Rick's Tavern and Grille

                Not too long ago we were heading up to Point Pleasant Park in Fairfield to watch the home opener of the Cincinnati Dockers Australian Rules Football team.  Never heard of Aussie Rules, also called Footy? You should. Its non-stop action, kill the man with the ball mixed with soccer and rugby only more brutal style will turn you into a fan for sure. In fact, the US Nationals are going to be held in Mason this October. Check out the Dockers at http://cincinnatidockers.com/.

                On our way to watch the Dockers play the Columbus Jackaroos (yes, their woman’s team is called the Jillaroos), we stopped at Rick’s Tavern and Grille in Fairfield for lunch. Located in a strip mall at 5955 Boymel and on line at http://www.rickstavern.com/, Rick’s is a very large place that was practically empty on the day we ventured in.

                With televisions viewable at any angle but also a warm, comfortable atmosphere that could probably get loud during happy hour, Rick’s looks like a “happening” place.

The Burgers

                The burgers are seven ounce fresh, never frozen, Angus beef. While they are a bit more expensive (what the hell is this with charging half a buck to add cheese these days; does a slice of American cost fifty cents?) than your typical neighborhood pub burger, we both ordered ours with a garden that was fresh and enjoyed the basic condiments.

                Yes, the burger tasted as advertised. Fresh Angus beef is always a delight when properly prepared. They had a good flavor and were just messy enough. For some reason we got into a discussion about the size of the buns. We talked about places that offered up huge “where’s the beef” style buns as well as those where the bread is so small it disintegrates while eating. But these sesame seed buns were just right.

                Josh ordered fries, which he said were pretty pedestrian and Mark had the chips that come standard. We have railed about this in the past and will do it again in the future. But what is it with places tossing a handful of store bought potato chips on your plate along with the burger. It diminishes the meal in some ways. OK, the chips are cheaper for the restaurant but come on, customers want to feel as though they are getting their money’s worth (did we mention they charged a half a dollar for cheese?).

                Don’t get us wrong, we liked the burger well enough and probably, if we lived closer, we would stop in and try some of the other menu items. And if you’re up in that neighborhood, we suggest you give Rick’s a try for yourself. Just be prepared to pay extra for fries and cheese.