How hot is this hot spot, where ribs are king? Without having your name on the “priority-seating” list on a Saturday night, the wait can be 2 to 2-1/2 hours for a table at Montgomery Inn at the Boathouse. And this ribs palace on the Ohio River seats 700 people!
So the Boathouse location of Montgomery Inn is sizzling hot, and it’s all about the ribs. Those ribs draw celebrities far and wide. Back when Bob Hope was alive, he did commercials for these ribs—for free! Hope even said so in the commercial, and he did the TV spots because he loved the ribs and loved the members of the family who worked the restaurants and produced the product.
What about the product? Well, ribs at the Inn are different. First of all, Montgomery Inn is celebrating 63 years in the restaurant business this year, and 25 years at the Boathouse. “Back when mom and dad started making the ribs and our famous sauce, nobody was serving ribs in this part of the country,” said Dean Gregory, GM of the Boathouse location and son of Ted, the original Ribs King.
“Back then (1951), ribs were a poor man’s food and mostly done in the American south. But people around here loved the ribs we made, and the sauce is the key. We don’t smoke our ribs, and the meat is tender and sweet and together with the sauce, they are just so delicious. Our guests here at the restaurant, they just love them,” Gregory said. As for the recipes, they are all family derived, and the Gregory family is personally involved in all the Montgomery Inn locations around the Greater Cincinnati area.
The menu has plenty of options to satisfy anyone in your group. The ribs are the runaway best seller at Montgomery Inn at the Boathouse (the original location is on Montgomery Road in Montgomery). Next in popularity is the BBQ chicken, which is moist and hot and tender and delicious, Gregory said: “People love the chicken too. We have pulled pork and pulled chicken sandwiches, barbecued beef brisket, burgers, filet of fish and more on the menu, including a kids menu for families dining with us. We have something for everybody and every taste.”
The Boathouse is a “must see, must do” location, according to Gregory. “The view is spectacular and eating here is one of the treats of coming to the Cincinnati area. We hear that all the time from visitors to this great area. And once they visit and taste the ribs, our restaurant becomes a regular stop for people who return to the area again and again.
Part of the allure of the Boathouse and other Montgomery Inn locations is the consistency of the product and service. “Our guests can count on us for a consistent, quality meal of ribs or chicken or any other menu item, and quality, friendly, efficient service. I’m just so proud of this place, and of our people who serve and prepare the food. They do a great job!”
See you behind a plate of ribs at Montgomery Inn at the Boathouse!