Cincinnati’s restaurant scene is hot — and it just keeps getting hotter. From scratch-made pasta spots to late-night donut destinations and barbeque in a brewery, the Queen City will have plenty to keep your bellies full this fall.
Nomad 225 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue, Kentucky This new evening gathering place will serve craft cocktails, coffee, wine, beer and donuts out of a renovated vintage 1976 Bristol double-decker bus and a dreamy outdoor courtyard. The space is across the street from Darkness Brewing, formerly the home of Mama C’s Buttercream & Sprinkles bakery. They will host soft openings throughout the fall ahead of their grand opening in spring 2020. Photo: Meagan White
Hops 3400 Vine St., Avondale The 130-seat craft beer garden at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden will feature a handful of local brews, national beers and sustainably-sourced food items. Photo: Provided by the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens
Losanti 1401 Race St., Over-the-Rhine The boutique steakhouse from the team behind downtown’s Crown Republic Gastropub is taking over the former Anchor-OTR space. Its name is a reference to the original Cincinnati settlement of Losantiville, which dates back to 1788. The steakhouse is slated to open this October and will be revamping the space to offer a non-traditional take on the typical white-tablecloth concept, featuring casual seating arrangements for diners, a bar and a patio that overlooks Washington Park and Music Hall. Photo: Provided by Adam Doty
Chicken Salad Chick 6209 Snider Road, Mason Chicken Salad Chick, originally from Alabama, is expected to open another Ohio location on Oct. 8. This development follows the recent Ohio franchise opening in Anderson earlier this fall. Chicken Salad Chick prides itself on being a southern-inspired, fast and casual restaurant. True to their name, the focus is on chicken salads. This franchise will be owned by Mike and Beth Heyd who claim they found their passion for Chicken Salad Chick on a family vacation and plan to focus on family values. Photo via Honey PR
Dead Low Brewing 5959 Kellogg Ave., Anderson A new brewing company is dropping anchor on Kellogg Avenue in Cincinnati’s California neighborhood — within walking distance of Coney Island and Riverbend Music Center. Dead Low Brewing is slated to open its doors on Oct. 10 and will feature a taproom, beer garden and kitchen. Photo: Provided by Dead Low
Tom & Chee 7578 Beechmont Ave., Anderson This local chain, known for tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, is making its way to the East Side with an Anderson Township location in November. The location will sport a fresh interior design and the chain’s all-new menu with an expanded selection of melts, which rolled out earlier this year. Photo: Provided by Tom & Chee
Mesa Loca 2645 Erie Ave., Hyde Park The former Cock & Bull pub location on Hyde Park Square is getting reimagined as a modern Mexican destination called Mesa Loca. The restaurant is slated to open in “late fall” and will start with dinner service, adding brunch and lunch after the grand opening. Mesa Loca will seat 200 with a menu featuring locally-sourced ingredients transformed into shared plates and tacos, with tequila pairings. The bar menu will also offer wine and mezcal, plus cocktails, sangria pitchers, Mexican beer on tap and “interactive seasonally changing beverages.” Photo: Provided by Peerless
Drunken Hog BBQ 629 York St., Newport This local barbecue pop-up and catering service will open a permanent location in Newport this fall. Drunken Hog BBQ offers traditional barbecue favorites like pulled pork, pulled chicken, smoked sausage, brisket, wings and ribs, plus a variety of sides. Photo via Facebook/DrunkenHogBBQ
Catch-a-Fire Pizza 9290 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash Popular food truck and Oakley’s favorite brewery/pizzeria announced on Oct. 3 their plans to open a second location in downtown Blue Ash early 2020. The new location will be a full-service restaurant, with a bar and bottle service. The dining and bar spaces will offer a casual atmosphere with a view of the kitchen where chefs will be making the pizzas. In warmer seasons, guests will be able to enjoy a spacious outdoor patio. Photo: Provided by Catch-a-Fire Pizza
Pepp and Dolores 1501 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine Thunderdome Restaurant Group — the team behind The Eagle, Bakersfield, Currito and Maplewood Kitchen and Bar — plans to open a new concept this November at the corner of 15th and Vine streets. Italian cuisine will be the focus of this eatery, with a pasta-heavy menu. Photo: Paige Deglow
La Ofrenda 30 Findlay St., Over-the-Rhine Gorilla Cinema, the group that created Tokyo Kitty and Video Archive, will open a retro Mexican cinema bar concept near Findlay Market this fall. Inspired by the owner’s grandparents, the bar will serve up drinks such as tequila, mezcal and sotol in its small, indoor space with an outdoor patio. Photo via Facebook/LaOfrendaTequila
Agave and Rye 7125 Fountain View Drive, Liberty Township Inventive taco spot Agave & Rye will be taking its tasty tacos to the ‘burbs of Greater Cincinnati in October. The new location will be at 7125 Fountain View Drive in Liberty Township’s Liberty Center. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Davis Cookie Collection 4926 Reading Road, Bond Hill Christina Davis, a graduate of University of Cincinnati and the Mortar Entrepreneurship Academy, is taking her Findlay Kitchen cookie bakery to a permanent location in Bond Hill. Davis Cookie Collection bakes more than 15 varieties of cookies as well as muffins and fudge brownies. Photo via Facebook/DavisCookieCollection
Fillo Bake Shop 1505 Race St., Over-the-Rhine The family-owned café will feature Greek pastries, coffee beverages and cocktails on Race Street in Over-the-Rhine. It’s slated to open mid-November. Photo: Provided by Fillo Bake Shop
Sugar n’ Spice OTR 1203 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine Sugar n’ Spice, the classic Cincinnati breakfast restaurant known for its wispy pancakes, is opening a second location at the former Joe’s Diner in Over-the-Rhine by this winter. The location will have the same menu and hours of operation as its Reading Road location in Paddock Hills. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
North South Baking Co. 471 Elm St., Ludlow, Kentucky North South Baking Co. will open a brick-and-mortar shop by the end of this year. The bakery produces artisan baked goods with a focus on local and sustainable ingredients. Expect handmade breads and pastries like peach cruffins, pistachio rose croissants, apricot and raspberry pocket pies and savory options like croissants filled with local beets, arugula and feta — as seen in these drool-worthy photos on their Instagram. Photo via Facebook/NorthSouthBakingCo