quatman cafe

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 afriesupgrade. 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.

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.

love this place!. totally idyllic mom and pop place. don't expect much in terms of grandeur, but it is reminiscent of the good ol' days and hits the spot. go for the plain old cheeseburger and fries. they don't even have a menu, well its posted up on the wall, and feel free to seat yourself. they have a daily special so you can grab a burger,friesand a beer for about 7.50. yum!
if you go looking for fancy items and add-ons you will be disappointed, but trust me this place is worth checking out!

i had some time to spare and found quatman cafe. shockingly it is so very close to my house it's dangerous. i ordered a plain cheeseburger with fries. i would put this one in the same category as zip's in the house burger variety. it's nothing you couldn't accomplish at home. they use american cheese on their burger and it was a pretty tasty sandwich. i like american cheese on my burger from time to time. the beef was cooked well and was plenty juicy when it came to my table. thefrieswere average shoestring variety and were really hot when i got them. i would go back because it's so near my house. it wasn't my favorite burger i've had though. i will say that i was slightly disappointed because i put in a to go order for my husband for a plain cheeseburger. i heard the server say plain to me and then to the kitchen staff. when i brought it home to him it had garden all over it. sigh. better luck next time.

if you are from cincinnati, you have likely heard about quatman cafe in norwood. it is a small pub and grill that is known for its burgers. when i first walked into quatman's on a friday night, i noticed that it was full of regulars and packed! there isn't a hostess, so you just sit where you can find a seat. we took the last table in the back and looked up at the menu on the wall. quatman's menu is simple. burgers, fries, sandwiches, and they are known for their mock turtle soup. i have yet to try this soup, but my dad has mentioned how good it is many times. our waitress promptly came over, took our drink order, and was ready to put our food order in as well. it didn't take my husband and me long to order-we had gone for the burgers. we each ordered a burger andfriesand my husband had some chili as well. as we waited, i took in the atmosphere. there were sports on all the t.v.s, families, college students, couples, and cincinnati memorabilia around the walls. very simple red and wh

one of the best burgers in town.... quatman cafe has one of the best burgers in town. the norwood location is the only place to get a true quatman burger - the mason location is not even close. big, juicy burger topped with land o lakes cheese, pickles, ketchup, and mustard (no other options!). delicious. served on a paper plate with chips and a can of soda if you are interested in a picnic-like neighborhood bar setting. pass on thefries- they are nothing to write home about. chili is average at best.

i love quatman! the burgers are delicious, some of the best i've ever had. thefriesare okay, but you can substitute chips. the service is incredibly friendly. :)