Where To Get The Best Eats In Cincinnati Right Now

Any foodie knows that a city is only as good as it’s food. Luckily for Cincinnatians we have an amazing selection of cuisine to choose from. From little dives to fine dining, Cincinnati has the best eats and I’m here to walk you through where you need to go right now.

1. Incline Public House

Incline Public House in Price Hill offers a higher end selection with gorgeous views. This place offers anything you can think of. If you’re in the mood for southern comfort, they’ve got it; fish and chips, yep; pizza, of course; calamari, yes even that. They also have a wide variety of drinks to pair with your meal.

The best part about Incline Public House is the outside patio so its best in the summertime, even if you have to wait for a table you can wait outside and overlook all of Cincinnati. Notable bites to mention; their Grippos Mac and Cheese. Grippos, a Cincinnati staple paired with the smoothest, creamiest Mac and Cheese you’ll ever taste. Head there for brunch and split their “big ass cinnamon roll” with a friend and have their Ohio Valley Omelette which comes with goetta inside. Because what’s brunch in Cincinnati without goetta?

If you’re going at night, head across the street to catch a show at Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre. Their theatre hosts an impressive interior and ample seating. Their theatre season always has a good variety of drama, comedy and musicals, so plan ahead and make an entire evening on the hill!

2. Yard House

Yard House is a hybrid of a sports bar and fine dining. It’s perfect if you want to go somewhere a bit nicer but still catch the Bengals loosing. If you get there before it gets busy try and snag a booth seat next to the windows so you can look at the Roebling Bridge lit up.

Yard House hosts an impressive menu but most notable is their Gardein menu, which features vegetarian and vegan options other than just a house salad. You can start out with their famous onion ring tower while you pick out your beer from their list of over 50 drafts that you can order up to a half yard. Yes, you read that correct you can a half yard of beer that’s served in the tallest glass you’ll see.

Picking from this extensive menu can be hard, their vodka shrimp pasta is a perfect choice is you’re looking for some Italian, their chicken tacos are perfect if you’re in the mood for Mexican, and if you’re looking for some American food you have eight options for burgers. So even if you and your dinner date have different tastes, you’ll both leave Yard House happy and full.

3. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar

Maplewood has become famous for its brunch. You will almost always be greeted with a line outside of Maplewood as you walk up. They operate similar to chipotle in that you order before sitting down. Once you get inside, there is a drink station where you can pick out a cold pressed juice to sip as you wait in line to order. There are clipboards with the menu hanging on rails as you stand in line so you aren’t trying to read the menu and order at the same time.

Let’s face it though, with almost every restaurant having their menu available online now, save your time at the restaurant and figure it out the night before. The hangry people in line behind you will thank you.

Once you order, most of the drinks are self serve, unless you ordered an alcoholic drink or specialty coffee. But while you wait for an employee to seat you, you can pour a coffee, tea or water from their drink stations. If you ordered alcohol or a specialty coffee, they will bring it to your table. Upon being seated you don’t wait very long for your food, which makes up for the wait to get inside.

Their food is inspired by the west coast so you’ll want to take a picture of it before eating it. Their cold pressed juices are a great way to boost your immune system and really feel in-tune with your inner Californian, their sweet greens is a perfect blend for someone who wants to try a juice but actually be able to drink it. Their greek yogurt bowl and their blueberry granola pancakes are perfect healthier options that will still leave you full. If you want something heartier, their maplewood omelet with goat cheese is the perfect choice.

4. Keystone Bar and Grill

With three different locations, Keystone has made its name in Cincinnati as the best Mac and cheese in the city. In fact, mac and cheese is so big here they own an entire day of the week. Mac and Cheese Monday has become the best way to brighten up the beginning of the week. Their Mac and cheeses are all named after bands, their Buffalo Springfield is their most popular dish with chicken, chunks of burger, jalapeños, blue cheese and topped with chips, it’s easy to see why this one sells so well. My personal favorite is the Fleetwood Mac, with tomatoes, pesto and mozzarella it’s a serious step up from traditional Mac and cheese.

Although known for their Mac and cheese, don’t count out their other food. They serve one of the best brunches in the area, including a brunch Mac and cheese and the best brunch cocktails around. Their salads make for a delicious and healthy lunch and their cocktails are perfect for any meal. They’re good any day of the week but if you can make it Monday for their Mac and cheese Monday, your Mac is half off with the order of a drink and they have happy hour everyday from 3-7. It’s great for meeting friends after work to unwind.

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5. Boomtown Biscuits and Whiskey

This place brings a new meaning to small but mighty. Their food is a modern take on frontier food, so it has limited menu items, but when your food is this good, you don’t need options. The name was what made me want to try this place, biscuits and whiskey didn’t seem like a good combination but my tastebuds said otherwise.

Their biscuits and gravy are a southern comfort food lovers dream. They even have an option on the menu to order a “flight of gravy” the same way you would order a flight of beer. This is the twenty-first century thinking we need. Everything here is hearty and done right. This is a place for people who like food done right, but are willing to get something other than a burger and fries.

Their cocktail menu and beer selection is a bit more extensive than their food menu. With whiskey in their name it feels wring going here and getting anything but that. Luckily for people like myself who can’t drink straight whiskey they have, Pop Pop’s Anti Fogmatic Potion 4.0 cocktail. Not only does it have the strangest name, it tastes good and looks cool . Served in a wine glass, this dark purple beverage is surprisingly good. They remind you that traditional food can be delicious when done right.

6. Krueger’s Tavern

Krueger’s Tavern, much like Boomtown focuses on doing traditional food the right way. Krueger’s tavern menu is more modern traditional than Boomtown’s old style southern but they both focus on quality. Krueger’s tavern located in OTR is right next to popular Bakersfield which is widely popular place to go for Mexican. But when the lines at Bakersfield are just too long people started trying Krueger’s, and they weren’t disappointed.

Krueger’s food which doesn’t seem to outstanding from other restaurants on the menu, definitely would win in a taste test. Meat is the main thing here, with burgers, sandwiches and sausages taking over the menu but everything is house made. Their giant meatball, which is exactly what it sounds like, is the perfect starter to split before a for a night out and pairs well with one of their kale salad or their strawberry salad.

Krueger’s has a rooftop that overlooks OTR, order a pitcher of their Lambrusco Sour and sit and relax on the rooftop. Krueger’s also has two levels inside for seating which has more of a sports bar atmosphere to it.