Mellotone Beer Project

After visiting 3 times in less than two weeks, I wanted to share photos of the delicious food at Mellotone Brewing Project, formerly Taft's Ale House. We're always thrilled to see new life spring up in a shuttered restaurant. But especially in an historic venue. All the menu items are unique but the appetizers are my favorite. There is enough to share and the variety is interesting. The atmosphere is refreshed with a sleek modern look on the first floor. Upstairs, there is ample seating with plank tables and benches. The service is good. Our server Ellie was awesome!

Giving this 4 but could probably be 5 stars. The starters were delicious. We got the squash croquettes and the Burrata and Grapes. The Burrata dish was probably our favorite. We split the fried chicken sandwich, fries, and creamed mushrooms. The chicken sandwich was solid but a little underwhelming. We were not fans of the creamed mushrooms. I like cheese, a lot. But this dish was just too much. The beer selection was solid but is somewhat limited right now. They did a nice job with the place. I was a big fan of Taft's so I was nervous to see the transformation, but it's a cool spot. We are looking forward to going back and trying some of the mains and experience the speakeasy downstairs.

I'll start with the good. The inside looks nice, and the decor creates a charming atmosphere. They did a great job renovating this church into a brewpub. I recommend making a reservation if you want table seating on the first floor. It's definitely more of a romantic setting, while the communal tables upstairs offer a more casual vibe. Service is good, and I have no complaints in that regard.Now onto the bad. The food. The beer. Both fell short in every aspect. In one word, I'd describe it as boring. For such a unique restaurant concept, I had some expectations for the menu, but I should've left those at home. Below are my food reviews:*Pork Belly Skewers ($13) - This was the best thing I had all night, but not without its flaws. The pork belly was delicious, and the glaze was sweet + savory. I'm not sure I was served the "apple leek gastrique" mentioned in the description, but rather an apple carrot(?) gastrique. It was okay, very sour, but I guess it provided a contrast to the pork belly. Then there were the shishito peppers. Not to sound like a snob, but these peppers weren't even cooked properly. They should be blistered (emphasis on blistered, not burnt) to bring out their flavor. Put bluntly, this dish isn't worth it.*Gnocchi Bolognese ($26) - For the price, I was expecting something special, but this dish is literally something I could easily make myself because of how cheap the ingredients are. It's a bit more elevated with the addition of gnocchi, but at its core, it's just pasta with tomato sauce and ground beef. Save your money and make this at home. Unless you're really craving gnocchi or want an aesthetic photo of gnocchi bolognese, this dish isn't worth it.*Double Smashburger ($12) - This was such a miss. Literally, any fast food burger is better than this. The burger wasn't even served warm, but I thought maybe the taste could redeem it. Except there was no taste. Where's the seasoning? Salt? Pepper? Did they walk out of the kitchen? The tastiest thing about this burger was the random olive on top. That olive was great. The burger was depressing. If you want a burger, literally go anywhere but here. Nine Giant, Bones' Burgers, Fifty West, McDonald's, Burger King... you can't go wrong (unless you come here for this burger).*Olive Oil Citrus Cake ($10) - I was really looking forward to this dessert because olive oil lemon cakes are my favorite. But just like the rest of my night, I was met with disappointment. This was the soggiest cake I've ever had, and the random salty/sour/sweet sprinkles on top tasted horrible. The entire thing is a sugar bomb, which I guess is great if you have a sweet tooth or the palate of a child. But for $10, you might as well eat honey straight from the bottle. This cake is a sugary mess, and I wouldn't recommend it.For drinks, I ordered a flight. My biggest issue with the beers is how deceiving the descriptions are. If you say the stout is going to be "dark and mysterious, leading with dark chocolate and espresso, with a rich velvety finish," but the drink tastes nothing like that, you need to fix your descriptions. The flowery language feels like a cover-up, especially since the beers lack any of the nuanced flavors promised. If you're going to keep these descriptions, at least make the beers live up to them. Below are my drink reviews:*Mellotone Gold - A basic lager, like a Budweiser (3/5)*Standard Time - Very standard Kölsch, just like the name implies, nothing special (2/5)*Friend of Mine - This drink partially lives up to its description of extra special bitter. Except for the special part. This is just bland bitter water. It's giving me nothing. None of the notes of toast, biscuit, caramel, and toffee mentioned in the description (0/5)*Golden Hour - Yikes, worst IPA ever. Looks like piss, smells like piss, tastes horrible. They should rename this to Golden Shower (0/5)*Melograno Sour - I don't usually like sours, but I enjoyed this one. Good fruity flavors and not too sour (5/5)*Silhouette - Worst stout I've ever had. It's bitter and boring. So lackluster compared to other stouts I've had described to be chocolatey or espresso-like (1/5)This restaurant's saving grace is its interior design and staff. Other than that, it's a disappointment through and through. When you're a restaurant, you've got to be more than just good looks and a nice personality. You need to deliver on the food and drinks. Ultimately, looks can be deceiving, and there are plenty of better food options nearby, so I won't be coming back.

Love love love the ambiance. It is bright, modern and beautiful. Even the bathroom was bright. My cousin got lost like he was at home in the John! Our server was very sweet and attentive. We were there for brunch. Everyone enjoyed thier meal, I had the breakfast sandwich, two had the chicken/waffles, one had the polenta pancakes and someone else had the poutine dish. I tasted everything. It was all very good. To top it off, Pina Colada mimosa! Great experience.

I recently tried Cincinnati's latest brewery, Mellotone Beer Project, which occupies the old church that was previously Taft's Ale House. After a nearby event, my wife and I popped in to meet up with a couple of friends. We only had time for a couple of drinks and a quick snack, but I was impressed by the slight renovations to the space. The seating options are a little better than they were before, and the acoustics seemed to have a nice refresh.I enjoyed a Golden Hour West Coast IPA while others in the group loved seeing a cocktail menu in addition to the made-in-house beer selections. The taps seem to be changing pretty quickly as they try to determine what styles will stick.The food menu was fresh and features their modern take on the American brewpub. Things like smash burgers and hotdogs are featured alongside grilled swordfish and and spaghetti squash. We only had time for a quick bite, and really enjoyed the burrata and roasted grapes, served with Blue Oven Bakery sourdough ($15). The grapes were sauced and gave a nice sweetness to the dish and the pistachios were a great touch. Highly recommend this one!

Amazing remodel of the old tafts brewery. Super neutral, spacious decor and design inside. Not your classic brewery pub food. Cozy feel good classic food options like a burger and chicken sandwich. Just elevated in a fun way. Accept reservations and walk-ins. Parked at a nearby paid for garage. Hopefully they'll participate in FCC events.

Formerly Taft's Brewing, the space has been transformed into a beautiful space. The warm lighting and vaulted ceilings really make the space feel grand, but cozy at the same time. Feels like a place you can bring a large group of friends or go out for a date night.Food and drinks are phenomenal. We opted for the Kolsch and Al's Paloma, both of which were delicious and refreshing. We started with the grapes and burrata - the portion size was small with four slices of buttered toast, but the flavors meshed well. For mains, we got the spaghetti squash and crispy chicken, both of which came out piping hot and well seasoned. Finished the night with the olive oil citrus cake, which wasn't overly sweet and refreshed the palate. The only qualm I have is that the value might not be there for some people. Specifically the main dishes - although delicious, the portion sizes felt small for the price. But otherwise, very solid first impression! Excited to come back.

This is a new establishment where Taft's used to be. The decor was fresh - bright in spots and warm in others. Tables downstairs (small or long) and picnic tables upstairs. Food was delicious! I started with charcuterie and then had crispy confit chicken leg quarters on greens and polenta. The chicken was rich, crispy, and tasty. I ate it all! Almost forgot to mention dessert: citrus olive oil cake! Delicious and not too sweet!Beers were solid! I had the American pale ale - crisp and smashable. I tasted the IPA - mix of piney and floral/fruity hops - very nice! They also had an English bitter and a kolsch on tap and my dining companions loved them. Service was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable.

Good vibes and a great space define Mellotone , but the highlight for me was the speakeasy, Undertones. Drinks are available at both bars, though the speakeasy offers a smaller menu. I tried the fries, mac and cheese (it lacked seasoning ) and squash croquette which were amazing -an interesting mix of flavors that were different but enjoyable.I opted for a bar seat as a walk-in, but reservations are available through OpenTable. They're planning to roll out brunch and lunch soon, which I'm excited to check out. The beer selection and cocktails didn't disappoint, and the atmosphere was warm and inviting, with upgraded, brighter interiors compared to place prior Taft Ale House.For sports fans, the brewery has about seven TVs (though none at the upstairs bar). I'd recommend grabbing a seat at the main bar to catch a game while enjoying your drink. The overall vibe felt like a modern tavern with friendly and attentive staff.Mellotone has a lot of potential, and I'll definitely be back as they continue to grow.

went for a date night a couple weeks back. the beer flight was great. the food including the pork belly and fries were fantastic. the server was attentive. they offered a good atmosphere along with great food and service.