975 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills Owned by Matt Cuff, Walnut Hills barbecue joint Just Qin is committed to the mission of Faith, Love and BBQ, and offers their smoked brisket, ribs, chicken and more coupled with classic barbecue sides.
Photo: Lindsay McCarty
1607 Central Ave., Over-the-Rhine/West End Located in a bright yellow and red trolley car, Ollies Trolley is a soul food staple in the Cincinnati area. Ollie's serves a variety of smoked pork, including ribs, rib tips and pulled pork, plus plenty of sides, like collard greens, buttered corn and potato salad. Get a Big Ollie Burger, side of fries and a slice of chess pie for less than $10.
Photo: Jesse Fox
824 Elm St., Downtown This coffee shop is from the owners of BlaCk OWned. BlaCk Coffees coffee is supplied by La Terza and their house Wakanda blend is a mix of Ethiopian, Rwandan and Brazilian beans. All of the food served at BlaCk Coffee comes from black-female-owned businesses in Cincinnati; pastries are provided by Sweet Petit Desserts, the cakes are from Shanas Sweet Treats and sandwiches are made by personal chef Chanel Jordan of Chanels Upscale Homestyle Cooking.
Photo: Liz Davis
2912 Short Vine St., Corryville Located on Short Vine near the University of Cincinnati campus, this health-conscious eatery offers a chef-crafted menu of items like salmon, turkey or portabella mushroom burgers; aquatic egg rolls with salmon spinach and feta; hearty salads; and even carrot fries.
Photo via Facebook.com/ConsciousKitchen513
975 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills Just Qin is committed to the mission of Faith, Love and BBQ, and offers their smoked brisket, ribs, chicken and more coupled with classic barbecue sides. All of their sides are vegetarian and all but the mac and cheese is gluten free.
Photo: Lindsay McCarty
1819 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine Imagine if a deli and a bodega were joined in holy matrimony to create a place that serves Italian subs wrapped in butcher paper and breakfast sandwiches after 11 a.m. Maybe you could grab a black coffee, too, and a scoop of ice cream for dessert. That place exists and its called Elm Street Social Club (ESSC). Its the collaboration of three culinary transplants: Jordan Anthony-Brown, Mikey Fabian and Willa Pelini, who became friends working in Washington, D.C.s food scene.
Photo: Provided by Elm St. Social Club
1432 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine Owned by Tammi Scott, Over-the-Rhine's Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge features bottles from women and minority winemakers, as well as eight wines on tap, live music, a limited selection of spirits and beer, and light bites from The Rhined.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
2733 Short Vine St., Corryville Alabama Que was founded by Dwan Ward in 2008, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and former UC football player. An Alabama native, Wards restaurant oozes Southern charm and a food truck was added to the business to keep up with growing demand. Some meat options include smoked chicken, beef ribs, smoked salmon and their famous turkey tips.
Photo via Facebook.com/AlabamaQueFanPage
Pata Roja Taqueria serves cheap, Mexico City-style street food like spit-roasted pork and pineapple tacos or chips and tangy salsa especial. Owner Derrick Braziel operated the taqueria out of The Takeaways carry-out window for a stint, and recently received a grant to work in Northern Kentuckys Incubator Kitchen Collective rent-free for all of 2021.
Photo: Provided by Pata Roja
4926 Reading Road, Bond Hill This local sweet shop specializes in gourmet desserts, offering over 20 varieties of cookies, in addition to ice cream and cookie cakes all created without any additives or preservatives. Varieties range from chocolate chip to strawberry shortcake, and they also offer vegan and gluten-free options.
Photo via Facebook.com/DavisCookieCollection