Jeff Ruby’s Waterfront

I came here on my 4^th year dating anniversary with my now-​husband and again for my 23^rd (?) birthday with my family. Both experiences were good.
Both times we were seated with a pretty good view of the river — albeit a good chunk of the view is just across the river where there is construction. If you are looking for an amazing view of the city, go to Riverview 360. This is better to look out over boaters on the river, or just enjoy the random dated interior. That is the one weird turnoff about this place — the décor. It’s very Miami Vice-​ish — neony colors, it’s like someone in the 1980s trying to be retro. It didn’t fit the place in my opinion, but I overlooked that pretty easily.
The food is good. They start you off with bread, like at the other Jeff Ruby places, and butter with your drinks. If you get a steak, it comes with a salad. I love the Freddie salad (although I’m not a dressing person so i forego the dressing) and I got to get the fried green tomato caprese on my birthday — and boy was that delicious! I am not a huge fan of fried green tomatoes, but my mom is, so we shared, and I became a huge fan of these ones. Oh were they good! I could have just had like 3 plates of them as a meal, but I am glad I didn’t.
My husband and I both got barrel-​cut filets (both times we went… they are wayyy too good not to get) with different toppings. We tried the gorgonzola butters (most delicious — the cheese and butter mix well and taste great with the Jeff Ruby seasoning they use on the steak), and the steakhouse garlic butter (good, almost great, but it just can’t compare once you taste that gorgonzola butter). We also tried the truffle creamed corn (very good — unfortunately my family is apparently the royalty of creamed corn or something and I can never find anything that compares — but this was good), the mac and cheese (good as always), and the potatoes au gratin (just okay — a lot of the potatoes were undercooked. and I really, really wanted to like these.) With my steak, I had the option of a twice baked potato, which I chose in a heartbeat and was very happy with. Delicious cheese and bacon, not too much, and well seasoned.
This may be my favorite Jeff Ruby’s for food. While they are all very similar, almost the same, I liked this one just slightly more. I get over the décor for the food and they don’t get any stars off for the décor because it’s different and maybe some like that. It’s clean and well kept so I can’t complain.

Food was AMAZING there, however the décor has not been updated since the 80’s. Pink walls, neon lights, mirrors… it was like a crazy episode of the olden girls. Also, I prefer a 5 star restaurant to still make me feel comfortable and I felt a little out of place. EXCELLENT FOOD but could improve the vibe.

I by no means can say Jeff Ruby’s is bad, it’s one of the best steakhouses in the tri-​state area and has a beautiful décor in a prime location. Then you get the bill and boy is it pricey. All things considered you can get a better steak at Maury’s Tiny Cove in Cincy for half the cost, so for me it’s hard to justify breaking the bank for this place. Still if you want to dine with Cincinnati’s elite and have a truly delicious piece of steak at a incredibly high cost this is the place for you. Oh yeah, the place occasionally becomes dislodged and drifts down river… so yeah there’s that.

The Waterfront has a lot of really fantastic things about it, and some things, not so much. First off, the thing I noticed immediately upon entering was how dated everything was. It looked classy, but as is with most of Jeff Ruby’s places (that I’ve been to), I felt like I was starring in Dynasty. However, we had a table with a stunning view of the city and the lighting gave an atmosphere of elegance without being too dark, like some places tend to be.
Secondly, I was less than impressed with the restrooms. I try to avoid public bathrooms if I can help it, but I assumed that spending $ 200+ on dinner would mean I could walk into a restroom without fashioning a toilet paper seat cover. I was wrong. Thankfully, our server definitely left us with a positive experience. He was perfectly attentive, whereas some servers can be either negligent or hovering around. In addition, the drinks were fantastic and when we moved to the bar, our server came over and lit my cigarette. The Waterfront’s food is, without a doubt, awesome (with great presentation) and the service really won me over. Overall, I would recommend this place.

Two days after our dinner the restaurant went for a trip down the Ohio River.
Our experience was less of an adventure but just as memorable. The bone in Ribeye was perfectly cooked and the bernaise was incredible, along with perfect service, the dinner was wonderful.
The only negative would be the décor. It looks like something out of the late 70’s or early 80’s and hasn’t been updated once since, and Jeff Ruby pictures with the celebrities is tiresome. Who is Jeff Ruby anyway, he’s not really known outside of Cincinnati.

A co-​worker and I ate here on Tuesday night, after a long day of working out of town.
The style of the place looks like the club where Tony Montana in ScarFace said «She can’t have no $#%^ kids.» It’s straight out of 1986.
The service is amazing. Top Shelf.
My NY Strip was in the top 10 I’ve had in my lifetime.
The two piece live music team was entertaining without taking over the place.
Good not great wine selection by the glass.
It’s a little pricey but I will say this, at least you get a baked potato and salad with your steak, where most high end steak places these days go al-​la-​carte which in my mind is a total rip-​off.
Check this place out!

Four words: Hot Tub Time Machine. If the pastel art deco doesn’t make you feel like you are in the 80’s, then the Hammond B-​3 Organ live performance of Barry Manilow certainly will. The food was good, but not worth the price. We dined on an evening when the restaurant was only at 35% capacity and still there was a 55 minute gap between the appetizers and the entrees. Can’t say this will be back in my dining rotation any time soon…

Jeff Ruby’s Waterfront is a five-​star experience. Top to bottom. Easy.
It’s beautiful. You are literally on the water, as you cross over a white walking bridge to get to the restaurant. Inside, you feel like you’ve stepped back into some grand 1950s casino, with color lights and dark carpets and just an air of class. I loved it.
My gal and I sat at the bar and were treated just the same as if we were at a table. By choice too, we didn’t want a table, we wanted the bar, and it was perfect. I hate when restaurants ignore you or only have one server working that area. Not here. We actually had three or four people who kept checking on us. Fantastic.
The food? Oh my the food. Everything is fresh and delicious — especially coming from its famous raw bar. We ordered oysters and sushi and everything was amazing. If you are in the mood for seafood, my friends, this is where you need to go.
I even love the little touches, like an open kitchen where you can see the chefs at work. Really great.
Of course, this kind of quality doesn’t come without a price … and that’s the price. In no way is this a cheap meal. This is one of the more expensive places in the area, as are all Jeff Ruby establishments. Still, you more than get what you pay for here. If you are out on the town celebrating good fortune, or on a classy of classiest date or just want to treat yourself, this is your first and last spot.

Food was excellent and server Rory was excellent. The band and view of the river makes this a 10.

Rounding out our gradual tour of Jeff Ruby restaurants in the Greater Cincinnati area, we visited the Waterfront on a recent Friday evening to celebrate my husband’s birthday.
Reservations were easy via Open Table where I indicated that it was his birthday in the comments section. When they called to confirm the reservation day-​of, I again mentioned his birthday and the woman told me that they would bring out a dessert with a candle at the end of the meal. However, the server either forgot or wasn’t told because I had to awkwardly ask at the end of the meal before it was actually brought out. The dessert itself was good though (an ice cream pie).
Now, back to the beginning… the interior is Art Deco meets Miami Vice, but the view of downtown Cincinnati across the water definitely makes it easy to ignore the rest of your surroundings. Compared to other Ruby restaurants, this one has a more lively bar section, which on the pro side meant enjoyable live music in the background while dining, but on the con side, a generally more downscale feel when you walk in.
Our server was a bit scattered and didn’t have the best timing/​pacing, but was generally friendly – certainly not the best service I’ve had at a Ruby’s restaurant. Pretty decent wine list – hardly any bottles under $ 60, but some good options by the glass. The one nice thing about this particular Ruby’s is that the steaks come with a salad (‘Freddie’ or ‘Caesar’) and a side of potatoes (mashed or baked) included.
We both went with the fillet – barrelhouse cut (12 oz) for my husband and queen (9 oz.) for me and shared a side of asparagus (great grilled flavor and a yummy red pepper sauce). The steaks were cooked perfectly and had a nice, flavorful char on the outside.
All in all, great food and view with so-​so service and ambiance.

There’s nothing better than a Jeff Ruby steak. And the Freddie salad is one of the best around. My only complaints… there server was all about the up sell of the steak toppings and there hasn’t been an updates renovation done in probably 20 years. But the food can’t be beat so they get away with it.

I don’t get out to expensive restaurants very often. When I do, though, I expect both superior food and service. I figure that’s not unreasonable when I’m paying upwards of $ 50 for an entrée alone. Waterfront nailed both of these, easily surpassing my expectations.
I had eaten at the Precinct before, so I knew what to expect from the menu. There were a few differences, but not many. I also expect to be irritated by the garish décor of the 80’s Miami style, but was pleasantly surprised. The décor was actually fun without being over the top and the seating spacing was much, much more comfortable than the crowded seating at the Precinct.
We had reservations for four to celebrate a birthday. We were seated right next to the windows overlooking the Ohio river and had a beautiful view of the Cincinnati skyline.
We started with drinks, which were great. I had a Manhattan and the ladies had martinis. Everyone was very happy with their choices. We also had a couple of bottles of wine during the meal. For appetizers, we got a few sushi rolls, both of which were as good as any I have eaten in Cincinnati. I believe we got the California and spicy bluefin rolls. Nothing too crazy, but both were very fresh tasting.
The steaks were Jeff Ruby steaks. I’m not sure anything else needs to be explained. Top quality, minimal seasoning. Steaks don’t get better than this in Cincinnati. I ordered the 14oz Prime NY Strip, with a Freddie Salad (regular salad with bacon and home made ranch dressing), and a twice-​baked potato. Everything was tremendous.
As good as all the food was, the best thing about eating here is by far the service. The staff here is friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. I had to get my steak cooked a little longer after it was delivered and they graciously and apologetically threw it on the grill for a bit longer, even though it was probably my fault for being so picky. Also, they comp’ed one of the desserts, which was delivered with a birthday candle in it for the lucky birthday girl. I know that’s a small gesture when you’re dropping so much dime, but it was a nice gesture nonetheless.
My experience at the Waterfront could not possibly have been any better. I’d like to try the Jeff Ruby’s downtown to complete the tour, but I have a hard time believing it could top the waterfront. I recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a good steak, a nice view, or to celebrate a special occasion.

Best Steak anywhere in the region — bar None! I have been going here since 1986 and the food is still top notch after all these years. Steak Collinsworth, freddie salad and 5 huge shrimp are always my staple here and you can never go wrong. Could use a bit updating /​remodeling inside but the view is still hard to beat especially when you have out of town guests with you — this is the place to take them. Charlie, the manager, always treats us like royalty and the wait staff is always superb.
Jeff Ruby is by far the best restauranteur in this region and knows how to prepare the best steak. Higly Recommended!

To ensure full disclosure, I want to say that The Waterfront is getting 5 stars from me because they were so accommodating and helpful with my grandmother when we went on Friday for my cousin’s birthday. My sister and I were in charge of getting her there and home in once piece and the staff here was AMAZING.
OK now on with my review.
We went to the Waterfront on Friday and were in one of the private rooms. When we arrived the staff was able to get my grandmother up into the room (about 2 steps) in here wheelchair without any issue– and I didn’t have to ask.
We had shrimp cocktail for appetizer. They were huge and so fresh. I usually don’t like shrimp cocktail but this was so good, the cocktail sauce was also very tasty.
I got the New York Strip (14oz) with garlic mashed potatoes and The Freddie Salad.
The steak was amazing. So juicy and had a great flavor. The garlic mashed potatoes were great– not too garlicky. The salad was good– the dressing was not too heavy and the bacon was really good.
We also shared some mac & cheese — which is so good I can hardly describe it– and the asparagus– which was good but nothing to shout about.
My sister and I shared a flour-​less chocolate cake for dessert and it was so good I regretted sharing! There was a raspberry sauce with it that was delicious!
The décor is art deco and kinda old school, which I really liked. They have a band in the bar area and it was a really fun atmosphere. The staff was friendly and very attentive to our group.
The real high point was for me– Charlie, who I am pretty sure was the manager– wheeled my grandmother all the way from the room we were eating dinner to our car (which was waiting for us when we got to the top of the ramp) and helped her in the car. Chatting with her the whole way. It was above and beyond and I am really appreciative.

If you have heard of the Waterfront or been there you know that the steaks they have there are fantastic. I used to go there on specials occasions just to get a Freddy salad and the Collingsworth.
What I didn’t realize is how great the sushi is. I go there more frequently just for the sushi! It is priced similar to any other sushi place I have been to (get some good rolls for 9 bucks but more expensive if you want steak and lobster on it) Sushi is very fresh.
Best Bets:
Spicy Shrimp Roll, Black and Blue Roll, Blue Lobster Roll

My friend form across the pond wanted to get a good steak while in the states since you cant in England apparently. So I decided to take him here. The Precinct and Downtown were booked and this was the only place with an open reservation.
We had some Sushi to start and it was decent. The Freddie salad is always a winner in my book. Had a Center cut that was cooked OK. I asked for medium well and it was more like well well done. No matter, it still tasted amazing.
The décor is OK i felt like i should be sporting a white sport coat thou. Its a nice place but if you ask me I like the atmosphere and style of his downtown and precinct restaurants much more.

I went for the sushi here. The edemome was perfect. The eel and shrimp tasted good but the rice was not sticky enough to stay together. I also got the king creole roll and it also tended to fall apart and that particular roll was not good tasting. Service was above average… very polite. They also had a couple of guys playing guitars in the bar. Not bad if you’re 40 something. Good experience. Too bad the sushi was less quality than I’m used to.

I visited Jeff Ruby’s Waterfront grill expecting the best. I walked in and asked for a table with a view of the city, and was seated in a perfect booth facing the river. What a view it was! My server, Brett, was instantly attentive and brought a wine menu and the food menu looked delicious. I browsed through the wine menu and was instantly surprised at the markups. They offer a great selection of well known wines, however they mark up the prices about 300%. When offering well known wines, many people know the price of a bottle from the store. I am not saying restaurants shouldn’t mark wine up, but a $ 50 bottle for $ 140? I even mentioned to the waiter the markups were outrageous. Like he cared! Anyway, he explained the specials, one of their signature dishes is a fillet topped with Mushroom Bordelaise & Béarnaise and Alaskan king crab. They were serving a special, 10 oz of fillet with an 11 oz lobster tail for $ 69. $ 69 is pricey, but what the hell, if the food is good it’s worth it. It also came with a salad and a potato, which helped me rationalize the price.
My salad was good, not anything too special, but good. My high expectations were for my dinner anyway, so I wasn’t overly concerned about the salad. Finally, the main event! A huge lobster tail next to… wait, not a 10 oz fillet-​but FILLET MEDALLIONS? Chunks of meat that add up to 10oz? Um, this wasn’t properly explained to me when the special was described. I guess I should have asked, but I assumed, for the price, it would be one piece of meat. So whatever, I decided to give it a shot. I had ordered the baked potato, I would highly recommend going for the twice baked, the potato was ABSOLUTELY nothing special. They don’t even offer the works, just sour cream. I would also like to point out the topping on the steak really wasn’t good, I found the sauce combo of Mushroom Bordelaise & Béarnaise bland and the portion of crab was tiny. There was too much Bordelaise and not enough Bearnaise or salt. This shouldn’t even be in the same category of fillet Oscar, because Fillet Oscar is topped with lump crab meat and sauce. This topping is more like sauce with a few chunks of crab meat in it.
One medallion was surprisingly tough, I told my server, who was apologetic and asked me to cut into the other piece of fillet to make sure that wasn’t tough as well. I did so, and didn’t really see much pink, since I ordered it medium rare, I said «this one doesn’t really look medium rare». His answer, «yea, the light in here makes it look that way, it should be cooked properly. Normally I have a flashlight to check them but its out of batteries.» Keep in mind this is at 6pm in the evening and I am sitting right near the windows in broad daylight. No flashlight was really necessary. Well he did come back with a new flashlight a few minutes later, but the steak still didn’t really look medium rare. He obviously wasn’t overly willing to take this one back to the kitchen too so I just said, «It’ll be fine.» Causing a scene or arguing isn’t really my style. I expected they would want to be classy and act like an establishment that serves $ 70 plates of food by making sure everything is perfect. Maybe I set my expectations too high?
They brought out another fillet, I cut into it, the center was cool. The steak was rare (this was also quite visible to me so the excuse about the lighting was total bullshit) not med rare. GREEAATT, now I am going to have to send it back again and look really picky.
The third fillet they brought out actually tasted great. The blend of sauces worked well this time, and the steak was cooked perfectly. To bad I was full by the time this one was served. They were still stingy on the crab. Come on– for the price, you could throw on a little more crab, it’s not like its going to break the bank.
Charlie, the manager came by and apologized. He said they wanted to make sure they were taking good care of me and would bring dessert. Even though I was full, I agreed. Who knows, maybe the dessert would knock my socks off and change my impression of the place. I guess that would have MAYBE been possible if it didn’t have a HAIR in it when it was served. There is nothing worse or more disgusting to me than finding a hair in my food. I was completely through… At this point I got the feeling my server was avoiding me, I was apparently way too much trouble because I expected my steak cooked perfectly at a STEAK HOUSE. I waved him down and showed him the hair. He again apologized, and told me he would bring me a new one. SORRY, but if I found a hair in your food, I have lost my appetite completely. I don’t want anymore of your dirty, hairy dessert.
I got my bill, they took off one of my glasses of wine. WOW, way to go out of your way for serving me a crappy overpriced meal. I still paid $ 100, I have had better steaks at the outback, which is very sad to say.
Skip this place, go to Morton’s or Ruths Chris.

first let’s start with the seafood. the crab legs were sweet, fresh, huge, and tender. the meat fell right out of the shell. there was a really yummy mustard dipping sauce. it was delicious.
these oysters were really damn good for being in cincinnati. i know i do not have the oyster experience that many of you do, but i was one happy oyster eater. the kumamotos especially were amazing. the other one was good but did not blow me away. but the kumamoto was sweet and creamy and plump and flavorful. the hot, fresh horseradish put it over the edge. yummmm…
the shrimp flatbread was eh. not bad but don’t waste your stomach space. i will use this space to instead talk about the bread and butter. they served us delicious hot french bread and salted rye (from servatii’s! it is awesome) with regular butter and… wait for it… truffle butter. this is probably a jeff ruby’s staple but having never been there before i was delighted with this little surprise.
on to the salads. helga ordered the tomatoes and they were fresh and wonderful and tasted like summer. the mozzarella was creamy and cool. the balsamic glaze was thick, mellow, and sweet. i liked it but i really loved my salad, the freddie. crunchy lettuce, soft delicious tomatoes, salty bacon, all floating in the best ranch ever. i loved this salad.
now the meats. i went with the new york strip (which was dry aged and i had never tried that before). it was everything i dreamed it could be and more.
i got the sauce on the side just to taste it, and it was yummy but actually i don’t know if i would get it again, or maybe i would get something else (like garlic butter… mmmm…). the steak itself though was totally delicious and juicy and one of the best steaks i have ever had. also it was cooked to an absolutely perfect medium rare.
helga’s lamb chops were delicious. tender, juicy, flavorful. the mint jelly was interesting, neither of us had ever tried that before but we thought the flavor complemented the lamb. the jelly had lots of bits of fresh mint in it and was very tasty. for me, i would probably not order this because although it was interesting and prepared really well, i just was not a huge fan of the whole mint jelly thing.
on to the sides. it was the best fucking macaroni and cheese of my life. how is it possible that a steakhouse can make macaroni and cheese that good? i have no idea, but they did it. the pasta was still slightly al dente somehow and the cheeses were melty and rich. there was a thick crust of melted cheese and breadcrumbs on the top, and the whole thing was in a casserole dish that had been baked. macaroni awesomeness.
i was not wowed by the lobster mashed potatoes. there was one chunk of lobster, and while it was delicious, it was not enough. also, the mashed potatoes were totally pureed and really did not have much flavor. i would not order this again.
desserts. the strawberry crepes were, for me, pretty much a bust. the crepes were thick and cold and chewy. the strawberries were good but there were not enough of them. the ice cream on it was good. don’t waste your money on this though. get the pistachio ice cream thing (i can’t remember what it was called). the ice cream was creamy and wonderful, and the chocolate on top was so rich and sweet and delicious. it was a perfect combination.
the damage? $ 211. some of the prices really surprised me, for example my glass of wine was only $ 8.25, and the oysters were only $ 1.75 each. the steak was $ 34.50 and it comes with salad and a baked potato (extra to add the other sides) so you could totally have gotten a steak and a beer and gotten out of there for $ 50.
service was mostly really good. my one complaint is that the male server seemed kind of slightly bothered by all my questions. like when i was asking about the steaks, he was like «they are all good.» and when i was like «tell me about the jeff ruby’s jewel» he was like «it’s good. you should order that.» ok guy but like i want some more detail. also when we wanted to know about desserts, he would like tell us one and be like «you should get that one.» that’s fine but just tell us about all of them first.
the décor. oh the décor. it’s straight up 80s miami beach fabulousness. they are not even ashamed or trying to hide it. neon lights, pastels, palm tree print fabrics, the whole thing. it’s completely over the top to the point of being ridiculous. and yet somehow you do not mind. it’s just funny and adds this really interesting counterpoint to the food almost. also, you have a full wall of windows which look out onto the ohio river.
the food is mostly excellent, especially the things that you are supposed to go there for (meats and seafoods and things covered in ranch). i seriously enjoyed my meal. i really recommend this place, as long as you either a) get someone else to pay or b) be selective with your menu choices and stick to the things they do best.

3.5* on the food
2* on the Miami Vice décor
3* for the view
2* on the price
Food: Raw bar was WAY expensive. $ 41 for (3) crab claws? Seriously?! it was daylight robbery. I don’t even pay that much in SF, and that’s fresh crab of the day
Lobster bisque was yummy, but a tad salty.
Shrimp flatbread was good