New Restaurants Coming to Greater Cincinnati in 2023 We're Excited to Try

Bridges Nepali Cuisine - Elmwood Place

6304 Vine St., Elmwood Place
Bridges Nepali Cuisine is bringing their popular dumplings, called momos, to a third location, this one in Elmwood Place. Spicy, savory and packed with fresh herbs, the menu at Bridges is inclusive (vegans and carnivores will both find many delectable options on the menu) and presented in a manner that’s meant to appeal to any diner’s palate. For those who have not had the pleasure, Nepali cooking can be contextualized as a hybrid between Chinese and North Indian cuisine, and lentils, cilantro, onion, ginger, garlic and a variety of assertive spices can be found in a number of Nepali favorites at the table. An opening date hasn’t been announced yet.

Five on Vine

1324 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Crown Restaurant Group is moving a new restaurant into the former Mercer OTR space this winter. A release says Five on Vine will serve "elevated takes on classic, American cuisine." The menu features dishes including Pigs in a Blanket, chicken pot pie, meatloaf, smoked ribs and some of the Italian influence the group is known for, including squid ink linguine and bucatini carbonara. The "elevated" part can be seen in the ingredients, like the Avril-Bleh sausage used in the Pigs in a Blanket or the pine nuts in the meatloaf.

Onolicious - Downtown

1005 Walnut St., Downtown
Hawaiian barbecue joint Onolicious is joining Court Street Plaza’s growing dining scene. Their authentic Hawaiian BBQ is made with organic and locally sourced ingredients, and their mission is to evolve Hawaiian cuisine Malama honua-style, which means to do so by taking care of the Earth, and their menu features plate lunches, poke, Loco Moco – a popular Hawaiian dish made with rice, burger and a fried egg – pupus (appetizers) and desserts. This location will also have a walk-up window and is expected to open in the summer of 2023. If you’re craving authentic Hawaiian cuisine now, however, you can check out Onolicious in Oakley at 3715 Madison Road.

Braxton Brewing Company, Graeter’s and Dewey’s collaboration

US 42 and Braxton Drive, Union
Braxton Brewing Company, Graeter’s Ice Cream and Dewey’s Pizza are combining forces for a new dining project in Union, Kentucky, creating a place for “beer lovers, foodies, families and everyone in between,” says a press release. The dining destination will also have a greenspace where they plan to have live music, events and other programming. The project is slated to open in late 2023.

Amador

1 Levee Way
Nick Pesola of Revolution Rotisserie is bringing "part 1980s Miami vibe, part Havana nights" to his new Cuban/Latin American eatery on the river, Amador. The concept is based off of a Cuban "paladar,” which is "an independently-owned, local restaurant where the best food and drinks are often found.” Construction began in October, but no opening date has been set.

Killer Queen

180 E. Freedom Way
Cincinnati-based hospitality group Four Entertainment Group (4EG) has a new bar and restaurant coming to The Banks in the space once occupied by Joella’s Hot Chicken. Killer Queen is described as an “elevated bar and pizza joint.” 4EG says the new bar will “emit a high-energy atmosphere with an Americana-style interior including a wrap-around bar” where they want people to catch the game and relax. The menu will focus on build-your-own pizzas, plus appetizers like salads and soft pretzels. To drink, the bar will have eight rotating taps, six wine drafts and craft cocktails. No opening date has been given.

Galley on the Levee

1 Levee Way, Newport
A new dining experience is coming to Newport on the Levee in the summer of 2023, and it’ll give burgeoning restaurateurs and chefs the opportunity to get their concepts off the ground. Galley on the Levee will be 7,900 square feet and feature four restaurants and a bar, as well as a space outside for gathering. Its owner, Galley Group, says it anticipates incorporating American, Asian, Italian and Mexican flavors, but it wants to work with local chefs to determine which concepts will work best in Newport. The bar will serve local craft and domestic beers, as well as craft cocktails and select wines.

Lucius Q at Factory 52

4590 Beech St., Norwood
The popular Pendleton BBQ restaurant is opening a second location inside Norwood’s 20-acre mixed-used development Factory 52 and housed in “The Gatherall” space of the development, which is expected to open in the spring of 2023. Lucius Q serves up authentic barbecue with classic meats like pulled pork, brisket and more plus ribs, sandwiches and sides like collard greens and cheesy grits.

Terrazza Trattoria and Paloma’s

3040 and 3042 Harrison Ave., Westwood
A 1920s funeral home in Westwood will soon become something entirely different. The owners of Ivory House restaurant, Frank Eversole and Rick Pouliot — as EP Investments — are transforming the structure into two separate dining establishments. The building would be divided and renovated into Terrazza Trattoria, a "mid-priced Italian" restaurant, and Paloma's, a Mexican bar and grill. The project is being called “Alfresco At Town Hall” and is slated to open in the spring of 2023, according to Terrazza’s and Paloma’s Facebook pages.

Roy Rogers

Near 101 Cooper Ave., Cleves
Western-themed fast-food chain Roy Rogers, named for the Cincinnati-born actor and cowboy, plans to open a Queen City location this winter. This historic franchise, founded in 1968, is known for items like fried chicken, roast beef sandwiches and their iconic Double R Burger — a quarter-pounder topped with American cheese and ham on a Kaiser roll. It's also bringing its famed "Fixin’s bar" to the local restaurant, allowing customers to top their burgers with their choice of condiments and veggies. The new spot is set to open in Cleves next to the Skyline on Cooper Avenue.

bb.q Chicken

150 W. Fourth St., Downtown
bb.q, which stands for "best of the best quality," was founded in Seoul, South Korea in 1995 and is now opening its first Ohio location here in Cincinnati. It serves Korean-style fried chicken in a variety of flavors, like honey garlic, golden original and Gangnam style, with black pepper sauce. The menu also offers a selection of ddeok-bokki, a Korean street food made of rice and fish cakes, as well as sides like french fries, pickled radish and fried dumplings. An opening date has not been announced.

Ford’s Garage - Florence

4911 Houston Road, Florence
The Florence, Kentuck location of this Florida-based beer-and-burger chain, which is an official licensee of the Ford Motor Company, is said to be “Coming Soon” on the official website. Channeling a "1920s service station/prohibition bar" vibe, the menu focuses heavily on its black Angus beef burgers, but also carries veggie burgers, homemade meatloaf, chicken wings, onion rings and macaroni and cheese, as well as seafood, salads and chicken. This will be the chain's second location in the Greater Cincinnati area.

Dewey’s - Covington

43 W. Seventh St., Covington
As if pizza and beer weren't already a perfect combo, a new dining option coming to Covington is set to cement the relationship. Braxton Brewing Company has partnered with Dewey's Pizza to open a pizzeria in the restaurant space next to the taproom in early 2023. This Dewey's will offer the same menu of pizzas, calzones and salads patrons have come to love, but guests can now opt to enjoy their pies in the restaurant itself or inside the neighboring Braxton taproom.

Alara

5410 Medpace Way, Madisonville
High-end restaurant Alara is set to come to Madisonville at some point in 2023. Its owner, Looking Glass Hospitality, describes it as “experiential” and "focusing on innovative menu items and warm hospitality," saying the dining experience they’re aiming for was inspired by their travels. The 8,000-square-foot space will feature an open kitchen, dining room, bar, patio and conservatory, plus room for private parties.