Just about every town across America has a special place with good food where they know the owner on a first name basis and call a close second to mom’s kitchen. In many way’s Tuckers is like this. I walk in and sit down and Joe, the owner and the cook starts up a conversation. He talks about how his wife was shot recently. Never in the decades that he has been at that location has the place been robbed. But a few weeks ago, something happened and his wife was in the crossfire. She’s doing ok, but it came as a big surprise. You’d think that this would affect business. But this place is wildly popular and can definitely withstand the problems of this troubled neighborhood known as Over-The-Rhine. Around the corner from this place is the Findlay Market which is hopping on the weekends and also keeps helps to keep the traffic moving in the area. Joe, is a bit of a rock star in the neighborhood. And you can direct any complaints about the food or the service to his mother, who is 90 and can be seen slowly busing tables during the rush hour. She’ll be sure to set him straight.
Tucker’s is the quintessential, family-owned slop-house, which serves up an amazing breakfast and lunch. He also claims to be the first to put tartar sauce on a double-decker burger, long before the local chains started doing the same. The biscuits and gravy are good, but the star here is the Goetta (prounounced get-uh), which is a dish of oats and pork that was invented by the Germans to help increase the life of the meat. In fact, Cincinnati seems to be the only real place where this dish is popular or even heard of. So in many ways, its pretty indigenous to the area and its really good.
This place is a real treat. Definitely a must visit if you are in the area. Now photos!
Red Flannel Hash – Potato, sweet potato, beets and onion hash
The Tucker Burger – a Double Decker Burger with Tartar Sauce
Biscuits and Gravy – Homemade from scratch biscuits topped with Sausage Gravy
The Infamous Goetta – Sausage and steel-cut oats sliced thin and fried crispy.
