Homeless hanging around outside. The usual reservations? BS w/lots of tables available and they put us at most likely the worst table available. We've eaten there a few times. This time because we were stuck and in a hurry. We've been disappointed w/the quality of food everytime we've visited. Honestly we're surprised that have an on-going business. Â The waiter was fine. Â This is the place that had a death from raw oysters: Â
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Washington Platform originated in 1860 as a saloon that catered to the folks working on the Erie Canal just one block away. It served Cincinnatians until Prohibition, then became a variety of other establishments such as a produce shop and a Chinese laundry. In 1986, Washington Platform returned to its roots as a restaurant and bar.
My first visit was for a group luncheon in May. We loved the decor: exposed brick with old pictures of Cincinnati and the Erie Canal, hardwood, white tablecloths and bright natural lighting. Our table ordered a variety of dishes from soup to salad to sandwiches. I had the Dixie Chicken sandwich and a side of pasta salad. Everyone ate in enjoyment and I made a mental note to return here for future meals.
Fast forward to August, where I can best describe my experience as hearing Gordon Ramsay shout, "What the bloody hell is this?!"
My friend and I were handed menus that were in English, Japanese, and another Asian language. Washington Platform serves Americanized seafood. Not only was the menu baffling, but the multiple languages made it difficult to understand the options. Also, the menu was missing half of the options that were available in May, mainly sandwiches and salads.
We ordered our entrees. My main came with a salad, so my friend asked if her side of french fries could be brought out with my appetizer. My salad appeared a while later looking rather sad. The lettuce was dark green, wilted, and getting soggy spots. You know the kind: what you see appear on bagged salads when it's time to throw them out. I took two bites and pushed it aside. No sign of the french fries; my friend was told they would just be another minute.
Sure enough, the fries showed up with our mains. My friend ordered the Salmon Salad which arrived covered in random garnishings. The menu description read: "...on a bed of fresh spinach with croutons, bleu cheese, walnuts, and Raspberry Vinaigrette." What arrived was this and more: tomato, cucumber, mushrooms, sprouts, black olives, and cantaloupe. My friend just wanted a simple salad and wasn't pleased with all the uncomplimentary extras. Of course, the garnishings were likely there to disguise the miniscule piece of fish that topped of the salad: a third of a normal portion. Not good for a $10.00 price tag.
My main was the Blue Crab Bleu, a pasta dish with crab in a bleu cheese and creole sauce. I could barely see or taste the crab, as this dish was smothered in cream. It came with a side of garlic bread, which was odd, seeing as it was a creole dish. At least it was better than my friend's bread, which was a warmed bun that had gone stale on the outside.
Our checks arrived and I noticed an error on my bill. My entree was listed as $13.00 on the menu and I was charged $15.00. The waitress explained that the menu was printed wrong, and after some discussion, she refunded the difference. Be sure to watch your check.
Other notable nuisances:
- While the atmosphere appears business casual with table cloths and live cello music, I noticed signage for Wing Night and "Roadkill Cafe" which features menu items like rabbit and pigeon...and I thought this place was trying to be a classy seafood restaurant.
- Random decorations that don't fit in with the exposed brick and old Cincinnati photo theme, such as displays of peacock feathers.
- A note that said the restaurant reserves the right to add a 15% gratuity to any table who splits checks.
What happened to Washington Platform? My first impression was wonderful, but now it seems to be struggling for an identity. It would be great as a simple seafood and sandwich pub with old, classy Cincinnati decor. Instead, it's ruining itself with subpar food, a lack of consistency, and promotions for Roadkill.
Price per person: $17.00
I recently went to Washington Platform for lunch and was not impressed. Due to the World Choir Games, the menu was modified to accommodate the participants. However, many of the items our group was excited about was not on the menu. The food we ordered was ok, nothing impressive. Service was slow. Not worth the walk from the business district.
Review Source:OMG, DON'T BOTHER
We went there with another couple who suggested this place since it's Oyster Fest.
The fresh raw oysters have always been my favorite so we thought, hey, what the heck.
We ordered the usual raw oysters (nothing out of the ordinary)
We also ordered:
*cornbread/oysters munchies which is like a crab cake.
*oysters with cheese on top (I wasn't sure about this when I was reading the menu but our friends wanted to try it)
Main Dish:
*Oyster paella (the worst paella I've ever had). Â The dish simply has a mixture of small pieces of seafood OVER dirty rice. Â You can't really call it paella unless the RICE has absorbed the goodness from the meats/seafood. Â Very disappointing...YUCK.
*Oyster curry- HUM, where is the curry? Â
Whoever created the menu obviously do not know the taste/texture of oyster enough to come up with a better combination. Â The description on the menu SOUNDED so much better than the real thing. Â It just didn't deliver. Â
The service was great (credit to the server), however, the value, taste, decor are more like ONE STAR that I won't even bother going back. Â
I understand the alcohol always can bring crowds but if your food is not so great, don't call yourself a restaurant, stick with BAR and SNACKS please. Â
The Oyster Fest was a bust....I didn't get to feast and I didn't feel festive at all.
4 stars for service, 2 stars for food. I hate to keep piling on the negative reviews on this place, but my meal was only meh, and when I am spending almost $10 for a salad, I expect something for my money.
I along with a rather large group of at least 20 people had a great business lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The two servers were on top of everything and the food came out quickly and correctly. The only time things hit a snag was when we all needed our checks. It seemed the servers had to go in the front part of the restaurant instead of handling things in the back where we were. Oh well, not a big deal. I think they need a POS station in the back area.
I had a Black and Bleu Salad ($8.50) which is made with Cajun grilled chicken on fresh spinach w/ Bleu Cheese Dressing and fresh garden garnish. I selected the Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing which was actually green for some reason. When I inquired, the server just said that it settles and that it is just made that way. Whatever, it tasted fine. Â The rest of the salad was just rather stale tasting, like it had been collecting dust in their kitchen until some guy like me that is trying to eat healthy comes along. ha ha. The chicken was the highlight, but overall the salad was just not great. The cucumbers and tomatoes were a nice touch. There were a lot of mushrooms included too. (See photo)
WiFi, according to their menu is free but I never saw any SSID that my phone could connect to. I don't know if it's just in the front part, but I would have been able to see even a weak signal if that was the case.
The desserts looked great, someone next to me ordered the BonBonerie Opera Cream Cake which made my salad a little jealous.
The bathroom smelled like it really needed to be cleaned. Just saying....
I don't like negative reviews and apparently I am not the only one that has had a rather unsatisfying dining experience here. Time will tell if WP can survive, but at this point I would not be surprised to see this landmark building be converted to something else.
Have enjoyed WP in the past, but pretty tired of specials and deals but not enough staff to handle it. Â Gumbo was cold, oysters were warm, forgot one entree. Â Each staff person bustling, trying, but just totally overwhelmed, and it really showed. Â Come on management -- either have deals (25th Anniversary specials) and be ready, or don't run the specials. Â Not the first time. Â May be the last.
Review Source:Went here with a group of six during Oyster Fest...late afternoon/early evening on a Saturday, service was quick and pleasant. The bartender took care of our food orders and offered recommendations of some top picks from Oyster Fest's special menu...we tried a couple of different cooked and raw options...the biggest hits had crab+oyster...yum! They had a good beer selection as well. Not sure if I'll make it back before the next Oyster Fest but this event is not to be missed. Did I mention that I thought I hated oysters and this place converted me into a fan? Truth!
Review Source:I think I like Washington Platform? It's an awesome historic building with tons of neat wall hangings, like an old map of Cincinnati when we still had a canal. It feels very old-timey with the wooden trim and cute booths and I love that.
I can't decide what I think about the food, though I've eaten there twice now. On one hand, I didn't dislike it, but nothing I've had so far has stuck out in my mind. The most recent visit, I went with my husband and in-laws. Everyone seemed pretty happy with the food. I ordered the jampastalya, which is... jambalaya pasta... and had such a weird experience- it tasted good except that there was a weird bitter aftertaste BUT no one else thought so but me. I have no idea. Besides that, there were plump tasty shrimp hidden in there, but the crawfish tails must have been very small because I couldn't really tell they were there. I might not have ordered the right dish yet.
Regardless, this is a nice place if you want to try something different downtown and soak in some history while you eat. I'll be back!
First experience with this restaurant was at the Taste of Cincinnati. Â The crab cakes were horrible! Â My son and I eat took 1 taste and threw the rest in the garbage can. We have had many crab cakes before and these were definitely in the lower tier. Â Can't speak about the rest of their food, but if they can't make a decent crab cake I wouldn't trust anything else.
Review Source:I went to crabfest last year and oysterfest this year. Neither time  have I found the food to be very good. The prices are high so I would expect quality, but it is just not so. I do not find the atmosphere to be enjoyable either. This place looks like it hasn't changed since 1985 (but I have no real idea of its history). There are far better places in town for oysters and seafood. Oh, and the ladies room is hardly big enough to turn around in. And I would expect better cleanliness.
Review Source:Washington Platform is pretty hapless. Â At least it was on the recent night we were there.
A group of us went the opening week of Oyster Festival, a time of year when I figured this restaurant would be on top of its game. Â I was wrong.
The vastly expanded menu for this event apparently threw the kitchen, and, by extension, the entire restaurant, into a panic.
The most preposterous thing about this experience was the glacial service. Â Even though the restaurant was only about one-third full, we waited roughly an hour (!) between appetizers and entrees. Â On the few times we actually saw our server in the room, she was madly racing around, but rarely to our table. Â (Maybe some staff was playing hooky?) Â Drink orders defiitely weren't getting refilled. Â She appeared at the table a total of about four times in 2 1/2 hours we were there.
Food-wise, "Creole" gumbo was weird. Â I will say that it was a stew with relatively robust flavor and was of a nice, thick consistency. Â But the menu says its "chockful of seafood" and "sausage" but I didn't detect much evidence of either in my bowl. Â Maybe it was cooked down or pureed into mush, but this is unlikely. Â There was plenty of corn, though, which I've never seen in any creole gumbo. Â Further, the gumbo had enough hot pepper to char your tastebuds. Â Contrary to the apparent belief of some, though, Creole and other Louisiana food normally isn't very spicy-hot at all. Â (Heavily-seasoned, yes, just not spicy hot.) Â Especially not gumbo. Â
WP's "Oyster Festival" brochure suggests that eight or ten different types of oysters from all over the planet are served during this promotion, although the menu doesn't indicate which types of oysters come with which dishes. Â And I know that oysters come in different shapes and sizes. Â But having had a variety of oysters over the years, I've got to say that the "oysters" in my smoked "oyster" salad sure as shit looked like mussels. Â (Let's put it this way: Â They didn't look like any oyster I've ever had, but a lot like different types of mussels I've had.) Â Taste-wise, it was hard to tell, because they were overcooked, and the smoke overwhelmed any natural flavor. Â Because I knew we wouldn't see our server again for a half-hour, I let my questions slide. Â I guess I'll never know..... Â Anyway, a subpar, thrown-together salad.
And I noticed that WP's oyster "po boy" is served on sourdough. Â Memo to Washington Platform: Â If it ain't on french, it ain't a po-boy, dammit. Â (Crimony, I sound like these hidebound New Orleanians who used to drive me nuts with their rants about preserving the "cultcha," when I lived there, but still and all, get it right. Â Or just call it an oyster sandwich.)
A plus: Â WP has a comfortable atmosphere in an old corner bar/restaruant with some character to it. Â Some (decent) music in the background would help, though; if you're going with this old-school Creole theme, bust out your New Orleans R & B or your traditional jazz.
Overall, the general incompetence of Washington Platform on this particular evening counsels against going back for a full meal.
I travel to Cincinnati quite often, and I was introduced to this place by a local. It has now become a regular stop on my Cincinnati itinerary. I like the cozy atmosphere, and the food is quite good. Their gumbo in particular is very tasty, without slavishly copying traditional Cajun gumbo from south Louisiana.
Review Source:I'm really not sure why I don't go here more often. The food is very good, the service is great, and the atmosphere is wonderful as well. However...
Get bottled beers and you know what size your getting. But glasses of wine seem to come a bit shy in the size category. They seem like a few splashes in huge glasses. They could do better here.
It is clear why the opinions sway wildly in other reviews - they seem to have an inventory issue. Who is there events planner? Probably don't have one. Probably don't plan ahead. They should and then they'd be raking in the stars.
Ewww. I'd mercifully wiped my experience at Washington Platform out of my mind until I saw jennemy's recent review. This is one of those Cincinnati institutions that people continue to keep in business for some reason I can't fathom. They lost my business permanently over insisting on charging me for a side of rice which the server told me was included with the entree when I ordered it, then changed her mind. The food I did get was skimpy, of average quality, and overpriced. Washington Platform sucks.
Review Source:This is another of Cincinnati's jewels! Between it's saloon atmosphere and the Elvis memorabilia, you know it's going to be good!
We were there on what our server said was one of the slowest Saturdays she's seen in a while. That worked for us, though, as we got plenty of attention. We tried several items: oysters on the half shell, a bowl of gumbo and then a sandwich and salad. The gumbo was especially good! By the time we had the apps, we were losing momentum, but my salmon salad was excellent: salmon, blue cheese, walnuts on a spinach salad.
We sat next to a cheesy looking Elvis bust, but the best was in the women's restroom: a framed envelope mailed to the Heartbreak Hotel in Memphis and returned to Washington Platform Saloon by the post office: address not found.
As one of Cincinnati's independent restaurants, you can buy discounted certificates online. Visit <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gcindependents.com&s=27d8de26da97de390fc48e8f20b569aaea3ea70dad675cf428e6a932af72901d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.gcindependent…</a> for more info.
The Washington Platform Saloon & Restaurant is one of the best local seafood restaurants in the city. Located a few blocks from Central Parkway on Elm Street, the restaurant is somewhat distanced from the main areas of downtown.
The food they serve is excellent. Of course their specialty are the oysters and sometimes the crab. I really enjoyed the fried oysters that I had as well as their seafood bisque. Mmmmm. You can get oysters served in just about every way you can imagine; oyster shooters, oyster  po' boy, fried oysters, oyster poseidon, oysters on the half shell, and oyster stew. The possibilities are endless.
Now if you aren't a fan of oysters as some are, don't worry! They serve so much food that isn't oysters and some that isn't even associated with seafood! There are salads, pastas, sandwiches, soups, and various meats to satisfy you!
This restaurant is also well known for their oyster festival and crab carnival. The oyster festival is from late March to late April and the crab carnival is October through November. Now imagine if they jazzed their menu up even more with oysters and crab, you'll be up to your necks in it!
The dining room is beautiful. The old building is wonderfully decorated with white linen table cloths. I really enjoy how they have a little upper level to the seating in the dining room. Service here is always excellent.
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