Emily Lehmann
- Jun 5, 2021
- 5 min read

What You Should Actually Do When in Cincinnati

Updated: Dec 2, 2022

The Queen City

I have lived in Cincinnati for the majority of my life, I'm currently in Los Angeles but Cincinnati is still the place I consider home. Whether you have lived in Cincy for years (like me), you are just visiting, or are new to the city - there are so many fun things to do in the city!

We have a precious Hippo named Fiona, who lives at the world-renowned Cincinnati Zoo. Why is Fiona so special?! She is the first Nile hippo to be born at the Cincinnati Zoo in 75 years, she was born 6 weeks early! She was the first of the species to be scanned in the womb using ultrasound. ... Zoo staff named the baby hippo Fiona because her ears made them think of a Shrek heroine, and also because it means "fair"

Check out some of Fiona's kid's books here:

We just got a professional soccer team! GO FC!! We love our chili, yes the famous Skyline Chili. God, I miss it so much. My go-to order whenever I'm home is a Chilito with Spaghetti and 2 Chili Cheese Sandwiches extra crackers, and hot sauce. I used to go so often the woman who works the front desk at the Kenwood Location knew my order every time I walked in, talk about service.

We love Greaters Ice Cream & LaRosa's Pizza.

When you meet someone from Cincinnati don't be surprised if they ask you what Highschool you went to. Eastside vs. Westside is a real thing here.

Findlay Market - I can walk here from my parents! It is so fun to go down on a Sunday and shop around. You can purchase produce, spices, meat, and bread from all the local vendors.

https://findlaymarket.org/merchants

1801 Race St, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Places to Go to Eat:

Jeff Ruby's - My family goes here for all the birthdays and big celebrations, my dad has been going here for over 30 years. The bus Jeff Ruby drives around to promote his restaurants.. my dad sold him our bus! Their garlic mashed potatoes and the Freddy Ceasar salad are absolutely to die for... my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Image Credit: http://marksteelephotography.com/

700 Walnut St

Soto - Right next to Boca (another favorite of mine) in downtown Cincinnati, is Soto. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d probably miss it. Walk down the steps, into the basement where Soto is located. It’s beautiful, rustic, romantic, and everything in between. It's an intimate Italian meal to literalllly die for. You’ll need reservations about a month in advance if you want to visit on a weekend. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but I dream about goat cheese and hazelnut honey on grilled bread. For dessert you must order the ricotta doughnuts with pistachio dipping sauce.

Image Credit: citybeat.com

118 E 6th St, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Zips Cafe - I've been coming here since I was a letttle kid. The old school trains on the track that run across the tops of the ceiling, just choo chooing along during your meal. A zips cheeseburger with a bowl of chili, extra crackers of course and a side of fries is my favorite meal on a cool fall Cincinnati day. I try to stop in for a burger every time I'm home in the Nasty.

Image Credit - https://cincinnatirefined.com/

1036 Delta Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45208

Gomez Tacos - The best walk-up taco stand in Downtown Cincinnati. There is also a sit-down restaurant in Walnut Hills. Ask for a Turtle, you won't regret it. It is absolute perfection.

Image Credit - https://www.bizjournals.com/

107 E 12th St

Greater's Ice Cream - They are famous for their Black Raspberry Chip. I love their Madagascar Vanilla & their tea cookies. I get a box of cookies almost every time I go, I just can't help myself. I can find Greater's in my Los Angeles Ralphs, I think it is also sold in Colorado... They even ship nationwide! Check out their website and see if you can find a grocery store near you that carries it! It is worth investigating!!

Pro tip - ask for a chip wheelie if you are in a store. It's like an ice cream cookie sandwich with black raspberry chip in the middle.

https://www.graeters.com/

Busken Cookies - I've been eating these cookies since I was a kid. I love them, they are a great gift to give! I love sending them to friends. You can also order these cookies online!

Image Credit: http://epi-ventures.com/

2675 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45208

https://busken.com/

Skyline Chili - Well, there's Cheese Conies, A Three Way, Chiltios (add spaghetti), Chili Cheese Fries to name a few of my favorites. It is one of the top foods I miss from home. The cheese is f*cking incredible, people eat it by the handfuls. The hot sauce is perfection. The Skyline in Kenwood, I used to go there so often, the woman who worked the front counter, knew my exact order, even down to my ice water and extra crackers.. Isn't that just the best type of service! My parents mail me boxes of chili, crackers, and hot sauce for now or I will order it online, via Amazon!! You can too! I usually skyline dip or some spaghetti for game days! (rollll tidde)

https://www.skylinechili.com/

Eli's BBQ

In 2011, Eli was serving hickory smoked pork sandwiches topped with homemade BBQ sauce and coleslaw on Cincinnati’s Fountain Square. (Definitely check this area out!! There's a Greater's Ice Cream in the square!) After a successful summer, he and his friend Drew cashed in their life savings to open a brick-and-mortar in Cincinnati’s East End.

Recognizable only by a sign with an outline of a pig, they developed a cult following based solely on word of mouth. With multiple locations, Eli’s BBQ continues to grow today by offering a genuine authenticity hard to find in our modern American landscape.

https://www.elisbarbeque.com/

3313 Riverside Dr

The Oak Tavern -

One of my favorite little bars in Oakley, their wings are absolute fire. Their sauce options are even better. I used to spend a lot of time at this bar back in 2016-2018.. like every Thursday through Sunday type. I knew every bartender, all our friends went there religiously. We used to say we were "rearranging our living room" when we would be moving tables around all over outside to accommodate our group of friends. There is a Skyline Chili literally right next door, within walking distance... Great food, great friends, great football to watch, what more could you want?