50 Best American Restaurants in Cincinnati

“If you're looking for a very good steakhouse with excellent quality food, great service, atmosphere, and affordable that's without the Jeff Ruby price tag, then I would recommend giving this establishment a try. It's a nice step up from your Longhorn or Texas Roadhouse chains. It's very reasonably priced for the food and service you receive. Everything on the menu that I have orderd has been excellent. So if you're looking for something more than your average chain steakhouse without dropping the high end steakhouse pricing, then I would recommend giving it a try.“

“good food nice area“

“We came here for dinner one mid-week evening before taking a stroll through Summit Park. You can definitely show up dressed comfortably/casually, but they have pretty decent ambiance, suitable for some weekend fun. We weren't super intrigued by the menu; it was a little less extensive than I'd hope from a place like this, mostly heavier options, and maybe not a ton of things I'd order next time. For me, the mussels far exceeded my expectations. That broth was heavenly, the bread was soft and perfect for soaking up the great flavors, the mussels themselves were very abundant, and had okay freshness. My lady said her burger was mediocre. She tried both the truffle fries and duck fat fries and was disappointed by both. I've never seen her not eat fries before, so that says a lot! Service was good overall. I'd come back for those mussels any day, but not quite as excited to dig deeper into the menu. I wouldn't deter anybody from giving them a try, especially if out enjoying the park on a nice day.“

“The smash burgers and fries are yummy! I just wish that they still served their delicious pies for dessert. It's a real shame to not serve something so mothwatering good as their honey vinegar pie.“

“Excellent service and Food. Compliments to the Chef and staff. Had French Pork Chop. Absolutely phenomenal! Fried Green Tomatoes - best I’ve ever had! Martini was also perfect! Very classy place! Highly recommend! Wish there was a location near me!“

“We ate here for the first time last night , it was packed but we were seated right away and they moved us over to be closer to heat with no issues whatsoever; our server Emily was super sweet and the hostess as well !!! We can’t wait to come back, our food was delicious and great servings … Emily was very attentive and was great with recommendations .. hubby is a cook and can be a little picky haha 🤣 but he LOVED everything he even wanted to tip whoever made the Mac and cheese anywho 10 stars ⭐️“

“Great food and service. This is now our favorite place.“

“2024 menu is good and so was the service!“

“This is my favorite restaurant in Cincinnati. The service and food is always on point. I get the garden hash for breakfast and either the scallops or the mushroom pasta for dinner. I love the ambiance in there as well. They have a nice outdoor area and they have areas you can rent out for parties. Highly recommend.“

“My wife and I spent our 37 wedding anniversary in the Cincinnati area. We wanted to find a nice place, but different than the usual for our anniversary dinner. My wife found Meritage Restaurant online and said it sounded like what we wanted. She called to make a reservation and from the conversation on the phone we were excited to eat here! After arriving to the area, which was a hidden gem in itself, we were greeted by a very friendly hostess! We ask to sit upstairs to enjoy the live music and those guys did not disappoint with their blues/jazz music! Our waitress, she is why there should be no tax on tips! She knew her stuff and was AWESOME! The food, from the stuffed mushrooms, to our dinner, to dessert did not disappoint! EVERYTHING was perfect and it made our anniversary a very special evening! I would drive the two hours from our house to eat here again! GREAT PLACE!!!!!“

“Last night our family unexpectedly stopped in while a large group (20ish people. The staff was quick to make space for us and our waitress was amazing. She got all of our orders correct and even helped me order safely w food allergies. The chefs also did a wonderful job. The food was cooked to perfection and came out pretty quickly considering the size of our group. Great job everyone! Thank you for being awesome. We will definitely be back again“

“I had dinner here last weekend and honestly, everything was phenomenal. The heirloom tomato salad was refreshing on a summer evening. Their cod was tender, and the accompanying chimichurri sauce was divine that I could've slurped it. If you love bananas, you must order the banana bliss for dessert.

Now on to the not so good, which was unfortunate, as the service overall from everyone was friendly. However, the evening was nearly ruined by the waiter who had an extremely offensive body odor. I understand that while serving, you may work up a sweat. But if you're larger, you have to take extra measures (besides a soapy shower), such as wearing an undershirt, anti-perspirant, and men's body powder.

I won't let that deter me and will definitely visit again because Alara is truly a wonderful restaurant with a beautiful aesthetic and food to match.“

“Trio is the best! Can't say enough good things about the food and service! Kaitlyn our server is beyond fantastic!“

“Great food and service as always!! Great to see Christine's nod to one of the West Side's nicest guys Dan Wenger who's sadly no longer with us, "The Schmoe", excellent sandwich.“

“Grest food, Great hospitality… Fast service“

“Full House when arrived but short time to wait to be seated. Server friendly and attentive. Food just as I like it. Coffee fill up plentiful. Right price. Highly recommend for breakfast.“

“Found this gem tonight, and will definitely be back!! Food was amazing, and the entire staff was super friendly and amazing!“

“Was looking forward to the beer braised tofu sandwich but the other tofu hoagie was good too. Maybe next time Greatbupbeat place to dine.“

“Love the food and the Staff!!!“

“Tasting and food was great. Also, service at tasting bar and dining table was great.“

“Our Mom's choice for her 88th Birthday was Ron's Roost. 🥳 Char was hands down the best waitress I've had this year anywhere - personable, professional, & polite! 😊 I only wish I had room for pie.“

“Food was excellent, with so many choices to choose from! Service was friendly and outstanding!! Will definitely be coming back for more!!!“

“Some of the best fish in town! Brandee was wonderful to talk to. We will be back!“

“We were there after a soccer game and the server was slammed and she still managed to get to us in a respectable amount of time. The food was amazing and the fries stayed hot all through the meal!!“

“Great roof top area, food was amazing and prices were very reasonable . friendly staff. Will be back“

“My favorite restaurant!!! Been going here for 40 years. Best gravy cheese fries in the world. Best double deckers money can buy.“

“always a taste treat with clever choices and healthy too.“

“They have the best carrot cake!“

“Amazing food and community oriented owners“

“Bought 2 chicken and vegetable dishes ($16+). Veggies were well over cooked, mushy, nasty, and was mircowaved. No fresh veggies on this dish. The broccoli tasted like green beans. Pitiful dishes. Felt very much taken advantage of. "Hey let's serve veggies from kroger's frozen section and jack up the price. We win and the customer...ah we will show we just don't care about quality." Spent a lot of money, and the food was worse than bar food. Let the server know our feedback. She had no comment. No one stopped by the table afterwards. Wasn't looking to get our meal covered, but someone needed to hear about it. We were pretty upset at the experience. We remember why we haven't been there in 4 yrs. Will never come back.“

“Great lunch option in downtown Cincinnati. Lively, fast paced quick casual spot that focuses on salads, sandwiches and soups. Always packed for weekday lunch though tables turn over quickly. They have a great pick two option with soup/sandwich or soup/salad.“

“Always enjoy this place. Food is always fresh and so good.“

“Great food but not too fancy.“

“Friendly, neighborly atmosphere. Service was excellent! Best burger you will have“

“Great environment with a friendly wait staff“

“Friendly, neighborly atmosphere. Service was excellent! Best burger you will have“

“We had a wonderful private party for my husbands retirement. Everything was wonderful from the environment , food and drinks! Highly recommend!“

“Great food! My only suggestion is to have a website so we can see the every day menu.“

“thanks for feeding our #primeelite boys tonight before their first tournament tomorrow! showing love to the locals ❤️🔥“

“Sissy, Jim Thank you for great customer service Friday night! Merry Christmas 🎅“

“Good environment and good people! We came here while visiting our family and the food, environment and service were great! I would recommend this place to any one living in the area or visiting! And thank you to the manager on duty, she graciously paid for our meal! It was greatly appreciated!!! It goes to show that there are good people still out there!“

“One of the best local non-chain places around! Amazing breakfast, burgers, chili, and probably everything else but that’s all I’ve had for now 😂“

“My husband and I decided to celebrate our anniversary in a new way. This was the perfect choice! The atmosphere was relaxing while having a great time with the themed entertainment. Sitting back and enjoying a 3 hour dinner with no phones gave me peace and relaxation. The food was good but the service is the best. Every person was friendly and helpful; making the experience more memorable.“

“The food is delicious and the staff are very friendly and excellent at their job!“

“Best wings on the West Side. Change that. Best wings in all of Cincinnati. Love all the Wild Mike’s locations. Have not been to this one in years. The new expansion at this one is great. The new bar is a great addition“

“Large American tavern, rarely disappoints. Good burgers, fish and chips and hot sandwiches and salads. Service is good and even when busy don’t feel like it takes long to prepare meals. Good selection of drinks although cocktail selection a bit underwhelming and Guinness not quite as it should be. Everyone loves the cornbread! Today we enjoyed burgers, beer battered fish and chips and classic chicken sandwich.“

“I had the “ In the Beginning “ with a side of fruit. It was well cook and presented.“

“we ate in today, my mother and i. our experience with our server, Amber was unlike any experience that we've had before I'm grateful. I haven't necessarily given them the best ratings in the past, I don't remember our server's name those times. Amber however will be unforgettable for the rest of my life and here's why. there were a couple of elderly couples that were seated after us, and she was very familiar with these people already, whereas we were not familiar with her at all. she handled each table differently, accordingly, no doubt with respect and love. heavy on both. I had to call and record a charge on my card and I was kind of holding my mom up and be able to order food and I felt bad because she was starving. somehow some way, Amber had our food out to us very quickly, cooked perfectly, absolutely everything the way that we ordered it. we didn't have to send anything back, we didn't have to ask for anything else extra to be brought to us, she even walked by after a few minutes and brought us extra napkins. I mean, super top notch service. quick, perfect. and that singing voice on that woman oh my god! I was a little reluctant to eat here today because my last few times eating here weren't necessarily the best experience, but I will be back for sure.“

“Yes pull up !!! Come drink eat“

“Hubby and I visited Cincinnati for the first time (we are from Ontario Canada) and enjoyed touring the Findlay Market. The food display at the Gourmand Group booth was both captivating and attractive. They offered a wide assortment of salads and some were vegan friendly. We both thoroughly enjoyed our food. The bonus was a friendly chat with one of the booth keeper. Highly recommend! (PS. Thanks for that delicious black bean salad!)“