The Eagle 1342 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine The Eagle is nested inside a retired post office and has a relatively small menu, comprised of fried chicken, sandwiches, snacks and several side dishes. Booze-wise, they serve tons of beer and cocktails made from scratch. The fried chicken is free-range, all natural and sourced from Ohio farms. Opt for a whole, half chicken (white and dark meat) or a quarter of a chicken (select white or dark). The brown sugar bacon is a must. Photo: TheEagleCincinnati

The Eagle 1342 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine The Eagle has become a popular place to dine in Cincinnati thanks to their great fried-chicken, beer and Southern comfort food. Inside the welcoming and rustic interior of The Eagle are 16 taps that pour local, craft, and domestic beer. Try their natural and antibiotic-free chicken, and their many sides like mac and cheese, white cheddar grits, homemade biscuits and coleslaw. Photo: TheEagleCincinnati

Thunderdome Restaurant Group is combining two of its popular dining concepts out in Mason. 

As of Monday, Oct. 5, The Eagle — Over-the-Rhine’s fried chicken destination — will be opening up an evening carry-out, operating out of Mason’s Maplewood Kitchen + Bar location. 

From 8 a.m.-3 p.m. during the day, Maplewood will serve its West Coast-style breakfast, brunch and lunch options. And then from 4-9 p.m., The Eagle will take over, crafting “house-brined, hand-dredged, fresh-fried chicken and comfort food sides,” says a release.

“The nature of operating a daytime cafe like Maplewood is that the restaurant is sitting empty and unused during the evening” says John Lanni, co-founder of Thunderdome Restaurant Group. “The demand for The Eagle up North has been overwhelming and this seemed like a natural way to meet that demand while utilizing an untapped resource.”

Nicknamed The Eagle North, guests will be able to order all of the same Eagle OTR favorites. Place an order online and then pick up your meal via contactless curbside carry-out — or get it delivered.

“We’re excited to try out this new-to-us format, offering The Eagle up for carry-out only, in a current market that’s demanding it,” says Lanni. “Our fans have been clamoring for us to bring The Eagle to their neighborhood for years and we’re excited to be able to do exactly that.”

Utilizing existing restaurant kitchens to cook a menu for an entirely different operation isn’t unheard of. Frequently called “ghost kitchens,” operators craft dishes for carry-out or pick-up using another restaurant’s facilities. For example, wing-delivery spot Wing Squad was operating out of Buca di Beppo’s kitchen in Rookwood, and Chuck E. Cheese locations started making premium take-out pizza from their kitchens under the moniker Pasqually’s. 

During the grand opening 4-9 p.m. Oct. 5, The Eagle North will be randomly handing out 10 $25 Thunderdome Gift Cards.

Maplewood Kitchen + Bar and The Eagle North are located at 5065 Deerfield Blvd., Mason. More info: eaglerestaurant.com.

This article appears in The Meaning of Monuments.

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