Roxy's Restaurant and Lounge

                Josh and I were downtown not too long ago checking out the Wine and Wheels car show. Normally we would have eaten some of the fare they were grilling up (wood stove pizza, ribs, chicken, burgers) but Josh wanted to get out of the heat and sit down where it was comfortable.

                Using the always helpful Urban Spoon app, we found Roxy’s Restaurant and Lounge. Located at 909 Vine St. (where Hamburger Mary’s use to be) and on the web at http://www.roxyscincy.com/, it was just a short walk from the show.

                Inside the place was empty as we became the first customers of the day. The décor is movie influenced with posters and pictures from films and stars lining the wall. With funky jazz playing, this isn’t your usual stop to chow down on a burger. But it is an interesting place to dine, even if you don’t intend to stay for one of the late night “events” that surely bring in a crowd.

Burgers

                We both ordered up Roxy Burgers, made with one half pound of fresh meat delivered daily from Eckerlin Meats (http://eckerlinmeats.com/) of Findley Market. The burgers took a while to prepare but when they came they were served on brinoche buns baked locally at Giminetti Baking Company (http://giminetti.com/). The burgers were done just right. Josh had cheddar cheese which added just enough of a bite to accent the freshly ground beef. Mark topped his with provolone. Both burgers had tomato, mayo and ketchup.

                While the burgers were good, this really came as no surprise. With the quality of the meat and bun already established and being cooked up on the grill that made Hamburger Mary’s such a wonderful place to eat, we would have expected nothing less.

                What was a pleasant surprise was the seasoned fries which we both ordered. We were told that they used a Cajun spice on the fries and it was very, very good. The spice was just enough to let us know it was there but not enough to overpower the potatoes.

                The only disappointment in the meal (other than the $8 price on the burger, good and yes worth it but it’s easier to find a burger that is just as good for much less) was the fact that they were out of diet soda and so Mark drank water instead.

                Still, that aside, Roxy’s is a good place to dine and well worth the drive to downtown. And maybe you might even want to consider staying around for one of the late night “events” featuring drag shows and all-male revues. Or not.