Legend has it that the back bar of the Mt. Adams Bar and Grill belonged to the notorious George Remus. Notorious? Not heard of him? You should have because he made a lot of history in and around Cincinnati during Prohibition.
Remus was a Chicago lawyer who found a loophole in the 18th Amendment that allowed for the manufacture and sale of legal alcohol for medical reasons. Seeing the opportunity he jumped at the chance to make money by purchasing a distillery and distribution operation based in Cincinnati. Soon he was making and selling booze all over the Eastern half of the country. In addition, quite a few of his shipments ended up being hijacked with the goods sold on the black market. And Remus was behind it.
When the Feds caught up with him and indicted him on criminal charges, his wife proceeded to file for divorce. Two days before his trial he caught up to his wife and shot her to death in Eden Park. At that trial he put up a new and unique defense that got him off: temporary insanity.
Now you can catch Remus as a supporting character on HBO’s award winning show Boardwalk Empire.
The Mt. Adams Bar and Grill, complete with that glorious back bar, was reputedly the location of one of the many illegal speakeasys in the Tri-State area. When the 21st Amendment did away with Prohibition, this was the first establishment in Ohio to obtain a liquor license.
Located at 938 Hatch St. in Mt. Adams and at http://mtadamsbarandgrill.com/ on line, the Mt. Adams Bar and Grill continues to serve as a landmark location.
The Burger
This is another Mark solo effort. I was having lunch with my friend Margaret and we wanted something good that was located in between both of us. Mt. Adams may not be the easiest to get in and out of, let alone park, but it always offers up a number of great places to eat. Margaret chose the Mt. Adams Bar and Grill and I readily agreed since neither of us had been there in a while.
I chose the Classic, a quarter pound of fresh beef on a sesame seed bun, topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and condiments of choice. As I remembered the burger came out hot and fresh though the cheese wasn’t really melted, looking more like it had been an afterthought. Seriously, cheese should be melted on the burger and not laid atop it after if comes off the grill.
The flavor of the burger itself was good. It tasted like a burger should, not all layered with different spices and seasonings that can overpower the flavor of the meat. The bun was soft and fresh and absorbed the juices while still holding together through ever bite of the sandwich.
I’ve commented before and will do so here again, but what the hell is the deal with restaurants tossing a handful of potato chips on a plate instead of offering up French fries with a burger? Sure it costs less and, in the cast of the Mt. Adams Bar and Grill, helps keep the cost of a good burger down (check out the price on the menu but pardon the blurry low light iPhone photo). At least they were fresh and ridged, which offered a little something. Sure I could have paid extra for the fries but sometimes that just goes against my nature.
The service, for a busy lunch crowd, was excellent. Even though I arrived before Margaret, who was stuck in some traffic, our server was very attentive without being pushy. She offered me a drink while I waited and only once asked if I would like to start with an appetizer. When Margaret did arrive so, too did our server, fetching her drink and giving us adequate time to choose our food.
Margaret didn’t have a burger but complimented her meal as being good as always. Which seems to be the case at this restaurant. There is a consistency to everything, be it meal or service. Combine all of these with a great and historical décor and this is one restaurant worth climbing the hill for.
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