Salazar Restaurant • Chef Jose Salazar Otr Restaurant Bar

What a lovely venue! I'm so pleased I had the chance to visit again before they close!

My wife and I had a pleasant dinner at the restaurant. The bread and salad appetizers were excellent. Although I initially wanted the salmon, I decided to try the steak after the waiter’s recommendation. While it was a great cut of beef, it was a bit over-seasoned. My wife enjoyed her schnitzel, though she didn't love it. The wine selection was impressive, and the service was outstanding.

November 2023 (2/5 stars): I really want to like Salazar, but I'm left feeling confused by their decisions in the post-pandemic world. They've raised the price of a simple breakfast sandwich with meat to nearly $20 and are offering a New Year's Eve dinner for $253 per person, yet they’re complaining to the media about a lack of customers. It seems obvious to me that pricing is a significant issue here. Instead of focusing on maximizing profits, they should prioritize running a good restaurant. People in Over-the-Rhine don’t want to spend $20 on a breakfast sandwich or $250 on dinner, even for New Year’s Eve. I really don’t know who their target audience is anymore, but it seems to be wealthy individuals from the suburbs, and that’s not me. I'm genuinely disappointed in the direction both Salazar and Goose Elder have taken since the pandemic. Once two of my favorite places in the neighborhood, they now feel out of touch and overpriced. If this ultimately leads to their downfall, it would be a shame, but the signs are clear—they’re alienating their core customers by drastically increasing prices. It’s a puzzling approach for a long-standing local establishment. Honestly, I just can’t afford to dine there anymore, which is sad. I wish they would listen to everyday folks like us. My previous review was 5/5 stars (2014-2022).

Incredible food, drinks, atmosphere, and service. They made our birthday dinner something to remember and sent us home with a Polaroid photo!

Update: Had to have it one last time at the original location before they temporarily close to reopen in a new larger location. Harvest Moon cocktail is an aesthetical and delectable delight Restaurant Week is building momentum with a visit to Salazar the eponymous OTR restaurant by Chef Jose Salazar Supreme dining experience. Fine dining without being overly pretentious or breaking the bank. 1. Cocktail: Love Letter Refreshing spring evening drink while the sun was still out. For food, went with the Spring restaurant week special dinner menu 2. First course: Parisian Gnocchi. Intricate and Exquisite! Subtle medley of savory flavors and textures (crisp, soft, smooth) with each ingredient shining on its own and coming together harmoniously! And something to be said about the color of the presentation. Felt it represented a bright spring evening perfectly. This was a grandslam home run gnocchi creation by Chef Salazar and his team. Probably the best gnocchi dish I have had, ever! 3. Second course: Blue corn Hurache Vegetables in this really pleasant artisanal presentation of Hurache included English peas, radishes and asparagus as part of the spring vegetables medley, along with refried beans, salsa and crema all delicately elevating the star of the show a perfectly prepared Hurache! Great follow up to the gnocchi first course. Jumping across the pond seamlessly between the two courses. 4. Third course Dessert: dark chocolate pot de creme with chopped strawberries and vanilla whip. Well , let's just say this unleashed a bit of a sweet tooth in me...and I ended up overshooting the restaurant week menu to order a 4th course add on dessert 5. Fourth Course: Warm fresh cookie, did I mention warm?... just the perfect way to finish a cool spring night I leave Salazar a happy and full human....again ! Where to next on Wednesday??