Maury's Tiny Cove is one of the oldest steakhouses in Cincinnati. The restaurant opened in 1949 and not much has changed since then--same decor featuring red and black booths and wood paneling throughout. I believe it is even still the same green paint on the outside of the building with the same sign. Their website says "walking through the door at Maury's is like traveling through a time portal to the 1950's," and I would have to agree. Menu doesn't appear to have changed much either. A must-have though is the retro appetizer, Hanky Panks. Not because they are so delicious, but because when you step back into the 1950s in Cincinnati, Hanky Pankies are a must-have with cocktails. The odd appetizer is basically a mix of Velveeta cheese and sausage melted and served hot atop party-size pumpernickel bread. While it is a steakhouse, we decided on the Chicken Picatta and pork chops. If we go back, we will try the French onion soup.

I've never heard of Maury's until recently my Mr started to see a post on instagram that amazed him and wanted me to check it out. Also a friend of mine also did a post of it and it made me want to visit this restaurant more. What drew me in was the nostalgia and everything in the building is original decor and furniture. I also couldn't believe the pricing on the menu. It was ridiculously reasonable and had a good selection of everything. WARNING: Must make reservations. Even if it's on a slow day on a Monday. They are always booked and even their bar area requires reservations. No walk ins. My Mr was smart to book ours a month in advance. You walk in and it reminds me of a Speakeasy. Very small but has alot to offer. It's dimmed but I can tell they keep the place extra clean. No dust in site. They do have an upstairs for dining and bigger parties. Our hostess was Sara Lee and she was so down to earth and helpful. We started off with complimentary homemade rolls and pickles. Wow! What place does this? That's the best starter! Who would've thought this combination?! Brilliant!! And it was delish. We ordered: -Cyclone: Fresh grilled Salmon marinated in bourbon, soy and brown sugar with a side of baked potato -The Cavalier: 12 oz. New York strip cooked medium with a side of salad (blue cheese dressing) and baked potato. -Bottle of Cecchi Sangiovese Toscana 2021 Okay... everything was perfect! My salmon was flavorful and the wine paired well with it. I had some of my Mr's steak. The best New York strip I've ever had. The broccoli and baked potato -simple yet it was cooked just right and not salty/overcooked. The service was excellent. These servers don't mess around. They are SUPER attentive, friendly and all worked very hard. You can tell. Everyone looked happy. I have to say that this is the only place I will make the far drive to on the West Side. I am never in this area. West siders should be very proud and lucky they have Maury's. You can tell the clientele are all locals. I truly loved the feel and that it's very laid back. You don't have to be super dressed up to come to a nice restaurant. Honestly, if you'd asked for my opinion, I like it way better here than Jeff Ruby's. It's the vintage setting, food, setting is laid back, excellent service, and cheap pricing? All that in one? Who wouldn't want that? I can't wait to tell all my friends about this place! We are definitely returning..... very soon!

I know I've referred to a few as "hidden gems", but overall, this hidden gem may have all the others beat. I found this place rather unexpectedly via an Instagram post I somehow stumbled upon. The post definitely made the place look great and worth checking out, so my lady and I did just that, and we really enjoyed it. My lady couldn't stop raving about it and we were already talking about our next visit before our main courses reached the table. Now THAT is saying something! I made reservations for Saturday at 5:30pm as the place is pretty much reservation only. We arrived right on time and were seated right away. The place itself looks like it could've been a prohibition era speakeasy. The staff are all very friendly, especially the hostess Sara Lee, who took plenty of time to make sure everyone was enjoying everything. The menu isn't huge but definitely have a nice variety of steaks, ribs, fish, chicken, pastas, and sandwiches/burgers. The drink menu isn't huge either but keeps a similar variety or beers, wines, and cocktails. All at really nice prices. We started with a bottle of Sangiovese while we decided on our entrees. My lady got the cyclone (fresh grilled salmon in a bourbon, soy and brown sugar marinade) with a baked potato and broccoli. I ordered the cavalier (12 oz New York strip steak) cooked medium with a house salad and baked potato. They give you complimentary rolls house-made pickles to start. Both were very tasty. We absolutely loved the retro ambiance of the place, especially the 1950's jazz they had playing. We were already talking about bringing friends with us next time because we know they'll move the place too. When our entrees came out, everything looked and tasted amazing. My steak was cooked perfectly and my lady's salmon was so good that I wanna learn how to make it that way. Plus it all paired very well with our wine. Before we left, we took a look at the upstairs too, and it was just as impressive as the downstairs. This may be the best Cincinnati hidden gem we've experienced thus far. Honestly, if given the choice between here and one of Jeff Ruby's places, I'd pick here without sny hesitation. It's just so much more unique and walking in feels like you've stepped back in time to the 1950's. We'll definitely be back!