Tusculum Grille, formerly known as Tusculum Pizza, opened in May 2012. Josh Phillips, an entrepreneur with one other local business, wanted to re-establish the restaurant as a neighborhood staple.
“I’ve always believed in local places, and local establishments are at the heart of neighborhoods,” Phillips says.
The menu is chock-full of bar favorites, including pizzas, salads and sandwiches. A few of the most popular items are the steak and chicken philly and the chicken wings, Phillips sats. Tusculum Grille’s house pizza, which is topped with pepperoni and banana peppers, is a must-have, as are the specialty pizzas—basil/pesto/chicken and buffalo chicken—which aren’t on the menu, but they’re ordered often.
Tusculum Grille makes its own pizza sauce, seasons and rolls out the dough, slices the meat, and uses fresh vegetables. The wing sauces are also house-made, including the garlic ranch, which customers eat on everything, according to Phillips.
Not only does Tusculum Grille have great pizza, but it has something else that sets it apart from other restaurants in Cincinnati: a fire truck. The truck is Phillips’ personal UC football tailgating vehicle, but he built a 500-square-foot patio in front of the restaurant to take advantage of the truck’s “unusual features,” rather than have it sit in storage, he says.
“I’ve owned the truck for four years now,” Phillips says. “It’s outfitted with three flat-screen TVs, full bar, pull-out grill, stereo system and taps for two kegs. In the summer, you can sit outside on the patio and catch a Reds game.”
Watch for Tusculum Grille in the Cincinnati St. Patrick’s Day parade. They’ve partnered with the
Cincinnati Emerald Society and will be rolling down the street in Phillips’ fire truck.
By Caitlin Koenig
Follow Caitlin on Twitter
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