Red Pepper
204 W McMillan St, Cincinnati, OH, 45219
Red Pepper Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Cincinnati for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Cincinnati for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Cincinnati for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
204 W McMillan St
Cincinnati, OH, 45219 - Phone (513) 559-9229
- Website https://redpeppercincinnati.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
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Alex P.
I really liked the Garlic Chicken I had, it came with a little bit of rice but they offered me extra at no charge. The soup was also good. The waiters always topped off my drink and all in all this is a good place. Only concern is that I paid $18 for one person but I do eat more than the usual person does. We had a group of 14 people, no problem, the table was long and two waiters took care of us. Service is A+.
(5)Amanda C.
Red Pepper has a great atmosphere, and the staff are wonderful. It's the perfect restaurant for a quiet, relaxing dinner. If you order a dinner special, you'll get a soup and wontons. The food is delicious and fresh, especially when compared to your average Chinese restaurant.
(5)Josie A.
niiiice lo mein. rangoons i could have done without-which makes me sad bc theyre my favorite thing. i'll definitely eat there again.
(4)Rory B.
The smallest most pitiful and under seasoned meal I've had in ages. They were open on a Sunday. I should have read the reviews first. Fried rice was really rice and a few specs of egg. No onion no carrot no flavor. The pad Thai was both small in size and more bland than you'd expect out of a microwave meal. Thanks but I'll starve next time.
(1)Brittany H.
This is the worst excuse for a Chinese establishment I have ever seen. My friends and I order from here quite often and today we all ordered combination platters by delivery. One of my friends was about to go in for his first bite when he saw a MAGGOT on his general tso's chicken. I don't ever leave bad reviews because I understand things happen, but when I called to ask the manager to take our food back and refund us he refused. It took 5 minutes of explaining that we don't even want the food for the manager to consider sending back his driver. He told us that the only way they will fully refund us is if we haven't touched any of the food. I understand that this restaurant is just trying to turn a profit, but they clearly don't care that they served people contaminated food. They don't even deserve the title "restaurant." This is a clear health code violation and somehow the manager found a way to blame us. If I could rate this place zero stars I would.
(1)Leezus K.
Food came out fast. I was greeted and sat quickly but the shrimp fried rice I ordered was not that good. Very few shrimp in the meal and the flavor was a little off. Also they could truly ease up on the use of wild onions in the shrimp fried rice, regular onions and wild onions is just over kill.
(1)Marilyn G.
I am even reluctant to give it a star. Terrible, we ordered take out from work, I had shrimp with lobster sauce, the dish was unrecognizable, more like a tasteless soup, rather more like tough shrimp swimming in milky dishwater. A co-worker ordered pork lo mien and found a small portion accompanied with rice, obviously a way to minimize the meat.
(1)Kimberly G.
I placed an order one night out of suggestions from coworkers. Never again. The driver was rude, it took nearly two hours to get what I ordered. I called the store, and the person who answered would only say the drive was new and didn't seem to care much else. The food was sub par at best, so I won't spend another dime there.
(1)Jenny D.
I came here for the first time today and ordered carry out. I ordered the Hong Shao pork over rice and Sesame Noodles off the traditional menu. The sesame noodles taste like peanut butter cucumbers and parsley that's it. It tastes like a peanut butter sandwich with sugar and soy sauce. The Hong Shao pork over rice was quite salty. It didn't taste particularly good or bad just ok. Usually a black tea egg is added into it and other things. It was 90% potatoe and he rest was actually just pork bits with mostly he skin/cartilage. It was 12 noon when I walked in and there was no one there. And 1 guy was wheeling things in and out. The cash register guy was on his phone or something and not particularly paying attention. There was one employee hanging out in a booth and I didn't see anymore at the time.
(2)Hasan K.
I ordered a Kung po chicken combination platter with a boba milk tea. The food was a bit under seasoned for my taste; but I kind of liked the cooked chicken portion. The fried rice which comes with the Kung po chicken did not have any variation, it only had rice, egg and soy sauce. I was very disappointed with the boba tea, tasted like sweetened chemical syrup. If you like Chinese food with a mild seasoning or spice level; you may want to try this restaurant.
(3)John Henry E.
This Chinese restaurant would probably be the better of all the Chinese restaurants at UC. Food is ok but not the best.
(3)Bekah M.
Delivered vege lo mein and hot and sour soup to me apartment in OTR on a Sunday. It wasn't awesome, but it was good. Delivery on a Sunday was fantastic! It only took about 20 minutes. The delivery guy was super nice and everything was packaged nicely. There aren't many places that deliver noodles downtown. That seems like a staple for downtown living. Red Pepper delivers!
(4)Tyler M.
Despite the fact that things were never really 'uphill' here...things have still managed to go downhill. I have a pretty low bar for Chinese food. Yet, somehow I still managed to walk out of here extremely dissatisfied. Let's take things one by one: 1) SERVICE- I almost enjoy the language barrier at most Chinese places, it makes me feel (however possibly untrue) that what I'm about to eat has a sort of authenticity to it. But when my dining partner and I stopped in at Red Pepper, the attitude we got from the server/hostess was undeniably rude. She may as well have rolled her eyes at us. Few words were exchanged and I haven't felt so unwelcome in a long time. It was clear that our presence was inconveniencing the staff. STRIKE ONE. 2) FOOD- I believe our server forgot to ask us if we wanted white or fried rice. What kind of rice did we get? A mixture of white and brown rice. It was weird. The food was lackluster, at best. You can spend the same amount of money at ANY other Chinese food place in the city and get the same quality with better service. STRIKE TWO 3) FLIES- Wait, what!? No seriously, there were little fruit fly (gnat) things flying everywhere. We were constantly swatting to keep the bugs out of our face as we attempted to dine. When plates were brought out for our crab rangoon, the dish placed in front of me had what appeared to be a small smashed bug on it. Go home Red Pepper, you're drunk. STRIKE THREE If I find myself in Clifton craving Chinese, I'll go to King Wok. If I find myself downtown, I will go to Shanghai Mama's. Sadly, I cannot think of a scenario that will ever bring me back to Red Pepper.
(1)Tsyria T.
** This review is for the NEW Red Pepper ** Apparently it is under new management and has been remodeled. I have never been to the old Red Pepper so I can't really compare. Big tip: There are two menus! One has the americanized dishes and includes all the lunch specials and deals. The other has the traditional Chinese dishes! I'm not sure why they don't offer them both up front; we had to ask for the second. Unfortunately it is more expensive - but after ordering a few items off of it, I don't regret it. + Nice remodel job. It felt clean and modern. + Beef Noodle Soup! The broth was tasty and the meat was tender. The noodles were okay. I like the thicker handmade noodles from other shops I've been to, but these noodles didn't kill the dish either. It was a large serving! + Spicy Fish Bowl. Don't let the oil intimidate you because this dish was pretty good! The red pepper was just the right amount - tolerably spicy but not so bad that it'd make you sweat in front of your date. + Szechuan Green Beans - I don't know what to say. They were flavorful. Just get them if you need a nice vegetable dish to add to your order! - I wasn't crazy about the prices here for the traditional menu. They were kind of pricey...though they gave large servings of everything. I would've preferred slightly smaller servings with cheaper pricing so we could have more of a variety. Or maybe it's just meant to be for larger groups of people.... In the end, I'd go back to fill my cravings for Chinese food!
(4)Jessie T.
I've only been to Red Pepper once, and I honestly couldn't tell you anything memorable about it. The food was very average Chinese-American and wasn't anything fantastic. The interior was very pleasant and nicely decorated, so when I first walked in, I was expecting the food to be pretty good, but it wasn't anything more than your corner Chinese take-out. I had ordered the orange chicken and it was only OK. It has been a while since I ate there, so I MIGHT consider going back to give it a second chance.. but that is a big maybe.
(2)Ivan M.
I don't like leaving negative reviews, but this was terrible. In short, mediocre food wrought with unprofessional, frustrating service. My companion and I walked in about 7:30 on a Sunday evening. Some utterance was made by two Asian fellows in street clothes. We waited for a moment before my friend spoke up, realizing they had meant to address us. One told us to sit where-ever we like. This wasn't a language issue, it was straight attitude. Service was obsessively attentive, we felt like we had walked in right before closing. Our food arrived quickly and was just okay... but could be better, the the combo specials left me wanting a slightly larger portion. I appreciated the fresh veggies and they weren't over cooked, chicken seemed of decent quality. Our server was anxious to take our plates away, again pressure to GTFO it seemed. Sadly the experience got worse. Before we ordered I displayed the dinner special coupon I found in Bearcash, and naturally our server failed to apply it. We inquire and ask him to correct it. He takes $1 off after tax. This wasn't our coupon. Again we ask, now the manager has to come over and tries to explain how the printed coupon was wrong... Like seriously? We got out there paying the correct amount... After demonstrating some math and sales tax calculation... But seriously? Incredibly unprofessional, frustrating experience. It's a nice place, I hope the next managers can do better.
(1)Luke G.
Some of the best Asian food in the area. Fair price. Timely delivery. Sizable options. It's good for a night in. Or a snack before you go out cause these will typically make for 1 to 2 meals. Recommended if you live in the area, probably wouldn't go out of my way for it but a great convenience.
(4)Joanne Y.
I like this restaurant and manager is very nice because is new management and every things has been changed a lot. It's beautiful though. I have been to this red pepper, the Beef Noodle Soup is really delicious, I order a lot.
(4)Ali B.
My first taste of Chinese takeout in Cincinnati. Do I really need to lower my expectations that much?! As a carb-lover my favorite pigout Chinese dish (which was often seen as hilarious by friends) was the chicken lo Mein combination with pork fried rice and an egg roll. So red pepper, what do you got? The fried rice gets negative three stars. It was basically lumpy rice quickly fried up in a pan. Terrible and without flavor or seasoning. It would make an entire generation want to return to eating grass. Chicken lo Mein - not lo Mein but no terrible. Thicker flat noodles than I'm used to in my lo Mein but noodles can work no matter the size and shape. Couldve used more/any sauce or seasoning. Hot and sour soup: the only saving grace. Not amazing but frankly hard to mess up so I enjoyed it all the way down. Final word: Bland Return Trip: Never
(1)John N.
Nasty. The only thing worse than the service was the food. Three of the four items came out incorrectly. None were warm. The pad Thai smelled putrid....not as in "really bad" but as in actually rotten it was so foul. The restrooms made me long for the hygeine of a highway rest stop and that glimpse I got of the kitchen showed it to be arrestingly filthy. Stay the heck away; this place was disgusting and there are much better options nearby.
(1)Tiffany B.
This place is so crappy. The woman on the phone cant understand me, i had to repeat my address five times then again to another two people before they finally put someone on who understood english. Why have a restaurant in america if you cant speak frickn english?! And then i had to repeat my order about six times. After an hr, the delivery man showed up to the wrong Address, called me again to correct him and forgot to bring the 2 liter of mt dew i had ordered with my food. Ugh! When i ask about it, the receipt is a mess and claims i didn't order it but will bring it "later." Right....So now im eating the food. I ordered crab rangoon; Awful! Its bitter and has zero to no stuffing. The only good thing was the padthai i ordered, thank god. Terrible all around. They get 2 stars because at least the main course was edible and actually pretty good. Their customer service and everything else sucked tho.
(2)Ryan Z.
Thai Express is closed on Sundays and this place is just across the street. As one of the few places I haven't tried in the area, I thought it would be worth giving it a go. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly good either. To be honest, this probably a 2 star in most cities --- Cincinnati just doesn't seem to have many good Chinese options, which is strange considering how many Thai and Indian spots there are around town. The Sweet & Sour chicken was ok. The fried rice was actually very flavorful. I thought the portion size was a little short on protein with maybe 5 small pieces of chicken. The vegetables were rather bland. The pepper steak dish was much better. Still a small portion, but much more flavor. The prices are dirt cheap, which was a nice surprise. The portion sizes are barely adequate and is mostly rice.
(3)Justin M.
Red Pepper started out very well for me. They have kind of slowly digressed into something more of a "just another Chinese restaurant" status, unfortunately. When I first started school at UC four years ago I would go to China Food. I was told that they are the best Asian cuisine in Clifton. I found out first hand that I did not like them very much. Maybe it was a personal taste or maybe they got worse, I don't know, whatever the case I decided to form a search committee (consisting of only myself) to find a new go-to spot for Chinese. I originally thought that I had found that in Red Pepper. The first time I ordered Red Pepper was for delivery. The food came fairly quickly and it was still hot which is a must. Their prices are reasonable, including dinner special prices and lunch special prices depending on when you order. I thought to myself, not a bad first impression, so I ordered them again, several months later. This time however the food comes and it is cold, dry, bland, and basically uninspired. I thought maybe it was a bad night and I decided to give them another shot. This time we dined in. The restaurant itself is a very quaint little restaurant. It has a dark aura about it and looked to be in reasonably good condition. We sat down and ordered off their decently sized menu. It took an awful long time to get our food. We were one of 3 tables in the restaurant so that wasn't an issue. Our food did come out hot so I wasn't really as mad. I was also able to enjoy a nice Sapporo beer with my meal. The food although hot, still didn't taste like anything special. This last time I went may have been the straw that breaks the camels back and what makes me re-commission my search committee. As we walk in we are once again one of only a few people that are in the restaurant. We are seated and when the waitress comes over to ask for our drink order I was for a Sapporo. In turn she tells me they no longer are certified to serve alcohol...AHHH!!! I know some people may not care but a nice beer with Chinese food to me go hand in hand. It's like a Friday night with no two pizzas (Credit to Joey Tribiani for that comparison). Not only was I not able to enjoy a crisp beer but they made me suffer more by making us wait at least 45 minutes. I thought to myself though, maybe they are making it fresh which is why it is taking so long...Nope. Couldn't have been more wrong. The fried rice was obviously fried earlier in the day and by earlier i mean when they opened. The sauce was non-existent, and the veggies looked sad and depleted. I love the atmosphere of Red Pepper and the employees there couldn't be more friendly. There is just something about it that has lost its spark. Maybe being in Clifton for that long will do that to you. I don't know. Regardless, I probably won't be going back unless I am craving Chinese delivery, but otherwise, I'll probably stay away. Sorry guys, you used to be my favorite!!! So disappointed.
(2)James H.
Not at all impressed!!! I usually rate my Chinese restaurants on their General Tso's Chicken. Red Pepper's version of General Tso's is dough balls... I scoured through the 6 balls of fried dough and only found small pieces of chicken the size of maybe the tip of my thumb. The sauce was pretty good. However, to pay 9$ (after drink, tip and parking) for dough balls, does not seem fair to the customer. I will NOT be back.
(1)k f.
i think it is kind of expensive for the quality of the food. it's not terrible but it's nothing special compared to the price.
(2)scott s.
The food was not bad. However, there are two of these restaurants in the area and I called the wrong one an specifically asked if they delivered to my location. They said yes. Delivery showed up and they scratched out the total including delivery charges and added another one. He tells me I ordered from the wrong store. I told him you should have called me or simply call the other store to make delivery. Got no where, paid and the man left then I realized the two diet cokes I ordered are not here. I called and told him to send the delivery guy back as well as complained about the upcharge. The man said you ordered from the wrong store. What I asked if he delivered here before I ordered and he also said he's not sending the driver back. He goes I'll take off a dollar of course the cc had already been charged and I also ordered two. How is it the consumer is never right anymore. This place is retarded.
(2)Nathan S.
The only reason I am giving this place two stars is because the food is actually good but the rest is terrible... The waiters sit around and don't get you anything. Did I forget to mention they don't even have silverwear (good luck with rice)!?! Granted it is a Chinese restaurant but should still offer silverwear. The only way I would recommend this place is if you get it to go.
(2)Danielle M.
The food was pretty good and the service was decent. Their crab rangoon was average. I was expecting a little more from a place with such a unique name.
(4)Cindy G.
Red Pepper is mediocre at best. When your hungry and it's late, you want Chinese, it's the best Clifton has to offer. I def prefer it over China Food and King Wok. The atmosphere is surprisingly nice. I suggest dining in, the food is fresher. The meals I've had have always been decent. My only complaint would be that the rice is almost never fresh. When you have to stab your fork into your rices crusty outside to get it to move, that's kind of a deal breaker. Just a note, I loved coming here for lunch, getting a nice cold beer in the frosty mug pictured below, but just went there recently and they don't offer alcohol anymore. Wah Wah. Not to bad, not great. It'll do. It'll do.
(3)Lizbeth T.
It had been about 5 years since I'd eaten at Red Pepper while I was a student. I remember it then being decent for lunch, but nothing special. I'm sorry to say that things have gone downhill. Service was a mixed bag. Our first waiter disappeared after taking our order and never returned to refill drinks. Another waiter eventually noticed and took over our table. Food was inconsistent too. Our appetizers (cheese wontons and beef dumplings) were overcooked and room temperature....possibly left sitting too long before they were brought to the table. Out of 3 entrees we ordered, only one, the sizzling beef, would be worth ordering again.
(2)Katherine M.
I'll warn that it's been awhile since I have been here, ever since I moved off campus and got a car and found other places, I have not really been back, but Red Pepper was always a good Chinese (like typical American Chinese) standby when I lived in Clifton. By far, in comparison to some of the places around it only, it is the best Chinese (not Asian, Chinese) place around UC. They have some pretty normal standard dishes that are prepared fine - not great. I think Alex S.'s review almost says what I want to say exactly. It's okay - it's just not amazing. But it's usually consistent and better in comparison to dorm room food. Still, now that I can drive and don't live a few blocks from here, I go elsewhere, and if you can get out of Clifton, I suggest you do too. But if you need somewhere in Clifton, this is my suggestion.
(3)Alex S.
Red Pepper is ... fine. I don't know, it's hard for me to become excited over food I feel that I could cook from home with the right equipment and sauces. Don't get me wrong, it's pretty darn good food. Lord knows it's better than the awful King Wok across the street. I usually get some sort of beef dish when I go (beef stir-fri is basically a staple in the Alex diet) with extra baby corn and water chestnuts and they've never screwed up that order, so that's a plus. Still, it's vegetables, meat and sauces all quickly prepared in a wok - and I do mean quickly. They get that stuff to you, which moth delights and worries the hell out of me. They're delivery is a little slow - even for slow delivery. They say it will take about half an hour to 45 and it usually takes them about an hour to make their way over. When I did this, I lived in Clifton and just three (long) streets away, and it still took an hour! ... I learned unless I wasn't staving to just go pick it up myself. Going in is actually a surprisingly nice experience. They have everything set up well with decorations and comfortable booth and a really classy cloth menu. The food is still the same quickly process Asian cuisine, but they try to mask that really well with décor. I don't hate this place, I'm just not overly in love with it. Still, with it's cheap prices, I'll eat here - I just won't wait for them to deliver it anymore.
(3)MyAnh N.
FOOD: Really good! Everything had the perfect amount of flavor and I usually require a ton. Perfectly cooked too. DELIVERY: I live close to the river and they delivered! It came faster than quoted and was still warm after the appetizer. VALUE: An appetizer and two entrees delivered for less than $25. Couldn't complain.
(4)Paul M.
Yep, that is some of the worst Chinese food I've ever eaten. I ordered the General tso for take out around 6 pm. The chicken was slimy, the "fried rice" was soggy brown rice. The only good thing was the egg roll. I've had my fair share of cheep Chinese food, but this was terrible.
(1)Maria G.
If I could give a 2.5 I would, but I'm feeling generous so I'll go with a solid 3. Got carryout from Red Pepper-they may deliver to downtown, but we thought we'd go ahead and pick it up instead. My meal was actually really good-I had the Szechuan beef and it was piping hot and flavorful. A nice spice, plenty of meat, and crunchy vegetables. Our order of chicken and broccoli was bland. Little to no flavor, but at least it was warm? The egg rolls were not at all good-greasy and not much in the way of filling. But the cheese wontons were pretty good-full of cheese, hot, and great dipped in their sweet and sour sauce. I'd call this pretty okay Chinese food. Some of the food is bland, but the good was *really* good. I'll definitely be back to try more.
(3)Rui J.
Food takes very long time to serve.
(3)Chris N.
I first discovered the Red Pepper while eating with a colleague back at UC. I had totally given up any hope that I would find anything up around Calhoun/McMillan at that time that was palatable. Then I was introduced to the Red Pepper, and it became a regular staple of eating out for me in the neighborhood. I have continued to eat here on and off, over the years, including after the move to their current location. No-this is not "fine dining Chinese food.' But it is reasonably priced comfort food. Think of it as diner food, with only Chinese Food. I have received pretty good service there over the years. Usually, I hit the Red Pepper to get the lunch special. My favorite go to selection is the Garlic Chicken, with brown rice instead of white rice. Throw in a spring roll or an egg roll, and some chinese mustard, along with some soy sauce and I am good to go. I switch it up once in a while, with Kung Pao Chicken, Szechuan Chicken, Pepper Steak, or Sweet and Sour Chicken. Occasionally I get the Egg Drop Soup. But what I really appreciated, is that it was one of the few places close to UC I could go to for lunch, get something decent, and get back on time from. Whether I ate there, called it in, or got delivery, the service was always good, and they were quick. No, I don't get the beer at Red Pepper. It is pretty much awful, macrobrewed, garbage. But I usually came here for lunch, when a beer would not be best during work hours. Plus I never came here for the beer in general, so I am fine with a cup of tea. I actually last ate AT the Red Pepper on December 24th of this past year. I bought some family for a non-traditional Christmas Eve when our traditional gathering fell apart because of some family who had to unexpectedly cancel hosting it. The service was good, everyone enjoyed it and they bailed us out under unusual circumstances. Since then, I have gotten carry out a few times, always treated well, and always gotten good service. If you are in Clifton or at UC, give it a try! It's definitely better than eating on campus.
(4)Sarah T.
As first, I thought my carryout chicken pad thai was kinda pricey at $6.50, but, in hindsight, I would do it again. It was well seasoned and paired well with the rice. The vegetable egg roll was super, super small. The restaurant decor is beautiful and the pictures of plates of different dishes is a great idea.
(4)Mike K.
Red Pepper, a classic staple to the UC student on a budget... Years after graduation, it still receives my attention as a solid Chinese place at very nice prices. Quality: 4 stars, it's better than your standard Chinese fare through it's variety and consistent offerings, but is by no means a leader in the pack. Service/Ambiance: 4 stars, it's a really nice place to eat given it's location yet the service is nothing to be overly amazed at; pretty standard. Value: 5 stars, when all said and done this place fits the bill given the nicely sized portions and very low bill amount, location and high traffic help keep the prices down. Bottom Line: Give it a few tries and you'll maybe find it to be placed in your rotation. If you live near the area there is Cilantro and Thai Express to further your Asian cuisine interests.
(4)Chris P.
My group was looking for a place for dinner after visiting the zoo. The service was fine, and the ambiance is no different than any other average Chinese restaurant. I got Chicken Lo-Mein with the dinner option (included soup, wonton, rice). It was OK, but it wasn't anything to write home about. My fiance, and I ate for $18 which was less than I thought I was going to pay. Overall, it's not bad, but it's nothing that would make me recommend it to someone else.
(3)Ashley L.
Let me start by saying that no, I am not trying to be hateful in this review. I have not exaggerated. This is simply a recount of what occured when I ordered from Red Pepper for the first time, today, 10/31/2011. Is it possible to rate 0 stars?? If so, I would definitely rate Red Pepper 0/5 stars. I do not write many reviews on yelp, but I do frequent many restaurants in the greater Cincinnati area. I can say that hands-down this is the worst Chinese food that I have seen to-date. Ok, it might be the worst food I have ever purchased in the greater Cincinnati area. As I am cramming for final exams and typing furiously to finish last projects, I decided that ordering Chinese delivery was the way to go. As I am not very familiar with who-all delivers to Northside, I looked to yelp for some ideas. Yes, I saw that the reviews were inconsistent and tended towards the mediocre; however, I thought, "why not?" heck, "give them a chance," they just might be worth it. I'm sorry, but they definitely are not. This is the very first time that I have been afraid of the food that was sitting in front of me. I'll give you the run down: Apparently the dinner specials come with fried wontons. I tried one. The grease used in the fryer must be old, because one bite left a very oily, bitter taste on the tongue. The "stuffing" was plain cream cheese and was overcooked and dried out. The spring roll appetizer was undercooked. The wonton wrapper was still doughy and mushy, and the insides were basically glass noodles. There was a speck or two of orange that must have been carrots and a few strands of cabbage. But, mostly, it was raw, undercooked wonton. I ordered the chicken pad thai and garlic chicken, as that seemed to be one thing that people agreed on being good. The pad thai had a very odd aroma coming from it, lacked sauce, had no green/spring onions, the peanuts were congealed (is that even possible???) and soggy, the bean sprouts were unfortunately not sprouting, and the chicken was dry and cracked. The garlic chicken was deep fried. Ok, I have eaten garlic chicken from many different establishments. I have never had it deep fried, surprise number one. There were no vegetables other than water chestnuts and a few carrots. And, surprise number two? Well, I don't know what the heck they were. At first I thought maybe some sort of noodle (how? have no idea!), but then realized that no, too gelatinous. These small, worm-like, things that were stuck to the sides of the fried chicken, due to lack of sauce, were very wiggly and smeared when you pressed on them. What?!?!?! I'm sorry, folks, but this food was down-right scary. We just wasted $24 on dinner (and yes, surprise number 3? the $4 delivery charge that noone talks about). I hope that Red Pepper can improve the quality of their food, but if not, I would certainly steer clear.
(1)Sam N.
Salty, greasy, not worth it. Unless you're drunk-craving greasy Chinese food...in which case you can find coupons in the Bearcat coupon book for a free greasy wonton or eggroll with your meal!
(2)Ryan M.
Red Pepper is past it's glory days and any more the food is bland and i cannot tell the difference between general-tzo's and the orange chicken. If you order it spicy it will be somewhat spicy but the quality has declined since i first went there. Try King wok accost the street it is a little better.
(3)Emily J.
If you're looking for good Chinese food, don't eat at Red Pepper. The food is so salty and greasy and tastes processed. Service is fast, but that's about all there is to this place.
(2)Bethany T.
Red Pepper is a decent Chinese place. It's not excellent, but it's not awful either. For Lunch in the $5-7ish range and dinner in the $6-8ish range (excluding beverage purchase, tax, and tip), it's a decent amount of food. I might give it a 3.5 stars, if that were available. I will round up because the decor/atmosphere is quiet and nice. The staff could be more attentive, but the food comes out quick enough. I like the egg drop soup just fine. The fried rice is a little bland, but decent. The Moo Goo Gai Pan is decently flavorful, but doesn't have as many mushrooms as the name implies it should. I absolutely agree with James H on his review of the General Tso's chicken. The sauce is good, the broccoli is green (and they give you a ton of it), but the chicken can hardly be called chicken! There is equal or more breading than chicken. It's kinda gross, really. The sauce and little tiny bit of chicken is what makes it edible, but come on Red Pepper, if you're going to call it chicken, put some more chicken in it!
(4)Shane J.
Recently I ordered a pad thai, I know it's not a thai place but damn...I didn't know it could be screwed up so royally. It had the aroma of camble's chicken noodle soup and the taste of a wet sock. Plus, it came with rice (wtf?). Horrible excuse for a restaurant.
(1)Richard Y.
Though I do not want to sound offensive by any means, Red Pepper is in fact, a generic Chinese restaurant. There, I said it! I have eaten here several times, and each time I come away saying "meh, that was okay." The prices are about average, the food is about average, the wait staff are fairly consistent. The only thing that separates this from the other generic Chinese places in the city (numerous that they are) is the interesting environment, a curious split-level design. They also have pretty good hot and sour soup; Aside from that, it's nothing spectacular, it blends in very well to the McMillan strip of slightly-above-mediocre dining.
(2)Alex L.
Bleh. That's the best expression I can give this place. First of all, this place is empty so the service better be relatively fast, which it wasn't. Secondly, there's a good reason why it's empty because the food was just not appetizing at all. Let's just say I only went there twice and I still have vivid memories of how bad the food was. For bad American-ized Chinese food, go somewhere else.
(2)Dan J.
Chinese restaurants are as numerous as gas stations. It takes a lot for a Chinese restaurant to stand out in such conditions, but Red Pepper manages to do so. Another restaurant in Clifton's glut on W. McMillan, Red Pepper is a unique two-level Chinese restaurant that encourages a more complete dining experience, with a full wait staff and plenty of seating. They offer all the standard chinese fare but make a great Moo Goo Gai pan as well as Kung Pao Chicken. The dinner special includes soup and a wonton (crab rangoon), as well as fried or steamed rice. The prices are reasonable but a little more expensive than the usual Chinese take-out place. In the end, the little extra price is worth it for the nice atmosphere and the good food.
(4)Kiarash Z.
I hustled over here after being treated to the Ohio Bookstore on a Monday afternoon. The restaurant was fairly empty, and we immediately were seated. My date and I split a huge order of chicken pad Thai and washed it down with two ice cold Rolling Rocks. The pad Thai was simple and excellent, and the chili sauce provided subtle kick and sweetness. Our server, Rick, was intensely laid back and cracked me up with unintentionally funny lines like, "Want an extra side of rice for $1.25?" and "Here are the kinds of noodles we have." Rick awesome server. So nanchalant,
(4)Jesse F.
I really wanted to like this place. I really, really did. Unfortunately, I could not. To start off with, the service was LOUSY. No two ways about it. It took forever for the waiter to get me a drink and get my order. Had they been busy, I would have been fine with this. THEY WERE EMPTY. #fail Then the food came, I wouldn't call it inedible because I was very hungry at the time. However, it was extremely greasy. I usually eat half and take the rest home. I just left it there. Couldn't even handle it as leftovers. Chinese restaurants are usually full of win for me, so this was a big let down. If you're really wanting to test your luck, try it out. But my fortune cookie says, "would not try again."
(1)Nate S.
This place is ok... but you can find far better Chinese food elsewhere. When I lived in Cincinnati, I went there a handful of times. The food was decent...not great or anything to write home about...but it was ok. Their wontons were probably the best part of the menu. Service here always lacked and I always walked away thinking, "I don't think I'll come back again"...but usually did when friends wanted to go. I would suggest walking across the street to King Wok if you want good Chinese food.
(2)Autumn E.
I'm not a huge fam of Red Pepper. I've given it several chances. Their Spring Rolls are greasy, the Sesame Chicken is lacking in flavor. The vegetables seem over cooked. I Their service is fast but that's about the only good thing. I do like that they have a good variety in their menu, but everything I've ever ordered from there is so so. The last time most of it ended up in the trash.
(3)Alex W.
Terrible service. I found HAIR in my COLD food. The only thing they have going is beer to wash the food down.
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