If you can judge a restaurant by just one visit, Nick & Tom’s mostly comes out a winner. On an icy cold afternoon when many Cincinnatians remained huddled at home, the rambling old restaurant on Bridgetown Road was so packed that I had to drive through its parking lot three times to find a space.
I was a party of one, but I lucked out by snagging a booth by a double-hung window. The dining room’s dark millwork and wall-mounted, lantern-lit tables give the restaurant a Colonial New England feel. It’s a little battered, perhaps a little dated, but in a good way.
You don’t see many restaurants like Nick & Tom’s these days – an affordable family style tavern with friendly neighborhood vibes. A place where you can have a cocktail or beer while your kids eat chicken fingers and quesadillas and ask questions about the sky or your childhood or how to download an app on your phone. This is why the West Side has always had a slight edge over the East Side in my opinion. Not only do their cherished old restaurants still exist, they continue to thrive…