Cincinnati is experiencing somewhat of a burger renaissance; you could say burgers are the new food trend of 2016, toppling tacos and Southern-style comfort cuisine. Last year, Nation Kitchen & Bar opened in Pendleton, and in late 2015 both Bru Burger and Americano Burger Bar opened downtown — Americano just last month. So far, no Shake Shack, but that’s probably a good thing.
Chef Cristian Pietoso and his wife, Amanda, who own Via Vite and Hyde Park’s Forno Osteria+Bar (another 2015 addition), also own Americano. Anchored inside the new 84.51°Centre building — home to chef Jose Salazar’s Latin American eatery Mita’s — the restaurant comes in at an expansive 3,200-square-feet.
In terms of design, the theme of the restaurant is all things American. Black-and-white wallpaper features people from the 1920s and other past decades, mostly famous Americans — is that you, Mary Pickford? Once inside, look up to find an American flag ceiling installation comprised of 3,770 beer cans. The restaurant used Bud Light, Budweiser, Coors and Miller Lite cans to create the awe-inducing spectacle; finally, a purpose for mediocre domestic beers. And in case you didn’t notice the bar, a two-foot glowing sign that says “Bar” is propped behind it. Stop here for one of 13 beers on draft, mostly local and regional brews.
About 10 tables line the bar area, and a foosball and shuffleboard table separate it from a second dining area — to “encourage the American tradition of a little healthy competition.” Make sure you take a trip to the men’s room: I’m told the urinals are carved out of a beer keg. The women, though, don’t get anything fun like that.
The theme continues into the menu, which also fuses food and drink from other cultures. According to the Pietosos, because our country is a melting pot of traditions, they’ve taken the American staples we all love and elevated them with international flavors. For example, in addition to burgers, you can order German- or Chicago-style hot dogs, Russian slaw, New England clam chowder, paprika-topped corn on the cob and classic starters like chips and guac, wings, nachos, beer cheese and fried grits.
We tried the beer cheese dip ($6), melted and made with one of the aforementioned mediocre domestic beers and served in a circular iron skillet, accompanied by a giant, crunchy pretzel. As far as warm beer cheese goes, it had a mildly grainy texture and didn’t really stand out from other cheese dips. The fried grits ($4) were better — perfectly rectangular sticks, similar to polenta, with a tangy lemony aioli dipping sauce. Both dishes came out piping hot, like burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth hot, which is of course much better than tepid. To combat all the carbs, we also tried the farm wedge salad ($8) — not served hot, obviously — with a spicy buffalo blue cheese dressing that elevated the dish.
In the drinks department, they have root beer on tap and a sour beer bomber from Athens, Ohio’s Little Fish brewery for $36. You can’t get it anywhere else around here, so it’s worth the splurge.
For cocktails, the sangria is made with brandy and served in a mason jar; it’s also available by pitcher. For happy hour, you get $2 off drafts 3-6 p.m. during the week. Considering a High Life normally runs you $3, it’s only $1 during happy hour, making it the best deal in town.
Now, about their burgers, which is the reason you’ll want to come here. They have 10 burgers on the menu, ranging from The Argentinean (chimichurri, grilled onions, provolone cheese and mayo), the hilariously named Florence Y’all (taleggio cheese, portobello, arugula pesto), a plain burger (lettuce, tomato and mayo) and a veggie burger (faro-cannellini bean patty, caramelized onions, brie, arugula, tomato and mayo). We tried the Argentinean and the veggie, rather robust burgers which both came with a cute American flag toothpick stuck in the bun.
The Argentinean was juicy and flavorful, especially the chimichurri, and the veggie burger — a satisfying housemade patty — was piled high with arugula and onions, though a little too much mayo. The burgers are priced at $9-$14; adding fries is an extra charge. Burgers aren’t cheap anymore, especially gourmet options.
For sides, along with usual suspects like hand-cut fries, onion rings and mac and cheese, they offer a full-sized sour pickle on a stick… for $4. It seems slightly overpriced, but they do pickle it in-house, and it tasted much better than anything from a store-bought jar.
You’ll be full after the burgers, but save room for one of their frozen custard shakes ($6). They come in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavors and as a root beer float. For a few extra bucks, you can add booze. We tried the vanilla, topped with a dollop of whipped cream, with two of those fun, colorful thick straws stuck inside.
Americano is not quite reinventing the burger or American food in general, but the restaurant is a good addition to downtown’s burgeoning food scene and, especially because of the size, a good place to take the family for burgers or to grab a drink after work. They’re also open until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday to satiate all your late-night meat cravings.
Go: 545 Race St., Downtown; Call: 513-345-6677; Internet: americanoburgerbar.com; Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday; 3 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday.
This article appears in Jan 20-27, 2016.