About
Eight years ago, on the Ohio River, just east of downtown Cincinnati, Joby Bowman and Michael Shields, along with our original investor, Artie Bowman, opened BrewRiver GastroPub. BrewRiver was the first gastropub in the city and the first restaurant to serve craft beer exclusively. We also built a reputation cooking with local craft beers. Both Michael and Joby have worked in New Orleans for Emeril Lagasse, with Michael spending six years in the kitchen learning from the world renowned and beloved Chef. Their time spent in New Orleans, learning the art of Creole cooking, paired with their love of craft beer was the inspiration for what became their culinary signature at BrewRiver. Artie Bowman passed away in 2014, but his spirit still lingers in every inch of our restaurant! We have always been a family owned restaurant and will continue to be because of Artie's generosity and love of the restaurant business.
The BrewRiver philosophy is based on a fully scratch kitchen, pulling from local ingredients and using local artisan purveyors. We believe that catsup should be made from scratch in our kitchen and that pickles should be brined in our custom spice blend to create unique flavors. BrewRiver even ferments our own kimchi for our signature kimchi tartar sauce, elevating the flavors of the humble burger. BrewRiver prepares all food at the time it is ordered. This may take a little more time, but we think it is important for food quality and taste and we think our guests are worth it!
Many guests are curious about our name and its origin...The name comes from our love of craft beer and is an homage to Cincinnati and its history as a brewing city. That explains the "brew" portion of our name. Both the Ohio and the Mississippi Rivers were integral in the transportation of beer and other goods from New Orleans to Cincinnati and vice versa. Our Ohio River and the Mississippi River connect our two beloved cities to this day. Our food features the local color and flavor of New Orleans, and our libations bring the best of both city's histories together, thus the "river" portion of our name.
We like to think of BrewRiver as more than a restaurant. BrewRiver is an experience!
So, sit back and enjoy a craft beer, boutique wine, or hand-crafted cocktail. Enjoy the live music. Talk to friends and family. But, most importantly, enjoy our food! We treasure each and every one of you, and hope we have made your day special with your visit today! Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler as they say in New Orleans!