Rock On Rong Tan’s

Rong Tan’s
606 Ohio Pike | 752-1907

You read a lot about Chinese places in Cincinnati. You have the ones touted as “most authentic”, the big and small buffets and of course the neighborhood mom & pop local favorites. Much print real estate has been dedicated to dishing out details of Wasabi infused sauces and raw fish. There’s much argument about who’s the best. This month I am writing about one Chinese place that bests them all hands down, at least in one category... fun.
It’s not up for argument, it’s a fact. No where else can you get Lo Mein and “Drop it Low” at the same place on the same evening. At Rong Tan’s you can. Rong Tan’s is so special, so unique, it has to be one of a kind.
Think about it, big crab leg buffet, great signature Cantonese dishes dine in or delivery, a Texas Hold’em Game, A Dead dvd on the huge tv and that’s just dinner. After the woks are washed and the buffet pans are put up most Chinese places close up. At Rong Tan’s, it’s just getting started, literally.
After 10 the dance floor spot lights come on, the bass starts bumpin & the booze starts flowin’. How many other Chinese joints have a signature drink called “The Mongolian Motherf#cker? If you think that’s wild stop by on a weekend and walk into a crowd of 150 or so jammin’ to live bands like Stolit, Livid, Supermassive, Hearsay and Assault Machine (Oct 29 & 30). You can still smell the fried rice and crab legs as you head-bang stage front to the music.
What other Asian restaurant has a one of a kind “Goodwill Hunting Party”. Customers buy wacked out clothes at the nearby Goodwill and show off their finds. It’s so cool Cincy Vibe is running an open tab for the party. Bring in your Goodwill receipt and we’ll put your first drink on our tab (the tax man is just gonna’ love that).
If you think that’s juicy how about Rong Tan’s Annual Prom! Seriously, a real prom complete with DJ, decked out dance floor decorations, pro photographer and all. Last year Rong Tan’s Prom had over a hundred attendees dressed in full tux and prom dress. Many more attended in non-prom attire as well. It’s cool either way but just imagine the out-of-towner-folk from the nearby I-275 hotels who came in because it was open and close. They walked into a get a drink and maybe a late night egg-roll and found themselves smack dab in the middle of prom! They’d have fun for certain. The owner says “Man, people love it, maybe they missed their prom or just miss that fun of a prom, they see and catch up with old friends, have a great time dressing up, it’s really a lot of fun. People take it serious too, they get their professional prom photo taken here and slow dance with their prom date, get rooms at the hotels, it’s been a great time every year we’ve done it”. The “Annual Rong Tan’s Prom” falls on Thanksgiving Eve this year.
Who’s the wizard behind the curtain of this American-Chinese-Buffet-Dance/Concert Club & Lounge? A Milford born & raised fella named Rich Williams (bottom photo). Rich fell in love with a petty little lady named Lisa Tan decades ago. He married into the Tan fam and Rong Tan’s is the product of that American-Chinese combination (along with two beautiful children). What a combination it is too! The Tan fam fires the Woks and Rich fires up the lounge. Together it’s a true “Wok & Roll” joint the likes of you’ve never seen.

You see, at heart, Rich is a true quintessential barman. Many people are in the bar biz, but not all of them should be. Some people buy a bar just to be the “star at the bar”. They love the cronies that tag along their heels, laughing at every joke and relentlessly throwing compliments, the shameless attention from the cheap girls that giggle and flirt, they love the whole “I’m a big somebody to everybody here” thing. They talk big talk, drive flash cars and act like they’re made of money but that’s about it. They can’t diagnose a problem credit card terminal or ill ice machine, can’t make a single drink with more than two ingredients, balance their profit & loss budget or figure out where the sewer line is stopped up at. They are basically worthless braggarts, their bar runs (for a while) in-spite of them, rather than because of them. Not so with Rich. On any given day (and night) you can find this guy doing everything and anything that has to do with keeping the business in fine form. When he’s not bartending (he’s on the schedule full time) he’s either ordering product, fixing equipment, budgeting expenses, cleaning, painting, repairing, replacing and damn near anything else the bar biz can throw at him. And, that’s when he’s not delivering fine Chinese to Tan’s fans (which he is also on the schedule for).
Add in booking Rong Tan’s special blend of bands, part time DJ and concert club manager all night to boot. Not to mention personally driving loyal patrons home after it all. Whew! And you know what?
He loves it.

That’s what it takes to truly run a bar. But, that’s not all it takes to run a great bar. The great part comes from Rich’s relationship to his customers. After all, he spends a great deal of his life with them, he knows their ups & downs, their wins & losses. He shares his life and they share theirs. He actually cares. That’s why you can find a couple dozen people happily hang out around the bar at all times, even at three o’clock on a rainy Monday Rich has patrons. Happy patrons. Rich makes Rong Tan’s a true pub. A Cheers type of place where folks share the good times and bitch about the bad. A place to meet friends & make new ones. He’s not trying to be the star at the bar. He is the bar. He’s just trying to do the best job he can as a good host. That’s what a great pub is truly all about.