What they lack in size, they make up for in flavor. These quaint Queen City eateries range from authentic Thai cuisine to tasty taquerias or burger joints — they may have limited seating but it’s absolutely worth the lack of elbow room.
Cincy Steak and Lemonade 2607 Vine St., Clifton Cincy Steak and Lemonade is the place to get the most bang for your buck. For just $6 you can get a gyro cheeseburger, fries and a drink. Not to mention their super colorful lemonades, with flavors ranging from rainbow to blue raspberry, and pina colada. With only a few booths in the restaurant, it’s a cozy spot for fast, casual bites. Photo via Facebook.com/Cincys Photo: Facebook.com/cincys
Maki Express Ramen House 209 W McMillan St., Clifton Formerly a sushi restaurant, Maki Express opened a new chapter serving up Ramen and other Japanese dishes. The restaurant is small and intimate, and the atmosphere is a great mixture of modern and traditional. Sit down and enjoy a steaming bowl of tonkotsu ramen, or dive into an order of takoyaki. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Cheapside Cafe 326 E. Eighth St., Downtown With a menu featuring kale salads, breakfast sandwiches with pimento cheese and modern espresso drinks (like the bubbly chinotto, with housemade tonic, espresso and soda), along with an interior decked out with a white floor, rustic wood seating and live plants, the ambiance feels decidedly West Coast — especially when you glance at the patio. The focal point of Cheapside’s al fresco seating is a large wooden tepee, constructed out of slatted cedar, in which you can sit at a bright red table (when the weather is warm) while enjoying a cortado and challah French toast. Photo: Paige Deglow
Please 1405 Clay St., OTR Tucked away on Clay Street in Over-the-Rhine, Please serves modern and artful small plates. Chef Ryan Santos helmed Please as a gypsy pop-up from 2011 to 2016 and the design of the cozy brick and mortar is note-perfect down to the very instagrammable bathroom. Please offers a multi-course tasting, à la carte and bar menu with options like beef tartare and apple aebleskivers. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Le’s Pho and Sandwiches 3 E. Court St., Downtown This tiny Vietnamese restaurant located on downtown’s Court Street is owned by Hai and Le Bui. The family whips up authentic, addicting and delicious food for dine-in or carry-out. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Django Western Taco 4172 Hamilton Ave., Northside In the heart of Northside is laid-back Django Western Taco. The eatery recently moved to a smaller space further north on Hamilton Ave., and is now BYOB. Menu items are made from scratch. Photo via DjangoNorthside
The Root Beer Stand 11566 Reading Road, Sharonville 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 and secret-recipe chili for their famous foot-long coney dogs. Open seasonally. Photo: Sami Stewart
Keystone’s Mac Shack 249 Calhoun St., Clifton The Mac Shack, a macaroni and cheese-specific outpost of the local Keystone Bar & Grill chain, offers cheesy concoctions with band-inspired names and creative toppings. Pick up a Fleetwood Mac (mozzarella, tomatoes, basil) or Gordon Lightfoot (chicken, ham, swiss). Either way, you don’t have to cook and you can trick your kids into eating their veggies. The eatery is mostly take-out, but offers a few stools for folks who can’t wait until they get home. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Thai Express 213 W. McMillan St., CUF This little gem brings authentic Thai cooking and culture to Cincinnati. Located near the University of Cincinnati, Thai Express has been fueling both students and professionals for over 20 years. Their signature Pad Thai dish is a favorite among many, but do not be fooled; the number of delicious traditional dishes spans way beyond that, from Thai-style fried rice (Kao Pad) and Thai red curry (Gaeng Daeng). Photo: Paige Deglow
Herb and Thelma’s 718 W. Pike St., Covington Opened in 1939 as Heine’s Cafe, the small drop-ceilinged dining room is what some may call a “hole in the wall,” but the simple and delectable burgers are made to order and served by an incredibly friendly staff. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Yum Yum Chinese Restaurant 909 Race St., Downtown This authentic Chinese restaurant has served the community for over 40 years. Cincinnati’s first Sichuan-Hunan style restaurant, the eatery is owned and operated by an older couple named Tom and Mei Li. Upon entering, you are sent back in time to the 1970s with wood paneling, nostalgic photographs, ephemera and a rather robust television complete with antennas sitting on the dine-in bar. The petite dining space in the back is more ornate, but remains in a ’70s time warp. While the ambiance may seem confusing, there’s no doubt that this restaurant serves up some of the best Chinese food in the city. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Alabama Fish Bar 1601 Race St., Over-the-Rhine You can often find this spot packed to the door on weekend afternoons. Located on the corner of Liberty and Race streets, Alabama Fish Bar has been frying up some of the best cod and whiting in the city for over 15 years. The restaurant is cash and carry-out only, but offers a bartop for those who want to eat their meal before they make it out the door. Photo via Facebook.com/AlabamaFishbar
Peace Cafe 2507 Clifton Ave., Clifton This Christian-based restaurant and cafe offers breakfast and lunch specials all day from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. What Peace Cafe lacks in size, they make up for in their fresh food, hot coffee and smiling faces. Photo: Paige Deglow
Tucker’s Restaurant on Vine 1637 Vine St., Over-The-Rhine This small family-owned eatery has been serving up classic diner dishes since 1957. Through the decades Vine street has seen many changes, but Tucker’s has never budged. With Findlay Market around the corner, Joe and Carla Tucker have been able to put a fresh twist on many classics, as well as have a steady source of produce for their housemade condiments and goetta. From vegetarian chili to double decker burgers, there’s a little something for everyone. They have survived fires, riots and the steady march of time to serve up comfort to Cincinnati — and we’re not just talking about the food. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Zip’s Cafe 1036 Delta Ave., Mount Lookout Zip’s has been doing burgers right in its tiny dark-paneled dining room since 1926. If you’re feeling like a light meal, order a classic Zip burger with fresh, flame-broiled meat from local butcher Avril-Bleh & Sons, nestled in a toasted honey-egg bun from Klosterman Baking Company, and a side of super crispy onion rings. Or go big with the Train Wreck, a Zip burger topped with shaved ham, the aforementioned split grilled mettwurst and three types of cheese. And watch for the toy train making its way on a track along the ceiling. Photo via Facebook.com/Zips.Lookout
Taqueria Valle Verde 6711 Vine St., Carthage Another great taqueria serving Latin-American fare next door to a tienda, but this is a full-on sit down experience. There are plenty of great Mexican and Guatemalan dishes on Valle Verde’s huge menu, including many that feature delicious carne asada, chorizo, nopale, seafood and other favorites. Try the super tacos stuffed full of chorizo and steak. They also have a wide array of tortas — delicious Mexican sandwiches featuring your choice of meat. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Adeep India 211 W. McMillan St., Clifton This little Indian gem located near University of Cincinnati has a cozy, colorful interior and a few tables for dining in. The restaurant may be minimum-frills, but the food is spectacular. To-go servings are gigantic and come in Styrofoam containers. Photo: Paige Deglow
Chung Ching Restaurant 5842 Hamilton Ave., College Hil This tiny Chinese restaurant, located on the main drag in College Hill, is one of the best examples of a real mom-and-pop joint. They serve up some of the best Chinese in the city, offering a traditional menu. Photo via Facebook.com/ChunchChingRestaurant
Tercer Dia 915 Madison Ave., Covington Delicious Guatemalan food in Covington. They offer a small menu of around five items at a time, but what the restaurant lacks in variety, ambiance and seating, they make up for in flavor. Photo: Paige Deglow
Asiana 3922 Edwards Road, Hyde Park This petite eatery in Hyde Park offers made-from-scratch Thai and Japanese dishes in a relaxed environment. Photo via Google Maps screen grab
Izen’s Drunken Bento 212 W McMillan St., Clifton Best known for their daily half-priced specials, Drunken Bento was voted “Best Sushi” by University of Cincinnati students. The name says it all: It is the hub for drunken college kids after a night out, but still perfect for a date night. This restaurant may be tiny, but their portions are generous. Photo via Facebook.com/IzensDrunkenBento
Krishna Indian Restaurant and Carryout 313 Calhoun St., Clifton Krishna is the University of Cincinnati’s best kept secret. The tiny restaurant offers both carry-out and dine-in with a handful of booths to choose from, dishing out plates such as saag paneer and chicken tikka masala. Be careful, the food can get spicy ranging on a 1-7 spice scale. Photo: Paige Deglow
Maranata Store 1215 Rulison Ave., West Price Hill This spot is attached to a great Guatemalan corner store in West Price Hill. Don’t let the humble setup fool you — their tacos, burritos, tortas and seafood soups are authentic, fresh and delicious. The tacos are among the best in the city and topped with a refreshing radish slaw. There are only a handful of tables, but each has its hot sauce game on lock. Don’t forget to grab a churro on the way out. Photo via Facebook.com/MaranataStore
Proud Rooster 345 Ludlow Ave., Clifton This daytime diner is Clifton’s secret portal to the West Side. The old school joint has been serving up cheap eats for generations, serving both breakfast and lunch classics. Known for their crispy chicken, the Proud Rooster is a great quick-stop to get your diner fix. Photo via Facebook.com/ProudRoosterRestaurant
Darou Salam 4163 Hamilton Ave., Northside Although humble in appearance, it is the place for authentic African food. Darou Salam offers Senegalese cuisine from Lamb Dibi — grilled lamb paired with an onion-mustard sauce — to Firir — fried whole tilapia with the head on, but don’t be scared; it’s tasty — and Bissap Sorrel, a famous Hibiscus juice and Senegalese favorite. Photo via Contributed by Owner to Google Photos Photo: Contributed by Owner to Google Photos