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 & Culture, Eats, Shops & Services, Music & Nightlife, City Life and Sports & Recreation. Each year, readers and staff select their favorites in each category. The following is Part 2 of the winners from our Best Eats category. From neighborhood burger joints to wings, here are the best places in Cincinnati to satisfy any craving you’ve got.

See Part 1 here.

No. 7 Best Takeout: Mazunte 611 Main St., Downtown; 5207 Madison Road, Madisonville Mazunte has been long-hailed as a “hidden gem,” but hopefully this will finally put it on the map as a Cincinnati institution. Their Madisonville and Downtown Cincinnati restaurants mix casual order-at-the-counter dining with authentic, high-quality Mexican cuisine. Mazunte offers pork tacos, chile relleno, tamales and margaritas, and while both restaurants offer carryout, they have another Madisonville location specifically for takeout, delivery and catering. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Neighborhood Bakery (Burbs) Winner: Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli Runners-up: Holtman’s Donuts (Loveland), Wyoming Pastry Shop Photo: facebook.com/servatii
Best Neighborhood Bakery (Central) Winner: The BonBonerie Runners-up: Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli, North College Hill Bakery Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Brown Bear Bakery 116 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine Brown Bear Bakery first started in 2012 and has become increasingly popular every year. It grew from just a table with some pastries to a full retail bakery, featuring a variety of desserts. Lines can be long, sometimes out the door, but getting to try popular items like the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Twist or the Coffee Cake is worth any wait. Online ordering starts at 9 a.m. each day they are open. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Neighborhood Bakery (West Side) 1. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli, servatii.com 2. Busken Bakery, busken.com 3. St. Lawrence Bakery, Facebook.com/SaintLawrenceBakery Photo via Facebook.com/Servatii Photo: Facebook.com/Servatii
Photo: Paige Deglow
Best Neighborhood Bakery (West Side) Winner: Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli Runners-up: Regina Bakery, Cakes & Pastries By George Photo: facebook.com/servatii
Fifty West Burger Bar 7605 Wooster Pike, Newtown Fifty West Brewing Company continues to build upon their Columbia Township empire with the addition of the new Fifty West Burger Bar, an homage to the 1950s roadside root beer stand. Offering a variety of proteins (including the vegetarian-friendly ‘Beyond patty’), each is offered in 12 different ways, named for the 12 different states U.S. Route 50 travels through. Photo: Savana Willhoite Photo: Savana Willhoite
No. 1 Best Veggie Burger: Tickle Pickle 4176 Hamilton Ave., Northside Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Live Music While You Eat Winner: Arnold’s Bar & Grill Runners-up: Dee Felice Cafe, The Comet Photo: Maggy McDonel
Best Neighborhood Burger Spot (East Side) Winner: Zip’s Café Runners-up: Arthur’s, The Turf Club Photo: Hailey Bollinger
No. 8 Overall Burger: Bard’s Burgers & Chili 3620 Decoursey Ave., Latonia So, you like burgers but do you really love burgers? Located in a former chili parlor in Latonia, Bard’s specializes in both burgers and Cincinnati-style chili (hence the name). Burgers are made with fresh, never-frozen ground chuck, infused with spices, seared on a flattop and served on a toasted bun. Their Chili Cheese Burger is made with their own Cincinnati-style chili and topped with American cheese, lettuce, pickle and mayo; the Purist strips it down to just beef and the bun; and the Donut Burger comes topped with American cheese, lettuce, pickle and mayo on a donut bun from neighboring Moonrise Doughnuts (add bacon and make it a 5.0 Burger). But if you want to go big, like really big — and we’re not just talking deep-fried Twinkie big (also on the menu) — Bard’s offers the Bardzilla Challenge. For this food feat, diners must eat an 11-patty Bardzilla burger (each topped with cheese and weighing in at one-third of a pound), plus two pounds of fries in 60 minutes or less. Also voted one of the Top 3 Best Neighborhood Burger Spots (NKY). Bardzilla Challenge | Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
The Restaurant and Bar Scene Chili is king here, but we also have a lot more to offer in the food and drink scene. From fine dining to cheap, but delicious street food, we’re a growing foodie city with a lot of flavor and a selection of bars with vibes ranging from chill to raging. Photo: facebook.com/InclinePublicHouse
Best Neighborhood Coffee Shop (Burbs) Winner: Wyoming Community Coffee Runners-up: Kitty Brew Cafe, Luckman Coffee Photo: facebook.com/wyomingcommunitycoffee
Mom ‘n ’em Coffee & Wine Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Neighborhood Coffee Shop (East Side) Winner: Coffee Emporium (Hyde Park) Runners-up: Deeper Roots Coffee, Awakenings Photo: Emerson Swoger
Best Neighborhood Coffee Shop (East Side) Winner: Coffee Emporium (Hyde Park) Runners-up: Mom ‘n ’em Coffee and Wine (Madisonville), Deeper Roots Coffee (Oakley) Photo: Google Maps
No. 3: Roebling Point Books & Coffee 306 Greenup St., Covington As the name suggests Roebling Point, is both an indie bookstore and community coffee shop. Owner Richard Hunt likes to refer to it as a “third place” — that space that isn’t work or home but feels just as comfortable. Roebling Point has created its niche by providing fair-trade, organic coffee in addition to books and by sharing profound quotes on the chalkboards on the building’s exterior. Multiple rooms house a customer-influenced book inventory. Fiction and non-fiction works rest among local authors, poetry, children’s books and a handful of classics. Photo: Francisco Huerta Photo: Francisco Huerta
BIGGBY Coffee Photo: Provided by Biggby Coffee
Best Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Burbs) Winner: Dewey’s Pizza Runners-up: A Tavola, Two Cities Pizza Co. Photo: Provided by Dewey's Pizza
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
Goodfellas Pizzeria 1211 Main St., Over-the-Rhine; 6099 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge; 603 Main St., Covingvton Goodfellas Pizzeria features New York-style pizza in a 1920s-inspired setting. The wait in a literal line to try their popular pizza can be long, especially on the weekends, but it’s worth it. Alongside their giant slices and pies, other menu items include calzones, salads and their signature meatball sub. For an extra dose of carbs, grab a breadstick the size of your arm. Plus a side of their housemade ranch dressing. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Dewey’s Pizza Multiple locations This popular pizza chain offers a slew of creative pies — from barbecue chicken to a Killer Veggie — plus a nice selection of wine and local brews on tap. Each location also boasts large windows to see into the kitchen, allowing guests to watch their pizzas being made. Kids are encouraged to watch as cooks roll and hand-toss dough, add ingredients and put the finished product in the oven; adults are more than welcome, too. Photo via Facebook.com/DeweysPizza Photo: facebook.com/DeweysPizza
Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria 336 Monmouth St., Newport; 1990 N. Bend Road, Hebron; 10336 US Highway 42, Union; 1 E. High St., Lawrenceburg; 8974 Reading Road, Reading Old World Pepperoni: This 10-inch Old World Style pizza begins with a base of sliced mozzarella, homemade red sauce and pepperoni. It’s then baked to perfection in Strong’s Italian brick oven. Almost Famous Hot & Spicy: A 10-inch pie featuring buffalo cream sauce, mozzarella, jalapeños and bacon and topped with Grippo’s BBQ Chips for an amazing, crunchy kick. Photo: Provided by Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria
Best Best Neighborhood Pizza Joint (West Side) Winner: Dewey’s Pizza Runners-up: Trotta’s Pizza Drive Thru, LaRosa’s Pizzeria Photo: Provided by RMD Advertising
Silver Spring House 8322 E. Kemper Road, Hazelwood This cult-favorite chicken eatery will be open for carry-out, catering and gift cards with kitchen hours 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Please call 513-489-7044 for carry-out or catering. Curbside carry-out is also available. Photo via Facebook/silverspringhouse Photo: Facebook/silverspringhouse
Quatman Cafe 2434 Quatman Ave., Norwood; 224 West Main St., Mason Since 1966, Quatman has provided Cincinnatians with cheap burgers, soup and “the coldest beer in town.” There are canned beers as well as a draft selection and rotating seasonal brews. They’ve also got daily specials where you can get a main dish plus fries and a drink for $10. Photo: facebook.com/Quatman-Cafe
Sotto 118 E. Sixth St., Downtown “Every time I go to Sotto I’m shocked by how they manage to elevate the experience. Tonight I went for a prix doze dinner and had the chance to try all my favorites, branzino, cacio e pepe, goat cheese grilled bread. Add to that the stellar service in the cellar and I see why it takes months to get a reservation here. As always, GET DESSERT. The doughnuts are the draw, but you have to have the budino as well. So great!” -Leah S. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Neighborhood Restaurant (East Side) Winner: Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct Runners-up: Mazunte, Dead Low Brewing Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Neighborhood Restaurant (Northern Kentucky) Winner: Pompilios Runners-up: KungFood AmerAsia, Greyhound Tavern Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Incline Public House 2601 W. Eighth St., Price Hill Named after the Cincinnati incline that traveled to Price Hill, Incline Public House features a gorgeous view of the city as well as New American eats for brunch, lunch and dinner. The menu includes pizzas, burgers, salads and even cheesesteak, plus a great bloody mary at brunch. It’s a popular and busy restaurant, so be prepared for wait. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
No. 1 Best New Restaurant: Opal Rooftop Restaurant & Bar 535 Madison Ave., Covington Stunning views of Cincinnati and Covington and specially curated and intentional design elements that shift as you move throughout Opal Rooftop Restaurant & Bar will have you thinking you’re dining in a real gemstone. The design, lighting and food are a mood, the latter of which is an experience driven by the restaurant’s Grillworks wood-fired grill, the only one of its kind in a two-hour radius. This unique grill drives Opal’s open-fire grill and wine-forward menu, which features dishes made from fresh, local fare and products, and the craft cocktail menu and wine selection have been curated to complement the dishes. Menu recommendation: The Chicken: Al pastor yogurt chicken with carrots, charred onion, whipped feta, fennel pollen and piquillo peppers. Photo: facebook.com/OpalRooftop
Best Soup Winner: Pho Lang Thang Runners-up: La Soupe, Zoup! Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Outdoor/Patio Dining Winner: Incline Public House Runners-up: Cabana on the River, Little Miami Brewing Co. Photo: Paige Deglow
Best Overall Bakery (Breads) Winner: Blue Oven Bakery Runners-up: Sixteen Bricks, Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli Photo: Facebook.com/SixteenBricks
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 Overall Burgers (Chain) Winner: Five Guys Burgers & Fries Runners-up: ​​BRU Burger Bar, Culver’s Photo: Marcel Heil/Unsplash
No. 1 Overall Best Burger (Non-Chain): Zip’s Cafe 1036 Delta Ave., Mt. Lookout Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Burbs) 1. Dewey’s, deweyspizza.com 2. Mio’s Pizza, miospizza.com 3. Mellow Mushroom, mellowmushroom.com Photo: facebook.com/deweyspizza Photo: facebook.com/deweyspizza
Taglio Bar & Pizzeria 56 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine Taglio is an upscale take on pizza and Italian food, making several things fresh daily from sourced ingredients. They have New York- and Detroit-style pizzas. The more traditional New York-style pizza features a thinner crust that tastes like bakery-quality bread on its own, but the savory and slightly sweet sauce, dense layer of cheese and pepperoni baked into a perfectly crispy bowl steal the show. The Detroit-style pizza has a delicious buttery, crispy baked outer crust that’s a gargantuan of flavor surrounding the thick, baked dough with a full layer of perfectly greasy mozzarella, a dollop of chunky tomato sauce and, in this case, large slices of pepperoni. They also offer a curated wine and beer list, cocktails, appetizers, salads and gelato. The OTR location is also a sports bar and a Pub Partner of FC Cincinnati. It’s a perfect spot to watch the game, with 25 TVs, NFL Sunday Ticket and 14 drafts on tap. And, when the weather’s nice, you can take your pizza and drinks out on the patio. Photo: Facebook.com/EatTaglio
Best Restaurant to Take a Foodie Winner: Sotto Runners-up: Salazar Restaurant, Ivory House Photo: facebook.com/sottocincinnati
Walt’s Hitching Post 3300 Madison Pike, Fort Wright Walt’s Hitching Post is a kick-back, casual place where everybody knows your name. Open in some iteration since the 1950s, classic menu items include Walt’s Legendary Fried Chicken, Steak Diane and fried green tomatoes with chicken livers. All steaks are dusted with a unique seasoning blend and charred to perfection. On Fridays, Kosher-salt encrusted prime rib is on special — while it lasts. This is a hot spot for regulars and locals, so try to make a reservation in advance. If you can’t, be prepared for a wait on weekends or try to squeeze in at the bar, where you can request a dram of their more than 100 bourbons. Photo: Paige Deglow Photo: Paige Deglow
Best Overall Restaurant (Southeast Indiana) Winner: Third & Main Runners-up: Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria, Whisky’s Restaurant Photo: facebook.com/3rdandMainFood
Best Oysters Winner: Knotty Pine on the Bayou Runners-up: Swampwater Grill, Jeff Ruby’s Photo: Facebook.com/KnottyPineontheBayou
No. 2 Best Overall Bar/Club: Northside Yacht Club 4231 Spring Grove Ave., Northside Photo: Catie Viox
No. 4 Best Restaurant to Take a Foodie: Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 505 Vine St., Downtown Photo: facebook.com/JeffRubysSteakhouse
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
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
Best Italian 1. Sotto, sottocincinnati.com 2. Pompilio’s, pompilios.com 3. Nicola’s, nicolasotr.com Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Steakhouse Winner: Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct Runners-up: Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, Walt’s Hitching Post Photo: facebook.com/Jeff Ruby's Precinct
Montgomery Inn Boathouse 925 Riverside Drive, Downtown World-famous for its ribs, Montgomery Inn has been a staple in Cincinnati for more than 60 years. Along with ribs, the Inn offers barbecued spring chicken, silver salmon, pulled-pork sandwiches, burgers, salads and more, including everyone’s favorite: Saratoga chips served with their famous barbecue sauce. The restaurant also offers a stunning view of the water and the city skyline. Photo: Paige Deglow Photo: Paige Deglow
Best Romantic Restaurant Winner: Sotto Runners-up: Primavista, Orchids at Palm Court Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Chil (Chain) Winner: Skyline Chili Runners-up: Gold Star, Dixie Chili Photo: Provided by Skyline Chili
No. 1 Best Restaurant for Waterfront Dining: Montgomery Inn Boathouse 925 Riverside Drive, East End Photo: facebook.com/MontgomeryInnBoathouse
Montgomery Inn 9440 Montgomery Road, Montgomery; Montgomery Inn Boathouse, 925 Riverside Drive, Downtown World famous for its ribs, Ted and Matula Gregory’s Montgomery Inn has been a staple in Cincinnati since 1951. Matula’s secret-recipe sweet and tangy all-natural barbecue sauce dresses the hand-spiced, slow-roasted and custom broiled ribs and is featured on everything from barbecue spring chicken and pork chops to Saratoga chips. Photo: facebook.com/MontgomeryInnMontgomery
Best Romantic Restaurant Winner: Sotto Runners-up: Primavista, Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Salads Winner: Dewey’s Pizza Runners-up: Aladdin’s Eatery, Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse Photo: facebook.com/DeweysPizzaOakleySquare
Best Seafood Winner: Pelican’s Reef Runners-up: Ivory House, Atwood Oyster House Photo: Liz Davis
Mita’s 501 Race St., Downtown Chef Jose Salazar is a continent away from his mamita and the hand-cranked mill she still uses to grind corn for arepas and empanadas, but his restaurant, Mita’s, is a tribute to her spirit and to Spanish and Latin American food. Some of the more intriguing dishes at Mita’s use familiar ingredients in new ways. The fresh emerald-green sauce for the short-rib empanadas is unexpectedly minty, and the beef is tucked into cornmeal crusts so light and crisp that it lifts the dish to the sublime. They also have one of the best margaritas in town. Photo via Facebook.com/MitasCincinnati Photo: facebook.com/Mita's Cincinnati
Best Smoothie/Juice Bar Winner: Rooted Juicery + Kitchen Runners-up: Tropical Smoothie, Smoothie King Photo: Jesse Fox
Alabama Fish Bar 1601 Race St., Over-the-Rhine Get in line at the Alabama Fish Bar and you’ll be rewarded with some of the best fried fish in the city: a choice of whiting, perch or cod served atop a pile of fries resting on a bed of white bread. A side of sautéed peppers, onions and hot sauce make it a spicy, lip-smacking experience. Located on the corner of Liberty and Race streets, you can often find this corner store packed to the door on a weekend afternoon. Photo: Facebook.com/AlabamaFishBar
Pho from Pho Lang Thang 1828 Race St., Over-the-Rhine Pho Lang Thang offers dishes like hot pho soup, spring rolls and the ever-popular banh mi sandwiches. Order from a wide variety of pho options, ranging from brisket and meatballs (Nạm, Bò Viên) to vegan mushroom pho or tendon and tripe (Gân, Sách). Grab some Lang Thang Vietnamese Coffee hot or iced. Photo: Khoi Nguyen
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: junglejims.com
Best Steakhouse Winner: Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct Runners-up: Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, Jeff Ruby’s Carlo & Johnny Photo: facebook.com/JeffRubysPrecinct
Best Subs/Sandwiches Winner: Jersey Mike’s Subs Runners-up: Carl’s Deli, Pig Candy BBQ Photo: facebook.com/jerseymikes
Best Sushi Winner: Ichiban Japanese Restaurant Runners-up: Cloud 9 Sushi, Wabi Sabi Photo: acw.asianati.com
Agave & Rye Multiple locations Diners flock to Agave & Rye to enjoy its vibrant murals and funky decor while chowing down on unique tacos, with proteins including kangaroo, duck, crab cakes, lobster, crispy cauliflower, fries and crispy chicken — in addition to more familiar bases like steak, pork carnitas and mahi mahi. Try the Crown Jewel, a double-shelled taco with butter-poached lobster, shiitake mushrooms, mac and cheese, truffle oil and shaved green onions if you’re in the mood for a unique flavor combination. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Takeout Winner: Dewey’s Pizza Runners-up: City Barbeque, Gomez Salsa Photo: Provided by Dewey's Pizza
Best Tea Selection Winner: Churchill’s Fine Teas Runners-up: Jungle Jim’s International Market, Mom ‘n ’em Coffee & Wine Photo: Hailey Bollinger
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
Best Vegetarian Winner: Aladdin’s Eatery Runners-up: Tuba Baking Co., Melt Revival Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Tickle Pickle: Buns N’ Roses 4176 Hamilton Ave., Northside *Not pictured* Our house-made vegan black bean burger with spicy ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. Photo: Provided for Cincinnati Burger Week
Pho Lang Thang 1828 Race St., Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati Vietnamese eatery Pho Lang Thang opened their new location across the street from Findlay Market in the fall of 2019, offering a larger space and a fully-stocked bar. Order from a wide variety of pho options, ranging from brisket and meatballs (nam, bo vien) to vegan mushroom pho or tendon and tripe (gan, sach). Pho Lang Thang serves Lang Thang Vietnamese Coffee hot and iced at their establishment, as well as sells coffee beans on their online shop and Amazon. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best View From Your Table Winner: Incline Public House Runners-up: Primavista, Montgomery Inn Boathouse Photo: facebook.com/inclinepublichouse
Best Waitstaff/Service Winner: Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct Runners-up: Tuba Baking Co., Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse Photo: facebook.com/jeffrubysprecinct
Best Waterfront Dining Winner: Montgomery Inn Boathouse Runners-up: Cabana on the River, Buckhead Mountain Grill Photo: facebook.com/MontgomeryInn
Best Wine Selection (Restaurant) Winner: Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant Runners-up: Ripple Wine Bar, Crafts & Vines Photo: facebook.com/chcincinnatioh
Knockback Nats 10 W. 7th St., Downtown Come early for this bar’s daily happy hour between 3 and 7 p.m., where you can enjoy a few beers while eating their popular smoked wings and burgers. Enjoy darts, video golf, video bowling and a jukebox for extra fun. Popular menu items include the aforementioned smoked wings, nachos, chicken tenders, quesadillas, waffle fries and the Knockback Burger, with ground beef, cheese, onion, bacon, fried egg, coleslaw, bbq sauce, smoked brisket or pork. Photo via Facebook/KnockbackNats Photo: facebook.com/KnockbackNats