Hugo Restaurant and Lounge

Great food. Great service. Rich food. Closed now. Wishing it were not!

We were really, really looking forward to dinner at Hugo, and thought that Restaurant Week would be a great way to try it out. We love the food in Charleston SC, and were super excited to try a Cincinnati version.
However… it didn’t live up to the hype. Totally bummed. I realize I sound kind of bitchy below… but Restaurant Week should mean that a restaurant puts its best foot forward, and that really didn’t happen at Hugo.
Number one, we were placed at a table in the center of the room in the way of traffic. My chair kept being bumped by waiters. There were plenty of seats that WEREN’T in the way, and I was bummed we weren’t placed somewhere else. During the first course, I began to realize we should have asked to move.
We also weren’t asked if we wanted to sit outside — when we left, we saw that there was outdoor seating with one couple sitting there. We would have loved to sit outside, but didn’t realize it was an option.
Wine — generous pours, which I appreciated. My Malbec was yummy. My fiancé’s Pinot Noir was yummy. So, good wine choices on the menu.
I ordered:
Fried Green Tomatoes — they were okay (I certainly ate them) but the tomatoes were super hard — hard enough that it was difficult to cut with my knife. That’s probably what you get when you order tomatoes in March, but… then why were they on the menu?
Artichoke Caesar Salad — it was also okay — but the anchovy flavor WAY overwhelmed the dressing.
Flank steak — pretty yummy! The only whole-​heartedly enjoyable item that we ordered.
My fiancé ordered:
Fried rillettes — pretty good, but when he asked, «Can you explain what the fried rillettes are like,» our waitress corrected his pronunciation… and it wasn’t in a casual, friendly, helpful manner. Hahahaha. I always appreciate helpful correction, but… this wasn’t super nice.
Artichoke Caesar Salad — his pronouncement: «Not as good as Boca.» But it is ever fair to compare a caesar salad to Boca? Probably not.
Shrimp & Grits — this is where the 2 Star Rating comes in. There was a $ 14 up-​charge on the Restaurant Week menu for Shrimp & Grits, so we assumed it would be a larger portion. MISTAKE. He got 3 shrimp. THREE. SHRIMP. We also assumed it was be delicious — and that wasn’t accurate either. It was relatively tasty — but not delicious.
Dessert — total failure. We ordered the strawberry rhubarb tart with ice cream — and it was freezing cold. Neither of us like cold gloppy fruit pie, so we really would have appreciated being told it was a chilled item. It had clearly been stored cold, because the dish was freezing cold with condensation on it. That should have been explained when she was describing the desserts.
Service was better than okay — but not great. Our water glasses were always full, but items kept being taken away before we were finished — for example, the empty bread basket was taken even though we still had bread on our plates — so the butter disappeared with it. The half-​eaten dessert was picked up without asking if we were finished, which was super weird as well.
All in all, the experience was adequate, but the RIDICULOUS up-​charge on the Restaurant Week menu for a skimpy portion of one of the cheapest kinds of seafood you can buy brought it down to 2 stars.
Restaurant Week is a time to showcase your best dishes for a good price, and bring in first time customers. Adding a huge up-​charge ($ 14 is ridiculous) totally negates what Restaurant Week is supposed to be. If you can’t afford to put a dish on the Restaurant Week menu at the Restaurant Week price, then you should choose something else.
Customers don’t appreciate being nickled and dimed, especially for a skimpy portion.

Good food and a good atmosphere. Wait staff was friendly and knowledgeable. All of the food was excellent, my wife and I shared all of our plates, and are happy with our selections.
We started with the fritters and a daily special of sweetbreads with creamed corn, bacon and arugula, followed with a Hugo salad and the artichoke Caesar, and for mains had shrimp and grits and the flat iron steak with sweet potatoes and caramelized onions. No complaints about any of the selections, every dish was balanced and delicious.
With a bottle of wine and tip the meal came to about $ 180. We will return for special occasions.

We ate in the bar and had acces to the small plate sampler (4 small plates for $ 32). We got green tomatoes, burger, fritters & pork rillette. All were good, but the burger was delicious. We also added a side of grits.
Waiter said they are looking for a new location. Not sure how imminent that may be.

The food was great, but the restaurant was totally empty at 7:30 on a Thursday night so it was a bit awkward.
App — Fritters (yum)
Soup — Shecrab soup (delishhh)
Shrimp & Grits
Would love to try it again, but only if it’s not chirping crickets. Maybe it was just an off night?

I’ll skip the verbosity of the other reviews and just say that the food here is absolutely delicious and the ambiance is just right for a nice quiet evening. The shrimp & grits is indeed to die for except that be aware that it is not a very large portion… so get a starter if you’re having it. The wine list is exceptional and their sommelier is quick offer a suggestion or even an alternative, should that be the case. Check out this little gem of Oakley and you will not be disappointed.

Hugo is by far my favorite restaurant in Cincinnati. The wait staff is extremely professional and well trained, yet personable and not condescending in the least. I’ve been there only a few times but always treated and remembered like a regular when I’ve been back.
I think the Shrimp Grits is the best dish there. I’ve tried and enjoyed some of the other dishes, but none match the Shrimp Grits. As for desserts, you can’t go wrong with the bread pudding or apple pie.
I will admit it is a bit pricey but I’d say it’s still a better value than the other upscale places in the area and is by far less pretentious.
I like stopping by and eating at the bar.

Fancy Fancy Fancy!
Yes, it’s southern cuisine but it’s much more than that. The food and atmosphere is elegant without feeling stuffy/​pretentious. I especially liked that the meal started with bread served with olive oil and herbs. It was the perfect way to prepare my taste buds for a feast!
For an appetizer I chose the Sweet Corn Fritters. They were good but not my favorite. To be fair, I do not think this appetizer was for me. I was annoyed that the garnishes were not explained by the waitstaff that brought it out. My fiancé and I both thought one of the garnishes was butter… turns out it was mascarpone cheese. I wish I had known that when I ate my appetizer because I would have put that cheese to good use on my fritters! I was lucky enough to have a dinner companion, Paige, who allowed me to taste her fritters, complete with mascarpone cheese. It tasted much better.
For my entrée I had the Amish Chicken Breast. It did not disappoint in any way… DELICIOUS! I was full well before I had finished my meal but could not tear myself away from it. The grenache reduction gave it an extra kick that made it taste even better, if that’s possible. I highly recommend this dish.
Now I’ll admit that I’m not much of a dessert fan but this one was exceptionally good. I chose the lemon bread with fresh berries. It was great and not too sugary sweet. It also was a lighter dessert, making it perfect for the summer.
Because we came to Hugo for Unilocal Eats, our meal was 50% off. This was a fantastic deal! My total bill was $ 21 for a three course meal. I hope to be able to dine at Hugo again in the future, but maybe only for special events when it’s full-​priced.

Delicious food, elegant service.
Hugo’s was much different than what I expected tonight, and all for the better. Hearing the menu, I was thinking more of a BBQ joint than white table cloths, wine, and a formal waitstaff. David was our server, and was very attentive and appreciative of us, although we were there «dining on sale.»
I ordered off the Unilocal Eats menu:
— Fried Green Tomatoes, which came in a delightfully creamy buttermilk sauce, garnished with crab.
— Sweet Corn Fritters garnished with Mascarpone cheese, thyme, and Chili Jam.
— Frisee Salad with cranberry, bleu cheese, shredded apple in a vinaigrette
I ate with fellow Unilocalers Kara and Stephen, who had the Amish Chicken Breast and Roasted Salmon. Stephen commented that it was a perfectly cooked salmon, a rarity. Kara devoured her chicken, which was prepared in a Grenache reduction. I ate some of her mixed veg side: diced potato pearl onion and broccoli, also in the Grenache sauce. A unique twist on the typical filler vegetable.
For dessert, I had the Hugo Torte, a lovely blend of caramelized sugar with pecans and baked apples, topped with maple ice cream. I sampled Kara’s Lemon Bread, garnished with fresh fruit. If you’re looking for a lighter dessert, it was mighty tasty.
Just a note: Hugo’s is doing a «pick one from each column» for $ 21.00, rather than individual 50% off items for Unilocal Eats Week. Normally, their entrees are $ 23.00 and each appetizer is $ 8.00.

Oh my, the bacon, egg and cheese is FANTABULOUS. It consists of 2 pieces of honey glazed pork belly (seared nice and crisp while still maintaining juicy tenderness) atop a biscuit with gruyère and a runny egg. I have never been a runny egg fan but the yolk combined with everything else was pure heaven. I was told this was their first night debuting this as a first course. This is a must try and I hope they keep it on their menu as a staple.
The second standout was the dessert. It was a light and fluffy peanut butter mousse with a toasted house-​made marshmallow in a (graham cracker?) pie crust with a triangle of dark chocolate. A little of a cross between a Reese’s cup and a S’more. I have never had such creamy peanut butter and now I want more!
The flat iron steak was also good with pureed radish but my favorite parts of the meal were definitely the 1^st course and dessert!

The bartender at La Poste insisted that my Cincinnati culinary adventure would not be complete without a trip to Oakley’s Hugo Restaurant and Lounge. Hugo specializes in an interpretation of classic southern cooking. Nestled in the corner of a small strip mall, Hugo’s exterior appearance is deceivingly understated.
Walk into the restaurant and you are immediately drawn to the large bar with a varnished barrel on the other side that helps to fill-​in the vast amount of open space. The seating in the bar area is substantial and great for a large group gathering. Brian the bartender with serve you a drink from their limited but well-​selected wine list or any other drink from the full bar offering. After enjoying a delicious Spanish rioja wine, I was seated to begin the repast. Given that it was restaurant week, I opted for the 3-​course prix fixe menu.
The first course was a series of three fried green tomatoes. This dish didn’t really hit the mark for me. It included a tomato confit with a buttermilk sauce. Both were good, but the dish was served over crab meat and really didn’t do anything but to muddy the dish’s flavor. I probably wouldn’t order this again, especially since I have long been spoiled by having regularly consumed the fried green tomatoes dish at New York’s Dinosaur Bar-​b-​que!
The signature Hugo salad was next up. The salad included mixed greens, diced new potatoes, bacon and goat cheese with a smokey-​flavored vinaigrette. Very delicious and helped erase some of the concerns I had with the last dish.
The third dish in the meal was by far the stand-​out of this visit: Large prawns on a bed of cheesy grits with diced ham and a demi sauce. This is high-​end comfort food at its best. The grits were slowed cooked and smooth on the palate. The demi sauce was an ideal complement to the grits and combined to offer a perfect bite with the shrimp.
I’ll go back for the shrimp and grits and will look to experience more of this Oakley stand-​out.

I’d been wanting to check out Hugo for a few years when it showed up on Groupon late last year. Seemed like a sign, or at least a good excuse!
I called ahead for the reservation (which was strongly suggested by the Groupon itself) and ended up scoring one of the few great banquets, which was very comfortable and provided a nice view of the dining room. Funny part was that my date was my mom, so I felt a bit sheepish being shown to a choice table on a Friday night with my mother. Oh well! Just shows that if you call ahead, you may be rewarded.
I wondered whether our Groupon would have any effect on the service, but there was no need for concern because everyone from the hostess to the kid pouring the water to our wonderful server were top notch. I really hate it when restaurants seek out business by issuing coupons and then treat you like you’re second rate when you try to use one. Not so at Hugo!
While the crowd in the dining room was decidedly middle aged, I really enjoyed the atmosphere. I don’t often feel that «romantic» restaurants feel very romantic, but Hugo has a laid-​back sophistication and a very calming environment that is actually pretty romantic.
And the food was sublime. For starters, we split the fried green tomatoes. Not much else to say except that they were perfectly, delicately fried and delicious. The Hugo and frisee salads were both excellent. I had the shrimp and grits as an entrée, and was so happy I did. Best shrimp and grits of my life. Not too heavy, not too creamy, and a perfect portion size. Get it. My mom had the fish special, and I cannot recall which fish was available that evening, but she loved it.
The only negative thing I can say about our evening at Hugo is that I was sad to realize that, without a Groupon or a gift certificate, I might only be able to justify the expense of eating there once a year or so. Maybe I should have spent more time scanning the dining room for sugar daddy candidates!

Hugo never disappoints. I went last night with two friends to celebrate my birthday, and it was a fantastic experience. We arrived about early for our reservation, and while they were getting our table ready, we waited at the bar. The bartender noticed that I had a gift bag in front of me, and wished me a happy birthday. That type of thing may not seem like a big deal, but it’s a very nice touch.
Last night was the second night of restaurant week, and my friends and I all ordered from that menu. Two of us had the scallops, which were absolutely amazing, and the pairing with the bits of cauliflower and arugula was perfect. My other friend got the bean soup, which he also said was delicious.
The salads were tasty as well, with a great balance of flavors. We each had a different entrée, and we were all pleased. I ordered the pork loin, which was served medium, and came with asparagus and grilled fennel. I’d not had fennel prepared this way before, and I loved it. One friend got the chicken, which he said was tasty, and my other friend had the signature shrimp and grits, which she raved about throughout the meal.
When we had finished our meal, our server, Dave, brought out a complimentary Huguenot torte for my birthday. It was a delicious combination of apples, walnuts and brown sugar, and it was served with maple syrup ice cream. Another great flavor combination.
While other reviewers have complained that the portions are small, when you are eating a 3-​course menu, you really don’t need huge amounts of food at each course. My friends and I were all stuffed before the dessert arrived, but we managed to make room for it anyway.
I must also give a huge compliment to Dave for his service throughout the night. I’ve been to several other restaurants during Restaurant Week, and occasionally, the servers are less than pleased to be serving diners who are there to enjoy the special priced menu. This was not the case with Dave at all. He described the food perfectly, and answered a few questions we had without rushing through his responses. At the end of the night, he said that he hoped that he and the restaurant had given us a reason to visit again, and I can say that it most certainly did.

Went for the first night of restaurant week, and was not disappointed at all. My dining partner is a vegetarian and Sean did a 3 course for her.
I had the scallop, hugo salad and the shrimp and grits. My partner had Fried green tomatoes sans crab, hugo salad sans bacon, and Sean did a pasta with tomato sauce and grilled vegetables.
Our server was Great I think it was Anne?, She did a great job suggesting a bottle of wine and just taking care of us.
By the time we left, the restaurant and the bar area was packed.

I have been passing by Hugo for 2 years now, and my wife and I finally stopped in on a Friday night to use a Groupon.
Since they were full in the dining room that night, we got a late reservation for a table in the lounge area (which they said they don’t usually do).
If you could get past the pretentiousness of the place, the food is pretty good, but the service, if you aren’t a regular, is terrible.
We waited a bit for our waiter to arrive, he first dropped off water but didn’t even say anything to us, like «I’ll be right back» or even «Hello.» We saw a lot of his back throughout the night as he spent a lot of time at the table next to us, two couples who were ordering a lot of beer and wine. They appeared to be regulars because they got a lot of attention from the staff, and someone who joined the party later got a hug from the host.
We started with the Fritters, $ 8 for 4 bite size pieces, the price was a bit steep for what you get and was probably our least favorite item. We then split the Charleston She Crab soup, which was delicious and had a slight kick to it, great soup. For the main course we split the grilled pork loin, which they did nicely split onto 2 plates for us. The pork was nice and tender, and the presentation was nice, but neither of us really cared for the southern greens, which there were a lot of on the plate.
So, yeah, we split everything, and neither of us left hungry. The fritters were the smallest portion, the soup was huge, and the pork was the perfect amount for the two of us.
Now we already felt that we had been there for a long time (authentic slow Southern service?), but after we received our check, from someone who wasn’t our waiter, we waited… and waited… and waited, then after 15 – 20 minutes, we finally picked up our credit card and gathered all the cash we had to throw on the Groupon to cover it.
All in all, Hugo could have been a 3 or 4, but I wouldn’t go back to a restaurant that I felt ignored most of the time.

Imagine an elegant country home mixed with a traditional steak house interior and you’ve got Hugo. The space is cozy with wood paneling, a brick fireplace, dim candles that flicker softly on each table — and the food, oh lordy!
We started with perfectly seared, large scallops topped with micro greens and bacon. We also ordered the veal sweetbreads, delicately crisped on top a bed of corn hash that added a level of texture and sweetness to the dish. Divine and perfectly portioned to whet the appetite! I think far too many restaurants offer perfunctory starters like bread but then forget to pay attention to it — not Hugo. As the first taste that diners experience of the evening, bread should be warm and fresh — make it worth those extra carbs! Hugo accomplishes this with perfectly al dente, warm chewy bread and olive oil.
For the entrees, I ordered the short rib. The short ribs were tender, served with buttery mashed potatoes swimming in a bed of savory beef au jus. I felt the short ribs were a bit underseasoned, but I tend to like my food on the saltier, more flavorful side. E ordered the pork loin, which was moist and softly pink in the middle (order the medium). The most interesting components of the dish were the fried sweet potato strings, sprinkled on top, and an apple/​walnut topping that added crunch and sweetness.
For dessert, we ended with a cake with orange zest frosting, spiced nuts and home-​made vanilla ice cream. The cake was a bit dense and cold — it would have been better warmed. The ice cream though — one little scoop is never enough! Anyways, Hugo is fine southern dining with unique, seasonal flavors in a cozy, intimate setting. I can’t ask for more on a cold Jan night!

When I was in the mood for a nice night out in Cincy, Hugo was always my go-​to. It’s not necessarily the best meal I’ve had in town — Daveed’s in its prime and Boca would compete for that honor — but it does have a ton going for it:
1) The food is top-​notch, always. Personal favorites are the she-​crab soup, shrimp ‘n grits and hanger steak, but I’ve never heard a complaint from a dining companion about anything.
2) The service is fantastic. Knowledgeable, friendly, usually filled with personality. Never too little attention or too much. These are professionals, people.
3) The atmosphere is relaxed, not stuffy or pretentious. You’ll want to wear nice pants, Sparky, but the feel is definitely more living room than reading room.
4) If you’re looking for a well-​mixed drink (see below) in an atmosphere where you can actually hear your neighbor talk, without suffering the strains of Kanye or Gaga, you will not do much better than the Hugo bar.
5) I’ll put the head bartender, Brian Mulroy, up against just about anyone in the city, for both his mixin’ skillz and his smart, witty bar-​talk, which is a talent in short supply at most bars these days.
With Boca across the street, Hugo gets less attention than it deserves. I recommend you give it yours.

Lord a’mighty, it does not get ANY better than this. As someone who has spent the last ten years furiously eating her way through Cinci (west and east sides), from the days of the glorious Maisonette right on down to Montgomery Ribs, let me be the one to tell you, Hugo is IT. The following are my carefully prepared (okay, I thought of them in the shower) reasons why you must go, in order of their appearance to me:
1. Unlike many, many, many of Cincinnati’s other fine restaurants, Hugo made the brilliant decision to avoid unnecessary valet. Ugh, this one always gets my goat; why, when there is a perfectly good parking lot (I’m talking to you, Embers) does one need valet? Hugo realizes this and believes that its customers have the good sense to park ten feet away and walk into the restaurant. Free parking, btw! Yayaayayaya!
2. Also unlike ALL of Cincinnati’s finest restaurants, we actually had the doors opened for us by the wonderful staff at Hugo. We were borderline shocked, but there the man was, smiling and holding the door for two ladies dying to dine. As the «doorman» said, «chivalry is not dead here.» Must be that good ol’ Southern influence.
3. Décor is pleasant, music is a great blend of edgy Southern folk and blues, and the waiter (who it seems everyone has been served by) Sean, was completely knowledgeable in a way I haven’t seen in years. We checked out the menus, he went over the highlights with us in wonderful detail, and we were off.
4. I ordered the foie gras and my companion the frisee salad. The kitchen brought me she-​crab soup by accident and let me taste it while I waited for the «real McCoy» FG. I’m so glad they slipped up! The soup was actually ballin’ bisque with an afterhtought of cayenne kick. I slurped up half before my date reminded me, while she enjoyed her salad immensely, that I had more on the way.
5. FOIE GRAS. FOIE GRAS. FOIE GRAS. If for NO other reason, go to Hugo for the foie gras! Oh dear, let me catch my breath after eating a glob of heaven. This foie gras was grilled and drizzled with some kind of appley honey sauce, served with a rosemary biscuit and a scoop of cranberry compote. The whole mélange together? Excellent. The FG on its own? DIVINE. I ate every last slice, eyes rolling back into skull and everything. So, so, so incredible. Best I’ve ever had, best thing I’ve eaten in last 5 years.
6. The busser knew and followed a long-​forgotten rule of dining etiquette; he did not take away our plates until we were BOTH finished. This is so rare these days, even though to swipe a plate while one diner is still working is totally rude, and when I complimented him he simply replied «my mama didn’t raise no fool.» I love this place!
7. I won’t go on and on about the shrimp n’ grits because it’s been done but believe my fellow Unilocalers – these were dang good and apparently what Hugo is known for (where my foie fans?!). My companion and I split this course in anticipation for dessert and I’m sooo glad we did.
8. Desert was fabulous! I chowed down on the peanut butter mousse with dark chocolate and marshmallow, the perfect blend of Girl Scout cookie meets high falutin’. Love. My date had the bread pudding which had great flavor but was just a liiiittle too chewy for our tastes.
With all the charm, creativity, poise, and polish Hugo offers I recommend you snag yourselves a seat at the next chance! It ain’t bad in terms of price and even if it seems steep, it’s worth it for food like THIS.

As far as I know, there is no other restaurant in Cincinnati, and few restaurants anywhere outside of Charleston, attempting to do what Hugo does: Upgrading low-​country classics and other low-​country and Southern fare with the freshest ingredients and high-​end-​restaurant skills, while occasionally incorporating concepts from other cuisines. Hugo’s kitchen is usually, albeit not always, on the money with its ideas and execution.
I won’t entirely dispute those who assert that the entrees themselves are overpriced for the portion sizes. But I’ll also state that people complaining about paying almost $ 30 for a dish as down-​home as shrimp and grits should probably be reminded of the familiar maxim, «You get what you pay for.»
For those complaining about Hugo’s prices, a suggestion: Dine in the bar area, which permits you to order from Hugo’s small-​plates menu. This menu includes a four-​plates-​for-​30-​dollars deal. The «small» plates portions are actually surprisingly large, and the food is largely delicious. (For example, try the churrasco sausage and mini-​biscuits.)
Another idea: On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Hugo is currently offering a three-​course $ 35 prix fixe on its regular a la carte dinner-​menu items. Taking advantage of this deal, I recently had the she-​crab soup, the frisee salad, and Hugo’s short-​ribs special. All three courses, especially the short ribs, were excellent.
When you dine in the bar area, bartender Brian is also an informative, efficient, and engaging waiter.

Went for Restaurant Week tonight and really enjoyed it. Every course was unique and full of flavor. The service was excellent. If they’d served an amouse bouche, bread and allowed us in the regular dining area — I’d say a 5 star…
If you have time — check it out this week.
Also — the Hugenot Torte is really great for desert! Maple ice cream!