22 Essential Over-the-Rhine Restaurants You Should Have Tried By Now

The Eagle

1342 Vine St., Cincinnati
The Eagle OTR is nestled inside a retired post office off of Vine Street. The restaurant offers a relatively small menu, comprised of fried chicken, sandwiches, snacks and several side dishes. Booze-wise, they serve a wide variety of beer 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).
Photo via Facebook/theeagleotr

Pepp & Dolores

1501 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Inspired by Sunday dinners at Thunderdome co-founders Joe and John Lanni's grandparents' house, the restaurant aims to embody the spirit and hospitality from those special evenings while honoring their family. The menu at Pepp & Dolores features housemade pastas — like the pomodoro, a butternut and mascarpone pasta and a lobster and Sunday sauce pasta— along with a focus on shareable dishes, salads and bread.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Gomez

107 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine; 2437 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills
Gomez’s walk-up taco window in OTR and main restaurant in Walnut Hills have it all: fish tacos with Baja sauce, chips with pineapple salsa, taco salad bowls and owner Andrew Gomez’s greatest invention, the Turtle Shell. Take a tortilla, stuff it with rice, beans, sour cream, lettuce, salsa, meat, veggies and cheese, layer in a tostado for crunch, put some cheese on the top and then brown it. It’s a fat little crunchy burrito envelope, a true walking taco.
Photo: Lindsay McCarty

Bakersfield

1213 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Part bar, part taco joint, all classy. Bakersfield specializes in gourmet tacos (pollo verde, pastor, short rib, etc.), quality tequilas and whiskeys and hand-crafted margaritas made the old-fashioned way, not from a pre-made mix.
Photo: Facebook.com/BakersfieldOTR

Taste of Belgium

1135 Vine St., Over The Rhine
In 2007, Jean-François Flechet began baking Belgian waffles in the back end of a store at Findlay Market. Soon, he was told to find somewhere else to go because the store was too crowded. It has since expanded to multiple locations, including one in Over-the-Rhine. Hot, fresh Belgian waffles are made from a thick dough and coarse Belgian beet sugar, which caramelizes on the cast iron press. Find the heavenly breakfast food topped with strawberries and cream or ricotta, or as the bread in a McWaffle sandwich (egg, gruyère and maple syrup). The crepe station prepares sweet and savory crepes. At dinner, the sophistication goes up a notch with mussels, steak frites and Belgian specialties.
Photo: Brittany Thornton

Abigail Street

1214 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
The Mediterranean-inspired menu of small plates revels in Italian, Spanish, Turkish and Greek influences, with unique twists only chef Daniel Wright could pull off — crispy falafel, grilled octopus, Kefta and more. Wines are available on tap, by the bottle or the glass.
Photo: Facebook/AbigailWineBar

The Rhined

1737 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
The Rhined is a little slice of cheese heaven located across from Findlay Market. The artisan shop stocks a collection of the best hand-selected domestic cheeses. On top of their excellent selection of cheese, which you can grab to go by weight or eat inside on a curated cheese board, they also offer sandwiches, adult "lunchables" and specialty nights like Raclette Night.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Sacred Beast

1437 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine

”Simple food. Taken seriously” is the motto for Sacred Beast, the modern diner at 15th and Vine streets in Over-the-Rhine helmed by chef Jeremy Lieb, most recently of the Boca Group, and his wife Bridget. The menu is a collection of Lieb’s favorite things, which run the gamut from literally the best French-style omelet in town — fluffy, soft and full of goat cheese and piquillo peppers — to matzah ball soup.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Pho Lang Thang

1828 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
Pho Lang Thang has been serving excellent Vietnamese eats since opening in Findlay Market in 2011. After relocating to a larger storefront right nearby the original, the restaurant now offers a 14-seater bar with Asian-inspired cocktails. The food menu features everything from pho to bahn mi to bun thit nuong (lemongrass grilled pork). For a pick-me-up, try some delicious Vietnamese-style iced coffee made with condensed milk.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Aladdin's Eatery Mediterranean Cafe

1203 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
Housed in the space on the corner of Main and 12th streets, this Middle Eastern cafe chain boasts the same food menu as other popular locations, but with the addition of a large patio and outdoor bar, plus industrial-modern-meets-Lebanese decor. From classic dishes like falafel and diwali to tasty eats like chicken curry pizza and chicken dijon rolled.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Goodfellas Pizzeria

1211 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
Goodfellas makes their dough fresh every morning and their sauce in-house. If you’re headed there for a late-night slice or for lunch, be prepared for quite a line, but you’ll be glad you put in the time. While you wait, watch as the pizzaiolos spin dough saucers high into the air. The slices are New York-style and as big as your face. They also offer subs, calzones and a multitude of dipping sauces. Wiseguy Lounge, a bourbon bar with over 400 bourbons, specialty cocktails and draft beer awaits each location.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Maize

1438 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
The restaurant takes its name from maize, a corn flour dating back some 10,000 years and first utilized by indigenous Mexicans. The flour serves as the basis for the arepas, cachapas and empanadas served at Maize and acts as an access point for the rich world of Latin American cuisine. The ceviche is perfect: red snapper and shrimp served with diced mango, serrano pepper, red onion, bell pepper and lime.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Ché

1342 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine
Located just a hair off the beaten path in Over-the-Rhine, the South American Ché is snugly nestled on Walnut Street. The menu spans from Fundido (traditional Argentine stew with steak, squash, corn, and sausage) to Choripan (flame-grilled sausage) and melted Provoleta provolone cheese dip to a slew of empanadas: jamon y queso, four cheese, short rib, de carne, mushroom feta and more.
Photo: Facebook/CheCincinnati

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 via Facebook.com/AlabamaFishbar

Eli's BBQ

133 W. Elder St., Over-the-Rhine
Originally started in 2011 as a pop-up on Fountain Square, Eli’s specialty, the pulled-pork sandwich, is a good intro to his amazing homemade barbecue sauce. You can move on from there to hickory-smoked ribs, smoked turkey or an all-beef hot dog topped with pulled-pork crispins and coleslaw. Try the mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, baked beans and the jalapeño cornbread.
Photo: Facebook/ElisBBQCincy

LouVino

1142 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
Midwestern Cincinnati got another dose of Southern cooking with the opening of Louisville-based LouVino. The stunning wine bar offers over 60 types of wine by the glass and wine flights, plus a wide range of bourbons, cocktails and beer. They also offer small, shareable plates that are meant to be passed around the table. Expect wide, varied, flavored dishes. Stop by for brunch and grab a mimosa.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Zundo Ramen & Donburi

220 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine
This restaurant promises “soulful” ramen — a traditional Japanese dish consisting of a meat or fish-based broth, noodles and a range of vegetables and protein — to foodies in OTR. Zundo also offers traditional Japanese cuisine with a modern twist, like donburi (a stew that consists of various meats and vegetables served over steamed rice) topped with eel or chashu buns, plus a full bar featuring Japanese classics like sake and soju.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Salazar(Temporarily Closing After 12/31/23)

1401 Republic St., Over-the-Rhine
The eponymous restaurant from chef Jose Salazar mixes old and new to create an approachable yet refined farm-inspired menu. There are creative, comfortable choices like burgers, fish and a vegetarian option. Seasonal, farm-fresh specials frequently pop up on the changing menu, as do staple favorites. The little fried oyster sandwich is a favorite. The wide-ranging drink menu features thoughtful craft beers, cocktails and wines.
Photo: Facebook/SalazarCincinnati

Pontiac (Permanently Closed)

1403 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Run by chef Daniel Wright, whose fleet of OTR restaurants also include Abigails, Senate and Holiday Spirits, this barbecue joint is named for a Chicago café where Wright and his wife shared their first date. It features a quirky coupling of barbecue, smoked wings and Tiki-style cocktails along with 10 draft beers and an assortment of popular bottles and cans.
Photo: Facebook/PontiacBBQ

13th Street Alley (Permanently Closed)

126 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine
Get a taste of Philly in Cincy via a window in OTR where Philly cheesesteak reigns supreme. This little eatery is overflowing with wraps and bowls to get you through the day — or night. The window is open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Want some fries with that? Here, you definitely do.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger