quatman cafe

hometown fav!. overall taste (1-10) score 9; i went at lunch for a burger and it just feels like home. you might even run into your old high school basketball coach here.

beef quality (1-10) quality, juiciness, preparation, size; score 8. slightly on the fatty side for my taste in beef, but many could construe this to be "juicy."

bun (1-5) freshness, appearance, texture, taste; score 2. serves its purpose, to deliver the meat, but brings no added joy.

toppings (1-5) variety, freshness, cheese included; score 3. slim choices, however you can choose a few different varieties of fresh-sliced cheese for your burger.

atmosphere (1-5) cleanliness, service, speed, chair comfort, music; score 5. this place has a lot of norwood roots and charm. hometown favorite. no frills with its vinyl picnic tableclothes and if you ask for mayo, they bring you the opened jar with a help yourself butter knife. classic! just as if you were at mom's. good stuff.

burger value (1-5) what you get for what you pay; score 5. can't beat $6.19 burger special on thursdays which includes a drink (plus, they have an awesome selection of canned pop...just like mom's!)

total score: 31

yum. i've been there a few times with friends and family. it's a great, chill neighborhood place. i love the burgers and the reuben. also love the deli counter as well. the chicken salad from the deli is one of my fiance's favorites.

absolutely outstanding!!!! one of my favorite cheeseburger in cincinnati. great prices. it's a must if you are in the area!!

one saturday morning, about a month ago, a miracle happened. i woke up and didn't want to throw up. which was perfect timing; that evening we were scheduled to go to quatman's (i guess officially named quatman cafe) for brian's birthday. we've been wantin

i've been wanting to try quatman's forever. finally i made it to norwood and had the time to stop by. quatman's is rated as have one of the best burgers in cincinnati.
after my experience, i would have to agree. i had a cheeseburger. everything was prepared fresh as you can immediately tell. from the beef to the veggies to the bun.
friendly service topped my visit.
unfortunately i could enjoy a ice cold beer with the burger, but the next time i come i will.

burger burgers and burgers, you will love this place for sure.. we were really excited coming here and enjoyed our food , was the right time and right taste

this place was a surprise for the wife and i as we were early for my doctor appointment! we enjoyed the tasty cheeseburger plus (finally) skinny fries. a cool beer before the doctor? sure. there are 16 bar seats, outside searing and a noisy but neighborly atmosphere inside. we had fast service and good food. what more could you want? i might even go back to my doctor!

i ate here a couple year back and wasn't impressed at all, but i decided to give it another shot.... well it was still as below average as before. i'm not sure what all the hype is at about, i'd much rather have a terry's, gaslight or zips burger, they blow this place away.

today, i finally made it to quatman cafe, as recommended by pollysarepatruck, on mission to compare the famous quatman cheeseburger to the famous gaslight cheeseburger. both were wonderfully tasty and juicy, but they were different. quatman's burger was thicker. while both came dressed deluxe with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles, and both were served with potato chips without a fries upgrade. both offered a bacon upgrade and their prices were about equally inexpensive. service was attentive and friendly both places.

quatman's ambiance is much lighter and open than gaslight's, with its "always night inside" dive bar appeal that awakens fond memories of wasted youth lost in the haze of bourbon and cigarette smoke. yes, i feel drawn to the dark dive, more "at home" basking in the gaslight's beckoning call. all that's missing from the room is the smoke.

best
place to enjoy a great burger in cincinnati. casual, neighborhood hangout feel
with great service and good prices.  no sauce or fancy toppings needed to make these
burgers.

on the trip to the top ten burgers in cincinnati this is absolutely a finalist, you will not be disappointed, the staff is great and the food/burger some of the finest , there is no reason that you do not experience the place highly recommend...

sorry, i just don't get this place.  i've tried it 3 times.  the meat always tastes like it's been frozen.  you can't say it's a "norwood thing" either, i've lived around the corner for a long time.  i do appreciate the norwood institution tag.  that's cool, just not for me.

quatman's is on one hand an unassuming local dive bar and grill with a very limited menu, but it is also on the other hand a storied norwood institution with one of the very best burgers in the area

the menu isn't even printed - its up on the wall like one would expect at a counter service joint - and while it does include a few (very few) sandwiches, soups, and chili as well as a friday-only fried fish sandwich and a wednesday-only pork bbq sandwich, what you come here for is that burger.  it is about 8oz of fresh beef delivered daily, griddled on a flat top to mw, topped with your choice of about a half dozen cheeses and/or your basic lettuce, tomato, pickle, and/or onion, and served on a much better than average quality bun.   this is an old school, no nonsense burger; there are no frou-frou toppings, no talk of meat blends, served (as everything is) on a paper plate.  you can (and i do) ask that the burger be cooked to a lower level of done-ness, but regardless of how i order it always comes out medium well, cooked through.  it nonetheless remains surprisingly juicy and flavorful.  a nice plus: grilled onions are available on request at no additional charge.  a handful of chips are thrown in if you order your burger ala carte, but on mondays, tuesdays, and thursdays everyone typically orders the daily special - a burger, fries (thin and crispy variety), and a drink (which can be a softdrink or a beer) for 7 bucks.  one minus here - the soft drinks are canned, so no free refills

i've finally got around to trying the fish sandwich yesterday and it is pretty clear this is fresh from the freezer bag stuff - the two small filets on the sandwich were cut to an almost identical size and shape.  it was hot and came out fast and the taste was decent, but i wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

the most interesting thing on the menu is something you dont see very often, even in cincinnati where a commercial canned version is made - mock turtle soup.  i haven't tried the version here and i dont know if they make their own or not, but i thought it worth mentioning as a curiosity.
 
vistors who have not been to quatmans in a while will be surprised (and perhaps dismayed) that they have moved from their longtime original location; but the move wasn't far.  they are in the larger space right next door to their original location, which a somewhat larger dining space, and outdoor patio, and at long last, a parking lot to call their own

bottom line: excellent oldschool burgers in a no frills environment at a very reasonable price.  strongly recommended.

really good cheeseburger. so the cheeseburger is absolutely worth the hype. chicken sandwich tastes amazing as well. if you are within close proximity and have never had the cheeseburger it is worth the trip alone, especially considering the value and service. this place has a positive community atmosphere and anybody would feel at home here. this is validated by the wide demographic range of patrons that come in and out of this place. i love that they didn't have a menu. you really dont need one when you can deliver the goods like this spot.

this is one of the best family owned restaurants in cincinnati, ohio. their burgers are the best comfort food you can buy! my father and i always around for their cheeseburger special on tuesdays! love,love,love, love this place!