The best places to eat in Cincinnati include much more than chili and goetta. Cincinnati completely surprised me as a food destination.
You hear people talk about eating your way through New York City, Nashville, or Miami, but Cincinnati does not usually get the same attention. Before this trip, I expected Cincinnati chili, goetta, and maybe a few good restaurants. I did not expect such a wide range of food—or one of the top 10 meals Brad and I have ever eaten.
We tried everything from market breakfast sandwiches and giant chocolate-fudge ice cream to vegan deli food, crispy burritos, handmade pasta, and Beef Wellington.
This Cincinnati food guide includes places we personally tried, along with several highly recommended restaurants to consider when planning your own trip.
Many of the best places to eat in Cincinnati are concentrated downtown and in the nearby neighborhoods of Over-the-Rhine, Findlay Market, and The Banks.
That makes it fairly easy to visit several restaurants without constantly moving your car. We walked between many of our stops and also used Cincinnati’s free streetcar. A phone and wallet crossbody strap is useful when you are walking between restaurants and do not want to carry a full bag.
A few restaurants are outside the central downtown area, so check the location before building your itinerary. The Echo and Café Mochiko, for example, require more planning than restaurants around Findlay Market or OTR.
I would make reservations for popular dinner restaurants, especially Boca, Sotto, Mita’s, Pepp & Dolores, Wildweed, and Nolia.
Ghost Baby should also be booked ahead if you want to sit in The Den, where the live music is held.
Most market stands, bakeries, ice cream shops, dessert stops, and casual lunch restaurants do not require reservations. Sit-down breakfast and brunch restaurants may still have a wait on weekends, even when they do not accept reservations.
Eckerlin Meats is located inside Findlay Market and is known for its goetta.
Goetta is a Cincinnati breakfast specialty made with meat, oats, and spices. Everyone seems to have an opinion about who makes it best, especially when comparing Eckerlin’s with Glier’s.
Wendy's Tip: Make sure to ask for the goetta patty to be fried crispy. That texture makes the sandwich so much better.
This is an easy and very Cincinnati-specific breakfast stop while exploring Findlay Market.
Blue Oven Bakery is another Findlay Market favorite.
Mark and Sara Frommeyer founded the bakery in 2007 after building a wood-fired oven covered in blue tiles on the back porch of their Ohio farm. The business grew from farmers markets into a permanent Findlay Market stand and became one of Cincinnati’s best-known artisan bakeries.
The bakery later survived a major fire that destroyed its farm facilities. With support from the community, Blue Oven continued growing and is now operated by owners John Jarnigo and Will Vollmer.
Blue Oven is known for artisan bread with crisp crusts and soft interiors. Boca (another food stop on this list) also serves Blue Oven Bakery bread with cultured butter and sea salt.
At Findlay Market, it is an easy stop for bread or a quick breakfast item while walking through the market.
Taste of Belgium is known for its Liège waffles and was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
This is not the same type of waffle you pull from a freezer and cover with syrup. A traditional Liège waffle is made with brioche-style dough and Belgian pearl sugar. The sugar caramelizes while the waffle cooks, creating a crisp, sweet exterior and a soft, buttery center.
We tried one, and it was easy to understand why it has become one of Cincinnati’s most recognizable food stops.
Taste of Belgium also serves brunch, lunch, and dinner, so it can work for more than breakfast.
Maplewood Kitchen and Bar is a modern breakfast and brunch option in downtown Cincinnati.
The menu is lighter and more contemporary than the city’s traditional diners and market counters, with choices such as bowls, pancakes, avocado toast, and breakfast sandwiches.
This would be a good choice when you want a full sit-down breakfast instead of collecting several smaller items around Findlay Market.
The Echo is a long-running neighborhood diner in Hyde Park.
This is a more traditional Cincinnati breakfast option with classic diner dishes and a casual atmosphere. It is outside the immediate downtown area, so you will likely need to drive.
The Echo makes sense for travelers who prefer a familiar sit-down breakfast over a trendier brunch restaurant.
Café Mochiko is known for creative pastries with Japanese and American influences.
The bakery has developed a strong following for flavors that are more unusual than a standard croissant or muffin.
Café Mochiko also operates as a restaurant later in the day, making it one of the more distinctive Cincinnati restaurants to add to a food-focused itinerary.
Jefferson Social is located at The Banks near Cincinnati’s riverfront.
We stopped here to try Cincinnati chili in a slightly different form. Instead of the traditional plate of spaghetti, ours came over a hot dog in a way that felt almost like a chili taco hot dog.
Cincinnati chili is not typical bowl-style chili. It is a thin, uniquely spiced meat sauce commonly served over spaghetti or hot dogs and topped with a large amount of shredded cheddar cheese.
It sounds unusual, but it is a Cincinnati food you need to try at least once. Believe me. You just have to go with it.
Harmony Plant Fare is a New York-inspired vegan deli located at Findlay Market.
The menu includes plant-based versions of classic deli sandwiches and comfort foods. It gives vegetarian and vegan travelers a local option that is more interesting than settling for a side salad.
Even if you are not vegan, this could be a fun stop while eating your way through Findlay Market.
At Gomez Salsa, order the Turtle.
The Turtle starts with a burrito, but it is sealed around a crispy, cheesy tostada layer. Imagine everything you like about a loaded burrito combined with an extra-crunchy shell outside.
We chose chicken and ordered it Gomez style with rice, black beans, crema, Gomez salsa, corn salsa, lettuce, and cheese.
It was messy, cheesy, crispy, and absolutely not a normal burrito. Once you have the tostada crunch inside, a plain burrito seems a little disappointing.
The Eagle is a popular Over-the-Rhine restaurant known for fried chicken and Southern-style comfort food.
It is a good option for a casual lunch or dinner, especially when you want something filling after walking through OTR.
This is also a practical choice for groups because the menu is approachable and several items are easy to share.
Taglio serves both New York-style and Detroit-style pizza, but its Pepperoni and Hot Honey is the one to order.
It comes with tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan, pepperoni, basil, and Mike’s Hot Honey. The honey adds a little sweetness and heat without overpowering the pizza.
They also have vegan versions of several pizzas, including a vegan Pepperoni and Hot Honey made with vegan mozzarella, plant-based pepperoni, basil, and vegan hot honey.
The menu includes appetizers, salads, and other pizza combinations, but the Pepperoni and Hot Honey is what Taglio is known for. It works well for a casual lunch or dinner.
Findlay Market deserves to be treated as a food destination rather than a stop for one item.
You can combine Eckerlin Meats, Blue Oven Bakery, Harmony Plant Fare, Ruby’s Chocolates, and other vendors into your own casual breakfast or lunch crawl.
It is one of the easiest ways to try several local foods without committing to one large meal.
Give yourself time to walk through the full market before choosing. Otherwise, you may order something and immediately discover three more things you wish you had room to eat.
Save this for later on Pinterest so you don’t forget it.
Sotto is an underground Italian restaurant located beneath Boca.
The setting is darker and more rustic than Boca, with handmade pasta and a romantic atmosphere. It is one of Cincinnati’s best-known date-night restaurants, and reservations can be difficult to secure.
Sotto would be a good alternative for someone who wants an upscale dinner but prefers a more traditional Italian menu.
Mita’s serves Spanish and Latin American-inspired food in downtown Cincinnati.
The menu is designed around sharing and may include tapas, cured meats, cheeses, seafood, and larger dishes.
This adds a completely different style of food to a Cincinnati itinerary, especially for travelers who enjoy ordering several small plates for the table.
Pepp & Dolores is a popular Italian restaurant in Over-the-Rhine.
It is known for handmade pasta and has a more approachable atmosphere than some of Cincinnati’s formal fine-dining restaurants.
Choose this when you want a memorable pasta dinner without turning the entire evening into a long, multi-course experience.
Boca gave us one of the top 10 meals we have ever eaten.
Every course was thoughtful, the service was excellent, and the Beef Wellington was tender perfection.
This is the Cincinnati restaurant I would choose for a special occasion, date night, or dinner built around the meal itself.
Reservations should be made well in advance.
Read my full Boca Cincinnati Review A Memorable Date Night Restaurant for everything we ordered, prices, and reservation tips.
Wildweed focuses on handmade pasta, seasonal ingredients, and creative chef-driven dishes.
The menu may change depending on what is available, making it better suited to travelers who enjoy modern restaurants and trying unfamiliar combinations.
This is more of a foodie destination than a restaurant for someone who wants a predictable plate of pasta.
Nolia brings Southern and New Orleans influences to Cincinnati’s dining scene.
The restaurant is known for creative dishes inspired by Chef Jeff Harris’s Louisiana background.
Nolia would be a strong dinner choice for someone interested in Cincinnati’s newer, chef-driven restaurants rather than only its historic foods.
You cannot write about Cincinnati food without including Graeter’s.
This family-owned ice cream company has been making ice cream since 1870. Its famous chocolate chips are not small, uniform pieces. They are large, irregular shards of chocolate created through Graeter’s French Pot process.
I recommend the Black Cherry Chocolate Chip.
The sweet cherry ice cream and oversized pieces of chocolate work perfectly together. This is the ice cream you are still thinking about later.
Aglamesis Bros. is a historic Cincinnati ice cream and candy shop with an old-fashioned parlor atmosphere.
This would make a good comparison stop after visiting Graeter’s. Graeter’s is the more widely recognized Cincinnati name, while Aglamesis offers a classic sit-down ice cream parlor experience.
Ruby’s Chocolates has a location near Findlay Market and sells handmade chocolates in a wide range of shapes and flavors.
Get the pig-shaped maple bacon chocolate.
It is cute, very Cincinnati, and makes an easy little treat while walking through the market.
Café Mochiko also belongs in the dessert discussion because of its creative pastry program.
Its flavors and techniques are different from Cincinnati’s traditional ice cream and chocolate shops, making it a good addition when you want something less expected.
Ghost Baby is a swanky underground cocktail lounge with live music and creative mocktails.
Book ahead if you want a table in The Den for the live music. The Rattle Room near the entrance does not require the same type of reservation, but The Den provides the full live-music experience.
Read my full Ghost Baby Cincinnati Review: Is This Underground Cocktail Lounge Worth Visiting? for the history, drinks, atmosphere, and reservation details.
The Secret Food Tour was an easy way to try several Cincinnati specialties while learning about the city from a local guide.
This was my third Secret Food Tour in my third city, and none have disappointed me.
The tour worked especially well for our first visit because it introduced us to goetta, Cincinnati chili, Findlay Market vendors, and several neighborhoods without requiring us to research every stop individually.
It also helped us understand which foods were specific to Cincinnati rather than simply popular restaurants located in Cincinnati.
You can book the Cincinnati Secret Food Tour here. Read my full Secret Food Tours Cincinnati Review What to Expect for the route, cost, food, and planning tips.
Cincinnati’s food scene gave us more reasons to return than we expected.
There are still restaurants I want to try, neighborhoods I want to eat through, and plenty of meals that could easily shape another trip. For anyone planning a food-focused weekend, Cincinnati deserves a much higher spot on the list.
For a realistic route that combines restaurants with sightseeing, see my One Day in Cincinnati Itinerary for First Time Visitors.
If you end up booking anything for your trip, using my affiliate links helps support my blog at no extra cost to you. I spend a lot of time researching and writing these guides, so I really appreciate the support.
Staying near Downtown or Over-the-Rhine makes it easier to walk or use the free streetcar between meals.
Compare Cincinnati hotels through Booking.com or Hotels.com.
Browse additional Cincinnati tours and activities through Viator or GetYourGuide.
Use my Best Cincinnati Murals You Should Not Miss to add public art stops between meals.
Visit Devou Park Guide Best Cincinnati Skyline Views when you want a skyline view outside the downtown dining areas.
Cincinnati is easy to explore on foot, but we still walked several miles. Bring comfortable shoes and a Nano Bag for anything you buy at Findlay Market.
A Clutch Powerbank is also useful when you are using your phone for restaurant reservations, maps, photos, and the streetcar route throughout the day.
Read The Ultimate Columbus Foodie Guide for another Ohio city with a strong mix of casual food, local favorites, and special-occasion restaurants.
Check out Where to Eat in Columbus, Ohio for more restaurant ideas within an easy drive of Cincinnati.
13 creek crossings, a canyon that keeps closing in around you, and a hike I’d genuinely put back on my itinerary, West Fork Trail was the one.
We got to Call of the Canyon at 7:15am and the lot was barely a quarter full. By 12:30 it was 85% full, so if there’s one tip that matters most, it’s this: go early.
The maintained trail is 6.6 miles round trip, mostly flat, mostly shaded, but I kept my regular tennis shoes dry the whole way by hopping across the rocks at each crossing. It’s rated moderate, and honestly that’s about the distance, not the terrain.
Here’s what nobody tells you though ✨ the maintained trail isn’t the end. We changed into water shoes at the official endpoint and kept going another mile straight through the creek, canyon walls narrowing around us the whole time. That extra mile ended up being my favorite part of the entire hike.
5/5 for me. I’d bring the water shoes again in a heartbeat.
Link in bio for the full guide parking, timing, what to pack, and everything I wish I knew before I went 🥾
Two hours, zero regrets. The Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour is hands down one of the most fun things we did in Sedona.
Open-air Jeeps crawling over slickrock, backcountry views you can’t reach on your own, and the famous Road of No Return, steep, thrilling, and somehow completely safe the whole way down.
If you’re picking one paid activity in Sedona, make it this one.
You have to do @pinkjeeptours 🌵🚙 Link in bio for the full review.
Dinner beside Oak Creek at Cress, and yes, it’s a splurge, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.🤍
Candlelit tables under the trees, the creek running right beside us, a menu that mixes Arizona ingredients with French technique. We ordered a little of everything: the squash and beet salad, milk rolls with three different butters, sweet potato gnocchi that somehow felt light instead of heavy. Then two desserts because we couldn’t decide. The Vanilla Crème Caramel with Manchego cheese completely stole the show, salty and sweet in a way that sounds strange until you taste it.
Plan on $100–250 for two depending on what you order, and this isn’t the spot for a quick casual dinner, it’s slow, intentional, and worth every minute. Book ahead and ask for a creekside table if you can.
If you’re looking for one unforgettable meal in Sedona, this is it. Link in bio for the full review 🍽️
Sky Ranch Lodge, Sedona. Booked it for the location, stayed for the sunsets.
This is not a five-star resort with ten restaurants and a spa menu the length of a novel. It’s a family-owned boutique hotel on Airport Mesa that knows exactly what it’s good at: red rock views from basically everywhere and one of the best sunset spots in town, private, with maybe four other couples instead of a crowd.
We booked a Premier Rim Room and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Watched the sunset from our own patio one night and it’s still one of my favorite moments of the whole trip.
✨ Six acres of botanical gardens to wander morning and evening
✨ Pool + hot tub that hit exactly right after a day of hiking
✨ On-site food truck for easy breakfasts and lazy room service nights
✨ Complimentary shuttle so you’re not fighting Sedona parking
✨ Robes, slippers, and a staff that felt genuinely happy to help
Two stays in and I’d book it again without a second thought. This is where to stay in Sedona if you want it to actually feel like Sedona.
Thank you to @skyranchlodge for having us, link in bio for the full review 🌵
Four hours on a train through a canyon you can’t reach by car — such a fun experience! We picked the indoor seats with unlimited access to the open-air viewing car, which honestly felt like the only right call. You’re not stuck in an assigned seat the whole time we bounced between the two, snacks in hand, chasing the best light.
The scenery is the whole point. Red rock cliffs, the Verde River, a 734-foot tunnel, historic trestle bridges views most people visiting Sedona never see, because you literally can’t drive to them.
The charcuterie box that comes with your ticket is shockingly filling ✨ so skip lunch at the Copper Spike Café beforehand, save your appetite for dinner back in Sedona.
Four hours with no stops did start to feel long by the end, but the trade-off for scenery like this? Worth it.
Would I ride it again? Yes. Would I buy lunch first again? No.
Link in bio for the full review cost breakdown, what to pack, and exactly how early to arrive 🚂
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