The Precinct

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A City Landmark With a Story Behind Every Wall

When Jeff Ruby opened The Precinct in 1981, he was betting against formidable odds. The prime rate sat at 21.5%, unemployment had hit a post-war high, and the building he'd chosen — the old Cincinnati Police Patrol House No. 6 — carried 52 liens that needed clearing before he could take possession. Two of his earliest believers were Pete Rose and Johnny Bench, who came on as original investors. That leap of faith paid off: more than four decades later, The Precinct stands as Cincinnati's longest continuously-running fine dining restaurant and the first upscale steakhouse the city ever had.

The Building Is Part of the Experience

The structure itself is a Romanesque landmark designed by Hannaford and built in 1901 to house horse-drawn wagon patrols — part of Cincinnati's distinction as only the second city in the nation to offer such a service. The horses were stabled in what is now the main dining room. The original sliding exterior doors remain, restored with stained glass, and life-sized photographs of the actual Patrol House No. 6 officers from 1915 to 1918 line the walls. The upstairs hay loft became a disco club in the 1980s and today serves as The Loft, one of three distinctive private dining rooms available for intimate events.

A centerpiece of the bar and lounge is a massive Brunswick Majestic bar originally built in Cincinnati in the 1890s. Ruby tracked it down at an auction in Boston and returned the antique to its hometown in 2011.

The Steakhouse Standard

The menu centers on perfectly dry-aged U.S.D.A. Prime steaks and a rare selection of Wagyu beef — the kind of American steakhouse cooking that earns its reputation cut by cut. One side dish drew enough attention that Food Network named it one of its Most Magnificent Sides: the macaroni and cheese. The wine program earned Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence, reflecting a cellar serious enough to match the kitchen's ambitions. Menus extend to dessert, a Ruby Wine Vault selection, cigars, and a kids' menu, making the room work for celebrations of every scale.

Care as a Philosophy

Jeff Ruby describes what his restaurants really provide as memories, not just meals — "Our food fills our guests' stomachs and our amazing people fill their hearts." That ethos shapes a culture the team calls servant-hearted: leading with compassion, kindness, and a commitment to excellence. For guests who want to bring that standard home, the restaurant also offers meal kits with premium ingredients and chef instructions, available for nationwide shipping.

Three private rooms, decades of loyal guests, and a building that has outlasted everything from economic crises to disco: The Precinct is Cincinnati fine dining at its most enduring.