While there are tons of hip new restaurants CityBeat covers, some of the best restaurants in Cincinnati are unsung heroes. They may not get tons of media attention, but these local neighborhood favorites really show what the Queen City has to offer. You won’t want to miss these.

Al-Madina Market and Grill 6 W. Corry St., Clifton This grocery-plus-restaurant boasts a humble yet comprehensive selection of Middle Eastern staples alongside its open kitchen. The chicken shawarma is lauded by savvy students from nearby University of Cincinnati’s campus. Paired with the spicy garlic potato side dish, this chicken shawarma is a formidably flavorful meal. Photo: Paige Deglow
The Pony OTR 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday-Sunday. 1346 Main St., Over-the Rhine By the looks of it, you’d think The Pony has been around for decades with its honeycomb tile floors, low-hanging green bar lamps and a glowing neon sign luring you in for an old fashioned. Turns out the excellently comfortable dive-bar décor is the machination of hipsters, and we’re not at all mad about it. Cocktails include the Pony Express, grape vodka, blue curacao, lemonade and grenadine, or the Continenal Colt, vodka/Kaluha and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal milk. Great place to watch the game and escape the summer heat. Photo via Facebook.com/ThePonyOTR Photo: facebook.com/ThePonyOTR
Bridges Nepali Cuisine 4165 Hamilton Ave., Northside The restaurant name — Bridges — encourages diners to use food as a means of connecting to new cultures. owner Ashak Chipalu creates Nepalese food using his mother’s recipes. The dishes are rich with spices — like ginger, garlic, cumin, chili pepper and cilantro — that elevate the simple ingredients like chicken, potato, lentils and cauliflower. In addition to its bowls and curries, it’s known for its unique and wide-ranging samosa selection, as well as momos aka Nepalese dumplings. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
9. Teranga Restaurant 8438 Vine St., Hartwell ”Wanted to check out a new place during Black Restaurant Week and this did not disappoint. It’s tucked away in a plaza, but pretty easy to find. Delicious authentic African food right in Cincy, who knew?!? The dibi was cooked to perfection and the red snapper is enough for a family and perfectly grilled. The jerk chicken was so flavorful and spicy! The only miss were the beignets for dessert, but I think it’s because I had high expectations based on my previous experiences in New Orleans. Please check this place out, it’s a great meal!” — Leah S. Photo via Teranga Restaurant’s Facebook Photo: facebook.com/Teranga
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
Wunderbar 1132 Lee St., Covington Wunderbar is truly one of those restaurants that’s considered a “hidden gem.” The authentic German-inspired menu features housemade wursts with locally sourced meats, like the restaurant’s super popular currywurst, a peculiar invention of post-World War II Germany. It’s a spiced sausage served with a ketchup-Worcestershire-curry sauce. The rotating sausage menu is written on a blackboard behind the bar, but a must-try is the giant pretzel, a gigantic, plate-sized pretzel that easily complements any of the bar’s refreshing beers. Photo: facebook.com/wunderbar.covington.3
1. Delwood 3204 Linwood Ave., Mt. Lookout “My fiancée and I wandered into Delwood when both of us were hangry and realized the sushi places down the street were both closed. We were excited to try something new but weren’t being picky because we were starved! So we went in not having any idea about what kind of food Delwood served. Well we were very pleasantly surprised! It’s very welcoming with big trailing plants everywhere and lots of natural light which his well complemented by a warm and approachable staff. Our server explained the concept and menu to us with a few recommendations- we went with a chicken sandwich, chips and guac, and a chop salad. My fiancée has been talking about that chop salad for DAYS now. She says the champagne vinaigrette was out of this world. The guac really stepped up on a traditional recipe with the addition of corn and beans and that kept us really interested. Everything was super flavorful and tasty- they’ve made regulars of us!”— Sami B. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
No. 5: La Mexicana Restaurante Cantina and Tienda (642 Monmouth St., Newport) // No-frills in décor, but all serious with the cuisine, La Mexicana is deemed to be one of the most authentic Mexican restaurants in the area. From asada to bistec to milanesa, they’ve got the meats. But they also serve up a host of veggie options. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
The Hi-Mark 3229 Riverside Dr., East End Located in a renovated 1866 building in the East End, The Hi-Mark is truly a great neighborhood bar that serves up some delicious food. From the owners of Eli’s BBQ and Pho Lang Thang, this spot is just about a block and a half from Eli’s famed barbecue haven. The drinks menu focuses on craft and local beers — both on rotating taps and in bottles and cans. But the food is where it’s really at. With seven different wing sauces (including Eli’s barbecue sauce), pulled pork bánh mì, nacho fries, a veggie Philly and grilled cheese, there’s something for everyone. Photo: Mike Dew
No. 2 Best Overall Bar/Club: Northside Yacht Club 4231 Spring Grove Ave., Northside Photo: Catie Viox
Shaan Indian 3880 Paxton Ave., Oakley Shaan Indian offers Northern Indian cuisine specializing in saag dishes, like the chicken saag and the saag paneer. Don’t miss the spicy lamb vindaloo or the ginger lamb. The daily lunch buffet is also excellent and varied and once you visit. The incredibly friendly owners never forget a face or an order. Photo: shaanindianohio.com Photo: shaanindianohio.com
Chilango Mexican 8944 Columbia Road, Loveland If you’re up in the burbs, you’ve got the check out Chilango Mexican. This spot offers delicious and authentic Mexican food like off-the-cob elote and tons of taco option, including one filled with a roasted poblano pepper. They’ve also got Mexican Coke, margaritas and a couple different beers. Photo: facebook.com/Chilangomxn
Phoenician Taverna 7944 Mason Montgomery Road, Mason Phoenician Taverna serves up superb, authentic Lebanese food in a Mason strip mall. The menu lists fewer than a dozen main dishes, but vegetarians can make a meal out of mezza here. Appetizers are listed in three sections: cold mezza vegetarian, hot mezza vegetarian and not vegetarian. The hot mezza vegetarian list offers mouth-watering items such as a cheese pie and a spinach pie (fatayer b’sbanigh in Lebanese), described as homemade dough filled with spinach, pine nuts and sumac onions in lemon and extra virgin olive oil. There’s also cauliflower with tahini, spicy hot potatoes, beet dip, spiced aged feta and pumpkin kibbeh on the unique list of hot and cold dishes. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
84. Grab some Drive-thru ‘za at Trotta’s Pizza A beverage drive-thru with above-average pizza, including the Lotta Trotta big-ass pie, available in a variety of interesting topping combinations: the Salami Roll-Up (salami, cream cheese, cheddar cheese and provolone), Chili Pizza (chili and cheddar cheese) and Hot Wing (hot wing sauce, bits of blue cheese, chicken and provolone). Have you actually ever been to the West Side if you’ve never been to Trotta’s? Trotta’s Pizza, 3501 Werk Road, Westwood, trottaspizza.net. Photo: Devin Luginbill Photo: Devin Luginbill
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
Dunlap Cafe 1926 Dunlap St., Over-the-Rhine Dunlap Cafe has been operational since 1936 with an emphasis on home-cooked meals, all-day brunch and draft beer. Breakfast sandwiches, omelets and other early morning classics are available all day with a selection of traditional and specialty burger and sandwich options for seriously reasonable prices. Photo: Paige Deglow
Monkey Bar & Grille // As a family-owned operation, this place does not allow any monkey business since its transformation from a biker bar, but they do permit a lot of fun. With a full schedule of live entertainment, food trucks and a large patio that overlooks the Little Miami River, they provide a relaxed and friendly atmosphere to grab a drink and listen to some music with your friends (and pup). 7837 Old 3c Highway, Maineville. Photo: Patty Salas
Gutierrez Deli 1131 Lee St., Covington This Hispanic grocery store/restaurant hybrid serves up real-deal Latin flavor, offering made-to-order dishes ranging from tacos to Mexican entrees and everything in between. Check their Facebook page for daily specials like fresh tamale and items featuring mole poblano, a complex chili-chocolate sauce that typically includes about 20 ingredients. Photo: facebook.com/GutierrezDeli
Adriatico’s 113 W. McMillan St., Clifton Adriatico’s has a huge draft beer selection and 64-ounce growlers to go, plus spicy, garlicky sauce, oversized pepperonis and the super-thick crust that their pizzas are known for. Good luck finding calzones like theirs, too. It’s “madness” every Monday and Tuesday with specials that the college kids can’t turn down. The Bearcat pizza will feed your entire party. Photo via Facebook.com/Adriaticos Photo: facebook.com/Adriaticos
Allyn’s Cafe 3538 Columbia Parkway, Columbia Tusculum This cajun spot has been around since 1991. Cincinnatians can enjoy vegan and gluten-free options with a whole vegan section on the menu that features a jackfruit barbecue sandwich, a vegan chili dog and more. They offer appetizers like fried gator and shrimp, lots of soup and sandwich options plus traditional cajun entrees like the catfish platter and etouffee. Photo: facebook.com/allynscafecincinnati
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
BrewRiver Creole Kitchen 4632 Eastern Ave., Linwood The atmosphere and cuisine at BrewRiver Creole Kitchen brings the spirit of the New Orleans to Cincinnati in a stately 150-year-old building on Eastern Avenue (the former home of Bella Luna). Chef Michael Shields, who earned his chops under Emeril Lagasse, has maintained the favorites from the restaurant’s former iteration as BrewRiver GastroPub and added new items to the menu — broiled oysters, fried green tomatoes with a pecan cornmeal crust and bananas foster bread pudding for dessert. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Knotty Pine on the Bayou 6302 Licking Pike, Cold Spring This Cajun-style restaurant is located off of the Licking River in Kentucky, serving a seafood-lovers paradise. On the menu, you can find anything from oysters, crab, and shrimp to catfish and alligator. This family-owned and -operated restaurant is the perfect place for a little bit of Louisiana culture. Photo: facebook.com/KnottyPineontheBayou
Saigon Subs & Rolls 151 W. Fourth St., Downtown The refreshingly minimal Saigon Subs & Rolls is an underrated and often overlooked Vietnamese destination that serves some of the best tofu in town. Their banh mi sandwiches are a true work of art; between slices of baguette smeared in creamy homemade butter sit pickled carrots and daikon and your choice of seasoned grilled beef or chicken. Photo: Facebook.com/SaigonSubsandRolls Photo: facebook.com/SaigonSubsandRolls