The latest restaurant to open in Over-the-Rhine’s Gateway Quarter on Vine Street is The Eagle Food & Beer Hall. This latest venture is owned by the same folks who brought us Bakersfield OTR and Currito, both of which I have enjoyed. The Eagle has received a lot of praise since opening, and needless to say it was just a matter of time before I tried it myself.

Fried 1/4 Chicken

The Eagle specializes in fried chicken and the rest of the menu is a pretty simple offering of a few sandwiches and various southern style sides (but no biscuits). I ordered 1/4 chicken white meat ($5) which comes served with a side dish of spicy hot honey. The 1/4 chicken is the perfect serving size for one, with most of the food coming from the large natural, free range, Amish chicken breasts. The chicken was perfectly cooked and delicious. The spicy hot honey was a lot hotter than I expected. I made the mistake of dipping my first few bites deep in the honey, which then overpowered the chicken flavor. I recommend to use the provided spoon to drizzle the honey on top of the chicken before eating.

Side Of Fries

I also ordered a side of fries with aioli ($3). The serving size is large and easily could be split between two. The fries were a fried shoestring style and perfectly seasoned with herbs. The aioli was a fine accompaniment to the nearly bottomless bucket of fries. Others in our group had the fried chicken sandwich, which looked amazing, and the grilled cheese. I will definitely try a sandwich on a future visit. I’m told they do have high chairs and a somewhat kid friendly menu, so perhaps I’ll take the whole family down there for lunch sometime soon. And I will return to The Eagle soon, the food was awesome and the prices are very affordable.