CityBeat has been in the business of curating the Best Of Cincinnati® for more than 25 years, highlighting the city’s most outstanding selections in Arts and Culture, Eats, Shops and Services, Music and Nightlife, City Life and Sports and Recreation. Each year, readers and staff select their favorites in each category. The following is Part 1 of the winners from our Best Eats category. From appetizers to neighborhood bakeries, here are the best places in Cincinnati to satisfy any craving you’ve got.

See Part 2 here.

6. Sotto 118 E. Sixth St., Downtown “The thing that is special about Sotto is that it hits all the marks. Beautiful atmosphere, exceptional service, and wonderful food make an evening there unforgettable.” -Oneya O. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Marx Bagels Plain and combo bagels cut up; samples of tuna salad and egg salad; and two cream cheeses (TBD) Photo: Provided by Marx Bagels
Eli’s BBQ 133 W Elder St., Findlay Market; 3313 Riverside Drive, East End While Eli’s BBQ is well known for hickory-smoked barbecue and signature barbecue sauce, the restaurant offers an allergy and dietary chart for those who are gluten-free, vegetarian or have common food allergies. Anyone is able to find something they can eat at Eli’s, making their experience one-of-a-kind. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Bourbon Selection (Restaurant) Winner: Goodfellas Pizzeria/Wiseguy Lounge Runners-up: The Littlefield, Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse Photo: facebook.com/GoodfellasMainstrasse
Best Breakfast Winner: Sleepy Bee Cafe Runners-up: Sugar n’ Spice, First Watch Photo: facebook.com/sleepybeecafe
Nine Giant 6095 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge Nine Giant is the stuff of legends. Its story begins with a giant named Nine. Though many don’t know, these mythical creatures once called Cincinnati home, guzzling the great brews of the city’s past. But when the city’s once-great brewing ceased, the giants slept, fields and flowers growing over them. Long after, Nine was awakened in Pleasant Ridge; he rubbed his tired eyes, trees still growing atop his head. The giant found a place among the shimmering taps and glistening blue walls of what would become his namesake. There are no flagship beers at Nine Giant — its 10 taps are subject to endless experimentation. You’ll find that general styles remain, but each batch offers an opportunity to swap out flavors and ingredients. Photo: Jesse Fox Photo: Jesse Fox
Sleepy Bee Cafe 3098 Madison Road, Oakley / 8 E. Fourth St., Downtown / 9514 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash At Sleepy Bee, everything from their sammies to their scrambles are top-notch and delightfully tasty even when you yourself are a bit of a sleepy weekend bruncher. If you plan to stop by during peak brunch or lunch hours, be prepared to wait. Standouts include the specialty pancakes, like the Blue Bee Stack, full of blueberries with a maple-blueberry sauce, as well as the light and lovely Bumblebee’s breakfast, a yogurt granola bowl with tasty apricot coulis and tahini. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
No. 5 Best Takeout: Gomez Salsa 107 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine Gomez Salsa in Over-the-Rhine has a walk-up takeout window, so it’s no wonder it made it on this list of best takeout. Between Gomez’s signature turtles — a burrito-sized tortilla stuffed with meat, veggies, salsa and sauce and sealed with a crunchy cheesy kiss — tacos, burritos and fresh drinks, there is something for everyone. Gomez also has a restaurant in Walnut Hills for sit-down dining. Photo: Lindsay McCarty Photo: Lindsay McCarty
Best Local Chain Winner: Skyline Chili Runners-up: Dewey’s Pizza, LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria Photo: facebook.com/SkylineChili
Best Butcher Shop Winner: Avril-Bleh Meat Market & Deli Runners-up: Eckerlin Meats, Jungle Jim’s International Market Photo: Sami Stewart
Knotty Pine on the Bayou 6302 Licking Pike, Cold Spring, Kentucky 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 Photo: facebook.com/KnottyPineontheBayou
Galentine’s Day at the BonBonerie 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 13. $50 a person. The BonBonerie, 2030 Madison Road, O’Bryonville Celebrate your gal friendships at BonBonerie with a light dinner, signature cocktails and beverages, and by decorating your own cupcake to enjoy the event and one to take home. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Late-Night Eatery Winner: Skyline Chili Runners-up: Goodfellas Pizzeria, Anchor Grill Photo: Provided by Skyline
Jungle Jim’s International Market 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield; 4450 Eastgate S Drive, Eastgate Jungle Jim’s is an amusement park for foodies, and not just because of its kitschy statues and animatronics that photograph really well. The huge store (more than 6 acres) contains equal parts weekly shoppers scanning the aisles for super fresh seafood, exotic produce and international eats from more than 70 countries and visitors wandering, mouths agape at the wacky decor, likely with a beer in hand. The singing soup can is a beloved sight to snap a photo of; same goes for the elaborate restroom hidden behind a port-a-potty facade. This Hogwarts of grocery stores offers nearly 1,500 different kinds of hot sauce. The aisle is pretty hard to miss: It’s the one with the giant fire truck on top of it. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Cheesesteak Winner: Penn Station Runners-up: Cincy Steak & Lemonade, Jersey Mike’s Photo: facebook.com/pennstation
Best Chef (w/Restaurant Affiliation) Winner: Jose Salazar (Mita’s, Goose & Elder, Daylily) Runners-up: Jacob Wood (Sotto), Dylan Jones (Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse) Photo: Gina Weathersby
1. The Eagle OTR 1342 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine “There is always a wait when we come to the Eagle, and for good reason! Their menu is not high, but if you’re looking for chicken this is the place to go! Their fried chicken sandwich is excellent, and the southern chopped salad is amazing. Their mac and cheese was alright, but I’ve had better. The biscuits and spoon bread however were outstanding!” — Rachel G. Photo: Facebook.com/TheEagleRestaurant
No. 1 Best Chicken Sandwich: The Eagle OTR 1342 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine Photo: facebook.com/TheEagleRestaurant
Best Chil (Chain) Winner: Skyline Chili Runners-up: Gold Star, Dixie Chili Photo: Provided by Skyline Chili
Camp Washington Chili 3005 Colerain Ave., Cincinnati Named one of the “10 Best Restaurants in Cincinnati” by USA Today, there’s no question as to why Camp Washington Chili has been operating since 1940. It is good eats! Despite having ‘chili’ in the name, this establishment offers many chili-free options, including burgers, grilled chicken, hot dogs, fries, coleslaw and salad. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Chinese Winner: Oriental Wok Runners-up: KungFood AmerAsia, First Wok Photo: Facebook.com/OrientalWok
Best Chocolates Winner: Aglamesis Bro’s Runners-up: Schneider’s Sweet Shop, Esther Price Candies Photo: instagram.com/aglamesisbros
Best Neighborhood Coffee Shop (Downtown/OTR) Winner: Coffee Emporium Runners-up: Deeper Roots, Urbana Cafe Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Coffee Shop (National) Winner: Starbucks Runners-up: Dunkin’ Donuts, Biggby Coffee Photo: Provided by Starbucks
Visit the Foodie Amusement Park That Is Jungle Jim’s International Market Free to wander Jungle Jim’s is an amusement park for foodies, and not just because of its kitschy statues and animatronics. It sells nearly 1,000 different kinds of hot sauce, which makes the Aisle of Inferno (as it’s so dubbed) “the largest retail selection in the United States.” It’s pretty hard to miss — it’s the one with the giant fire truck on top of it. Stop by the bar to grab a glass of wine or a beer while you wander and indulge in several cheese samples. Or, grab ingredients to make a meal together. 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Putz’s Creamy Whip 2673 Putz Place, East Westwood/Northside Putz’s Creamy Whip has been in the family since the day Constantine and Anna Putz opened their first trolley car walk-up ice cream window in 1938. The Putz as we know it — now in a square concrete structure just down the hill from Mt. Airy Forest — is a scoop of summer nostalgia served with a smile. Not much about this place has changed over the past several decades. Of the current generation, Putz descendant Mindy Borgman has been cranking out cones at the creamy whip for the last few decades — all on the same Electro-Freeze machine. Another tradition? Putz’s is cash-only. Despite the hoopla about the vintage ice cream machine and vanilla soft serve, the pineapple sherbet is a must. It is creamy like soft serve and tangy to boot. “Face cones” are also a hot commodity at Putz’s. The soft serve cones are adorned with Necco wafer ears and crunchy googly-eyed candy. Photo: facebook.com/PutzCW
Best Cupcakes Winner: The BonBonerie Runners-up: Abby Girl Sweets, The Cheesecakery Photo: facebook.com/bonbonerie
Best Delicatessen Winner: Izzy’s Runners-up: Carl’s Deli, Jungle Jim’s International Market Photo via facebook.com/Izzy’s
Best Desserts (Restaurant) Winner: Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse Runners-up: Sotto, Cafe Mochiko Photo: facebook.com/JeffRubysSteakhouse
Graeter’s Opens a New Scoop Shop in Union By Katherine Barrier Graeter’s Ice Cream opened a new scoop shop in Union, but it isn’t just any ordinary shop. This Graeter’s is part of a collaboration with other popular Greater Cincinnati brands, Braxton Brewing Company and Dewey’s Pizza, which will soon be opening their own spots next to the new Graeter’s. The dining project, a place for “beer lovers, foodies, families and everyone in between,” according to a 2022 press release, will create a new dining and entertainment hub in Northern Kentucky, which will be centered around a 20,000-square-foot greenspace and beer garden. The companies say in addition to being a foodie destination, they want to have specialty programming, music and events. Photo: Provided by Graeter's
Holtman’s Donut Shop 9558 Civic Centre Blvd., West Chester This Greater Cincinnati-based donut chain might already be familiar to Cincinnati residents, but it’s still worth stopping at their newer location further up I-75 to grab one last sweet treat before heading back down to the city. The family-owned bakery sells yeast and cake donuts made the old-fashioned way, but with a modern twist. Re-experience your favorite childhood cereals on top of a Fruity Pebbles or Lucky Charms round or indulge in a Maple Double Bacon pastry. They even sell a Oreo vegan donut for an animal-product-free sugar high. ASK FOR: A S’mores donut, which features a housemade glob of marshmallow perched on top of a chocolate and graham cracker-coated yeast donut. Photo: Jesse Fox Photo: Jesse Fox
Sip, Bite and Stroll at Findlay Market 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine At more than 150 years old, Findlay Market is Ohio’s oldest continually operated public market. Go for the farmers market, butcher shops, flower stalls, OTR Biergarten and eclectic eats. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Farmers Market Food Stall Winner: Blue Oven Bakery Runners-up: WoodBottom Quail Farms, Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spices Photo: facebook.com/blueovenbakery
Best Fish & Chips Winner: Alabama Fish Bar Runners-up: The Pub, Cock & Bull Public House Photo: facebook.com/alabamafishbar
Best Food Festival or Event Winner: Taste of Cincinnati Runners-up: Oktoberfest, Cincinnati Food Truck Association Festival Photo: Facebook.com/TasteofCincinnati
Food Truck 1. Red Sesame Korean BBQ, redsesamebbq.com 2. Tacos Locos Food Truck, tacoslocosfoodtruck.com 3. Stellar Street Eats, steller-street-eats.business.site Photo via Facebook.com/RedSesameFoodTruck Photo: Facebook.com/RedSesameFoodTruck
Best French Fries 1. Penn Station, penn-station.com 2. Five Guys, fiveguys.com 3. Zip’s Cafe, zipscafe.com Photo: facebook.com/pennstation Photo: facebook.com/pennstation
Best Gelato/Sorbetto/Frozen Ice Winner: Graeter’s Ice Cream Runners-up: Aglamesis Bro’s, Dojo Gelato Photo: facebook.com/Graeters
Hofbrauhaus 200 E. Third St., Newport Hofbrauhaus brings guests back to the German roots of Cincinnati with their Bavarian-style lagers, stouts and witbiers. There’s plenty of shaded seating on the outdoor patio where you can enjoy a giant stein of beer and a full menu of German delicacies. Photo via Facebook.com/hbhnewport Photo: facebook.com/hbhnewport
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
Best Goetta Winner: Glier’s Goetta Runners-up: Eckerlin Meats, Avril-Bleh Meat Market & Deli Photo: instagram.com/tsa
Best Mexican Winner: Mazunte Runners-up: Agave & Rye, Tortilleria Garcia Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Tuba Baking Co. 517 Sixth Ave., Dayton Specializing in artisan sourdough Swabian-style soft pretzels, this German gastropub in Northern Kentucky packs a punch of flavor with its made-from-scratch Southern German cuisine. On the menu, you’ll find fare like Flammkuchen (a sort of German flatbread/pizza), Spätzle (a type of egg noodle) and the Christoph Von Bayern, a massive sandwich topped with pork loin, ham, gherkins, Gouda and a house-made spicy, whole-grain mustard. Tuba Baking Co. also has a bar with German-centric beers, wines, liquors, cocktails and ciders that you can enjoy inside or out in their new “brezelgarten.” Photo: Drew Rath
Senate 1100 Summit Place, Blue Ash Season 21, Episode 6 Senate features delicious, glammed-up hot dog creations, plus appetizers like oysters, poutine and roasted marrow bones. While Fieri visited the former Over-the-Rhine location, you can still get much of the menu at the restaurant’s newer location in Summit Park. Photo: facebook.com/senatepub
No. 10 Northern Kentucky Restaurant: Coppin’s Restaurant & Bar 368 Madison Ave., Covington Photo: Hailey Bolliger
Best Ice Cream 1. Graeter’s, graeters.com 2. Aglamesis Bro’s, aglamesis.com 3. United Dairy Farmers, udfinc.com Photo: Jesse Fox Photo: Jesse Fox
Best Indian Winner: Ambar India Restaurant Runners-up: Jot India, Baba India Restaurant Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Italian 1. Sotto, sottocincinnati.com 2. Pompilio’s, pompilios.com 3. Nicola’s, nicolasotr.com Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Japanese Winner: Ichiban Japanese Restaurant Runners-up: Kiki College Hill, Miyako Sushi & Steakhouse Photo: facebook.com/ichibancinci
Riverside Korean Restaurant 512 Madison Ave., Covington Riverside serves excellent Korean cuisine in Covington. The menu offers traditional rice-based, steaming hot Dolsot Bibimbap with mixed vegetables, a sunny-side up egg and your choice of beef, chicken or tofu. All entrées are served with a delightful selection of traditional side dishes called Ban Chan. Photo: Facebook.com/RiversideKoreanRestaurant
Best Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Northern Kentucky) Winner: Goodfellas Pizzeria Runners-up: Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria, Dewey’s Pizza Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Arnold’s Bar & Grill 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown Open since 1861, Arnold’s is the oldest continuously running tavern in town, complete with dark wood walls, vintage memorabilia and a big ol’ bathtub in the dining room, rumored to have been used to make gin during Prohibition. A Cincinnati classic, it serves up a nice range of lunch and dinner options — pasta, sandwiches and burgers, plus vegan and gluten-free options — at bargain prices. Enjoy a local draft in the outdoor beer garden and almost daily live music. Named as one of the best bars in America by Esquire magazine. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Skyline Chili 290 Ludlow Ave., Clifton Food available 10 a.m.-4 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-3 a.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-midnight Sunday Oh Skyline, what would we do without you? The Skyline in Clifton serves up Cincinnati-style Chili until 3 a.m. weekdays and 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. This faithful Skyline has always been there for us. And until the open light turns off, the door is open, ready to get you to your chili cheesy heaven. Photo via Facebook.com/SkylineChili Photo: acebook.com/SkylineChili
Best Local Farm Winner: 80 Acres Farm Runners-up: Blooms & Berries Farm Market, WoodBottom Quail Farm Photo: facebook.com/80 Acres Farms
Best Local Snack 1. Grippo’s, grippos.com 2. Hen of The Woods, henofthewoodsotr.com 3. Stellar Street Eats’ Pimento Cheese, stellar-street-eats.business.site Photo: facebook.com/grippos Photo: facebook.com/grippos
Best Macaron Winner: Macaron Bar Runners-up: The BonBonerie, Jungle Jim’s International Market Photo: Provided by Macaron Bar
No. 1: Keystone Bar & Grill 249 Calhoun St., Clifton; 313 Greenup St., Covington Photo: Facebook.com/keystoneclifton
The vegetarian combo appetizer with pita Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Agave & Rye Hyde Park 3825 Edwards Road, Hyde Park Diners flock to the restaurant to enjoy its vibrant murals and funky decor while chowing down on unique tacos, with proteins including kangaroo, duck, crab cakes, butter-poached lobster, crispy cauliflower, salt and pepper fries and fried chicken — in addition to more familiar bases like steak, pork carnitas and mahi mahi. With a flagship location in Covington, Agave & Rye’s Hyde Park spot is larger, with a massive patio. Photo: Hailey Bollinger