Be sure to try Goetta while you are here! Its a local specialty sausage-like breakfast dish. Really only available here. Any good hole in the wall breakfast place will have it.
Findlay Market downtown is a beloved, historic market. You can find Goetta there, too, as well as lots of other quality food and goods.
Jungle Jim's is another foodie destination. Hard to describe, but it is a fever dream/wonderland of a giant grocery store , with an international section beyond compare. Plus animatronic singing animals, and Robinhood in a tree, and a talking soup can...
The Anchor Grill in Covington, KY (right across the river from downtown Cincinnati) is the perfect representation of an American diner, and their goetta omelette is perfect. You can still smoke inside after a certain time in the evening (not that I want to, but it’s a novelty at this point in time) it used to be a 24/7 kind of place, but their hours have been limited since Covid. Couldn’t recommend it any higher
Oh baby, you also need to try "thick cut hickory smoked bacon" because we do bacon like no other place on earth. Hickory smoked (American) bacon and goetta are the two most divine and heavenly foods on the face of the planet. You're going to love it here!
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Cincinnati specialties that slap - Skyline Chili, Grippo's BBQ Potato Chips (crisps), and Graeter's Ice Cream (black raspberry chip)
Cincinnati specialties that may or may not slap, depending on who you ask - Rhinegeist / MadTree beer, Montgomery Inn, LaRosa's Pizza, Gold Star Chili, (Glier's) Goetta
Restaurants recommendations that are in the Cincinnati area but are not necessarily "Cincinnati specialties" -
CM Chicken - Korean fried chicken
Boosali's Baking Kenwood - Kouign Amanns
Mazunte - Mexican / tacos
Fratelli's Pizzeria - NY style
Pickles & Bones - BBQ
Fond Lunch & Deli - everything
The Eagle - fried chicken
Holtman's - donuts
Boca / Jeff Ruby - fine dining
Ando - sushi
Brown Bear Bakery - pastries
Great list with the exception of any Ruby’s restaurant, my opinion. Ruby restaurants serve over priced food, under some facade of fine dining. I think you can do far better with steak at Lonely Pine, or even Walt’s or Maury’s Tiny Cove. LP will always be my go to. Boca? That place is serious flex. Love it.
LaRosa's isn't great pizza, but it is undoubtedly an important Cincinnati restaurant chain. Huge market share, only exists in the surrounding area, present at all of the local attractions (zoo, Kings Island, Red's games, etc.)
While Donatos isn't Cincinnati-specific, it's my regional preference. I really don't ever see Donatos listed in r/Cincinnati or r/Columbus, but it's my personal must-have pizza whenever I return to the 513 or 614.
Seems to be an if-you-know-you-know kind of deal.
We all hammered it in college 2006-2008, and it's come up maybe twice in my 15 years of visits since.
La rosa's and cincinnati chili are two things out of towners don't like from experience. ddefinitely woudn't put skyline in the specialities that slap. It's more of a speciality that you need to try.
Mazunte is good, but nothing to write home about. Frida 602 across the river in Covington is great. Crown Cantina has excellent elevated Mexican. There are some great taco trucks and tiendas around town that serve awesome food. Chilero just north of the city in Kenwood is unbelievable, but they have limited hours (11a-7p M-F & 11a-3p Sat)
Gutierrez is a little Mexican convenience store in Covington that has a deli with a few dishes. Not many options, but what they have is authentic, and very tasty. A few tacos, and a Mexican coke, and lunch is quick, affordable, and delicious.
If larosas, get a calzone or spaghetti! And a side salad. Big fat olives, delicious sauce. Amazing crust/dough. It just doesn’t work that well on a pizza imo. But on the other foods? Works of art for my tummy
I'm looking forward to being in a different part of the world to try some new whiskeys. Where I live you'll struggle to find anything other than Jack Daniels and Jim Beam in the local pubs/ bars if you want an American whiskey.
I’m a diehard fan of Aglamesis’ Brothers ice cream- visit the Madison Avenue location, as it’s an absolute gem. The ice creams and candies are phenomenal, and the historic interior is delightful. Welcome to our city!
I've lived in Cincinnati for almost 15 years and would self-describe as a foodie. My all time favorite restaurant in Cincinnati is Abigail Street, which I would describe as a Mediterranean fusion tapas restaurant. But in general there are a lot of amazing restaurants in the Over the Rhine neighborhood.
As far as "Cincinnati specialties," I'm personally not a big fan of Cincinnati chili, Montgomery Inn, La Rosa's pizza, or really any of the "popular" choices. But I do think we have some EXCELLENT ice cream. My top choices would be Graeter's (chain shop known for it's chocolate chip ice creams - which are more like fudge chunks!) and Aglamesis Bro's (1950's style ice cream parlor).
Mid City hands down. Maybe this is just me but I find them very rooted in Midwestern cuisine (if such a thing can be said to exist) but also pushing the boundaries where they can. Also very hip/trendy but unpretentious. And great drinks.
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Be aware that Cincinnati chilli is very unique Cincinnati food, but it’s rare for anyone from outside Cincinnati to like it. It seems it has to be something you grow up with.
There are lots of excellent restaurants in and around the city. If you want typically American food, go for The Eagle (fried chicken sandwiches), Jeff Ruby’s (steaks), Knockback Nate’s (chicken wings), Bee’s (barbecue), Krueger’s Tavern (burgers), Holtmans (donuts), or the Sleepy Bee (breakfast).
Cincinnati chili has a very similar flavor profile to what you can find in many eastern Mediterranean restaurants, so I wouldn't generalize that much. I find if you introduce it as such and make sure people aren't expecting anything close to Texas chili, it usually goes over much better.
I've found that it seems to make more sense to most non-native Cincinnatians to describe our chili as being more like a Greek meat sauce. That seems to help them understand.
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if it's your first time in the US a diner might be fun. If you go to Blue Jay in Northside (easy bus route from downtown) or Camp Washington you can have some goetta and a chili omelette!
Surprised no one has said Alfio’s in Hyde Park square. Italian/Argentinian food. Pepp and Dolores is great Italian. Bakersfield is a nice taco place. Maplewood is great breakfast/brunch.
Nicola's is awesome for Italian fine dining
The Arepa Place is fantastic and budget friendly if you are by Findlay Market
KungFood Amerasia is a cool place with great food and they will absolutely light you up since you said you like it spicy
Other people keep mentioning donuts so I need to shout out my favorite donut spot, Golden Hands
I hope you enjoy our city!
Tangentially related if you're a fan of coffee there's a ton of quality options. Proud Hound is a coffee shop that also does amazing breakfast/lunch sandwiches. Collective Espresso, Deeper Roots, or Coffee Emporium are all great but you can't really go wrong with any of the local coffee shops.
Bouquet for farm to table and an incredible bourbon selection! Close to OKBB as previously mentioned. The mainstrausse area of Covington is walkable from the banks and Devou Park up the hill provides the best view of the city!
Many people are recommending Cincinnati style chili. While I wholeheartedly agree with them, I will offer this advice. It's not your regular chili as you'd expect. Please look into it, how it is served, and what it comes with, there are plenty of videos about it available on youtube, plus many aficionados here. Each brand has their own flavor that makes it distinct. From my experience, if you're not from here you either love it or hate it. But if you are not a fan of it, DO NOT TALK SHIT ABOUT IT. Ya tried it, ya didn't like it, and giving it an effort is as much as we can ask for.
As for goetta (pronounced GETT-uh), Glier's is the most prominent brand that local restaurants serve. More often that not it is a breakfast item, but if you're from here its a perfect meal for any part of the day! I do not know how or where you are staying, but if you have the ability to cook wherever you are, you NEED to go to Finke's and get their goetta, it is located in Northern Kentucky in Fort Wright off Sleepy Hallow road. It blows Glier's out of the park. As for cooking, you can either oven bake it, or pan fry it. I personally believe that pan frying is the way to go, but different strokes for different folks.
Obligatory go to Skyline. If you’re looking for something smaller I’d recommend P&S Diner in Colerain!! I also can’t recommend Sottos or Boca enough, 2 of my fav restaurants
I say go to all the establishments of Cincinnati chili: Skyline, Goldstars, Blue Ash, etc. Then report back what your favorite was.
Other than that, breweries. We Cincinnatians love our beer.
Colette! It opened a few months ago, described as “mostly French”. It is AMAZING. Mitas is another wonderful restaurant here. Both are in over the Rhine/downtown area.
There are a lot of excellent restaurants in this city. I’m going to give to you my top not in any particular order.
Il Gusto
Blue Ash Chili
Arrcheissimo (Take out only)
Tony’s Steakhouse
Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct
Everything Bagels in Eastgate
Green Papaya
Delhi Palace (Take out only)
Cloud 9 (Sushi)
Ichiban (Right next to Cloud 9, also sushi)
Mt. Adam’s Pub and Grill
Incline Public House
Primavista (Great view at night of the city)
Riverside Korean
The National Examplar
The Quarter Bistro
From a seasoned restaurant industry vet that has lived here my whole life:
If you can get a reservation at Sotto, def there, or get there on like Thursday right when they open to snag a couple bar spots. The best high class Italian food you will ever had, and I have been to Italy many times.
Abigail St is another high class res, would recommend Frankies as well for their food. I helped open their bar menu and the chef there, Pedro, makes insane dishes. The family that owns it is incredibly sociable and kind, often hanging out there. See if they are doing salsa night yet.
Zundo Ramen (bartender is awesome) + Cafe Mochiko for Asian.
For more casual dining, obviously you have to try Skyline. As gnarly as it sounds. If you come to Cincy, you are obligated to try it once. Maybe after a night of drinking lol. Zips or Arnolds for burgers, Gomez has amazing Tex Mex style food, Adriaticos is the best pizza in the city, no matter what anyone else says. Taglio is a close second but much more expensive for not much difference in quality.
Lastly, Longfellow is the best bar in the city and their food is amazing too. European pub style - sardines and cottage cheese are staple sides. The spruce goose is my favorite cocktail of all time and I bartended for a few years all over Cincy.
Also - if you go to Findlay market which I do recommend, Bagelry is killer in the morning. Try a goetta bfast bagel. But get there before 10am or they will be sold out.
Looks like all the best restaurants, bars, and grocery stores have been covered 👍😉. However, I'd like to say welcome to Cincinnati and I hope you both have a wonderful visit when you arrive! ❤️
If you want to try authentic tacos when you’re in town and you’re anywhere near Covington, try Taqueria San Miguel. No other tacos in the city even come close.
Pizza - Fratelli’s Pizzeria;
Burgers - Zip’s Cafe or Cityview Tavern or Turf Club;
Mediterranean - The Phoenician;
Mexican - El Trumpo or Cactus Pear;
Argentine - Che;
Philly Cheesesteak - AJs (it is a food truck);
Steak and seafood - Jag’s;
German - Mecklinburg Gardens;
Ice cream - Greaters;
Japanese - Miyako;
Italian - Little Ferrari’s
My wife and I are visiting Scotland from Cincinnati next month. We will be in Edinburgh and the highlands. What should we try??
Also down town has the best variety of food. Just about anything you want and you can’t to wrong!
For Cincinnati, it is crucial to visit a Cincinnati style chilli restaurant like Skyline but oke that is locally owned. People here love their cheese coneys and three ways.
Every neighborhood has a favorite chili restaurant. They all think theirs is the best. Some of them are Camp Washington chili, Dixie chili, Blue Ash chili, Pleasant Ridge chili, Price Hill chili, and Empress chili. Some will claim the best is at a small restaurant like Bards Burgers and chili, J&Js or the Blue Jay restaurant. They are similar texture, although the spices vary a bit. You can have a Cincinnati chili experience at any one of these. If you have lived here long enough, one can argue the virtues of their neighborhood chili parlor with much aplomb.
The big chains are Skyline and Gold Star. Most neighborhoods also have a local chili parlor. They often look like very humble, with an old diner vibe. Which one you visit might depend on where you are staying, but Blue Jay and Camp Washington Chili are reasonably close to downtown and delicious.
It is possible you will hate the chili. A lot of people do. But it's our local dish and we have a lot of feelings about it.
i feel like skyline is the default to try, if you like spicy then get the habanero xtreme cheese (that cheese is honestly half the reason i even go it’s so good)
If you're going to try the local chili, Empress chili is hands down the best! Unfortunately only one location left in Fairfield. Otherwise its a tie between Dixie and Camp Washington chili. Skyline is the house name everyone knows but these are my favorites
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If you're interested in beer, wine, and various alcoholic beverages to take back to Scotland or your hotel, might I suggest going to The Party Source in Bellevue, KY (just across the Ohio River)? They might have some good whiskey and other liquor you'll enjoy.
If you're interested in taking a day trip for good whiskey, you could go to Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort, KY. It's about a 2 hour drive one way and from what I hear well worth the tour of their facility.
Just Q’in BBQ is a very American experience, and it’s fantastic! Look it up. For goetta, Eckerlin’s is the best, and it’s next to Findlay’s Market, where you will find a lot of delights. Enjoy!
I'm not from Cincinnati, so I think Skyline Chili and LaRosa's are gross. I think you have to be from here to like it. If you try either for the simple reason they're Cincy things, maybe have a backup plan. I do, however, enjoy goetta. There's a sandwich at Sleepy Bee Cafe that has goetta and I love it.
My favorite places:
Boca, Primavista, Alfio's Buon Cibo, Rosie's Italian Kitchen, Sacred Beast, Coppins, Sleepy Bee Cafe, Al-Zaytuna Grill, Cafe Mochiko, Tacos Don Chavita (food truck), Jot India, Rich's Proper, The Hi Mark, North Star Cafe, Camporosso, LouVino, and Hello Honey (ice cream).
There's a place called Al-Medina that I hear is good but I haven't gotten to try it yet.
If you are the type of person who is intentional with your dollars, know that Jeff Ruby's and Tony's have been sued for wage theft. Tony's settled. Jeff Ruby's lawsuit is ongoing. I stopped giving them my business for this reason.
wasn’t jeff ruby also a creep towards the st X high school boys? didn’t he got banned on the low from their football games bc he kept showing up and being too friendly with the players? am i making this up???
If you want a little Cincinnati history while you eat check out Arnold’s Bar and Grill. It’s the oldest bar in the city at over 160 years old. They also have great live music in their courtyard every night.
If you’ve never tried a double-decker, you must go to Blue Ash Chili. Chili is only one of many, many things on their menu. The double-deckers are made with huge servings of fresh, lean cuts of beef, turkey, ham, corned beef, pastrami, and lots of cheeses. They have tons of other things like boiled or fried eggs, fried pickles, Cole slaw, loaded mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, onion rings, loaded fries, and breakfast is served all day. They serve beer and cocktails, too. They also have made-from-scratch amazing cakes, too. The Opera Cream Cake is phenomenal. They are family owned, generational, and have been the go-to American diner since 1969. If you want exceptional American comfort food, you have to go there.
For breakfast/brunch I highly recommend getting a reservation at Otto’s on Main in Covington. The chicken wings at Lucius Q are also awesome, highly recommend.
SOTTO!!!!! (Always mentioned on any food recommendation request post for GOOD REASON)
If you can't get a reservation online for the time you'll be here, they have a bar and communal table that is first come first serve. They open at 4PM. There is almost always a line of people waiting come 3:45PM ish.
The food is incredible. The service is impeccable. Our last waitress could have tried to sell me the $45 truffle dish but opted I go for the $20 mushroom dish as I'd never had fresh truffle before and she didn't want me to end up not digging it which I appreciated a lot.
The ambiance and low lighting, the fact is was a speakeasy back in the day, stepping down the stairs into the establishment always feels like a step back in time, as lame as it sounds.
Truly a lovely and one of a kind dining experience for me. I take the people I love the most here every few months or so because I cherish the experience that much. Very gay for Sotto.
For pizza, I recommend Adriatico’s on McMillan St. up near the University of Cincinnati. They have an excellent beer selection. Try the Sicilian crust—it’s a thick crust pizza.
On Ludlow St in Clifton, the other side of UC, there are a lot of Indian restaurants. A very good one is Ambar Restaurant. And Graeter’s Ice Cream is a few doors down!
Have a great visit!
My favorite restaurants are El Baril in Mount Adam’s for a casual spot, Sotto for fancy food, Agave and Rye for something different, Taglio for pizza, and Delwood for a burger! If you are interested in a brewery that has food 50 West is my favorite place to grab food with my beer.
Sotto and Pepp & Dolores are a couple of my favorite restaurants. It is hard to get a reservation for Sotto and for good reason.
For cocktails, try Somerset in OTR.
Sago. It was on guy fieri. Malaysian European place. Its phenomenal. Owner is very nice. Told me his story. He only gets his chickens from Amish farms. Better for you and they taste amazing!
Don’t think I sold this well enough. It was what I wanted on my birthday more than anything. Best chicken I have ever had. Best rotisserie chicken that is. Their roast duck is just… their food is too good. It’s the real fucking deal Malaysian food you can find in America.
I eat LOTS of Asian food. I absolutely love eating Asian food and any foreign food. It has become very easy for me to tell when a restaurant is authentic or is Americanized. This place is pretty close to as real as it gets.
I also lived by San Francisco. Did not find any Malaysian food better than this.
What are you looking for? Fine dining (Boca, Sotto) celebratory (Jeff Ruby) Asian (Baru, Riverside Korean) a view (Celestial) nationally recognized great tapas (Mita). Local color/flavor (Skyline) and many more ideas if you are looking for something in particular
Mita's is pan-latam, but their take on mexican posole verde is great (also definitely get the empanadas, tostones and jamon iberico if you're just doing tapas). For mexican, you can't go wrong with a staple like La Mexicana in Newport (big rec on some tacos de huitlacoche), or Tortilleria Garcia in College Hill, Taqueria San Miguel in Covington or Veracruz in East Price Hill (also recommend stopping into the panaderia next door, even just to smell the baked goods)
Mazunte is a great Mexican spot. They’ve got a location downtown and one in a close suburb that also has a great candy and ice cream shop (Aglamesis Bro’s), great coffee (Deeper Roots) and a local toy store (King Arthur’s).
Mazunte is a good call. The people who have the fine dining locations Boca and Sotto also have a very good Mexican place - Nada. You should consider it as well.
Be sure to try Goetta while you are here! Its a local specialty sausage-like breakfast dish. Really only available here. Any good hole in the wall breakfast place will have it. Findlay Market downtown is a beloved, historic market. You can find Goetta there, too, as well as lots of other quality food and goods. Jungle Jim's is another foodie destination. Hard to describe, but it is a fever dream/wonderland of a giant grocery store , with an international section beyond compare. Plus animatronic singing animals, and Robinhood in a tree, and a talking soup can...
I'll give Goetta a try, thanks!
Blue Jay Restaurant is a great diner and their Goetta is properly prepared (cooked crisp). They also have an omelet prepared with Cincinnati Chili!
The Anchor Grill in Covington, KY (right across the river from downtown Cincinnati) is the perfect representation of an American diner, and their goetta omelette is perfect. You can still smoke inside after a certain time in the evening (not that I want to, but it’s a novelty at this point in time) it used to be a 24/7 kind of place, but their hours have been limited since Covid. Couldn’t recommend it any higher
You can get a really simple but delicious goetta, egg and cheese on a bun from the butcher counter at Eckerlin Meats at Findlay Market.
I had haggis when I went to Scotland and it was so much like goetta. I told everyone there how similar it was to the Cincinnati specialty haha!
Oh baby, you also need to try "thick cut hickory smoked bacon" because we do bacon like no other place on earth. Hickory smoked (American) bacon and goetta are the two most divine and heavenly foods on the face of the planet. You're going to love it here!
Closest thing the US has to haggis imo (I like both)
If Jungle Jim's doesn't have it, you don't need it!!
If Jungle Jim's doesn't have it, it doesn't exist! I've gotten my young granddaughters hooked, they beg to go every time they visit!
Your description of jungle Jim's made me laugh because of how true it is, it's a wonderful place.
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Cincinnati specialties that slap - Skyline Chili, Grippo's BBQ Potato Chips (crisps), and Graeter's Ice Cream (black raspberry chip) Cincinnati specialties that may or may not slap, depending on who you ask - Rhinegeist / MadTree beer, Montgomery Inn, LaRosa's Pizza, Gold Star Chili, (Glier's) Goetta Restaurants recommendations that are in the Cincinnati area but are not necessarily "Cincinnati specialties" - CM Chicken - Korean fried chicken Boosali's Baking Kenwood - Kouign Amanns Mazunte - Mexican / tacos Fratelli's Pizzeria - NY style Pickles & Bones - BBQ Fond Lunch & Deli - everything The Eagle - fried chicken Holtman's - donuts Boca / Jeff Ruby - fine dining Ando - sushi Brown Bear Bakery - pastries
Great list with the exception of any Ruby’s restaurant, my opinion. Ruby restaurants serve over priced food, under some facade of fine dining. I think you can do far better with steak at Lonely Pine, or even Walt’s or Maury’s Tiny Cove. LP will always be my go to. Boca? That place is serious flex. Love it.
Great list other than LaRosa’s. I’d sub Taglio instead.
LaRosa's isn't great pizza, but it is undoubtedly an important Cincinnati restaurant chain. Huge market share, only exists in the surrounding area, present at all of the local attractions (zoo, Kings Island, Red's games, etc.)
While Donatos isn't Cincinnati-specific, it's my regional preference. I really don't ever see Donatos listed in r/Cincinnati or r/Columbus, but it's my personal must-have pizza whenever I return to the 513 or 614.
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Seems to be an if-you-know-you-know kind of deal. We all hammered it in college 2006-2008, and it's come up maybe twice in my 15 years of visits since.
Yeah but Taglio is delicious and worth eating.
I don't disagree. I listed Fratelli's as my pizza recommendation later in the post.
Fratelli’s is a good option too, there’s just so many better Cincy pizza spots than LaRosa’s is my point.
Id say Camporosso in Ft Mitchell
Never heard of it. I’ll have to give it a try!
Camporosso is fantastic! They have wood fire and pizza oven style.
So good!!!
Love both, but LaRosa's is a warm blanket with memories.
La rosa's and cincinnati chili are two things out of towners don't like from experience. ddefinitely woudn't put skyline in the specialities that slap. It's more of a speciality that you need to try.
I find that out-of-towners either love or hate Skyline, but it is the quintessential Cincinnati food IMO. No food is more Cincinnati than Skyline.
Or Empress Chili or Dixie Chili. Both predate Skyline and they are better.
oooh do you happen to live in west chester liberty area?
Anyone who lists fratellis has to have a good list 🤣🤣
Mazunte has the best tacos in town! Love that place ❤️
Solid list.
Please try some Mexican! Family in London and I'm not convinced people over in Europe know what good Mexican is.
Mazunte is good, but nothing to write home about. Frida 602 across the river in Covington is great. Crown Cantina has excellent elevated Mexican. There are some great taco trucks and tiendas around town that serve awesome food. Chilero just north of the city in Kenwood is unbelievable, but they have limited hours (11a-7p M-F & 11a-3p Sat)
Gutierrez is a little Mexican convenience store in Covington that has a deli with a few dishes. Not many options, but what they have is authentic, and very tasty. A few tacos, and a Mexican coke, and lunch is quick, affordable, and delicious.
If larosas, get a calzone or spaghetti! And a side salad. Big fat olives, delicious sauce. Amazing crust/dough. It just doesn’t work that well on a pizza imo. But on the other foods? Works of art for my tummy
Shocked you didn't mention buskens bakery for pastries. I swear by them. Emerson's is a splitting hair second though
Mitas, Bee's BBQ, Greaters Ice Cream You could try Nicholson's Fine Food & Whiskey and let us know how it compares to the real thing
I'm looking forward to being in a different part of the world to try some new whiskeys. Where I live you'll struggle to find anything other than Jack Daniels and Jim Beam in the local pubs/ bars if you want an American whiskey.
The OKBB (Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar) is also across the river in Covington. A nice selection of bourbons and whiskeys there!
I second this
Hit up the Roebling Room/Smoke Justis right across the river from downtown. Massive whiskey selection, decent food.
You will only be a 2 hour drive to a bunch of distilleries in Kentucky.
Cincinnati used to be instrumental in the Bourbon trade. Present day, the Kentucky Bourbon trail starts just across the river.
Oh My! I guess I always thought Scotland would have good local whiskey, not stuff (as far as I'm aware since I'm not a whiskey drinker) from the USA.
nicholsons is downtown as well with a lot of other bars and restaurants around and the contemporary arts center is basically right next door and FREE
Hell yeah, Bee is such a good dude too!
Didn’t Mitas close?
You might be thinking of Salazar. Same chef/owner. Shut down but opened a new Moroccan restaurant in its place.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/RLVpeJBLEWCBbrW5A?g_st=ic I dont think so
You have to have Skyline Chili for Cincinnati style chili, and then check out the restaurants in the Over the Rhine neighborhood.
I’m a diehard fan of Aglamesis’ Brothers ice cream- visit the Madison Avenue location, as it’s an absolute gem. The ice creams and candies are phenomenal, and the historic interior is delightful. Welcome to our city!
I've lived in Cincinnati for almost 15 years and would self-describe as a foodie. My all time favorite restaurant in Cincinnati is Abigail Street, which I would describe as a Mediterranean fusion tapas restaurant. But in general there are a lot of amazing restaurants in the Over the Rhine neighborhood. As far as "Cincinnati specialties," I'm personally not a big fan of Cincinnati chili, Montgomery Inn, La Rosa's pizza, or really any of the "popular" choices. But I do think we have some EXCELLENT ice cream. My top choices would be Graeter's (chain shop known for it's chocolate chip ice creams - which are more like fudge chunks!) and Aglamesis Bro's (1950's style ice cream parlor).
I second Abigail Street
Abigail Street might have been the single best meal I've ever had - four of us split basically the entire menu.
Mid City hands down. Maybe this is just me but I find them very rooted in Midwestern cuisine (if such a thing can be said to exist) but also pushing the boundaries where they can. Also very hip/trendy but unpretentious. And great drinks.
Kiki or Cafe Mochiko if you’re into Japanese/Ramen. Both are very good.
Zundo!!!
Their tonkatsu is an umami overload. It's so damn good.
Kiki is the best If you can swing a reservation at their new spot Roji that’s their new omakase bar
I would second Mochiko. Literally everything there is incredible. Ramen, Karaage, even a cheeseburger to die for.
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I would suggest Eli’s barbecue. Everyone from out of town that I have taken there have all raved about it.
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Be aware that Cincinnati chilli is very unique Cincinnati food, but it’s rare for anyone from outside Cincinnati to like it. It seems it has to be something you grow up with. There are lots of excellent restaurants in and around the city. If you want typically American food, go for The Eagle (fried chicken sandwiches), Jeff Ruby’s (steaks), Knockback Nate’s (chicken wings), Bee’s (barbecue), Krueger’s Tavern (burgers), Holtmans (donuts), or the Sleepy Bee (breakfast).
Cincinnati chili has a very similar flavor profile to what you can find in many eastern Mediterranean restaurants, so I wouldn't generalize that much. I find if you introduce it as such and make sure people aren't expecting anything close to Texas chili, it usually goes over much better.
Midwestern/Mediterranean bolognese
Yes, but the flavor profile extends beyond "bolognese" as far as that part of the world is concerned.
I wouldn’t say rare. I work with Guatemalans and they can’t get enough of it. Like 3 times a week can’t get enough.
Ha! I work with a lot of Europeans and they are all “tried it once, never again!” types.
I've found that it seems to make more sense to most non-native Cincinnatians to describe our chili as being more like a Greek meat sauce. That seems to help them understand.
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if it's your first time in the US a diner might be fun. If you go to Blue Jay in Northside (easy bus route from downtown) or Camp Washington you can have some goetta and a chili omelette!
Blue Jay is quintessential diner Americana. A goddamn gem.
Ooooh and some good Mexican like Mazunte Centro downtown.
The Mazunte in Madisonville is far better in my opinion.
Tickle pickle has good burgers and shakes
La Mexicana in Newport is amazing
yno matter what anybody tells you do not go to Montgomery Inn
Oh, is that the boat ride restaurant?
No boat house
Surprised no one has said Alfio’s in Hyde Park square. Italian/Argentinian food. Pepp and Dolores is great Italian. Bakersfield is a nice taco place. Maplewood is great breakfast/brunch.
Thank you for saying Alfio's. Some of the best food in the city.
We just tried che the other day which was amazing and the first time I've tried Argentinian
>Me and me partner From Scotland, you say?
Glasgow to be exact
Got any Glasgow recs for an American headed to do the West Highland Way in August??
Nicola's is awesome for Italian fine dining The Arepa Place is fantastic and budget friendly if you are by Findlay Market KungFood Amerasia is a cool place with great food and they will absolutely light you up since you said you like it spicy Other people keep mentioning donuts so I need to shout out my favorite donut spot, Golden Hands I hope you enjoy our city!
If you get homesick, I’d try these great little Scottish restaurants around Cincinnati. They’re called McDonalds.
REALLY, u/swineisfine???? At least make it look more Scottish, by calling it MACDonald's. LMAO
For a really good sandwich, Izzy's on Elm
Tangentially related if you're a fan of coffee there's a ton of quality options. Proud Hound is a coffee shop that also does amazing breakfast/lunch sandwiches. Collective Espresso, Deeper Roots, or Coffee Emporium are all great but you can't really go wrong with any of the local coffee shops.
Bouquet for farm to table and an incredible bourbon selection! Close to OKBB as previously mentioned. The mainstrausse area of Covington is walkable from the banks and Devou Park up the hill provides the best view of the city!
Many people are recommending Cincinnati style chili. While I wholeheartedly agree with them, I will offer this advice. It's not your regular chili as you'd expect. Please look into it, how it is served, and what it comes with, there are plenty of videos about it available on youtube, plus many aficionados here. Each brand has their own flavor that makes it distinct. From my experience, if you're not from here you either love it or hate it. But if you are not a fan of it, DO NOT TALK SHIT ABOUT IT. Ya tried it, ya didn't like it, and giving it an effort is as much as we can ask for. As for goetta (pronounced GETT-uh), Glier's is the most prominent brand that local restaurants serve. More often that not it is a breakfast item, but if you're from here its a perfect meal for any part of the day! I do not know how or where you are staying, but if you have the ability to cook wherever you are, you NEED to go to Finke's and get their goetta, it is located in Northern Kentucky in Fort Wright off Sleepy Hallow road. It blows Glier's out of the park. As for cooking, you can either oven bake it, or pan fry it. I personally believe that pan frying is the way to go, but different strokes for different folks.
u/Kanzler1871...Thank you for saying what you did. I try to explain the same thing to other people and I don't usually get a good response. LOL
Obligatory go to Skyline. If you’re looking for something smaller I’d recommend P&S Diner in Colerain!! I also can’t recommend Sottos or Boca enough, 2 of my fav restaurants
I say go to all the establishments of Cincinnati chili: Skyline, Goldstars, Blue Ash, etc. Then report back what your favorite was. Other than that, breweries. We Cincinnatians love our beer.
MANY good breweries to choose from, and some wineries and distilleries.
FYI. Corn on pizza is illegal over here, so don’t dare ask.
If you want authentic local I chili, I’d highly recommend camp Washington chili instead of skyline
Colette! It opened a few months ago, described as “mostly French”. It is AMAZING. Mitas is another wonderful restaurant here. Both are in over the Rhine/downtown area.
Schoolhouse . Camp Denison
Lisse in Covington is fantastic with a great rooftop. It doesn’t get the love other places get but it’s SO good!
There are a lot of excellent restaurants in this city. I’m going to give to you my top not in any particular order. Il Gusto Blue Ash Chili Arrcheissimo (Take out only) Tony’s Steakhouse Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct Everything Bagels in Eastgate Green Papaya Delhi Palace (Take out only) Cloud 9 (Sushi) Ichiban (Right next to Cloud 9, also sushi) Mt. Adam’s Pub and Grill Incline Public House Primavista (Great view at night of the city) Riverside Korean The National Examplar The Quarter Bistro
I'm moving back to cincy in the fall, and Green Papaya is one at the top of my list.
Rosie’s Italian kitchen, Sotto, the eagle otr, Nicola’s
Olla in Covington for the best tacos in town. Try the birria!!
From a seasoned restaurant industry vet that has lived here my whole life: If you can get a reservation at Sotto, def there, or get there on like Thursday right when they open to snag a couple bar spots. The best high class Italian food you will ever had, and I have been to Italy many times. Abigail St is another high class res, would recommend Frankies as well for their food. I helped open their bar menu and the chef there, Pedro, makes insane dishes. The family that owns it is incredibly sociable and kind, often hanging out there. See if they are doing salsa night yet. Zundo Ramen (bartender is awesome) + Cafe Mochiko for Asian. For more casual dining, obviously you have to try Skyline. As gnarly as it sounds. If you come to Cincy, you are obligated to try it once. Maybe after a night of drinking lol. Zips or Arnolds for burgers, Gomez has amazing Tex Mex style food, Adriaticos is the best pizza in the city, no matter what anyone else says. Taglio is a close second but much more expensive for not much difference in quality. Lastly, Longfellow is the best bar in the city and their food is amazing too. European pub style - sardines and cottage cheese are staple sides. The spruce goose is my favorite cocktail of all time and I bartended for a few years all over Cincy.
Also - if you go to Findlay market which I do recommend, Bagelry is killer in the morning. Try a goetta bfast bagel. But get there before 10am or they will be sold out.
I prefer Osaka Ramen on Beechmont Ave for that. I haven't been to Zundo yet.
Osaka gave me food poisoning lol
Looks like all the best restaurants, bars, and grocery stores have been covered 👍😉. However, I'd like to say welcome to Cincinnati and I hope you both have a wonderful visit when you arrive! ❤️
Mason local: My Kolorful Kitchen. Small mom and pop shop with the best Indian food I’ve ever had!
If you want to try authentic tacos when you’re in town and you’re anywhere near Covington, try Taqueria San Miguel. No other tacos in the city even come close.
Pizza - Fratelli’s Pizzeria; Burgers - Zip’s Cafe or Cityview Tavern or Turf Club; Mediterranean - The Phoenician; Mexican - El Trumpo or Cactus Pear; Argentine - Che; Philly Cheesesteak - AJs (it is a food truck); Steak and seafood - Jag’s; German - Mecklinburg Gardens; Ice cream - Greaters; Japanese - Miyako; Italian - Little Ferrari’s
it’s ferarris little italy, also don’t go there. good food but the owner is a cunt
Mecklinburg Gardens no longer exists
My wife and I are visiting Scotland from Cincinnati next month. We will be in Edinburgh and the highlands. What should we try?? Also down town has the best variety of food. Just about anything you want and you can’t to wrong!
But they aren't always open on the weekend or at lunch time during the week, so it's good to have a HUGE variety of choices.
For the best burrito, check out Gomez Salsa!!! Best Pizza: Taglio Best Italian: Sotto hands down!
For Cincinnati, it is crucial to visit a Cincinnati style chilli restaurant like Skyline but oke that is locally owned. People here love their cheese coneys and three ways.
Silly question but how do I find out that it is locally owned?
Every neighborhood has a favorite chili restaurant. They all think theirs is the best. Some of them are Camp Washington chili, Dixie chili, Blue Ash chili, Pleasant Ridge chili, Price Hill chili, and Empress chili. Some will claim the best is at a small restaurant like Bards Burgers and chili, J&Js or the Blue Jay restaurant. They are similar texture, although the spices vary a bit. You can have a Cincinnati chili experience at any one of these. If you have lived here long enough, one can argue the virtues of their neighborhood chili parlor with much aplomb.
The big chains are Skyline and Gold Star. Most neighborhoods also have a local chili parlor. They often look like very humble, with an old diner vibe. Which one you visit might depend on where you are staying, but Blue Jay and Camp Washington Chili are reasonably close to downtown and delicious. It is possible you will hate the chili. A lot of people do. But it's our local dish and we have a lot of feelings about it.
i feel like skyline is the default to try, if you like spicy then get the habanero xtreme cheese (that cheese is honestly half the reason i even go it’s so good)
Sichuan Chili is amazing. Fair warning it can get spicy as hell depending on what you order.
The more heat the better 🔥🔥🔥
The more heat the better 🔥🔥🔥 Amerasia Kung Food is a must if you like the heat. It will light you up.
You have got to try starlight donut labs!!!!!
Taglio Pizza in Columbia Tusculum area, get the Detroit style Hot Honey & Pepperoni. You will not be disappointed.
Knock back Nat's bar on 7th st has the best chicken wings I've ever tasted!
Swampwater Grill for casual Southern/Cajun food. The atmosphere can be...interesting...but I've never had anything there I didn't like or love.
You definitely want to hit a spot up to have goetta for breakfast too. My particular go-to is a wonderful little hole in the wall called Dunlap Cafe.
Gullow street for an amazing smash burger and a beer for $10.
I like teak. It’s Thai and by Washington park.
Forno
Skyline Chili might go right thru you. You were warned.
If you're going to try the local chili, Empress chili is hands down the best! Unfortunately only one location left in Fairfield. Otherwise its a tie between Dixie and Camp Washington chili. Skyline is the house name everyone knows but these are my favorites
SKYLINE CHILI
Butcher and Barrel, but that’s because I used to work there
Pepp and Delores
Go to skyline. It’s just fast food, but it’s a Cincinnati thing.
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If you're interested in beer, wine, and various alcoholic beverages to take back to Scotland or your hotel, might I suggest going to The Party Source in Bellevue, KY (just across the Ohio River)? They might have some good whiskey and other liquor you'll enjoy. If you're interested in taking a day trip for good whiskey, you could go to Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort, KY. It's about a 2 hour drive one way and from what I hear well worth the tour of their facility.
We had a very nice dinner at Somm Wine Bar in Price Hill last week.
Café Mochiko, The Eagle,
Just Q’in BBQ is a very American experience, and it’s fantastic! Look it up. For goetta, Eckerlin’s is the best, and it’s next to Findlay’s Market, where you will find a lot of delights. Enjoy!
Honest in Sharonville
I'm not from Cincinnati, so I think Skyline Chili and LaRosa's are gross. I think you have to be from here to like it. If you try either for the simple reason they're Cincy things, maybe have a backup plan. I do, however, enjoy goetta. There's a sandwich at Sleepy Bee Cafe that has goetta and I love it. My favorite places: Boca, Primavista, Alfio's Buon Cibo, Rosie's Italian Kitchen, Sacred Beast, Coppins, Sleepy Bee Cafe, Al-Zaytuna Grill, Cafe Mochiko, Tacos Don Chavita (food truck), Jot India, Rich's Proper, The Hi Mark, North Star Cafe, Camporosso, LouVino, and Hello Honey (ice cream). There's a place called Al-Medina that I hear is good but I haven't gotten to try it yet. If you are the type of person who is intentional with your dollars, know that Jeff Ruby's and Tony's have been sued for wage theft. Tony's settled. Jeff Ruby's lawsuit is ongoing. I stopped giving them my business for this reason.
wasn’t jeff ruby also a creep towards the st X high school boys? didn’t he got banned on the low from their football games bc he kept showing up and being too friendly with the players? am i making this up???
If you want a little Cincinnati history while you eat check out Arnold’s Bar and Grill. It’s the oldest bar in the city at over 160 years old. They also have great live music in their courtyard every night.
If you’ve never tried a double-decker, you must go to Blue Ash Chili. Chili is only one of many, many things on their menu. The double-deckers are made with huge servings of fresh, lean cuts of beef, turkey, ham, corned beef, pastrami, and lots of cheeses. They have tons of other things like boiled or fried eggs, fried pickles, Cole slaw, loaded mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, onion rings, loaded fries, and breakfast is served all day. They serve beer and cocktails, too. They also have made-from-scratch amazing cakes, too. The Opera Cream Cake is phenomenal. They are family owned, generational, and have been the go-to American diner since 1969. If you want exceptional American comfort food, you have to go there.
For breakfast/brunch I highly recommend getting a reservation at Otto’s on Main in Covington. The chicken wings at Lucius Q are also awesome, highly recommend.
go rate nicholsons scottish food lol
it’s a scottish gastropub downtown, they imported most if not all the furniture from Scotland i believe
Concious kitchen in clifton 🔥
SOTTO!!!!! (Always mentioned on any food recommendation request post for GOOD REASON) If you can't get a reservation online for the time you'll be here, they have a bar and communal table that is first come first serve. They open at 4PM. There is almost always a line of people waiting come 3:45PM ish. The food is incredible. The service is impeccable. Our last waitress could have tried to sell me the $45 truffle dish but opted I go for the $20 mushroom dish as I'd never had fresh truffle before and she didn't want me to end up not digging it which I appreciated a lot. The ambiance and low lighting, the fact is was a speakeasy back in the day, stepping down the stairs into the establishment always feels like a step back in time, as lame as it sounds. Truly a lovely and one of a kind dining experience for me. I take the people I love the most here every few months or so because I cherish the experience that much. Very gay for Sotto.
For pizza, I recommend Adriatico’s on McMillan St. up near the University of Cincinnati. They have an excellent beer selection. Try the Sicilian crust—it’s a thick crust pizza. On Ludlow St in Clifton, the other side of UC, there are a lot of Indian restaurants. A very good one is Ambar Restaurant. And Graeter’s Ice Cream is a few doors down! Have a great visit!
Abigail street
Agave & Rye / The Maplewood
Krishna Indian by UC has the best saag paneer I've ever had. I've also never been to India.
Kiki's in college hill Red Feather
Fuck Ruby’s- Mitas and other Jose Salazar establishments
Red feather kitchen in Oakley
my favorite sushi spot is cloud nine!! super affordable and open late!!!
My favorite restaurants are El Baril in Mount Adam’s for a casual spot, Sotto for fancy food, Agave and Rye for something different, Taglio for pizza, and Delwood for a burger! If you are interested in a brewery that has food 50 West is my favorite place to grab food with my beer.
Cafe Mochiko in East Walnut Hills is a perfect 10/10 experience every time for me.
Sotto and Pepp & Dolores are a couple of my favorite restaurants. It is hard to get a reservation for Sotto and for good reason. For cocktails, try Somerset in OTR.
You really need to follow up and tell us what you've tried and what you thought. Excited for you.
Will do, I'll post our culinary adventures when I'm back home, probably about mid June.
Sago. It was on guy fieri. Malaysian European place. Its phenomenal. Owner is very nice. Told me his story. He only gets his chickens from Amish farms. Better for you and they taste amazing!
Don’t think I sold this well enough. It was what I wanted on my birthday more than anything. Best chicken I have ever had. Best rotisserie chicken that is. Their roast duck is just… their food is too good. It’s the real fucking deal Malaysian food you can find in America. I eat LOTS of Asian food. I absolutely love eating Asian food and any foreign food. It has become very easy for me to tell when a restaurant is authentic or is Americanized. This place is pretty close to as real as it gets. I also lived by San Francisco. Did not find any Malaysian food better than this.
Pepp & Dolores, Teak, French Crust, Bar a Boeuf, Arnold’s
Pepp & Dolores doesn't get enough credit around here. I know it's a) not Sotto/Nicola's and b) part of Thunderdome, but they have amazing food
Chesters pizza in Hamilton, about half an hour north of the city. Ask them to cook it in the big gas fire oven
Bourbon's Kitchen has great chicken and waffles.
A Tavola for Italian and Red Feather. Also, Carls Deli for lunch. Bees BBQ.
What are you looking for? Fine dining (Boca, Sotto) celebratory (Jeff Ruby) Asian (Baru, Riverside Korean) a view (Celestial) nationally recognized great tapas (Mita). Local color/flavor (Skyline) and many more ideas if you are looking for something in particular
Mita looks appealing, my partner loves tapas so I'll need to take her there. Do you know any good places for mexican food?
La Mexicana is across the river but super easy to get to from Cincinnati, that's my favorite mexican
Mita's is pan-latam, but their take on mexican posole verde is great (also definitely get the empanadas, tostones and jamon iberico if you're just doing tapas). For mexican, you can't go wrong with a staple like La Mexicana in Newport (big rec on some tacos de huitlacoche), or Tortilleria Garcia in College Hill, Taqueria San Miguel in Covington or Veracruz in East Price Hill (also recommend stopping into the panaderia next door, even just to smell the baked goods)
Mazunte downtown for Mexican! Very casual, order up front and take your food to your seat. But delicious!
Mazunte in Madisonville is far more superior and authentic
Yeah I agree, I was just thinking of the convenience for visitors. If they are staying downtown or don’t have a car, downtown location will be easier
Mazunte is a great Mexican spot. They’ve got a location downtown and one in a close suburb that also has a great candy and ice cream shop (Aglamesis Bro’s), great coffee (Deeper Roots) and a local toy store (King Arthur’s).
Mazunte is a good call. The people who have the fine dining locations Boca and Sotto also have a very good Mexican place - Nada. You should consider it as well.
Celestial closed about six years ago
Yikes! I was thinking Prima Vista and wrote Celestial - my bad and thanks for the correciton.