The Readers Speak Out: Mom and Pop versus Chain Restaurants

In our final crowd sourced story, I posed a question to you, the readers, regarding your dining preferences. Would you rather eat at a locally and independently owned restaurant, or would you rather eat at a chain? While there is obviously no wrong answer, each one has their pros and cons. For starters, there is a sense of familiarity with the menus at chain restaurants. There's no mystery to them, as you have likely eaten there several times, and you have a particular item on the menu that you enjoy ordering. With that in mind, how on earth can locally owned, "mom and pop" restaurants even compete with this? It's my personal opinion that they do not compete with these restaurants; rather, they provide consumers with an alternative. Many of the comments from our readers echo these sentiments.

"I would definitely choose locally-owned (restaurants). I wish I thought about these things more when I go out to eat," reader Elise Lotz said. "It's usually a decision made with what's closest and sounds good. Mom-and-pop restaurants have a different atmosphere, and such a great selection of food. You go to a chain, and you already know what they'll have. No two locally-owned restaurants are the same."

Another one of our readers,  Samantha Foltz, expressed the same feelings when it comes to making a decision between "local" or "national."

"I would choose the locally-owned as well because of their uniqueness," Foltz said. "At chain restaurants, there isn't as much diversity in their selections on menu choices as there are in locally-owned. Plus, the atmosphere at locally-owned restaurants are more personal which I like!"

Another one of our readers, Gin Ando, also preferred locally-owned restaurants over chains. However, he brings a different perspective to the debate, one which many of our readers may not have.

"My parents own a restaurant in Blue Ash so I know what kind of work goes into it," he said. "Man, I tell you, I have no idea how they can do all the work they do, remember the customers' names and still smile while they are there. It's astounding and it's the reason I'll always go to a mom-and-pop place (literally for me)."

While the majority of our readers prefer mom-and-pop places over chains, some were not entirely on one side of the fence. Sydney Benter enjoys the best of both worlds.

"I think I usually lean toward a hybrid of the two," she said. "I don't like big, commercialized chains, but it's also not always cost-effective or convenient to eat at a family-owned joints. I settle for a mix of the two. I enjoy Dewey's and Skyline which are both chains, but are locally-owned chains. The prices are reasonable and there are a handful of local locations to choose from."

Another one of our readers, Adam Niemeyer, prefers to eat local, but like Sydney, doesn't mind eating at a chain either.

"It all depends on what I feel like eating," he said. "But if I've got the time to spend searching for a meal, I love to sit down and eat at a nice, local place. If we're on the road though, it doesn't seem to fail that we hit up the Cracker Barrel at least once. Even though it's a "chain" place, the people there are sure friendly."

After looking at the last two comments, it's easy to see why people can still hit up chains. Many times, it is still very affordable, you know what you are getting menu-wise and you can still receive friendly service there. However, there is still something to be said about someone's dedication to starting up their own restaurant. Many times, they are very focused on the quality of their food and service to make sure the people they serve will come back and recommend the place to their friends and family. In the end, all we're looking for is good food to eat, and while everyone has their own personal preferences, there are good things to find in both types of places.

Thank you so much for your comments everyone, and take care!

If you had to pick, what would you choose?

For our final crowd sourcing story, the question is point-blank: If you had to choose between eating at a locally-owned, independent restaurant or eating at a chain, which would you choose and why? Do you ever think about the choices you make regarding the places you eat when it comes to this? Also, what do you think separates the "mom-and-pop" restaurants from the chain restaurants? Is it the service? Quality of food? Is there any difference?

Remember, don't feel ashamed if you prefer to eat at chains, I want to know why you feel the way you do! Honest answers are appreciated!

The Readers Speak Out- Favorite Neighborhood Bars Around Greater Cincinnati

It's been a little over a week since I addressed the question to you regarding your favorite neighborhood bars around town, and there were plenty of great responses from our readers!

Neighborhood bars, much like mom-and-pop restaurants, each have their own unique character to them. While they all aren't universally liked, they each bring a special quality to where certain people can feel comfortable in each place. These places do not necessarily have to be the hip establishments downtown, although there's nothing wrong in enjoying that kind of atmosphere. Some of these bars are very down-to-earth and laid back, while others may have a more energetic feel to them, in spite of their location.

Judging by the comments, it seems as if Murphy's Pub right here in Clifton is a very popular place for people to go to. Carly Behringer mentions proximity as a big factor of why she enjoys going there.

"I love going to Murphy's Pub," she said.  "It's right around the corner from my house so it's literally within walking distance. My bartender is one of my good friends so it's always fun to go there and just hang out. Usually on Monday, Murphy's has free pizza around 10 or 11 p.m. and has free hot dogs everyday. There usually aren't live bands, but they have a good music selection. In short, Murphy's is a really cool place with awesome, cheap drinks and super nice bartenders."

Adam Niemeyer also throws his hat into the ring regarding Murphy's, mentioning that the bar is his go-to place when hanging out with friends.

"I don't live in the Clifton area but usually if I go out with my friends we go to Murphy's," he said. "It's got a really laid back atmosphere--at least to me, and I don't like crazy loud places so Murphy's usually suits me."

While we can ascertain that Murphy's is a very popular bar in Clifton, it certainly isn't the only option for students to go to. Eli Johnson mentions another neat bar in Clifton that is friendly to more than just humans.

"Neon's is the place to be," he said. "They have free pool, an Xbox 360 and an awesome beer selection. Also, it's dog friendly. I guess that's a pro and a con. I know more more than one Neon's patron who has left with a "muddy shoe.""

Yikes! Let's hope that you're pretty inebriated if and when such a thing occurs. Hopefully you won't remember it.

Moving toward the East Side, Syndey Benter mentions a great hang-out place where there is a nice, European-like environment.

"The Pub at Rookwood is fun in the summer months when they open the place up and you can sit outside," she said. "They have an authentic London Pub feel and they offer a variety of cool beers."

Heading south on I-71 toward the bright lights of downtown, Gin Ando mentions a hip hang-out for anyone interested in hearing great jazz and great stories.

"The Blue Wisp, bar none," he says. "Every person you meet there (who's been there before, at least) has a story. I've met so many interesting people, heard so many interesting stories and saw Cannonball Adderley's most talented (in my opinion) drummer Louis Hayes there. I learned how to roll a cigarette there and I learned how to drink Scotch there."

"It's the one place I can honestly, truly honestly, say I will never tire of going to," he said. "I went there on dates, I went there after break-ups and, well, it's a jazz club so of course they have good music."

Having personally been to the Blue Wisp myself, I would have to agree with Gin. The place has fantastic music, and some jazz giants will occasionally pass through from time to time, like the aforementioned Louis Hayes.

Switching gears and atmospheres, Ben Grewe mentions a saloon where competition is present on the outside via games, and on the inside by "Cougars."

"It's a little north of town, but Back Porch Saloon is by far my favorite local joint to drink, eat and rock some outdoor volleyball," he said. "They even have cornhole... in the winter if you're brave enough. No particular story sticks out in my mind, but a few of my friends and I practice a skill we refer to as "Cougar Dodging." The place is full of them, and it's always a good laugh watching them stalk their prey. Their black and bleu burger is unreal, by the way."

Rounding out the comments from our readers is Nick Grever, who tells of a lively bar in Northern Kentucky where there are plenty of activities to do while having a good time.

"The Crazy Fox in Northern Kentucky is a few minutes from the Levee, but a world away," he said. "I love the place, it's a great environment, tons of great regulars and the nicest bartenders you'll ever meet. No food is served, but drink prices are great. There's also pool, darts, pinball, a great jukebox and a few TVs placed around for watching the game (but not so many that they're overwhelming)."

This post just scratched the surface regarding great neighborhood bars around town. Perhaps some of you out there may be wondering where to go when hanging out with your friends for a night on the town. Hopefully our readers have enlightened regarding bars worth hitting up for a good time. Thanks again everybody, and take care!

Sugar n' Spice- Paddock Hills

"Sugar n' Spice" tastes pretty nice!

Chances are that if you have ever driven north on Reading Road, you passed an odd pink and green building on the side of the road. If you ever paid any attention to it while driving by, some of you may have wondered to yourself, "what in the hell is this place?"

Well let me tell you that "Sugar n' Spice" is a fantastic breakfast restaurant, and it is one worth going to if you're looking for a cheap and quick breakfast before you head to class. They're generally open from 7 am to 3 pm daily, and they offer some really good breakfast that will come to your table very quickly.  When I went there, it was actually around lunchtime, but being the breakfast person that I am, I ordered four of their "wispy thin" pancakes along with some bacon. I'd say that it wasn't even five minutes later when I got my food, they were that quick. Even better, the meal hit the spot! I loved how thin the pancakes were because the maple syrup permeated the pancakes even more than usual, which is a personal preference of mine. Also, the bacon strips were nice and thick.

I wasn't able to get any pictures of the interior of the restaurant, but I can tell you that the artwork on their walls is shall we say, "unique." There are pictures of huge servings of breakfast food with drawings of kids frolicking around it. It's the best way I can describe it, and it's actually quite humorous once you look at them.

The interior is also very small, and considering that the restaurant has been open for 70 years, you almost feel as if you are entering yesteryear inside of there. It's like being in an old-time diner, similar to something you would see on Turner Classic Movies, sans the bizarre artwork on their walls, of course. Their servers aren't overly social, but they are nice, and as mentioned earlier, they will have your food out to you very quickly.

Here are my ratings for Sugar n' Spice:

Atmosphere: 4. It's really old-school in there, which may not be some people's cup of tea.

Service: 5. Like I said earlier, they won't make conversation with you, but they'll have your food out to you quickly.

Food: 4. Their breakfast isn't an absolute knockout, but it'll get the job done if you're looking for something quick and filling.

Overall: 4. It's a pretty cool place to be in, and considering how close it is to UC, I'll definitely make a return trip!

If you're ever craving for breakfast one morning and you're around the UC area, do yourself a favor and make the 10 minute drive up Reading Road to Sugar n' Spice, it is definitely worth it.

See you next time everyone!

Attention Readers: What are your favorite neighborhood bars around town?

Alright folks, we have reached our second crowd-sourcing story in our look at places around town to dine. For this one, we are expanding our scope a bit to include neighborhood bars around the area. What are some of your favorite places to go and have a drink, and why are they your favorite? Do they serve any decent bar food or appetizers at these particular places? Do they have live music that's worth listening to?  Also, if you have a humorous anecdote about your experience at one of these places, feel free to enlighten us all right here! You guys did a fantastic job during the last story, and I hope to hear about some of your favorite bars around town!

The Readers Speak Out: Hidden Gems around Cincinnati

When it comes to locally-owned, "mom and pop" restaurants, each one has their own unique, special quality to them. Whether that quality is in their atmosphere, their service, their food or a combination of the three, each person that goes to any place like these will find some special quality in them that they find enjoyable. However, more often than not, these places are unknown to the general public, which means that their reputation has to be spread by word of mouth from patrons like ourselves.

Recently, I asked you, the readers, a question regarding your favorite "hidden gems" around Greater Cincinnati, and several of you came up with some great places that sound very appealing to visit.

Reader Adam Niemeyer mentioned two great establishments on the West Side of Cincinnati, Price Hill Chili and Proud Rooster, both located on Glenway Avenue. Here's what he said:

"As I said before, I'm a West Side guy through and through, and I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on Price Hill Chili. Although it might be safer if you venture to PHC with a West Sider so you don't end up drowning in purple!

And I might not consider PHC really a "hidden gem" either since it gets plenty of publicity.

One place I really enjoy is the Proud Rooster (which has a location on Glenway Ave as well as one closer to campus I believe). They've got some really cheap breakfast deals and the service (at least here on the West Side) is generally very good."

Another one of our readers, Ben Grewe, mentioned another restaurant on Glenway.

"J & J Restaurant on Glenway is truly a hidden one. A cash-only diner, it has the biggest deli sandwiches you have ever seen (literally), all awesome, and all about $5. Worth the drive."

Hannah McCartney brought up a great place down in Newport that certainly sounds like something worth visiting when you want a touch of class and local flavor:

"The York St. Cafe in Newport is really cool! It's kind of hidden among a residential area and the inside of the restaurant is so cool. The walls are completely covered with little knick-knacks and pieces of art. It's a little pricey and I would never go there just on a whim--it would have to be for a special occasion--but it's so worth it!"  

When it comes to discovering local gems around the area, it is always interesting to hear the opinions from someone who is not from the Greater Cincinnati area. Jackie Turner was kind enough to provide her thoughts on a classic Clifton staple for hungry UC students:

"Not being from the Cincy area, I am still trying to find my neighborhood gem. In Clifton however, I have grown very fond of Krishna. The five booth, Styrofoam containers, and warm smell of Indian spice greets you as you walk through the door. My favorite is the chicken tikka masala. and I am a wimp, seeing as I only get a 2 on the spice level, but the flavor is what keeps me going back!"

Heading slightly south to downtown, Nick Grever provided us with a late-night staple of downtown bar-hoppers that also features some great food and atmosphere:

"Shanghai Mama's is great. It's downtown, open late, has great Asian cuisine and a wonderful atmosphere. It's a little pricey, but being able to watch the bar crowd and eat delicious food at the same time is worth it."

Finally, while I wasn't able to feature each and every comment from you in this brief recap, I also had someone from Facebook chime in on this discussion. Shane Harrison mentioned a great breakfast eatery not too far from UC off of Reading Road in Paddock Hills:

"Sugar and Spice is a breakfast and lunch diner with GREAT food, good food portions, good people that work there, and finally there is AMAZING art work on the inside. If you live around Clifton, or off Reading you NEED to check this place out."

These aforementioned comments are just a small sampling of some of the great hidden gems around Greater Cincinnati. While this is by no means comprehensive, they give you a variety of places to go around the area, should you feel particularly adventurous. Feel free to chime in on some more places in the comments section.

I would like to thank each and every one of you that was kind enough to leave great recommendations on places to go, and I will definitely post another question to you well-informed readers soon. Take care, everybody!

Old Boston Pizza- Owensville



Entrance to Old Boston Pizza

Now I know that good ol' O-Town is a hike for just about all of you, and unless you're absolutely dying to go to the Clermont County Fair during the summer (I know you probably aren't), chances are you will never go there, or even go through there. However, I would just like to enlighten all of you on a place that I feel is one of the best around the Greater Cincinnati area (as far on the fringe as it may be).

The place is called "Old Boston Pizza," and it is located in Owensville, which is situated on Route 50, about 28 miles east of Cincinnati. The only way I came across this place myself was from driving by it whenever I would be with friends who live nearby. The place piqued our interest enough one summer, so we decided to go in and give it a try, and let me tell you, it was outstanding!

The dining room is a fairly decent size for a place like this, meaning that you can easily bring four or five friends along and you won't feel cramped in there. It even features a television too, so you can watch a good sports game in there while you chow down on some mouthwatering pizza.



Some of the best pizza you will ever eat right here!



Regarding the pizza, just listen here, people. I'm here to tell you that this pizza is terrific. Absolutely amazing. I mean, you'll be making sound effects similar to Homer Simpson preparing to devour a big hoagie once you see this thing. I know this method of evaluation does not exist when it comes to food, but I swear the cheese-to-tomato sauce ratio on this thing is absolutely perfect. If you and a friend go in there to split a large pizza plus two drinks, you will both come out on the smiling side of nine dollars, and you will definitely leave full and smiling!

Let's break Old Boston down, on a scale from one to five:

Atmosphere: 5. Just good enough, I'd say. The dining room has that ubiquitous small-town charm to it.
Also, I'm not too sure what it's like when the county fair is going on, but there's usually a really laid-back, relatively quiet atmosphere within the place.

Service: 5. The people who run the place are very nice, and they will always make sure your drinks are topped off. They were also kind enough to mention why they decided to name the place "Old Boston." While I don't remember every detail of what our server told me, the town name of "Owensville" actually used to be called "Boston" during the early 19th century. I believe the postmaster of the town was named "Owens" and that's why the town switched its name to Owensville, but I don't remember the story with 100 percent accuracy. To sum up my story concisely, the name of the restaurant is meant to commemorate the town's history. 

Food: 5. Really, I should give it 10. Just a fantastic pizza, and you really get your money's worth.

Overall: 5. Second day in a row featuring a restaurant with a clean sweep. Trust me, I won't do this with every restaurant review, but the last two places I've been to were simply phenomenal.

Once again, there's a really good chance that many of you reading this will never make it out to Owensville, and really, I don't blame you. It would be a hike for just about all of you to get there. Heck, I live in Clermont County and it's still a good 15 minutes from where I reside. While O-Town has a nice park,  there's absolutely nothing to do there outside of the county fair held every summer. Nonetheless, I just wanted to shed some light on a fantastic place on the outskirts of Greater Cincinnati that otherwise would not be noticed except only to nearby residents.

Take care everybody, and you'll hear from me again soon!