Moyer Vineyards Winery & Restaurant

Ok, we stopped @ Moyers on the Ohio River near Aberdeen. The food was less than adequate regardless of any price. The prime rib was over cooked & the au jus was canned beef broth. The price was $ 29. The fried chicken dinner was a flattened bone-​in breast & fried to super crispness. It had no taste. Worst fried chicken I’ve ever had. The price was $ 16. Very pricey for bad food. Just so you know…

Porch was packed so we were seated indoors. Felt very rushed with our waitress Denise who knew nothing of wines. I asked if they had any Moscato and she said no then asked what it was. When I replied wine, she wanted to know if it was red or white and acted as if I was the clueless one. They had prime rib as a special but after she left I saw on the menu that it was only served medium and above. Upon her return I asked her to confirm my findings. She said that was correct because it was sent to them medium rare and then heated in au jus. Since I prefer my food to be fresh and cooked upon ordering I chose the Tomahawk Ribeye instead. As the order arrived I noticed the «hunk» of margarine (aka butter) was not melting and the steak appeared to have an unappealing look. It did not just come off a grill, of that I was certain. Not wanting to make a scene I attempted to eat it anyway but I could barely stomach half. The sweet potato was old and bitter even with the honey pecan «butter». The hot slaw dressing was overwhelmed with vinegar to where we and others dining were choking from it. Above all this, the peach sangria was delicious.
This restaurant used to be one of our favorites. I’m not sure what’s happened but we will not return for a very long time. I was quite disappointed with both the food and service.

Moyer is a little off the beaten path but definitely worth a visit. It is situated right next to the ohio river. They have a covered seating area similar to a sun room so you can enjoy the view.
We were very impressed by the inner seating area, a nice setting for fine dining. The outer seating area/​sun room was more casual with patio seats. For us, the heat was turned on a little high in that room, but they were accommodating in turning down the heat. For larger parties (larger than 10) they will combine round tables, which is a little more awkward than having a larger rectangular table or having smaller square tables to combine.
The food was delicious, especially the ribeye and walleye. They also have a large selection of desserts, which are definitely for sharing. We thought the wine selection was great.
All together, if you’re willing to drive a little farther, this makes for a great place for both special events and casual dining with a great view!

Dining opportunities in the area are incredibly limited so I was delighted when I found a listing in the Adams County tourism guide for Moyers Winery and Restaurant.
As I was traveling alone, I wasn’t surprised when they offered me a table on the deck (enclosed and heated) instead of the dining room. The deck seating area was about ¾ full. My server was quick to greet me and offer to take my drink order. However it seemed to take forever for my glass of chardonnay to arrive. After what seemed another long wait, my waitress took my order for walleye, herbed redskins and a salad with mango dressing.
My salad came quickly but was an uninspired collection of iceberg lettuce, a few thin carrot slices and box croutons. There was a mound of what looked like pickled onions but turned out to be onion that likely had been cut early in the day or the day before. There was zero mango flavor in the dressing. It was served with a loaf of room temperature whole grain bread and a small dish of whipped «spread».
My entrée arrived with zero effort at presentation other than a wilted lettuce leaf, a quarter of a lemon and a plastic tub of tartar sauce. My redskins were in a melamine dish perched on the side of the plate.
The walleye was a golden crispy brown but the batter had nothing more than crisp color to redeem it. However it was a decent sized slab of deep fried fish properly cooked. The potatoes were dosed with margarine instead of butter and if there were herbs on them you certainly couldn’t discern their presence.
There was no offer of another glass of wine or asking if I might like dessert of coffee.
The crowd had cleared out by the time I had finished but my server nor the host seemingly had no time to stop by to see how I had enjoyed my dinner.
Of the places I’ve eaten in the area this was the nicest and most expensive. However the food and wine are mediocre at best.

What a fabulous view watching the river roll by! We stopped by on a Sunday and no wine can be sold so couldn’t check out the wine. But a very welcoming atmosphere and pleasant service. I had the buttermilk fried chicken which is made in house with a light, crunchy peppery coating — yum! The accompanying baked potato was good. Hot slaw so so — crispy fresh bacon but slaw could have been crispier — good flavor though. My husband had the rib eye special which was good. But that view and atmosphere –Mmm Mmm!

Very nice place to eat. The view was absolutely incredible. Watching barge traffic and boot traffic go up and down the Ohio River all evening long. I ordered the walleye, sweet potato, and hot bacon coleslaw. Everything I had was delicious. Their wine selection is very good. I will definitely go back to eat here.

Moyer’s has a lovely setting with a great view of the Ohio River and the Kentucky Hills if you dine on the porch. The dining room inside is stuffy and old-​fashioned. Food is good but not outstanding and the servings are huge. I like their River Valley White wine in spring and summer, but the reds I’ve tried are so-​so. Service can be gracious and efficient but there is one server who works at lunch who is cold and unpleasant. She never smiles and acts irritated if you ask a question. Unfortunately, I have gotten her more than once and it makes lunch uncomfortable. It’s a beautiful ride from Cincinnati during nice weather, autumn in particular, but not worth the trip for the food. I really wish they would upgrade the food and offer half portions. They also need to deal with this server.

Good wine, great view, friendly staff, nice atmosphere, tasteless food.

What a wonderful way to spend a fall afternoon: drinking a glass of local wine on Moyer’s deck overlooking the Ohio River and the hills of Kentucky! The food is reliably good and the atmosphere is relaxing. The owners are often available to give guests a tour of the wine-​making facilities on the lower level.

Moyer Vineyards Winery & Restaurant is located more than an hour from downtown Cincinnati along the Ohio River on Scenic River Road 52, which is a great road to take a drive, but is Moyer worth the drive?
Short answer, no (skip to last paragraph or ashort summary).
A restuarant trapped in the golden age would make anyone under 70 feel out of place. Décor from the 70’s and music from the 40’s puts the ambiance of Moyer’s dinning room squarely into a bygone era that never existed.
The only redeeming quality is the view provided by mother nature. Looking over the calm end of the Ohio and into the hills of Kentuky the only restaurant in the area that provides this view is The BB River Boat.
Now as far as food goes… The menu and prices would suggest an attempt at fine dining but unfortunately it’s only a suggestion. I tried the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with sweet potato fries and cole slaw and my wife order the Buckeye Burger again with sweet potato fries. As far as the fries go, it’s hard to screw up frozen fries, but possible if you don’t bother trying to atleast season them. The cole slaw was not edible, bordering on possibly rotten the minced slaw (minced, really?) was drownding in dressing.
For the burger my wife wasn’t asked how she’d like her burger cooked, it was servered done, about 2 steps short of hockey puck. Covered with enough cheese to make a Wisconsin dairy farmer rich the only redeeming quality was the Peach Wine BBQ Sauce, but a great sauce can’t save a completely over cooked, non-​seasoned hunk of ground round. Between the sauce, cheese and toppings the burger could only be eaten with a knife and fork. As far as the fried chicken goes the breading was crisp and good after an application of salt and pepper but it did not adhear to the chicken breast at all.
Between the aweful and dated décor, poor service and below par food I wouldn’t recommend making this a stop.
If you want to enjoy a nice driver take 52 to Portsmouth and stop at Fred’s for some good pizza and just pass by Moyer unless you’re interested in trying some local wine. More to the point this is why locally owned restaurants die, the failure to update with current standards and looks. Though they’re menu seems to have gotten some updating through the years and is somewhat contemporary the execution falls very short. The idea that an establishment can’t update they’re look, newer window dressings, getting rid of dated table items and completely obsolete furniture pieces and trying to refresh they’re dining room is shameful. Having seen family owned establishments slowing die because of a refusal to change is a sad site but it’s also why chains grow with popularity. Lets hope Morey Vineyard Wines & Restaurant realize we’re 13 years into a new millenia and gives itself a new look and feel.

Moyer is located right on the banks of the Ohio River. It is several miles from the closest town, which are all small towns. On the Moyer back patio the scenery is excellent except for the fact that the patron is looking through a cheap, clear-​plastic tarpaulin. But generally, the ambiance is agreeable.
The food is very good but the service is at times lacking. Twice we have been seated and then forgotten about until we stopped a passing server and made our presence known. We were given a free bottle of wine on one of those occasions. Speaking of wine, Moyer has its own label. They are local wines so not all are incredible to the palette, but some are not bad. Besides, who wants to drink the same old wines all the time, especially while watching the river flow by?

This is a scenic restaurant on the Ohio River, that is well worth the drive from Cincinnati or Portsmouth. There is an extensive list of menu items that will please any customer and the restaurant serves a variety of local red and white wines. Make sure you sit outside on the veranda to sip the southern Ohio wines and watch the Ohio and Mississippi barges meander by. I make it a «must» each summer that I visit my family.