I was so excited to hear that Cincinnati was getting a Wahlburgers and waited for a bit after their opening to try it, because I knew it would be crazy busy. So, waiting an appropriate time, my husband and I decided to visit the Cincinnati location on a Sunday afternoon. I’ve never been to a Wahlburgers before, so this was my first time.
I have to be honest, the thing that drew me to this place was not the famous Mark Wahlburgers or his brothers, it was the government cheese. I grew up loving government cheese and government and school peanut butter. (if they put this peanut butter on a burger, it would be wonderful too.)
The majority of the time, on Sundays, is the best time to go downtown because it’s less busy and street parking is easy to find. But, there must have been something going on downtown because it was packed- not just Wahlburgers.
We were able to park in a garage for $3 and only had to walk three blocks. When we arrived, the wait didn’t seem too bad, but after putting our name on the list, we learned it was an hour wait. But, we traveled 45 minutes to get there, so we were going to wait. The hostess took our phone number and said that she would call when our table was ready. We took the time to walk around to see what else was happening. An hour later, we received the call.
**Just FYI, there is a very small bar area with about 6-8 seats, which are first come, first serve.
First, the place was too busy for such a small waiting area. There was nowhere to sit, nowhere to stand and so many kids jumping around, etc. Plus, the whole restaurant was smaller than I would have imagined. It was about the size of a Wendy’s or a small McDonalds. Nothing really special about the place- as far as aesthetics. The kitchen area is right next to the waiting area and the bar, so the people waiting for a table were all in the way of the food runners, people getting to the bar, coming in and leaving the place made the whole area claustrophobic. But, once getting a table, the space opened up and I was able to relax a bit.
So, an hour into it, I was starving. The menu is a basic sandwich, salad, burgers, mac and cheese, and sides variety, like most hamburger joints, but the combinations of toppings are anything but ordinary.
An hour later — our two hour burger- we were served our meal. The burger was thick, juicy and sloppy– just like a burger should be. The homemade pickles made the burger the best ever. They were cut thick and were sweet. The cheese was melted just right and the toppings and bun were fresh and evenly sized. Perfect. Topped off with tater tots or fries, it’s a perfect combination to his meal.
Check out the full menu online.
It was a great experience and the longest wait for the burger that I’ve ever had. But, the burger was delicious.
City Skipper Gal 