Butcher & Barrel, the Argentinian steakhouse that has operated downtown for nearly a decade, is scheduled to open a second location at 2038 Madison Road in O'Bryonville on Friday, Oct. 23.
The opening was reported by Cincinnati CityBeat. The restaurant takes over the former Ché space, which became available after Ché relocated back to its first O'Bryonville space at 3009 O'Bryon Street on Sept. 2. Both restaurants are owned by Ignite Entertainment, led by Juan Imeroni, an Argentinian native who lives in the neighborhood.
"Bringing Butcher & Barrel to O'Bryonville is especially meaningful to me because this is my neighborhood, too," Imeroni said in a statement.
The address has a layered history. Ché, known for its empanadas and sandwiches, first opened in Over-the-Rhine in 2016 before expanding to O'Bryonville. The 2038 Madison Road space was previously home to Pampas, Ignite's gastropub that closed in 2023, according to CityBeat's September report. Ché then occupied the space until its recent move back to O'Bryon Street.
The shuffle gives Ignite two restaurants on the same block. Imeroni said the arrangement would "allow Ignite to double down on the neighborhood." Ché's Over-the-Rhine location is not affected by the changes.
The O'Bryonville kitchen will be led by executive chef James Karlson and chef de cuisine James Yannone. Karlson has run the downtown location's culinary program for more than five years and previously cooked at Chicago's Alara. Yannone's background spans Italian, French and Asian fusion cooking, with stints at Cooper's Hawk and Brio.
The menu draws on Argentine, Latin American and Italian cooking. The new location also includes a second-floor private event space called The Loft, which holds up to 40 guests.
The downtown Butcher & Barrel is not affected by the expansion. It will mark a decade in operation in 2027.
Butcher & Barrel O'Bryonville will be open Tuesday through Sunday starting at 4 p.m.
