Christy’s & Lenhardt’s

This place is a JOKE, the biggest problem are the JERKS who work there. I have never met a more rude group of bartenders/​bouncers ever. It takes forever to get service and the bartenders are ALWAYS rude when completing requests. If you are looking for a bar to go near The University of Cincinnati this is NOT it. Do yourself a favor and buy a case from the Shell across the street and drink in the parking lot, would be a lot more fun.

This is a review of the outside bar and inside bar, not the restaurant:
It’s a sea of college students. Really, if you go here on any comfortably warm evening, prepare for a lot of college students — it is on the border of the University of Cincinnati. When I plan trips to this bar with my friends, I plan it around school breaks, specifically Spring Break, and between the semesters. However, going there during the Christmas break is a bad idea because you have to go to the inside bar downstairs… let’s just say the outside is better — they have boche ball & cornhole.
The benefit to the location is good pricing, definitely better than most places downtown. They also have some good food (sauerkraut balls) but not a whole lot, and that’s not really the reason you would visit this bar.

Christy’s is a fun place to go for a 30-​something like me to feel like they’re still in college. It’s spaced out enough so that you don’t get claustrophobic and overwhelmed by noise, unlike other Clifton spots. Also, free parking! Can’t beat that.

I didn’t go to Lenhardt’s for the Bier Garden, that is more Christy’s. I went for the restaurant, and I enjoyed it. The place is old, the people who eat there are old, but I liked it. I enjoyed the sauerkraut balls and I never had a meal I didn’t like. It doesn’t seem like they survive on the restaurant experience though because it wasn’t a high priority to provide excellent service. I think they rely on the regulars, who are very old, and the authentic German food.

I went for the food. I’m not sure which part that is called.
The service was terrible… very difficult to even get the server to take our order. The bartender didn’t know anything about the beer selection (she didn’t even know what a lager was). It took over an hour to get us our food, and even then, it was mediocre at best (I ordered a reuben sandwich at a German place, come on now…). And it was cold.
I will never eat here again.

LOVE the beirgarten in the all 3 seasons plus UC home games! My only wish were that joe would make his own goetta. THAT would make their grilled cheese goetta sandwhich one of the best! However, they use gliers. NOT my favorite. But i dont hold that against them. Fun place and love the staff.

This review is strictly for Christy’s as I have never been to Lenhart’s.
I am a bit biased in this case, because if you look through my reviews, I am a Murphy’s guy through and through. However if I ever want a change of scenery this is the place to go.
And what a change of scenery it is. It’s great for late spring and fall nights (summer gets a bit hot) where you want to have that outside air be present. And despite being all in one spot, there are many different places to go. You can sit at the bar, stand back under the roof, go out onto the patio, go downstairs, or even go in the back for bocce or just hang out. I love the different options you have here.
One complaint is the price can get you sometimes. I haven’t been here enough to know where to pick my spots, but generally I spend more here than at Murphy’s.

This is a true piece of Cincinnati. While the number of Asian, Indian, Mexican restaurants continue to pop up around the city, some of the old stand bys risk fading away. You can not create the kind of ambiance and atmosphere that Lenhardt’s has. From the old family strudel receipt to the Rookwood tiles of the fireplace, this is old world at it’s best. Mrs. Windholtz is a delight.
So how do you get German cuisine from a Yugoslavian? Well, really, they are not that far apart. Although after posting my picture of the wonderful sauerkraut balls, my German friends piped up that there is no such thing in Bavaria. That’s okay, I’ll say it was the Yugoslavian American influence!
If nothing else, I suggest you go for a beer and a Schnitzel one weekend and see what good German Home Cooking is like. And if you wait until summer, I understand their Bocce Ball court is still out back waiting for the next competitor.

This place holds a special place in my heart as the place where I met my husband. So, honestly, I could never give it anything less than 5 stars. On the other hand, it does have a lot of great things about it for it to earn the stars.
I am only reviewing Christy’s Beer Garden and have never been to the restaurant.
I love the Beer Garden feel of this place without all the crowds that Hoffbrau House offers. It is never so busy that you can’t find a seat.
Drink selection is good with monthly beer specials. Order a Black Widow, the house specialty drink, for a kick. It is a purple Long Island Iced Tea. Drink prices are reasonable
Food is good and greasy. The goetta grilled cheese is the perfect compliment to a drunken evening.
Atmosphere and clientele definitely lean towards frat boy fab, but old people (like me) are always welcome.
This would be a great place to go before or after a UC event. I often stop in here for Happy Hour before having dinner someplace else in Clifton.

Love this little beer garden in my neighborhood. The beer selection is excellent, other drinks, so so. The highlight of this location is the outdoor patio, which is spacious and often has live music.
The food is average, not terrible, but there are certainly better spots to eat in the area. Great place to come with a large group! Service is generally painfully slow, but if you go just looking to hang out and have fun, you usually won’t mind.

Food is excellent. Bar is awesome in the summer, winter bar not so much. Lots of college kids brings back memories… ahhh :)

This review is for Christy’s — I’ve never been in Lenhardt’s. Christy’s is a great beer garden. They have a wonderful outdoor space. They have a decent selection of your domestic and common imports and occasionally will have a specialty beer or two on tap. They also do mixed drinks, which I have not personally tried, so I can’t judge on the mixology of the staff.
The prices are reasonable. A good night is relatively inexpensive compared to other bars, while maintaining a «lesser» sketchy venue. Unfortunately, Christy’s is warm weather only — they close during the winter and open only on seasonably warm days during the spring and fall.
Lastly, they do have a limited menu. From what I have heard though — and witnessed my friends order — you are better off eating before you come or just swinging down the street for a quick bite at the many fast and quasi-​fast food restaurants.

This review only goes for Christy’s as I have never had the food at Lenhardt’s.
Christy’s is one of the two best bars around UC (the other being Murphy’s). Christy’s is amazing in the summer and warmer months when the outdoor area is open. Unfortunately the outdoor bar is closed for several months over the winter and you are left with the basement bar.
The basement bar is fun if you bring a deck of cards and drink with some friends, but it doesn’t have a lot to offer. The bar is much smaller downstairs and there is much less room for seating. Grab a big table early in the evening and stay there if that is the bar you want to go to that night. They have a separate room with a couple of TVs that is pretty close to the bar. Besides that the basement doesn’t have much to offer.
The real reason everyone comes to Christy’s is for the outdoor patio. The bar is very big and there are usually several people getting drinks for the customers, though it never really seems to be enough. They always have Warsteiner on tap (and the dunkel is pretty good, it isn’t as dark as it looks). Bottles of PBR run for $ 1.50 and $ 1.00 at certain times. Even if it is raining, about half the seating area is under a cover, so it is still fun in the rain.
In the back is a cornhole set and a bocce ball area (court?). The one downside, is that if you don’t like smoking, you will have a tough time. Half the people there smoke since it is almost all outdoors. Some drawbacks, but overall Christy’s is a solid bar that almost always brings out a god time.

Cant say Ive ever had any food there, but I have knocked quite a few back.
This is a fun, social bar that you can hang out outside drinking, playing cornhole, or playing some bocci ball. If you get lucky enough to have Kyle as your bartender tell him Blair sent you, he loves me.
On second thought dont say that to him at all, he probably wont serve you.

Oh Christy’s…your super bro employees who think they are better and more buff than everyone in the bar never cease to annoy me. This is just a college semi outdoor bar that serves drinks in disposable cups-you’re not working in New York City.
I’ll add a .5 star for it’s cheapness and close proximity to campus as well as a variety of late night drunk food nearby.

Awesome atmosphere! Perfect for gathering with friends and enjoying a little bocce ball in the back or some cornhole in the front biergarten.
If you’re feeling adventurous, get a Das Boot!

During the school year, UC students run amok in Christy’s outdoor biergarten. It’s a fun time for all and I love spending warm evenings with a cold beer at their outdoor bar.
However, if you want food and a warm place to eat during winter months, going indoors to the Lendhardt’s restaurant is just the ticket. Our waitress was possibly the nicest waitress I’ve ever had at any restaurant… ever! She was so nice, so prompt, and so eager to please.
My boyfriend got a bacon cheeseburger and fries and I ordered the schnitzel «Italian style» (with garlic and parmesan) and a side of mashed potatoes. With the exception of my very salty mashed potatoes, the food was great. After a couple of beers, we were both feeling extremely satisfied!
If you need a break from chain restaurants and Indian food in Clifton, definitely check out Christy’s and Lendhardt’s!

Christy’s and Lenhardt’s is a restaurant and bar, but are more like two separate businesses. Christy’s is the outside and basement bar and Lenhardt’s is the inside restaurant. So I will go over both here.
Christy’s is probably the bigger draw, being one of the best bars in the Clifton area. This mostly comes from the German heritage beer garden. Grab a beer from the bar, then grab a seat on one of the many picnic benches. They have a decent selection of beer, but cater mostly to the college crowd with the American light beers. Out back, they have a bocce ball court and cornhole boards. It can get fairly crowded on nice cool nights, but that just adds to the atmosphere.
In the winter, the basement «Rathskeller» is open and has a nice cozy feel with some booths and nice bar with a copper top. Same selection of beer so nothing new to report here. They have a dart board and a pool table down here too.
Lenhardt’s is the restaurant arm of the business. They have good German and Hungarian dishes that are reasonably priced. Nothing too fancy here in presentation, but they make up for it with the excellent old country cooking. My favorite dish I’ve tried has been the goulash on spaetzle. They do schnitzels on Fridays and Saturdays but I have not had a chance to try these yet.
If you’re in the area, and get hungry or thirsty, look no further!
PS. Another huge plus to Christy’s is the parking lot they have, which is better than the street parking other area bars provide.

Lenhardt’s offers German and Hungarian dishes with an outstanding beer and wine menu. When I first moved to Cincinnati, I remember ducking in here one cold evening for some Goulash but staying for an entire meal after a few drinks.
Located in a rather large old home (which dates back to the 1890s), Lenhardt’s is usually abuzz with locals and is a great place to have a drink and dine in an interesting setting. I did notice that some of the entrée portions are a bit small but when combined with an appetizer and a drink (or two), this should be more than enough for most people. There is a full bar that you can dine at but I’ve found it to that it’s almost always occupied unless you get there early.
Lenhardt’s also has their Biergarten, which can be a great place to meet up with friends and socialize. I recommend this in the fall (or at least any season with mild weather) when you would ordinarily be comfortable drinking outside in the open; this area is lively, also and is a good alternative to the area bars and pubs.

I’ve been to Lenhardt’s a few times now and have not really been let down. Great goulash and a fine beer selection makes me an easy date I guess, but the atmosphere is warm and the service is always friendly. A little part of me feels like I am in a local bierhaus in Germany, but without the expensive airfare and jet lag. There are other options in the area, but I’ll always include Lenhardt’s on my short list of dining options near UC.