Shiny & New Copper Blue

Copper Blue
900 Main St. Milford, OH 45150
(513) 239-8450

I’m always on the hunt for the new joints in town. The newest sign on the block in Milford is Copper Blue.
Copper Blue was opened by previous restaurant biz managers, corporate managers that is. So, one suspects they understand the game. I imagine they are excited to be running the show, calling the shots, (and maybe even drinking one) without the corporate admin goons eye balling and second guessing their every move. Deservedly so. Question is, can they pull off a proper pub, or is the corporate stink so saturated into their brains they are just a clone of a true pub. A local pub facade even? It’s my job to tell ya. Before I spew my three cents, lets look at the reviews from our online peers.
Angie L of Milford says (yelp.com):
“...this place is trying really hard and not quite succeeding... I would love to be wrong on this restaurant. I like the idea of it, I’m just not sure that it’s going to make it much past the honeymoon.”
Angie liked the burger but not the chicken flat bread, nor the name chicken “thumbs”. Get over it Ang, it’s just a name for God’s sake.
Scott L of Milford says (yelp.com):
“Hmmm...I’ll give this restaurant a solid...meh. It wasn’t bad...it wasn’t great.”
I’m not sure what Scott’s solid “meh” is folks but it doesn’t sound great. Help us out here Scott.
Joyce C of Fairborn says (yelp.com)
“...great service. No wait for a table... fish tacos are as good as any I’ve had on the West Coast... mahi mahi was prepared wonderfully.”
Fairborn Joyce? Really? Wow! I do love a good fish taco but you must be off your meds to drive out from Fairborn to Milford to eat one.
Out of towner Jill K of Fairless Hills PA says (yelp.com):
“The relish-topped chicken was delicious... the filet was wonderful... there was bacon and onions in the creamed corn. It tasted fantastic, but the menu didn’t indicate the bacon... vegetarians might want to inquire carefully about the menu. The service was attentive and friendly... the food was great...”
Yes, vegetarians should ask about undisclosed meat ingredients. Or should they have to?
Mike D says (yelp.com):
“Waited 10 minutes, no one to seat us. Requested a table (many empty) waitress walked away. Can’t comment on the food, never got that far... Too bad nice decor, rotten help.”
“Rotten” help? Not sure I agree with you there Mike. Service seemed spot on perfect.
CF says (urbanspoon.com)
“The Hand cut skin on fries are great... Best burger in Milford!!!
Best burger in Milford CF? You’ve tried them all then? 20 brix’s bad ass burger and Putter’s meaty mammoth, the mighty By Golly burger?
Tracey Hedlesten says (urbanspoon.com)
“Copper Blue is excellent - food that is mouthwatering, and atmosphere that is tasteful and cozy. A must-try for all who like to eat out!”
Nice review there Tracey, but what the hell did you eat? Inquiring minds want to know!
Jennifer Lewis (urbanspoon.com)
“LOVED IT!... chicken thumbs that have a tempura batter... yummmmmmmmy!... Mahi Fish Tacos. EXCELLENT. Sweet Potato Tots were really good, but fried. Salmon, exceptional. Pork tenderloins, exceptional. Oh, and the salad wedge is fantastic! Full bar. HIGHLY recommended!”
Wow that’s a lot of food you ate there Jen, what do you weigh in at, 400 or 500? Seriously Jenny, start thinking Jenny Craig.
Jeff says(urbanspoon.com)
“The best place to eat in Milford! We’ve been there twice. Great food and great service. You gotta try it!”
The best place to eat in Milford? C’mon now Jeff! Putter’s, Tong’s Thai, 20 brix, Padrino, MJ’s, Cazadores, Acapulco and By Golly’s are all bested by Copper Blue? Seems hard to swallow.

As you can see, the reviews are mixed, dead split, some think it sucks, some love it, some say it’s just ok. But now let me tell you what I think as a Semi-Milford resident and food lover.
First off, does Milford really need another restaurant? Milford is not exactly growing. It’s pretty much stuck the way it is and the restaurants it has now aren’t exactly overwhelmed with throngs of people on a daily basis. Second, more than half of the (non-corporate) Milford village restaurants have been working with us for years. I have reviewed them all. I’m no stranger to the scene. They all have their loyal fans, but this tiny town has enough burger pubs to choose from already and no single place is stealing the show, even though a couple are truly stand out places. Odds are if you moved the exceptional ones to a heavily populated monied area like West Chester or Fields Ertel or Mason, they’d triple their numbers without changing a thing. What I’m getting at is, it’s not always the restaurants fault here in Milford if a good restaurant is slow. Or even closes.
Third, any bar crowd in Milford is centered in the cross hairs of the cops. Just look what happened to the once awesome-now auctioned Buffalo Harry’s. It’s kinda hard to sell drinks on a weekend night with permanent police presence in your parking lot (or very nearby) all night long.
That being said, Copper Blue is a nice looking joint. They have a widely accepted “Grub Shack” concept and they did a good job on the remodel. As far as the grub goes, my Copper Blue experience was just fine. The $7 Black Bean burger was a bit mushy for my taste but, it was obviously homemade. The fries were thick fresh cuts (a bit too thick maybe) but far above the norm. The fish cakes were indeed quite nice, fresh and flavorful, not to mention unique. The accompanying mashed potatoes were actually righteous but at $13 for a small order ($17 for large) I felt it was a bit on the high side. Especially for a “Grub Shack”.
The menu isn’t big but it’s well rounded and quality focused. The service simply couldn’t have been better. But the prices perhaps could have. All in all it was, all around fine.
Will I be back? Sure, several menu items do deserve a try. Do I think it’s a value? At $7-9 for burgers and $11.49-19.99 for entrees it’s not exactly expensive, but it’s not exactly pub priced either. Copper Blue will really have to work hard to earn those menu prices (around here anyway).
So there you have it. Copper Blue is all shiny and new. They have something for everyone, they seem to try hard too. There is talent behind the line (even if a few things need tweaking). This isn’t some Sam’s Club $3 pub menu, there is merit to Copper Blue’s menu offerings. With superior quality comes superior price. But will the uber-tight Milfordonians accept that fact at a pub style place? Tough call.
Judging by the mixed reviews, anyone’s guess is as good as mine. Only time will tell if this is just what Milford needed, or just another auction waiting to happen. This is a tough town all around.