cheapside cafe

cheapside cafe is one of those restaurants that’s been on my list for awhile.  if you drive around downtown cincinnati very often, you might have spotted this corner restaurant with the teepee outside.  cheapside cafe, sitting on the corner of e. 8th street, offers a strong breakfast and lunch menu.  although small, the restaurant is bright, light, and clean.  the white paint and wall of windows works nicely with the natural wood finishes.  considering the number of customers coming in for takeout orders, cheapside’s location makes it convenient for downtown employees to get fresh and filling food! thisplaceis hopping!

what a fun place! so cute and clean. the menu is limited, but they do an amazing job with what they offer. i ordered the salmon nicoise salad and actually felt full after finishing the plate (typically salads aren't enough for me).  i tried a bit of my friend's curried chicken salad, and was blown away as well. overall, greatplacefor a light lunch or brunch!

i've been to cheapside during the lunch hour before and got their challah french toast. while it's bonkers good and worth getting again, my usual sweet tooth was drawn more to the chocolate chip cookie at the register and i ordered the chorizo + egg sandwich. great decision. full of crumbly, perfectly spiced chorizo and a folded egg on ciabatta bread, it tasted amazing and was big enough to take the other half with me! cheapside is a great littleplacethat feels light and airy thanks to the white walls, sparse wood interior, and breezy attitude. it is such a treat in the middle of downtown. i will definitely be back sometime this summer for the cold kegged coffee!

not cheap. don’t be fooled by the name. this is not a cheapplaceto eat. i had a chicken salad sandwich which cost $9. a pretty good sandwich but just chicken salad – no lettuce or tomato or even any attempt to garnish...served on bare plate with no chips or pickle. my lunch buddy had a $9 salad which was served on same sized plate – mixed greens, some apple chunks, golden raisins and a few nuts. we both left hungry. cuteplacebut not any ambiance to justify the high prices – you order at the counter and get your own fork and napkin and sit at bare wood tables. we noticed there were 8 employees working in this little breakfast/lunchplacewhich may be the reason they have to charge such high prices. there are probably 20 places within a 2 block radius for a good lunch. thisplacewill need to make some changes if they want to compete.