Anderson Township Pub

                Opened in 1982, the ATP as the locals call it is vested in east side restaurant history. The Pub’s owner, John Stump had originally operated The Locker Room on Beechmont Ave. The ATP sits amid the handful of buildings on twisty and curvy Clough Pike, at 6694 Clough Pike and can be found on the web at andersonttownshippub.com.

Josh

 

           The Anderson Township Pub, commonly called the ATP, had been my favorite for the majority of my life. It’s lovable, and simple, layout, staff, food, and atmosphere have brought in quite a few lifelong costumers. As you enter, the first thing to notice is the large amount of sports memorabilia decking the walls. These, along with pictures and autographs, show just how long the ATP has been around. Every sports team from the Reds to the Bengals have their gear placed around the ATP. The service is without a doubt excellent, all the waiters are personable and the kitchen keeps up with the rush hour pretty well. The menu has been downsized over the years, but there isn’t an item on the menu that isn’t worth a try. The burgers, unsurprisingly, are the most popular item at the ATP. They’re massive, juicy, well-seasoned, and cooked to order. The garden at the ATP is fresh and crisp year round, and with a choice of fries or chips, the ATP allows you to have your burger the way you want it. With a steady supply of long time costumers, it isn’t hard to find people in the Anderson area who will tell you about the ATP. If you’re in Cincinnati, I highly recommend the ATP for lunch or dinner.

Mark

                The basics of any good burger are that it is plump, juicy, fresh and tastes great. For me, all of these are summed up in any visit you take to the ATP. Now before going any further I must admit that I am a true homer when it comes to this restaurant. I’ve been going there since the mid-1980s. All of my kids grew up on their grub. In fact, my two youngest went there many times while still in their pumpkin seats.

                All the time I’ve been going there I’ve never been delighted with the food, especially the burgers. The burgers are eight ounces of fresh, charbroiled beef cooked to taste. They come to your table thick and dripping with goodness. And they come served on fresh Servati buns, made daily to compliment this delicious homage to burger greatness.

                While I’ve tried just about everything on the menu, including each of the five signature burgers, on our review visit I stuck to our plan to only sample the basics and at The Pub, that means the Federal. Each of the burgers on the menu is named for one of the surrounding hills that make up Forest Hills. The Federal is your basic burger with your choice of cheeses. For this visit I chose American. I had them add a crisp, generous portion of lettuce and a surprisingly ripe and thick slice of tomato. Where do these great restaurants get their tomatoes in the winter? I have to find out.

                When I picked up the burger for my first bite juices dripped onto the plate. But those were the only ones lost and not soaked up by the Servati bun. As always there was an explosion of flavors that accompanied that bite: the bun, the lettuce, the tomato, the cheese, my choice of condiments which included mustard and mayo, and then that fresh, never frozen beef. It was heaven in my hand.

                Add to the burger the equally fresh, handmade French fries and it’s all but impossible to walk away from a meal at The Pub and not be full.

                In addition to the burgers, one of the great reasons to visit this neighborhood joint is the atmosphere. It starts when you pull in the parking lot. The lot isn’t paved and you sometimes feel as though you need to throw the SUV into four wheel drive. The building, though clean, looks like it’s seen a few visits. The open patio in front is great for warm days. But the inside is where you need to go.

                There it is dark and as your eyes adjust you see that the place is filled with televisions playing a number of different sporting events. The walls are covered with various sports memorabilia as well as pictures of various outings that the loyal regulars have attended. It’s small and homey and you get the feeling that some guy is going to walk in and everyone is going to shout, “Norm” or in my case. "Turner." He’ll of course order a burger. And be glad he did.