26 Late-Night Dining Destinations in Cincinnati You Should Visit This Weekend

13th Street Alley

126 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine
Get a taste of Philly in Cincy via a window in OTR where Philly cheesesteak reigns supreme. But seriously, this little eatery is overflowing with wraps and bowls to get you through the day. Want some fries with that? Here, you definitely do.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

13th Street Alley

126 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine
Food available 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Friday and Saturday
13th Street Alley brings a taste of Philly to the Queen City. You can get a no-frills, tried-and-true cheesesteak at this walk-up window in Over-the-Rhine and watch as they scrape a pile of hot, 100-percent sirloin steak and melty cheese off the flattop and into a bun with peppers and onions for under seven bucks. The menu offers seven types of Philly sandwiches, plus wraps, bowls, baked potatoes and fresh-cut fries. And while the classic OTR Philly comes topped with provolone, the shop does keep Cheese Whiz in the fridge for all the cheesesteak purists out there. Located conveniently between Main and Clay streets, this joint is certainly set to help you end the night off right.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Mikey’s Late Night Slice

2014 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
Mikey's is known for its giant, foldable pizza slices and drunk-friendly menu items like the Pizza Dog — a hot dog stuffed with pepperoni and cheese, which is then wrapped in a slice of pizza — and the Cheezus Crust and Baby Cheezus, which is American cheese melted on top of two slices of pizza and pressed together into a sandwich. This location will also have salads, including one that comes topped with Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

CityBird

1344 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Food available 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Friday and Saturday
The deep-fried offspring of The Eagle in OTR, Citybird is dishing out cage-free, all-natural chicken paired with housemade craft sauces. The tenders boast a full-bodied flavor: mostly mellow and savory, but tinged with spice. They’re at their best wedged inside the Spicy sandwich, topped with Green Goddess slaw, Sriracha, mayo and a toasted potato bun.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Boom Box Buns

1324 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
Food available 7 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday and Saturday (or until they’re sold out)
Calling all bun lovers: This walk-up window serves warm, doughy, steamed Chinese buns. The handcrafted and perfectly puffy baozi come filled with rotating combos like a pork bun with hoison, peanuts and radish; a beef bun with mayo, shisho and crispy shallot; or a the veggie bun with sweet potato and Sriracha. A fluorescent color scheme (inspired by the chef’s dad’s career as a sign painter) beckons lines of fans for nightly sell-out services so keep on eye on Boom Box’s social media for updated bun counts — or take your chances with the masses in the late-night queue.
Photo: Provided

Forty Thieves at Holiday Bar

1538 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
Food available 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Tuesday-Thursday; noon-2 a.m. Friday-Sunday
Available by both window or inside of the bar, Forty Thieves offers a menu of Middle Eastern street food — falafel, beef shawarma and grilled chicken in a pita or on hummus, with other items like roasted beets and soup.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Condado Tacos

195 E. Freedom Way, Downtown
Food available 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily
Since 2014, Condado’s build-your-own-taco concept has taken Columbus’ taco loving population by storm. They commit to the build-your-own tacos concept down to the type of tortillas — each taco is $3.50-$4.50 with plenty of enticing options that caters to every taste. The formula is simple: check off what you want on your taco, then the goodness is brought out to you, creating a relaxed dining experience.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Sacred Beast

1437 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Food available 11 a.m.-midnight Friday; 10:30 a.m.-midnight Saturday
”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 a “Diner Breakfast” with scrambled eggs, maple-glazed pork belly and ricotta pancakes and a double or triple burger with Dijonnaise, onions, pickles and American cheese on a freshly made Blue Oven bun.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

The Comet

4579 Hamilton Ave., Northside
Food available 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Sunday (plus Sunday brunch); 2 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday
This bar serves up some of the best nachos in late night, in a low-lit grunge atmosphere. You can find local Punk and Hip Hop artists performing live sets, or great tunes pumping out the jukebox. Their menu consists of Mexican fare including burritos, quesadillas and tacos. This a great spot to get immersed in the local artist scene, or just play a couple rounds of pool and dive into chile con queso.
Photo via Facebook.com/TheCometCincinnati

Gomez Salsa OTR

107 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine
Food available 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday
On weekends, Gomez in OTR is open till 2:30 a.m., making it the perfect drunk-off-your-ass Saturday pit stop before piling into your Uber. But this Mexican eatery — which serves up tacos, burritos and turtles (a hybrid burrito with crusty cheese to seal the deal) — is also a prime spot to pick grub before lounging in Washington Park, during lunch break or literally whenever you feel on-the-go.
Photo: Lindsay McCarty

Anchor Grill

438 W. Pike St., Covington
Open 24/7
Taking its blazing neon “We May Doze, But Never Close” sign to heart, the Anchor Grill stays open 24/7, offering round-the-clock breakfast fare along with lunch and dinner comfort-food classics.
Photo: Emerson Swoger

Camp Washington Chili

3005 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington
Open 24/6 (every day except Sunday)
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. A James Beard Award winner, Camp Washington Chili opened its doors in 1940. They now serve beer.
Photo: Catie Viox

Goodfellas Pizzeria

603 Main St., Covington; 1211 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
Food available 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Sunday-Wednesday; 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Thursday-Saturday in OTR and 11 a.m.-midnight Sunday-Wednesday; 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Thursday-Saturday in MainStrasse
The place to be when you stumble out of the bar at 2 a.m. (or for lunch), Goodfellas makes their dough fresh every morning and their sauce in-house. 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

Babushka Pierogies Window

1200 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
Food available 6 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday
Babushka Pierogies offers five different options from their walk-up window, ranging from traditional cheddar and potato pierogies (with or without bacon) to 4-way pierogies with lentil Cincinnati-style chili to two options for deep-fried pizzarogies — including a vegetarian one. The pierogies are four for $7. In addition to pierogies, the window also offers a few beverages to wash it all down, like Russian Caravan hot tea ($3) and bottled water ($1).
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Drunken Taco

200 W. McMillan St., Clifton
Food available 11:30 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Monday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Friday; noon-2:30 a.m. Saturday; noon-midnight Sunday
Drunken Tacos menu blends mexican and korean cuisine. There are standard ingredients like beans, steak and queso fresco, with extra unexpected fillings including daeji tacos with spicy pork, and one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes: bulgogi tacos.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Pepper Pod

703 Monmouth St., Newport
Open 24/7
Open 24 hours a day so you can get your fried-pickle fix whenever the craving hits — and once you have the Pepper Pod’s fried pickles, the hankering will hit you often. The meatloaf goes very quickly in the evening, so get there early. Greasy spoon dining at its best, the Pepper Pod is a Newport legend.
Photo: Emerson Swoger

Kitchen Factory

1609 Chase Ave., Northside
Late night window 9 p.m.-3 a.m. Friday and Saturday
This small restaurant with a takeout window prides itself on offering pizza made with ingredients that are easily pronounced (disregarding the common mispronunciation of “mozzarella” that most Americans are guilty of), which indicates simple and natural recipes that don’t rely on tongue-twister chemical enhancements. Their late-night menu also includes veggie burgers and burritos alongside pizza, which also has plenty of vegan options.
Photo: Emerson Swoger

Arnold’s Bar & Grill

210 E. Eighth St., Downtown
Food available 3-11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday with late night menu until 1:30 a.m.
Arnold’s Bar & Grill is Cincinnati’s oldest tavern. This historic bar has had their doors open since 1861. Their menu filled with tavern classics, and is often accompanied by a side of smooth music. The calendar is filled with Jazz, Blues, and Americana artists. Slide in for a late bite, and an atmosphere over 150 years in the making.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Lucy Blue Pizza

1126 Main St., Downtown
Food available 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Thursday; 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Friday and Saturday
Lucy's started as an OTR walk-up pizza window in 2001, serving pizza until 4 a.m. When you are this good at one thing, you don’t need to clutter up the menu with a bunch of other fluff. Serving righteous pizza with chewy dough, full-flavored sauce and plenty of cheese, has landed this Cincinnati favorite on more than one “Best of the City” list. Pick your poison — Marguerite, pepperoni and sausage, barbecue chicken, Thai chicken, Greek (olive oil, garlic, spinach, olives, feta, mozzarella, roma tomatoes), mushroom, veggie, supreme, Hawaiian, blanco quatro fromaggia, BLT (ranch dressing, bacon and mozzarella and topped with tomato and lettuce) — they all rock. Oh yeah, and they have plain cheese, too.
Photo via Facebook.com/LucyBluePizza

Skyline Chili

290 Ludlow Ave., Clifton
Food available 10 a.m.-4 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-3 a.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-midnight Sunday
Oh Skyline, what would we do without you? The Skyline in Clifton serves up Cincinnati-style Chili until 3 a.m. weekdays and 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. This faithful Skyline has always been there for us. And until the open light turns off, the door is open, ready to get you to your chili cheesy heaven.
Photo via Facebook.com/SkylineChili