Taft's Ale House

Taft's Ale HouseTaft's Ale House
Taft's Ale HouseTaft's Ale House
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

1429 Race St
Cincinnati, Ohio, 45202-7009
United States

(513) 334-1393 | map
taftsalehouse.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.86
Beers:
108
Ratings:
602
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.15
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
54
pDev:
8.67%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by patpbr:
Photo of patpbr
Reviewed by patpbr from Ohio

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4
Great space in a renovated church. 12 house brewed beer taps. Did not try the food but the smell of the Tri Tips being grilled will bring me back alone.
Jul 12, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.55 by cratez from Canada (ON)

Sep 22, 2023
 
Rated: 4.35 by DrBass from Maryland

Jul 24, 2021
 
Rated: 4.1 by Manta200 from Kentucky

Nov 02, 2019
Photo of adab123
Rated by adab123 from Ohio

3.49/5  rDev -15.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
Great ale house in Over the Rhine, Cincinnati. Worth checking out over Rheinegeist in my opinion.
Aug 25, 2019
 
Rated: 4.06 by rxthree from Ohio

Jun 22, 2019
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Reviewed by Sludgeman from District of Columbia

3.96/5  rDev -4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4 | food: 4.25
Visited on a Sunday night. Not too crowded, with a variety of folks, some watching NCAA basketball tournament and others as families just doing their thing.

V - Built inside an old church, the inside has some of its past architecture, but because the building had been almost abandoned prior to its conversion to a brewery (lost part of its roof in a storm), the vibe is a brewery sports bar inside a old historic structure. Church on outside, brew pub on insider. Love the big picnic style tables and benches, which you'll quite often share with another party. A smallish bar. Well lit and a good beer vibe. A nice place to bring family, friends, dates, etc. 4.0

Q - I thought their beers were well made and there's nothing better than drinking a beer that was made just yards from your table. 4.0

Ser - Friendly, helpful, generally knowledgable, but at times a bit slow or absent. 3.75

Sel - An excellent selection of their brews. A good variety, but the IPAs tended to standout. 4.0

F - A rather limited menu, but enough variety to satsify most. You will not be disappointed. 4.25
Mar 25, 2019
 
Rated: 3.86 by jt_thomas18 from Tennessee

Jan 11, 2019
 
Rated: 4.5 by Rubezahl from Pennsylvania

Nov 01, 2018
 
Rated: 3.84 by Pohr10 from Luxembourg

Oct 31, 2018
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -5.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.25
An exceptional venue with many beautiful and interesting features. A grand staircase leads up to the main floor with a huge U-shaped balcony overhead. The balcony has a bar and a variety of seating. All beers tried have been in the good to excellent range. The steak salad was large and delicious but the hunter stew was disappointing.
Jul 28, 2018
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Reviewed by Bryan12345 from Texas

5/5  rDev +20.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
I was shocked when I saw an average score of 3.something for this place. It is amazing! Ambiance is second to none, and all the beers are serviceable with a few notable home runs. This is one of my favorite breweries in the country!
Jul 16, 2018
 
Rated: 3.95 by Coco15 from Ohio

Jul 10, 2018
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Reviewed by WoodBrew from Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Taft's is a cool place....established in an old church. There are two sections...two story main restaurant and bar area....and then a basement bar area.....both really neat. The quality of the beer was great. The service was friendly and attentive. They had 16 of their own beers on tap....something for everyone. I didn't have their food....but heard great.
Jul 08, 2018
 
Rated: 3.73 by Sup3rr0ck13 from Indiana

May 24, 2018
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Reviewed by deadonhisfeet from Kentucky

4/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Visited in the middle of a workday, so the place wasn't very crowded. It's a beautiful old church with amazing architecture that has been renovated inside into a cathedral of a beer hall. Good service, good food, and a nice selection of beer, but I wish they had some "guest taps" in addition to their own offerings.
Mar 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by Jbaer1018 from Indiana

Nov 03, 2017
 
Rated: 2.96 by Chapuline44 from Kentucky

Oct 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4.19 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Sep 16, 2017
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.24/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
Situated in an old church that Taft used to walk by when younger. This fine
establishment pours great ales and serves some darn fine food that is well
presented and tastes as good as it looks. Go for the Big Billy or ale house
sandwich with their delicious red sauce to dip the home made tots into along
with delicious beer cheese and the beer----did I mention the beer???? Solid
representation for all taste buds from IPA's to stouts and porters as well as saisons
and Belgo styles. Something for everyone in a beautifully restored church with an
upstairs that sports a wonderful view.

Check it out---second visit was as good as the first with great service and knowledgeable
staff.

Cheers
May 12, 2017
Photo of francus
Reviewed by francus from North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.5
Taft's is in a converted church. Seating is on benches by long tables so sharing a table with people you don't know will happen. The beer selection was decent and the beers I tried were very good. Most of the food is tri-tip in some form or other, but they do have chicken as well. The food was excellent and the service was good. They do not have any pictures on the walls of the conversion from a church, but if you ask your server they do have a book with all sorts of history of the place. If you're in Cincinnati make it a point to hit this place :)
Feb 16, 2017
 
Rated: 3.99 by ArkyVaughan from New Jersey

Sep 20, 2016
Photo of warpig372
Reviewed by warpig372 from Indiana

4.09/5  rDev -1.4%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | food: 4.25
Overall an impressive setup. The food is amazing and the beer was "OK". The vibe and food is what makes this place good for me. I believe the beer is overrated though.
Aug 09, 2016
 
Rated: 3.92 by Jaszucs from Indiana

Aug 03, 2016
 
Rated: 4.14 by LaGuarns from Ohio

Jun 14, 2016
Photo of bmantravel
Reviewed by bmantravel from Ohio

3.49/5  rDev -15.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.25 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
Converted Church Brewery. They spent a ton of money on the place. You got through the front door, up a dozen steps and the full open area of the church fills your view. The bar is across where the alter would be and there are huge brewing tanks behind it and behind you in the choir. The tables are long, communal set up. The food is OK - they focus on beef tips. The place is beautiful. There is a smaller bar downstairs with a separate entrance, that has a completely different feel.
Jun 04, 2016
 
Rated: 4.05 by n2492004 from Michigan

May 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.96 by zimm421 from Ohio

Apr 24, 2016
 
Rated: 3.98 by m2beerbr from Ohio

Apr 12, 2016
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Reviewed by LexingtonBeer from Kentucky

4.65/5  rDev +12%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I am surprised that Taft's Ale House does not have higher reviews.

As for the location, I cannot stress enough how amazing it is. The Ale House is an old converted Protestant Church. It has been completely redone inside to create a two-story holy city of wrought iron, dark woods, tables, dining areas, cozy nooks and private rooms. The building is adorned with an array of Presidential memorabilia that rivals the Preaident Taft House National Park just a few minutes away.

The kitchen menu is not extensive but is of good quality and a step above standard pub fare. It is very meat-based though without too much variety.

Without getting too beer-specific here, they generally have about 12 different brews of their own on tap and brewed in house. There is a range of current standard American popular brews with only a couple more experimental options. All the ones I tried were excellent.

This place is a must to visit. We need more of these types of places in the world.
Feb 08, 2016
 
Rated: 4.5 by nickmaco from Ohio

Feb 02, 2016
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Reviewed by Littrelljoe from Ohio

3.89/5  rDev -6.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
If they can handle the noise you should take your parents to see this incredible former church. Their beer is ok and if you go to the lower level they do serve some other craft beers. Food was just ok but overall experience was great.
Jan 23, 2016
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Reviewed by UrbanCaveman from Ohio

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.75
Updated Review, September 2021:
The menu has seen some facelifts (I no longer see the shepherd's pie, and their previous fixation with tri-tip has been relegated to one or two dishes), and the beer selection has changed up, as one would expect. The venue itself remains the nifty old church building, the staff remain friendly and knowledgeable, and the beers remain decent to good. I still enjoy this venue.

Original Review from 2016:
As others have said before me, Taft's Ale House (and the basement, Nellie's Tap Room) is a fantastic renovation of an old church building, brought back to grandeur with serious attention to detail - right down to tap handles made out of the wood from one of the original staircases. It's a glorious place to drink beer, whether you prefer the bar atmosphere downstairs, the brewpub vibe on the main floor, or the quieter, more relaxed loft overlooking said main floor.

The same attention to detail goes into the beers - I have yet to encounter one there that has been anything short of decent, and plenty that have been great. The chocolate porter, the milk stout (with and without barrel-aging), the pilsner, the cherrywood amber, the Vienna lager, the marzen; all memorable and repeatable. This made much more sense to me once I found out that the head brewer got his chops at Listermann / Triple Digit, which has been my favorite local brewery for some time.

The food is excellent, if a somewhat limited menu - their take on an upside-down shepherd's pie is savory and tasty, and the smoked wings are delicious.

Right from my first visit, this became my favorite place in Cincinnati to have a beer or three for a night out!
Jan 04, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by capt93 from Ohio

Jan 03, 2016
 
Rated: 4.29 by Eziel from Ohio

Dec 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4.31 by dataylor21 from Kentucky

Oct 31, 2015
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Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

3.96/5  rDev -4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.25 | selection: 4
Spacious, clean, very inviting. Limited food menu yet the smoked wings (with apple slices) and Big Billy au jus sandwich are fantastic. Staff is youn, eclectic and very friendly and helpful.
Oct 15, 2015
 
Rated: 4.58 by monorailred from Texas

Oct 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by shirtless_mike from Indiana

Sep 13, 2015
 
Rated: 4.4 by costanzo_mike from Massachusetts

Aug 22, 2015
Taft's Ale House in Cincinnati, OH
Brewery rating: 3.86 out of 5 with 602 ratings