23 Over-the-Top Eats from Cincinnati Restaurants Sure to Satisfy Your Munchies
Sometimes a sort of unreasonable hunger strikes, and when that time comes, a regular ol' grilled cheese just won't cut it. Lucky for you, the Queen City is well-equipped with a multitude of over-the-top dishes to feast upon, ranging from a breadstick the size of your arm to a s'more made with donuts, to an eight-pound 6-way (yes, you read that correctly). Here are a few places to head when you've got an extreme case of the munchies.
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Photo: Mary LeBus
302 W. MLK Jr. Blvd., Covington
OLLA Taqueria serves up Mexican-style street food, and the menu is stacked with tacos, burritos, nachos and “Guti nachos,” with nine different meat/veggie options (including birria) to choose from. The “Guti nachos” are topped with refried beans, guacamole, mozzarella, cilantro, onion and cotija cheese, served with a side of red and green salsas.
Photo: Catie Viox
1207 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
Even though Jack Brown’s is mostly known for their creative takes on Wagyu beef burgers, you can satisfy your sweet tooth cravings with their fried oreo covered in powdered sugar. You just can’t replicate this one at home.
4231 Spring Grove Ave., Northside
Northside Yacht Club is notorious for its inventive menu of over-the-top, indulgent dishes (almost always offered with a veggie/vegan option). Got a case of the big hungries? Try the Thicc-Fil-A & Fries, a twice-fried chicken breast brined in buttermilk and pickle juice on a toasted bun from local artisan bakery Sixteen Bricks, complete with house Thicc-Fil-A sauce and hand-cut fries.
225 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue
Nomad in Bellevue has its own take on munchie food. With a wide array of loaded tater tot baskets, totchos, tacos, boozy milkshakes and more, there is something for everyone. A stand out is the Chicken Bacon Ranch loaded tater tots, which include smoked chicken, bacon, cheddar cheese, onion, tomato and scallions drizzled in ranch.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Multiple locations
Cincinnati-style chili is an excellent option for when that special kind of hunger strikes, and Blue Ash Chili does it right. The 6-way, which was featured on
Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, includes beans, onions, shredded cheddar and your choice of fresh sliced jalapeno or fried bottle caps.
117 Park Place, Covington
Eishaus is home to spaghetti eis, a German ice cream dish that has the appearance of spaghetti. Spaghetti eis can be topped with different fruits and chocolate to form a visually striking and delicious dessert. The Spaghetti ‘3-Way’, a play on Cincinnati style chili, includes eis (vanilla ice cream), chocolate sauce with rice crispies, yellow chocolate shavings and mini vanilla wafers. If you're under the influence it might look a little too much like a meal from Skyline.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
3543 Columbia Parkway, Columbia Tusculum
Bandito Food Park is a one-of-a-kind restaurant and event venue with an outer park-like atmosphere with fun food and beverages to match. If you wind up at Bandito with the munchies, they have some very 4/20-friendly snacking — from barbacoa-topped mac and cheese and stacked nachos to the Dude Seriously taco. It comes with seasoned ground chuck (a form of ground beef taken from the shoulder and neck of the cow), shredded cheese, ranch dressing, crushed Mexican Takis chips and housemade sauce.
Photo: Sami Stewart
11566 Reading Road, Sharonville
Opened as an A&W Root Beer Stand in 1957, the now family-owned restaurant makes secret-recipe root beer (available by the jug) using water from the property’s 280-foot-deep well and secret-recipe chili for their famous foot-long coney dogs. At the top of our list is the Timmy Dog, a footlong dog loaded with chili, cheese, onions, mustard, hot sauce, ketchup, relish, slaw and sauerkraut.
1211 Main St., Over-the-Rhine; 6099 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge; 603 Main St., Covington
Goodfellas Pizzeria features New York-style pizza in a 1920s-inspired setting. The wait in line to try their popular pizza can be long, especially on the weekends, but it's worth it. Alongside their giant slices and pies, a standout menu item is their $3 breadstick that is literally the size of your arm and comes covered in garlic butter, parmesan and oregano.
5901 Kellogg Ave., California, Ohio
Pig Candy BBQ recently opened in an old jail in California, Ohio, and its namesake comes from its signature menu item: The Pig Candy waffle. The waffle is pressed with pulled pork and drizzled with a peach maple glaze. Other offerings, like the pulled pork or sliced brisket sandwich, are sure to satisfy your barbecue cravings.
