If the giant mural that spans one side of the building doesn’t spark your interest when you walk through the doors, and if you happen to miss the vintage mahogany bar brought up from an old Kentucky hotel, then maybe it will simply be the same friendly faces that let you know you are at Arthur’s Café.
Arthur’s Café has been in its original location for years. It opened in 1947 as Allen E. Bradford’s; after changing hands in the ‘70s, it soon became Arthur’s Restaurant. The restaurant has cultivated the reputation it holds up today. Full of classic food and an extensive selection of beers, Arthur’s caters to hungry visitors who are looking for a classic good burger and an evening at a friendly place.
Whether you eat inside to see the mural of famous local faces – and maybe yours too if you go enough – or if you eat on the New Orleans-inspired patio out back, you are sure to be surrounded with an environment that says, “sit down, relax and stay a while.”
Not only is Arthur’s a local hangout for Hyde Park, it is also a stone’s throw from Rookwood Commons, a shopping plaza only 15 minutes from Northern Kentucky University’s campus.
Our meal consisted of Arthur’s Nachos, Arthur’s Burger and the Buffalo Chicken Salad. Nachos came first, and they didn’t disappoint. Arriving hot and covered with homemade chili, cheese, jalapeños and salsa, these nachos hit the spot.. Get to Arthur’s Monday through Friday between 4 and 7 p.m. and take $2 off all the appetizers.
Arthur’s hosts Burger Madness Sunday, Monday and Tuesday every week. You get one original Arthur’s Burger and as many toppings you can manage to cram between two buns for $7.50. This burger came out thick, juicy and full of flavor. I ordered mine with caramelized onions, mushrooms, cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato. The toppings complimented the sirloin burger perfectly.
The Buffalo Chicken Salad – romaine topped with grilled chicken coated in buffalo sauce accompanied by chopped eggs, tomatoes and lots of blue cheese – was good, but not amazing. It was a large portion, but nothing I would tell a friend about.
Arthur’s Café offers perks for the thirsty. Pint Night begins at 5 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month and offers a variety of hand-crafted brews.