The Buckeye State is home to countless culinary gems, spanning from Ohio’s southernmost cities to the tippy-top of the north. We may be situated in the Midwest, but don’t let our geographical location fool you, our food scene often finds itself in the national spotlight. From family-owned Italian eateries that have stood the test of time to new dining destinations that are taking cities by storm — these Ohio eateries are absolutely worth the trip.
Schmidt’s Sausage Haus und Restaurant 240 E. Kossuth St., Columbus, (614) 444-6808 Located in Columbus’ German Village, this historic eatery has been a must-visit dining destination for over 50 years. Schmidt family patriarch J. Fred Schmidt moved to Columbus in the early 1880s and started a meat-packing house. Then his son, George L., opened a food stand at the Ohio State Fair. His grandson, George F., eventually opened this iconic restaurant using recipes from the Schmidt family’s prior ventures. Diners can expect authentic German cuisine like wiener schnitzel and haus saurbraten, as well as a variety of sausages and sweets including jumbo cream puffs and German chocolate cake. Enjoy your eats with a side of oom-pah-pah with live music Wednesday through Saturday evenings by Squeezin’ N’ Wheezin’ and Der Musik Masters. Photo via schmitscbus/Facebook
Momo Ghar Multiple locations including 59 Spruce St., Columbus, (614) 463-9664; 1265 Morse Road, Columbus, (614) 749-2901 Nestled in two different Columbus food markets is a shop offering mouth-watering Nepalise cuisine.The family-owned and operated booth is well-known for their made-from-scratch momos, which are Himalayan dumplings that are filled with vegetables and/or meat, but they also offer a variety of other traditional Nepali dishes and drinks. The humble restaurant has seen national attention with a feature in Food & Wine and a visit from Guy Fieri for his Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives show. Photo via momogharohio/Facebook
Marion’s Piazza Multiple locations including 711 Shroyer Road, Dayton, (937) 293-6991 In Dayton, Marion’s Piazza — which opened its first location in 1965 — is an institution. Over the years, the Glass family has stuck to their formula of cracker-like crust (aka Dayton-style pizza), canned sauce, vegetables and bagged cheeses. Yet despite the lack of some fresh ingredients, their pizzas taste damn good. You can even order the crust extra crispy or, god forbid, less crispy. A 9-inch pizza (most cost around $8) is a personal size and can be eaten in one sitting — no shame there. Besides pizza, they also offer subs, pasta and dinner salads (for only $2.49). You don’t have to visit Dayton to get Marion’s, as they thankfully have a location in Mason. Dine-in or get pizza to go. Photo via marions.piazza/Facebook
The Wildflower Cafe 207 E. Main St., Mason, (513) 492-7514 With local farm-raised, grass-fed beef and an extensive wine list that features products from Cincinnati-area vineyards, Wildflower is dedicated to producing the freshest and best-quality food at an honest price. Foods are local, sustainable and seasonable to offer peak freshness. Photo via wildflowercafe/Facebook
Mama DiSalvo’s Italian Ristorante 1375 E. Stroop Road, Kettering, (937) 299-5831 Mama DiSavlo’s ain’t fancy, it’s Italian — or, as someone from Dayton might say, “eye-talian.” Expect big portions of pasta. Classics like homemade cheese ravioli, eggplant parmigiano and manicotti al forno — come with salad and bread. The menu also offers chicken, veal and seafood. Oh! And pizza. Their classic “red sauce” Italian is made with Mama’s recipes from the Abruzzi Molise region of Italy. Photo via mamadisalvos/Facebook
Skyline Chili Multiple locations including 5476 Glenway Ave., Cincinnati, (513) 451-3355; 254 E. Fourth St., Cincinnati, (513) 241-4848; 2711 Water Park Drive, Cincinnati, (514) 336-7009 Skyline is a chain of chili parlors founded by Greek immigrants in Cincinnati in 1949. The Cincinnati-style chili is poured over spaghetti or hot dogs and there are also compatible items like chili burritos, fries and baked potatoes. It’s a Cincinnati staple, though many would say it’s an acquired taste. Photo via skylinechili/Facebook
Lindey’s Restaurant & Bar 169 E. Beck St., Columbus, (614) 228-4343 Lindley’s has been a top-notch Columbus eatery for more than three decades. Offering upscale American cuisine in an elegant setting with impeccable service, it’s no wonder this restaurant stands out from the pack. Restaurant owner Sue Doody worked as an educator, then caterer and taught cooking classes before opening up Lindey’s, with hospitality being her largest focus. The dinner menu offers dishes ranging from carpaccio to shrimp and lobster risotto, or stop by for brunch for fluffy beignets or their popular chicken sausage hash. Make sure to reserve a spot on their absolutely dreamy patio. Photo via lindeysrestaurant/Facebook
Jackie O’s Public House 22 W. Union St., Athens, (740) 592-9686 This Athens-based brewery has a national following for favorites like their Razzwheat beer. The brewery opened a restaurant in 2009, offering a wide variety of dishes ranging from pizzas made with spent grains from the brewing process to extravagant burgers and shareable sides like their seasonal meat and cheese board or their wings brined with their popular Mystic Mama beer. It’s a must-visit destination while spending time in Athens. Photo via vegasfoodiebooziemom/Instagram
The Pine Club 1926 Brown St., Dayton, (937) 228-7463 The Pine Club has been a Dayton mainstay since 1947. The accidental David Lynch fever dream steakhouse features a low-slung 1960s brick exterior, green awning and red neon signage. The Midcentury menu has zero concern for anyone’s arteries: vegetables are topped with hollandaise, marinated herring with sour cream comes as an appetizer and dinners like extra heavy filet mignon or the calves liver and sauteed onions include their famous stewed tomatoes. Their signature Pine Club Red & Bleu Cheese dressing is basically French dressing with chunks of Roquefort and is a must-try. The restaurant is cash only, so come prepared. Photo via anotherpintplease/Instagram
The Eagle Multiple locations including 1342 Vine St., Cincinnati, (513) 802-5007; 790 N. High St., Columbus, (614) 745-3397 The Eagle’s original Cincinnati location is nested inside a retired post office. They have since expanded to Columbus (with an eatery on Short North), as well as Indianapolis and Louisville, Kentucky. The restaurants offer a relatively small menu, comprised of fried chicken, sandwiches, snacks and several side dishes. Booze-wise, they serve a wide variety of beer and have about 15 different brews on tap. The fried chicken is free-range, all-natural and sourced from Ohio farms. Opt for a whole, half chicken (white and dark meat) or a quarter of a chicken (select white or dark). The Southern greens and artichoke dip is a must. Photo via theeagleotr/Facebook
Paesano’s Pasta House 308 S. Campus Ave., Oxford, (513) 524-9100 This cozy Italian eatery is the top spot for townies or college students looking for an elegant evening of incredible pasta, wine and service. The restaurant offers a variety of traditional Italian dishes as well as creative takes on classics. The pesce de mar sopra fettuccini is to die for, as is the filetto di manzo. Photo via indianapoleats/Instagram
Ginko Restaurant 2247 Professor Ave., Cleveland, (216) 274-1200 Since opening this edgy Asian den beneath his eponymous bistro, renowned chef Dante Boccuzzi has avoided shortcuts and cost-cutting measures in the pursuit of crafting Cleveland’s best sushi experience. Grab seats at the horseshoe-shaped bar and dig into spotless sashimi, sushi and rolls. Photo from Scene archives
Luigi’s Restaurant 105 N Main St., Akron, (330) 253-2999 An Akron favorite since its inception in 1949, Luigi’s offers award-winning Italian food in a casual and comfortable environment. This downtown joint not only serves up a variety of fresh-off-the-stove pizzas, but they also offer extra cheesy salads, baked homemade lasagna and other classic Italian bites. Though the restaurant tends to fill up quickly in the evenings, dinner is guaranteed to be worth the wait. Photo via ceseacelia/Instagram
Sotto 118 E. Sixth St., Cincinnati, (513) 977-6886 Sotto is Cincinnati’s hidden basement trattoria — a below-street-level Italian eatery, nestled underneath sister restaurant Boca on Sixth Street downtown. With multiple dining rooms, the kitchen is open to view, including the custom-made wood-fire grill in front and a fresh-pasta room in the back hallway. Menu items include handmade pasta, house-cured salami and big-ticket items like Bistecca Fiorentina, a grilled Creekstone porterhouse steak with daily sides. Sotto sources their bread from Blue Oven and also grows their own herbs and vegetables. The eatery was recently named one of OpenTable’s 100 best restaurants in America. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Orchids at Palm Court 35 W. Fifth St., Cincinnati, (513) 564-6424 Nestled inside Carew Tower’s historic Art Deco Hilton hotel, Orchids hosts a breathtaking feast for the eyes — a perfect backdrop for the seasonally attuned menu that takes advantage of seasonal produce and combines those ingredients with top-quality seafood and meat from a variety of sources. The AAA five-diamond menu features creative, fresh cuisine paired with an award-winning wine list and delicious desserts. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Hot Chicken Takeover Multiple locations including 4198 Worth Ave., Columbus, (614) 532-7435; 59 Spruce St., Floor 2, 614-800-4538; 4203 North High St., Columbus, 614-754-1151 Hot Chicken Takeover has quickly become Columbus’ favorite Nashville-style hot chicken spot. With three Columbus locations and another slated to open outside of the city, it’s no secret that these guys are doing something right. The fast-casual eatery offers fresh, farm-raised chicken with a relatively simple ordering format — pick your meat, heat and sides and then dine on some hot, crispy goodness. Photo via hctnorthmarket/Facebook
The Blue Door Cafe & Bakery 1970 State Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, (330) 926-9774 When in the greater Akron area, make a pit stop for brunch at The Blue Door Cafe & Bakery. Established as a micro bakery in 2009, the place has since become a full-service restaurant offering sandwiches, crepes, viennoiserie, baked goods, house-made breads and more. Photo via The Blue Door Cafe and Bakery/Facebook
Ely’s To Go 850 E. Western Reserve Rd., Boardman, (330) 953-3445 Founded in 2008, Elys To Go is a vegan eatery with a completely plant based menu. Thanks to a constantly-changing menu, the restaurant’s options vary depending on the day of the week (cheesy Monday, Vietnamese Tuesday, taco Wednesday, BLT Thursday, two sandwich Friday), making it so you’ll never have to worry about eating the same meal twice. Photo via healthtreeliving/Instagram
Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse Multiple locations including 700 Walnut St., Cincinnati, (513) 784-1200 and 89 E. Nationwide Blvd., Columbus, (614) 686-7800 This Cincinnati-based steakhouse by owner Jeff Ruby has been in the business of serving up top-notch eats for the past two decades. Since opening their Cincinnati location in 1999, the restaurant has expanded to Columbus, Louisville, Lexington and Nashville. If you love steak you have about a zero-percent chance of being let down with one of Ruby’s — they dry-age their own. There are several non-steak options on the menu, including good seafood dishes, but the cow is king (queen?) at Ruby’s. Photo via jeffrubyssteakhouse/Facebook
Jolly Roger Seafood House 737 E Perry St., Port Clinton, (419) 732-3382 Arriving at Jolly Roger you’ll see plenty of out of town license plates in the parking lot and what seems like an endless line. People come from all over the United States for this seafood house’s yellow perch sandwiches, caught in Lake Erie, which is within eyesight of the establishment. Order with a side of fries or onion rings to complete the delicious lunch. Photo via annie.fruth/Instagram
Whitehouse Chicken 180 Wooster Rd. N., Barberton, (330) 745-0449 In the words of Cleveland’s own Chef Sawyer, going to Whitehouse Chicken in Barberton is a “pilgrimage.” Barberton is known for serving up its own kind of chicken, which is chicken fried in lard to create very juicy meat with a crisp and chewy crust. Whitehouse also has great deals — including a classic dinner special for $7.95 on Tuesdays, and a 4pc Tender Dinner for just $7.50 on Thursdays. Photo via Whitehouse Chicken/Facebook
Uncle Ray’s Place 135 Franklin Ave., Kent, (330) 673-2233 A favorite of Kent State students for over eight decades, Ray’s Place should be lauded for its great food and unbeatable selection of beers — crafted and locally brewed, bottled and on tap. The restaurant serves up classic American food, including the famous MoFo burger: a double cheeseburger with bacon, sautéed mushrooms and “the works.” Photo via bryceryceramey/Instagram
Opens July 15: Osso Farm Restaurant 9145 Old State Rd., Hambden, (440) 230-3600 Outside of Chardon, this 40-acre property is the butcher, the farm and the table all in one. The restaurant is so labor intensive that they’re only open from Thursday to Saturday, with a large multi-course held on Saturdays and an a la carte menu offered on Thursdays and Fridays. A Sunday brunch option is also coming soon! Photo via Angie Balbo/Old Brooklyn Cheese Company/Instagram
Temporarily closed: Chalet in the Valley 5060 OH-557, Millersburg, (330) 893-2550 One of the must-visit destinations in Amish Country, the Chalet is run by the Guggisberg Cheese family. This cute and only moderately kitschy Swiss/Austrian restaurant dishes up crispy veal and pork schnitzel, bratwurst and sauerkraut platters and gently bubbling pots of fondue, all warmly served by dirndl-clad servers. Photo via Chalet in the Valley/Facebook