30 Iconic Cincinnati Restaurants to Take Out-of-Towners

By CityBeat Staff on Fri, Mar 11, 2022 at 2:42 pm

From classic staples like Skyline and LaRosa's to new favorites such Pho Lang Thang, the Queen City has many unique dining options to delight outsiders. If you have guests visiting, you can start off the day with a Holtman's donut, wispy thin pancakes from Sugar n' Spice or a traditional breakfast from Sleepy Bee. Later, either make the obligatory chili run to Camp Washington Chili or grab some tacos at Gomez Salsa. The Cincy-exclusive possibilities are endless.

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Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Libby’s Southern Comfort

35 W. Eighth St., Covington
The menu at Libby's Southern Comfort pays tribute to Southern classics with a touch of Charleston and features dishes like goetta hush puppies, oysters on the half shell and fried chicken. For brunch, try the Kentucky Breakfast Brown, made with goetta. In addition to food, Libby's serves a wide drink menu that features vintage bourbons, Cheerwine bourbon slushes and Spiked Ice Coffee, among other options.

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Photo: facebook.com/ottos521cov

Otto’s

521 Main St., Covington
This Covington classic has been serving Southern-style cuisine right on MainStrasse since 2003. They are open for brunch on weekends and reopen in the evening for a luxurious dinner service. For brunch, Otto’s Benedict features a cheesy bacon grit cake instead of an English muffin, with country ham, poached egg, spinach, tomato and hollandaise.

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Photo: Facebook.com/MontgomeryInn

Montgomery Inn

9440 Montgomery Road, Montgomery; Montgomery Inn Boathouse, 925 Riverside Drive, Downtown
World famous for its ribs, Ted and Matula Gregory’s Montgomery Inn has been a staple in Cincinnati since 1951. Matula’s secret-recipe sweet and tangy all-natural barbecue sauce dresses the hand-spiced, slow-roasted and custom broiled ribs and is featured on everything from barbecue spring chicken and pork chops to Saratoga chips.

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Photo: Facebook.com/Primivista

Primavista

810 Matson Place, East Price Hill
Along with a beautiful view of the city, this restaurant offers an upscale dining experience with menu options like sausage and mushroom ravioli, roasted lamb loin and tiramisu. Without leaving your seat, you can look out on views of Carew Tower, Great American Tower and the Cincinnati sign with a glass of wine in hand.

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Photo: Jesse Fox

Taft’s Ale House

1429 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
Located inside a former church, the building is an ode to Cincinnatian and former President William Howard Taft. The multi-floor brewpub maintains some of the sanctuary’s charm (like the bell tower). The over 10 beers on tap and a menu focused on tri-tip beef are practically begging you to spend Saturday afternoon drinking there.

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Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Bakersfield

1213 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Part bar, part taco joint, all classy. Bakersfield specializes in gourmet tacos (pollo verde, pastor, short rib, etc.), quality tequilas and whiskeys and hand-crafted margaritas made the old-fashioned way, not from a pre-made mix.

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Photo: Paige Deglow

Scotti’s Italian Restaurant

919 Vine St., Downtown
Family-owned since 1912, Scotti’s has solidified itself as a Queen City staple. Their large menu features just about every pasta imaginable and nearly 20 different varieties of veal dishes. Finish off your meal with a bottle of wine and you’ll be full for days. Multi-colored tiles plaster the walls, and candles drip layer upon layer of wax on Chianti bottles at every table, providing a little light to the otherwise dimly lit dining room.

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Photo: Provided by The Golden Lamb

The Golden Lamb

27 S. Broadway St., Lebanon
Jonas Seaman came to Ohio from New Jersey in 1803. In a time when many couldn’t read, the business was marked by a symbol, not a name: a golden lamb. Present-day, the historic hotel and restaurant, in the heart of the Lebanon DORA district, has served 12 presidents and an array of other famous figures. The menu offers items like braised lamb shank, hickory-roasted prime rib and seared salmon. The attached Black Horse Tavern is a more casual dining spot on the backside of the hotel that serves specialty cocktails and the same delicious menu as the main dining area.

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Photo: Jesse Fox

Graeter’s Ice Cream

Multiple Cincinnati locations including 332 Ludlow Ave., Clifton; 511 Walnut St., Downtown and 2704 Erie Ave., Hyde Park
This local French pot ice cream chain is iconic for its giant chocolate chips — chunks, really. They pour gourmet chocolate over churning cream to form a shell that their artisans then break up. It’s totally unique and perfect in flavors like Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip — their all-time best-seller made with black raspberries from Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

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Photo: Provided by Skyline

Skyline Chili

Multiple Locations
Skyline has been one of the pioneers of Cincinnati chili since opening in 1949. First founded by Greek immigrants, the chili parlor pours the Queen City staple over spaghetti or hot dogs and tops it with a mound of cheese, oyster crackers, and — depending on your taste preference — onions and beans. Also available are chili burritos, fries and vegetarian chili, which is made with black beans and rice.

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