Last night, I stopped in at Quatman’s (as the locals call it) to grab a burger and a beer. Certainly most of you are asking yourself at least one, if not both of the following questions. What the hell is Quatman’s? And where the hell is Quatman’s? The second question is an easy one. Quatman’s is located at 2434 Quatman Avenue, of course. I can hear many of you saying right now, “I’ve never seen that street in Over the Rhine.” You may be shocked to know that Quatman’s is in Norwood. Real Norwood. Not the Hyde Park/Rookwood/Norwood area that eastsiders pretend is really Hyde Park so that they can justify shopping and/or eating there and telling their friends about it. I know that it may be difficult to believe, but I enjoy going to restaurants all across the Queen City (even a few that are west of I-75, but only when my West Side friends are gracious enough to unlock the gates at Queen City and Sunset and escort me in. But I digress. We will visit the West Side soon enough.) Quatman Avenue (and Quatman Café) are located about a mile north of the Norwood Lateral off of Montgomery Road, very close to Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

If the picture above this blog post looks as if it were taken in 1966, it very well could have been. Quatman’s opened in 1966 and from the looks of things, not much has changed in the interim. Red checked tablecloths set the mood and if you are lucky, the Xavier game will be playing on one of the large flat screen TV’s. Prepare for a few changes in the décor though. Construction is almost finished on a brand new space right next door that will feature outdoor seating as well. I’ve just recently discovered that there is also a location in Mason (a.k.a. No Man’s Land). The menu is tiny, but what’s on that menu is irrelevant. You are here for the burger. A burger that Cincinnati Magazine has called the best in the city upon more than one occasion. And who am I to argue with Cincinnati Magazine, at least in this instance. There are lots of great burgers in Cincinnati and I’m sure we could debate all day long which one is the best. But, you won’t hear me joining in that debate. It is very likely that in the course of this blog that I may never call something “the best”. What you will hear is me referring to something as “my favorite” and that’s what the Quatman’s burger is for me.

Let’s talk a little about this burger. It will arrive on the table with very little fanfare. The server will not ask you what temperature you prefer because they all come out of the kitchen reliably well-done. Not char grilled well-done, but certainly no pink. There will be no bacon, no grilled onions, no gorgonzola cheese, no salsa, no avocado. Nothing that might be perceived as gourmet or fancy. Up until just a few short years ago, the only options were a myriad assortment of deli style cheese, ketchup and mustard. As the server once told me “When you have good meat, you don’t have to decorate it.” And she is right. I’m a purist so I always order mine plain with just spicy pepper jack cheese, and that’s really all it needs. The burger is juicy without being greasy and comes with a side of fries that are hot and crispy and taste a little like what you remember McDonald’s fries tasting like when you were a child. (Were those fries really that tasty? Probably not, but don’t steal my childhood memory.)

Did I mention the pricing? If you come on a Monday, Thursday or Saturday, the Daily Special which consists of a Cheeseburger, Fries and a Drink, is only $6.58. Did you just gasp, because that is the appropriate response. Oh, and also, that drink can either be one of the zillion different kinds of pop that Quatman’s stocks in their cooler, or a cold draft beer. Last night the selection consisted of Christian Moerlein Helles, Yuengling Lager, Hudy Delight, Miller Lite and Coors Light, although some of the handles rotate occasionally. I’m pretty sure that I couldn’t eat at the aforementioned McDonald’s for that price, and the last time I checked, McDonald’s doesn’t serve beer.

Definitely make a point to check out Quatman’s. It won’t break the bank and you will be surprised how much better the burger is than the fast food that you are probably used to eating. Be sure to bring the kids too. They are probably going to love it as much as this 44 year old kid does.