Margarita Madness At The Purple People Bridge : May 17th

Cincinnati is One of the Best Towns for Foodies, According to Study

Of course we're a top foodie city — have you tried our chili?

Oct 4, 2023 at 1:54 pm

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Photo: facebook.com/InclinePublicHouse

The view of Cincinnati from foodie-favorite restaurant Incline Public House

Those familiar with Cincinnati’s dining scene no doubt know the landscape here is incredibly foodie-friendly, with our roster of highly rated restaurants, bars and breweries; diverse culinary options, including Cincinnati staples like chili and goetta; and an array of spots to match any budget. WalletHub confirmed that, with a new study looking at the United States’ best foodie cities.

On WalletHub’s list, Cincinnati ranked 25th out of 182 U.S. cities, which included the 150 most populous cities, in terms of foodie-friendliness. Neighboring city Louisville ranked 39th, while Indianapolis came in at 43rd, Columbus 55th and Lexington at 99th.

Source: WalletHub

To determine a city’s foodie-friendliness, WalletHub looked at two major dimensions: Affordability & Diversity, Accessibility & Quality. They measured 28 metrics on a 100-point scale across those two categories, including cost of groceries, restaurant meal costs, ratio of full-service restaurants to fast-food joints, number of Michelin-stared restaurants, food trucks per capita and more. Affordability overall was worth 30 points while Diversity, Accessibility & Quality was worth 70.

Overall, Cincinnati scored 55.22. When it comes to affordability, Cincinnati still ranks in the top half of cities at 81st. But we fare much better when it comes to Diversity, Accessibility & Quality, ranking 29th.

The best city for foodies turned out to be Orlando, Fla., in first, followed by Portland, Ore., and Sacramento, Calif.

WalletHub says the data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, Council for Community and Economic Research, Federation of Tax Administrators, Tax Foundation, County Health Rankings, Sale-Tax.com, Numbeo, TripAdvisor and Yelp.

You can read the full study here.

Slideshow

Greater Cincinnati Hidden Gem Restaurants You Need to Try

Good Plates Eatery235 W. McMillan St., CUFGood Plates opened in 2020 with a menu focusing on simple foods and bold flavors. They offer a variety of sandwiches and bowls (of the quinoa and salad variety) for both meat-eaters and vegetarians. Menu standouts include the Adobo Brisket and Cheese sandwich, which features braised brisket in an adobo red wine sauce; the Meatball Sub, made with chorizo and beef and complemented by a sweet red sauce (there's also a vegetarian version); as well as their fried chicken sandwich, which is served cold with pickles and a garlic aioli.

Veracruz Mexican Grill3108 Price Ave., East Price HillLocated 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.

Adriatico’s113 W McMillan St., CUFWhile this may not be a hidden gem to University of Cincinnati students, Adriatico's is a Cincinnati spot that all pizza and beer lovers need to try. They have 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. By the way, the Bearcat Pizza will feed your entire party.

Phoenician Taverna7944 Mason Montgomery Road, MasonPhoenician Taverna serves up superb, authentic Lebanese food in a Mason strip mall. While the menu’s main dishes are primarily meat-based, there’s no lack of options for vegetarians, who 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 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, or the cheese pie (fatayer b’jibne) filled with feta. 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.

Café Alma6111 Montgomery Road, Pleasant RidgeHealth-focused Mediterranean restaurant Café Alma offers delicious but healthy dishes that use high-quality ingredients packed with good flavors. Breakfast offers everything from a build-your-own omelet to four different options of the Middle Eastern breakfast favorite shakshuka. Heading into lunch, they have salad, bowls and sandwiches all packed with fresh ingredients. The restaurant is also certified Kosher.

Galactic Fried Chicken624 Sixth Ave., DaytonDayton, Kentucky’s retro sci-fi-themed Galactic Fried Chicken serves up crispy delights for carnivores and herbivores alike, all made using gluten-free batter. Owned by husband-and-wife team Shane Coffey and Kathy McDonald, the menu features the titular fried chicken, plus chicken tenders, sandwiches and classic sides like fries, deviled eggs, Texas toast and fried pickles. For vegetarians, the jackfruit nugget meal comes with eight nugs, a side of Galactic Sauce, slaw and housemade pickles. Galactic also doesn’t skimp on servings — there’s enough to keep for leftovers or a midday snack.

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About The Author

Katherine Barrier

Katherine Barrier is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s journalism program and has nearly 10 years of experience reporting local and national news as a digital journalist. At CityBeat, she oversees the digital and social media strategies, edits web and print content and writes for the dining and arts...