32 Restaurants in Greater Cincinnati That Have Been Open for More Than 50 Years

By CityBeat Staff on Fri, May 19, 2023 at 1:26 pm

It takes a lot to keep a restaurant running, especially for 50-plus years, but these Cincinnati establishments can proudly claim they've been doing just that. In fact, there are many restaurants on this list that most lifelong Cincinnatians can't remember or weren't alive for a time before they existed. Even as tastes, menus and decor have changed over the decades, Cincinnati's oldest restaurants have changed with the times — or leaned into the era they opened, serving guests a side of nostalgia with their meal.

From old taverns opened in the age of Western expansion to greasy spoon diners with a host of regulars who have been patronizing them for years, plus the Queen City's OG chili parlor that inspired the rest, here are some Cincinnati restaurants that have kept their kitchens frying, baking and grilling for more than 50 years.

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Photo: Emerson Swoger

Anchor Grill

438 W. Pike St., Covington
While this once-late-night diner boasted, “We may doze, but we never close,” the pandemic unfortunately changed that. Still, Anchor Grill, opened in Covington in 1946, can still claim some of the best home-cooked, Southern-style eats around. In 2020, New Yorker food correspondent Helen Rosner even named Anchor Grill’s double-decker goetta, lettuce and tomato sandwich one of the best things she’d eaten that decade. The diner also still maintains its retro vibe with wood-paneled walls and cozy booths complemented by a 1940s coin-operated “Band Box,” which contains a miniature toy big band that mimes performances to jukebox tunes.

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Photo: Emerson Swoger

Pepper Pod

703 Monmouth St., Newport
Greasy spoon dining at its best, the Pepper Pod is a Newport legend, serving up all-day breakfast and double-deckers since 1956. This old-school diner hasn’t changed much since it opened, giving guests a side of nostalgia with their meal, and each table comes with a vintage jukebox. It’s also one of the few places left where you can smoke indoors.

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Photo: Google Earth

LaRosa’s Pizzeria

Multiple locations
Buddy LaRosa started his pizzeria in 1954 with only $400 and his Aunt Dena’s pizza recipe. Now, LaRosa’s is arguably the best-known pizza chain in Cincinnati. Branching out beyond pizza, the 65 restaurants across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana also serve calzones, hoagies, pasta dishes and salads. For dessert, try the smashed cannoli.

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Photo: Facebook.com/TheEchoHydePark

The Echo

3510 Edwards Road, Hyde Park
Founded in 1945 in Hyde Park by Louise Schwartz, The Echo has become something of a neighborhood attraction for Cincinnatians everywhere. Despite being founded nearly 80 years ago, The Echo has adapted to the modern consumer, offering trendy dishes such as breakfast burritos, artisan wraps and more. But don’t fret: all the classics — from eggs benedict to the BLT — remain on the menu.

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Photo: Provided by Gold Star

Gold Star Chili

Multiple locations
Gold Star’s story began in 1964 when brothers Dave, Charlie, Frank and Basheer Daoud bought a hamburger restaurant in Mt. Washington. Having watched his mother pick out spices at the market as a boy in Jordan, Dave decided to draw on that experience and seek out the best spice suppliers, tweaking their chili’s original recipe until it was something completely unique. The brothers changed the name of their restaurant to Gold Star Chili in 1965, and it’s since grown to nearly 20 locations across the Greater Cincinnati area. The chili’s still made in small batches and its recipe is carefully guarded, having only been entrusted to three people. Today, you can now get it not only on coneys and spaghetti, but also on Gold Star’s delicious burgers and fries. They also offer vegetarian chili, swapping out the beef for Beyond Meat.

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Facebook.com/SorrentosItalianJoint

Sorrento’s Italian Joint

5143 Montgomery Road, Norwood
This Italian joint has been serving up Enrico and Santina DeLuca’s family recipes since it opened in Norwood in 1956. Today, Sorrento’s is still rooted in its old-world Italian charm, serving up the same great food and treating all guests like family. On the menu, you’ll find Papa Enrico’s legendary pizzas, all made with hand-tossed dough; classic Italian dishes like spaghetti and meatballs, pasta bolognese and Mama Santina’s lasagna; and a selection of sandwiches, soups, salads and appetizers. For dessert, try the cannoli or tiramisu.

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Photo: facebook.com/MontgomeryInn

Montgomery Inn

9440 Montgomery Road, Montgomery; 925 Riverside Drive, East End
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/Ron's Roost Restaurant & Bar

Ron’s Roost

3853 Race Road, Bridgetown
This family-owned restaurant has been serving up delicious fried chicken and sides on Cincinnati’s West Side since 1960. They’re still putting out tons of chicken each week – about 10,000 pieces a week, according to their website – but their menu has expanded to include something for everyone: salads, seafood, burgers, barbecue and country-style dishes like meatloaf and turkey with dressing. The atmosphere has also remained quintessentially West Side, with families gathered in booths, old friends stopping by your table to say hello and the latest game on the TV.

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Photo: Sean M. Peters

Pleasant Ridge Chili

6032 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge
This local multi-generational diner has been serving Cincinnati-style chili and American classics since 1964. They also offer chili to-go and late-night eats, like french fries topped with everything from chili to cheese to gravy.

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Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Blue Jay Restaurant

4154 Hamilton Ave., Northside
This homey Northside diner has been owned and operated by the Petropoulos family since 1967. Stepping inside is almost like stepping back in time with the row of cozy booths, wood paneling on the walls and the dining counter. The menu features classic breakfast and lunch dishes that come in generous portions, as well as Cincinnati-style chili in a bowl, on coneys or as ways. The restaurant was also featured in the 2017 movie The Killing of a Sacred Deer starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell.

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Photo: Google Maps

Arlin’s Bar & Garden

307 Ludlow Ave., Clifton
Arlin’s may have changed names and hands quite a few times since its inception, but it’s been Clifton Gaslight District’s premier neighborhood pub since the 1890s. Here you can enjoy a beer on the big back patio and beer garden and listen to live music. The no-frills atmosphere includes a pool room, plus 20 taps, sports on TV and a jukebox. And while it’s best known as a bar, Arlin’s also has a food menu with a variety of burgers, sandwiches and even some Tex-Mex fare.

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Photo: Google Maps

Proud Rooster

345 Ludlow Ave., Clifton
Opened for more than half a century, Proud Rooster is a greasy spoon staple in Clifton’s Gaslight District. The cozy diner serves up all the classics like eggs served with your favorite breakfast meat, country-style breakfasts like biscuits and gravy and omelettes made with fresh, whipped ranch eggs and a side of toast. For lunch, try one of their tasty hoagies, sandwich boards or burgers.

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