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- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 2:30 am
Sat-Sun 12 pm - 2:30 am
- Delivery:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Lunch, Dinner
- Music:
- Live, Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Yes
- Coat Check:
- No
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
36 reviews for Zola Pub And Grill
Review Highlights
"Definitely a must-visit spot when around Mainstrasse."
(in 10 reviews)
"And they often times have great live music."
(in 4 reviews)
"For $6, we each got a huge burger with 5 toppings."
(in 6 reviews)
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36 reviews in English
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Review from Katherine M.
Harrisburg, PA
10/31/2011
I enjoy Zola. The atmosphere makes me happy. It's that great Kentucky hometown bar you are looking for. It's relatively inconspicuous and doesn't want to be a flashy bar with trendy things. It's a bar with some pretty good food, and that's what it is.
I've mostly come for drinks. The drinks are good, pretty strong, and the place is comfortable. Mostly the band that I have seen here (The Turkeys or one of the guys from the Turkeys or whatever) is good. They play good music that I know, so that always makes me happy.
I came for food once and it was pretty good - my chicken tenders were far better than my husband's burger - but the burger was decent, just nothing special. The food is okay, you probably wouldn't come for that. It's just a good bar on Mainstrasse and always a stop for me. -
Review from Michael E.
Dayton, OH
2/2/2012
Overhyped burger
Rounds out average menu
You can do better -
Review from Marcus H.
Cincinnati, OH
12/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been to Zola Pub and Grill two times now. The first time was back in November 2010 for a 21st birthday, and today (12.18.11) for lunch. We went because we didn't feel like driving far and because it's in walking distance from my house it was a match made in Mainstrasse!
They had a spicy soup that was really tasty, and I ordered a burger. Now, if you like a little pink in your burger, order it medium-well, because the medium is a little on the medium-rare side. The burger otherwise was good, the service is what I've come to expect in Mainstrasse - friendly, quirky, and a little slow.
It is of course not smoke-free I.e. it is not an establishment that I usually choose to dine, but during a Bengals game on a Sunday afternoon there was only 1 girl smoking in the entire place so it wasn't terrible.
My mother would have referred to it as a dive bar, and she would have been right. Decent food, decent atmosphere, decent place. -
Review from Irish F.
Fort Mitchell, KY
1/22/2012
This is great little spot with good food and adequate service (a lot of multi-tasking, but they get it done).
Burgers are excellent, I am actually writing this review in retrospect of reading the burger ratings. Not sure why this place did not make the top 10. Wings are very worthwhile too. Co-diners raved about their fish and chicken sandwiches and said they would come from across the river again.
It is smoking, which is only a problem because there is no place to escape to if you are a non-smoker. It is small. -
Review from Patrick P.
Union, KY
My burger was yummy!
I ordered the Zola Burger and had a couple of Warsteiners (draft) to boot.
It was Saturday midday with not much a crowd at the bar. The place did not have many people because it was pretty early. I ordered my beer and sandwich (with a side of their asian slaw) as advised by many of the yelpers.
The burger was cooked perfectly and had great flavor. The slaw was really good. I enjoyed everything about the meal. Please note that this bar is still smoking inside - so if you have issues with cigarrette smoke - this bar may not be for you.
Service - Quick and friendly
Food - Very good - everything was advertised. My sandwich, slaw and two beers was around $15
Atmoshphere - it was nice - they were playing the UC game. The ding was the cigarrette smoke.
Please note - I can see if this place is packed that it would take a long time to get your food. I beleive everything is made fresh and could see the kitchen backing up. Since there was no crowd - My food was really good.
Enjoy.Listed in: Best Burger
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Review from Amanda S.
10/16/2011
Today's word is:
Inedible.
Say it with me kids!
INEDIBLE!
Now, let's use it in a sentence!
The burger I got at Zola Pub and Grill was INEDIBLE!
Yep, that's right. It was so medium that it was raw. Mushy. It may have winked at me.
I can't even tell you whether or not it was good because it was inedible. The waitress immediately took it away and tried to get the kitchen to actually cook the damn thing but it was so far gone that I decided to take it home and cook it myself. You know, because I know how to cook a burger (unlike the kitchen staff at Zola's). When I did fully cook it, I noticed that the blackened seasoning is definitely weird. It has a lemony note to it. Not good. But, as other Yelpers have said, their bleu cheese is really tasty. Give it a try...just not on a burger.
Aside from that our food was whatever. The onion rings were good but they were just battered and fried rings of onions so not too much to screw up there. My beer, Great Lakes Holy Moses, was decent although I'm totally bummed that they no longer have Turbodog on tap.
Unlike some Yelpers, we actually had good service. There was some wine festival happening on Main Strasse so millions of hideously bougie people were swarming the local restaurants, Zola's being one of them. The waitresses handled it with great aplomb. The wait for food was ridiculous but each one of our dishes, when not raw, was served piping hot. Our drinks were always filled and she was more than helpful during the inedible burger fiasco. Actually, I would have totally given Zola's the "Eek! Methinks not" rating but the service from our waitress bumped it up to a "Meh." A very reluctant "Meh" but a "Meh," all the same. -
Review from Alex S.
10/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I like Zola a lot. Not everyone does, but I do.
Let's just get it out of the way - it's a Covington dive bar. Wood everywhere, a bunch of small rooms (but a very nice patio outside), cheap beer selection ah yes.
And of course, the awesome dive bar food, including a delicious burger )(one of Greater Cincinnati's best!) Delicious.
We learned last night that the kitchen closes at about 1am, which sucked because damn we were hungry. Still, they were nice enough to let us bring in a Lucy Blue's pizza from across the street. And my did we sit there and eat our pizza. They never even bugged us about getting drinks either. Only about half way through our pizza did one of us in the group actually buy a beer.
The downside? Well, the smoking of course. It's a KY bar and there's gonna be smoke. And a lot of it. Your clothes are probably going to smell like it for weeks. It can also get crazy on those weekend nights, although we were just there for a quick drink Halloween weekend and still found a table and ate pizza, so really not that crazy.
And they often times have great live music! A couple of guys, some microphones and a guitar between them. It always adds to the room, not takes away from it.
It's a damn good dive bar with a damn good burger. What more could you want? -
Review from Missy L.
9/19/2011
Zola's is pretty much everything you need in a Bar/Grill type situation. Located in Covington's Main Strasse Village, Zola is a cozy establishment with limited outdoor seating as well as a lounge upstairs.
The food at Zola is about what you would expect; burgers, fries, chicken fingers, wraps. That being said it is all extremely tasty. During their happy hour all their appetizers are half priced as well. Though, even at regular price everything is very affordable.
I have found the service can leave something to be desired at times. It's neither speedy nor particularly friendly. I work in customer service so I hate to get on anyone for the quality of their service, but this has happened nearly every time I've been to Zola's so I feel it deserves to be said.
Zola's does offer some good drink deals as well as a fairly well stocked bar. They typically have some type of live music in the evenings. I know The Turkey's play here fairly often. It definitely adds to the experience.
So if you find yourself in Main Strasse and are either looking for an affordable meal, or tasty beverage Zola is a good choice (just don't go if you're on a schedule because you will more than likely be late to whatever you have next on your agenda). -
Review from Bill W.
Independence, KY
1/19/2012
Best Damn Soup and Burgers I ever had.......and talk about great SPECIALS.....Don't take my word on it, GO DOWN AND CHECK IT OUT.
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Review from kelly k.
5/18/2011
I went here on a Wednesday evening with a good friend. Neither of us had been before, but I'd heard about the burger madness on Wednesday nights.
Burger madness is terrific! For $6, we each got a huge burger with 5 toppings. The burger was savory and well-prepared. The toppings were fresh, and I got fries too (fries are always a bonus)! The service was friendly and fast. The entire experience was very enjoyable, and I'll definitely go back.
Why not 5 stars? It's a little small, with a hint of smoke in the air. Although not bad for a bar. Parking can be a challenge on Mainstrasse, depending on time of day.
Overall, I'd recommend it for burger lovers. Thumbs up! -
Review from Rj C.
Cincinnati, OH
5/5/2011
What a cool "dive-bar" spot in Mainstrasse!
Better than average bar food, VERY friendly bar tenders and a talented cook in the back room make for a pleasurable experience. Stop down on Tuesday night for authentic bluegrass music, though it sometimes is very busy and standing-room only.
I'm a fan of their Zola Burger as well as a few others on the menu including the Memphis BBQ burger. Though I'm personally not a big fan of the asian pasta salad, the chili cheese fries are delicious.
A small selection of very good beers and moderate prices make for a good time every time I'm at Zola. -
Review from Jessica K.
Cincinnati, OH
5/12/2011
Last year Zola's was on the list of bars to visit on Mainstrasse for a friend's 21st birthday outing. It was a great place to drink, listen to live music, and have fun with a large group. The upper floor has a pool table and good seating, which was perfect for a party like ours and is the primary reason we stayed there most of the night!
I'd been to Zola's before for burgers, too. They're cooked great and the choice of toppings and specialty burgers is fantastic! Definitely a must-visit spot when around Mainstrasse. -
Review from Andi B.
2/20/2011
I love a good burger but I was meeting a friend who is vegetarian. Based on the Yelp reviews we decided on Zola because they said the portabella burger was great.
I normally go for a burger, lettuce, tomato and pickle but decided to change it up completely. I picked the mo town burger (I think that was the name) bacon, cheddar, onion straws and BBQ sauce. I got my sauce on the side because I order the chips (crunchy saratoga chip), which they make in-house and are amazing, so I could dip.
My friend got the portabella and the asian cole slaw. Hopefully she does a review because it looked great. We had an appetizer that was something like southwest stuffed potato, but neither of us were wowed by it.
It is an older bar, converted house so naturally that coupled with the smoking option it is a smokey place. In the summer, they have tables on the sidewalk.
Wednesdays are their burger special day, which as of this date is a burger, up to 5 toppings and a side for $6.Listed in: Burger Heaven
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Review from Blair W.
Cincinnati, OH
6/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
I liked the vibe of the place - small bar & burger joint with an interesting crowd, the reds on a couple tvs and decent music - but I was pretty unimpressed by the service and food.
Service took way too long - we got our drinks right away but then it was probably 15 full minutes before someone came by to take our order.
The burger, especially for being so reputable, was very disappointing. I think it was something about their beef I didn't like because everything else (accessories/addons) were very good.
I probably won't head back, but if the service improved and you had a taste for their particular beef, you might enjoy it a lot more than I did. -
Review from Matthew C.
Cincinnati, OH
5/23/2011
Burger madness is hard to resist. This place makes it look easy to make a great burger consistently. Probably the best bar food in the city. Great wings, great burgers, great onion rings. In fact the burgers would have won the best burger contest our office had if we hadn't limited to Cincy downtown.
Casual atmosphere and laid back service but still attentive. When your downtown lunch options seem stale, pop over to mainstrasse on a Wednesday and get a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings. your stomach will thank you. -
Review from Cynthia R.
Woodlawn, KY
10/20/2010
Surprisingly good food for a bar. I was impressed! Minus one star for slow service and another for super smoky environment
We settled on Zola after wandering up and down Main St looking for somewhere to eat a late dinner. Zola is a great middle ground between fast food and too-fancy. They did warn us that the kitchen was backed up, so we anticipated a food wait. It was worth it though, as all 4 of us enjoyed what we got. The salads were even a hit.
However, as time went on and we just wanted our check, our table was ignored and it became impossible to even make eye contact with a server. Meanwhile, we were in a direct line of fire... er, smoke. I know that's more of a Kentucky gripe vs this specific bar, but still. I did enjoy myself and thought the place had good character. May have to make a Wednesday night visit for the burger special - $6 for unlimited toppings and a side.Listed in: My Old Kentucky Home, Bar Night
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Review from Dan M.
2/19/2011
Sure, this is a good burger. My burger was a medium well even though I ordered it medium rare. Not to complain but there are basically two parts to making a good burger - using good meat and cooking it correctly. The ingredients on the burger were good and I liked my selection. It came with homemade chips, which were also pretty good. The major reason to go here is that on WEDNESDAYS, BURGERS ARE HALF PRICE. So, naturally, that is when I went and would go back. It's not bad, but I probably wouldn't seek it out for a good burger.
Bottom Line: I might be back with friends for a half-priced burger on a Wednesday. -
Review from Rawley D.
San Jose, CA
9/8/2011
A couple of bds and I stopped by a couple f Sunday's ago. I had a great Burger and fun enviorment! and a good selection of Taps. Best review I can give is that I will be back!
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Review from Ben B.
12/14/2010 4 Check-ins Here
The go-to spot for pub grub in Mainstrasse. Great service backs a pretty decent menu! Everyone loves their burgers, and being part time veggie, I have to agree that their Portabella burger is one of the better veggie burgers in the area. Their bleu cheese is also quite fantastic!
It can get a bit crammed in here, but an upstairs area and in the summer time patio, this is one of the better bars in Northern Kentucky! -
Review from Zack F.
11/30/2010
I haven't reviewed Zola's yet? Wow.
So, this is my favorite bar in Mainstrasse. Does it deserve 5 stars? I don't even care, it's great in so many ways, and since it's my go to spot, it gets the bump.
Surprisingly, they do cater to vegetarians here, and have a really tasty portabella burger. That's given that I don't even like portabella burgers generally. Their coleslaw is even vegetarian, another thing I typically dislike, but it was great.
They have a respectable selection of alcohol to choose from and their prices are reasonable. The service is always attentive, friendly and attractive.
It definitely has a neighborhood bar feel. If you go enough, you'll know everyone by name. It can get a bit loud, but you can still talk to your friends.
They have regular local, live music. Their bluegrass night is a lot of fun. Stop in often is my recommendation. -
Review from Meli S.
Grafton, WI
8/8/2011
Excellent food. Nice casual atmosphere. I'm a fan!
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Review from Michele G.
Dayton, KY
8/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
This use to be my home away from home. They have great burgers. Frank the server/bartender is great. Draft beer is cold. 1/2 price appetizers on one day. They are always running some kind of special. They have out door seating on Main Street.
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Review from Greg S.
Cincinnati, OH
5/18/2011 2 photos
Zola's was an "after the show" stop with my youngest (teen) daughter on a very nice Sunday afternoon. Located on the east side of Main Street in Covington's Mainstrasse, it is the sister location to the "915 Pub" in Fort Thomas, KY, a few miles to the east. That connection is evident in its menu, and its style.
This visit preceded the smoking ban in Northern Kentucky, so we were still subject to the lung filling smoke upon our entry. That should no longer be an issue here. I do believe that of the twenty or so people in the restaurant/bar, we were the only non-smokers. The waiter/bartender arrived at our table quickly, and made a valiant attempt at making us feel welcome. With the amount of customers he had to serve, he was fairly busy and this left little time for small talk. We got menus, and ordered our sodas. The menu is not large, but it is adequate considering this place seems to lean more towards the bar side of the business than the restaurant side. This is all part of our ongoing "Best Burger in Cincinnati" hunt, so it had to be burgers. When our drinks arrived, my daughter ordered the "Zola Burger" which comes with American cheese, and I ordered the "Mushroom Burger" with Swiss. We ordered both of them Medium-Rare. For sides it was traditional fries for her, but I went with something different. As stated earlier, this is a sister pub to the 915 Pub, so they have their delicious Asian Slaw. Of course I went with that.
The wait was reasonable considering there were several other tables ahead of us. The burgers, in the middle size wise, not large but not tiny, were nice and hot. The buns, pretty plain by most standards, are a little small considering the price. Both burgers were well seasoned and came as ordered: Medium-Rare. The Zola Burger comes topped with bacon, grilled onions, mushrooms and Capacollo ham. The ham was grilled, which toughened it somewhat, but everything else was fine and the cheese was nicely melted. The fries, not quite steak fries, but not the classic thin fries either, were OK. There was nothing spectacular going on there. The Mushroom burger rated about the same. Overall nice: Nice mushrooms, nicely melted cheese, etc. That leaves the Asian slaw. Since it is made on premises, the quality can vary somewhat. A little more sesame oil here, a little less pepper there; this time it was pretty good. My biggest complaint of the meal was that, unlike an order of fries, a scoop of wet Asian slaw on the plate rapidly infuses into the bun of the burger. This happened here. By the time the burger arrived, about one-third of the bun had been soaked with the slaw juices. Not so bad that I sent it back, but something to note. I had to lay down a napkin and set my burger there so as not to sop of the rest of the liquid with my remaining dry bun. It would be a wise move to send that out in it's own little bowl separately, so this would not occur.
Overall, it was an OK experience. The seating choices are at the bar, at some normal height tables in the center, or the bar height tables along the wall. It's a little dark in there, even on a sunny afternoon, except for those seated directly in front of the large, main windows. It was apparent that most of the people in the bar were regulars, and the overall mood was pretty light.
I would certainly go back. The burgers were good, the slaw is usually great, and crowd was invitingly friendly. -
Review from Bernie W.
Lincoln, NE
8/23/2011
Decent food & beer. Hot, friendly waitress & bartender. Didn't like the acoustic musician Thurs night, who played Simon & Garfunkel
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Review from Beth D.
5/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
It was crowded and smokey - we were on the first floor. The second floor is non-smoking. I did not go upstairs, but one would think that the smoke would rise to the second floor. The food was OK. I had a margherita pizza. There was no fresh mozzarella, and very sparse with basil. It was not authentic, but it was OK. The Asian spring rolls, which were recommended by our waiter, are made in-house, and they were quite good. Service became slower and slower as more people filed in from the street. Overall, it was an average experience.
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Review from Karina M.
11/24/2008 1 photo
Love, love, loved the Soul Burger. The Caribbean jerk seasoning perfectly accentuated the flavors of the beef and I will definitely come back to order this one next time I get a craving for red meat.
And they offered all day Happy Hour on Sundays! -
Review from Chelsea V.
Erlanger, KY
5/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
Portabella burger, no really- a good one!!!
Amazing bar, fantastic food and check the schedule cause you don't want to miss the Turkeys weakly playlist live every week. Lunch or dinner, Zola's has an amazing menu. Black and bleu burger and the potabella to name my couple classic dishes served with fresh fries and a great beer cabinet to wash it all down. Since it is south of the great O- Hi-o river, if the smoke hinders your apetite, feel free to snag a seat outside. Plus- it's conveniently on Main Strasse, so hit up a couple other hot spots while your in the hood. -
Review from Matt W.
Knoxville, TN
6/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Burger was cheap, kitchen was open, AND, we got the most badass bar full of people singing songs from the Karate Kid Soundtrack that were playing for the Juke Box. We will be back if we are up for a light night meal in the area in the near future. I got the Zola burger and my cholesterol count immediately doubled when it hit my table. This made me happy about my metabolism.
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Review from Tim N.
Cambridge, MA
10/12/2008
Very nice Pub and Grub place on Main Strasse. Went there on a Sunday afternoon, soaked up the sun on the chairs on the sidewalk.
Half price appetizers and happy hour beer special on sunday made it a most affordable afternoon hang out.
Very average bar with very nice staff. Frank the waiter was very frank about our selections and was very accommodating. -
Review from Christopher D.
Cold Spring, KY
10/14/2009
Have yet to try any of the food (which goes for most bars in my experience), but have heard good things.
I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere and the clientele. The barback/busser was extremely friendly and talked to our table for a while without overstaying his welcome.
Overall a very pleasurable experience. However, nothing incredibly noteworthy about this bar. From my experience just another decent bar on mainstrasse that's definitely worthy checking out for a drink or two. -
Review from Joshua C.
Covington, KY
2/6/2008
Decent place for pub food--especially Wednesday evenings during the build-your-own 'Burgermania' mentioned in another review. $5 will get you your choice of up to 5 toppings and a handmade burger cooked just right. I recommend adding jerk spice to yours for a little extra pep in your step.
For a little Kentucky flavor, every Tuesday night after 9:00 pm Zola offers a cover-free bluegrass band (The Northern Kentucky Bluegrass Band) that consistently packs the downstairs with a toe-tapping ease I've yet to see elsewhere in Cinti. -
Review from Erin L.
Erlanger, KY
10/8/2010
Zola is a great bar and grill in the fun Mainstrasse area. Their food is amazing, especially their Asian-style slaw and their giant angus burgers. I usually opt for the chicken sandwiches which are equally delicious. The golden tee golf and bartop game machine keep people busy and the pool tables upstairs are a fun. Drop in and you'll be happy you did!
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Review from Lauren F.
Indianapolis, IN
9/20/2008
Zola's is a cozy little bar on Main Strasse that offers a pretty decent drink selection and better than usual pub grub as a lot of places in this area of town do. The Black Bean burger is excellent and the service has always been fast and very friendly. Known for superior burgers it's a hot spot for locals to eat and drink. I'm usually not a fan of the late night crowd, a little too middle American for my tastes.
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Review from Steve K.
Cincinnati, OH
8/17/2009
A friend and I were looking for a burger in Mainstrasse one evening and stopped in. Everything on the menu looked great, and as it so happened, I got the wrong burger, but it was so good that I kept it.
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Review from Robin B.
Cincinnati, OH
12/24/2007
Zola's is the place to go on Tuesday nights for burgers. You can load them up with all the toppings you want including grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon, blu cheese, and fries for $5! The atmosphere is chill on the first floor with a bar and some tables and there is more seating on the second floor with games as well. I went with two other friends and the burgers were made to order to a tee and the fries were nice and hot. We will definitely be back to try a different combination on our burgers.
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Review from T P.
Cincinnati, OH
5/7/2009
Used to love this place. Recently the quality has gone downhill. Wings are now tiny, tough with barely any sauce. Last time we were there only a couple of the BBQ wings I ordered had any sauce on them. The rest were totally bare. I pointed it out to the server who came back with an ice cold side of BBQ sauce. Later I discovered she charged me for the "extra" sauce as well as a side of blue cheese she never brought. Food stunk, bartender/server stunk & music stunk. Bartender chose to crank up 107.1-style music. Hearing crappy, teenager music was a first for me at Zola's & it no longer felt like the Zola's I'd come to love.
