Red's Deli

Review 22 @ Stop 33
Red’s Deli
2534 Cincinnati Brookville Rd (Venice)
513.738.2100

During the ride up Rt. 27 with visions of Mommy Fritz dancing in his head, Bucky asks, “How did you find this place? Is it clean?”

Bucky didn’t know how to react when Freddie told him about the lunch trip to Venice. Venice is a town, presumably unincorporated, in Ross Township. Actually, some may think of it as the town of Ross. If that’s the case, why is there a Venice Fire Department?

As the duo pulled into Red’s Deli, Bucky is still saying, “How did you find this place?” Freddie finally spills the beans about the recommendations from loyal readers.

Red’s is an interesting place. It’s a deli, drive-thru carryout, deer check-in station, with a seating area for eating sandwiches and breakfast. The deli case contains common sandwich meats and cheese, with drink coolers along 2 walls. Freddie openly wondered if Red added a grill for the burgers then decided to serve breakfast since he had a grill.

The hamburger platter ($5.65) is a half pound patty with mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo on a standard bun served with lots of fries and a medium drink. The patties were handmade as Freddie also spotted uncooked patties in the deli case ready for use and possible sale. On the other hand, Bucky noticed the grill already had 4 or 5 cooked burgers clustered in a warm spot on the grill. Guess that means no cook to order.

The burgers were well done, not dry, but not overly juicy. Supported by an arguably almost-too-small-regular bun, it was loaded with condiments. Given the patty being larger than the bun along with the generous amount of mayo, the sandwich was a tad messy, but that’s ok as the sandwich did stay together. In the spirit of an absent Wolfy, neither taster detected any gristle. Unfortunately, no seasonings either.

Overall, this burger was a pleasant surprise, but not top of the line. Kudos for the generous portion of fresh fries, although they needed to stay in the fryer a tad longer. As the car was leaving, Freddie heard Bucky mumbling, “Why did we come to this place?” Oh well – Red’s is not for everyone – especially the fussy types – but it serves a respectable burger.

Points: 4.5
Rating: Average

Next Review: Paxton’s Grill