A few weeks ago a small portion of relatives on my mom’s side got together for my grandpa’s 87th birthday. He wanted to go to the Montgomery Inn at the Boathouse, so a reservation was made for dinner at 4:30 that afternoon/evening. It had been years since my last visit to the Boathouse, so I was very easily convinced to attend.

Panoramic View from the Boathouse

There isn’t a finer view of the lovely Ohio River than the one from the outside seating area at the Boathouse. The circular shaped building allows for sweeping views in both directions no matter where you are sitting. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t the best (and our party was too large) for outdoor seating on this visit.

Looking Outside

Fortunately even the inside dining areas have great views thanks to the floor to ceiling windows, and the curved nature of the building. Our large party was stuck toward the center of the room, but even this area has a good view due to an elevated floor.

Ready to Eat!

Montgomery Inn is famous for their barbecued ribs and their sweet barbecue sauce. Due to the fall off the bone nature of the ribs, bibs are provided and encouraged. Even though I wasn’t having ribs, I still took the opportunity to fit in with the rest of the crowd.

Barbecue

I’m not a fan of ribs, so I’ve never tried theirs. The thing I go to Montgomery Inn for is their barbecued spring chicken ($17.99 or $19.99 for all white meat). This roasted half chicken is always so moist and tender. It comes with warm barbecue sauce on the side for dipping. It comes with your choice of side dish and I almost always opt for their Saratoga chips, which are delicious on their own and even better when dipped in the sauce.

Barbecued Spring Chicken

My wife went with a lighter option, the pulled pork barbecue sandwich ($10.99). The pork is lean cuts that are slow-smoked for 16 hours then pulled and mixed with the world-famous barbecue sauce. Again this comes with a choice of side dish, and she went with the baked sweet potato. I didn’t hear any complaints from her. I had a small bite, and while definitely not the best pulled pork in the city, this sandwich is definitely worth ordering for those who desire a lighter meal or want something more affordable than the entrées.

Pulled Pork Barbecue Sandwich

All of the food I sampled was average to above average. The problem I have is that the prices seem to be sporadic. The pulled pork sandwich is fairly priced, but the spring chicken seems overpriced to me. It’s these higher priced dishes that leave most people thinking that the Montgomery Inn is only for special occasions. However the lower priced sandwiches and smaller dishes with fair prices should be affordable lunch options for people with all budgets.