Greater Cincinnati’s culinary scene is expanding rapidly, and with the opening of incubator kitchen and event space Oakley Kitchen Food Hall, area chefs and food entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to develop their ideas, skills and products even further.

The food hall has softly opened its eight local food vendors and soon will host its grand opening in tandem with the opening of hall’s The Cutaway Bar.

The establishment features a joint-use space: eight kitchen pods featuring start-ups and ghost kitchens inhabit the first floor, along with Campfire Foods Commissary, the forthcoming bar (with Mike Stankovich, the local bar owner behind Longfellow, at the helm) and a marketplace that offers local products from both new and established local businesses.

Restaurants include

  • La Petite Frite, serving Belgian comfort food like waffles and carbonade;
  • Khana Gourmet Indian Grill, featuring Indian-style barbecue and “exotic biryanis;”
  • Jimmie Lou’s, which serves Cajun and Creole;
  • Loakley, which does farm-to-table small bites;
  • Parts & Labor, serving hardwood smoke “new school” barbecue;
  • Onolicious Hawaii, which offers up pupus and plate lunches;
  • Olive Tree, crafting traditional Syrian recipes;
  • and an outpost of Milford’s Padrino pizza and pasta parlor.

Upstairs, Oakley Kitchen Food Hall features a 10,000 square-foot seating space/rentable event venue that can be used for food-centric parties, private events and weddings.

“We want our kitchen vendors to graduate to brick-and-mortar locations and our marketplace partners to land wholesale accounts with larger retail outlets,” Marketing Director Drew Oxley says.

“We see the Campfire Foods Commissary being a flagship R&D location for new foods to be created and shared with the public. We are excited to create a space where Cincinnati can have a front row seat with new and innovative foods,” he adds.

Photos by Hailey Bollinger
The exterior of Oakley Kitchen Food Hall’s front entrance, which takes you to the second-floor dining hall/event space. There are multiple other entrances that will take you to the first floor where restaurants are located. Hailey Bollinger
The sign outside the establishment outlines the nine different restaurant vendors you can find in the food hall. Hailey Bollinger
A spread of dishes that are available from throughout the food hall Hailey Bollinger
The upstairs dining room can be rented out for events. Hailey Bollinger
The view looking down the left wing of the food hall, which features Jimmie Lou’s, La Petite Frite, Khana, and Onolicious Hi Hailey Bollinger
New Orleans-style eatery Jimmie Lou’s Hailey Bollinger
A spread of dishes from Jimmie Lou’s, including a hot sausage po’ boy, Cajun jambalaya and an order of beignets, with a Kombucha from Fab Ferments Hailey Bollinger
Cajun jambalaya from Jimmie Lou’s Hailey Bollinger
La Petite Frite Hailey Bollinger
Order of frites with black truffle mayo from La Petite Frite Hailey Bollinger
Gourmet Indian eatery Khana Hailey Bollinger
Tandoori chicken, seekh kebab and makhani curry with rice from Khana Hailey Bollinger
A view toward the back of the building featuring Hawaiian eatery Onolicious Hi Hailey Bollinger
Onolicious Hi Hailey Bollinger
Three-meat plate with rice and potato salad from Onolicious Hi Hailey Bollinger
The left side of the building; picnic tables are located just past here. Hailey Bollinger
A spread of dishes from Oakley Food Hall restaurants Hailey Bollinger
The commercial kitchen space where Eli’s BBQ operates a portion of its business Hailey Bollinger
A cheeseburger from Loakley Hailey Bollinger
Parts & Labor Hailey Bollinger
A smoked brisket plate, basque burnt cheesecake and peach and prosciutto salad from Parts & Labor Hailey Bollinger
Smoked brisket plate from Parts & Labor Hailey Bollinger
Prosciutto salad from Parts & Labor Hailey Bollinger
Syrian eatery Olive Tree Hailey Bollinger
Syrian pastries in a restaurant case at Olive Tree Hailey Bollinger
Warbat birdnest: cheese, pistachio and walnut desserts from Olive Tree Hailey Bollinger
Italian restaurant Padrino, looking down the west wing of Oakley Kitchen Hailey Bollinger
Oakley Kitchen also has a market on the first level, which features goods from local businesses. Hailey Bollinger
Coffee from Coffee Emporium at the first-level market Hailey Bollinger
A hot sauce vending machine at the first-level market Hailey Bollinger
A closer look at some of the hot sauces available in the vending machine Hailey Bollinger
Oakley Kitchen will host its grand opening once The Cutaway Bar is prepared to open. Local bar owner Mike Stankovich, who is behind Over-the-Rhine’s Longfellow, will helm the bar program. Hailey Bollinger
A view down the food hall at Oakley Kitchen Hailey Bollinger
Art that you can buy hangs throughout the building. Hailey Bollinger
A spread of dishes from various Oakley Kitchen vendors Hailey Bollinger
More dishes you’ll find at Oakley Kitchen Hailey Bollinger
You can rent the second-floor event space. Hailey Bollinger
Arcade games on the second floor Hailey Bollinger
Basque burnt cheesecake from Parts & Labor Hailey Bollinger
Three-meat plate with rice and potato salad from Onolicious Hi Photo: Hailey Bollinger
A side view of the building with its vibrant mural Hailey Bollinger
The front entrance to the second floor Hailey Bollinger