West Side Cincinnati Restaurants You Need to Try ASAP

Cancun Mexican

6385 Glenway Ave., Green Township (Western Bowl); 5034 Glencrossing Way, Westwood (Glenway Crossing); 5686 Harrison Ave., Dent
Cancun is one of the best large-menu, do-it-all Mexican joints in town. Maybe it’s hard for a restaurant to go wrong with the rich, spicy and bold flavors paired with a tangy refreshing margarita, but Cancun is definitely doing it right. After all, they’ve been successful enough to open nine area locations over the years, including the one attached to Western Bowl. The margaritas hit hard, so keep that in mind if you’re planning on bowling a few rounds after dinner.

Trotta’s Pizza

3501 Werk Road, Westwood
Frequently named one of the top 10 best pizza joints by CityBeat readers in the Best Of Cincinnati issue, Trotta’s Pizza & Drive-Thru is a pony keg that slings superior slices. Known for its unique toppings — ranging from chili and goetta to meatballs and hot wing sauce — Trotta’s offers several styles of crust: super thin, traditional, Sicilian (its specialty) and even cauliflower.

Nation Westwood

3435 Epworth Ave., Westwood
Nation Kitchen & Bar takes its name from ax-wielding Temperance warrior Carrie Nation. The laid-back eatery and bar serves a variety of top-notch burgers and tots, and the Westwood location is located in an old firehouse with a pleasant patio for outdoor dining when the weather’s nice.

Somm Wine Bar

3105 Price Ave., East Price Hill
Food and wine are perfectly paired at Somm, and the outdoor patio with its fountain, Edison-bulb string lights, fire table and meticulous landscaping is the perfect spot to enjoy them. This Incline District wine bar and restaurant has over 80 kinds of wine to choose from and a menu ranging from charcuterie boards to the Somm burger to filet mignon.

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.

Maury’s Tiny Cove

3908 Harrison Ave., Cheviot
Maury’s has been packed full of flavor and a West Side tradition since 1949. The dimly lit supper-club vibe will have you feeling like a regular on your first visit. The extensive menu consists of all the popular steakhouse options: tender, juicy steaks; seafood; and chicken cooked just right, plus pasta, and a perfect martini. Ask for the Carol booth — the restaurant appears in the locally filmed, Oscar-nominated movie starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara — or take a photo with the Maury’s sign, featuring a kitschy cartoon steer holding a cocktail.

Ivory House

2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood
Ivory House offers upscale dining in the heart of Westwood’s business district in a space that’s fresh and contemporary. Guests walk into the restaurant and are greeted by a classy white piano and tall bistro tables and an open, inviting dining room. The dinner menu features steak and seafood favorites like the filet mignon, lobster tail and grilled scallops. Ivory House also offers brunch and a wine program, which allows you to explore and discover new wines, as well as get a subscription to one of their wine lockers, which is perfect if you want to curate a personal collection.

Price Hill Chili

4920 Glenway Ave., West Price Hill
Generations of West Side patrons have grown up on this iconic, family-owned restaurant. Since opening in 1962, Price Hill Chili has expanded several times; there are now multiple dining areas and a full-service attached cocktail lounge called Golden Fleece. They’re set apart from other chili joints by their liquor license and full menu, which features an excellent Greek salad (with secret-recipe dressing), specialty sandwiches, steaks and all-day breakfast that includes a goetta and cheese omelet that’s unmatched.

Sunnyside Grill

7995 Wesselman Road, Cleves
Don’t expect a lot of frills at this classic greasy spoon, but do expect a lot of flavor. Sunnyside Grill is a popular weekend breakfast spot among West Side families, serving up favorites like omelets, waffles and egg, meat and toast combos alongside their own creations like The Smelvin, a skillet with a mix of breakfast meats on top of eggs, plus home fries and cheddar cheese. You can also try the Veggie Smelvin, which swaps out the meats for a mix of bell peppers, onions, tomato, mushrooms and potatoes. For lunch, Sunnyside offers Cincinnati-style chili on ways, coneys and as a sandwich, as well as a variety of salads, burgers, sandwiches and wraps.

Veracruz

3108 Price Ave., East Price Hill
Located in the heart of Price Hill’s Incline District, Veracruz’s food is fresh, flavorful and served with housemade chips. The menu features Mexican and Guatemalan specialties crafted with house-made ingredients. To drink, an ice-cold cerveza could suit you just fine, but just as refreshing are their massive margaritas, poured in cute glasses dressed with salt rims, limes and paper umbrellas.

Primavista

810 Matson Place, East Price Hill
Primavista offers its menu of high-end Italian meals along with a panoramic view of downtown Cincinnati. The menu specializes in veal and fresh fish, but they offer dishes from all regions of Italy and feature nightly specials. Have an antipasto of fried calamari or bruschetta before your plate of ravioli or veal marsala and top it off with a glass of vino from their extensive wine list. Then, cap off your dinner with the Gelati Misti or tiramisu for dessert while you marvel at Cincinnati’s beauty.

Kumo Asian Fusion

4990 Delhi Pike, Delhi
Kumo offers an extensive menu featuring dishes inspired from countries across Asia. While you’ll find a variety of hibachi dinners, Chinese-style entrees and appetizers and fried noodle and rice dishes, this Asian fusion restaurant on the West Side is best known for its sushi and sashimi. Try one of the classics like their California or Spicy Tuna roll, or take it up a notch with one of their specialty rolls. (The Sunday Morning and Fire rolls do not disappoint.)

Monk’s Kitchen

9956 Harrison Ave., Harrison
Monk’s Kitchen in Harrison knows their way around a sandwich, all of which are made to order and come on fresh-baked French or whole wheat bread. They make all the faves, from clubs and BLTs to French dips and Italians, as well as some more unique creations, like the Ham Damnation (piled high with ham, hot capicola ham, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and a sauce Monk’s calls “sinus-clearing”) or the Salvation, which comes with a ton of cheeses, ham, salami and spiced lunch meat. They also have some veggie options, like the Cheese or Veggie Salvation and the Cucumber Sandwich, which comes with tzatziki sauce.

Asian Spice Bistro

3474 North Bend Road, White Oak
This Asian fusion bistro has a menu of both Chinese and Thai dishes, as well as a selection of sushi, sashimi and hibachi items. For an appetizer, try a little bit of everything with the Asian Bites platter, which comes with an eggroll, two crab rangoons and two potstickers. The sushi menu features traditional rolls, like the California Roll or Spicy Tuna, and a variety of special rolls, like Asian Spice’s Beauty & the Best Roll (half tuna and half eel with avocado, asparagus and eel sauce) or the Orange Dragon (shrimp tempura, crab sticks and cucumber topped with salmon and spicy mayo).

Kreimer’s Bier Haus

6052 OH-128, Cleves
This Bavarian biergarten and restaurant on the Great Miami River has three decks, fire pits and a ton of Black Forest-inspired wood features, from picnic seating to a whimsical cuckoo-clock-looking grill house, which serves snacks like sauerkraut balls, pretzel bread, bier cheese and plenty of juicy metts. The inside of the restaurant feels like a cozy cabin tucked away in the forest of a German fairytale and features a menu with a variety of American and German fare, ranging from BBQ Bourbon Chicken Tenders and New York Strip Steak to Schnitzel and metts served with sauerkraut.

W Bar + Bistro

3447 Epworth Ave., Westwood
Quickly becoming a West Side favorite, W Bar + Bistro opened in the former Henke Winery space last year. Billing itself as a casual, all-day restaurant, W Bar + Bistro’s food excels beyond casual. With a menu driven by Ivory House’s executive chef, everything – from the Korean fried chicken sandwich to the Bistro Poutine to the chili – is packed with flavor. The restaurant also offers brunch on the weekends, with offerings like biscuits and gravy, the hearty W Brunch Platter (eggs, potatoes, toast and your choice of breakfast meat) and a selection of mimosas and Bloody Marys. Plus, you can order ice cream from next door's Aubrey + Zach's for dessert without leaving your table.

Christine’s Casual Dining

3360 Westbourne Drive, Green Township
Offering Filipino cuisine featuring casual dining seating and a bar, Christine’s is a place to enjoy casual family gatherings with tasty yet inexpensive dining. Established in 2015, Christine’s offers tried and true Filipino recipes passed down in owner Christine’s family from generation to generation. The large menu also features a variety of non-Filipino dishes, with everything from reubens and spaghetti and meatballs to tacos and fried seafood platters.

Stephen’s Old Village Restaurant

3323 Harrison Ave., Cheviot
This tiny neighborhood diner has served quality fare on the West Side since the ‘70s. Featuring homemade food and great hospitality that never goes out of style, Stephen’s Old Village Restaurant is best known for its large-portion meals and even larger menu, with diner staples like burgers, clubs, gyros and double deckers, as well as comfort food like fried chicken, pork chops and roast beef. It also serves breakfast favorites all day long.

Maranata Store

1215 Rulison Ave., West Price Hill
Price Hill’s burgeoning Guatemalan community offers a taste of Central America at this tienda, which stocks groceries and serves colorful cilantro-infused ceviche, pork pupusas, fried plantains and three-milk cake from its modest restaurant. The Guatemalan-style tamales alone are worth the trip.

Sebastian’s

5209 Glenway Ave., West Price Hill
Opened in 1976 by previous owner Alex Vassiliou, an immigrant from Greece, Sebastian’s is one of the original Mediterranean options in Cincinnati. The menu consists of authentic Greek salads and gyros with ground gyro meat with a dash of tzatziki sauce on the side.