Brothers Bar & Grill

1 Levee Way #2126
Newport, KY 41071
859.291.2767
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Now with over a dozen locations across the middle of the United States, Brothers Bar & Grill tends to locate one bar in each area, usually around the priciest scenes in town. It’s a sports bar concept that appeals to whichever local teams are most beloved, and brings a menu of decently priced food to bear. While it keeps the casual concept with full service, the spot draws a crowd on game day and its menu of bar grub seems to keep those crowds coming back.

Bar food is down to a science here in the Midwest, and Brothers is no exception. The spot totes an enormous number of sandwiches, bar appetizers, and of course, burgers. The spot takes its burgers seriously, so I thought I would give them a try.

• Lone Tree Burger: What piqued my interest was the “Lone Tree Burger,” a homage apparently to the Brothers location in Home Tree, Colorado. It’s a barbecue burger if I ever saw one, a third-pound burger topped with crispy onions, a jalapeno cream cheese and a chipotle glaze. In spite of the former two ingredients, the burger didn’t turn out to be very spicy, and in fact had something more of a smoky taste. The jalapeno and chipotle combination is ingenious, though.
• Original Burger: Pretty straightforward, though the patty isn’t fresh. But hey, two bucks on some nights.
• French dip: Thick sliced meat, with plenty of gristle, on a hoagie bun alongside a sweet au jus, and without too much seasoning or frills. Go for the mess!

Not into burgers? The appetizers and sandwiches are also varied. I wasn’t a fan of the fried pickles, they’re cut into thin slices but the order I got was overcooked and crunchy in all the wrong ways. The spot much acclaims its cheese curds which are fried in a beer batter with Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss beer. It’s also noted for its pretzel sticks served with horseradish sauce. All told, good safe options for game-day apps.

The service here is back and forth. The spot gets crowded, very much so especially in the summer. The bar is built to hold a lot of people, but the service can easily get tangled up for that same reason. When crowds come, food wait times go up and you’ll have a harder time  getting a server here to notice you. Service is a common complaint here and it really derails the experience.

One way or another though, Brothers is a decent experience. Expect that game-day crowd to be a major change-up of things, but at the same time, the crowds are half the fun in the stadium. Right?

Recommendations

• Notably, some of the spots do game transportation. Brothers in Newport, Kentucky offers shuttles to the Reds games. According to its Facebook page, your bill must average out to $20 per person to be eligible to ride the shuttle.
• Burgers are the first menu item to give a try, and I recommend the “Lone Tree” if you can get your hands on one.
• Also, the cheese curds might be a best bet for apps.