Every year, CityBeat publishes the Best Of Cincinnati®, wherein readers and staffers alike pick which bars are the booziest, which people are the coolest and which shops are your best bet for dropping a pretty penny. Cincinnati and chili go together like oyster crackers and hot sauce (another Cincinnati delicacy). That makes it no surprise that there are a ton of restaurants in the Queen City with delicious chili on the menu, whether you want a good, old-fashioned Cincinnati-style chili heaped on top of spaghetti and drowned in cheddar or more traditional, BBQ-style chili. As for our readers, keep scrolling to see the places they enjoy frequenting for this savory goodness.

Lucius Q 1131 Broadway St., Pendleton Sporting a modern industrial vibe, Lucius Q’s mission of “peace, love & BBQ” aims to bring everyone together with the help of their menu of authentic barbecue, Southern-style sides and a variety of craft beers, cocktails and spirits. The meat comes from Avril-Bleh and is smoked low and slow over oak and cherry wood. Get it on a sandwich, featuring bread from local bakeries, or by the pound with a side of their creamy mac ‘n cheese or flavorful collard greens. Photo: facebook.com/luciusq
No. 10 Best Chili (Non-Chain): The Chili Hut 390 Loveland-Madeira Road, Loveland Photo: Hailey Bollinger
No. 8 Best Chili (Non-Chain): Melt Revival 4100 Hamilton Ave., Northside Must-Try Chili Dish: Vegetarian 3-Way: Melt’s Cincinnati-style black bean chili over spaghetti and topped with white cheddar. A vegan option is also available. Photo: facebook.com/MeltRevival
No. 4 Best New Restaurant: Pig Candy BBQ 5901 Kellogg Ave., California Photo: Provided by Pig Candy BBQ
Bard’s Burgers & Chili 3620 Decoursey Ave., Latonia This eatery is tucked in downtown Latonia, but is certainly worth the drive. Located in a former chili parlor, 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). Photo via Facebook.com/Bardsburgers1 Photo: Facebook.com/Bardsburgers1
Empress Chili 7934 Alexandria Pike, Alexandria The first splattering of Cincinnati chili can be traced back to two brothers: Tom and John Kiradjieff, immigrants from Argos, Orestiko, a town in the now-Northwestern region of Macedonia-Greece. James Papakirk, a first-generation immigrant from Greece, now owns the brand. In addition to the usual crop of double decker sandwiches and ways, Empress offers some zany takes on old favorites: individual chili pizzas with cheesy, saucy fare on dough and the tough-to-pronounce “spagoney,” which swaps out hot dogs for noodles. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Best Neighborhood Burger Spot (East Side) Winner: Zip’s Café Runners-up: Arthur’s, The Turf Club Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Price Hill Chili 4290 Glenway Ave., Price Hill Generations of West Side patrons have grown up on this iconic, family-owned restaurant’s diverse, fairly priced menu. Having expanded several times over the years, there are now multiple dining areas and a full-service attached cocktail lounge called Golden Fleece. They’re set apart from other chili joints by their liquor license and full menu, which features an excellent Greek salad (with secret-recipe dressing), specialty sandwiches, steaks, all-day breakfast and amazing homemade macaroni and cheese on Fridays (available after 1 p.m.). Photo: Marci Rhodes Photo: Marci Rhodes
Pleasant Ridge Chili & Restaurant 6032 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge This local multi-generational diner has been serving Cincinnati-style chili and American classics for over 50 years. They also offer chili to-go and late-night eats, like french fries topped with everything from chili to cheese to gravy. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
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

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...