Jimmy G’s

Great venue for a date night. I went with a friend to try the #25 burger on the Cincinnati best burgers, the Barge Bash Burger. We also had the octopus appetizer. The burger was delicious well worthy of its rating. The duck egg aoli fries were pretty good. The octopus was a treat. Take your honey there and it’ll be a good night.

Tried Jimmy G’s for the first time this past week and it was amazing! They are extremely accommodating for big groups — which is difficult to find at a busy Steakhouse downtown. Our server, Matt, was kind, attentive and knowledgable about the menu and the options! He kept up with our big needy group! His co-​server, Mitch, was also wonderful! I got the Steak salad which was DELICIOUS and I got a side of the Macaroni… The macaroni was probably the best I’ve EVER had! It’s bread crumb topping was incredible. It was a great experience! They got the food out quickly considering our size! Can’t wait to go back!

I had never been to Jimmy G’s before but had family in town so thought we would give it a try. We had reservations at 730 on a Saturday night. When we first walked in the ambiance was very nice but when the hostess walked us back to our table we couldn’t help notice that there were several open tables but they sat us right next to the kitchen. We probably should have said something but didn’t want to make a stink right from the beginning. From the time we sat down it took about 30 minutes for our server to greet us and bring us our cocktails.
Two of us ordered $ 40 filets thinking they would melt in our mouth but they were totally burnt and the meat was chewy. Not to mention before the server brought us our food he never came back to our table to ask if we needed refills. We ordered another round and that took another 20 mins! For $ 13 cocktails you would think they would be on it.
The manger did come by to ask how everything was and when we told him that our steaks were burnt he said that’s the way they cook them and it was a certain technique they used. Strange. A $ 40 filet should melt in your mouth.
We also ordered 2 plates of scallops and they were a bit undercooked and luke warm. Didn’t complain because by that time management knew our experience had not been good.
The sides were good though. We ordered asparagus, Mac and cheese and Brussel sprouts.
The manager did apologize to us and offered a discount on our entire bill, including drinks, which was nice. Even after he offered a discount, we never saw him again and our service still didn’t improve.
We will not go back and will stick with Jeff Ruby’s! Never a bad experience there.

I recently hosted a 16 person dinner here and i was very happy with the entire experience! I would definitely recommend!
From the very beginning Dee Anne from the restaurant helped me to plan my event and she was very responsive. She made everything so easy and helped me arrange everything from the parking to the dinner.
The food was wonderful, and even with such a large party we were able to order from the menu. The steak was phenomenal and I will definitely have order that next time I go back. I had the scallops and they were so good! We all completely filled up on the sides– Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, asparagus, etc… Everything was amazing
This place seems to be a bit of a hidden gem

Wow what a neat place, I’m really surprised I have not heard more about them. Walking in you go down a flight of stairs, beautiful art hangs on the wall, the wine cellar is also viewable. We started with a drink at the bar. Very comfortable chairs and a great bartender. She was young cute and very personable. You could tell she truly loved working there by the way she described different dishes and drinks. Drinks were also cheap, a vodka martini and a Manhattan were only 12 bucks. Maybe it was happy hour not sure. The drinks were great and my Manhattan was made just the way I asked. After a drink we headed into the dinning room. Very nice, 70s vibe and done well. We had a great both witch I would suggest. Dinner was great. You must get the Brussel sprouts. I’m not a fan but these were one of those dishes your never forget. Pure delight. The owner stopped by the table, seemed like a great guy. Gave us advice about oxtail soup at the Wynn in Vegas. Can’t wait. Everything was first clas and cooked to perfection. The only thing that could have been better is the horseradish for the shrimp cocktail. I like mine hot. There’s was mild.

Ok, we love the food and we have been here a number of tines. Unfortunately, «Kinjal» a front of the house manager, ruined our experience. My wife’s steak was over cooked, and «Kinjal» decided to challenge her on this point. Although he eventually brought her a correctly prepared steak, the fact that he questioned her knowledge was EXTREMELY offensive as she has been in the restaurant business and judging steaks since she was a child. To atone for his rudeness, «Kinjal» poured us a taste of a «Russian River» wine which he assured us was from Russia, but we knew was from California. After we paid our bill, «Kinjal» told us to meet him in the bar, inferring he would buy us a drink to make up for everything. After we bought ourselves a round, he showed up as we were leaving, asking how our night was, after we paid for own drinks. Sorry «Kinjal» — too little, too late. As I said, we love the food, but let us know when «Kinjal» is gone, and we will come back, but not before.

The most remarkable thing about Jimmy G’s is that every single dish was a standout. Absolutely delicious (wish I had more of that potato raclette for lunch)! The service was also excellent, attentive and friendly, but not intrusive. Love the place.

Haven’t had a steak yet but that was the best burger I’ve had in my life. The tomato bacon jam did it, and when I was finished with the burger I found some bits of jam on the plate to dip some Mac and Cheese in, SCORE!!!

Great dinner for our 7^th anniversary here. Best steak & the Aligot potatoes were amazing. Not to mention Excellent service. We will be back for another special occasion for sure

After reading varying reviews about the service and quality of food at this place, I decided to see for myself.
People complained, in both well written and poorly scribbled diatribes, about outrageous pricing, very small portions, slow service, terrible atmosphere, rude comments from management to customers regarding the taste of food, and overcooked food. I want to see if these are true.
I reserved a table for 6:45pm on tuesday august 25^th 2015. I was seated in a curved booth in a fashionably area.
Jason was kind enough to serve me and tell me a few things they did not have since a cooler malfunctioned had occurred where they kept a couple items.
He also informed me Jimmy Gs does a wet aged steak instead of dry aging it. Very disappointing to see such great quality to be reduced. Instead of 48 days dry aged they are 4 days wet aged. Whats the point?
I ordered their crab cake. It was very crab filled with a light panco breading crust on the outside. A cole slaw was accompanied (i hate cole slaw, but they must be the only people who know how to prepare it because it was outstanding). Also for a sauce was a hibachi sauce which complimented the crab well.
Caesar salad was good. You really cant go wrong with a caesar salad. If you do.. God help you.
I ended up ordering a NY strip. NOT dry aged at medium rare. Also accompanied with it was a side item of Mac and Cheese. Over portioned for one person, but i suppose it might be meant for two people.
The steak had a good caramelization on it. Just below surface level. On the edge of too much, but the taste of it was warming and tantalizing. Taste of the meat was gorgeous for a non aged steak. Im glad i ordered this than the wet aged.
Mac and cheese is really penne and cheese, but i suppose the effect is referenced rather than the literal ingredients. That being said, they did not achieve any part of the effect at all. What i had read in reviews being hailed as amazing seemed dull, tasteless, and something that i would expect at a church pitch in rather than a finer restaurant. I found out the cheeses used were of very mild varieties, not a single bold cheese to give that strong flavor expected of the dish.
Jason took my criticism of the dish and comped it off my bill. That shows confidence in the food, and also humility at the same time. Good on him!
The dj for the evening seemed more interestes in his Phone than actually playing music and being part of some creative process.
One thing that i noticed upon entering the restaurant and dinning was the lack of people. This place should be packed. But several tables, 8 or 9, in my immediate view were empty. I dont know if reviews have scared people off, but it honestly shouldnt.
Too full for dessert, i decided to call it quits and grab my check.
Reviews are far too harsh on this place, but some are too generous. So allow me to mention a few things.
Price. Not outrageous at all. Very fair especially compared with places other reviewers suggested as alternatives.
Service, very friendly and attentive and accepted criticism on a dish i didnt care for.
Quality. Besides the penne and cheese, everything that came out of that kitchen was very much worth the price paid and then some!
Atmosphere. Honestly i love it. Theres good modernist retro features as well as some newer age designs in place. They compliment each other very well. Music playing was very upbeat, but still background. It made you happy to be there.
If the past reviews were true, they need to be revisited. This place is much better than ive read, but not as good as some people carry on. Very much worth your money as the quality is very much above the price points they have, and you will pay much more going someolace else for the same effect.

Saw Jimmy G’s on Cincinnati restaurant week again this year and couldn’t help but return. I actually order my own steak this year! It was as delicious as I remembered!

So generally I try not to post super negative reviews, because I think the point of Unilocal is to help find cool new places to try, not a place to complain. However, there was just no way I could not share the horrible experience I had at Jimmy G’s. We had a 7:30 reservation during restaurant week and were seated promptly (good start but all down hill from there), once we were at the table we asked the hostess for a wine by the glass/​featured wine menu. She said she would bring us one once she found it. Ten minutes later the server comes by and asks for our drink order — we said we were still waiting on the menu, and he said that he would get one for us. He finally brought us a menu around 8:00 and took our order ten minutes later — We ordered two bottles of wine for the table (Second choices as they were out of both the bottles we wanted) It took him 20 minutes to return with the wine and he said that he had forgot to bring glasses — At that point it was an hour after we had been seated, we couldn’t have our wine, and we hadn’t even been brought food menus. We politely said that we would be leaving and the server responded with ‘Ok’ and nothing else. There was no apology or even inquiry as to why were leaving. The service was absolutely appalling and we will not be returning.

We went here during the All Star events. Sort of on a side street so you have to look for it. But boy, is it worth the look. A «lounge-​type» restaurant and bar with an art deco atmosphere… but the food!!! Wow. We went there a few times. The crab appetizers were like they just came out of the sea. The chicken entrée blew us away and the steak and sides were perfect. The owner is the chef. he is killer picky on the food served and it shows. We never eat dessert but tried the ice cream and was worth the extra 20 min cardio required.
The service was perfect. Reservation ontime… we had Jeremy, who was so personable and fun and attentive and then Bryce who is a real pro. Both guys were a tribute to the place.
This is a real gem. a place for foodies who want a more hip casual night out with excellent food, great service and not priced out of this world. Those fancy steak houses down the street could take a chapter from Jimmy’s steak recipe.
Well done!

I truly want to like Jimmy G’s. Well, I do like it, or I wouldn’t give it 3 stars, but I want to love it. The steaks are phenomenal. The wine list is wide and varied. And the service has always been great. The only thing I just can’t figure out is the atmosphere. I’m not against a good DJ rather than the violin virtuoso of Jeff Ruby’s, but it seems as though it’s trying so hard to be a club that the high end culinary experience is somewhat cheapened.

My wife and I just finished our meal at Jimmy Gs. From start to finish the experience was amazing! I made a 7:30 reservation and our table was ready on time. Our server, Bryce, was very attentive. All of his recommendations were spot on. The crab cake was very good! My wife ordered the Ribeye Filet and I had the Lamb Shank. (The lamb was the best I had ever had and it was HUGE!) We both also enjoyed two different types of desserts
We don’t get to go out very much since we have 7 children. Bryce made our evening memorable and we will definitely come back! He even invited us to meet Chef Jimmy in the kitchen!
We were blessed by Bryce’s generosity.
If you haven’t tried Jimmy Gs yet, you should!

The good. The food was very good. Steaks were cooked as ordered. While not quite at the Jeff Ruby level, they were still quite delicious. Different toppings would have been nice. Perhaps an au poivre as an addition as bernaise was the only add on. My wife had crab cakes. While small, they were almost all crab with little binder. The brussel sprouts side dish and 4 fat fries were very delicious, although the egg aioli dipping sauce for the fries was a bit heavy. We opted for regular ketchup.
The bad. The service was a bit hap hazard as it took a long time for our order to be taken and to arrive, plus the salad I ordered never arrived.
The thing that really impressed was Chef Jimmy Gibson was there, working in the kitchen. That was impressive. His visit to our table removes the negative from the service issues and keeps my review at 4 stars. We will be back.

Fantastic meal.
House salad with balsamic to start. Followed by 10oz filet with brussel sprouts.
Steak was cooked to perfection and the brussels were tremendous.
I will be back.

Four adults. First timers. Birthday celebration.
Food:
The two steak lovers rated their meals as an 8 out of 10, but slightly overpriced.
The scallops were rated a 4 out of 10.
Lamb shank was a 5 out 10 (glaze was a 7, but temperature a 3).
Mashed potatoes a 5 (how can you make mediocre mash?). Mac and cheese an 8 out 10.
Service:
The hostess acknowledged it was a birthday celebration and said she would ensure the rest of the wait staff knew. No acknowledgement at any point thereafter.
We told the waiter on his introduction this was our first time. He made a short presentation of how much we would like it there and gave us the «first timer» run-​down of how they prepared steaks, etc. Literally four minutes later he came to see if we had menu questions and as we asked, his remarks were «this dish is really good, didn’t you order it last time.»
Towards the end of the meal other staff started clearing plates before all of us were finished and even asked my wife if she was finished while she was still holding a forkful of food. I would not expect that at O’Charleys let alone Jimmy G’s.
Add that all four of us felt there was just something «off» about the waiter (some kind of «dialing it in tonight» kind of vibe) and the verdict was unanimous. This is a mediocre restaurant straining to be fine dining.
First and last time we’ll dine there. Better options in the Banks area.

I really like this place. Its located downtown on Elm street, right down from Hustler Hollywood. (I know you all know where that’s located! lol.) Its just a really cool, chic place with the neatest décor. I drool over the wallpaper every time I drive by. It has the ambiance of a hip NYC restaurant but without the same big price tag. This is the PERFECT date place. And they have amazing specials. (So quick side story, the bartender was so sweet to actually type me out the specials and like a idiot I left that and my mac and cheese sitting on the table when we left. In my defense someone I didn’t want to see walked in so I had to skedaddle.) We went on Tuesday which is service industry night. So it was half off all food and beverages! We ordered EVERYTHING on the small plates menu I think and our bill was barely anything.
Now the best part of this place– the food. My god is it delicious. Like, worth the 10 lbs I probably gained eating it all– delicious. Lauren was with me and you know she’s my little foodie. She made suggestions on what she thought we should get so I just went with that. It was fun for her to pick and with the price being ½ off it didn’t matter. I did order one thing on my own though. I had seen it all over Unilocal and urbanspoon and had to try it: the Potatoes Raclette 10
*Crisp Potatoes, Caramelized Onion, «Gratin» of Cheeses, Up Egg*
I don’t really like potatoes so I have no idea why I ordered this. Ok, I do– the pictures made it look really really good and it was only $ 5. And it was good. But me being not so into potatoes, I ate a few, then just ate everything off of them. This is so filling it could be a meal in itself.
The next were all Lauren saying what she thinks Ill like. She saw bacon on this next one and ordered it for her, but wouldn’t eat it when she saw it. Have no fear; I finished it off for her. Apricot, Bacon & Pork Tummy-​Tuck 11 (so $ 5.50 halfprice) Confit Pork Belly, Applewood Bacon, Harissa & Marcona Almonds, House Olives
I feel like this was another twist on Devils on horseback, but it was much better than A Tavola’s version. The Apricot made it sweet, then the brininess of the olives cut the sweetness just enough. I will definitely order this again.
I got the Mac and Cheese to go (originally $ 7) but didn’t take a picture then left it there :(
My other food for me was the crab cake. I wasn’t going to order it but Lauren said I HAD TO get it because I love crab cakes. This was more expensive at a whopping $ 15 (so $ 7.50 half price). I’m still floored by these prices for this quality of food! Even at full price its really reasonable. Back to the crab cakes. I’m glad she ordered them for me. It was my favorite part of the whole meal! It was a large cake with this pesto mix and i don’t even know what was under it but it was amazing. I ate half then saved the rest for the end, because I wanted to savor it. No one will ever compare to the Oceanaires crab cakes ($ 35 pair) but these were the closest so far. image
Lauren got the fries, she was insistent that she would eat them. 4 Fat Fries $ 7 ($ 3.50)
Smoked Black Pepper-​Duck Egg Aioli, Appenzeller They were good and the Aioli was outstanding, but I think she ate maybe 4 because she was full from the ribs and I was too stuffed to even attempt them.
These were Lauren’s favorite. Vietnamese Street Stall Style Spare Ribs $ 13
Ginger, Garlic-​Lemongrass Glaze (half off only $ 6.50)
So much so that she wouldn’t even let me try them so I cant attest to the taste except to say that she devoured them and said she wanted to come back and get them again soon. Next time I’ll have to order some for myself.
Now even though we were some serious fat kids and ate pretty much everything we couldn’t leave without digging into some crème brûlée. Its just wonderful, melt in your mouth, everything you need out of dessert good. I wish the portion were a little bigger, but this time it didn’t matter due to the special. I would venture to say that they have (ok its a tie with bonefish) the best Crème Brulee in Cincinnati.
Also heads up if you cant make it there on Tuesday for the special– there was a livingsocial for half off! I bought one of those too, so I can go back and try a steak.

In the location of the old Wah Mee Chinese restaurant, this was my first trip to Jimmy G’s. I’d heard the commercials on a local radio station and a friend gave it high praise, so I knew I’d break down eventually.
I run a local foodie meetup group. We average a comfortable few in attendance each eatup we have (usually 5 – 15 people). This night there were four of us.
To start I ordered the «Tiradito of Two Fresh Fish» a kind of Peruvian sushi dish from the First Plates (appetizer) menu. Simply put, this was amazing. The fish melted on my tongue like butter. I’d have been fully satisfied if this alone were my meal.
My entrée was the Special Reserve NY Strip steak at market price. Nearly perfect. Definitely one of the better steaks I’ve had in the past few years. The charring on the outside added a perfect flavor and was a great texture compliment to the smooth almost buttery center of the meat.
The one disappointment was that my request for medium-​rare, closer to rare came our with a center warmer than I’d expected. But, the steak itself was still quite impressive and worth every moment of the visit.
To go with this I had a single neat lowball of Courvoisier VSOP, a great pairing for me which helped to raise the tenacity of the char on the outside of the steak a bit.
Dessert was also great. The item itself isn’t shown on their online menu, but I think the name is simply incorrect. The one listed with «Macademia White Chocolate Biscotti» is actually a chocolate pâté of some kind which was on par with my other two dishes quality wise.
I came away from the evening thoroughly surprised at the Tiradito which I will completely return for on it’s own merits. While an appetizer, the flavors and textures mesh so well that the afterglow is worth basking in while your table-​mates enjoy the remainder of their meal.
A must visit restaurant the next time you’re in Cincinnati and my first addition to my Cincinnati Food Tour list in nearly nine months.
I haven’t checked out the bar yet, but if it’s as hush as I’ve heard, I may enjoy it nearly as much as the Kern Library in Knoxville, which stands as my favorite bar of all time as of this writing.