For others on this quest, know that TTC is the end of your searching. My criteria are pretty simple – I want a burger that is juicy while not too bloody (if at all), a really good bun that can hold all the toppings, seasonings that accentuate and not overpower the meat, and good ambiance. By these metrics, a TTC burger is one of the most delicious things you will ever have the pleasure of eating. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is, but the seasonings are just perfect. They’re very overtly peppery, but then there is a whole host of other flavors that are put together just right for the burger. As is noted many times by others, the place is always packed. My wife and I try to go during off hours, but there is always a wait. Once we started to budget time to get there and have a few cold ones before our meal it just became another great part of the TTC experience.

Other good burgers in town:

2nd Quatman – a very simple burger, but also spectacular. Not heavily seasoned. Oh so juicy and tasty. The atmosphere makes me want to go put on a Springsteen album in my car.
3rd Oakley Pub – The black and blue burger is up there. It is heavily seasoned but not over the top. Perfect amount of blue to not overpower all the other flavors. Also very moist
4th Zip’s – Textbook delicious burger. Doesn’t do anything too fancy, but it’s always a solid burger. The onion rings and chili are very good.
5th Main Street Cafe – These burgers are very similar to Zip’s but it doesn’t have the ambiance of Zip’s. Not the crowd either though, so sometimes a nice option.
6th Salem Gardens – Another textbook burger. The 1/2 chop basket is always fulfilling. Juicy with good flavor. Not overly seasoned. Atmosphere is great neighborhood establishment. The ‘Friendly Corner’ or whatever their slogan is hits it on the head.
7th Gordo – tried the Jean Ro and the other chef special burger. The toppings were 100% wonderful, but they totally overpowered the burger, which was over cooked anyway. Burgers are round instead of flat, which I think makes them hard to cook properly and hard to eat. Still a pretty good burger if you’re in the area.
8th City View – I hear a lot about these burgers, but I don’t see them being anything that special. They’re definitely good, but not worth driving across town for.
9th Arthur’s – Burger madness is an awesome idea. Burgers taste good but nothing stands out about them.

Still to try:
Zola’s

Hope this helps anyone else on a similar search. Please reply with any other burger suggestions that I may not have heard of in Cincinnati

The neons were cool to look at and made way for good conversation. When we walked in the place was totally full – at 10pm on Wednesday night. We stood at the door for maybe 3 minutes and were promptly seated after watching our table being wiped down very well with a clean rag – the lady even went back for a dry towel so we wouldn’t get our arms wet.

Our waitress was right there every time we needed her but was never obtrusive or bothersome. Our order was cooked to order and done just like we asked – special instructions and all. I’ve read many reviews about this place and some of them are just absurd. It took a long time to get our food – but there is a notice on the menu that clearly says it will. You can see when you walk into the place that you’re going to be sitting very close to other guests – at that point it is totally your choice to sit down or leave. In that atmosphere though – the rest of the world tends to disappear for a while. If I were to make the same dinner it would take me just as long, if not longer. It is WELL worth the wait – and they have plenty of peanuts to tide you over that you can casually toss onto the floor if you wish. It felt odd at first to do this but fun too!

The food…………..was…………..AMAZING!!! Seriously, the BEST burger I’ve ever had in my life! The accompanying 25oz Belgian beer sweetened the deal – they have a great selection there. The french fries were fantastic and enough to share. I tried my best to eat the entire burger, but it was impossible. We ordered portobella mushrooms on our burgers – and they came out with a huge grilled cap on top of our huge grilled burger. You want grilled lobster on your burger? Not a problem. Goat cheese? Foie gras? Mango curry sauce? You got it! They even have filet mignon and chicken if you are out of your mind and don’t try the burger. The food comes out on paper plates and you get a HUGE knife to cut your sandwich in half if you wish.

Checkout was fast and they offered a box to take our leftover delicacies home – which we did! I can’t say enough about this place! What a great experience!

So, Coco’s is 3 for 3 and I think they’re onto something. Can’t remember what they call it, but it has caramelized onions. I just call it the ‘Josh’ burger after the man who created it – Chef Josh. I’m taking a group from work this Thursdya when Coco’s has a weekly burger special.