In 2022, the Greater Cincinnati area welcomed a lot of new and exciting restaurant concepts to the local dining scene. From tried-and-true favorites opening new locations to newcomers with offerings ranging from soul food to authentic Mexican sweets to classic BBQ, here is just a sampling of the new restaurants that opened in the Tri-State this year.

Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Daylily 3751 Eastern Ave., Columbia Tusculum Daylily Deli — chef Jose Salazar and Deeper Roots Coffee’s New York-style bodega — opened in Columbia Tusculum in August. The menu features everything from the New York staple egg on a roll with American cheese, a chopped cheese sandwich (with ground beef, cheese, banana peppers, sauteed onion, lettuce, tomato and special sauce on a hoagie) and even an egg cream coffee soda. Photo: Catie Viox
Element Eatery Food Hall 5350 Medpace Way, Madisonville Element Eatery Food Hall held its grand opening in September, welcoming 10 food vendors to Madisonville, including barbecue joint Four Mile Pig; Little Easy, a Po Boy Shop, a New Orleans-style sandwich and gumbo shop and Latin American eatery MashRoots, which specializes in Puerto Rican mofongo. The food hall can seat up to 400 people inside and more than 200 across three outdoor terraces. Photo: Provided
Soul Secrets 1434 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine This OTR spot doesn’t just offer soul food – their recipes tell the story of owner Candice Holloway’s family. “Our recipes – that’s what we bring to the table. They’re historic, they’re traditional, they are original, they’re from scratch, they are made with love.” Photo: facebook.com/Soul Secrets
Ford’s Garage 2692 Madison Road Suite 115, Norwood This Florida-based beer-and-burger chain with a tie to Henry Ford — as in the Ford Motor Company — recently opened in Rookwood Commons & Pavilion. Ford’s Garage, based out of Fort Myers, Florida — where Henry Ford had a winter home — is an official licensee of the Ford Motor Company and plays off that aspect by channeling a “1920s service station/prohibition bar” vibe. The menu is focused on black angus beef burgers. According to the restaurant, the burgers are dressed with “natural aged cheeses, fresh toppings, and sauces on artisan buns branded with the Ford’s Garage logo.” Photo: Provided by Ford's Garage
Dulce Pecado 567 Main St., Hamilton This family-owned cafe features classic American treats alongside authentic Mexican sweets and paninis. If you’re looking to try fresa con crema (strawberries and cream), paletas (a popsicle made with fresh, frozen fruit), bolis (ice cream in a tube) and mangonada, which is a frozen mango treat usually made with chamoy and chile lime seasoning, head to Dulce Pecado. The cafe opened in November and is hosting a raffle to win a free menu item from now until Wednesday, Dec. 14. Photo: facebook.com/Dulce Pecado
Symposium 2835 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills Symposium opened in East Walnut Hills this spring, sporting a relaxed Hemingway cafe-style atmosphere. The cantina features a snack bar, along with a coffee bar that converts into a wine bar later in the day and avian-themed cocktails, dubbed “birdtails.” Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Royce 501 Vine St., Downtown Modern French brasserie Royce opened at The Foundry, 3CDC’s $51 million development in the building that previously housed the downtown Macy’s, this August. Described as “a French-leaning dining experience,” Royce features a raw bar and an open-air kitchen and dining room that’s inspired by European markets, New York City brasseries and French delicatessens. Photo: Catie Viox
Flavors of the Isle 1807 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine Findlay Market welcomed Jamaican soul food restaurant Flavors of the Isle to its fold in October. The restaurant and bar is owned by Detroit-native-turned-long-time Cincinnati resident Ebony Williams and specializes in its famous Jamaican jerk chicken. Flavors of the Isle got its start as a member of the Outdoor Market and Findlay Kitchen, a nonprofit supporting local food entrepreneurs, and was started as a way to address the shortage of ethnic eateries in Cincinnati, says Williams. Photo: Provided by Findlay Market
Sleepy Bee Cafe – College Hill 5920 Hamilton Ave., College Hill Sleepy Bee, which offers brunch and lunch options focused on fresh, local ingredients, opened its newest location in August as part of College Hill’s Keymark Development revitalization project. The new cafe is serving all the favorites – from buttermilk pancakes to avocado toast to breakfast sandwiches, plus plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. Photo: Khoi Nguyen
MamaBear’s Mac at Grainworks Brewing Comapny 7790 Service Center Drive, West Chester Food truck MamaBear’s Mac opened its first brick-and-mortar location inside Grainworks Brewing Company’s taproom in October. They’re continuing to serve up their award-winning mac and cheese flights alongside new offerings like the Vermont Farm Burger, The Italian, Vermont Grilled Cheese and Grainworks Nachos. Photo: James Czar / Grainworks Brewing Company
Milkman 1106 Race St., Over-the-Rhine Milkman opened in the former Revolution Rotisserie spot in OTR this September. The concept is a mix of modern and vintage, serving up diner favorites like smash-style burgers and fries along with classic dishes with a spin, such as boozy milkshakes and a bacon-wrapped hot dog. facebook.com/Milkman OTR
Photo: Casey Roberts
Genki Ramen – Oakley 3200 Vandercar Way, Suite 5, Oakley Popular Japanese-style ramen restaurant chain Genki Ramen this year opened its third location, this time in Oakley. You can choose from over ten different types of ramen — like their shio paitan, which consists of an enticing blend of chicken broth, kikurage mushrooms, bamboo shoots, fish cakes, a soft boiled egg and barbecue pork. You can visit other Genki Ramen locations in Mason and West Chester. Photo: facebook.com/GenkiRamen
Mi Cozumel 3100 Vandercar Way, Oakley; 11700 Princeton Pike, Springdale; 8565 Winton Road, Finneytown; 511 N. Broadway St., Lebanon If you can brave the long wait on the weekends, Mi Cozumel is an amazing place to enjoy a night. Their menu features massive imaginative margaritas (one even comes in a Patron bottle), street tacos and popular flaming fajitas. Photo: facebook.com/Mi Cozumel #3 Oakley
No. 2 Best Brunch: Taste of Belgium Multiple locations including 16 West Freedom Way, Downtown; 1135 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine Photo: Brittany Thornton
Barleycorn’s Brewhouse 402 Licking Pike, Wilder Northern Kentucky chain Barleycorn’s opened its first brewhouse, described as a “new twist on a classic, hometown brand,” in August. The brewhouse focuses on featuring local craft beer and food plus their own house-made brews and eats from their test kitchen. They also have a selection of signature cocktails. Photo: facebook.com/Barleycorn's Brewhouse
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
The Arepa Place 131 W. Elder St., Over-the-Rhine Breakfast/Brunch: 9 a.m.-noon Saturday; 10 a.m.-noon Sunday Never had an arepa? This is the place to learn why the rest of the world is catching on to these Latin American delights in a hurry. Originally launched as a Findlay Market pop-up tent by native Colombian Isis Arrieta-Dennis, The Arepa Place now has a brick-and-mortar market spot from which to serve its traditional corn flour street food specialty. Each arepa is grilled then sliced and stuffed with fillings ranging from mozzarella cheese and chorizo to fried plantains and black beans. The space might prove unassuming for a brunch spot due to its relatively small dining area, but the eatery offers top-notch breakfast food, with alcohol, which makes this a quirky off-the-radar (until now) brunch destination. Must Try: The arepa de huevo — a deep-fried cornmeal sandwich stuffed with egg and ground beef — along with a beer; Presidente, a Dominican pilsner, is worth a try. They also serve aguapanela, which is sugarcane water with lemon. Each dish comes with one salsa, but extra sides of the condiment are only $1 if you want to try a variety. — SMP Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Mama’s on Main 621 Main St., Covington Mama’s on Main, from restaurateurs Emily Wolff and Paul Weckman, opened in March, bringing traditional, pasta-oriented Italian fare to Covington. The goal is to provide the neighborhood with traditional red-sauce Italian fare, starting with basic spaghetti and meatballs. Simpler dishes include popular standards such as cacio e pepe and rigatoni with vodka sauce. Photo: Catie Viox for Zest Cincy
Son of a Butcher Steakhouse 7630 Gibson St., Suite 110, Liberty Township The team behind Agave & Rye seems to have conquered the eccentric taco world and this year set their sights on steakhouses. Son of a Butcher – also referred to as S.O.B. – opened its doors in Liberty Center in March with the aim to “[evolve] the stuffy steakhouse into something magical.” Along with USDA Prime cuts, wagyu, caviar and shaved truffles, there is also a wagyu burger, a lobster roll, a chicken chopped salad and black truffle gnocchi. Photo: RMD PR
La Cantina is located in the former Cheapside Cafe space downtown Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Y’All Cafe 50 E. Rivercenter Blvd., Covington This cozy eatery opened in the RiverCenter complex in October and features everything from omelets and avocado toast to burgers, salads and sandwiches, plus a selection of boozy beverages like local beer, bloody marys, mimosas and cocktails. You can also order a signature dish, like the Y’all Super Quiche, made with shallots, bacon and gruyére cheese, or a more veggie-forward item, like the Thai lettuce wrap. Photo: facebook.com/Yall Cafe RC
Tickle Pickle at Listermann Brewing Company 1621 Dana Ave., Evanston One of Cincinnati’s favorite burger joints opened another location to tickle patrons’ tastebuds. Tickle Pickle began serving their rad burgers, with names like Breadzepplin and Nom Petty, at their satellite spot at Listermann Brewing Company in October. Photo: facebook.com/Listermann Brewing Company
Nasu Japanese Steakhouse 165 Pavilion Parkway, Newport This hibachi spot opened this summer in Newport, offering traditional Japanese food. Along with hibachi offerings, Nasu also serves bento boxes, sushi, sashimi and tempura dishes. Photo: facebook.com/Nasu Japanese Steakhouse
The Filson 25 E. Freedom Way, The Banks Described as an “upscale sports bar,” The Filson offers craft cocktails, local beers and “beertails.” For food, they’ve got “elevated sport bar dishes” featuring items like The Porkopolis Burger — topped with barbecue sauce, bacon, cheese, pickles and fried onions — and the Explorer’s Club sandwich — which comes with roasted chicken, Black Forest ham, Applewood-smoked bacon and cheddar and jack cheese. Photo: facebook.com/The Filson
Shiners on the Levee 1 Levee Way, Newport Newport on the Levee got a new casual barbecue spot this December. Shiners on the Levee offers a traditional barbecue with smoked meats, plus appetizers, salads, sandwiches and sides. Photo: facebook.com/Shiners on the Levee
Catch-a-Fire Pizza – Lebanon 511 N. Broadway St., Lebanon Popular pizzeria Catch-a-Fire Pizza opened its third location in November – this time in the heart of historic downtown Lebanon.The pizzeria serves up its authentic, hand-crafted Neapolitan-style pizzas, as well as sandwiches, salads, wood-fired wings and housemade desserts. It also has over 20 beers on tap, including local craft favorites, and wines from California and Italy. In addition to its taproom and dining area, it also has a indoor/outdoor bar and patio and the Broadway Room, a reservable event space with a private bar and patio. Photo: Catch-a-Fire Pizza
Heyday 1527 Madison Road, East Walnut Hills This new burger joint in East Walnut Hills is sizzling with promise. Hailing from the owners of O Pie O, Heyday opened in the former pie cafe location on April 6. Owner Lou Ginocchio tells CityBeat in an email that Heyday will serve up a simple menu “using high-quality ingredients with employees who get the respect they deserve.” Guests can dine in or carry out flattop-smashed burgers and a side of Heyday’s unique hand-cut, dry-cured fries. Guests can also indulge in burgers and all of the fixings in the restaurant’s dining room, patio space or across the street at The Growler House, where they can order the full Heyday menu and get it delivered to their table. Photo: Provided by Heyday
Green District 33 E. Sixth St., Downtown; 11255 Reed Hartman Highway, Blue Ash; 257 Calhoun St., Clifton Green District, a popular Louisville-based fast-casual chain known for its salads, grain bowls and wraps, opened three locations in the Greater Cincinnati area this year: Fountain Square in Downtown, Blue Ash and Clifton. The chain also has plans to open two other locations in the Tri-State by mid-2023. Photo: Provided by Green District
Warped Wing Brewing 5650 Tylersville Road, Mason Dayton-based Warped Wing Brewing Company opened its Mason location in February. The 13,000-square-foot location — in the former Brazenhead and Basil’s on Market space — features a large taproom with many of Warped Wing’s popular beers, like the Trotwood Lager, and collaboration with Mason-based Sonder Brewing, Ryesing Tides. The food menu features smoked wings plus loads of sandwiches, tacos, platters and sharable options that feature house-smoked meats. Photo: Provided by Warped Wing Brewing Company
Fuel 1218 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine Taste of Belgium founder Jean-François Flechet’s new eatery Fuel is aimed at providing “meals for healthy lifestyles that are nutritionally inspired.” That means a menu stocked with grain bowls and salads topped with proteins and veggies. Photo: instagram.com/@eatatfuel
Luca Bistro 934 Hatch St., Mt. Adams A taste of Southern France came to Mt. Adams in October with the opening of Luca Bistro. The restaurant serves croissants and coffee for breakfast along with full-service lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The menu includes dishes like chicken Provencal, steak frites and the “84 Burger,” which pays homage to head chef Frederic Maniet’s hometown of Vaucluse, France. Photo: Ashley Moor
Fifty Fifty Gin Club 35 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine Attached to Homemakers Bar, which describes itself as a slightly retro, mostly modern cocktail bar, Fifty Fifty Gin Club, which opened this past summer, offers around 60 different gins, from locally distilled to imported Japanese varieties alongside representatives from seemingly every distinguished gin-producing region. The cocktail menu runs the gamut (or gimlet) of all of gin’s expressions, making it an alluring destination for juniper lovers. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Rosie’s Italian 300 E. Seventh St., Downtown Crown Restaurant Group (Crown Republic Gastropub, Losanti, La Cantina) has refreshed and reopened one of its downtown eateries. The former Rosie’s Cocktails & Pints — which temporarily closed in August — has been transformed into Rosie’s Italian. Helmed by chef and owner Anthony Sitek, the menu focuses on family recipes and traditions. Diners can expect scratch-made pastas, Italian-style main dishes and the same New Jersey-style pizzas Rosie’s was previously known for. The menu is divided into antipasti, shareables, primi (pastas), secondi (entrees) and pizza. There are options like stromboli, Puglian orecchiette with sausage and broccolini, chicken piccata and a Tie-Dye Pizza with vodka sauce, tomato sauce and pesto.The goal is to embody the feeling of a Sunday Italian supper. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
El Camino Baking Co. 5915 Hamilton Ave., College Hill College Hill is now home to El Camino Baking Co., owned by Ryan Morgan, who gained national attention as owner and head baker of Sixteen Bricks, and pastry chef Megan Ketover, who’s established a great reputation in the industry as executive pastry chef for Boca and, more recently, Khora and Hart & Cru. As of the opening date in late August, the bakery offers an assortment of pastries — think seasonal fruit tarts, croissants and other elevated fare — and for bread, there’s cardamom and apricot bread made with khorason ancient grain flour, pain de Campagne, schiacciata made with Yocora Rojo flour, whole wheat “Super Seed” loaves and spelt-made baguettes and pretzels. The menu rotates because, as Morgan puts it, El Camino gives him the chance to make bread that he wants to bake. The bakery serves coffee along with all of its carb-centric offerings and is set to add pizza to the menu in the near future — once Morgan builds out the rest of the building, which will include a dining room. Photo: Sean M. Peters
Alice OTR Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Sen by Kiki 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine Sen by Kiki offers fish and other aquatic cuisine, including freshly shucked oysters ready to enjoy right at the market with all the fixings. For those obsessed with oysters, Sen by Kiki will become a new favorite spot at Findlay Market. The stand has been keeping a variety of mollusks available to buy individually or by the bucket. Photo: Maggy McDonel
Annata Wine Bar and Cellar 2021 Madison Rd., O’Bryonville Cincinnati is not as well known for its wine production as it is its beer, but thirsty locals are cultivating a maturing wine scene that has seen some great additions recently. In May, a local wine veteran popped the cork on his new venture, Annata Wine Bar and Cellar in O’Bryonville. Annata’s bar currently features about 25 wines by the glass plus a few craft beers and bottled domestic beers. Photo: Maggy McDonel
Halloween Bar Crawl 4-10 p.m. Oct. 29 One of two Halloween-themed bar crawls this weekend. Check in at Bloom OTR between 4 and 6 p.m. for an evening of food and drink specials and a costume contest ($1,000 goes to the first place winner). Stops include Liberty’s Bar & Bottle, The Hub, MOTR Pub, Queen City Exchange and Pins. Tickets get you two free drinks or shots. $25. Bloom OTR, 1120 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine. Photo: Provided by Emma Nurre