Zola Pub and Grill

Burger #24: Zola Pub and Grill – Zola Burger $7.95

Main Street in Covington is an active place with out door seating.
Not my picture.

 Oh, Hi again!  Remember me?  I know it's been a few months since I've done a review and I've been getting burgers but I haven't kept up with the blog, and for that I apologize.  After one of the worst nights I've had in months, I feel the need to get back to what I love to do... write about my adventures.  It has been a few long months of never ending class work and social gatherings, as well as trying my best to not be forever single, I'm back at this. 

I went to Zola's back on a Thursday night on July 28th for a late dinner.  My very attractive companion for the night had never been to Zola's and it was my third time going, but it had been years since I had the burger so I was happy to get back there to see how it compared.  It's located in the middle of Mainstrasse in Covington near Cock and bull, Che Nora and Dee Felice to name a few.  I like the area because it's a social part of town with lots of outdoor seating and lots of German tradition and festivals, including their own Oktoberfest and Geotta fest.  There is a large amount of dining, entertainment, bars, and even dessert all in a few blocks.  I used to play darts for a year across the street from Zola's so I'm well acquainted with all that the area has to offer and I'd recommend getting out there if you've never been. 

The restaurant is a mix between a restaurant and a late night bar.  It was fairly dead when I got there at about 8:30pm on a Thursday so we got a seat right away.  When you walk in, you notice it's a tight fit for some of the seating, but I hear there's more upstairs, I've just never seen it.  They have live music most days of the week starting at 9pm.  As a bar, I can't say there is anything that this one has that others bars lack, but as a burger place it's pretty damn good.  There were regulars hanging out, but I felt like I didn't have enough visible tattoos to fit in.  The menu isn't out of the box, having the standard assortments: turkey ciabatta, cod filet, cajun chicken, a gyro, wings, etc.  They also do pizza's, which I haven't seen anyone order ever.  Their main thing is the burger.

My friend's delicious burger and giant fries. 

Zola's is known as a burger place so I knew that this was going to be a good one from the start.  Every Wednesday is burgermania.  This special is a burger with 5 toppings and a side for 6$.  There aren't many places that can beat this price with the taste, so you should probably go check it out soon.   The burger list includes the spicy jack (blackened seasoning, bacon, banana peppers and pepper jack), black and bleu, caribbean ( jerk spices, bacon, and pineapple), Mo town (bbq sauce, bacon, onion straws), mushroom burger, and cajun bell ( grilled red and green peppers, red onions and topped with feta cheese. 

Zola burger.  I got Swiss cheese and
substituted for onion rings.  Mmm!

The Zola burger was a 1/2 pound black angus patty with bacon, grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, capacolla ham, and american cheese for 7.95$.  When it came, the meat was well seasoned and cooked slightly pink for medium.  It was much better than I remember from years ago.  It wasn't very greasy but still juicy.  The bun was average, as was the bacon, but bacon is always a great addition to a burger.  The capacolla ham looked like a giant piece of sandwich ham, but still a nice topping.  The bad part of our experience was the live music at 9pm that played directly next to us, so we had to leave shortly after eating because we couldn't have a conversation and the one guy on the stage wasn't that good. 

Since Zola's is always on the top burgers in the city no matter which list you look at or person you talk to , this is one of those places you have to try if you haven't yet.  Burgermania on Wednesday's is always a good choice.  If you want a different venue to hang out at afterwards, there are plenty to be had in this part of Covinton.  There are always good places to go to people watch as well, which I find makes for  an amusing conversation with your friends. 

Quatman's Cafe

Burger #31: Quatman’s Cafe – Cheeseburger 6.57$

Outside on a Monday night in July.

 

It’s the Tuesday right after Labor Day weekend and what a crazy weekend it was.  I used Saturday night as the calm before the storm and just played some Xbox and then watched a movie.  Sunday, on the other hand, was just insane with the thousands of people that barge into Newport and downtown Cincinnati for the WEBN fireworks.  This is one of those days when all of the suburbanites come out of their homes surrounded by perfect white picket fences and actually come into the city.  It’s scary, I know, I live in the entertainment district on the Kentucky side of the river and there are lights and people and fun shit to do everywhere!  The fireworks Sunday were a blast, although the night gets blurry after that.  It was storming during the fireworks so that meant that everyone rushed home right afterword soaking wet. I’m not sure how many of you aren’t really feeling work today, but I for one gave up early on being productive, so onto a burger review and then looking for a new job. 

Today I am reviewing a restaurant that is always on the Cincinnati.com top 10 burger list and is the 31^st burger on the list and the 22^nd burger I’ve reviewed.  Quatman’s has been open for about 50 years and is located in Norwood, with a second restaurant now open in Mason.  It’s a place that I’ve gone to quite a few times but I never had the burger.  I know, I know, you are asking how I didn’t get the burger at a place that’s so highly rated, and I will tell you that I don’t really go out and eat burgers before my New Year’s resolution for this year.  At a restaurant I am normally a chicken/pork/seafood/tofu kind of person, not red meat.  I was not a fan of Quatman’s originally because this is the kind of shady, no frills place that doesn’t have lettuce or tomatoes on hand.  The first few times I went I had some Boar’s Head deli sandwiches and they only topping they have is a huge slice thru a raw onion.  This is my first time going to Quatman’s in almost 3 years and my review this time is significantly better than I was hoping to give them.  What can I say, what they do, they do well and stay dirt cheap. 

I went to Quatman’s on Monday, July 18^th with a friend who got lost getting there, which is normal it seems, so help your friends out when trying to give them directions to get there.  Of course it was fairly empty, but I will say that it still had more people than I would expect to see on a Monday night.  The best part of the night was while waiting for my friend to get there, I got a feel for the types of people that go to a place like Quatman’s.  There were people in the seats watching sports, or just coming from playing softball across the street, and as one of the younger guys was leaving, a lady about twice his age called out his name, they guy looked confused, and she then told him how she used to baby sit him as a kid and blah, blah, blah.  Long story short, everyone in there was a regular and the kind of people that don’t go out of their element often.  Everyone knows each other at Quatman’s and it seems almost like cheers, but less funny and with more getdafuckouttahere stares from the crowd.  This is a hole in the wall in every aspect, even up to the point that they do NOT have menus…yup, you heard me, and they do not have menus at a sit down place because they don’t have much selection.  I asked for a menu and was pointed to the above your head menu you’d expect at McDonald’s, only 50 years old and looking like it.  The server did it in a manner that made me feel dumb for not knowing.  Not cool!  The online menu has about 20 items consisting of burgers, lunch meats, fish and soups.  What I can’t see is what goes thru their mind with the place not wanting menus.  It’s not like their items are changing daily or anything.  It’s a good thing you’re reading this review so you’ll know how to order when you go.  Also, check out the daily specials Monday thru Saturday and you can get a great deal on cheeseburgers, ham and cheese, bbq or a fish sandwich combo for 6.57$

I was starving as I waited for my company to find here way there, so I went with a completely new food item for me and slightly scary to order in a place like this, but I had the Mock Turtle soup for 2.95$.  I didn’t know what “mock” turtle is to start and I still don’t afterward.  What I can say is that I had a giant bowl of soup that had the look and nearly the consistency of skyline chili with shreds of a dark meat, probably beef, that was flavored with cinnamon like Cincinnati chili but didn’t come with noodles.  It was sweeter than I’ve had and I’d say I liked it over both skyline and goldstar, and it was half the price.  The Polish heritage in me remembers a sweet and sour Czernina, or duck blood soup, only thicker from Milwaukee’s Polish Fest where I grew up.  I would get it again if I go back. 

Burger with horseradish cheddar and a slice of onion.

 

The burger list here is short, either a hamburger or a cheeseburger.  The nice thing about this burger was the Boar’s Head cheese selection.  I ordered my burger with horseradish cheddar which was thick cut and a huge flavor to add to the burger.  The meat came with a great flavor even if it wasn’t seasoned much.  It came slightly overcooked, not medium since there was no pink middle and I expected it to be much greasier for the price.  The burger was on an average bun with a huge slice of onion, no lettuce or tomato was available.  My friend thought that this burger was better than Daveed’s, my second favorite, because the text was what a burger should feel like when you chew it.  The fries were a huge mound of thin potatoes cooked until crisp which was nice, but nothing above average.  This was all on special for 6.57$ with fries and a beer/soda, even a Hudy Delight!  You will have trouble finding a sandwich and fries for in this city for near 6.57$, and add the beer/soda and you have the cheapest burger special I’ve seen around.  I can see how this is a recurring top burger in the city for value alone. 

If you love a no frills, standard burger and a mountain of fries for a great price this one is for you.  Quatman’s wins this top 40 burger list award for “affordability” without losing taste by far.  I would recommend this place to any poor college kids reading this review, you’ll love it.  It’s not my favorite, but this burger is up there.