The most reliable steakhouse of the last 25 years in Cincinnati. Â Great ambiance, GREAT and seasoned wait staff, and literally a standout dining and food experience every time I've been here. Â It is expensive but it's worth every penny if you can afford it; ironically it's not nearly as pricey as Morton's or Ruth's Chris. Located in a beautiful old police precinct HQ, 3 miles from downtown, it is glamorous, cozy and swank. Â The ambiance, service, and food (steak, steak, steak) is so outstanding (every single visit) that if this restaurant were dropped into NYC or Miami, it would take weeks to get a reservation. Â This is a fine choice to host a business dinner, first date, celebrate a birthday or anniversary, etc.
You'll not find a better place to eat some of the best steak (and yes, seafood) of your life, and the upstairs bar is huge and also very well managed.
Delicious! Best fine dining in Cincinnati. Atmosphere is very visually appealing as a old restored police building, although very creepy if you venture upstairs..
Service was excellent.
The bread and truffle butter was amazing
The bacon in the Freddie salad was fantastic.
All of our steaks were perfectly cooked and delicious
Overall an outstanding restaurant - definitely recommend!
After many years, the Precinct still delivers. Â The menu is current, the food is delicious and most importantly the steaks are world class. Â Additionally, the service is attentive and helpful. Â The atmosphere is warm, yet has a nice vibe with its historic structure. Â Great venue for a large group or family dinner. Â Zero complaints. Â Keep doing what you're doing!!!
Review Source:I LOVE THIS PLACE! Â I have been here many times and my steak is always PERFECT! Â Such a nice crust on the outside. Â Perfectly medium on the inside (yes, I like mine medium -- don't judge!). Â We always start with some of the jumbo shrimp. Â They are so sweet and tender. Â Expensive, but worth it!
My absolute favorite is the JAC Collinsworth, which is New York Strip, King Crab & Asparagus, Béarnaise & Mushroom Bordelaise.  It is a great value because salad and potato (get the garlic mashed) come with the meal.  Then get a side of their heavenly mac n cheese for the table to share.  If you have room, which I usually don't, get the bananas foster cooked tableside. So good!!!!
I've eaten steaks in some of the best places around the country and this is the best steak I've ever had.
I was traveling through Cincinnati OH and this restaurant was recommended with high points by my colleagues. Our party of 3 arrived at this restaurant for dinner on a Tuesday night.
This restaurant was originally a police precinct and thus the name. It is renovated in great taste and very pleasing to the eye. Once you enter then to your left is the entrance to the dinning area and to the right is the bar entrance through a short passage. The dinning area is formal while the bar area is designed to be casual and to have an after dinner drink such as a scotch or a port wine. There are televisions in the bar area so it can be a very nice sports bar experience as well.
We were seated right away in the dinning room. The restaurant was pretty much packed on a Tuesday night. We ordered a bottle of Duckhorn wine (merlot) and began the night. For appetizers we ordered two dozen oysters on ice and they were fresh and delicious. Our server ran down the daily special and advised us that the steaks there were to die for. I ordered a bone in ribeye steak with a baked potato and asparagus. Then the experience of eating the steak began. One bite and I knew I was in an area of immense flavor and taste. I can comfortably state that this was one of the best steaks that I have had in years. The entire discussion on the table that night was how great the food tasted. I asked the server if I can speak to the chef and within minutes, Brandon Ruby (Jeff Ruby's son) came to the table. I complimented him on the flavor of the steak and asked him if I can have the recipe. Of course, as expected, he declined however told me that they could get me some "Steak Dust" - the steak rub. I agreed and in a few moments he brought out a container with the "Steak Dust". This really made my night. We also got a brief history of the Ruby restaurants in the area and felt well taken care of.
I recommend this restaurant to anyone who would like to experience class and taste all in one location and in one night. This one is certainly Cincinnati's best.
Unique place to have dinner in an old police station with very eclectic decor that serves steak and seafood. Â I had the filet mignon with peppercorn sauce. Â Delicious! along with the garlic mashed potatoes. Â
Not crazy about their signature freddie salad - bacon, tomatoes, lettuce in ranch dressing... large portion but next time would have the dressing on the side to save some calories! :)
Seared foie gras was delicious as an appetizer. Â Good wine list.
At that the time we went, disappointing that we couldn't get the kobe wagyu beef by the ounce or their signature ribeye... chef mentioned cuts weren't good enough to make it to our table. Â Oh well! Â next time when I'm visiting Cincinnati, this is a sure place to stop by and hopefully the kobe and ribeye is available.
A top-tasting NY Strip (cooked medium-rare plus). It's charred so it has a rich, almost salted taste, so if that's not your thing, go in a different direction. Oddly enough, their bread with truffle butter was unusually good. The roasted red pepper soup rounded out a great selection. Cool atmosphere with a packed bar at happy hour. Solid service.
Review Source:I am going to make this as quick and to the point as possible.
Bread Basket, Freddy Salad and Baked Potato - all are uninspired and need to be updated.
The Garlic Mashed Potatos were good.
The Mick Cronin - fabulous steak, perfect flavor and temperature.
Tournedos Oscar Robertson - Good steak. The crab and lobster are so-so.
Definetly best steak in Cincy.
Are you in the mood for the best steak in town? Â If so, this is the restaurant for you. Â The restaurant is located on Delta off of route 50. Â If there's a wait, you can sit at the bar near the entrance, order a drink, and gaze at all of the framed pictures of Jeff Ruby with different celebrities. Â It's pretty fun to check out. Â When your table is ready, you are escorted down the steps into a darker, somewhat glamorous area of the restaurant. Â The decour is somewhat strange. Â There seems to be lots of mirrors and strange caricatures in frames, but somehow it works. Â The steak is always so so good, and everything else is fantastic as well (including the Greek salad, the mac and cheese, and everything else I've ever tried here).
Review Source:Preface: this review is for the BAR at the Precinct only!!!
After a night of wine tasting and dinner a few friends and I were looking for a bar that would not be overcrowded. We found exactly what we were looking for at the Precinct. We had heard about the recent bar revamping and were excited to see this place for ourselves. The bar had plenty of seating with a jazz band playing in one corner. I was happy to realize that the band was soft enough that I could still hold a conversation with my friends.
Upon looking over the menu I was happy to see that there was a good wine selection and while the glasses were maybe $1 or 2 more expensive than I could get elsewhere I was willing to pay that extra for the great ambiance. The walls are covered with unique trinkets so there's always something to serve as a topic of conversation when the inevitable lull comes around. And I didn't feel severely underdressed in jeans and a sweater. So the next time you're looking for a unique bar that won't be overcrowded, look no further than the Precinct.
Over-rated. Food is ok but the decor and atmosphere are distracting. Neon blue lights everywhere - even beneath our shrimp appetizer, which made it pretty unappetizing! Crap wine selection. My steak was very good, but they were out of the cowboy ribeye and friends of ours had been the week before and said they were also out of the ribeye then - same excuse, not good enough to serve "that night" according to the chef. I know native Cincinnatians love this place, but I don't really get it.
Review Source:The Precinct is a fortress of a building that is a pleasant drive east from the city. I was pleasantly surprised to see the old police station that houses The Precinct and supplies it its name lit dramatically in blue lights. It had a dark, Gothic feel despite the Christmas light on the trees that recalled speakeasies and secrets. Pretty cool.
Inside, you walk into a fairly ordinary waiting area with two very pleasant hostesses. My colleague and I were seated quickly -- we had an early reservation -- on the lower level just off the foyer. The room was dark and large, with about as many tables as a large restaurant. We were promptly attended to by our waiter.
We were there for steak but I requested the specials -- you never know. There was a a grass-fed ribeye from a local Ohio farm as one option that was priced similarly to the other steaks on the menu, and I went with that at medium-rare. Now, I'm not a ribeye guy because I feel it is too fatty and could be more flavorful, but because the cow was grass-fed I knew I would see less fat and more taste. (When am I going to see a grass-fed strip I can order rare? That would be an experience.) My friend opted for the barrel filet, medium. We each took one bluepoint oyster from the east coast and one fishhook oyster from the west coast; the latter was freshwater. He had the Freddie salad and I went with the Greek salad. Salted rye and regular French bread was served warm with our appetizers.
So, here we go. The bluepoint oyster was a good bluepoint; rich, velvety, meaty. The Fishhook oysters, however, were great -- thinner in flavor, briny but not in a seawater way...just different. But I loved them. Â Not sweet like a Kumamoto, but just as bright. It was my first Fishhook and I will definitely order them when I see them again. My lone tiger prawn was a delightful treat of four fat bites with good cocktail sauce. Normally I find shrimp this big aren't as good, but here they were.
The salad portions were quite large, and I really appreciated that. The were lovely, classic example of a Greek salad (albeit American style, with Romaine -- I am aware a traditional Greek salad has no lettuce, 'natch) and a classic American salad. The dressings were good, but both salads were practically swimming in it.
The steaks were both were great choices. The most significant thing I noted was the precision to which our steaks were cooked. They said warm red center for medium rare, and my ribeye was precisely a warm red center. They said medium was pink throughout, and the filet was pink throughout. Nice to see that level of knowledge. and despite my relative disdain for the filet and  I think my colleague made the better choice. My steak was a little salty, but scraping some off mitigated it.
The baked potatoes were really good; nice and creamy even without any butter or sour cream. I like how my friend ordered loaded and all the toppings (sour cream with chives, shredded cheddar, bacon so smoky it came off a campfire, and butter) came alongside, allowing you to customize each bite if you so wanted. It was a really cool presentation and I hope other steakhouses take note!
I almost forgot -- a generous portion of crispy onion strings were served alongside. Delightful.
After all this, there was no way dessert was an option. The menu was mostly rich but fairly ordinary desserts.
All in all, I want to give a 4.5 stars. However, I'm going to round up because of the value. While not a perfect meal, the $45 for each of our steaks included the onion strings, potato, a huge salad and good quality bread. That is a really reasonable price for what you get and I think it warrants rounding up. It's not the New Orleans Chophouse -- see my other reviews -- but this was around half the price and fairly close in quality. I really recommend this place.
This may be the BEST STEAKHOUSE in America. If in Cinci, you HAVE to eat here.
The highlights:
1) Has basement bar for the casually dressed as well as formal dining room
2) Historic venue fitting for top notch steakhouse
3) SIDES included with steak!!!!! (yes, you read that right).
4) Free Valet Parking
5) Affordable! (You can get out of here for $50 tax/tip included)
6) Great, no fuss service.
I took my husband here recently for an extra special anniversary date. Â Between the stellar reviews here and the fact that it was one of the top ten best steakhouses according to USA Today (or some other major publication), I had some pretty high expectations for this place. Â And I can happily say that it met every single one :) Â
I made reservations for 9pm, since the hostess told me that was the time when the dinner crowded started to die down. My husband and I arrived early in order to check out the bar area a bit. Â Though it was super packed, we managed to get seats at the bar. Â There, we ordered some drinks and the Alaskan King Crab Brulee, which was amazing! Â It took your average chips and cheese dip to a whole new level of flavorful goodness. Â I definitely ate way too much of it.
Once our reservation was ready, we headed down to the dining area to be seated. Â I have to agree with the other people here- those tables are a little too close together. Â My husband and I might as well have been sharing a table with the couple next to us. Â It was a bit awkward, but I can understand why they do it- the food is so good that everyone wants in! Â I ordered the Barrel-Cut Filet Mignon with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Freddie Salad, along with a bottle of wine recommended by the waiter for the two of us (I was very glad to see that their list of twenty-five wines under $50- My wallet appreciated it too :P). The salad course arrived first. Upon seeing my Freddie salad, I was a bit underwhelmed- it looked like a plain, old salad doused in ranch or blue cheese dressing (and I don't like ranch salads....). Â Then I tried it. Â Wow! That was one impressive salad! The hearty chunks of bacon were in every single bite! Magic balls of salty, bacony goodness! And the dressing was so cool and creamy and went so well with the bacon! Â The whole thing was pure genius!!! Clearly, first impressions are not what they seem sometimes! Â
Just as I finished my salad, the main course arrived. Steaks! Best steaks of my life! Â Absolutely, mind-blowing steaks! Seriously, my steak was amazing! It was cooked perfectly to my liking (raw in the center) and cutting it was like cutting into a stick of butter. Â The thing that really made it special was the slight chili-spice flavor on the outside- it wasn't overwhelming, just a hint of chili that added any extra zest to my already awesome steak. The potatoes were pretty mind-blowing as well- they were more like garlic-y potato clouds on my plate. So fluffy! Â
Originally, my husband and I were planning on ordering the chocolate mousse for dessert since I am a big chocolate mousse fan. Â However, our waiter kindly brought us a complimentary cheesecake (Super yummy! And I don't even like cheesecake haha) since it was our anniversary. Â I know that it wasn't much for them to do financially, but I really did appreciate the gesture :) Â It was a nice final touch to an already perfect meal! Â I cannot wait to come back!!! Now if only my wallet felt the same...
This place is as good as a steakhouse can possibly get. Â My wife and I celebrated our 10th Anniversary here, and oh what an incredible treat for the both of us. Â We got there an hour before our reservation to enjoy some half price drinks in the bar, and would you believe that I was drinking $3 Duvels??? Â I hope I'm spelling that right. Â We also had some of the best chicken wings and bleu cheese dip ever, all at half price. Â
Our dinner was to die for as well. Â My wife had the sea bass all laid out in a blanc sauce with wild mushrooms and I had a bone-in NY Strip which was amazing, succulent, and as good a steak as I've ever had. Â The caramelized Brussel sprouts with applewood smoked bacon were great and so were our salads. Â Salads?? Â Yes, even the darn salads were great! Â Each of us had wine, and I finished with a Lavagulin which wasn't even on the Scotch menu, but I asked, and they produced!! Â They even brought us out a complimentary chocolate mousse for our anniversary. Â John, our server was friendly, patient and helpful! Â
Gentlemen, do your ladies a favor and take them to the Precinct, they are certainly worth it!!
This is hands-down the best steak you will get in Cincinnati, and probably many other cities. This is also my favorite restaurant in the city.
It is pricey, but SO worth it. You get the whole package here. The ambiance is great, very romantic and classy without being up-tight. They strive to give you the best service possible 100% of the time. The food is always amazing, very consistent and they have large portion sizes so you truly do get what you pay for.
I very rarely give out 5 stars, and this is my second 5 star review in a row. maybe I'm getting soft in my old age.
What can be said about the Precinct that hasn't already been said. I went for a birthday dinner last Wednesday. You know the place is popular because the first table available was at 8:15. We arrived half an hour early and had drinks in the bar upstairs. I like how separated the bar is from the restaurant. If I'm paying $50+ for a steak, I don't want to hear the sports crowds cheering the bar. Having said that, their bar is awesome and their bar food specials during happy hour are worth the visit on their own.
The restaurant itself is very cool. They have preserved many of the original details from its time as a police station. My chief complaint, however, would be the spacing of tables. We were seated at the end of a row of four 2-top tables. On one side was a wall/mirror, thankfully, but there was another couple sitting within 2 feet of us. In fact, it was actually difficult for the waiter to even stand between the tables without bumping one or the other. For a place with these price tags, it would be nice to have a little more room and privacy. Nevertheless, I realize that's a product of the high demand for tables and it's not enough to second guess eating at the place.
The food. yeah. The food is out of this world. I had the chili rubbed rib eye. At $55, this steak was on their higher end. It was WELL worth it. One of the best steaks I have ever had, in fact. My other half had the bone in filet and it was equally delicious and such a nice contrast to my heavily marbled steak. The foie gras appetizer was presented very nicely. It was a generous portion of foie gras and complimented by some fruit and sauce. The salads were great. And the cheesecake was also good. I can't complain about a single thing we ate.
Also, the GM - Brandon Ruby... Jeff's son - was awesome! He walked us through the French wines, suggesting a particularly good 2004 Haut Medoc that paired perfectly with the steaks once it opened up.
The Precinct is my go to restaurant for special occasion meals in Cincinnati. It should be yours too.
BEST. STEAK. EVER.
The Precinct has made every steak I've had since my visit disappointing. Â
What's cool about The Precinct as opposed to other Jeff Ruby spots is, when you order a steak dinner, you get a side and a salad - at others, those and even sauce for your steak are all a la carte, and more expensive. Â
I always get Steak Collinsworth - Filet, King Crab & Asparagus, Béarnaise & Bordelaise.  It practically melts in your mouth - you never want dinner to be over.  I mean seriously, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.  It's ~$40, which is pricy but still a better deal and better quality than most other fine dining steakhouses like Morton's or even Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse downtown. Â
The service is always amazing - they make you feel like royalty! Â Not a single complaint from me. Â
For my budget at least, this is definitely a special occasion-only excursion, but I've never left disappointed.
Came here last night for a pre-birthday dinner with my dad. I was greeted at the door by the chef and he showed me around the entire place including the new awesome bar and all the dining rooms and also took me back in the kitchen.
My dad and I were sat and Jim came up and introduced himself and asked our names and shook our hands he was our server and was great, easily one of the best servers I have ever had. Throughout the night he addressed us by our names and me by Birthday Bill.
We ordered drinks from the bar, I had a Tom Collins and my dad an absolut and tonic and both were great.
Chef sent out an amuse bouche of prime filet steak tartar garnished with capers, balsamic, horseradish and olive oil and served with grilled cibatta, it was amazing and a very nice touch.
After that was finished Chef sent out another round of apps on the house they included for me- Grilled Foie Gras with raisins, apple and maple syrup and also on the same plate an oyster from Washington state served with cocktail sauce and grilled lemon and the entire plate was a foodgasm. Â I also got served a jumbo lump crab cake with sauce and a jumbo shrimp cocktail with cocktail sauce. Â They were not doing this for any other table.
Onto the regular menu I ordered the Brandon Phillips formerly the Jeff Ruby Gem a 18oz Bone in Filet and I upgraded to 5 cheese mac and cheese for my side item and also the Collinsworth topping which is Alaska king crab and sauce Bearnaise and sauce bordelaise, for my salad I chose the Freddie which was great as always.
The steak was amazing, it was cooked perfect and melted in my mouth and the wine Jim suggested went perfect with it. Â My dad went with the Oscar Robertson a NY strip with the Collinsworth topping and remarked it was the best steak he has ever eaten, and as a former major league ballplayer and coach that is saying a lot.
Dessert was a piece of opera cream torte from the BonBonerie with a candle and Jim wished me a Happy Birthday.
Still stands as the best steakhouse in Cincinnati in my opinion and the best steakhouse I have eaten at!!!
Simply Amazing!!!!
I am not a very excitable person and my girlfriend will vouch for that, but when she told me that she was going to take me to The Precinct. I was like a child on Christmas Eve.
I like steak, I love a great steak, and Jeff Ruby's steaks are great in my book (honestly I do not even have a book if we are going to get real).
For our entree's my girlfriend and I decided to each have a member of the Big Red Machine. I went with Pete Rose and she went with Johnny Bench (she likes a man on his knees).
But back to the appetizer, we started with the Blackened Diver Scallops which was delici.....ous. The Israeli Couscous that it was on was so good, I honestly could have eaten an entire serving of that and been satisfied.
We ordered the Fresh Asparagus and Jeff Ruby's Baked Macaroni & Cheese to go along with our 70's superstars and the sides that are included with each Precinct steak (salad and potato). We both went with a Greak Salad and Garlic Mashed Potatoes as our complimentary sides!
My girlfriend laughed as I ate my  12 oz Center Cut Filet Mignon, because my eyes were closed and I could only imagine the expression of pure ectasy that was on my face as I savored every bite. When eating truly exceptional meat, I like to dull my other senses to limit any other distractions that will take away from the meat. Next time I think I will bring earplugs as I can only imagine how marvelous it will taste with both vision and hearing dulled.
I cannot wait till my sugar mamma brings me back!
Overall, I had a really good experience at The Precinct. The staff was very helpful and courteous, the building is neat and historical, the ambiance was just the right mix of hip and moody, and the food was delicious. Well, let me rephrase that: the bread (with mushroom butter?? Yes! So good.) and the mashed potatoes were amazing, the steaks, however, were somewhat disappointing. Everyone in my party felt like they were just okay, and for a steakhouse, that's a pretty big deal. If you want a really good steak, go to Morton's, it's not that much more and it's so much better!
Review Source:The atmosphere is very energetic. I am a huge fan of restoring historic bulidings and utilizing them for something different - keeps the history alive and gives an edge to the new business. This place is quite unique, exposed brick, old policemen photos.. well done Jeff Ruby.
The food and drinks were great. I took some vendors here for dinner. We were originally seated near the entrance, but that was a little cramped... we requested a more spacious, quieter setting and they graciously moved us to the back room. :D
All content with space and noise level, we were ready to order. I had the Kings's Filet Mignon - Medium Rare and it was simply DELICIOUS! Mmm. I love me some good steak. They had the Precinct Porterhouse and the Steak à la Roth. No complaints in that department! We were so full that the 3 of us had to force room for dessert - it was not a disappointment:
I almost forgot; we had the Pan-Fried Jumbo Lump Crab Cake for an app and it is a must if you like crab cakes!! We also had Classic Steak Tartare, this was the only draw back - it was not impressive, it just was something missing to give it taste. ( I love Jag's Tartare!)
The Precinct is my favorite place in Cincinnati to get a Jeff Ruby's steak, and one of my favorite restaurants in Cincinnati, period. The interior is beautiful: cozy yet elegant. Love all the historical details in this former police precinct building.
Service is impeccably professional (best of the Ruby's restaurants in my opinion). The 2-top tables can be a little close, particularly for a romantic couple's dinner, but a minor detractor overall. Lots and lots of different steaks on the menu (why would you come here and order anything else?) and the nice part is that each comes with a salad (Greek or Freddie) and potato side (baked or garlic mashed) included.
My usual is a filet mignon ("Marvin Louis" for the smaller cut ~11 oz), which is always cooked perfectly. Perhaps the medium could use slightly more char on the outside for textural contrast, but the flavor and quality of the beef shine through. On my most recent visit, I tried the "Collinsworth" which was a smaller filet (~9 oz) topped with a piece of crab, Bearnaise sauce, a mushroom sauce, and few spears of asparagus on the side. Yep, tastes about as rich as it sounds! It was fun to try something a little different, but I'll probably go back to the standard filet next time--why gild the lily?
If you possibly have room, split a BonBonerie dessert or house-made cheesecake. My personal favorite is the Opera Cream Torte--rich chocolate cake with chocolate chips and vanilla opera cream filling.
Yes.
My fiancé took me to the precinct after a meeting that ran late. Even though we arrived after 9pm, we were welcomed and treated like royalty. The Freddie salad, New York strip steak, and Cabernet wine pairing will never be forgotten by yours truly.
I liked it so much I'm opting to have Jeff Ruby's host our rehearsal dinner for 50 people.
So worth the price!!
I went to this restaurant when my brother visited me from out of country.
What can I say more about this place?
The service is top notch, food is great, and decor is nice, too.
We dined at the very back of the restaurant which is more like a room next to the hall area. I loved it because it's not too crowded (like 4 small tables) and we could actullay have good conversations without any interruption.
If I remember it right, our server was Julie and she did fantastic job of taking care our table.
The history, menu, food and etc. I don't think I need to add anything, and most of the  reviewers are aware of this restaurant more than I do.
I just wanted to add that it's one of the best restaurants in Cincinnati and I enjoyed the time at here a lot indeed.
Just went last night for my anniversary. I need to update my previous review.....The service was horrible; however the manager did a good job in handling the situation. Â
Our waiter didn't explain the specials or menu items, failed miserably when recommending a wine, forgot to bring out my wine, forgot to bring out the bread (our shrimp and grits appetizer needed it), almost dropped the steak on my wife (slid to the end of the plate), delivered a rare steak when my wife ordered a medium streak, said "Excellent" when I didn't want another glass of wine, didn't ask if I wanted any accompaniments with my steak. Â Definitely not on the level of a Jeff Ruby waiter/waitress.
Now jumping to food....The Cajun shrimp and grits had too much pepper corn and was not Cajun. Â The cook should take a trip to New Orleans. Â The steaks were excellent when they were cooked right. Â My 28 ounce boned ribeye (according to our waiter) was definitely not 28 ounces. Â It was still excellently prepared as ordered (medium rare). Â The swordfish was being substituted with Marlin (when my wife was going to order the steak and Fish and Scallops). Â My wife's specialty drink tasted like Cherry Nyquil (when it had alcohol). Â
I don't understand why the salads included cost $7 each if  you want to order them separately but if you want to substitute a $6.95 Caesar salad  you can't. Â
The deserts were excellent - chocolate cake from Bonn Bonerrie and Bananas Foster. Â
Restaurant is too noisy and better for business dinners than anniversary dinners. Â Better to stick with Jeff Ruby's downtown or Carlo and Johnny's in Montgomery.
This is the best steak in Cincinnati. Period. Although I have dined at all the other Ruby establishments including Belterra, the Precinct seem to outshine the other locations. The atmosphere feels a bit less like a gimmick and more like an authentic place with history and a story. My husband and I have celebrated our anniversaries, birthdays and it was even his last meal before going on a yearlong deployment to Iraq (in which the manager bought his dinner)- and of course the first place he wanted to go when he returned home.
Service is impeccable- a throwback to the days of fine dining and the 5-star mentality. Although they are formal-it is not at all stuffy.
If you are entertaining out-of-town guests, treat them to this gem of our city.
Out of the other Jeff Ruby restaurants that we have been too, this one is my favorite. I love the intimate feel. The converted police station gives it a certain atmosphere you can't really get elsewhere. It's dark and romantic, perfect for a date.
When we ate here we had reservations, and I was surprised that it took 5 minutes to be seated as it was us and one other couple. We came immediately from downtown after work to eat as when we called to get reservations they made it seem super busy.
The food is great. They make it great, it's what they are known for. We both got a filet mignon - definitely worth the money. It's delicious - and their toppings make it even better. What we really loved was the mac n cheese- made with 5 cheeses. It was a big portion and we did not finish, but wow - it was good.
Their wine selection is good - I had a white wine of some sort (I don't remember now) and it was very good.
Oh - and their bread!!! The truffle butter they serve with it is amazingly delicious. Try it!
That is why they call this a 5 star restaurant!  The macaroni and cheese  is a MUST try when you dining in at the Precinct.  I got the Filet Mignon (cooked Medium).  Had such a juicy taste and didn't need a-1 sauce at all!  It was seasoned just right!
I love the atmosphere and the vintage look to this place. Â Highly recommended! Â
The staff was extra friendly and would definately come back to try more!
Look, I haven't been to a Jeff Ruby restaurant in a while but today I was looking for good steak places in the city and his restaurants are at the top of the Yelp listings. I don't buy it, however, and I'll tell you why.
I've gotten better steaks and service at Morton's downtown (despite the scary in-your-face steak presentation as you're ordering). I don't like chains and would rather go to a local restaurant any day but Jeff Ruby's steakhouses just aren't worth it. Sure, the steaks are fine and places like The Waterfront and The Precinct are Cincinnati institutions. And, I must admit, I liked The Waterfront (perhaps it was the beautiful view?) more than The Precinct. BUT, I like Morton's more than either of those restaurants. Overall, Jeff Ruby's steaks are really nothing to write home about.
Also, I've met the guy and the experience didn't exactly make me eager to throw my hard-earned money at him.
Home to the juiciest, most gorgeous steaks in Cincinnati.
The Precinct is my special occasion restaurant and is also the first-ever Jeff Ruby's steakhouse, opening in 1981. Established inside a  Romanesque-style police station from 1901, the atmosphere and food are an experience all their own.
All of the steaks on the menu are named after a Cincinnati legend. My favorite is the Joe Nuxhall, a New York Strip. The Steak à la Roth (Pepper Crusted Filet, Two Peppercorn-Cognac Demi) is a good choice if you like some spice with your meat. Each meal comes with bread, a salad and side. I recommend getting the hot slaw instead of a salad. It's not on the menu, but if you ask they will make it.
When making reservations, we always ask for Ryan. He's our favorite server and takes good care of us. For birthdays, we get a free dessert topped with a candle: either bananas foster or opera cream cake from BonBonerie.
Prices range from $30.00 to $45.00 per person. Indulge yourself, it's well worth it!
The moral of the story at The Precinct:
If you're going to a steakhouse, order the darned steak, already.
Sure, a steakhouse should have other alternative options for those who may not be in the mood for a delicious, juicy, flavorful slab of meat, but I don't expect the alternate dishes to be on par with the main event.
I went to The Precinct two nights in a row (and had been on previous occasions). The first night, I wasn't feeling so great. With that in mind (and stomach) I veered away from the "heavy" steak and to the crab and shrimp saute. Big mistake.
Despite being built up as an homage to so-and-so famous tableside cook blah, blah, blah (Jim Hussey, I think?), it wasn't great. Raw onion overpowered the crab and shrimp and the dish was generally unpleasant unless I picked around and just stabbed at the crab.
Of course by that time I had imbibed a medicinal Jameson-and-ginger-ale, felt much better and was making eyes at my co-worker's strip (steak! steak!). The mac-and-cheese that we all shared was tasty but not super impressive.
The second night, I skipped all that tomfoolery about non-steak dishes and got my very own strip.
Meat heaven. Meathalla. Meatastic. Meatstravaganza. You get the idea. It was a five-star steak. Juicy, flavorful, rich, gluttonously large and medium-rare.
If you go to a steakhouse just get the steak. Seriously.
Not just the best steakhouse in town, but the best restaurant in town. Â The service is impeccable, but the reason you will want to go here is the aged-beef steaks. Â There's simply no way to convey how good they are. Â And the wine selection - OMG! Â Best, most informative and friendly sommelier in town. Â He will put you at ease even if you have never tasted anything more exotic than Mogan David!
Just try it. Â Pricey to be sure, but somehow you'll talk your way into believing that it's worth every penny!
It's hard to review a place everyone has reviewed and loved.. so I will sum it up in a few bullet points.
- Beat cowboy steak I have ever had in life. No joke.. LIFE.
- Amazing appitizers. Try the goat cheese!
- Service is great. You have a server, and then a guy steak chef.
- Ambiance is great. Lots of history.
- Great selection of wine.
If you're going to a Jeff Ruby Restaurant there are 2 things you can count on, great service and the best steak you can get your teeth on.
The Precinct doesn't disappoint in either category.
It seemed like on a recent Tuesday night everyone in the place was celebrating a wedding anniversary, present company included. (Let's hear it for October weddings, party people!) so it was a lively atmosphere for a weeknight. We were seated as soon as we walked in the door.
The Precinct differs from the downtown Ruby's location in a few key areas:
Menu - Precinct has more seafood selections, and fewer steaks and sides. Steaks come with a salad (Freddie Salad is simple, perfectly fresh and delicious) and potato (Garlic mashed potatoes, creamy garlicky starchy deliciousness)
Atmosphere-downtown is boisterous and lively big and flashy, Precinct is more intimate, with touches of flash. Personally I think they could tone down the flash even more, get rid of some of the neon and mirrors, that stuff is kind of dated. Overall, the place is more Old-School than a Mahogany Library filled with expensive Brandies and many leatherbound books and a giant globe that has India and Africa as part of the British Empire. They even have Caesar salads and shrimp sautees made tableside. Old. School.
The salted rye with mushroom butter and sourdough with regular butter bread basket was flawless. We split a crabcake appetizer, which was a little too bready, but still had plenty of large chunks of crab.
I had the Surf & Turf special with extra dust (always get the extra dust!) on my steak. Perfection. I dont care what anyone tells you, you will not get a better steak anywhere then at one of Mr. Rubenstein's joints. No matter the cut. I know this should be common knowledge, but if you order your steak above medium, you're doing it wrong and ruining a delicious, expensive cut of meat. The lobster tail with bearnaise sauce was melt in your mouth good.
Dessert was unbelievable, Bananas Foster was decadent beyond belief, and a slice of Opera Cream cake from the BonBonerie was rich and chocolately.
Since I'm not inclined to drop a Hondo on a Barolo We each had 2 glasses of wine, the Mrs had a tasty Malbec and I had a huge Cabernet Sauvignon, which complemented my meal perfectly.
To sum it up, if you're feeling like an 1800's business tycoon and want to eat like one, go to the Precinct, just dont forget your fat-cat cigar.
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