26 Hip Foodie Restaurants Located in the Cincinnati Suburbs
While downtown and Over-the-Rhine offer many Instagrammable restaurants, bakeries and bars, there are other hip Cincinnati eateries located outside the city center. These restaurants sling foodie favorites and craft cocktails for those looking to avoid the long waits and parking hassle or who just want to try a little something new.
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Photo: Hailey Bollinger
6085 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge
This steakhouse, located next door to the
Shining-themed Overlook Lodge, is inspired by Midcentury Modern styling and the spirit of America's great landscapes. The menu features ribeyes, strips and rare cuts, along with steakhouse sides, cocktails and a "bold" wine list. All can be savored while taking in the Route 66-style atmosphere.
Photo: Savana Willhoite
231 Main St., Milford
Milford’s The Governor diner feels like a bit of Over-the-Rhine out in the suburbs. With subway tile, industrial decor and a walk-up window — where you can grab a boozy slushie to go to enjoy in the DORA district — the menu offers modern fare for brunch, lunch and dinner. There are salads, soups, a fun invention called the fromelette (basically a giant frittata) and sandwiches like an Asian-inspired fried chicken sandwich and a burger on a donut bun. While the meats are exciting — braised short rib, smoked salmon salad, housemade pastrami — vegetarians aren’t an afterthought here, either.
Photo: Francisco Huerta
1524 Madison Road, East Walnut Hills
Chefs Elaine Townsend and Erik Bentz turned their Japanese-style pop-up into a brick-and-mortar in East Walnut Hills in spring of 2021. Cafe Mochiko specializes in a fusion cuisine known as “yoshoku,” which borrows elements from Asian and Western cooking styles. A pastry chef, Townsend focuses on the daytime baked goods, crafting items including a delicious ube halaya (purple yam) croissant, various melonpan and loaves of shokupan. At night, the dinner menu offers options like a Hokkaido Smash Burger, miso ramen and intermittent specialties.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
3825 Edwards Road, Hyde Park
Diners flock to the restaurant to enjoy its vibrant murals and funky decor while chowing down on unique tacos, with proteins including kangaroo, duck, crab cakes, butter-poached lobster, crispy cauliflower, salt and pepper fries and fried chicken — in addition to more familiar bases like steak, pork carnitas and mahi mahi. With a flagship location in Covington, Agave & Rye's Hyde Park spot is larger, with a massive patio.
1212 Springfield Pike, Wyoming
Wyoming’s Phish-leaning Tela Bar & Kitchen offers high-level pub grub in a laid-back atmosphere. Burgers start with. Angus reserve beef patties and then branch out with options like the Royale with Cheese, a beef patty plus with your choice of three cheese options, aioli or 2001 Island topped with your pick of many veggies all on a Sixteen Bricks sesame bun. For something a bit healthier they've got four loaded salads that you can choose to top with chicken, salmon or shrimp.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood
Self-described as offering “steak and seafood, elevated,” Ivory House’s menu is a fresh take on nostalgic-feeling dishes. A large selection of wines and clever cocktails are a perfect accompaniment to a menu that features everything from filet mignon and grilled tuna to skirt steak in red chimichurri. They also offer Japanese A5 wagyu strip that can set you back a couple hundred bucks.
3229 Riverside Drive, East End
From the owners of Eli’s BBQ and Pho Lang Thang, Hi-Mark is located in a transformed historic 1860s home. The restaurant offers dishes like pulled pork banh mi and jumbo wings plus loaded snacks like nacho fries and Lang Thang chili mac. The drinks menu focuses on hi-balls, whiskey and craft and local beers, with a bonus “essentials” list that includes Budweiser, Hamm’s and more.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
2038 Madison Road, O'Bryonville
Taking inspiration from the Argentine countryside, Pampas Argentine Gastropub’s ambiance is an ode to both the rich culture and flavors of South America. The menu features meat dishes influenced by the “gaucho” experience in the flatlands of Argentina as well as salads and charcuterie. They boast a diverse list of cocktails as well, including the simple yet traditional Fernet y Coca.
4335 Glendale Milford Road, Blue Ash
For years, Brown Dog has been a prime Blue Ash destination for great (and sometimes unusual) meats. Their menu has featured everything from rabbit to wild boar to venison. They also offer non-meat options like sustainable seafoods; vegetarian offerings; soups; and creative appetizers. In warmer weather, the giant patio is a welcome people-watching hang for those with dogs — and those without.
5948 Snider Road, Mason
Calling themselves an "urban gastropub in the suburbs," S.W. Clyborne Co. offers its titular provisions and spirits in a lineup of New-American-meets-Italian-meets-Southern dishes: fried chicken with macaroni and cheese, shrimp bucatini, Queen City poutine, etc. The veggie burger, a guest favorite, is a housemade patty crafted with roasted mushrooms and black beluga lentils, topped with lettuce, pickled onions and Sriracha aioli on a toasted potato bun.
