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We'll Miss These Greater Cincinnati Bars and Restaurants That Closed in 2021

By CityBeat Staff on Tue, Dec 21, 2021 at 1:18 pm

The pandemic has not been kind to the hospitality industry. The Ohio Restaurant Association says more than 3,000 restaurants have shuttered across the state in 2021, many times due to continued fallout from the pandemic, including supply chain issues and staffing shortages. But there are plenty of other reasons to close a restaurant, including new ventures, expansions and more.

Whatever the reason, here are Greater Cincinnati bars and restaurants we said goodbye to in 2021. Thanks to all of them for the food, fun and memories.

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Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Please

1405 Clay St., Over-the-Rhine
Chef and owner of Please, Ryan Santos, announced the restaurant's closure on social media in August, saying, "There are a lot of reasons for this decision, many of them pandemic related (and too many to get into detail). During our downtime, and with a lease renewal approaching, the reflection on and reality of the physical and mental health toll of the restaurant on myself just wasn’t sustainable for another 5 years." He also thanked his guests, employees and investors for "making this weird little idea such a success and special place for so many."

Photo: Facebook.com/CourtStLobster

Court Street Lobster Bar

28 W. Court St., Downtown
Court Street Lobster Bar closed in October. The owners announced the news on Facebook. They said it was a difficult decision, but “ultimately, we had to take a realistic look at the current climate of the restaurant industry and determined that our business model was no longer viable.” They said part of the decision was due to an increase in seafood prices because of supply chain issues and shipping costs. The New England-style lobster shack had been around since 2017, offering “fresh sustainable seafood, high-quality libations and top-notch service.“

Photo: Paige Deglow

Washington Platform

1000 Elm St., Downtown
In December, owner and chef Jon Diebold announced the closure in a Facebook post stating that it “is time for a new chapter.” The downtown staple was established in 1875 (and re-established in 1986). They served up New Orleans-styled grub and drink to the Queen City for decades, well known for their oysters.

Photo: Facebook.com/revolutionrotisserie

Revolution Rotisserie

1106 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
Revolution Rotisserie has permanently closed its eatery in Over-the-Rhine, but they are planning to open a new dessert concept called Milkman in the space. "Despite weathering countless storms, it is with a heavy heart that we have decided the best course of action is to permanently close our OTR location at this time," the restaurant wrote on Facebook. "We are so grateful for the memories we’ve made together over the past 6 years. It’s been an incredible ride and we have learned so many lessons along the way." Their Pleasant Ridge location remains open.

Photo: Catie Vox

Senate

1212 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Senate in Over-the-Rhine closed its doors in October. The gourmet hot dog gastropub announced the news on Facebook, writing, “In 2009 we set out to create a great neighborhood restaurant with nothing more than a little hope and a lot of ambition. Over the last 12 years, we’ve been able to do some really amazing things because of this restaurant, it’s created opportunities for us that we never thought were possible.” They will be expanding their sister restaurant and next-door neighbor Abigail Street into the space. Senate’s Blue Ash location remains open.

Photo: Facebook.com/BananaLeafModernThai

Banana Leaf Modern Thai

101 E. Main St., Mason
Downtown Mason's Banana Leaf Modern Thai had been a community staple for more than a decade. The eatery closed in January. "Thank you, thank you, thank you for your years of support and loyalty. We've come to know many of your families and consider you friends. We are proud to have been a part of the Mason community for 11 years!" a Facebook post about the closure read.

Photo: Facebook.com/MonkCincinnati

CRZY MONK

26 E Court St., Downtown
Downtown eatery CRZY MONK, from the team behind Lalo and the now-closed Hop Ping Hog, closed in June. The restaurant, known for healthy Asian fare, was originally located on Main Street but was forced to find a new home when their landlord asked them to leave at the height of the pandemic. The eatery moved to East Court Street in January, but shortly after their move, construction began for the recently-opened pedestrian-friendly Court Street Plaza, forcing them to close indefinitely. The group opened a burger and frappe-centric spot called Bebo's Burgers & Frappes in the former Hop Ping Hog's space.

Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Commonwealth Bistro

621 Main St., Covington
A MainStrasse Village labor of love, Commonwealth Bistro permanently closed its doors at the start of the year. The restaurant, owned by Chris and Tess Burns, was a project about a half-a-decade in the making when it opened in the fall of 2016. "We are devastated to share that Commonwealth’s days have come to an end. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have to close," a Facebook post about the closure read. "We would like to thank each and every one of you for the support you have given to Commonwealth Bistro. It has been an absolute pleasure serving you over the years. We are incredibly grateful for our entire community. May 2021 be a year of healing and health." Commonwealth's popular rooftop bar Yonder also closed as a result.

Photo: Vincent DiFrancesco

Postmark

3410 Telford St., Clifton
Clifton Gaslight's sophisticated fine dining eatery Postmark closed in June. The restaurant, helmed by chef Brad Bernstein of Red Feather Kitchen, opened in 2017, closed briefly in 2019 and reopened after a few months with a focus on private events and dinner series. After the pandemic hit in March of 2020, the restaurant temporarily closed and reopened in the late summer as a bottle shop and then eventually began offering carry-out and dine-in service. The team behind the restaurant announced via Facebook they made the decision to close Postmark to focus on reopening Dutch's Larder in July.

Photo: Facebook.com/opieobakery

O Pie O

1527 Madison Road, East Walnut Hills
O Pie O closed its East Walnut Hills restaurant in August, but a new concept by the same team is slated to open in its place. O Pie O announced its plans via a Facebook post. "It's been a year and half of changes all around with challenges that couldn't have been overcome without you, our loyal customers. O Pie O will continue offering our sweet and savory pies at our location in OTR, where we will soon expand our operating days and hours," a portion of the post read. The East Walnut Hills O Pie O location opened its doors in early 2015 after running a rather successful pop-up at Findlay Market. The team opened a second location in Over-the-Rhine in the summer of 2020.