Restaurant Review: Taft Ale House - OTR (Best Salad!!)

We decided to have a fun end-of-the-year lunch for work – our plan was to go to Nation Kitchen & Bar – we called ahead and said we had a big group and were on our way. And in the 10 minutes it took to get from our office to the Nation – another big party came and STOLE OUR TABLE! We left our name and everything! They didn’t check the name – they just saw a big group and gave it away!

So there we are – a party of 15 – with no place to go and the clock for lunch is ticking!!! What are we to do???? Luckily – one of our guys had a place in mind – so off we went!

Taft Ale House – I’d heard great things but had never been – so I’m always up for something new and fun. As you can tell by the outside – it’s a former church and it’s beautiful! I couldn’t wait to get inside!

And once inside, no disappointment there! The chandelier looks like a crown on my head right?! It’s really nice inside – rustic but yet respectful of its origins!

The beer list was passed around – no ciders – but I did spot one with some fruit in it – so I was trying that one.

I also glanced at the menu and saw my ever-loved Certified Angus Beef logo! That right there was a sign for me that I was about to have a delicious lunch.

Here was my Nellie’s Key Lime Caribbean Ale. I’m not a big beer lover but someone at the table that is said this is like Bud Light Lime – but good. 🙂 I think that’s a compliment. I did like it – still a little bitter – I would have liked a plate of limes to go with it – but we were already a party of 15 – I didn’t want to be too needy.

Onto the food! They have tater tots!!! My boss ordered the Ale House sandwich (Thinly sliced Tri-Tip Steak, Alehouse Onions, bleu cheese,
red ranch sauce – $9.50) with tots.

Dawn got the Bacon Cheddar (Thinly sliced Tri-Tip Steak, applewood smoked bacon, melted cheddar,
red ranch sauce – $9.50) with sweet potato fries.

Tino – who reco’d the place – reco’d the Tri Tip Steak Salad (Crisp lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, croutons, carrots, red
radish, Tri-Tip Steak, honey-basil vinaigrette or ranch
dressing – $12).

I couldn’t decide between the honey-basil and the ranch – so I GOT BOTH! I mean – why not?

I ended up using both dressings and they were both delicious! This salad was delicious. The steak was PERFECTION. It is their specialty and with good reason – it was the perfect medium rare and I could have just eaten piles and piles of the tri tip.

Tino warned me it was really a STEAK salad – and he was right. There was salad but it was really just a steak & dressing delivery tool – but a good one at that. I think I can say – hands down – that this was the best salad I have had in Cincinnati. The steak was juicy with a salty crust and that perfect fantastic texture of a perfect medium rare.

So delicious.