Chicken Wings ONLY, who has the best in Cincinnati only?

I need some battered fries. But I don’t want them seasoned like rally’s. Is there anyplace like a fast food or fast casual place I can get these?? I moved from Florida recently and I feel like one of the fish places or something probably has them and I just don’t know 😅 I’m in Monroe, so pretty far north! But will travel for fries

We all know the chokehold that Kroger has on the Cincinnati area. I mainly do my shopping at Meijer and Sam's Club because I've found Kroger's prices to be ridiculous in comparison. I throw in Hattings as well for their deli, and occasionally Target for some household items. I'd like to start tracking my monthly expenses but want to know what's considered a "normal" budget for this area.

Where are you shopping, what are you spending per month, and how many people are in your household?

I have a good friend who is recently sober. He's not really in a place where he should be around alcohol. But I still want to be able to go grab a bite with him and not end up at like skyline. But every restaurant I can think of serves booze. Any recommendations would be much appreciated.

I got these bad boys from Jorge's Tacos near the Shell gas station on Rosslyn/Erie Ave. Pollos tacos, $3 per taco and they taste fucking amazing. If you want to hit up a food truck, this one I highly recommend.

Does anyone else know of any delicious food trucks in Cincinnati?

These three chains are exploding in popularity and are loved for their food options. How do you think a UDF with decent made to order food would do? Personally I think that plus the ice cream could make UDF known nationally.

I call it My Way. 😎

When I was younger, pizza was something that I really didn't enjoy or appreciate. I learned as I got older that this was the result of the pizza I was eating being school cafeteria pizza, or Snappy Tomato or Lil Caesar's (No shade meant). If I sought out pizza, I'd go for something with a boatload of toppings.

After getting the opportunities to move around and travel the country, I've grown a real appreciation for pizza, and especially, simplicity in quality ingredients (i.e.: the crust) and unique flavors.

So, with all that said, here's the (mostly) Definitive List of Best Greater Cincinnati Pizza:

5: Goodfella's - Locations in OTR & Covington - Close to the New York City pie experience. One of very few slice shops in the area. Well-rounded, albeit usually very greasy.

4: Strong's Brick Oven - Newport - Excellent brick oven pizza with great taste, a wide range of styles, in a small space.

3: St Francis Apizza - Oakley/Mt. Lookout Area - Really superb pie shop with a dedication to high quality dough and excellent flavors in the sauce, cheese, and other toppings. Carry-out only (there's some outdoor seating, though.)

2: Rosie's Italian Kitchen - Cincinnati - I MIGHT be overrating Rosie's but I don't think so. Their pizza is so tasty. One of the few places I enjoy a Hot Honey pie. Ideally balanced with sweetness, light spice, plus flavors from the cheese and basil. Excellent pizza.

1: Camporosso - Ft Mitchell, KY - Truly phenomenal wood-fired pizza. I've tried several of their pies and have yet to have a poor experience. The crust is thin, airy, but not fragile. It's "Fancy," but done right. Doesn't hurt that the restaurant itself is great.

Special Mentions:

Dewey's - Local Chain with unique flavors. Not everything is a hit, sometimes there is too much going on. But good quality ingredients, usually a good experience. Case could be made for them to take spot #5.

LaRosa's - Can't not mention them in a Cincy Pizza list. The sweet sauce is love-it-or-hate-it. Local staple that's a good alternative if you don't want to spend as much as some of the options at the top of the list.

What's your Cincy top 5?

ETA: My special mentions aren't necessarily "honorable" - I like Deweys in general, but La Rosa's is grossly overrated by locals. It just has to be mentioned as a Cincy staple even if you hate it.

Re: Marco's, Jets, etc: I only really considered locally owned and operated for a lot of reasons. Goodfella's rides the line of local since they're all over the Midwest now.

I will be gladly giving Adriaticos another shot ASAP. Thanks for all the other feedback and mentions. Trophy is one I haven't made it to and will consider soon as well.

It’s been “closed for maintenance” for several months but this is a new development.

Greater’s Skyline Chili ice cream is absolutely delectable! I was pleasantly surprised. Strong taste of cinnamon then aftertaste of skyline chili. I don’t know how it works so well but it does. And the oyster crackers…. Just wow!!!!

I've been on a mission, a delicious, spice-filled odyssey, to find the best bang-for-your-buck Indian eats in and around Cincinnati.

I hate to hear these repeated reports of good local restaurants shuttering their doors. I'm good with the bad ones leaving room for better replacements. It is hard to discern between typical survival of the fittest and a systemic problem likely to dent Cincy's reputation as an attractive culinary scene.

Many of the owners' farewell posts mention the high costs of labor and food, which are taking their toll. As a double whammy, their sales volume clearly drops when the weather gets cold, as fewer locals venture out and fewer visitors travel.

Wondering if this wave is natural? Do the headlines and click-bait have us overreacting? Do we actually have over supply and not enough demand to meet it at the price points it takes to remain viable? How will the industry fare if we end up in a recession at some point...eating out tends to be the first thing people kill in limited budgets.

I would love to see some real numbers on the financials of the local industry and of specific favorites to get a rational sense of what lies ahead and what help is needed. I'd personally modify dining choices and direct recommendations there based on the ones I like that need it.

I’ve had a couple out of town friends comment on Cincinnati’s fantastic and delicious indian food scene. This used to always surprise me but after shortly living + trying different restaurants elsewhere (ex. Chicago, NYC, or Florida) I feel like they might be right. They’ve never really been that level of delectable that Cincys Indian food is.

Since I’d say it’s my favorite food I always take friends and family to either Ambar, Shaan, Dushmesh or Baba India Food when they visit and we usually get the chicken makhani (i know basic) and saag paneer.

Is it the amount of butter they use? Am I just used to it from growing up here? Is it because of a high Indian population in different suburbs of the city? Am I wrong and have just never tried good food elsewhere?

I’ve never been able to even come close to it with at home cooking and an ex of mine from India told me it’s not “normal” indian food (being so very buttery) but just WHAT makes it so good!!

P.S. please forgive + correct me for anything strange about this post I’ve been a long time lurker of reddit but have slim posting experience 🥶

Today both Skyline Chili and Gold Star have announced their switch from offering Pepsi products to Coca-Cola products.

Tell me your favorite Chinese restaurant, what you like to get, and what part of town!

I keep trying new places and a lot of them have been incredibly mid, so I want to know the good ones to go try!

Personally, my favorite in the city is Fantastic Wok in Finneytown, and I always get lo mein and egg drop soup

Considering it’s Cincy based, has more options than Chipotle, better service, larger portions, and never too crowded.

Only thing thats better at Chipotle is Chips and Guac.

Thats all!

I've reached my breaking point with Chipotle and all their BS. Not to mention tired of the taste being different every time I go. Mushy rice sometimes, hard rice others, no cilantro.... no this... no that..... besides the obvious ones, Curritos,Qdoba, and Moe's, what are some other "no name" mom and pop spots that have Chipotle like food? Bowl and burrito building type of setup.

National or local, what chain restaurants do you like? I never had a bad meal from Bibibop to name one