Bill Cunningham’s Great American Sports Cafe

Closed down :(
I really liked this place!

I shall not be as lengthy as my good friend Jeremy, but I will echo his sentiments of the GASC! Having been instrumental in moving our Texas Exes game watch from the Harper’s BDubs due to extraordinarily poor management (NOT service, which was marvelous), I am THRILLED with this location. As Jeremy says, it is a true sports bar; space to move around, plenty of sets (all HD), kid friendly and, especially, EXTRAORDINARY management support and service. We’ll be there for a long, long time if all remains as is.
Or as my Daddy used to say, «Good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise!»

I don’t always agree with him, but I actually like Bill Cunningham (though I suppose that statement could make friends out of enemies and enemies out of friends). I also like the local atmosphere. Not just for local pro teams, but also the great focus on local high school teams as well. Which makes sense given Bill’s local HS alma mater (Go Wildcats!).
I was a little disappointed in the menu variety. I consider myself pretty open and have eclectic tastes in food. I’m sure there were other items, but my choices were basically chicken or a burger. But given the name of the place, you can’t really hold that against them.
So my friend and I went with each to split, the burger and the chicken tenders. She got fries and I got sweet potato fries, which was an unexpected offering given the limited menu. While they were good, I actually preferred the regular fries which were very tasty. The hamburger was also very good. The chicken tenders however were a bit tough, obviously over-​cooked. Which makes sense because it did seem to take a while to get the food after ordering. I had been here a previous time and had both the chicken wings and boneless wings, and those were cooked just right. So hopefully this was just a rare occurrence.
The space is really nice and open. And they have a free popcorn machine, yay! But ultimately, I think I prefer his other restaurant (Willie’s) just down the road.

Fine dining it is not. A solid sports bar it is.
I’ve checked in so often at The Great American Sports Café that I’m considered a «regular». No, not like Norm on Cheers. Though technically it can be argued that Norm (a.k.a. George Wendt) wasn’t a «regular» so much as he was a «lifer» in the fictitious world of that bar.
But I digress…
As someone who came of age in the great state of Texas, I fancy myself somewhat of a sports bar connoisseur. It is somewhat of a right of passage down there.
So it is without ramification that I can say to you, Unilocal readers, and you too, Mr. Cunningham: You have indeed created the Great American «Sports Café».
It has all the necessary parts when a sport-​addicted fan, like myself, needs a television to watch my game, bar food to accentuate the experience, and cold beer (to either celebrate or drown my sorrows, depending on how that particular game turns out).
There are tons of televisions mounted on every wall, so you can’t possibly miss the game you want to view. The staff is friendly and will be more than happy to turn one of those many televisions to your game of choice, if it isn’t airing when you walk in the door. They, on some occasions, will make sure you get the sound in your area of the restaurant. Try that at a BW3’s? Not happening.
The wings have already been favorably reviewed by other Unilocalers here previously. So I won’t delve into that any further than to say, «I concur».
I’ve had several of their different hamburger creations and each one as been stellar. Well, as far as a burger goes. (Though you would be surprised how many people will screw up a burger these days.)
They have even managed to accomodate my vegetarian girlfriend. No small feat for a sports bar either.
The beer selection is pretty much what you expect from such a place. Nice selection of your normal domestics (Miller Lite, Budweiser, Bud Light, etc.). But they also offer a few of the local fare craft beers. Though this is where they tend to fall down a bit, as they have Moerlein beers on the menu, but always seem to be out when I order one.
Hmm…
The only thing I can say badly about the place is that waitstaff can be spotty. I have been there when I could not have asked for better service; quick, attentive, kind and caring. I, unfortunately, have also been there on evenings when the server forgot to put in orders (multiple times), took forever to come back to the table and ask how we were, and forced me to ask three times for the same round of beer.
So be warned there.
Finally though, I am a large part of the Cincinnati chapter of the University of Texas alumni association. We recently switched our gamewatch parties to this establishment (from B-​dubs, mind you). They have handled our large group each time with complete awesomeness. I have even been there on days when some of the local teams (OSU, UC, XU, etc.) have been playing at the same time Texas is.
They have never had any problem accommodating all parties involved. So far, there have been no fights. So there’s that.
If you have a group outing, don’t think twice. They will take care of you.
It has everything a sports bar should and a few things some don’t (pop a shot anyone?). It isn’t a place you are going to want to go to get a fine steak. But if you’re afternoon/​evening out involves wearing a jersey and rooting on your favorite squad, this is the place for you.

For a wings place it’s not too bad. We got free wings because of the event so i cant say anything about the price on that. but for a beer and cocktail for only $ 4 you can’t beat that. it had lots of TVs so it would be good for games.

I grew up in Buffalo, New York, and I’ve been to the mothership of chicken wings. Somewhat regularly. That doesn’t make me an expert, but it does ground my opinion. I’ve had then at all times of the day, from hung over to cronked, and from cold to right out of the oven, and on hot summer nights to blizzard conditions.
Bill’s = bleh. It doesn’t matter if you’re in for Atomic Hot, Gigantic Garlic, or Mildly Mild. Whatever your flavor is for you to decide. But here, it’s different.
Step 1: Cook chicken wings.
Step 2: Make sure no pink (there was none).
Step 3: Dump chicken wings in serving pan.
Step 4: Pour sauce from jar over wings.
Step 5: Mix it up.
Step 6: Serve.
It isn’t done that way in the land of Buffalo Wings. Go to Duff’s on Sheridan Drive. They’ll provide the answers.

If you want lots of TV’s, decent food, great drink specials, lots of beer, and the ability to share all of this with tons of your friends, Bill Cunningham’s Great American Sports Café is the ideal place for you.
On the lonelier part of Montgomery Ave (on the opposite side of 71 from the Kenwood Towne Center) you could easily pass by the strip mall in which Bill Cunningham’s is located. Stepping in, you are greeted by very friendly staff and will see nothing but a bar, lots of TVs, and happy regulars enjoying a brew and some food.
The food is good. Very good, in fact. I am not the *biggest* wing fan in the world (so sue me) but I must say these wings were some of the largest I’ve ever seen. They were a bit overly saucy (again, I bet that sounds weird to you wing-​lovers) to the point where I couldn’t help but think the chicken itself that was under all of the goop was pretty much flavorless. I enjoy certain things when it comes to barbecue items such as wings and ribs — not relying on the sauce to make it a good piece of meat.
I also had some of the boneless wings (which were more like chicken cubes, fresh cut off of a breast or chicken tender piece) and they were extremely juicy, not greasy, and not overly saucy. Very nice!
One thing I really appreciated was our waitress knowing about what was going on behind the bar. She knew all about the house wines, the specialty wines, and everything in between. She was very confident and knowledgeable and I thought that was pretty stellar.
Overall, I think this place is a good bar with a great atmosphere and run-​of-​the-​mill food. If you live in the area, check it out the next time there’s a game on, or if you’re in the mood for beer and wings. I’m just doubtful that it’s worth the drive, as there are more places within 15 minutes (and beyond) I’d rather drive to for a beer and wings.

Ah Mr. Bill Cunningham, aka Willy, aka, The Great American. For years I had been aware of his patriotic presence in the Tri-​State with both his radio gig and his restaurants, especially his Willie’s Sports Café in Covington which sits like a majestic castle in the firmly Red State Kentucky guarding against the dastardly, freedom hating, Blue State ways of the Socialist Republic of Ohio. Like Tom Joad, wherever Bill Cunningham roams there is a presence of happiness, truth, justice, the American Way, and probably a good burger.
However, the concept of Bill Cunningham’s Great Americanness came into question a few weeks back when he offered his own Wings Stimulus Package to fellow Unilocalers. Hmmm, a little suspicious I still voyaged up to Kenwood to see what this was all about.
Upon arrival you are greeted with the proud American motif. Inside its your typical sports bar scene with a nice bar, a lot of TVs and plentiful seating. In addition there is free pop-​corn and one of those cool basketball shooting games.
All this was fine and good, but it was when I looked at the menu and noticed that something was wrong. They were just called fries, not Freedom Fries… Whoa. And then I am pretty sure I saw CNN Headline News or some other lamestream media outlet instead of the guardians of truth at Fox News. What was going on here? No freedom loving conservative would have CNN on over Fox. Was Mr. Cunningham really a conservative? Heck was he even an American? Was he some sort of Socialist, radical anchor baby!!!
Then the Man himself emerged to offer his wings Stimulus package. He worked the crowd in an amicable fashion, almost like a community organizer would, and retreated to the kitchen and emerged with over 300 wings. I thought I knew who the real Bill Cunningham was until that night, so I didn’t know what to think, but once I bit into the very large wing my taste buds were reassured. These wings were nothing short of fantastic. Very large and very saucy, which was especially true of the BBQ ones. The BBQ sauce was quite good and kind of tasted a tad like Montgomery Inn. It tasted the way a great American Wing should.
So if you are in the neighborhood and are hankering a good wing or an ice cold domestic beer then head over to the Great American Sports Café, or possibly the Willie’s in Covington. Also Mr Cunningham, thank you again for your kindness and kick-​ass wings. There is no need to see your Birth Certificate because you sir, are a Great American!
–This message was brought to you by the Center for Defending Truth, Justice and the American Wing and in no way reflects views other than the sassy author trying to poke fun at hyper partisanship while admiring quality wings.

You think Bill Cunningham’s Great American Spots Café and there are probably some images that come to mind — flags everywhere, red white and blue colors, maybe even a bald eagle or too. Patriotism galore.
So walking in to find a really clean, fun sports café may be a surprise, but not an unwelcome one! This tucked away little spot would actually be a great place to watch a game.
This café is located on the other side of Montgomery (the way you don’t ever travel), but it’s hard to miss once you get there. Bright sign announcing the name and then giant stick on letter telling you that «Willie says U R A Great American!» And I am.
Inside there’s a bar right in front of you that you can sit, have a beer and watch the game on one of the many, many TVs. If you’re looking for something a little more private, there are tons of tables and chairs in the back — also able to watch the game on one of many, many TVs.
They make a hell of a chicken wing here. I held a Unilocal event to try them out and they were indeed delicious! Plus, you can order a nice tall beer to go with it — and when I say tall, I mean tall. I love not constantly having to flag down a waitress to get another beer. Mine lasted me almost all night.
There’s plenty of parking, although a ton of it is reserved for the different shops in the strip mall. Damn you Dr. Wing, optometrist, and your nine spots I tried to park in before finding one you didn’t own! *shaking fist*
This place seems like it could get crazy on game days, which is fine because it’s that kind of building, but know what you’re getting into if you’d like a quiet meal. This place is probably not for you.
Still, for a beer and a TV, I really like this spot. And honest to god, if there wasn’t Willie’s name on the front of this building, I would have no idea he owned the place. I think I might actually come back here for a game or two — seems like it could actually be a lot of fun.

One thing I really like about Bill Cunningham’s restaurants around the Greater Cincinnati area is that they seem to understand the various reasons people enjoy going to a sports bar/​restaurant. There are clear eye-​lines to the many TVs, if you’re there for the games. If you’re meeting a friend for conversation, you’ll appreciate the comfortable spacing of the tables, and the volume is never too oppressive. And it’s well-​lit, something that can’t be overappreciated.
The food is good, not great. Definitely go with traditional wings over the boneless (much more tender), and the hot sauce has some nice kick without leaving you covered in tears and sweat. If you’re looking to get drunk, this isn’t really the place for you. It’s a meeting place, not a forgetting place. And the décor is just cheesy enough to put a smile on your face both coming and going.

I hadn’t been here since this location was a Willie’s & I have to say, I wish it would have stayed that way. The service was good. Our server checked in with us several times & a woman who I’m assuming was the manager also checked in. Unfortunately, the food was not so good. The BF ordered the steak fajitas & thought they were okay. I ordered the chicken caesar panini & was sorely disappointed. The panini I thought I was ordering came with grilled bread, fresh cheese, chopped lettuce, & chopped chicken. The panini I actually ordered came with foccacia (which while good, was too large to actually fit in my mouth), a slice of cheese melted over a dry chicken breast, & a large piece of lettuce. The fries were okay, but the sandwich was not even close to good. If it weren’t for the fact that we only paid $ 18 for the food + 2 drinks courtesy of a LivingSocial deal, I’d be mad. For now, I just won’t go back.

Food was good but I wouldn’t say it was spectacular. Had the croissant club which seemed a little dry and plain, but the waffle fries that it came with were great. Decent beer prices.
Service was great. Bathroom very clean. Big range of sports paraphenalia, but it lacked the character of most sports bars I’ve been too. Very PG feel.
Definitely a good place to sit and watch a game and get some drinks and bar food, but I wouldn’t come here looking for any type of personality or unique atmosphere.

This place is amazing! What can I say? Great service (we were visited by 3 staff members during our meal to see how everything was), fast service, excellent food, and the TVs are top of the line! Willie did a great job on turning this place around! We will be back!