The six posts I have made (including this one) about good burgers in Cincinnati is in no way meant to be all-inclusive but they are my personal favorites. There is one other that I especially enjoy, but I will discuss it in a later post since it really is located in greater Cincinnati and not the Queen City itself. This last burger is from one of my favorite restaurants in town—period.
CWC, the Restaurant is an outgrowth of a popular cooking blog called CWC, which stands for Cooking with Caitlin. Between chef Caitlin Steininger and her sister Kelly Trush, they have posted dozens and dozens of “how-to” cooking videos. They’ve been seen doing local television spots, have run pop-up shops, and ran a food truck while their restaurant was being readied.
There are not many guarantees that can be made with restaurants, but I can absolutely guarantee that you cannot go to CWC and not feel welcome. While Caitlin does the food, her effervescent sister Kelly is the host and manager who greets you. What a treat to go to a restaurant where you are made to feel that they are happy you are there from the moment you step in the door.
Part of the difference is that Caitlin and Kelly are both working moms and everyone knows moms are the best cooks. They have created a work situation that makes being mothers raising kids while also running a restaurant work. CWC is only open Friday and Saturday evenings and for Sunday brunch.
The intimate restaurant is located in the Wyoming neighborhood of Cincinnati and serves amped-up comfort food. Their signature burger is a great example.
I am always game to try burgers with lots of interesting toppings, but on the other hand, if there are too many toppings you basically can’t taste the burger. CWC’s Char Cheddar Burger is a burger genius in its simplicity that allows you to actually taste the high-quality beef. The generous, hand-formed burger is not topped with traditional slices of cheese. Instead, it is placed atop a generous bed of fries and a heaping ladle of decadent cheddar sauce is poured over the patty.
While Caitlin serves lots of other dishes and has a menu that changes periodically, she sometimes has homemade Oreos available for dessert. These handmade cookies are literally as big as your palm. And naturally, they are served with a glass of milk for dunking!
If you are ever in the area during their limited hours, I cannot recommend CWC, the Restaurant highly enough. You will leave not only with a satisfied appetite but feeling like you just had a meal with good friends who care for you.