33 Black-Owned Cincinnati Restaurants You Should Have Tried By Now

Esoteric Brewing Co.

900 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills
Esoteric Brewing, Cincinnati's first minority-owned brewery, is located in the 1930s Paramount Building, part of the Paramount Square development at Peebles Corner. The 6,000-square-foot public space features an Art Deco speakeasy vibe, with lounge chairs and cocktail tables. Because the brewing equipment is housed in the basement, a viewing space has been carved out so customers can look down into the brew hub.

Just Q'in

975 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills
Owned by Matt Cuff, Walnut Hills barbecue joint Just Q'in is "committed to the mission of Faith, Love and BBQ," and offers their smoked brisket, ribs, chicken and more coupled with classic barbecue sides. Grab it by the plate or by the pound for catering. The Just Q'in team also recently launched a ghost kitchen called Burger Love Cincy.

BlaCk Coffee Lounge

824 Elm St., Downtown
This coffee shop is from the owners of BlaCk OWned. Their popular house “Wakanda” blend is a mix of Ethiopian, Rwandan and Brazilian beans. They also offer tons of espresso drinks like cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos which can all be made with non-dairy milk alternatives. If you're hungry, the also have a small menu of pastries and other eats.

Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey

9039 US-42, Union, Kentucky
This restaurant is inspired by the trappings of the American frontier and California's 19th-century gold rush. At Boomtown, the true delight comes plated. The signature biscuit isn't a run-of-the-mill thousand-layer flaked baked good. It's a buttery, soft disc with a close crumb and a browned, lightly bubbled top that no breakfast chain can compete with.

Ollie's Trolley

1607 Central Ave., Over-the-Rhine
Located in a bright yellow and red trolley car, Ollie’s Trolley is a soul food staple in the Cincinnati area. Ollie's serves a variety of smoked pork, including ribs, turkey tips and pulled pork, plus plenty of sides, like collard greens, buttered corn and potato salad.

ESSEN

1 Findlay St., Over-the-Rhine
ESSEN is no ordinary take-away. Sure, the kitchen serves up soups, salads and sandwiches like any other respectable establishment. But there aren't any chicken Caesars or ham and Swiss sammies to be found here. In fact, ESSEN doesn't stock any meat, dairy or eggs at all: The entire menu is plant-based. Chef Yasel Lopez, a graduate of the University of Havana with a degree in food science and a resume that lists stints in restaurants from Cuba to Lexington, got creative and crafted a menu to appeal to not only vegans but also vegetarians and omnivores alike.

Maize OTR

1438 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
Maize specializes in a unique fusion menu that honors traditional recipes from across Latin America, with an emphasis on Venezuelan cuisine. The restaurant takes its name from maize, a corn flour dating back some 10,000 years and first utilized by indigenous Mexicans. The flour serves as the basis for the arepas, cachapas and empanadas served at Maize.

Katch the Kitchen Restaurant & Bar

4172 Hamilton Ave., Northside
After operating as a food truck for some time, Katch opened a brick-and-mortar in Northside in March of 2021. Their menu consists of everything from French toast to lamb chops and for just $6 you can grab a bacon-stuffed loaded breakfast burrito.

King's Way Cafe

3550 Montgomery Road, Evanston
King's Way Cafe is a breakfast and lunch spot in Evanston that serves tasty dishes like the Royal King, French toast or biscuits with bacon, sausage, eggs and potatoes with a side of fruit. They even have a Vegan King made with vegetables and topped with avocado and fried carrot strips.

Conscious Kitchen (Temporarily Closed)

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 the portabella mushroom burger; "aquatic" egg rolls with salmon spinach and feta; hearty salads; and even carrot fries.

Herban Vegans

1809 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine/Findlay Market
Herban Vegans is helmed by Danielle Delaine, who began this specific culinary journey in 2017. Her goal is to show diners how tasty and healthy a vegan diet can be — specifically vegan seafood — with a lot of herbs, spices and ingredients. "A personal health scare over 20 years ago, and watching a world succumb to disease and unhealthy choices, became a fire in her belly to help do her part," says a release from Findlay Market about Delaine and her vegan menu.

Alabama Que

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, Ward’s 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.

Pata Roja Taqueria

Moving to a brick-and-mortar location; check their social media for pop-ups
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 Takeaway's carry-out window for a stint, but now has a permanent location behind Bar Saeso in Pendleton.

Drip Coffee Lounge

2927 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington
Sporting a multicultural African-fusion menu with a modern spin, Drip Coffee Lounge features a full coffee bar with locally roasted specialties. But coffee isn't the only thing on the menu. The shop also has teas, wine and cocktails in addition to quick bites such as wraps, sambusa and suya-spiced chicken wraps.

Davis Cookie Collection

4926 Reading Road, Bond Hill
This local sweet shop specializes in gourmet desserts, offering over a huge varieties of cookies, in addition to selling raw dough and cookie cakes. Varieties range from chocolate chip to strawberry lemonade, and they also offer vegan and gluten-free options.

Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge

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 wines on tap, live music, a limited selection of spirits and beer, and light bites.

Habesha Restaurant and Cafe

5070 Crookshank Road, Western Hills
Habesha is a great hidden-gem restaurant offering authentic Ethiopian dishes. The restaurant serves traditional meals like Kiffo, a dish the features spiced minced meat with butter and mitmita — a seasoning mix made with chili peppers, cardamom, cloves and salt — topped with seasoned cheese.

Goodies BBQ

7440 Hamilton Ave., Mount Healthy
Goodies knows their pork butt — pit-smoked slowly ’til the fat has completely dissolved and a crunchy, caramelized crust has formed on the outside. Lip-smackin’ rib tips and Buffalo wings are complemented by standard Southern sides of collard greens, red beans and rice or mac and cheese. For those not tempted by the sauce, there’s the fish or fried okra. Peach cobbler, sweet potato pie and chess pies are available.

Island Frydays

2826 Short Vine St., Corryville
Island Frydays is the definitive restaurant to break out of culinary monotony featuring authentic Caribbean cuisine made by Jamaica native and former University of Cincinnati football captain Leo Morgan. Though the restaurant has a petite and unassuming interior, they pack a whole lot of flavor. Guy Fieri visited Island Frydays in Sept. 2014 with Diners, Drive-ins & Dives, and you can try the same meal he had: The jerk chicken dinner.

Cream & Sugar Coffeehouse

3546 Montgomery Road, Evanston Serving up locally sourced organic coffee and tea, Cream & Sugar also offers breakfast and lunch with a focus on local and plant-based ingredients. Owned by longtime friends Taren Kinebrew and Crystal Grace, the coffee shop is designed to evoke a calming vibe, with shades of blue and teal, and window seating as well as lounge space for larger groups.