Cincinnati is full of amazing restaurants, whether you’re looking for BBQ, Italian, tacos or our staple: Cincinnati chili. But we all have one favorite, and sure that favorite might just be based around you enjoying the food at this one establishment more than anywhere else, but we think it goes deeper than that.
There are a lot of factors beyond food that go into what makes one restaurant your favorite: the dining experience, the atmosphere, the memories you made there, these all play a role in making a place our favorite, and that says a lot about you. Keep scrolling to see what CityBeat thinks your favorite restaurant says about you.
Price Hill Chili
You have a collection of violet-colored clothing that tells the world you bleed purple, and your favorite thing to do on a Friday night in the fall is watch Elder play in The Pit. Your first date ever was probably a group one, everyone cramped together in one of Price Hill Chili’s vintage diner booths and falling in love over a plate of cheese fries. 4920 Glenway Ave., West Price Hill.
Skyline Chili
Cincinnati is in your blood and you love everything about this city, right down to its misunderstood chili. You practically worship at the altar of Fountain Square: You’re at every Reds, Bengals and FC Cincinnati game possible; your favorite chips are Grippo’s BBQ; and you can’t wait for all your out-of-town friends and family to try Skyline. You also cried a little bit when they switched from Pepsi to Coke products, but you’re a loyal diner who isn’t happy unless you have a plate of spaghetti smothered in chili and topped with cheese in front of you. Multiple locations.
Sotto
You’re a romantic who plans ahead (you made these reservations months ago, after all) and thinks well-made Italian food is the ultimate symbol of love. The rustic, basement trattoria atmosphere; the low lighting; the delicious food — it’s gotta be amore for Sotto. You wouldn’t work this hard for any other restaurant in town. 118 E. Sixth St., Downtown.
Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse
You’re a little bit flashy — maybe even a LOT flashy — but you have champagne tastes, appreciate grandeur and know life is meant to be lived, baby. The opulence of Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse and its menu of the finest steaks, sushi, drinks and desserts sets your bejeweled soul on fire, and you can’t wait to share a photo of it all on Insta later. 505 Vine St., Downtown.
Anchor Grill
You’re a person who enjoys a little nostalgia and needs a place where you can still enjoy a cigarette in a vinyl booth with a cup of coffee and all-day breakfast, and Anchor Grill still offers this simple pleasure. The diner and its nautical decor, knick-knacks, wood-paneled walls, well-worn barstools and kitschy-in-the-best-possible-way jukebox (it features an animatronic Jazz band with nine handmade puppets and a Barbie doll) all combine to take you back to a sweeter era and relieve some of that existential dread of the modern day. 438 W. Pike St, Covington.
Eli’s BBQ (East End)
3313 Riverside Drive, East End
You enjoy being out in nature, as long as that nature includes eating BBQ in the open air. You own a grill that you’ve named, as well as a “Kiss the Cook” apron you don every time you fire up that grill. There’s something about the smokiness of the grill and the sound of tongs putting meat on a plate at a barbecue, especially when the birds and bugs are out humming, that makes you feel connected with the outdoors, even if you’re just at a picnic table in the suburbs of Cincinnati. Eli’s BBQ’s location in the East End has that same feeling: delicious smoked meat and savory sides, picnic tables in the sun and shade, space for the kids to run and the fact that you can bring your own beer.
Cabana on the River
Your personality is like Ken’s job in the Barbie movie: Just. Beach. However, you live on the West Side of Cincinnati, nowhere near an actual beach. But Cabana and its Jimmy Buffett/beach shack vibe of neon-lit palm trees, grilled food, refreshing frozen cocktails and waterfront views can scratch the itch until you can get your ass on a plane somewhere where you can be your saltwatered, suntanned, sandy-footed best self. 7445 Forbes Road, Sayler Park.
Sleepy Bee
Despite Sleepy Bee’s name, you’re no sleepy bee. You’re an early bird catching its worm, even if you’re strolling in for brunch at noon with a hangover. Eating at Sleepy Bee makes you feel like you have your shit together with its healthier breakfast and lunch options, as well as its gluten-free and vegan selections. You may even go for a run after this. Probably not. But you might. 8 E. Fourth St., Downtown; 3098 Madison Road, Oakley; 9514 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash.
KungFood Chu AmerAsia
You spent a gap year in East Asia (or wish you did) that you tell everyone you meet about, and the combination of KungFood’s delicious fusion dishes, glowing neon signs and kitschy decor reminds you of that more carefree time. Plus, you like being able to order food that’s spicy enough to burn your esophagus a little bit and make you cry. 521 Madison Ave., Covington.
Izen’s Drunken Bento
You’re a drunk college kid (or a drunk college kid in spirit) who may have made some questionable choices tonight, but getting the half-priced sushi wasn’t one of them. 212 W. McMillan St., CUF.
Camp Washington Chili
You’re a night owl — maybe a shift worker, student or creative who works late into the night and thrives when everyone else is asleep. The red glow of Camp Washington Chili’s iconic sign against the inky sky beckons you in, and you think there’s nothing better than tucking into a booth with a chili and cheese omelet in front of you at two in the morning. 3005 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington.
Mazunte
You’re a person who likes to keep it real, and you like seeing that same authenticity in your food. Mazunte offers you the kind of authentic dining experience found with Mexican street fare — from its menu of tacos, memelitas and tamales right down to its cinder blocks and milk crates for furniture. 5207 Madison Road, Madisonville; 6216 Madison Road, Madisonville; 611 Main St., Downtown.
Agave & Rye
Maybe you’re a little bit weird, a little bit eccentric, but, hey, that’s okay! There’s nothing wrong with putting kangaroo meat or mac-and-cheese in a taco, people. Your culinary tastes are just somewhat out-of-the-box. Plus those margaritas are strong enough to really get you to expand your mind. 635 Madison Ave., Covington; 3825 Edwards Road, Norwood; 7125 Fountain View Drive, Liberty Township.
Wunderbar!
Your favorite event of the year is Oktoberfest and you consider yourself a connoisseur of pretzels, schnitzel, pilsners and all culinary things German. You also believe the best food can be found in hole-in-the-walls, and you pride yourself on finding these hidden gems. Wunderbar! fulfills both those needs, with its unassuming space tucked away in Covington and some of the best sauerkraut, pretzels and sausages you’ve ever had outside Munich. 1132 Lee St., Covington.
Zip’s Cafe
You’re a burger purist who believes the best burger comes down to the patty, and the toppings only amplify that flavor. You appreciate innovation, but when it comes to a burger, you want it the way Zip’s has been making it for ages: with their signature blend, beef from Cincinnati institution Avril-Bleh and topped with cheese; mayo; and fresh tomatoes, lettuce and onion. 1036 Delta Ave., Mt. Lookout.
Graeter’s
Your love of Cincinnati and all its traditions run deep; not to mention you have a major sweet tooth. Some people may balk at those enormous chocolate chunks in Graeter’s ice cream, but you say the bigger the better, and you measure the summer months by the release of their bonus flavors. You’ll eat their ice cream out of a cone or dish, but you really flip over those special Rookwood-Graeter’s ice cream bowls. It doesn’t get more Cincinnati than that. Multiple locations.
Arnold’s Bar and Grill
You’re a history lover who also appreciates good food and live music. You come to Arnold’s for the old saloon feel and the connection to the past and stay for the Yo Mama Burger and local talent crooning on the outdoor patio. 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown.
Hitching Post
You’re a person who enjoys the simple pleasures in life: like a big plate of delicious, down-home-cooking-style fried chicken with all the fixin’s, just like grandma used to make on Sundays. Hitching Post with its no-frills chicken dinners, sides, sandwiches and even chili and coneys, plus its welcoming atmosphere, offers that simple comfort, making you feel like a kid in your grandparents’ kitchen again. 4535 Kellogg Ave., East End.
LaRosa’s
You’re all about family and tradition, and growing up in Cincinnati, there was never a place better to gather and split a pizza as your neighborhood LaRosa’s. Its pizza has been bringing families and friends together for generations — class parties, sleepovers, birthdays — you name it and LaRosa’s has been there. And while you like the pizza, it was never really about the dough or sauce or toppings: it was the dependability and knowing you were gathering with loved ones. Multiple locations.
Newport Taco Bell
You’re obviously a glutton for punishment because no Crunch Wrap or Chalupa from this Taco Hell could possibly be worth it otherwise. Why do you still go here? Please stop doing that to yourself. 30 Carothers Road, Newport.
