Urban establishments like the Brew House illustrate the diverse brotherhood of man. In the current local climate of racial issues as the conversation du jour, a Tuesday evening in this 34-year-old watering hole brings together black and white, male and female, old and young, urban and suburban, all seeming to honor their common interests of food, drink and music while accepting — perhaps even celebrating — their differences.
The Scene
Like a thousand other corner bar/restaurants in Anytown, USA, the Brew House has a standard decor of dark wood, low lighting, a wall of booths, sports memorabilia, funky signage and a big-screen TV. I’m surprised how crowded it is at 8 o’clock on a weeknight with lively conversation and lots of table-hopping. It’s definitely a “where everybody knows your name” atmosphere. Interwoven with the babble of the diverse crowd are the notes of several instruments being tuned for a Bluegrass jam night. Traditional Bluegrass in the ‘hood: Now there’s a cultural medley.
The Scoop
The menu is full-on pub grub, perfect for the table of teen-agers I dragged with me who seem to subsist on pizza, sugar and all-that-is-fried. Mozzarella Sticks ($4.25), Bacon Cheeseburger ($4.75), Fish & Chips ($5.75), Grilled Cheese ($3.50) and a Texas Burger ($6.25, on rye toast with grilled onions and mustard) are ordered with a round of Cokes (generously refilled often by our server). The food is average: Nothing too greasy, nothing awful, nothing that warrants a critique. We eat it all and feel appropriately satisfied for the type of fare it is. I don’t know that people really come here for the food alone: Maybe there’s some standout sandwich that has its devotees, and I’m sorry if I missed it.
But it’s certainly a good enough piece of the show.
We lingered long after the table was cleared to listen to the musicians, who soon numbered as many as customers. Two Jacks and a lady called Dragonfly appeared to be the core of this jam session that featured five guitarists, two dobros, three mandolin players, one fiddler and one stand-up bass. It felt very en famille with young and old musicians casually grouped together as if they were on the front porch of grandpap’s house, uniting their voices in songs of hope and optimism — “happy-feet” music, as my son calls it.
The Sizzle
In a follow-up phone call to The Brew House, I asked about their customers. “They come from all over the city,” I learned, “Madeira, Western Hills, all over … they come because they like the diversity.” Nothing was more reflective of that diversity than the jukebox, offering one of the most varied selections I’ve seen. Albums from Barry White, Dizzy Gillespie, Delbert McClinton, Little Feat, Bob Marley, Jefferson Airplane, Dolly Parton, Sam Cooke, Madonna, Grand Funk, Grateful Dead, Queen and Miles Davis to the soundtracks from Wayne’s World and Trainspotting indicate that we can — and do — celebrate our differences.
Go: 1047 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills
Call: 513-961-9058
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Bar is open until 2:30 a.m. Closed Sundays
Prices: Inexpensive
Payment: Major credit cards
Beyond Red Meat: Pub-grub style sandwiches and pasta
Other: Off-street parking. Music jams on Tuesday (Bluegrass) and Saturday (Rock, Oldies, Folk)
This article appears in Apr 3-9, 2002.
