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Allyn’s & Through The Garden Restaurant Reviews

December 17, 2008 · FoodHussy · 5 Comments


In the past week – I decided to venture out to some local spots…sadly I didn’t really like either of them.

I went to Through the Garden in Blue Ash and Allyns in Columbia Tusculum.

Let’s go through Allyn’s first…

I was hungry and had just danced my butt off in my hip hop class then decided I needed lunch so my buddy and I went to Allyn’s.

(side note – if you click on the pictures you can see them full size – much more of a yum factor)

I went for the Next-Mex Chicken Burrito. The “Next Mex” menu is lower fat…now they don’t tell you how much lower or what’s lower but I figured no matter what – it was a smarter choice. The burrito was pretty good. The chicken is “pulled” vs. fajita – which I like. Something was spicy – not sure if it was the salsa or the chicken but I did like it. The sides were all bad. The beans were both really undercooked. The black beans had a little flavor but the refried had none. The rice was the worst. It was terrible – bland rice is bad enough – this actually had a bad taste. So I guess if you get the mexican menu – see if you can get a salad or soup instead of the beans/rice.

My buddy ordered the chicken sandwich…he enjoyed the sandwich. He said it was pretty darned good. The fries – he didn’t care for.

The one other item to note about Allyn’s is the decor – it’s very quirky. There’s a sign that says “Beware of Pick Pockets and Loose Women” – my friend insisted I was one of those (I’ve never picked a pocket in my life). I would have taken a picture but there was a child sitting in front of the sign and that would have been inappropriate. They have lots of loud colors (which I like) and lots of cork art.

Allyn’s also has a pretty large Wine Shop! If you’re looking for a bottle for the next special occasion – stop by. They have a wall of wine and a cabinet of hot sauces for sale. They also have their own bottled variety.

Overall – I didn’t really like my food, friend said his was okay. The decor is quirky. I don’t know – it just isn’t a place I really want to go back to. I’d rather go to Terry’s or Kona or RuThais.

Next up I tried Through the Garden. I came across this restaurant on Kenwood Rd because of Restaurant.com. I got one of the $25 gift certificates (off $35). This was just an utter disappointment across the board. First I had Chicken Tortilla soup – bland, unappealing and flavorless.
Friend had the smothered ribeye – smothered because it’s a cheap cut of meat. Sides were veges and mashed potatoes. The veges were undercooked and extremely bland. The potatoes were “fine”.
I had the crab cakes with veges and roasted potatoes. The crab cakes came with this bad sauce – it was I guess sort of buttery and mustardy – I’m no ingredient namer – but it wasn’t good. The cakes themselves definitely came from canned crab and weren’t impressive. The veges again – undercooked. The roasted potatoes were fine – crying for seasoning – but not as bad as the crab cakes.
We were so disappointed in our meal we didn’t even bother trying dessert. I mean wilty lettuce that has nothing to do with the entree and a dried up lemon wedge – ugh – it says it all. My friend said I should have a sign that says “WWGD” for What Would Gordon Do? Gordon Ramsey would have a hey day with this place!

I do hear that Through the Garden is more of a lunch place and I can see that. It’s got a good location and I’m sure that if we’d all gotten sandwiches – we’d have a different view. BUT if they’re a lunch place – they should stick with that!

Allyn’s Cafe

www.allynscafe.net

3538 Columbia Pkwy
Cincinnati, OH 45226
(513) 871-5779

Allyn's on Urbanspoon

Through the Garden

www.throughthegarden.com

10738 Kenwood Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45242
(513) 791-2199

Through the Garden on Urbanspoon

restaurant

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Comments

  1. Feoshia says

    December 17, 2008 at 6:09 pm

    Aw, sorry you didn’t like Through the Garden. I like that place. I always get the goat cheese starter and it’s really good. I’m not a meat eater though so I can’t comment on that part of it. My salads and pastas have always been good.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    May 31, 2009 at 6:55 pm

    Yeah Through The Garden Rocks you must be the Food Idiot. My group really likes it. Do you really use coupons as a reviewer sounds to me you just want cheap! cheap! cheap! Maybe you should stick to fast food

    Reply
  3. FoodHussy says

    May 31, 2009 at 10:48 pm

    Again “Anonymous” – why not be proactive and tell me something you got there you liked?

    No – just attack me.

    A lot of people use Restaurant.com certificates – I THINK that’s why the restaurants sign up to offer them – so that people will buy them and use them.

    Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    August 21, 2011 at 2:56 am

    I haven't ate at Through the Garden for at least 5 years, since it's not close to where I work now. I wished I had left it as a memory, because it was horrible. Poor service, and over priced. My family shared the goat cheese appetizer, and it was ok. My wife and I did burgers and I couldn't believe that a medium cooked burger would look that bloody. My kids meals were ok, but if you think an app, two burgers, and two kids meals for close to $50 is fair have at it. We should've went to Terry's Turf Club, were an $8 burger taste and satisfies like an $8 burger. Good luck. Maybe the manager could do something other than sit at the bar.

    Reply
  5. Anonymous says

    October 18, 2011 at 5:21 pm

    If you are a fan of fat, meat and cheese sauce then TTG is not for you. But, if you like fresh food with veggies then it is a must. My guess is the people that pan TTG are big fans of Red Lobster.

    Reply

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Hi! My name is Heather Johnson and I’m the hussy behind Food Hussy!

I’m a food & travel blogger and have been blogging since 2008. I started out with restaurant reviews in Cincinnati but have since expanded to recipes, road trips, DIY projects and am ready for my future on The Food Network (someday)!

 

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