict: If the fights are on, come pre buzzed and order shots. Any other night, don't even bother. These people have A LOT to learn about service. If the fights are on some place else... go there instead. BW3 is full of idiots, but at least they take my order and make a decent drink.
(2)
Derek M.
Summary: gross frozen food slopped together. We had a large group, and the place was clearly understaffed. The food was pretty bad. A friend and I ordered burgers "medium," and when they came as perfectly-round patties cooked all the way through, it was obvious we'd been served bulk frozen patties that are impossible to cook "medium." A friend got the grilled cheese, which was loaded with gross cheddar and had remnants of someone else's beef off the grill stuck to one corner. The french fries cost an extra $1, but they were inedible--everyone left them on the plate. All in all, a pretty gross frozen food slop joint. Beware.
(1)
Jack B.
The service was fast, the beer was cold, the good was tasty and they have awesome drink specials every day. The only reason I didn't give Brothers 5 stars is because I'm a smoker and I like to smoke when I'm drinking. But that's a definate plus for the non-smokers. There's also a fire pit out back during the winter, and the back loch has a great view of dontown and the river.
(4)
Michael P.
This was was pretty cool for the area and had a nice view of Cincinnati. Food was nothing special but was fine nonetheless. Awesome drink specials.
(4)
Lynn K.
uuugghh waste of time and money our group of 5 walked in at 2:00 on Saturday, Feb 23rd, and didnt get our food until 3:30. When we did get our food...NO silverware!! dirty plates left even though the waiter came back with the bill. we ordered fajitas, sliders, and two different wraps (nothing was worth waiting an hour and half!) ick waste of time and money
(1)
T. J.
The most under rated bar in newport! Good food with Cheap drinks. If you like to sit outside they have great seating over looking the river. I've had several dishes but my favorite is the blackend chicken sandwich. If your looking for a good time that is affordable try Brothers they have great drink specials.
(4)
Charles E.
Over all a nice place. The food is fair and reasonable There's a patio, that's open even in the winter, with a fireplace and a view of the river. A good variety of beers on tap, plenty of screens for the games, pool tables and it's non-smoking. In Kentucky!!. So why you might ask did I only give it two stars? The service runs from only fair to poor. Sunday middle of the afternoon and the place is DEAD. I sit up next to the wall, out in the open, across from the bar and wait for what must have been 10 minutes. Not one server acknowledged my existence. There have been other times that this type of person to person interaction has been sub-par. I would say about 25% of the time. Sitting at the bar has never been a problem. If you run a sports bar tell you staff to play like Gold Glove winners not class A minor league rejects
(2)
Eric C.
Good food! Best Chicken wings in Cincinnati i think!! Nachos are good as well!! fun place to go!
(4)
Todd W.
view was great, service was great, food was fair...for the price, we will go somewhere else next time
(2)
Angela R.
After reading some of the reviews about Brothers I was not really looking forward to it. Glad I decided to go and see for my self. We got there about 7ish on a Saturday and there was a 45 minute wait. We decided to grab a beer from the bar and head over to the dart board. We eventually decided to just sit at the bar table and eat there. The food was subpar, the beer prices were a little on the high end, but the atmosphere was great. We could sit and talk and not have to scream over one another. Definately will be back!!
(4)
Vinny D.
holyyyyyyyyyyy crappppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp this place was awesome! went there on a thursday randomly. had no idea where to go. being new in the cincinnati area and working in a hotel, we recommend a lot of people to check out newport on the levee so when i got here i decided to check out the first bar i see. from the outside it looked like a chilis with a lounge night so i decided to check it out and wow. it was 2-1 ratio of girls to guys and about 80-85% of the girls were beautiful... i def felt like i was in new york city all over again. def recommend this place to everyone looking for a college crowd and with no cover or dress code(when i went on a thursday) it was sooo dope... then i finally got up to walk around the place and there is an outdoor patio and wow, view is amazing of the water. place is def something i recommend to people and cant wait to check it out again when friends are in town. only thing i didnt like was i didnt know if they had a dj or not but it felt like a cd playing. for the amount of people in there, you would expect them to have a live dj. if they had a dj the place wouldve been insane!!!
(5)
Jo T.
BLOODY MARY - best thing on the Menu. As a very picky bloody mary enthusiast, I can say this is up there with City View and Trio (when Trio has their cucumber infused vodka). The food and service are just ok, as is standard of most chain or franchise restaurants, but it's definitely worth going for a bloody mary and to try a new appetizer once and a while.
(3)
Josh G.
Went here for drinks, we were ignored for an hour. On another occasion met a friend for lunch here, after seating ourselves, waited 20 minutes and left because no one had bothered to even take our drink order. Stay away---worst place on the levee!
(1)
Chris K.
went there last night with some out-of-town guests and found the outdoor patio to be wonderful! The service was prompt and the food was tasty. Admittedly, the mild weather made the evening just about perfect to be outside and I might not be so enthusiastic if it were cold and we were inside as it seemd to be pretty much like a lot of other american sports bars/restaurants
(3)
Terri H.
We went here with our family on a weekday about 4:00 p.m. Totally dead in the place. So we expected better service. Our drinks were super slow getting to the table. The waitress was nice but I ordered the special and right before everyone's food arrived they came out and told me that it was too late to order the special. I had to hurry up and pick something else. The food was good but definitely slow and not happy with having to get something else at the last minute.
(2)
Thomas J.
not impressed at all !!! ate at one in milwaukee and it was great, at newport not the same , food was not hot, waitress was terrible , had to ask for silverware 3 times , she took my plate with a wing left in my hand and one on the plate , wtf !!!!!! we live about 35 miles away in lebanon ohio , wanted something different for a change , it was different but not in a good way
(2)
ScissorGirl C.
This restuarant is why I now have the Yelp app on my phone. We had asked one of the employees at the Duck Boat tours where we could grab a good burger and she suggested Brothers. Next time we will check Yelp. =/ The best thing about the restuarant is the view. The next best thing was they were running a Mom Monday promo so we got 25% off of our bill. Thats the extent of the good. The bad was: the service. We rarely saw our server and we are pretty sure she was ignoring our attempts to get her attention on purpose. I ordered their southwest queso wrap (which had their #1 customer favorite rating) and it was... ok. Very bland. Didn't taste like much at all. It sounded so good in the description but didn't not live up to its decription. Our kids ordered the chicken fingers and fries. Their chicken was soo overcooked and dry, they couldn't swallow it down. They would chew and chew and chew, then spit it out. I have never ever seen my kids turn their noses up to a fried piece of chicken until this place. Hubs had the chicken nacho and he found the cheese sauce to be very bland too. The lettuce and tomatos were fresh, but the meat and cheese sauce just didn't have much flavor at all.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Late Night Parking : Garage Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Thu, Sat, Sun Coat Check : No Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Betty V.
We had lunch there today. It was really nice. There were three of us. One ordered the pulled pork sandwich. She liked it ~~ it was smoky and a little sweet. Two ordered the burgers. Mine was great! Hand formed and juicy even at well done. Service was good. It was enjoyable.
(4)Bethany Z.
A nice place to come to get great service and good food. It's right Next to the river, so there is a beautiful view and they have pretty good happy hour deals. We ordered the Wisconsin cheese curds as an app (yum) for the people who love their fried cheese. We then ordered the ultimate blt. It was really good bc they added a fried egg on the top. Best blt ever. My friend ordered a insane chicken sandwich with all kinds of toppings. The two best things about it were, first it was happy hour and pitchers of margaritas were on sale and second our portions were so big we got to take some home and enjoy it later!!!
(4)Rene T.
It's never fun to go to an establishment and watch someone be treated disrespectfully. It's even worse when the management gives a weak excuse for why it was done. A young man was refused service because he had tats. Seriously? And when they were called out on social media about it, they then claimed that it wasn't the tats, it was where the tats were. So, in the Brothers' managements' mindset, even though you are a respectful customer, they have the right to refuse service because they don't like where your tat is because someone might look. This arbitrary rule is not on their website, their FB page or even on the store window. You just get to find out about it when they publicly embarrass you. So, what if you have a facial deformity? Will they be publicly embarrassed as well because people might look? Good business managers know that respectful paying customers are wonderful no matter what they look like. And given past reviews about mediocre, overpriced food, it's surprising that they would instead concentrate on turning away customers.
(1)Stephanie P.
Went here for the first time last night after the Labor Day fireworks and it was fun! Music was fun and loud, and the view on the patio is gorgeous. Although it was pretty busy, our server was very attentive. He came around several times during the 1.5 hours we were there, and got our food and drinks very promptly. Thanks, male server who was doing the indoor area by the DJ!
(5)Amanda H.
Brothers sports bar has been on the levee for a long time now. It's one of those places I love to hate to go. It is so convenient for when we use our aquarium passes, so we find ourselves there a few times a year. The food is always pretty good, but the service perpetually sucks. I've been there when it's packed for NCAA UK games, and when its dead empty on a Tuesday- still sucks equally. One time, we were the only table in the entire restaurant and my server seemed to have lost us. This time we went after the aquarium again. I took Lauren and two of her friends. Out of the 10 or so times I've been there, this was better than the others server wise. She took our order fast, got the food out fast, then nothing. I didn't see her for a solid 15 minutes. Finally she came out and we got the check. Ugh I was rooting for one good service! Anyway to the food. Like I said, if you can just eat at the bar, the food is pretty good. Pub fare, but done well. The girls all split some chicken wings and cheese fries. They ate them all and said they were really good. I went with the blue cheese tavern chips. They had too much blue cheese on them, but other than that they were delicious! Next time I go, I'll def get these again and just order blue cheese chunks on the side. I do like the bar and they have a good beer selection. With lots of TVs, a cool outdoor space, and a killer view, its the place to go for sports and drinks. The food is yummy, but not worth the wait when you have little ones with you.
(2)Joel L.
The food was meh but the ambience was great. I had lunch on a snowy Saturday and it was about 15% at capacity. I was starving but nothing on the menu looked appetizing. Unlike other bar/grills at the Levee, everything on this menu seemed like typical bar food that I could get anywhere but for a lower price. Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs were fine. The tavern kettle chips were meh. The servers were fine. I moved from the bar to the window to enjoy the view and they went with it without a problem. I really like the look of the place. The layout is also interesting. I didn't try the cocktails but Brothers seems much more of a bar than a grill.
(2)James C.
Ice cold beers and great bar food. The cheese curds dipped Im bleu cheese is mouth watering good. We followed this with deep fried pickles dipped in ranch dressing. All of this was part of the sports bar experience.
(4)Ben N.
Based on one experience, I'd say that Brothers is focused like a laser beam on mediocrity. In short, there was just way too much ineptitude and indifference for a non-alcoholic lunch for three that cost almost fifty bucks. The tip-off was Brothers' handling of a burger. You'd think any sports-bar-slash-bar-and-grill could at the very least produce an average burger. Not Brothers. My wife asked whether her burger could be cooked to order, and the server rather vaguely answered in the affirmative. My wife ordered hers medium. The burger she was served, however, was beyond well-done: Every last molecule of flavor and juiciness, and every last hue of pink, was cooked out of it. The sweet-potato tots that came with it sounded too good to be true, and they were. They had none of the great crisp-versus-fluffy contrast of regular tots--which are a guilty pleasure--and they too were almost flavorless. I got the blackened tilapia tacos. These actually had a suprisingly palatable flavor profile, and the fish was cooked properly. But they came out only a couple of degrees above room temperature, and the tortillas apparently hadn't been heated at all. (Inexcusable, really.) Seasoned rice that accompanied the tacos was forgettable. Fried pickles were kinda soggy, and the batter wasn't adhering to them very well, but they tasted OK. I'd say they were overpriced at $7, though. Overall, a dreary and depressing repast. In contrast to some of the other reviews, our server was attentive and friendly enough, even if she didn't go beyond the call. Weird observation: Brothers' logo includes the legend "Est. 1967," but the website's "History of Brothers" section indicates that Brothers was "founded in Lacrosse, Wisconsin in 1990." What the hell? Plusses? --Draft beer list seems varied enough and reasonably priced. --There were plenty of big TVs showing sports, although too many were tuned to motocross when we were there. --Brothers has a patio overlooking the river and the Cincinnati skyline. That ought to be worthwhile on a nice day, assuming that you're having only a drink or two. Basically, Brothers is just a feeding and imbibing station for those drawn by the bright lights, greasy kids stuff, circus sideshow attractions, and general cheesiness of Newport on the Levee. Explaining how we ended up there is too complicated.
(2)Margaret S.
Went to Brothers on Thursday after enjoying music on the levee. The service was fantastic, our waiter gave us great suggestions for food. We had fried pickles for an appetizer, which I have to say we're the best, also had the Chicken ranch wrap. Enjoyed sitting outside on the patio.
(4)Emma M.
It had amazing staff, amazing food, and decent pricing on everything, as well as having a vegetarian option. Plus it's so close to the aquarium. During the warm weather they have an outdoor patio that looks out over the ohio river and downtown Cincinnati! I highly recommend this place!
(4)Lonnetta P.
I love the patio! You can't ask for a better view. The weather was great yesterday evening so we sat outside to take it all in. Huge space so it's great for a group of friends to hang out. They off daily drink specials and offer a pretty basic sports bar food menu. The chicken nachos were big enough for two to split, but sadly I had to search for the chicken. Conveniently located on the levee makes it a great place to grab drinks before a movie. If you wanted to catch a game (no worries), plenty of large screen TVs around. I was very impressed by the music played. I heard a little Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Beyonce', Magic, Elton John and more. The place was kept pretty clean, including the restroom. I will certainly stop back in when visiting Newport.
(3)Shelby P.
Okay... This is maybe because I'm getting older and maturing a little bit but this place is terrible! It's your typical loud, dark, sleazy bar that you feel weird about going into. The music is ungodly loud, like to the point I couldn't wait to get out of there. The only pro of brothers is it's a great place to people watch! All together I don't think brothers in a good place at all!
(1)Michael K.
Only because I can't give zero this place just don't Bartenders hav no clue it's cool place to get cheap watered down drinks on thurs nights college night only night Keepin this place open im assuming
(1)Brandy V.
The good: Chicken nachos, fried pickles and the view outside The bad: Slow service My husband and I stopped in yesterday for some appetizers and drinks. Our server did not tell us about any specials, but later I heard another server telling a table about their drink specials for the night. Tables around us sat dirty almost the entire time we were there. We received our food pretty quick, but after that we hardly saw our server, once she brought us our check we waited a long time for her to finally come back so we could leave. Overall, I would go back and maybe sit at the bar and have a drink and some appetizers. Don't expect too much from this place or you will be disappointed.
(3)Candace B.
Horrible establishment. Food was stale, the place was not clean. Did I mention they do not allow patrons with tattoos inside? They ought to consider placing a sign up front.
(1)Sara S.
I came here on lunch, and it was about as expected. The food was okay (not bad, but not great). The wait for our food was almost nonexistant (it felt like 5 minutes)! I would come here again, but it wouldn't be my first choice of restaurants on the Levee.
(3)Miranda C.
This place has the best burgers around! I also love the friendly service and the big screen TVs!
(5)Michael C.
Worst service ever. Multiple times. Come in at happy hour it can take a 1/2 hour for bartender to serve you. I went from both sides of the bar multiple times. Waving. Lol. What a joke. Big goofy dudes. No way to run a bar.
(1)Tiera A.
On Saturday night, I had a great time at Brothers, for the most part. The one thing that kind of bothered me was the experience I had with the bartender. My friend and I ordered a drink and were charged $7.50 a piece for them. We paid the $7.50 and went on about our night. About an hour or so later, we went back and ordered the very same drink and were charged $8.50 by a different bartender. Now $1 is really no big deal but we thought it was strange that we were being charged a different amount. Thinking that he'd go ahead and correct this for us, we very calmly, let the guy know that this isn't what we paid before. I guess the customer isn't always right because this guy preferred to debate with me about the price of the drink rather than correcting this for us. Instead of just charging us the same amount we were charged before and saying something like "the next one is going to be $8.50" this bartender (who referred to himself as the "lead" bartender or something like that) took the time to ask us which bartender served us previously and walked around searching for him. This was such a waste of time. We couldn't believe that this guy would not agree that "we" the customer was right, even with there only being a difference of a dollar. Overall, I've always enjoyed myself at Brothers. I can appreciate their daily specials and ample space for mingling and dancing. It's unfortunate that I had a bad experience with someone on their staff. It's such a silly thing but I didn't appreciate the lack of customer service that my friend and I received. I'll definitely remember that the next time I consider hanging out at Brothers.
(3)Courtney P.
Here's a time I wish half stars were an option because this place would only receive 2.5. Pros: The food is pretty good. I usually order a chicken wrap or sandwich and they have really good ranch lol. The drinks are super weak but they have a lot of options and lot of beers to choose from. Cons: The service. The times I've gone has usually been a Friday or Saturday. When you walk in and there is no greeter, you do the five minute 'do I seat myself or will they seat me?' talk with yourself. You decide to seat yourself because nobody has come to greet you. You walk around the place and notice all the tables are full and/or dirty and none of the staff offers to help you. When you finally do work that part out, plan to basically be ignored by the entire staff. Every time I go here I say I won't be back but the food is good and somehow I always seem to forget how challenging going here can be because I keep going back. I mean, they have really good ranch dressing.
(3)Kitty H.
In the mood for burgers and something new so trying Brother's as I type. The place is busy yet we were seated immediately. We waited not more than 8 minutes for our appetizers to arrive. Afterwards, we waited maybe just another 5 for the entrees. The staff is friendly, fast and attentive. The serving portions are generous and delicious. Great happy hour specials too.
(5)Eileen B.
I went to Brothers for the UK-UC game yesterday, needless to say it was packed by game time. I was impressed with how speedy the service was! Our waiter checked with us frequently, and our food order came out very quickly. I had the walnut burger (the vegetarian burger) and I thought it was good! Definitely better than the run of the mill bean burger other places offer. I would definitely go here again.
(4)Jill N.
Oh, brother, what a waste of time and money. Speaking of brothers, my super-picky brother is the reason we ended up here in the first place. But that was only after trying to go to Claddaugh Irish Pub and Hofbrauhaus first. Claddaugh is now permanently closed at Newport on the Levee and Hofbrau wasn't going to be open for another 45 minutes. Brother's looked OK. I thought I could at least get a good burger. My first gripe: At 11:15 on Sunday morning, Brother's had very few customers. There were at least a dozen open tables for 3 or more, but the hostess tried to seat us at a high top in the bar. When I asked if they had something lower, she took the three of us to a gigantic booth large enough for 10 that just made me feel silly for asking. But fine, hard to complain about that. I just couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with all the regular sized tables that were vacant. Gripe #2: I ordered a blackened bleu burger and when I asked the server if they cook the burgers to order, she froze like a deer in headlights. After an awkward pause (that again made me feel silly for asking), she answered "not normally but if you want." I should have interpreted that to mean, "no, we are going to cook your little 7 oz. patty until there is no trace of fat, juice, or flavor and it's as tough and dry as shoe leather." When will I ever learn? Gripe #3: In an effort to be ballsy and cool, Brother's has come up with a clever drink with which to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. It's called a car bomb. ha ha, Get it? Those wild and crazy IRA terrorists -- they are such a hoot! This place is a tourist trap and I am embarrassed that I got caught in it. I would really like to give this only 1 star, but my picky brother's fried fish sandwich was not bad.
(2)Justin R.
Whatever you do, don't ask for a table different from the one they give you. We stood at the hostess table for five minutes without so much as eye contact from the girl at the register, five feet away. The hostess walked up to us and greeted us, then proceeded to seat us next to a larger, louder group. I asked for a table in the back, which seemed to exasperate her. After a minute of apparently checking with Brothers' upper management, she walked us to the back, threw our menus on the table, and walked away. Our waitress came up five minutes after and was incredibly chipper. Never mind the fact that she was the one who initially ignored us. We walked out.
(1)Andre R.
Visited the area from Washington D.C. and stopped for lunch. The scenery was nice overlooking the Ohio river, decor of the place offered an entertaining look at old American Diners, the open pit flame outside was a nice touch. I found it interesting that the restaurant was half empty with a 30 minute wait. I'm guessing they were low on servers. After finally getting seated we ordered the meals off the kids menu and two adults. I can't say I have to most refined palate but this is Kentucky! I expected a lot more than over chicken nuggets, greasy burgers and dried fries. To add to this no napkins or silverware was dropped. Would have been nice to have the empty plates from our appetizers cleared sometime during the main meal. I think I'll pass on a second visit here. Thanks for having me.
(1)Larry S.
Only about 20 tables had people, we ordered and then the place filled. We waited 30 mins and I asked where our food was. Was told the place was full. We packed out stuff up and left.
(1)rick k.
Food is decent but very fast, drinks are well priced for the levee. It is a fun place to hang out on the weekend. Is a national chain, so you get what you would expect. More of a 3-4 star place, but felt compelled to cancel out some one star reviews for the management asking some guy to leave because he has face tattoos.
(5)Doug D.
The food was mediocre. Upscale bar food similar to Applebee's. There was nothing about my experience that made me say "I want to go back". I had the fish sandwich and it had a heavy batter on it. In most bites the batter was thicker than the fish. The wife had lime chicken and said it was almost warm when she got it. I ordered a cup of soup for an appetizer and it came with my meal. I was very clear that I wanted it before, but that didn't happen. I would have expected better at 6 pm at Newport on the Levee. All in all the experience wasn't bad, but there are too many good restaurants out there to waste my time with mediocre.
(2)Elizabeth B.
Ate here last night and was pleasantly surprised. No wait on a Friday and great happy hour ($2 wells, $2.50 domestics, and $3.50 imports). I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and fries and ate every last bite of it. My friends order a chicken wrap and also liked it a lot. I would definitely come back here again, for the great happy hour deals if nothing else. Service was a little slow but nothing to complain about. All in all, a good experience.
(4)Ed D.
Sad to say this was a negative experience from the beginning, as the hostess decided our family of five that includes a special needs three-year-old needed to sit in an area only accessible by stairs. The food is average at best, but when you factor in its price and the wait we had for it then it's tough to justify the thought of a return trip. In fact, sensing frustration, a manager did offer us a gift card to try them again, and we passed. I'd rather pay to try something else than risk this experience again.
(1)Dominique L.
If you need something to do on a Friday night I'd suggest Brothers. They have a good music playing, dance floor, tv screens with sports playing and a pool table! All that to go along with your drinks makes for a good night! Beware the full menu is not available after 12am so the selection is minimized after that time. I was able to enjoy the stuffed smokehouse burger and my goodness it was the greatest thing. I've never seen a burger made stuffed with bacon. It is a must taste item! Not that thrilled with the kettle chips so you may want to go with fries. My server was fun and attentive. I got the BBQ chicken quesadilla and disliked it, but she took it off so I shared 1/2 the burger with a friend... Best choice I made all night! I say it's worth a stop it's pretty inexpensive and the monthly special is variety colored/flavored Long Island iced tea in a pitcher for $9. Have fun!
(3)Tabitha W.
You know how an experience can be perfectly fine and then there is one seemingly small thing that just completely pushes it to the other side of fine? #thatjusthappened I ended up visiting Newport on the Levee with a friend who was visiting for the weekend. It was around noon on a Sunday, and we first walked around to view what other restaurant options there were. I appreciated that there was a menu posted outside (for both this restaurant and several of the others we considered). I was a little disappointed that I didn't see a veggie burger on the posted menu, but Brothers seemed to be my friends' top pick, so I figured I could just make a meal out of appetizers. Turns out they did have a veggie burger option that's listed on the menu handed out inside the restaurant (so don't be discouraged by the menu posted outside!), but I already had my heart set on Cheese Curds. My friend went to the men's restroom, and when he came back, he said "well, that was pretty disgusting" and explained that a bartender had basically used the restroom without washing his hands (there was apparently just a quick rinse under the water). My friend and I are both very hygiene-conscious, so knowing that the restaurant staff weren't taking care to thoroughly wash their hands after using the restroom was a little unnerving. I remarked, "well, at least we didn't order drinks". Our food came out soon after that, and the rest of the experience was fine.
(2)S W.
Nice patio, descent food, but can't overlook poor service. What a disaster. The location is at the Levee, big restaurant with a huge bar area, bar tables and more. The outdoor area has its own bar. It has a wide menu, and a one page gluten free menu.
(1)Nate S.
I have mixed feelings about this place, maybe it's because I'm getting older, and don't really like the crowded scene anymore. I went there recently on a Thursday. Early on, it was awesome - we had a table, and the drink special was amazing - $1 for mixed well, $2 for bottle domestics (I think - I was doing the well special). As it got later on, our server was harder to keep track up - we went at least a half an hour on multiple occasions without seeing her, but I guess that should be expected when it turns to a dance party.... In general, not a bad place to just grab a drink if you're at the levee, but don't stay there late nights on Thursdays - it's a madhouse.
(3)Gregory B.
I wasn't impressed with the food. The menu looks good, but I ordered the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and it was cooked to shoe leather. I couldn't eat more than a third of it. My wife had a wrap, she said it was good. The staff were generally friendly, probably a better bar than restaurant.
(2)Stephen B.
Brother's is sort of like a neighborhood hangout bar located in the middle of an entertainment district. This is actually kind of a cool thing. The only reason I don't give Brother's 4 stars is that I feel the space is a little generic. Still, the food is good and the drinks are cheap. Brother's isn't a bad choice if you're looking for something to do on the levy. One feature that I really like about this bar, is the patio. It's really cool that there is a convertible indoor/outdoor bar. Overall, not my favorite place of all time, but a solid stop for a night out on the levy. Also, as I mentioned before, the drinks are cheap. There are great deals every day of the week.
(3)Tina F.
Dont Go. I have never complained about a restaurant until now. We waited 1 hour 15 minutes for our food. When it arrived it was cold and burnt. I asked the waitress for refills we cold not get any. (the place was not crowded) I asked for the manager. He said that the food looked ok to him. So I took a piece of the hamburger and handed it to him and told him to feel it. He said it was ok. I handed him the wilted french fry that was cold. He said that sometimes happens. Then I asked him if he would eat the chicken tenders that my son ordered. They were burnt and only 4 small the size of chicken nuggets. He said they looked bad. He brought us some more with a few seconds and they were worse we could not eat the food. He said we ordered and had to pay. We payed for the food and left the food on the it table. The service was poor and so was the food. There is no excuse for the way were treated and the quality of food.
(1)Michelle M.
The good? Great drink specials and hearty food at a decent price. The bad? Slow service. Maybe it's a bad sign that the allure of Thursday $1 well drinks outweighs average-at-best service, but I'll be back.
(3)Jorge M.
I have been to Brothers many times during my time in Cincinnati. It has usually been a popular location on thursdays, not sure why. But what makes me give them a low score is the treatment they gave to one of the individuals in my group. I went with a party of five, out of which all but me were international students who are in the in the U.S. three semesters as graduate students only. Everyone in our group was at least 24 years old or older. One of the guys only has the ID from his home country and his student ID (no age on it). He was denied entry because of his foreign ID. The doormen argued he should have brought a passport, but excuse me who in their right mind takes a passport to a bar?!? He showed all his forms of identification and he was still denied entry. I think this was totally unnecessary as he obviously showed he was of age. A vast segment of the patrons who attend Brothers are underage with blatant fake ID's. Hence why its such a common destination for UC undergraduate students. While I have no issues whatsoever since I'm an American citizen this is certainly an issue for anyone whos just stopping by temporarily in the country. Zero incentive for local tourism.
(1)Dawn B.
Your average sports bar but with space enough to handle the small herd of my friends and I. Plenty to choose from on the menu as well as on tap. The food may be typical bar food, but it's always good each time we come here. Depending on the weeknight and how busy they are can determine what kind of service you'll get. I've never had a bad experience, but sometimes the service can be a little slow. The patio has one of the best views of the city. We always have a good time whenever we come here.
(3)Tyler M.
Dude, Bro. This place is a nightmare. As much as I love getting ignored at the bar while the bartenders flirt with whichever girl is showing the most cleavage, there was no redeeming factor about this place. Brother's only fuels my referring to this entertainment district as the "Newport Shore." As much as this place made me want to throw back jägerbombs and motorboat someone, I wasn't even able to get a drink until the bartenders were finished socializing. I understand catering to certain clientele, but this place just flat out reeks of poor customer service.
(1)Courtney C.
I had the bar for this establishment set pretty low. I'd been there for Happy Hours before and was never impressed, but when I went to lunch here with a work group (not my first choice) a couple of weeks ago, the service was just at a whole new low. I have never experienced that level of incompetence before. Our group was maybe ten people, but the bar wasn't crowded, and we were there during standard lunchtime hours. It took our waitress a while to come over and take our order - we'd been sitting maybe 20 minutes before we finally ordered our food. Cut to nearly an hour later, and we're still waiting. Our party ordered a mix of salads and sandwiches - nothing that should have been that complicated. When it finally arrived, my Southwestern Salad was fine, however the fork I was given was still dirty right out of the napkin, and my water glass was sticky (disgusting). Since we'd already been sitting for over an hour (in the middle of the business day), you would think our waitress would have known to ask us if we wanted our checks to expedite the process. But no - we had to flag her down to ask for them, and it was another 15 minutes while she got them together. Again...the bar was not that crowded. I was very surprised that our waitress didn't apologize for (or even acknowledge) our wait. In fact, it seemed like we were inconveniencing her by requesting the checks. Let's just say, I won't be back to Brothers for lunch (or anything else) any time soon - unless I want to block two hours out of my day to allow for impossibly slow service.
(1)Devika A.
Gorgeous view of the river although food/ drink seem average: - Good location - Good ambience - Food is bar food (although family style) - I think there is better food in Cincinnati although this would be a great hang out spot for Happy Hour with friends on a Wednesday night
(3)Jon S.
Hey here's a big f*** you to brothers. Not too long ago this place was good for families and everybody but apparently now its 21 and over for every night past Friday. We were turned away at the door like some type of f****** frat party under 21 not welcome. F*** you brothers f****** Newport on the levee f*** this place.
(1)Stephanie W.
Went to Newport on the Levee on New Years Day. We tried Brother's Bar and Grill. I ordered the chicken nacho's the serving size was large enough to share with several people. Our waitress did not bring us silver wear or napkins. The food was ok, somewhat bland. If ever I the area again. I would try a different restaurant.
(3)Cindy G.
This place has gotten some bad reviews but what did you expect? I think for what this place stands for at least they are consistent. A drink is a drink. I love the patio. It is probably one of the best views in the city. The food is solid. I wouldn't say good, I wouldn't say bad. The grilled chicken sandwich is decent. If you are looking for a beautiful view, decent drink prices and a place to hang before you go see your movie this is your place. Don't go into it thinking it's the Taj Mahal and you won't be disappointed.
(3)Jessica M.
great service, food was good. large location to accommodate large parties. next patio with fire pit for cooler nights. great stop on the levee
(5)Stan M.
Ordered the mahi tacos. Didn't realize they were mini or slider tacos. I thought I may have ordered the appetizer. Nope it was the meal. Disappointing.
(3)Rob T.
Very good food. Very good service. Read reviews before deciding to eat here, and was a little concerned but i would now definitely choose to come back here. Server was excellent and friendly. Atmosphere is very loud but it feel like a friendly place to have a good time and the loud just makes it feel nice. Stuffed cheddar burger was excellent and the sweet potato tots were delicious. Make sure you eat here!
(5)Katelyn D.
I would give this place zero stars if I could
(1)D. S.
Ate there Sat. Aug. 9th while killing some time on the Levee. Ordered wings appetizer and a drink. Without a doubt the WORST wings I've ever had. The wings were small and instead of tossing them in sauce it looked like they dumped 10 wings in a basket and poured the sauce all over them. It was puddled in the bottom of the basket. And to add insult to bad wings...........they were $8.99. Hope the rest of the menu is better. But if you can't do a decent wing...............
(3)Molly R.
Tried this place after a morning at the Newport Aquarium. We had kids with us and felt they'd have food that everyone would enjoy. The food was okay. Typical bar/pub food. The sweet tots were a delicious substitution for chips. The chips that we received with one dish were over done. The bottled beer we ordered was not very cold and our server, although efficient never cracked a smile. I would probably visit again, but wouldn't say this is a "must eat at" establishment.
(3)Brian M.
Way to expensive for what the give you. $8 for 3 beer pretzels is a total rip off Bartenders and wait staff seem to not have any interest in the customers. Managed like a dive college bar. Located in a great spot, just needs a change of management
(1)Phil E.
The food was alright but what really stuck out in my mind was the smell coming from the bar area. We stayed there for the Saturday night crowd and all we kept talking about was how bad the smell was coming from the bar. I don't think they have cleaned the bar ever with the smell coming from there and I refused to drink out of any glasses coming from the bar only opting for bottles.
(2)Dan T.
Last time we will ever go here. 5 adults and 4 kids. Place was empty, had to wait till they cleaned a table. Got seated and no server for 15 minutes. We got up and left and went to Dewey's. Very rude help
(1)Kelly W.
There was no one there but the service was great as long as I knew the proper place to search for them.
(2)Shayna E.
This place is kind of interesting.. A friend suggested we go here. It was college night. None of us are college age. So probably not the right scene. Anyways, we didn't sit at the bar so we got a waitress. She was constantly going MIA for long periods of time. Which made ordering food and drinks very difficult. And it also took about an hour to close our tab and get the hell out. About the food.... None of it sounds appealing or looks appealing. So I just stuck to the pretzel stick things. I barely even finished one.... But I didn't get to eat before we went out. So I really tried to eat it. Wasn't happening.... Glad I didn't order anything else who knows what that would've tasted like. Onto the drinks they do offer a variety of cheap drinks on college night. But it's all aimed to get you white girl wasted as quick as possible. So we all just had beer. Now onto the bathroom scene........ There was glass EVERYWHERE. And it was just nasty. Speaking of glass a table of a bunch of dudes next to us ended up breaking a glass somehow. No one came by to clean it up.... Luckily the guy who broke it had the decency to pick it up with his hands. I get it college bar , college night. But you could put some effort in to picking up glass etc. Oh and actually try to wait the tables. And since it was college night there was a cover. We luckily got there before that started. But one of our friends 30ish got here 20 mins after poor old fella got stuck paying. So beware of that if you aren't in college and wanna go here on a college night. I highly doubt I will return unless it's unexpected and our friends finds a way to drag me in....
(2)Krystyna C.
Brothers is a sports bar that caters to college-aged frat clowns. There. I said it! They have horrible food, and the service sucks. When I was in here, it was 11:30 am on a Saturday. Considering it was a beautiful day, I didn't expect too many people inside. I was with two others and we opted to sit at the bar because we were only planning only eating a fairly quick lunch before going to a movie. My BBQ chicken wrap was horrible. Absolutely horrible. The chicken had been frozen and microwaved so that was cold and watery. The fries were covered in salt and tasted horrible, even with ketchup. Keep in mind, I've been to Brothers a few times on the weekends for drinks with friends, but unfortunately, even then- its still horrible. For the college frat clowns, this place is fine, but I want more than that when I got out and they don't run specials on the weekends when I can actually go out and enjoy a beverage or two. And this place is located in Newport on the Levee- thus automatically warrenting a low rating due to the $5 parking. Save your money and go somewhere else.
(1)Nicole H.
Went to Brothers to have lunch on a beautiful Sunday after visiting the Aquarium. To begin, it's not a great impression when guests are standing at the door to be seated, and several employees carry-on their socializing and act like they don't see you - for several minutes. Finally when the only hostess returns to take us to a table at the patio, she says to the group of servers, "do you want this one?" and stops to wait for an answer. Clearly there is a lack of leadership at this establishment. The food was OK -- nothing to rave about.
(2)Grace M.
I have been here so many times and for being one of my favorite restaurants on the Levee.. I am shocked I have not reviewed this yet- I LOVE this place! I usually order the wings (great mild sauce) and some drink. What is nice about this place is they run happy hour every night until I think around six or seven? Not sure the time exactly but it is so nice they do it on the weekend. Be warned... It can get packed on the weekend nights. They have a good selection of tap beer and cider! I prefer the red apple cider- They also have special on mixed drinks all the time! My boyfriend and Mom like to order their burgers- One of my friends actually drives close to thirty minutes for thier wings alone- I can't begin to describe the sauce.. you just have to try it for yourself- YUMMM
(5)L B.
I went there on a Sunday. I ordered a beer. They were out. I ordered a different beer. They were out. I ordered another beer. Out. Finally they had my 4th choice. When I checked out, my bill was $6.25. I gave the waitress a $10 bill. I got back $3.00. She just kept the 75 cents. That ended up being her tip. Also, when I got there the table was quite messy. I had to ask the waitress to clean the table. She cleaned 1/2 of it. Not the half in front of me. I had to ask for a rag to clean it properly. She seemed put out by my request.
(1)Whitney G.
Okay, I go out to a lot of restaurants. I used to be a server, so I know how to be treated at restaurants. I have mixed reviews about this place. I went here on my 21st birthday on a Thursday. My friends and I got there around 7:30 PM. It was pretty full and very loud. Long story short, the hostesses don't acknowledge anyone standing at the door for a few minutes before they seat you, the food is pricey, and the waitresses roll their eyes at you. They also literally just do their job and take your order and drop off your food. They don't ask if you need anything, don't ask for refills, don't ask if the food tastes good, etc. We ended up requesting another server after her and the new one was perfect. He stood there and actually socialized when he could. Now, I'm not sure if that's because he was intimidated of us, but whatever. I gave him five stars. The manager gave us most of our food for free because of the horrible first waitress we had, but overall I will probably not end up going there again.
(2)Ben L.
Mediocre food for mediocre times. The chicken bacon wrap was really anemic looking and didn't have much flavor. Also, I wasn't too Cray Cray about the fish tacos since they really didn't garner any taste and were bone dry. But they really excel on cooking up a great hotdog. My friend got two and he said the tortilla chips sprinkled on the dog was the best thing that's ever happened for the hotdog. Also service was friendly, but that experience was easily overshadowed by the mediocre food and flavor.
(2)Alex S.
Brothers is what Brothers is. This is a sports bar on Newport on the Levy through and through. I was going to see a movie with a friend and we stopped in here beforehand for a drink. The bar is like Applebee's light. Wood everywhere, rustic, Americana signs for old products and beer on the wall, booths to sit in or cozy up to the bar. There are TVs everywhere, so if you want to catch the game, you're in the right place. A lot of people have complained about service but I had no issues. We did sit at the bar right in front of three bartenders and it wasn't packed, so that could be what helped us. They do have a nice mix of your regular beers and smaller craft styles. Nothing to amaze me but it's always good to order something other than a Bud. Like all Newport places, you have to pay for parking in the garage below or park on the street. Ugh, awful. They also do have a full menu for food but I didn't try any of it - just pointing out it's there. I wasn't overwhelmed but I wasn't disappointed either. I wanted a drink and I got a drink, easy as that.
(3)Justin M.
So I didn't have as bad of a time as some of these other reviewers. I actually had a really good time. Of the 4 times I have gone to Brothers bar and grille, all 4 have been pleasent experiences. I ordered different food and drinks each time and was satisfied each time. The first time I went me and my girlfriend ordered a wide variety of things including the chicken fingers, the hot wings, the loaded cheese fries (forget whatbthey actually call them on the menu), and a burger. Everything tasted great. A was decently priced. Maybe a buck or two overpriced but really nothing to complain about. The next few times we visited, the food was still very good and very FAST compared to other places. We even got an order of bonless wings for free because the waitress wanted us to try them but we didn't want to order them. It worked because next time we got them because they were so good. The service was actually pretty good. It was a seat-yourself restaurant the times we went and the waitresses were aware when we sat down. They got our drink orders and were quick with service. The location of Brothers is prime. Right on the levee and has what I think is the best view and patio out of everything on the levee. The fire pit is lit during the winter and there is an outside bar. Speaking of bars, Brothers has one of the best. They have one of the best beer selections in the tri-state. They didn't have Corona though oddly enough. But they do have over 50 different kinds of beer and something like 30 of those are available on tap. Brothers also boasts one of the best happy hours around. They have half priced drinks from 5-7 and also have different happy specials that change regulary. If you want sports, good food, Great drinks and happy hour then brothers is a great choice on Newport on the Levee. You can even catch a flick before it afterwards. Overall 4 out of 5 stars.
(4)Elisabeth H.
WOW, I'm shocked at all the two and three star reviews on Brothers. We've been going to the levee forever and in the last few weeks have started going into Brothers. It has became my favorite restaurant/bar on the levee. The food is hit or miss some of it is amazing while other menu items are just so so. The happy hour drink specials are AMAZING and the nightly specials are good too. Bartenders are knowledgeable about drinks and friendly. Its a great place to catch a football or basketball game. They also have an awesome patio area in warm weather with a super cool view of Cincinnati. We will continue to hang out here!
(5)John J.
Food was actually pretty solid. The cheese curds were great, and the louisiana pork sandwich was real tasty. The service however... wow, horrific. We waited 10 mins for a table when half the restaurant was empty. Our waitress didnt even say hello, she introduced herself by saying "what do you want to drink". Having never been, we had some questions on the menu, with which she had no answers for. She also filled my girlfriends iced tea glass with water when she asked for a refill. And I dont think she smiled at us once. If this place just raised the bar with its employee training it could be a big hit, but instead it will idle around, probably never go out of business, but never truly be anyones first choice to go to.
(3)Ken H.
My cousin and I stopped in for some dinner before going to see the Bearcats game across the river. The place seemed pretty busy and we had to wait about 15 minutes for a bar table, however the table we sat at as well as others around it were available when we walked in so I'm not sure why we had to wait. We started with an order of the fried "cheese curds" and I thought they were delicious. Just a lightly battered ball of deep fried cheese, served with your choice of dipping sauces. The French dip I ordered was on point as well. The beef was tasty and the bread was fresh. If I'm back this way any time soon and in the mood for pretty good bar food, then Brothers it will be.
(3)Jason B.
Ah Brothers. you've been to one, you've been to them all. Not really my type of bar scene so it drops a couple of stars, but in terms of being the type of bar it is, there's nothing wrong. OK beer selection. OK prices. Nothing to write home about.
(3)Sarah F.
Tried this place for lunch solely because it was the only place at Newport on the Levee where we hadn't eaten before. And now that we've been, can't say I feel the need to come back. The interior is spacious--SportsCenter on TVs everywhere you look and country music playing--nothing particularly memorable or offensive, just generic. Our server was very efficient and attentive, which we appreciated as we were trying to catch a movie after. I figured a cheeseburger was a safe bet, but was annoyed that it was $1 extra for fries instead of chips The fries were OK--thin and crispy. The burger definitely seemed like a pre-formed frozen patty and the flimsy, white bun was utterly forgettable. There was shredded iceberg for the lettuce and a small, damp ring between the burger and the bottom bun of their 'special' thousand island sauce. There is pretty decent happy hour pricing if you just want drinks and apps, but wouldn't recommend it for a meal.
(2)Patrick P.
It is a bar with a lively crowd. They have a great outdoor area where you have a spectacular view. The food is pretty good for bar food. The more people you are with the better - heck - invite your therapy group :-)
(3)Linsey G.
This is one of the newer bars down at Newport on the Levee. Of course it was awesome to have a new addition to the area, but my immediate thoughts were, how awesome could another Newport bar actually be? In all honesty, I actually don't mind Brothers. Sure it gets unreasonably crowded, but they have good drink specials, a great outdoor patio area, and I hear their food is actually decent for bar food as well (I have yet to try it). In case you haven't noticed in my other reviews, I find a good city view to be a pretty great redeeming factor even for the crappiest of bars. The view of our great city from the Kentucky river banks is no slouch either. And for that reason alone, I will go back.
(3)Edin L.
My husband and I stopped by this establishment last weekend to get a quick bite to eat and watch some college basketball. This is the second time we visited this place and did not eat. When we entered the hostess took a few moments longer than I liked to acknowledge us (this is what happened our first trip). Once she did she told us it would be a 15 minute wait for an inside table or a 30 minute wait to eat on the patio. We were confused since there were plenty of tables and booths available. We decided not to waste our time and went somewhere else.
(1)Jonathan M.
Food good , service slow but polite, atmosphere not utilized. We went to watch the Bengals game with my family. The three family's in our section were all there to watch the Bengals game, but only half of the Families could see the game because only 1 of the 2 tv's in our section were turned to the game. So we asked if we could turn the other one to the Bengals game so all our parties could watch the game. We were told by our server & the bartender that the channel could not be changed. Then when all 3 tables asked to see the manager the channel amazingly changed and the manager never came to see any of the tables. The Restaurant has so much potential, but I feel it needs new mgt that has had training on customer service. I suggest that the restaurant send their mgt team to the Chic-fil-a training course on customer service.
(2)Sheena D.
This bar does not really set itself apart from other bars on the levee other than it it a no smoking bar, which is one of it perks.I came here to watch a baseball game and have a drink - and this place accomplished that for me. The food is good, but there is nothing on the menu that is anything to write home about. It's typical bar food and likely frozen or out of a can. I had some guacamole and it wasn't fresh.... They have some good beer specials, but nothing any more exciting than any of the other bars on the levee. All in all its a good place, but it could use something (other than the non smoking aspect) to set itself apart from the other bars on the levee.
(3)Spazmelda W.
I was very disappointed in this restaurant. We had a lot of relatives visiting from out of town and we had all gone to the aquarium. We thought this would be a good place with food that the kids would like. The food was okay, though they seemed to be out of many things. They did not have the beer my brother in law wanted but did not come and tell him that it wasn't available for about 15-20 minutes. My other brother in law ordered one beer and received something totally different. At that point he'd waited so long he just decided to keep that beer anyway. Everyone liked the fried pickles and the burgers were pretty good. The service was very slow though, and our server disappeared when we were ready to pay the bill. We waited for a very long time for the bills, and he tried to run off again once he'd dropped the bills off at the table. We had to tell him to stay while we stuck our credit cards in the bill holder because we didn't want to take the chance of him running off again for another 15-20 minutes. 3/4 of our party had already left because they were cold and tired of sitting there, and only the bill payers were still sitting there waiting to pay. I was fairly embarrassed that I'd brought all my in-laws to this disappointing and slow restaurant. I don't know if the server had too much to do, they weren't very crowded, but maybe he had other duties. If so, they need more staff working, I would definitely no go back or recommend this place to anyone else.
(2)Scott N.
Several things contribute to my review of Brothers Bar & Grill. First, it was a gorgeous day. After an extremely hot summer, it was SO nice to be able to sit outside with a view of Cincinnati. Two stars for outdoor seating with a view. Since we sat outside I can't rate the ambience inside, but I'll say the booths looked big and comfortable. Beer selection - one star. For a bar that's not saying much, but I've seen worse. Nothing on the menu grabbed my attention, but the special brews (ask your server - the menu says you should and I did) offered some nice choices. My food was surprisingly delicious. I'd read the reviews and my expectations were low. Maybe that's why it was good. You know how when you have very, very high expectations you tend to be let down rather than be impressed? I believe the opposite is true as well. I had the fried egg sandwich. It comes with three pieces of bread. That is WAY too much. I took off the top and flipped the other to create a normal sandwich with two pieces of bread. The sandwich included fried egg, American cheese and bacon. How could it not be good, right? Well, it wasn't not good, it was delicious! The fries were good, too. Overall it was a delightful afternoon. I will definitely come back.
(4)Roth M.
Went here for a quick bite and a couple beers before going to a movie. I'd go back for happy hour some time maybe, or maybe for the patio/view, but I doubt I'd get much from the menu. My 2 co-diners were also unimpressed with the food. Beer selection was decent, not great, but Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Rogue Dead Guy, and Bell's Oberon were amongst the typical drafts.
(2)Robert R.
Terrible service. I've been here about 4 times in the past year, hoping each time that the constant bad service was just an anomoly. Well, it's not. Visited Dec 1 to see some NFL at about 3pm on a Sunday. Many games on TV, but few customers. For a sports bar to be empty on a Sunday afternoon is telling. I waited a few minutes to be seated. The gal at the podium was too busy talking to a friend. I then told her I wanted to watch a specific game. She took me to a table with no view, so she took me to another table with no view. I finally just said let me choose my table. Then I sat there for 10 mins (the place is empty, btw) and Mary, my un-merry waitress, shows up and states, "what do you want to drink?" No hello, nothing. I ask what's on tap. She gives a big sigh and an exasperated look and says very snarkily - "I have 32 beers on tap." We commence to staring at each other for a few seconds. I ask, "do you have a list?" and she says "no". Really people - how would you like me, the customer, to know what you have on tap? You want me to go to the bar and try to figure it out from the tap handles? I ask un-Merry for an amber beer, and she looks at me like I've just asked for a lizard jalapeno beer. She asks, "a light beer?" I say no, amber. We stare at each other a few seconds, and I ask, "do you have Sam Adams?" She walks away and then comes back with a Sam Adams. Not a word from her. Now I sit here for 20 mins. Nothing. No food order, no return visit. I look around and un-Merry is sitting at a table behind me with 3 other servers laughing it up. At another table are 3 servers rolling silverware laughing it up. There was 1 server not socializing, and she was running around working hard. I ask her for my bill, and suddenly un-Merry is jumping up and gives me my bill for $4.24. I put $5 on the table and ask for my change. After getting a shocked, and then angry look, un-Merry gives me my change and I walk away. Terrible service. Management should visit a sports bar at The Banks or Drakes in Florence to see what a professional bar looks like. They are full of people on game day, and the staff is friendly and professional. I will NEVER be back to Brothers.
(1)Liz J.
This was quite an annoying visit. First time and last time here. It took 45 mins for us to be seated and the place was dead. I just don't understand that. After being seated, it took 15 mins before someone came to our table (which I absolutely can't stand when I notice there's maybe 5 other people in the restaurant). The only good thing about the place was the time for when I ordered and our food arrived. Surprisingly, it was quite fast. Our food was pretty good, but nothing worth going back for.
(2)Juliane S.
Alex S. stated it best. Brothers is what Brothers is. Sports bar that serves as a good meeting spot before a show at the (now defunct) Southgate House or movie. Decent place for a beer and they have an ok selection. Also a decent place for food....mostly bar food but they do have some pasta dishes. I actually don't like their patio very much because it gets so smoky in the summer time. I've not had bad service but also haven't had great service either. It's a mediocre place and capitalizes on its location rather than any particular redeeming quality.
(3)Nick M.
Typical bar-type food. They have burgers, wraps, sandwiches...that type of stuff. Loud music...good music selections, just loud!
(3)Peter B.
I wouldn't bring my brother here!! Walking into Brothers at Newport on the Levee, you are immediately struck by how much of a beer hall it is. Booths along the wall, a long bar down the middle of the room and the requisite vinyl banners advertising beer promotional events are all you need to see to know that this place would be well-suited as a venue in a remake of Patrick Swayzee's classic film "Roadhouse." I try to find something good in every place I visit. In the case of Brother's, it would be that they offer 24 different beers on tap, 21 of which are craft brews. That being said, the choice of spirits is rather limited: there are no liquors with more than 7 letters in their names (gin=good, cointreau = bad!). The food was lack-luster at best. I ordered a club sandwich. Out came a plate with two slices of white bread, some ham, turkey, american cheese and iceberg lettuce. hardly gourmet. The bacon was decent, but that's out it. Brother's claim to fame is that is is just across the walking bridge from Great American Ball Park. I don't think this place offers be enough incentive to cross the Ohio River...
(2)Matt W.
Three hostesses milled about for 12 minutes before telling us it was a 30 minute wait. Not a single person is in the waiting area. Clueless.
(1)Jessica S.
Location, location, location. That's pretty much all Brothers has to offer besides an abundance of TVs for sports-watching. The food? No, thanks. The only decent food I've had here are the chips... but only about half of them have been cooked without the taste of burnt oil on them. For $7.99-$9.99 I'd like a burger to have some substance to it. Instead, you get a wafer-thin round of meat that could be compared to Burger King or McDonald's. My level of dissatisfaction I felt like I could eat 10 more of them. Not worth the money at all. But, if you want a big bar, lots of TVs, a pool table, and outdoor seating at the levee, this is an option... but one of many, since most of the other bars/pubs in Newport have all of this (and have better food!).
(2)Angela C.
Disclaimer: I have not eaten a meal here, only had appetizers and drinks. The two redeeming things about Brothers: 1) It is a non-smoking bar in Kentucky. 2) The happy hour drink prices are ridiculously cheap. I did not enjoy Brother's on a weekend evening- it was packed, loud, and everyone was watching ultimate fighting on tv... and really into it. No offense to Ultimate fighting fans. I also do not like that Brother's requirements to get 15 cent wings on Wednesday: (with valid student ID, military ID, athletic ID or business card), though, to be fair, you can get them for 30 cents each without an ID. That does not affect me, but it seems to say a lot about who Brother's does not welcome... However, weekday happy hour is decent. The appetizers were reasonably priced, if not particularly tasty, and I had two gin and tonics for maybe $3. There was plenty of seating, it was quiet enough to have a conversation, the server was nice, and everything was clean.
(2)Jamie A.
This place is alright but it's nothing special. I've been several times and never had stellar service but I've never had bad service either. We were told there was a 15 minute wait for a table but over half the restaurant was empty. The food is good - and decently priced. The pretzel appetizer is really good - we always make sure to get that. I've had a couple of their sandwiches and those were pretty tasty. We went on a Friday which apparently is "free fry friday" -- the fact that they typically charge extra for fries is kind of lame. My biggest complaint is that my shoes literally stuck to the floor. I realize it's a sports bar and whatever... but c'mon. I basically walked out of my shoe because it was stuck to the floor. I'm sure I'll eat here many more times. My boyfriend loves the place and most other places on the levee are super pricey.
(3)Glenn W.
The Cubana sandwich is pretty good, but I think that says more about the quality of cuban's sandwiches in the Dayton area than it does about this one. Good beer selection though. Really the only reason to come here is you're already at Newport and need a drink. Oh... And you're too lazy to walk to hoffbrau.
(3)Jen L.
Awesome food and awesome service! Loved my salad and husbands stuffed burger. The kettle chips were delicious!
(5)Debbie M.
I tried this place twice before writing a review...to be fair. Eh. That pretty much sums it up for Brothers. I'm not a drinker, so I can't attest to anything in that arena. We went for an early lunch on a nice day - so that we could sit outside and enjoy a fabulous view of the city. The food was edible. That's about what I can say about it. I had a burger, which I could have made better myself. My husband had the chicken sandwich and when I asked him how it was, he shrugged and said, "its ok." The service was horrible, which I couldn't understand because the place was practically empty. No kidding. There were more staff there than patrons, yet we had to wait FOREVER for our food, then even longer to get the check when we wanted to get the hell outta there. The female servers spent way too much time trying to be cute and flirt with the bartenders than take care of the handful of customers they had. If you want to drink and watch a game with a great view of this city, this is your place. Just don't eat anything. Twice is enough. I'm not going back.
(2)Peter J.
Brothers, like many have pointed out in their reviews, is your typical sports bar. It takes your typical sports bar tropes and does them very well. The food, though basic, is good and well priced. I highly recommend the Nachos as an appetizeir. Their beer selection is varied and top notch. Ranging from your bargain beers like PBR, and Coor's to higher end domstics like Blue Moon and Great Lakes. The daily drink specials are great if you want to save some money, and are varied enough to keep it intersting and keep you coming back. I highly recommend going on Thursdays for $1 you call its or Sunday's pitcher deal. There is always a seat to watch a game and they are willing to change the channels to get what you want on. The only thing that it really lacks is enough actual bar space on the patio. During Spring and Summer it's great to sit outside on the patio enjoying the view.
(4)Alyssa T.
Overall, my friends and I had a fun time at Brothers! We went on a Saturday afternoon and the patio was filled so we waited at the bar. The waitress accidentally told us the wrong price for a drink special but instead of making us pay the full price, she allowed us to pay what she had told us :) It didn't take long at all to get a seat outside, but our table was very wobbly. We had to ask twice to get some coasters or something to stick under a table leg. The service outside was also pretty slow. We ordered some of their Wisconsin Cheese Curds to share and they were delicious! Way better than any mozzarella sticks I've had! If I'm in the area again, I'll definitely go back.
(4)Carla G.
Wow... can service really suck here. We had been to Brothers once before (soon after they opened) and decided to stop by for a beer after seeing a movie at the AMC theaters. As is our tradition, we sat at the bar since we like to interact with the bartenders and talk beer. It was a Tuesday night so craft beer was on special. Nice. But, we must have been wearing our invisibility cloaks because all three bartenders ignored us like we weren't even there. Tom finally had to flag one down and she reluctantly came over to take our order. She was a bit more attentive after that, but she was not willing to spend any more time interacting with us than she had too. They have a good beer selection and if the night had gone better, we probably would make an effort to stop in more often. Instead, we'll be visiting the bar at Claddagh instead.
(2)Dan M.
The food was ok. Think standard pub fare meets applebee's perhaps a 2/5. However, I did enjoy the billiards tables while I waited, and there are a lot of them. So, 3/5. Bottom Line: I'll be back if I want to play some pool and get some grub.
(3)Katie W.
This is my first review with a rating under three stars...yikes! However, Brothers Bar and Grill in one word, Woof! I'm giving two stars instead of one simply because my waitress was pleasant enough. Otherwise, I feel like it is over priced bar food. I'm not normally high maintenance at restaurants, but this time I specifically asked for light buffalo sauce on my buffalo chicken wrap. When it arrived my wrap was dripping. I tried to eat it but couldn't bring myself to finish. When my friend and I arrived we were two of about 4 people at the bar, yet we were not acknowledged for about 20 minutes. It is not like this place was understaffed. There were two bartenders, and neither made eye contact until we made a point to walk to the end of the bar where they were standing. Once we ordered our drinks the two bar tenders were very unpleasant for the rest of our time there. On the weekends the bar is packed and it is a fun place to be. There is a decent amount of beer on tap. Still, the continuous country music mixed with moody waitstaff, though it may be for some, is not for me.
(2)Mike C.
We came here looking for greasy food and beer. Despite a lot of other reviews on here, I didn't think it was all that bad. I still wouldn't give it 3 stars though. We had the spicy garlic wings, which weren't bad. Typical wings that you would find at a bar. I had the chicken ranch wrap. I actually thought this was a pretty decent wrap, again that you would find at a bar. It was pretty dead here since we came at about 8pm on a Sunday, so the service was actually pretty good. Our waitress was always there when we needed a refill or to take our plates. It'd probably be a good place to come with a bunch of friends just for drinks on a game day or if it's busy on a Friday or Saturday night.
(2)Jeremy M.
I don't exactly understand all of the hatred towards this place in Newport. But at the same time, I'm not sure all of it is undeserved. I got a French Dip here on a Saturday night, while out just having a grand time. It took 10 minutes, but on a Saturday night that's to be expected. Drink service was okay, though I didn't drink alcohol on this night (I was never much of a drinker, honestly). My seating was pretty much towards the back of the place. There isn't nearly enough accessible seating at a bunch of spots on the Levee but this is one of two places where it's glaringly noticeable that this is so indoors. I think I was at one of only 3-4 tables that were low enough that somebody like me won't have to climb up to sit inside. Sure, the back patio has more (to say nothing of wherever that elevator leads to, and yes they DO have an elevator!), but that's only going to go so far in winter when it's 15 degrees. That is a problem. I wouldn't bring 5 disabled buddies here, let's put it like that. Overall, the food and service earned 3 stars given that it was Saturday night. I just can't go any higher than that.
(3)Stacey L.
My go-to bar down on the Levee! I love to stop in there before or after a movie at the AMC. My favorite thing about this place is that they always have a mixed drink special! I am not a beer drinker and that is the special that most bars seem to offer. And they have drink specials all days and all times. I love that I can sneak in on a Saturday before a movie for a cheap drink. Also, never any cover! The bartenders are super quick here. AND friendly. On my most recent trip in they had a $3.50 3 Olives Vodka Special. My husband and I just told the bartenders to make us whatever they wanted using the vodka. We got 6 different tasty drinks out of them! Their food is also good. They have an apple and walnut salad that is fantastic. I also recommend the soft pretzel appetizer. Depending on what game is on TV, the atmosphere ranges from casual restaurant to insane sports bar. Expect it to be loud on any given evening. If you are trying to avoid the crowd, go out to their patio that has a great view of the city. Definitely a place I will return time and time again!
(5)Jessica G.
Went here with the boyfriend and another couple one evening while waiting to see a movie. The food was OK...really (in my opinion) not worth the $9 for the burger I had. My dear boyfriend and the French Dip, which was much more tasty than my dried out burger. The waiter was also just OK. He kept forgetting our shots and to bring us more beers. It would be understandable if they were busy....but they were not. There are TVs all over and there is a nice view of the river from their patio. I don't think I would go here again, even to just kill time.
(2)Jesse F.
Not great, not bad either, just like any other Brother you may have. First off, yes, it's at the Levee so you should already know what sort of crowd you're walking into. That said, Brothers wasn't too bad. The food was your usual chain fare and was predictably filling but not special. The place was filled with TVs so people can do something other than actually have to interact with each other. The waitresses/waters were predictably rather scattered but not terrible. Where Brothers distinguishes itself is the drinks. The pours were decent and the beers were full size. Everything was also pretty cheap, even after happy hour. Would I go there on a Friday or Saturday night? Of course not, but it wasn't too bad for a Thursday. And really, when it comes to family; do you really want to see them more than once a week?
(3)Trisha K.
Typical BARFood. What wasn't dripping or squirting grease, was dry and bland. There's plenty of other places to eat in the area, so there's no reason for me to return. The service was pleasant starting with the hostess and our waitress was attentive. NEXT!
(2)Emily C.
Four weeks into a cross-country road trip, I was craving a good quality hamburger. Just two blocks (or so) from my hotel, I was able to walk to the Levee shops, and found Brothers in the back corner. I had no problem getting a table, although the service was a little less than attentive. The burger was good, the bun quality, and the chips were awesome.
(3)Sean R.
There before the grace of God go I. This is where the troglodytes from Arnie's go when they need to "chillax" and re-apply their axe body spray and gorilla glue hair product. I haven't seen so many diamond studs and backwards "flat-bills" since my 8th grade dance. Brothers is big, but regardless you'll have some buffoon's sweaty back in your face...all...night...long. Preposterous. All the intelligent man can do is kill enough brain cells with hard alcohol to lower oneself to the level of the natives and at Brothers this can be a trying odyssey of fighting through pink polo shirts and ahem "popped collars". In the end Brothers is for bros, it might as well be called douches, for those are the species of men who claim it for there own. Yes friends, here there be dragons. Avoid it.
(1)Mike D.
Racist dress code, terrible service, awful food and insulting id policies. This isn't a college town where half the patrons are underage, so don't treat people that way. I threatened to punch any of my friends in the face if they ever suggested going here again.
(1)Cynthia R.
Pluses: - One of the few (the only?) non-smoking bars at the Levee - Happy hour specials Monday-Saturday Minuses: - Slow service - Outside entrance only
(3)Dallas M.
Stopped here for a quick bite to eat before heading to the theater next door to catch a movie. I was by myself on a business trip so I just decided to seat myself at the bar. It wasn't very busy, but let's face it, it was a random cold Tuesday night. The visit started out a little rough, it took over five minutes for the bartender to acknowledge my existence...as I said, it wasn't busy enough that service would be that slow. The upside is that happy hour was half off drinks, so that is a pretty good deal I thought. I ordered the grilled chicken ranch wrap with the house made kettle chips and a side of queso. The wrap was somewhat bland but the chips were pretty good. Queso was okay but I probably wouldn't bother ordering it again. Overall it just seemed like barely average bar food. Maybe the place picks up on weekends? Forgot to add, the background music was pretty cool lots of 90's and 2000's music that is great if you're in your late 20's early 30's. PS: The restaurant hands out cards to remind patrons to rate them on Yelp. Done and done.
(2)John B.
I really enjoy the weekday & end specials. The outdoor area is perfect for sitting and chilling with friends and people watching. The pool tables are a nice touch and are often available for play. The service is often best at the bar, especially when it's crowded (which it often is). The amount of tv's in this place is on par with a Best Buy which makes keeping up with all sports games going on in the world quite easy.
(4)Adam H.
Brother's on paper should be one of the best bars in the area, and sadly because of the slim pickens over here in NKY it is still one of its better bars. The concept is a franchised college-town sports bar, and though it is perched high atop the Levee, for better or for worse it does not stray far from its roots. What Brother's does right is that it is a large sports bar located on the Levee, which is great for watching a game or getting a few drinks before the game, and heck maybe even before a movie. Brother's has a large tap and bottle selection that is both easy on the pallet and wallet. The large tap selection includes the basic domestic swill and some Bell's and other microbrews. On some days you can get bottle specials of Coors, Miller Lite, High Life's and PBRs, and pitchers for 5 bucks. For a penny pincher like myself, my wallet trumps my taste buds more often than not in situations like these. Not to mention this place is also easy on the nose and other senses because this is one of the only non-smoking establishments on this side of the River. Usually the no nonsense prices would warrant at least a 4 star review, so what's my beef? A few things are worth noting. This place turns into a meat-factory on the weekends. The inside is loud, but respites can be found near the pool tables and on the awesome patio providing majestic views of the Queen City. Meat-factories turn me off, but for me this is somewhat bearable because there is no cover, no smoking, and thankfully no mechanical bull. Just like in college you will have to put up with collar-popped idiots, the tough guy who couldn't quite make the college football team looking at ids at the door, and some bitchy bartenders, but hey you get what you pay for! Like a domestic beer, this place has no real identity, lacks taste, but gosh darn it, its cheap and gets the job done. And just like domestic beer, I would not recommend this place outside of something involving sports, college, and/or weekends.
(3)John M.
Stopped in here before a movie. I usually shy away from restaurants in big touristy type areas but it was convenient and has a good view of downtown Cincy from across the river (these are the only compliments I have). The food is sub-par. It kinda reminds me of the stuff in the cafeteria in college. The bottled beer list is ridiculously bad. They have (and I shit you not) Bud, Bud Select, Bud light, Coors, Coors Light, MGD, MGD 64, High Life, AND High Life Light, and Miller Lite. Look, yellow, fizzy, American beer has its place in life but do we really need this many varieties of what is basically the same beer? The draft beer selection was somewhat better with a bit more variety. If you're at "On the Levee," try someplace else. In fact, go up the street onto Monmouth and try places there. Laslty, what is it with people putting lettuce on nachos here? Lettuce maybe belongs in a taco (actually it should be cabbage, but I'll let it pass on the taco) but it has no business being on top of nachos. Nasty.
(1)Steve B.
Very Good!! After visiting the Aquarium on a rainy day - it was very nice to be able to go in a nice dry place. We went in early evening around 4pm so there was no rush. Service was great and the food was good!! You have got to try the Gator Balls!!! If you love bacon - you love Gator Balls!! Those were good!
(4)Tom A.
A good, fun sports bar, and being at Newport on the Levee, it's close to a lot of other attractions at or near the Levee, so parking is ultra convenient, especially if you're going to a Reds game. A wide selection of drinks, a good menu of food, and on select days, drink SPECIALS! Only been once so far (an "after-party" with some other Yelpers, and found it to be great. Also, having many TVs there is a big plus, especially with the NHL playoffs going on. Probably not a destination in itself, but Brothers is a great place to hang out with friends!
(3)Louise D.
Updated to 3 stars because my second experience was a lot better. I came here for an EACC event and the staff was friendly. The sun deck is excellent and they have Strongbow and Woodchuck as cider. In the summer this is just a nice place to be.
(3)N M.
Its a Bar at the levy. Good: Great beer specials. Served by attractive bartenders. Great view of the city out back. Ok: The food Not so good: Servers away from the bar Prices after specials are over Weird rules on what you can and can't wear in
(3)Elly V.
What poor service! Never going back. My mom and I went in to relax, sit on the patio and have a beer. We were told a half an hour after we sat on the patio that we had to move from our seats to another location because a hostess did not seat us. I asked to speak with the manager and his service too was extremely poor. Why would you ask paying patrons to move?? Ask us if we want another beer!! The only saving grace of this place is they have cider on tap.
(1)David H.
Went to Brothers at Newport on the Levee for the first and last time. Waiter was rude, inattentive and didn't care whether we we there or not. He practically tossed our menus on the table daring us to try and order. It was 11:30 on a Tuesday morning, which was not that long after their opening for the day. I ordered an iced tea. They were out. No apology or would you like to try "x" instead, just "were out." There was no ketchup in the dispenser so I went to an empty table to grab some, no biggie, and it was nearly out as well. Clearly they have no customer service and no management. I doubt they will survive at that location. I won't be going back. Terrible joint.
(1)Audrey L.
I've been here several times now, and was not too impressed any time I was there. The first time was just for drinks with a bachelorette party. While good for the drinks and atmosphere, the music was entirely too loud! I was a little hoarse from yelling and my ears were ringing after we left. The last time was before a Reds game. We went during happy hour (yay half price beer!). While I enjoyed the happy hour prices, I was upset by their vegetarian selection. Heck, even Hofbrauhaus with their menu of meat, meat, and more meat, has a veggie burger. I do eat fish, and there wasn't even a tuna wrap or sandwich on the menu! When I asked if I could get a "lunch special" tuna melt, I was denied. I said I was even willing to pay full price for it, but they still wouldn't make it for me. I ended up just ordering a caesar salad. I was surprised because the romaine lettuce looked very fresh and good, but the salad was terribly over dressed... too bad! Good view of the river, and good for happy hour, but for the food and later night atmosphere, there are much better places to visit in Cincy and Newport.
(2)Janet H.
Miserable. There was not a single redeeming factor here. Our entire table had a terrible experience here with the food, drinks, and service. Our server took forever to accomplish anything and apparently couldn't comprehend anything we asked for. I asked for the tilapia and broccoli and whatever other veggies they had available. Server tried to tell me they didn't have any other veggies - when there were several listed. Apparently you can't mix and match - because the dinners come "pre-measured"... which means prepackaged. The fish came out fine, but with grilled red onions and no broccoli. The red onions weren't grilled, only slightly warm and I had to ask twice to get the broccoli that was supposed to have come with my meal. My friend's dinner was entirely cold, parts still frozen, and had to send the entire thing back. My other friend's salad was completely forgotten. No one was given silverware. It took 3 long awaited visits from the server and 3 requests for silverware before we finally got up and got it ourselves from the bar. The reheated and missing portions of our dinner were finally delivered. The tilapia was good - but everything else was over salted. Not once did our server apologize or try to make up for the service gaff's - only offered us a "what can you do?" look and shoulder shrug.
(1)Damion T.
Worst service ever. Our waitress didn't even bother for 50min! My lady got a manager who had to buy us a round. The bartenders where standing around doing dick while everyone sat with empty glasses. Good job ladies!! The good: They showed the fights with no cover charge. (A full star for that) Happy hour on ALL drinks including top shelf. We were ordering Patron shots for 3 bucks!! No smoking. The slow and suicidal were forced outside. I met the manager the day before and he was nice enough to plug my Iphone in his office to charge while we were there. The bad: The service was waay beyond bad. You will be ignored. The worst drinks too, our margaritas were straight junk. We ordered multiple drinks and extra shots to mix our own at the table while being ignored for almost an hour at a time. The food was forgettable and not on the happy hour deal. The verdict: If the fights are on, come pre buzzed and order shots. Any other night, don't even bother. These people have A LOT to learn about service. If the fights are on some place else... go there instead. BW3 is full of idiots, but at least they take my order and make a decent drink.
(2)Derek M.
Summary: gross frozen food slopped together. We had a large group, and the place was clearly understaffed. The food was pretty bad. A friend and I ordered burgers "medium," and when they came as perfectly-round patties cooked all the way through, it was obvious we'd been served bulk frozen patties that are impossible to cook "medium." A friend got the grilled cheese, which was loaded with gross cheddar and had remnants of someone else's beef off the grill stuck to one corner. The french fries cost an extra $1, but they were inedible--everyone left them on the plate. All in all, a pretty gross frozen food slop joint. Beware.
(1)Jack B.
The service was fast, the beer was cold, the good was tasty and they have awesome drink specials every day. The only reason I didn't give Brothers 5 stars is because I'm a smoker and I like to smoke when I'm drinking. But that's a definate plus for the non-smokers. There's also a fire pit out back during the winter, and the back loch has a great view of dontown and the river.
(4)Michael P.
This was was pretty cool for the area and had a nice view of Cincinnati. Food was nothing special but was fine nonetheless. Awesome drink specials.
(4)Lynn K.
uuugghh waste of time and money our group of 5 walked in at 2:00 on Saturday, Feb 23rd, and didnt get our food until 3:30. When we did get our food...NO silverware!! dirty plates left even though the waiter came back with the bill. we ordered fajitas, sliders, and two different wraps (nothing was worth waiting an hour and half!) ick waste of time and money
(1)T. J.
The most under rated bar in newport! Good food with Cheap drinks. If you like to sit outside they have great seating over looking the river. I've had several dishes but my favorite is the blackend chicken sandwich. If your looking for a good time that is affordable try Brothers they have great drink specials.
(4)Charles E.
Over all a nice place. The food is fair and reasonable There's a patio, that's open even in the winter, with a fireplace and a view of the river. A good variety of beers on tap, plenty of screens for the games, pool tables and it's non-smoking. In Kentucky!!. So why you might ask did I only give it two stars? The service runs from only fair to poor. Sunday middle of the afternoon and the place is DEAD. I sit up next to the wall, out in the open, across from the bar and wait for what must have been 10 minutes. Not one server acknowledged my existence. There have been other times that this type of person to person interaction has been sub-par. I would say about 25% of the time. Sitting at the bar has never been a problem. If you run a sports bar tell you staff to play like Gold Glove winners not class A minor league rejects
(2)Eric C.
Good food! Best Chicken wings in Cincinnati i think!! Nachos are good as well!! fun place to go!
(4)Todd W.
view was great, service was great, food was fair...for the price, we will go somewhere else next time
(2)Angela R.
After reading some of the reviews about Brothers I was not really looking forward to it. Glad I decided to go and see for my self. We got there about 7ish on a Saturday and there was a 45 minute wait. We decided to grab a beer from the bar and head over to the dart board. We eventually decided to just sit at the bar table and eat there. The food was subpar, the beer prices were a little on the high end, but the atmosphere was great. We could sit and talk and not have to scream over one another. Definately will be back!!
(4)Vinny D.
holyyyyyyyyyyy crappppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp this place was awesome! went there on a thursday randomly. had no idea where to go. being new in the cincinnati area and working in a hotel, we recommend a lot of people to check out newport on the levee so when i got here i decided to check out the first bar i see. from the outside it looked like a chilis with a lounge night so i decided to check it out and wow. it was 2-1 ratio of girls to guys and about 80-85% of the girls were beautiful... i def felt like i was in new york city all over again. def recommend this place to everyone looking for a college crowd and with no cover or dress code(when i went on a thursday) it was sooo dope... then i finally got up to walk around the place and there is an outdoor patio and wow, view is amazing of the water. place is def something i recommend to people and cant wait to check it out again when friends are in town. only thing i didnt like was i didnt know if they had a dj or not but it felt like a cd playing. for the amount of people in there, you would expect them to have a live dj. if they had a dj the place wouldve been insane!!!
(5)Jo T.
BLOODY MARY - best thing on the Menu. As a very picky bloody mary enthusiast, I can say this is up there with City View and Trio (when Trio has their cucumber infused vodka). The food and service are just ok, as is standard of most chain or franchise restaurants, but it's definitely worth going for a bloody mary and to try a new appetizer once and a while.
(3)Josh G.
Went here for drinks, we were ignored for an hour. On another occasion met a friend for lunch here, after seating ourselves, waited 20 minutes and left because no one had bothered to even take our drink order. Stay away---worst place on the levee!
(1)Chris K.
went there last night with some out-of-town guests and found the outdoor patio to be wonderful! The service was prompt and the food was tasty. Admittedly, the mild weather made the evening just about perfect to be outside and I might not be so enthusiastic if it were cold and we were inside as it seemd to be pretty much like a lot of other american sports bars/restaurants
(3)Terri H.
We went here with our family on a weekday about 4:00 p.m. Totally dead in the place. So we expected better service. Our drinks were super slow getting to the table. The waitress was nice but I ordered the special and right before everyone's food arrived they came out and told me that it was too late to order the special. I had to hurry up and pick something else. The food was good but definitely slow and not happy with having to get something else at the last minute.
(2)Thomas J.
not impressed at all !!! ate at one in milwaukee and it was great, at newport not the same , food was not hot, waitress was terrible , had to ask for silverware 3 times , she took my plate with a wing left in my hand and one on the plate , wtf !!!!!! we live about 35 miles away in lebanon ohio , wanted something different for a change , it was different but not in a good way
(2)ScissorGirl C.
This restuarant is why I now have the Yelp app on my phone. We had asked one of the employees at the Duck Boat tours where we could grab a good burger and she suggested Brothers. Next time we will check Yelp. =/ The best thing about the restuarant is the view. The next best thing was they were running a Mom Monday promo so we got 25% off of our bill. Thats the extent of the good. The bad was: the service. We rarely saw our server and we are pretty sure she was ignoring our attempts to get her attention on purpose. I ordered their southwest queso wrap (which had their #1 customer favorite rating) and it was... ok. Very bland. Didn't taste like much at all. It sounded so good in the description but didn't not live up to its decription. Our kids ordered the chicken fingers and fries. Their chicken was soo overcooked and dry, they couldn't swallow it down. They would chew and chew and chew, then spit it out. I have never ever seen my kids turn their noses up to a fried piece of chicken until this place. Hubs had the chicken nacho and he found the cheese sauce to be very bland too. The lettuce and tomatos were fresh, but the meat and cheese sauce just didn't have much flavor at all.
(3)