Sotto Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Sotto Photo: Hailey Bollinger


CityBeat has been in the business of curating the Best Of Cincinnati® for more than two decades, highlighting the city’s most outstanding selections in Arts & Culture, Eats, Shops & Services, Music & Nightlife, City Life and Sports & Recreation. And the responsibility of selecting these exceptional entities is divided between our readers and staff.

This year, half a million votes were tallied to determine our Reader Picks. Readers logged on to the ballot site to vote for their favorites in broad categories like Best New Restaurant, Best Bartender and Best Pizza, with more niche topics including Best Ribs, Best Realtor and Best CBD Retailer. You might not need to know who the Best Used Automotive Dealer is right now, or the Best Lawyer, but when you do, we’ve got you covered.

Now, let’s take a look at the Best Of winners in Eats, as selected by CityBeat readers.

Overall Restaurant

1. Sotto                       

2. The Eagle   

3. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct

4. Incline Public House

5. Primavista              

6. Dewey’s Pizza        

7. Mazunte                 

8. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse

9. Boca           

10. Taste of Belgium      

New Restaurant         

1. Kiki College Hill

2. Libby’s Southern Comfort

3. Chicken Salad Chick

4. Goose & Elder

5. Dead Low Brewing

6. Ripple Wine Bar

7. Forty Thieves

8. Losanti       

9. Tuba Baking Co.

10. Delwood                 

 

Overall Restaurant (Northern Kentucky)

1. Otto’s         

2. Greyhound Tavern 

3. Bouquet Restaurant

4. Walt’s Hitching Post          

5. Agave & Rye           

6. Pompilio’s  

7. KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia

8. Rich’s Proper Food & Drink

9. York Street Café

10. Frida 602              

Neighborhood Restaurant (Downtown/OTR)

1. Nation Kitchen & Bar

2. The Eagle   

3. Sotto         

 

Neighborhood Restaurant (Northern Kentucky)

1. Greyhound Tavern 

2. Otto’s

3. Pompilio’s

Neighborhood Restaurant (Central)

1. Ruth’s Parkside Cafe          

2. Adriatico’s              

3. Quatman Cafe       

 

Neighborhood Restaurant (East Side)      

1. El Coyote (TIE)       

1. Joe’s Pizza Napoli (TIE)

2. Mazunte     

3. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct   

Neighborhood Restaurant (West Side)

1. Incline Public House

2. Price Hill Chili                     

3. Primavista   

Neighborhood Restaurant (Burbs)    

1. Phoenician Taverna

2. Blue Ash Chili

3. Mellow Mushroom

Appetizers      

1. Sotto                      

2. The Eagle               

3. Incline Public House 

Bagels

1. Marx Hot Bagels                

2. Bruegger’s Bagels

3. The Bagelry

Barbecue

1. Eli’s BBQ

2. City Barbeque

3. Lucius Q

4. Montgomery Inn

5. Pickles & Bones Barbecue

6. Sweets & Meats BBQ        

7. Pontiac

8. Just Q’in BBQ

9. Bee’s Barbecue

10. Midwest Best BBQ and Creamery

Beer Selection (Restaurant)

1. Yard House

2. Taft’s Ale House

3. KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia

Wine Selection (Restaurant) 

1. Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant

2. Marty’s Hops & Vines        

3. Somm Wine Bar   

 

Bourbon Selection (Restaurant)        

1. Goodfellas Pizzeria/Wiseguy Lounge

2. The Littlefield        

3. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey 

Breakfast       

1. Sleepy Bee Cafe

2. First Watch

3. The Echo Restaurant

4. Taste of Belgium

5. Sugar n’ Spice Diner

6. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar         

7. The Original Pancake House

8. HangOverEasy

9. Half Day Cafe

10. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey

Brunch

1. Nation Kitchen & Bar         

2. Sleepy Bee Cafe

3. Taste of Belgium

4. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar

5. First Watch

6. Grand Finale

7. Orchids at Palm Court        

8. Lucius Q

9. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey

10. The National Exemplar

Overall Burgers (Chain)         

1. Five Guys

2. Frisch’s Big Boy

3. Red Robin 

Overall Burgers (Non-Chain) 

1. Nation Kitchen & Bar                     

2. Roney’s                              

3. Zip’s Cafe                           

4. Flipdaddy’s             

5. Quatman Cafe                    

6. Tickle Pickle

7. The Turf Club                                  

8. Street Chef Brigade

9. Arthur’s (TIE)                     

9. Krueger’s Tavern (TIE)       

10. Sammy’s Craft Burgers & Beer

 

Neighborhood Burger Spot (Downtown/OTR)

1. Nation Kitchen & Bar         

2. Krueger’s Tavern

3. Arnold’s Bar & Grill

 

Neighborhood Burger Spot (Northern Kentucky)      

1. Herb & Thelma’s Tavern    

2. Bru Burger Bar

3. Flipdaddy’s 

 

Neighborhood Burger Spot (Central)

1. Quatman Cafe

2. Tickle Pickle

3. Gordo’s Pub & Grill

 

Neighborhood Burger Spot (East Side)         

1. Zip’s Cafe

2. Arthur’s      

3. Five Guys

 

Neighborhood Burger Spot (West Side)       

1. Incline Public House

2. Chandler’s Burger Bistro

3. Maury’s Tiny Cove

 

Neighborhood Burger Spot (Burbs)  

1. Quatman Cafe (Mason)

2. Sammy’s Craft Burgers and Beer

3. Flipdaddy’s

 

Burritos          

1. Gomez Salsa

2. Chipotle Mexican Grill

3. The Comet

 

Business Lunch           

1. Skyline Chili

2. Sotto

3. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar (TIE)

3. Lucius Q (TIE)

 

Butcher Shop 

1. Avril-Bleh Family-Owned Meat      Market & Deli

2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 

3. Lehr’s Prime Market

 

Cajun/Creole  

1. J. Gumbo’s

2. Knotty Pine on the Bayou  

3. Allyn’s Cafe

 

Cake Shop      

1. The BonBonerie

2. Nothing Bundt Cakes

3. 3 Sweet Girls Cakery

 

Cheap Eats     

1. Skyline Chili

2. Goodfellas Pizzeria

3. Blue Ash Chili

 

Cheese Shop  

1. Jungle Jim’s International Market

2. Share: Cheesebar

3. The Rhined

 

Cheesesteak   

1. Penn Station

2. 13th Street Alley

3. Melt Revival

 

Chef (w/restaurant affiliation)          

1. Jean-Robert de Cavel (Jean-Robert’s Table, French Crust Café & Bistro, Le Bar a Boeuf, Frenchie Fresh, Restaurant L)

2. Jose Salazar (Salazar, Mita’s, Goose & Elder)

3. Christian Gill (Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey)

4. Danny Combs (Sotto)

5. Scotty Berens (Dead Low Brewing)

6. Daniel Wright (Senate, Abigail Street, Pontiac, Holiday Spirits/Forty Thieves)

7. Alfio Gulisano (Ché, Alfio’s Buon Cibo, The Butcher and Barrel)  

8. Frances Kroner (Sleepy Bee Café, Aster)

9. Kayla Robison (Arnold’s Bar & Grill)

10. Yasel LĂłpez (ESSEN)

 

Chicken           

1. The Eagle

2. Silver Spring House

3. Revolution Rotisserie

4. Chick-fil-A  

5. Ron’s Roost

6. Greyhound Tavern 

7. Joella’s Hot Chicken

8. CityBird

9. Fiery Hen

10. Raising Cane’s      

 

Chicken Sandwich      

1. Chick-fil-A

2. The Eagle               

3. Revolution Rotisserie        

 

Chili (Chain)   

1. Skyline Chili

2. Gold Star

3. Dixie Chili   

 

Chili (Non-Chain)       

1. Camp Washington Chili

2. Blue Ash Chili

3. Pleasant Ridge Chili

 

Chinese          

1. Oriental Wok

2. First Wok

3. KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia

 

Chocolates     

1. Aglamesis Bros.

2. Maverick Chocolate Co.

3. Esther Price

 

Coffeehouse (Local)

1. Coffee Emporium

2. Unataza Coffee

3. The Coffee Exchange of Pleasant Ridge

 

Coffeehouse (National)

1. Starbucks

2. Dunkin’

3. Caribou Coffee

 

Neighborhood Coffee Shop (Downtown/OTR)

1. Coffee Emporium

2. Urbana Cafe           

3. Deeper Roots Findlay Coffee Bar  

 

Neighborhood Coffee Shop (Northern Kentucky)     

1. Carabello Coffee

2. Roebling Point Books & Coffee

3. Left Bank Coffeehouse

 

Neighborhood Coffee Shop (Central)

1. College Hill Coffee Company          

2. Collective Espresso

3. Sidewinder Coffee

 

Neighborhood Coffee Shop (East Side)         

1. Coffee Emporium

2. Deeper Roots Oakley Coffee Bar

3. Luckman Coffee

 

Neighborhood Coffee Shop (West Side)       

1. BLOC Coffee Company

2. Muse Café  

3. White Oak Coffee House   

 

Neighborhood Coffee Shop (Burbs)  

1. Wyoming Community Coffee        

2. Kidd Coffee & Wine Bar

3. Kitty Brew Cafe

 

Cooking Classes         

1. Jungle Jim’s International Market

2. The Learning Kitchen

3. Findlay Kitchen

 

Creamy Whip/Soft Serve       

1. Putz’s Creamy Whip

2. Dairy Queen

3. The Cone

 

Cupcakes        

1. The BonBonerie

2. Abby Girl Sweets   

3. Gigi’s Cupcakes

 

Delicatessen  

1. Izzy’s          

2. Jason’s Deli

3. Silverglades

 

Desserts (Restaurant)

1. Grand Finale          

2. O Pie O

3. Sotto          

 

Desserts (Retail)        

1. The BonBonerie

2. Graeter’s Ice Cream

3. Brown Bear Bakery

 

Overall Bakery (Breads)        

1. Blue Oven Bakery

2. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli

3. Sixteen Bricks

 

Overall Bakery (Sweets)

1. The BonBonerie

2. Brown Bear Bakery

3. Holtman’s Donuts

 

Neighborhood Bakery (Downtown/OTR)      

1. Brown Bear Bakery

2. Holtman’s Donuts

3. Blue Oven Bakery

 

Neighborhood Bakery (Northern Kentucky)

1. North South Baking Co.

2. Butler’s Pantry at RiverCenter

3. Emerson’s Bakery

Neighborhood Bakery (Central)        

1. The BonBonerie

2. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli

3. North College Hill Bakery

 

Neighborhood Bakery (East Side)     

1. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli

2. Busken Bakery       

3. Marcella’s Doughnuts & Bakery

 

Neighborhood Bakery (West Side)    

1. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli

2. St. Lawrence Bakery          

3. Busken Bakery

 

Neighborhood Bakery (Burbs)           

1. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli

2. Holtman’s Donuts  

3. Bluebird Bakery

 

Donuts

1. Holtman’s Donuts

2. Moonrise Doughnuts

3. Dunkin’

Farmers Market         

1. Findlay Market

2. Hyde Park Farmers’ Market

3. Northside Farmers Market

Farmers Market Food Stall    

1. Blue Oven Bakery

2. WoodBottom Quail Farms

3. Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spices

Fish & Chips   

1. Alabama Fish Bar

2. The Pub

3. Nicholson’s Pub

Food Delivery Service

1. DoorDash

2. Uber Eats

3. Grubhub

 

Food Festival or Event

1. Taste of Cincinnati

2. Oktoberfest Zinzinnati

3. Cincinnati Food Truck Association Food Fest

Food Truck     

1. Stellar Street Eats

2. Tacos Locos

3. Red Sesame Korean BBQ

4. Hungry Bros.

5. Fork & Greens        

6. Rollin’ Bowls

7. The Poutine Machine         

8. Empanadas AquĂ­

9. Marty’s Waffles

10. Krimmer’s Italianette Food Truck

 

French Fries   

1. Five Guys

2. Nation Kitchen & Bar         

3. Senate        

 

Frozen Yogurt

1. Yagööt        

2. Orange Leaf

3. Putz’s Creamy Whip

 

Gelato/Sorbetto/Frozen Ice  

1. Aglamesis Bros.

2. Dojo Gelato

3. Graeter’s Ice Cream

 

German          

1. Hofbräuhaus

2. Mecklenburg Gardens       

3. Wunderbar!

 

Gluten-Free Selections          

1. Sleepy Bee Cafe

2. Melt Revival

3. Pho Lang Thang

 

Goetta

1. Glier’s Goetta        

2. Eckerlin Meats       

3. Avril-Bleh Family-Owned Meat     Market & Deli

 

Guacamole    

1. Bakersfield

2. Mazunte

3. Nada

 

Hidden Gem  

1. Joe’s Pizza Napoli

2. Mazunte

3. Incline Public House          

 

Hot Dog/Sausage      

1. Senate        

2. Avril-Bleh Family-Owned Meat     Market & Deli

3. The Root Beer Stand

 

Ice Cream       

1. Graeter’s Ice Cream

2. Aglamesis Bros.

3. United Dairy Farmers        

 

Indian 

1. Baba India Restaurant       

2. Ambar India Restaurant

3. Dusmesh Indian Restaurant

 

Italian 

1. Sotto

2. Pompilio’s

3. Nicola’s Ristorante

 

Japanese        

1. Kiki College Hill

2. Quan Hapa

3. Ichiban Japanese Cuisine

 

Korean

1. BIBIBOP Asian Grill

2. Riverside Korean Restaurant

3. Red Sesame Korean BBQ

 

Late-Night Eatery       

1. Goodfellas Pizzeria

2. Gomez Salsa

3. Skyline Chili

 

Live Music While You Eat      

1. Arnold’s Bar & Grill

2. Lucius Q

3. The Comet

 

Local Farm     

1. WoodBottom Quail Farms

2. Gorman Heritage Farm

3. Carriage House Farm

           

Macaron         

1. Macaron Bar          

2. The BonBonerie

3. Taste of Belgium

 

Macaroni & Cheese   

1. The Eagle

2. Keystone Bar & Grill

3. MamaBear’s Mac

4. Eli’s BBQ

5. Lucius Q

6. Court Street Lobster Bar

7. Keystone’s Mac Shack

8. Street Chef Brigade

9. Joella’s Hot Chicken

10. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse

 

Mediterranean/Greek

1. Aladdin’s Eatery

2. Phoenician Taverna

3. Sebastian’s Gyros


Menu (Most Innovative)        

1. Please        

2. Boomtowm Biscuits & Whiskey

3. Sotto          

Mexican         

1. Mazunte

2. La Mexicana Restaurante Cantina & Tienda

3. Taqueria Mercado

Noodles          

1. Pho Lang Thang

2. Fortune Noodle House

3. Zundo Ramen & Donburi   

 

Outdoor/Patio Dining

1. Incline Public House          

2. Arnold’s Bar & Grill

3. Cabana on the River                      

 

Overall Pizza (Chain)

1. Dewey’s Pizza        

2. LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria

3. Goodfellas Pizzeria

 

Overall Pizza (Non-Chain)   

1. Trotta’s Pizza & Drive Thru

2. Joe’s Pizza Napoli

3. Adriatico’s

4. Taglio                     

5. Strong’s Brick Oven Pizza

6. A Tavola                 

7. Two Cities Pizza Company 

8. Krimmer’s Italianette Pizza

9. Fireside Pizza                     

10. Harvest Pizzeria               

 

Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Downtown/OTR)

1. Goodfellas Pizzeria

2. A Tavola

3. Harvest Pizzeria

 

Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Northern Kentucky)        

1. Dewey’s Pizza        

2. Strong’s Brick Oven Pizza

3. Goodfellas Pizzeria

 

Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Central)   

1. Adriatico’s  

2. Dewey’s Pizza        

3. Fireside Pizza

 

Neighborhood Pizza Joint (East Side)

1. Dewey’s Pizza        

2. Joe’s Pizza Napoli

3. Taglio         

 

Neighborhood Pizza Joint (West Side)          

1. Trotta’s Pizza & Drive Thru

2. Dewey’s Pizza        

3. LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria

 

Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Burbs)     

1. Mellow Mushroom

2. LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria

3. Mio’s Pizza

           

Oysters           

1. Washington Platform Saloon  & Restaurant

2. Rich’s Proper Food & Drink

3. Court Street Lobster Bar

 

Pub Food        

1. Knockback Nats                 

2. Arnold’s Bar & Grill

3. Incline Public House

 

Raw Bar         

1. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse

2. Jeff Ruby’s Carlo & Johnny 

3. Jag’s Steak & Seafood

 

Restaurant Design     

1. Orchids at Palm Court        

2. Sotto                                  

3. Lucius Q     

 

Restaurant for a First Date    

1. Incline Public House

2. Sotto                      

3. Dewey’s Pizza        

4. Nada                      

5. Primavista

6. S.W. Clyborne Co. Provision & Spirits

7. York Street Café     

8. Taft’s Ale House     

9. Rich’s Proper Food & Drink

10. Abigail Street       

 

Restaurant for Fine Dining     

1. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct

2. Sotto          

3. Orchids at Palm Court        

4. Boca

5. Primavista

6. Nicola’s Ristorante

7. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse

8. Jeff Ruby’s Carlo & Johnny 

9. Restaurant L           

10. S.W. Clyborne Co. Provision & Spirits

 

Restaurant for Large Parties  

1. Montgomery Inn    

2. Moerlein Lager House       

3. Lucius Q

 

Restaurant to Take a Foodie  

1. Sotto          

2. Please        

3. Jean-Robert’s Table

4. Abigail Street (TIE) 

4. Lucius Q (TIE)

5. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey

6. Salazar                   

7. The Eagle   

8. Boca           

9. S.W. Clyborne Co. Provision & Spirits

10. Bouquet Restaurant

 

Restaurant to Take the Kids  

1. Skyline Chili            

2. Dewey’s Pizza                    

3. Chick-fil-A  

 

Restaurant to Take Visitors   

1. Montgomery Inn Boathouse         

2. Incline Public House          

3. Skyline Chili

           

Ribs    

1. Montgomery Inn

2. Eli’s BBQ

3. Lucius Q

 

Romantic Restaurant

1. Sotto          

2. Primavista

3. Orchids at Palm Court        

 

Salads

1. Dewey’s Pizza

2. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar         

3. Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

 

Seafood          

1. Pelican’s Reef        

2. Court Street Lobster Bar

3. Bonefish Grill         

 

Small Plates   

1. Abigail Street         

2. Mita’s         

3. Ché

           

Smoothie/Juice Bar   

1. Rooted Juicery + Kitchen

2. Smoothie King

3. BanaSun Smoothie Bar      

 

Soul Food       

1. Alabama Fish Bar

2. Lucius Q     

3. Island Frydays

 

Soup   

1. La Soupe

2. Pho Lang Thang

3. Zoup!

 

Specialty Food Market           

1. Jungle Jim’s International Market

2. Findlay Market       

3. Kremer’s Market

 

Steakhouse    

1. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct

2. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse

3. Jeff Ruby’s Carlo & Johnny

 

Subs/Sandwiches      

1. Melt Revival                       

2. Jersey Mike’s         

3. Penn Station

 

Sushi  

1. Ichiban Japanese Cuisine

2. Cloud 9 Sushi

3. Wabi Sabi

4. Izen’s Drunken Bento

5. Asian Paradise (TIE)

5. Mr. Sushi (TIE)       

6. Wild Ginger

7. Fusian

8. Mei Japanese Restaurant

9. Green Papaya

10. E+O Kitchen          

 

Tacos  

1. Mazunte

2. Condado Tacos

3. Taco Casa

4. Agave & Rye           

5. Bakersfield

6. Tortilleria Garcia

7. Gomez Salsa

8. La Mexicana Restaurante Cantina & Tienda

9. Street Chef Brigade

10. Django Western Taco      

 

Takeout          

1. City Barbeque        

2. Dewey’s Pizza        

3. Gomez Salsa

 

Tea Selection 

1. Churchill’s Fine Teas

2. Coffee Emporium

3. Jungle Jim’s International Market

 

Thai    

1. Bangkok Bistro

2. Thai Express

3. Green Papaya

 

Vegetarian     

1. Fork & Greens

2. ESSEN

3. Melt Revival

 

Veggie Burger

1. Fork & Greens        

2. Nation Kitchen & Bar

3. ESSEN

4. Krueger’s Tavern

5. Rollin’ Bowls

6. Tickle Pickle

7. S.W. Clyborne Co. Provision & Spirits

8. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar (TIE)

8. The Pony (TIE)       

9. Arthur’s

10. Taste of Belgium 

Vietnamese   

1. Pho Lang Thang

2. Wild Ginger

3. Quan Hapa

View From Your Table

1. Incline Public House          

2. Primavista

3. Montgomery Inn Boathouse

Waitstaff/Service      

1. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct

2. Sotto          

3. Dewey’s Pizza        

Waterfront Dining     

1. Montgomery Inn Boathouse         

2. Moerlein Lager House       

3. Buckhead Mountain Grill

Wings 

1. Knockback Nats

2. Buffalo Wings & Rings

3. Buffalo Wild Wings

4. Wild Mike’s

5. Northside Yacht Club

6. Lucius Q

7. The Oak Tavern

8. Fiery Hen

9. Shooters Sports Grille

10. Smokin Butts Barbeque

This article appears in Best Of Cincinnati 2020 (12098053).

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