Terry's Turf Club - Cincy {Pics~UPDATED 10/21/08}

There have been a lot of reviews/opinions about Terry's Turf Club {4618 Eastern Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45226 513-533-4222}
http://rodeo.cincinnati.com/ent2/entity.aspx?e=215894

Personally, I have been there 2 weeks in a row, and LOVE IT!!! In defense of people who have been there on the weekends, I can imagine that it does get crowded. It's a small place. I have been there both times on Thursday night, and found it to be a friendly place. And on Thursday, it has not been crowded.

First off, Terry of TTC used to be the owner of Neon's, which was a bar in the OTR Main Street District. Obviously, the guy loves neon.













































I have read stuff about bad service, but our server, Patti, was GREAT!!! She even remembered our names from last week!! Ask for Patti, if she's working!!



The menu~



The food~

The filet with bearnaise, and crabmeat. Fries on the side, and three sauces to try {red pepper & gaot cheese, blackberry sauce & mango, tequila & jalapeno sauce}.



almost gone~



Burger with blue cheese, burgundy wine sauce with wild mushrooms & truffles, and sauteed onions~







Both times the burger was cooked more than the medium rare I asked for, but the burger was juicy, the fries cooked perfectly, and the sauces and/or toppings were EXCELLENT!!

And, I will say again, the service was excellent, as well. Everyone was very friendly & accomadating.

I found the food & service, and the entire experience to be a-one, top-notch!!!

I will be back, and I will bring my friends!!

The food looks good but what's with the plates? We use those at work!

quote:

Originally posted by jeepguy

The food looks good but what's with the plates? We use those at work!

And the plasticware. For a steak?

quote:

Originally posted by C Turner Joy

quote:

Originally posted by jeepguy

The food looks good but what's with the plates? We use those at work!

And the plasticware. For a steak?

It was, no doubt, a very tender steak!

soozycue520: Lots of nice photos! Boy, he sure likes neon. Why is it named "Turf Club"?

They spent a fortune on neon but it looks great. Great looking burger to me.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

The menu is very limited. It is just sandwiches & fries. The filet is actually a sandwich, but my friend ordered it sans bun.

It is just a bar serving food. Not fancy.

I know it's hard to read the menu, but you pick what kind of sandwich you want, and there are only about 6 choices, including burger, chicken, filet, fish, portabella mushroom & shrimp. Then you pick your toppings, which include blue or goat cheese, & foie gras. Then you pick your sauce. These have recommendations on which sauce goes with the chicken, fish, beef, etc. We ordered the 3 sauces on the side just to try. We dipped our fries in them.

The fries are their only side. They are fresh cut.

They do have monthly specials, as well. The crab meat was a special.

I don't know why it's call "Turf Club".

I kinda threw this report together last night pretty quickly, so if there are any questions, I'd be happy to address them.

Having dined a Terry's several times, I find the plastic utensils and paper plates one of the few pit-falls of the place.

The burgers have always been absolutely delicious (and until he learns or decides to twice fry his fries to get them crisp, I will opt for the potato chips and save my money for a trip to Graeters after the burger).

That said, when you are paying up to $10 and more for a burger with exotic fixin's and fries, I would expect to find silverware and at least basic restaurant supply house white china.

Reminds me of a place along the river that serves it's meals on paper plates and for the prices I pay I am always left with a slight feeling of "laziness" and "waste" after I finish dining.

If space does not allow an automatic dishwasher to fit, I can understand. Most of what I've seen in other establishments is either a staff that is too young and busy to be bothered or an owner that is too frugal to buy the equipment and the staff to run it.

I'll be back to Terry's of course, but some of the math still does not add up since the food is so very good...


jjjrfoodie

Oh that burgandy burger would also be what i would order...but the plastic silverware and paper plate has got to go!!!!!

What a neat looking place in Cincy. I was there last week and wish I had known about it. I can't wait to check it out on my next visit there.

Very nice report and photos. Terry's will be a must stop next time we're in Cincinnati. I'm a little disappointed I didn't know about it earlier...

Buddy

It did not exist on your visit 2 years back

quote:

Originally posted by BuddyRoadhouse

Very nice report and photos. Terry's will be a must stop next time we're in Cincinnati. I'm a little disappointed I didn't know about it earlier...

Buddy

I would have been happy to take you to Terry's last month Buddy, but like the "swallows to capistrano," your inner-roadfood compass demanded you head to the ghetto for Alabama Fish Bar that Saturday. The mumbling and incoherent cracked-laced locals we encountered that night are now used as common conversation fodder when I dine with friends.

I recommend Terry's WHEN (not if) you come into town next year...


jjjrfoodie

I went back again last night, and had a perfectly cooked medium rare burger with roasted red pepper & goat cheese sauce. YUM!! The staff was different than on Thursday, but they were still very friendly & accomodating. I have read some reviews on Cincinnati.com about bad/rude service, but I just have not experienced that at all. In fact, it's quite the opposite. However, I have not been there on a weekend, which is probably pretty hectic, considering how small the place is.

jjjrfoodie, the paper plates may result from the lack of space for a dishwasher. They only have a grill & deep fryer in the kitchen area. That's the reason for the limited menu.

Looks like my kind of place, Soozy.I can see the corner of the beer menu in one of your pictures, looks like they offer some nice beers, too.

Like you soozie, I ahave always gone during the week knowing the weekend "crunch" is painful. Even on the most recent thrusday i went there was a 8-10 person wait mingling in the vestibule or outside and that was at 7pm.

Service has always been first class and the beer selection is very very good as it is seasonal for the most part yet they have quite a variety of bottled unique brews. ti is all over the plce in totality.

If your "crazy aunt" or "crazy uncle" ever ran a bistro, this would be it.

jjjrfoodie

quote:

Originally posted by jeepguy

The food looks good but what's with the plates? We use those at work!

My thoughts also.... very odd....But who cares, as long as the chow is good....
That neon is kinda guady, though.. Too much light for me. (IMO)

We went to Terry's again on Thursday Oct. 16th, and got the opportunity to meet Terry. He came by our table, and asked what I ordered, because it looked like "the works". We spoke about his nephew, who went to culinary school, and makes the sauces. The simple menu was Terry's idea, and his nephew moved on the rest. The limited menu is a matter of space {as well as the paper & plasticware}.

I told Terry about Roadfood, and he indulged me in a picture {with my friend Betty}





He also brought out a sample of a tangerine habanero mustard that his nephew has "perfected", and it was excellent!!! Here is a pic with my "works" burger of burgundy mushroom & truffle sauce, sauteed onions and blue cheese.








The pickles are very good kosher slices, and the buns come from the local Shadeau Bakery. They really hold up well with the sauces & juicy burgers.

I tried, again, to photogragh the menu, without much luck. Here are two bad pics.







The place was much more crowded on this Thursday evening. AS you can tell, I really like the place & continue to spread the word, and bring other friends.

Inquiring minds still want to know what's up with the paper plates.
This is not too different than having BBQ in NYC. That comes on paper, but folks would decry its authenticity if it didn't.

===That neon is kinda gaudy, though.. Too much light for me. (IMO)===

I am a fan of neon. It looks like he actually did some of his decorating on the cheap, it cost him very little. I do see some signs that look used.
All beer/liquor companies have given and received free advertising for a majority of what is on the walls. That big green neon fridge is something else. I see a beer logo and he did not pay for that either.

mark

Tangerine Habanero!!...Wow