It's Not Summer Until You Eat at These Greater Cincinnati Spots

Moerlein Lager House

115 Joe Nuxhall Way, The Banks
With a come-as-you-are atmosphere, a relaxing biergarten and a stunning view of the riverfront and Roebling Bridge, Moerlein Lager House is a prime stop before or after a Reds game or just to enjoy a summer evening. The restaurant and microbrewery’s menu features New American-style eats with German influences, like the shareable pretzels and beer cheese, the German sausage platter entree and the Zincy Style Bratwurst. Along with its line of Moerlein beers, the restaurant also offers plenty of elevated bar-fare-style shareables, a variety of burgers and sandwiches and upscale entree offerings like the filet mignon or salmon Oscar.

Graeter’s Ice Cream

Multiple locations
It’s not a Cincinnati summer until you make your way to a Graeter’s. Not only does the ice cream parlor offer unique flavors – especially its legendary Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip – but the ice cream itself is uniquely crafted. Graeter’s still uses the French pot method of its founder, resulting in a creamy ice cream base that’s leveled up with the addition of gourmet chocolate, which is poured over the churning cream to make a shell that artisans then break up to create the gigantic chunks you know and love.

Top of the Park

506 E. Fourth St., Downtown
For a stunning, nearly-360-degree view of downtown Cincinnati and its riverfront, plus some amazing craft cocktails, snag the elevator in the lobby of The Phelps hotel and take it to the very top where you’ll find one of the best rooftop bars in the city. Top of the Park is intimate, with plenty of comfy seating, including a glass bar top where you can sit with your drink and enjoy the bird’s-eye view. Grab a Rooftop Lemonade (Ketel One Citroen, muddled strawberries, fresh lemon juice and wild berry simple syrup) and toast to an amazing summer.

Senate Blue Ash

1100 Summit Place, Blue Ash
Summit Park’s Senate features delicious glammed-up hot dog creations, plus appetizers like oysters, poutine and roasted marrow bones. The eatery offers an expansive outdoor patio that overlooks the park where you can sip on beer, wine or craft cocktails.

The Root Beer Stand

11566 Reading Road, Sharonville
The Root Beer Stand has been delighting summertime guests since it first 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. But also, don’t miss out on the food: The secret recipe chili for the eatery’s famous foot-long coney dogs is to die for.

Cabana on the River

7445 Forbes Road, Sayler Park
This Margaritaville-esque oasis on the river will make you feel like you’re on vacation with their neon palm trees out front, sand volleyball courts, multiple walk-up bars where you can grab a drink while you wait for a table, and just overall Jimmy Buffett vibes. While all the seating is technically outside, the best seats aren’t underneath the awning, but on the lower deck closest to the river. The menu is similar to what you’d find at a beachy restaurant – fish tacos, burgers, chicken sandwiches and shareables – but they also have some great salad options as well as the Cincinnati touch of metts, brats and franks. We also highly recommend a margarita while you’re there to 1) complete the aesthetic and 2) because they’re delicious.

Putz’s Creamy Whip

2673 Putz Place, Westwood
Summertime means it’s also time to hit the local creamy whip, and one of those creamy whips has been serving up smiles in a cone every summer for nearly 90 years. Putz’s Creamy Whip has been in the family since the day Constantine and Anna Putz opened their first trolley car walk-up ice cream window in 1938. The Putz’s as we know it — now in a square concrete structure just down the hill from Mt. Airy Forest — is a scoop of summer nostalgia. Not much about this place has changed over the past several decades. Of the current generation, Putz descendant Mindy Borgman has been cranking out cones at the creamy whip for the last few decades — all on the same Electro-Freeze machine. Another tradition? Putz’s is cash-only. Despite the hoopla about the vintage ice cream machine and vanilla soft serve, the pineapple sherbet is a must. It is creamy like soft serve and tangy to boot. “Face cones” are also a hot commodity at Putz’s. The soft serve cones are adorned with Necco wafer ears and crunchy googly-eyed candy.

Somerset

139 E. McMicken Ave., Over-the-Rhine
If you’re longing for a destination vacation this summer but can’t make it work, Somerset offers a lush oasis that brings to mind faraway places. Tucked away in Over-the-Rhine, the bar features a greenhouse bar, outdoor garden, a converted double-decker bus that serves up a globe-trotting menu of street eats and decor from around the world. Indoors, there are two bar spaces, one being the plant-filled conservatory and the other located in their cozy lounge. Outside, you can enter the garden through a set of antique gates from India where you’ll find tropical plants, unique seating nooks and imported pieces from co-founder and creative lead James Fisher's collection, as well as the collections of his friends and family. It’s the perfect place to recharge and bask in the worldly ambiance while enjoying a delicious drink from Somerset’s one-of-a-kind cocktail menu, all without leaving Cincinnati.

Ramsey’s Trailside

200 W. Loveland Ave., Loveland
Ramsey’s Trailside is located right along the Loveland Bike Trail, making it a fun and easy pit stop to take to refuel and relax. The historic building dates back to the 1800s and features a charming, string-light-lit patio and upper deck for dining. On the menu, you’ll find an eclectic mix of shareables, including sliced filet mignon, wings, a garlic and red pepper hummus platter and fried zucchini, as well as salads, bowls, sandwiches and wraps. The kitchen even has a dedicated grill for preparing vegan meals.

The Rooftop at 21c

609 Walnut St., Downtown
The rooftop at the 21c Museum Hotel is once again open, offering guests a relaxing place to lounge while they enjoy a cocktail, some snacks and an incredible view of downtown Cincinnati. New chef Zachary Barnes’ menu has transformed The Rooftop at 21c into a coastal-inspired oasis with Peruvian-style fare. The new menu features tapas-style dishes with bright flavors, like Amarillo Chicken Skewers, as well as seafood-forward items, like the Halibut Ceviche. 21c says each dish is meant to be shared alongside the coastal-inspired cocktails, with fresh takes on traditional summer sips like caipirinhas, palomas and margaritas. They also offer buckets of ice-cold beer to share, as well as non-alcoholic drinks.

Pirates Cove Tropical Bar & Grill

4609 Kellogg Ave., East End
Pirate's Cove is perfect for a stay-cation or if you just want to feel like you're on a beach somewhere. This paradise-themed restaurant has the occasional pirate roaming the grounds for the kids, signature cocktails, Key West-inspired cuisine and live music. The patio overlooks the Ohio River and the Four Seasons Marina.

The Cone

6855 Tylersville Road, West Chester
West Chester’s The Cone is arguably the most recognizable creamy whip in all of Ohio — partially because of its large ice cream cone-shaped exterior. The Cone’s flavors and ingredients are all-natural, the majority of which are made in-house daily with fresh fruit, real chocolate and more. Even their famous bright orange zebra cone is made from real oranges. Plus all their ice creams, yogurts, Italian ices and sherbets are not only all-natural, but soy-free, gluten-free and egg-free, and their whipped cream is homemade from scratch on a daily basis. They also have peanut-allergy-friendly options, as well as dairy-free and sugar-free selections.

Incline Public House

2601 W. Eighth St., East Price Hill
Named after the Cincinnati inclines that traveled to Price Hill, Incline Public House features a gorgeous view of the city and delicious American food for brunch, lunch and dinner. While you enjoy the view of downtown Cincinnati on their all-season patio, try one of their popular pizzas, like the equal-parts sweet and salty Prosciutto Fig, featuring fig jam, Italian ham, goat cheese, caramelized onions and arugula on top. Or, build your own using the expansive list of sauces, cheeses and toppings. Pair it with one of their local craft brews on tap and their mouthwatering short rib poutine to split with the table to top off the experience.

Nomad

225 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue
Bellevue bar and eatery Nomad serves craft cocktails and beer, but the main attraction is their boozy (and virgin) milkshakes, tater tot baskets and tacos. The bar offers a dreamy, string-lit patio for outdoor dining and drinking, as well as seating inside, including a pretty sweet game room with a big, comfy couch.

MadTree Brewing

3301 Madison Road, Oakley
MadTree’s massive 10,000-square-foot beer garden is a fun family hangout that’s the perfect spot for a warm July evening. With over 20 MadTree-exclusive taps, ambient lighting and an industrial brick façade leftover from the building’s factory days, there’s more than enough space to accommodate all the beer-drinking, cornhole-playing, dog-loving humans that hang here during the summer months or on the regular.

Eli’s BBQ

3313 Riverside Drive, East End; 133 W. Elder St., Over-the-Rhine
For a summer barbecue get-together vibe, Eli’s has over 15 outdoor picnic tables for dining, both in the sun and the shade. Celebrate the summer with a cold brew and some delicious barbecue, like their pulled pork sandwich with a slide of jalapeño cheddar grits and baked beans. Bring your own beer and enjoy the warmth by the river.

Aglamesis Bro’s

3046 Madison Road, Oakley; 9899 Montgomery Road, Montgomery
This classic 1900s ice cream parlor has been wooing foodie visitors from all around the country with its unblemished reputation for quality for generations. The location in Oakley has remained virtually unchanged since it opened in 1913 with its chic Tiffany lamps and a marble soda fountain, offering just the right amount of summertime nostalgia as you sit at the counter with a dish of ice cream or Italian ice (try the pink champagne flavor).

Fifty West Burger Bar

7605 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township
There might truly be no better “patio” in town than what you’ll find at Fifty West. The brewery and burger joint feels like you’ve just arrived at summer camp. Sand volleyball, cornhole, people carrying kayaks down to the water – it’s like you’re at church camp but you can actually drink. Fifty West is incredibly kid- and dog-friendly; just be sure to bring your sunscreen if all the overhangs are taken on a sunny afternoon.

Milkman

1106 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
Is there anything more nostalgic than spending summer as a kid sipping on milkshakes and demolishing a big plate of hot, crispy fries at the local diner? Milkman serves up those nostalgic vibes along with its unique take on diner food with smash burgers; fried chicken sandwiches that range from the classic (topped with dill pickles) to Thai (topped with spicy cucumber slaw and sweet chili sauce); and “not a burger” options like hot dogs, salads and Italian beef sandwiches. There are also options for non-meat eaters, including tofu nugs plus the meat for any of the chicken sandwiches can be switched out for fried tofu. You also can’t leave without trying one of their perfect-for-summer boozy milkshakes.

Schneider’s Sweet Shop

420 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue
In the summer, getting frosty with the classic Ice Ball is a must. A combination of finely ground ice with rich, flavored syrup generously poured on top, this dessert has been a seasonal staple in Northern Kentucky since its inception in 1919. The more-than-a-century-old legacy continues at places like Schneider’s Sweet Shop, where you can choose from over 20 homemade Ice Ball syrups to pair with over 20 ice cream flavors, including sugar-free and non-dairy options. And if you’re sweet tooth isn’t completely satiated, make sure to try the homemade candies too.