Montgomery Inn at the Boathouse

I am a Cincinnati Resident as such I have heard a lot about the Montgomery Inn but only rarely visited any of their locations. Since I was a little boy I have learned the ins and outs of barbeque and as an adult I can put together a pretty decent barbeque meal when I need too. Over the years I have listened to my fellow Cincinnatians rave over Montgomery Inn Ribs and the quality of food serve at the Montgomery Inn Restaurants. Recently at the insistence of my family we took a trip down to the Montgomery in Boathouse. The atmosphere and the service were spectacular however the food was mediocre at best. I did not get the ribs I got the pork chops they were cooked well enough however they were bland. The only real flavor came from the barbeque sauce they served it with and that was overly sweet. My sister in law did order the ribs and she made a similar observation about the sauce. In fact it was so sweet and there was so much of it on her order of ribs that she was scraping it off. Once she was able to taste the rib she noted that it was cooked well and was tender however it lacked the rich smoky flavor normally associated with barbeque ribs. These ribs had to have been baked. For all the hype I have heard over the years I was expecting something extraordinary from the Montgomery Inn. What I got was great service, a fantastic atmosphere but the quality of food was far below what I was expecting and frankly I was disappointed. I am even more disappointed that the Montgomery Inn is recognized as Cincinnati style barbeque simply because it is not very good. I realize I am going to take a lot of heat from my fellow Cincinnatians for say this but I do not understand why the Montgomery Inn so popular. They don’t have good food. more

NO city has the offficial BBQ stamp and to each there own cincinnatians know and trust the boathouse to deliver a stellar meal every time and it does. Might I suggest that if you dont like sweet BBQ you try the crab cakes they are amazing as well. more

So I realize I've already started this review off on a bad foot with the title, given that Cincinnatians apparently love Montgomery Inn ribs. I know I've already lost a lot of readers. That being said ... I think you really have to like a sweet sauce to like Montgomery BBQ, and to me, that's not BBQ. I think the taste of this sauce is strangely similar to the ""BBQ sauce"" that comes with Chicken McNuggets from McDonald's. I don't mean that sarcastically ... there really is a similarity. It's just an overwhelming sugary BBQ blast, with no subtlety of flavor. Ah well, allow me to move on .... Other meals I've tried at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse have been pretty good. Items are fresh and cooked properly, garnished well. Service is another matter. I feel like this is a complaint I express often ... is it just me, or are more and more restaurants simply giving up on quality service? Perhaps they're paying their employees less and therefore don't expect as much? Service at this restaurant has been consistently slow through the six or seven times I've visited (and that's probably all the visits there'll be). The servers seem to have an adversarial relationship with the customers; at best sullen, at worst openly annoyed. If it wasn't for the beautiful view, and the fact that the food is usually good (when you get it), I'd give this restaurant one star. But please, if you really truly believe you know BBQ ... sample your fellow diners' BBQ before ordering your own. more

I made reservations for a special occasion for a large party. We arrived on time only to be told that our table was not yet ready. A half an hour later and after a half hearted apology we were seated at two tables near each other but not next to each other. Some food was overcooked, some food was undercooked. Some food was so bad that the waitress herself suggested that she get a replacement , and she had to fight the cooks to get it! I will never go back. Pros: Nice view Cons: Bad service and bad food more

I came in about 1 hour and a half to closing to try the ""World Famous"" ribs. I'm from Miami, FL so i decided to try the place everybody was telling me about. I had a full slab and a baked sweet potato. It was $25!!! The bbq sauce tasted very ketchupy.. I've had better.. Pros: Great Location Cons: Food not up to par more

It's a good place to go before or after a baseball game with a view of the river. If you get the ribs, don't forget to ask for a bib! Pros: Great view and great ribs Cons: Can be pricey more

For Valentine's Day, my husband and I decided to enjoy the view and atmosphere down at the Boathouse. Yes, there are restaurants who's food we prefer, but you can't beat the view.\r We attempted to make a reservation 2 weeks prior. We were told that they were only doing ""cal ahead seating."" Fine. We called at 5pm and were told that we would be seated about 9pm.\r Upon our arrival, at 8:15, we discovered a line out the door and were told that walk-up or call ahead, it did not matter...get in the line. The line was over an hour long, only to get inside and be told it would be another 2+ hours for a table. They would not even let you in the building to use the bathroom while in line. For those familiar with the location, you know there aren't exactly other options.\r This was THE single most ridiculous experience of my life! \r Gregory family, I realize that things are tough right now. They are for all of us. If you cannot successfully manage to navigate the ""call ahead"" system....TAKE RESERVATIONS or only do 'first come, first serve'. Do not promise people, who are looking for a special evening out, something that you are obviously incapable of delivering!!! A responsible and competent management team would have realized by 5pm that you already had more people on the books than you were capable of serving. WHY KEEP TAKING NAMES??? Greed!\r And to top off our great evening of NO DINNER, the valet people mis-tagged our car and we got to stand in the cold AGAIN for another 30 min.\r Great Valentine's Day. Thanks more

... Pros: Great view of the Ohio River. Good BBQ sauce, especially with the homemade potato chips. Cons: No smoke, no rub. I'd pass on the ribs if you're seeking succulent pork. . more

I dined at the boathouse on a sunday evening after having a nice day with friends. We had planed a ladies night out and we all wanted to treat ourselves to a nice dinner. When we arrived at the restaurant the host were friendly and accomodating taking us to our table immediately. When our server finally arrived, his name was Tim by the way if you ever have him ask for a replacement, he was extremely short, had a bad attitude, and didn't even give us the respect of introducing his self. Throughout the entire dinner he was rude, never made eye contact, and mumbled the entire time. At the end of the meal I asked Tim for sauce to go and he responded NO we don't do that the container will melt. Please, your just to lazy too walk and get it. After paying 40 dollars a person and tipping him I was thoroughly displeased and want everyone to know. I know we are a group of young ladies but its no reason to be treated differently or be assumed to not tip. I feel sick with the service, my nice expensive meal isin't digesting right. Thanks for the great dining experience. Pros: Excellent food Cons: Terrible Service more

My wife and I have been going to Montgomery Inn for 25 years. It has for years been one of our favorite dining spots. However, over the past few months we have noticed a decline in quality. It seems the rib recipe has changed. The ribs are tougher, salty, and the quality of cuts has gone down. Food is still OK, and some of the other entres are still good (barbecue chicken, for example), but it is not what it once was. It seems that now that Ted is gone, the current generation of owners seems more intent on milking profit than maintaining high standards. And they continue to raise prices. Montgomery Inn is now a rather pricey meal. It's a shame. Pros: Good location. Service still good. Cons: Over priced. Quality not what it once was. more

just had carryout ribs meals...salads not included is a bad move....bread went from slices of bread to a hunk of tough dough ..very bad....the ribs were dry not enough sause....first time i have been dissappointed with your resturant,,,dont know what happnd to quality but the changes are not good for me...larry b more

I have been to Montgomery Inn hundreds if not Thousands of times. I love to go for the ribs, but other great choices are the Duck, steaks and chicken. I have tried everything on the menu at least once, and I can honestly say that I have never had a bad meal there once. The service is very nice, quick, and efficient, but while they do have to move between multiple tables, they are willing to stop and chat for just long enough to make you feel at home. On top of the great service and food, the atmosphere is incredible, with an exceptional view of the river, and tons of memorabilia, it is a great place to go and take it all in. The Montgomery Inn is by far my favorite restaurant, from the Ribs, to the Service, to the atmosphere, you cant go wrong with this Cincinnati Classic Pros: Service, Ribs, all of the food, Atmosphere more

Ignorance is bliss. That's how I characterize the loyalty that Cincinnatians have to M/I ribs. Most have grown up on M/I ribs, and therefore when they try real ribs, the ones that are smoked, have a dry rub, etc., they cringe, because the ""other"" ribs aren't swimming in ketchup-like sauce and don't fall apart when you pick them up.\r \r If you are looking for authentic wood-smoked ribs, you won't find them here. Try something authentic like just about any ribs place in Memphis TN, North or South Carolina, or even south of Lexington KY. In Cincinnati try Burbanks, Boston Butts, or City Barbecue, to name a few. M/I doesn't taste like a wood-smoked rib, it tastes like a boiled and microwaved rib soup.-A Cincinnatian that didn't grow up in Cincinnati and knew how barbecue was supposed to be before coming here. ( : Pros: Location and view. Cons: The ribs. See text. more

This place has everything you would ever need in a restaurant. Top flight food, romantic setting, scenic views of the rivers. The ribs and the brisket are the main attractions here. The calamari is very good too. Service is top notch, while it does get loud at prime hours it is still romantic. I love coming here, it is a must when you visit the city. Anything with the famous sauce will be excellent. Pros: Great food, service, views, romance Cons: gets loud more

The Gregory's sure know how to do it right, I've been coming to the Montgomery Inn since I was a child and in my late 20's really started frequenting the boathouse alot. Where can you go wrong? the food is consistently good, the view at night is incredible (makes u feel like ur in a different city almost!) and I've yet to have any inkling of bad service. The last time I was there they had the sweetest front desk girl who did her best to secure us a great view and a very attentive and outgoing server ...there was flawless service from beginning to end. If my vote matters, its montgomery inn for me!!! a big thanks to the gregory family for many years of great memories!! Pros: View, Ambience, Exceptional Staff, Celebrity Sightings more

I ate here 8/13/06. We got in pretty fast wihtout reservations on a sunday evening. We ate outside on the patio and it was kinda loud. Food was very good, not exceptional, but very good. Service was good, not fantastic. I however feel that its not worth the $$ as I've had equally tasty ribs for much less cost. For the price i would expect a better etiquet restauraunt with sligtly better service. On a good note it is trendy with alot of nice celeb photos and Cincy history. Pros: Local Trendy Restauraunt, Nice history, Good Food Cons: Pricey for what you get and loud atmosphere more

I love this place, sauce is the best try it on just about everything. Was just there Wednesday night. Tried something different, Chicken Galatoire. It was a great opportuntity to try something other than barbecued ribs. My guest had Tournedos Margaux and can't wait to go back, give it a try you won't be disappointed. Pros: excellent Cons: can't think of any more

I moved here from Chicago and this was one of the first places I tried. I think the only reason this place is famous is because Bob Hope came here a couple of times. The ribs were below average the 2 times I went to the Boathouse, they were not good at all. The sauce isn't that good either. Cons: food tastes bad more

I hadn't been to the Boathouse for a while. They have just finished redecorating and the place looks gorgeous! Great view, fantastic food and excellent service. What's not to love? I give this place a 10+ more

The rest of the menu is delicious and a great value. The bone-in ribeye is the best steak in town at any price. Also, I highly reccomend the duck. Pros: great value, hugh parking lot, great service more