Good news!. This iconic building and historic site of the Rookwood art pottery "factory" has a reopened restaruant at same site, now known as Rookwood Pottery Food & Beverage Company.

I guess I'm writing this review in memoriam now that this place has closed. It's crazy that it took us so long to discover this place..finally get around to checking it out..loving it..only to have it close down two weeks later. Really upsetting. Anywho, the location was amazing, with awesome views from the parking lot. The building was pretty fascinating in itself..an old pottery factory converted into a restaurant..we got a peak at the "kiln rooms" (old school pottery kilns converted into dining rooms for larger parties)..they looked like they'd be really cool to dine in. Our server was extremely friendly and helpful. He had a server trainee with him (sad under the circumstances right?) and they both did an amazing job that night. The food here was amazing! We started with the bread basket with house made butters. It was very unique and tasty. I went for the Barnsdale Burger and it was absolutely delicious. The beef paddy was thick and juicy and extremely flavorful. The combination of the caramelized onions and cheese complimented the burger and the bun they used was perfect. Probably one of the best burgers in Cincinnati..and now it's gone. I went for the grippos fries with my burger, and they were outstanding. Literally tasted like French fries infused with grippos. My girlfriends dad is a HUGE grippos fan and we had to send him pictures and describe them to him. He was pretty jealous..ha. We even got a dessert there..and we hardly get dessert anywhere. The smores brownie just sounded too good. Oh..and it was. The brownie itself was thick and packed with a lot of chocolate. The burnt marshmallow on top gave it an extra sweet flavor. Upon leaving this place we commented on how happy we were to have found it..and how excited we were to bring more people there and let them experience it for themselves. Alas..it seems like it was not meant to be. Definitely a five star experience here regardless. Here's to them finding a new location and reopening one day.

Ice definitely found a new favorite place to eat here in Cincinnati because this place was awesome! I made reservations for myself, dad and grandpa for brunch yesterday (if you want to go as soon as they open at 11a I would recommend that you do the same). While the service was on the slow side to start, it gave us plenty of time to look over the menu and specials so we could order as soon as our waiter came. Here's what we all tried! The Pancake Special - Blueberry Pancakes with cream cheese icing drizzled on top. (But this must be a recurring special because I've seen others post pictures of the same dish.) This was grandpa's choice and he was absolutely pleased! These were three of the thickest pancakes I have ever seen!! I will give a heads up that they aren't served with maple syrup. This seemed just fine with gramps, but for my sweet tooth I would've needed it. Sin City Pork Belly Sandwich - Ciabatta smothered with bacon mayo, tomato, frisée, Goetta and pork belly. We also decided to upgrade our side and get Grippo Fries instead of the haystack fries. This tray of food was so friggin' awesome! The fries seriously taste like Grippos (with just a touch less heat, which is perfect for me). I'm not crazy about the fact that this fries were on the limp side, not crispy at all. But the awesome seasoning really made up for it! And the sandwich was so fantastic!! Every ingredient had the perfect flavor and texture. We would definitely order it again! Donut French Toast - Two donuts cut in half, soaked in custard and cooked in a griddle and covered with cashews (although the menu said marcona almonds....), maple syrup and a thick slice of pork belly. Everything tastes so good together that I wish there had been one more slice of pork belly to finish off the dish. But all in all I was ridiculously happy with this dish! French toast should always be this tender and perfectly sweet! I can't wait to visit this place again and check out lunch!

Someday Yelp will let me give half stars. The Rookwood is almost a 5 star for me, so I will just say it's a very strong 4. I have been going to various incarnations of restaurants in this space for close to 4 decades. (Does anyone else remember the game room in the basement and the sundae bar?) The building itself is worth a visit if you've never been. Several original kilns are still present, some of which you can eat in. Various seating area have been built and changed over the years. Don't be surprised if you get seated somewhere you didn't even know existed. For our most recent visit, we tried the homemade cracklins. (Pork Rinds). A perfect mix of crispy puffiness and savory melt in your mouth feel. Dusted with a spicy buffalo style dry rub, I highly recommend you give these a try. They literally crackle in your mouth - think savory pop rocks! We also had the burger and the pork belly sandwich. Both come with their fries that have changed since I was there last. You get a huge heap of super thin, nicely seasoned potatoes. I had mine with the truffle seasoning, which I think is worth the upgrade if you like that flavor. The pork belly sandwich is amazing. Perfectly done, with an absurdly decadent topping of goetta and a quail egg. This sandwich is so rich I suggest sharing it along with one of their great starters for a delicious meal for two. A quick note about the service. I noticed that throughout the evening, other servers and staff took note of empty dishes on our table and would quickly scoop them away. This kind of team approach reflects a good attitude among the staff that I would have to assume is intentional from the management. When everyone thinks every table is part of their job, everyone gets better service. Though it has been open for several years, I still have not made it to their outside space. It's possible that is what it will take to get that last star. I look forward to going back.

First off, forgetting everything else you just can't beat the view... of everything!. I had a hard time getting myself to go inside there was so much to look at from this high point; the river, ballparks, city scape, casino and more. Inside you'll find a funky and interesting bar, restaurant and museum displaying ceramics from a previous era. We were there as a large group and had many appetizers presented. Often this kind of event means cold things that are supposed to be hot and mushy things left out too long. Everything we ate was fresh and well prepared. The vegetables were outstanding, they brought out vegetarian as well as meat items lots of salad options and pot stickers and finger foods. Everything they served was tasty and well prepared. We had over 20 people in our group and we were moving around between conversations yet the wait staff amazingly always got the right drinks to the right people and never let us want for anything. I took the time to explore the many ceramic bowls vases and other objects from when the building was a kiln, no one seemed to mind that I was wandering around. If the sit down menu is anything like the large group food I think you would be instore for a wonderful meal in a historic building with interesting views.

Growing up in Northern Kentucky, I've always thought of The Rookwood as a place to go to for special occasions. And in the case of my most recent visit, it was to celebrate the 60th birthday of my boyfriend's mother. When we arrived, I was instantly impressed with the view of Cincinnati from The Rookwood's property. The restaurant is perched atop a hill in Mount Adams. We were told that we would be able to dine in one of the restaurant's signature kilns. The restaurant is housed in the former studio and manufacturing facility of the Rookwood Pottery Co., and the couple of large kilns scattered throughout the restaurant contain enough room for a small group. But alas, when we got to the restaurant, we were told that these were already taken. We were seated in a table behind one of the kilns, which was also nice because this afforded us a semi-private spot. And the waitress threw in a free dessert due to the mix-up. We started with the meat and cheese plate, which is on the small plates menu and included a bacon jam -- an interesting concoction that was surprisingly sweet. I was not overly hungry so I dined on the mac 'n' cheese. It sounds low-key but is actually quite gourmet with bits of veal short ribs, confit leeks, wild mushrooms, moody blue cheese, trenne pasta and truffle crumbs. It was over and above any mac I've ever had, and the only suggestion I'd have is that it could use some more of the veal. I also shared a plate of truffle fries with the table. Nom. If you see truffle fries on any menu, you have to get them. My boyfriend and his brother got the pork shank plate, which comes with jus, cheese grits, escarole with crispy Berkshire belly and fried pickled okra. I stole more than a couple of bites, with the grits being my favorite. The table also shared the Dojo gelato sampler, which came with Venetian coffee, churro and olive oil gelato. (And before you make a face, the olive oil gelato was a nice surprise.) We also got the Bourbon Budino, which was like a bourbon, chocolate and caramel trifle in a jar. It was good, but I'd get the gelato if I had to choose between the two. Now, The Rookwood is not cheap. (See my comment above about "special occasions.") The entrees are between $16 and $28, and the large plates menu only has a handful of options. But you can rest assured that whatever you get, it will be delicious and carry a chef's touch. And along with dining at The Rookwood being memorable (see the kilns), it can also easily become one of a few stops during a night in Mount Adams -- a fun night indeed!

I absolutely LOVE this place! I had just finished a grueling final exam week and was looking for an upscale pub where I could get my hands a little dirty with some good greasy junk food, but also one where I could dress up a little (as I had been stuck in sweaters and yoga pants this past week). And boy oh boy was The Rookwood just to the place to go! Upon entering the restaurant, I was immediately emerged in its nice rustic decor and stunning bar. They had an amazing playlist filled with songs of a variety of different genres but all with the same theme - just plain ole feel-good music. We had a reservation and were promptly seated and greeted by our wonderful waitress, Samantha. Even before ordering the food, I already had a huge smile on my face. :D We ordered a bowl of the Rookwood Chili ($4) as our appetizer. I was delightfully surprised by the rich flavors and copious amounts of meat and cheese that filled that lovely little bowl. Our entrees were also amazing. I chose the Fig Burger ($12) and my boyfriend had the BLT burger ($15). Easily one of the best fig burgers I've ever had! It had exactly the right balance of sweetness that I like. Overall, a really great experience. Will be coming back again to try other things on the menu!

If you have a small group of people, it is HIGHLY suggested that you get a kiln room. I took the indie band Beirut (self admitted foodies) to the Rookwood for dinner before their sold out Bogarts show a few weeks ago. They loved the atmosphere and all really enjoyed the food as well. It was really cool to delve into the history of the site and discuss regional food cultures with out-of-towners. If you go, GET A KILN ROOM!!! (and a porkbelly sandwich with egg on top!)