25 Iconic Cincinnati Restaurants to Take an Out-of-Towner

No. 5 Breakfast: Sugar n’ Spice Restaurant

4381 Reading Road, Paddock Hills
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Sugar n’ Spice

4381 Reading Road, Paddock Hills
For over 75 years, this family-friendly Paddock Hills diner has been serving up “Wispy Thin” pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, steak and eggs, corned beef hash, breakfast quesadillas and much more to one of the most-diverse clientele in town. From the after-church crowds to college students to doctors heading off to work at nearby hospitals, folks from all over the economic spectrum continue to start their day at this cozy counter or crammed into the precious few booths. Wait time is often long for this popular spot, but it’s not unlikely that your hanger might be soothed by some complimentary nuggets of fried macaroni and cheese or gooey chocolate brownies. When those coveted seats finally come available, younger diners are rewarded with rubber duckies in addition to their meals.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Zip's Cafe

1036 Delta Ave., Mount Lookout
Zip’s has been doing burgers right since 1926, and generations of East Side Cincinnatians call Zip burgers their favorite. If you’re feeling like a light meal, order a classic Zip burger, with fresh, flame-broiled meat from local butcher Avril-Bleh & Sons, nestled in a toasted honey-egg bun from Klosterman Baking Company, and a side of super crispy onion rings. Or go big with the Girth Burger, a Zip burger topped with a split Avril-Bleh mettwurst. With worn wood flooring and dark wood paneling, the small space is separated into a dining area and a bar by a saloon-style door. Head to the back bar for a local beer on draft while you wait for space at a booth or a seat at one of the shared family-style tables.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Montgomery Inn

9440 Montgomery Road, Montgomery; 925 Riverside Drive, Downtown
World-famous for its ribs, Montgomery Inn has been a staple in Cincinnati for more than 60 years. Along with ribs, the Inn offers barbecued spring chicken, salmon, pulled-pork sandwiches, burgers, salads and more, including everyone’s favorite: Saratoga chips served with the Inn’s famous barbecue sauce.
Photo: Provided

Camp Washington Chili

3005 Colerain Ave., Colerain
If you don’t want to be basic, take your guest to this James Beard Award-winning chili parlor. A great place for breakfast, lunch or dinner, Camp Washington Chili features greasy-spoon breakfast offerings, double decker sandwiches, Cincinnati-style chili, coneys and even a few salads. The chili parlor opened its doors in 1940, and current owner Johnny Johnson has been working at the parlor since 1951. Open 24/6 — they’re closed on Sundays.
Photo: Jesse Fox

LaRosa’s

Multiple locations including 2411 Boudinot Ave., Western Hills; 417 Madison Ave., Covington; 2717 Vine St., Clifton
A chain of local pizzerias that’s been dishing up pies since 1954, as well as pasta, salads, sandwiches and more. The sauce and crust are both a tiny bit sweet. Although you can get their famous pizza at any of the locations around Cincinnati, visit the original location founded by Buddy LaRosa in 1954 in Western Hills for a little slice of history with your pie.
Screen Shot via Google Maps

Pompilios

600 Washington Ave., Newport
This restaurant, where the toothpick scene in Rain Man was filmed, has been offering classic family Italian food since 1933. You really can’t go wrong with any pasta dish. Play a game of bocce ball on the back court in the warmer months or grab a burger in the attached Colonel Pomp’s Tavern.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

The Precinct

311 Delta Ave., Columbia Tusculum
You can always rely on a Jeff Ruby restaurant for a big, rare steak and platters of seafood. The Precinct, housed in a historical Romanesque-style former police precinct, opened in 1981 and was the first in a long line of Ruby steakhouses. If you bleed red and black, the Bearcat filet mignon may be a good choice for you. For Xavier fans, the Precinct has you covered too with The Musketeer, a cowboy ribeye. But there are other options, like seared scallops or something from the tableside service menu like seafood fettuccine alfredo.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Goodfellas Pizzeria

603 Main St., Covington / 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. A bourbon bar is upstairs.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

The Eagle OTR

1342 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
The Eagle is nested inside a retired post office and has a relatively small menu, comprised of fried chicken, sandwiches, snacks and several side dishes. Booze-wise, they serve 100 kinds 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 brown sugar bacon is a must.
Photo via Facebook.com/TheEagleOTR

Arnold’s Bar & Grill

210 E. Eighth St., Downtown
Arnold’s is the city’s oldest bar, in operation since the 1830s. The cheap (strong) drinks and almost daily live music — from Bluegrass and Americana to Jazz — complement the awesome interior courtyard, which used to be a stable and carriage house and is covered and heated in the winter. They claim to have one of the best bourbon lists in Cincinnati with a selection of craft beers and cocktails. Chef Kayla Robison, who recently won Guys Grocery Games, offers a top-notch menu of delicious dishes, like the truffle chicken, deep fried deviled eggs, veggie Cincinnati chili or the famous Arnold’s Burger.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Brown Bear Bakery

116 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine
Cincinnati pastry artist Blair Fornshell uses all-natural ingredients to create so-beautiful-you-almost-feel-bad-about-eating-them desserts, such as salty chocolate chip cookies, gooey cinnamon rolls and a variety of matcha-infused baked goods like their Matchadoodle cookie. The OTR bakery and café space is the perfect blend of old and new and has a very Lower Manhattan vibe.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Sleepy Bee Cafe

3098 Madison Road, Oakley / 8 E. Fourth St., Downtown / 9514 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash
At Sleepy Bee, everything from their sammies to their scrambles are top-notch and delightfully tasty even when you yourself are a bit of a sleepy weekend bruncher. If you plan to stop by during peak brunch or lunch hours, be prepared to wait. Standouts include the specialty pancakes, like the Blue Bee Stack, full of blueberries with a maple-blueberry sauce, as well as the light and lovely Bumblebee’s breakfast, a yogurt granola bowl with tasty apricot coulis and tahini.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Sotto

118 E. Sixth St., Cincinnati
Sotto is Cincinnati's hidden basement trattoria — a below-street-level Italian eatery, nestled underneath sister restaurant Boca on Sixth Street downtown. It’s a hot-spot for diners celebrating a special occasion or simply looking for some excellent pasta. With multiple dining rooms, the kitchen is open to view, including the custom-made woodfire 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.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Taste of Belgium

Multiple locations including 16 West Freedom Way, The Banks; 1135 Vine St., Over The Rhine; 2845 Vine St., Corryville
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. Now, it has expanded into multiple locations. 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. The shop also offers an exclusive selection of Belgian beers. The Banks bistro location is also one of the only places in the world where you can get all four varieties of Chimay’s Trappist ales on draft — the second outside of the Belgian brewery.
Photo: Brittany Thornton

Gomez

107 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine
Gomez’s walk-up taco window in OTR has 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

Incline Public House

2601 W. Eighth St., Price Hill
With a 1,400-square-foot deck for soaking in vistas and cocktails, IPH’s name is derived from the actual Cincinnati Incline that existed there from the late 1800s to the 1940s. Their upscale twist on pub food features sandwiches, salads, epicurean appetizers and a slew of craft cocktails and draft beers. Build your own pizza with toppings ranging from pepperoni and prosciutto to fried egg and oven-roasted tomatoes.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Maplewood Kitchen and Bar

525 Race St., Downtown; 5065 Deerfield Blvd., Mason
Maplewood serves up dishes and ingredients that would be right at home on the West Coast: cold-pressed juices, superfood salads, egg-white omelets and somewhat nutritious cocktails, like the roasted tomatillo bloody mary. Made with Tito’s vodka, house tomatillo bloody mary mix and cold-pressed Super Greens juice (kale, celery, spinach, romaine and pineapple), it’s topped off by a purple cabbage accouterment.
Photo: Jesse Fox

Bakersfield

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

Taft’s Ale House

1429 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
Located inside a former church, the building is an ode to Cincinnatian and former President William Howard Taft. The multi-floor brewpub maintains some of the sanctuary’s charm (like the bell tower). The 18 beers on tap and a menu focused on tri-tip beef are practically begging you to spend Saturday afternoon drinking there.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger