Even though Cincinnati has appeared on several lists of recommended places to visit in recent years (including, notably, the New York Times’ 52 Places to Go in 2018 list), you may not think of the Queen City as a foodie destination. But you’d be wrong. Cincinnati is full of delicious food, including several awesome things you can only try there. Today, I’m sharing 5 things you MUST taste in Cincinnati, plus a few extras I’d recommend if you have more time.
1. Graeter’s ice cream
I had heard of Graeter’s before I ever visited Cincinnati, and when I tasted it, I could understand why. People are so obsessed with this ice cream that they ship it to themselves and their friends across the United States. It’s now available in some grocery stores around the country (I found it in California and the DC area), but getting it from an actual Graeter’s store is still the best. I like several of their seasonal flavors (which are only available in stores), particularly peppermint in the winter and orange cream in the summer. But black raspberry chip is super good, available all year and a great choice for your first taste of Graeter’s. Rainbow sprinkles not required.
2. Dixie chili
Cincinnati chili is a unique thing — more like a meat sauce, with cinnamon and other unusual spices — but it’s delicious and definitely worth trying. There are a few different brands in the Cincinnati area, and we prefer Dixie chili. But Gold Star and Skyline have more locations and are also good. You can get the chili it on a hot dog, as I usually do, with a TON of cheese on top, or on top of spaghetti with cheese and other toppings. Hilariously, the spaghetti + chili + cheese combination is called a “three way,” spaghetti + chili + cheese + onion is called a “four way,” and it just keeps going that way as you add more toppings. Don’t worry, though, you don’t need to remember that. This isn’t like the secret In-N-Out menu: The descriptions of each dish will be on the menu board.
3. Montgomery Inn ribs
If you like ribs, you definitely have to try Montgomery Inn ribs. And even if you, like me, aren’t a big rib person, you should still go to Montgomery Inn and try something with their barbecue sauce on it. The ribs are Toby’s favorite — cooked just right. But I think the sauce is what makes everything there so amazing. It is a bit sweeter than many other barbecue sauces, but I love it! It’s particularly yummy on their hand-cut potato chips. You’ll have to let me know what you think.
4. Gleir’s goetta
Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of goetta (and to be honest, it’s not terribly photogenic). But you should still try it. Goetta is huge in Cincinnati but pretty much unknown everywhere else. It’s a type of German breakfast sausage that contains pork, beef, oats and spices. I would recommend Gleir’s goetta, the most popular brand, but there are other brands available as well. You can find it at most (non-chain) breakfast restaurants in the area, as well as basically every grocery store there.
5. UDF orange freeze
United Dairy Farmers is a chain of mini marts (think 7-11), which I know doesn’t sound very exciting. What makes UDF quite exciting is the ice cream and other products they offer — especially the orange freeze. An orange freeze is a blended drink that contains orange sherbet and either orange juice or orange drink, and it’s delicious either way (orange drink makes it a little sweeter). Sort of like a creamsicle milkshake. Definitely something you should try.
Also recommended
So, once you’ve tried all the ice cream, ribs, sausage and chili you can handle, what else should you eat? There are tons of great restaurants in the Cincinnati area, but two local ones I would try are Holtman’s Donuts and Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse. Now, those two places are about as different from each other as possible — one is a tiny family-owned doughnut shop and the other is an old-school fancy steakhouse with steaks named after famous Cincinnatians — but both are very good.
And my last recommendation? Take advantage of the fact that Cincinnati is just across the river from Kentucky (the CVG airport is actually in Kentucky, not Ohio) and try some awesome bourbon! There are plenty of bourbons available in that area that aren’t readily available anywhere else, and they’re definitely worth a taste. Cheers!
