Casa Sanchez in Copper Mountain has closed and El Zacatecano has opened in it’s place. If you liked Casa Sanchez you’ll like El Zacatecano, but if you didn’t like it the same will also be true. Reason being that I didn’t find any differences between the two.

Outside

Aside from a new sign out front, the space looks identical on the outside. And absolutely very little has changed on the inside. The same booths that are badly in need of repair are still there. There does appear to be a fresh coat of paint on the inside, which does help brighten up the space.

Inside

I couldn’t tell that much had changed with the food either. The place my food was served on was the same blue plate I had a year prior. The rice was the same, and the beans too. I had a medium combination plate with a chimichanga and an enchilada ($12.99). Pretty average tex-mex food here.

Combo Plate

There aren’t a ton of places to eat in Copper, and this is the only Mexican around, so there isn’t a lot of competition. I just had hoped for more when I heard that the Mexican place had changed, but then I soon realized that not much had truly changed.

With the increasing number of breweries around the city I’m finding it harder to visit them all. Fretboard Brewing has been open for a little over two years now, and I’ve only visited them twice. If they were located closer to my house I’m sure my visits would be more often.

Outside

Fretboard is located in Blue Ash not too far off of I-71 at Pfeiffer in a sort of warehouse district. While the space looks pretty typical of the surrounding buildings on the outside, the renovation on the inside is great!

Inside

Of their six or seven year round beer offerings, I probably drink Improv (IPA) or Trey (Amber) the most, though their Vlad (Pilsner) has won some national and international awards. But when I’m in the taproom I love trying out the creative seasonals that they have on tap.

Tasters

One thing that make Fretboard stand out from other breweries is that they have live music essentially every weekend. I have not had the chance to check that out, but it seems to be very popular. They are also kid friendly during day with cornhole and giant jenga sets.

Glassware

Smoked Out Cincy is located at the back of the room and features in-house barbecue. I’ve enjoyed the flying pig sandwich with pulled pork, coleslaw, BBQ sauce, spicy bacon bits, and horseradish aioli ($11). They even offer a limited kids menu when the entire family is in need of some lunch. Fretboard is another great addition to the Cincinnati craft beer scene.

In the year or so that The Hi-Mark has been opened, I’ve visited the bar/restaurant three times. The first time was with my entire family, parents, and brother. This included the kids, which struggled to find something that they wanted to eat from the menu. It’s not a kid friendly menu, but the space is not entire kid unfriendly either.

My second visit was with a couple of friends on our way to a FC Cincinnati match. And my most recent visit was with my wife when we needed a quick meal before an event downtown. I ordered the Pulled Pork Bánh Mì on both my first and most recent visit ($9 with fries). This delicious sandwich features Eli’s smoked pork, do chua, cucumber, BBQ sauce, cilantro, green onion, and optional jalapenos. Eli’s pork is some of the best around and it really stands out on this sandwich, but the other ingredients help to reinvent the classic smoky taste.

Pulled Pork Bánh Mì

I’ve also had the fried chicken sandwich and the grilled chicken torta ($9 each with crinkle fries on the side). The fry sauce that comes on the fried chicken sandwich is awesome and comes on the side with the crinkle fries. While both of these sandwiches are good options, it is hard to beat the Bánh Mì.

Fried Pickles

The crinkle fries can also be loaded for an additional $2. This adds Psychobeer cheese, cheddar, sour cream, bacon, tomato, and green onion. Honestly I think the fries are best served plain with the fry sauce on the side. The fried pickles can also be served with the fry sauce, which I highly recommend. I guess what I’m saying is to get the fry sauce is one way or another!

Loaded Fries

The Hi-Mark also features some great cocktails, the Horse’s Neck is one of our favorites – bourbon, bitters, ginger beer ($6 for well). They also have a dozen mostly local draft beers on tap, plus a tons of bottles, cans, and wines by the glass or bottle. It is a great place for a quick meal and drink!

Happy New Year! Below is the list of cities that I visited in 2018 with at least one night spent in each place.

• Cincinnati, Ohio *
• Copper Mountain, Colorado
• Denver, Colorado *
• Raleigh, North Carolina
• Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
• Williamstown, Kentucky *
• Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
• Gatlinburg, Tennessee
• Gulf Shores, Alabama
• Asheville, North Carolina
• West Portsmouth, Ohio
• Seven Springs, Pennsylvania

* Those cities marked with an asterisk were visited multiple times on non-consecutive days.

See also: 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006