Sitting right at the front of the Smale Riverfront Park, at at the head of the Banks development is the Moerlein Lager House. This restaurant may sit in the shadow of The Great American Ballpark, but when it comes to Cincinnati’s beer scene it’s right in the spotlight.
Why is the lager house important to Cincinnati’s beer scene?
When you are new to the city…or even just visiting, the Lager House sits front and center on our riverfront skyline. Beer is in your face when you look at Cincinnati, quite literally. So many of our breweries are “hidden” away in separate corners of the Cincinnati area, but The Moerlein Lager House is right there to remind our visitors that we breathe beer in the Queen City.
The role that the restaurant has played in Cincinnati is an even bigger one than it’s visual presence plays. The Moerlein Lager House took a risk when they decided to build at the then only imagined banks development… they spearheaded what has now become a successful development that could have just as easily failed, as many naysayers said it would.
Atmosphere
A trip to the Moerlein Lager House can lead to lots of different atmospheres depending on where you sit and what time you go. You can have one visit that yields a loud, beer hall type atmosphere, and the next time you are there be greeted with a quiet romantic dinner for two.
This ability to become different types of establishments continues on to their bar area with it’s big screen tvs that will keep sports fans happy while they eat and drink.
On many nights throughout the year, the event lawn next to the restaurant is home to many events – most of which seem to have beer as a theme. Again… this keeps beer right front and center in Cincinnati and provides a wonderful festival atmosphere in the city on so many warm summer and fall weekends.
The Menu
Both the beer and the food is second to none. I would never consider myself a “foodie” but I know what I like, and I have never been disappointed having dinner at Moerlein. The menu features some great ribs, beer can chicken, brussel sprouts, candied pork belly and countless other items throughout…I say again… I have never had food that I didn’t enjoy while eating dinner there.
The beer list though, is where I gained a lot of respect for what they are doing. Not only offering their own beers on tap, they offer many other local favorites, as well as a wonderful selection of other craft beers at all times. Moerlein not only makes their own beer, but does a great job at promoting great craft beer from around the country. With the way the brewery has really stepped up it’s game in the last couple years it’s safe to say that with The Moerlein Lager House at the forefront of the company, Cincinnati’s Christian Moerlein will be a household name not just in Cincinnati, but around the country for quite a long time.