Want a little diner humor – check HERE
CINCI/TRI-STATE CLASSIC “Mom & Pop”
Country Inn, 910 Ohio Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45245 – breakfast is great and the gyros are excellent for lunch. Be sure to say hello to Neanne, my all-time favorite waitress!
Anchor Grill – 438 Pike St., Covington “We May Doze But We Never Close” used to be their motto, but it now appears they’re 7:30 AM – 11 PM. Check out “Band in a Box” there!
Blue Jay Restaurant – diner by Frankenstein family in existence for almost 40 years. Breakfast and lunch only. Homemade pie! 4154 Hamilton Ave., Northside, OH
Sis’ on Monmouth – 837 Monmouth, Newport, KY – good breakfast and dinner music some evenings
Sophia’s Deli & Restaurant – 811 Main St, Cincinnati, OH 45202-2112; 513 723 1055
NOTE: MUCH OF THE MATERIAL BELOW IS FROM MID-2010S – CHECK BEFORE GOING!
CINCI/SW OHIO
The Echo – Hyde Park 3510 Edwards Rd Cincinnati, OH 45208
Ruth’s Parkside Cafe, Northside
Plain Folk Cafe – 10177 State Route 132, Pleasant Plain, OH 45162. Reported to have good music, cafe food and craft beer
Quatman Cafe – cheeseburgers and Hudy Delight, among other items
The Eagle (OTR) – fried chicken in spicy batter, great sides
BrewRiver GastroPub – on Eastern Ave where Mirabelle’s used to be. Good food – per Bill Tucker and they had Poutine the night he was there!
Sugar n’ Spice; 4.0 star rating; Categories: Breakfast & Brunch; 4381 Reading Rd; Cincinnati, OH; 45229; Neighborhood: Avondale; (513) 242-3521
Proud Rooster Restaurant; Breakfast & Brunch ; 345 Ludlow Ave; Cincinnati, OH 45220; (513) 281-4965; 8 a.m. opening
The Green Dog Café; 3543 Columbia Pkwy; Cincinnati, OH 45226; (513) 321-8777 (Expensive though!)
Rima’s Diner; 2520 Hazelwood St; Crescent Springs, KY 41017; (859) 331-6444 lunch and dinner; best grouper in the area!
Mokka at 18 E 5th St in Newport (859) 581-3700. the frittatas and French toast are excellent. the goetta and coffee meet my specs and the service is professional and friendly
Bluebird in Norwood (on Montgomery) 4629 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, OH 45212-2607
(513) 351-2427- Cheap, not busy, excellent food breakfast. Just south of Norwood Lateral.
Gordo’s – Steve Shields suggestion – great burgers
Trends – New Richmond
Geno’s BBQ & family diner – Milford, 1241 State Route 131; 248-4533; Tues-Sat 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Alabama Fish Bar – Race & Liberty
Gypsy Hut – Northside bar (Obama staff/volunteers)
Maury’s Tiny Cove, 3908 Harrison Ave., Cheviot, OH 45211 (513) 662-2683 (lunch & dinner, Kevin @ Milton’s Bar suggested)
The Green Papaya – near Hyde Park Kroger – get the papaya salad, per Amber Lewis! 2942 Wasson Road Cincinnati, OH 45209 (513) 731-0107
Porkopolis – Breakfast menu with waffles, omelets, eggs, pancakes and PORK! 1077 Celestial St. Mt. Adams 513-721-5456 Went here with Kim in early Spring, 2007
Teranga – West Africa meets America, 8440 Vine Street, Hartwell.
Sharonville – root beer stand open from Red’s Opening Day through Labor Day
Teak – mt. Adams – thai food – steve michaels
McAlister’s Deli on Montgomery Rd. just south of Kenwood Mall. – club sandwich with an orange-cranberry sauce on it, like the place in Welsh WV (Terry Spenser)
The Comet – 4579 Hamilton Ave., Northside, 541-8900. Favorite item is chile con queso. Sunday nights they have live bluegrass (Comet Bluegrass All-Stars) and honky-tonk. Show starts at 7:30, but get there early if you want a table.
Javier’s Mexican Restaurant, corner of 8th and Walnut, Cincinnati, breakfast 7-10; 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday; Phone: 381-3287 Prices: Burritos, salads, quesadillas $5-6; soups and soft tacos $2.25
La Mexicana – 642 Monmouth, Newport 859-491-3300. Burritos especially noted. 10-10 Friday-Sunday
JeanRo, 413 Vine, 621-1465 — Parisian bistro
Queen of Sheeba, 126 W. Sixth St., 421-0100 — Ethiopian
Mejana, 25 W. Sixth, 333-0660 — Mediterranean
Red Robin – burger, fries, salmon, choc. Dessert
Habanero – 358 Ludlow Ave., Clifton 9961-6800 – try the Mad Max fish burrito
Currito – 222 Calhoun St., University Heights, 281-1500 – Thai burrito
Houston Inn; Closed Mondays. 4026 US 42, Mason OH; 398-7377; frog legs, pecan pie; basic good food
City Q Barbeque, 7706 Voice of America Centre Drive. 755-2011. 11-9 m-t, 11-10 fri/sat; noon-9 sun
Hawthorn diner – carew tower area — roury
Allyns – DR & Brian H
Cabana – addyston- seafood (fore &aft old location) – Brian Hoffstedder
Coffee Please – Madiera (Dave Rinaldi)
SOUL FOOD
Julia’s Café – 6025 Dixie Hwy, Fairfield, 513-942-1800
Goodies – 5841 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, 513-542-4663
Mr. Pig – 1720 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine; 513-381-6100
Ollie’s Trolley – 1607 Central Ave., West End; 513-381-6100
Rachel’s Bar-B-Que and Soul, 1931 Seymour Ave., Bond Hill; 513-731-6673
Millie’s Place, 5923 Madison Rd., Madisonville (SUNDAY ONLY!) 513-527-4075
Hugo, 3235 Madison Ave., Oakley.
Mr. Ollie’s cafe – 1821 elm; african motif – breakfast & lunch
Junebugs Riverside Bar-B-Q, West End. Soul food – rib tips, collard greens, salmon croquettes, coconut cake.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY
Pompilio’s – Newport, KY. A link to the movie Rain Main scene filmed at the “Pomp house” is HERE
Sparetime Belly + Soul – Alexandria
Finkes (buy goetta here!, not necessarily restaurant) – Ft. Wright/Park Hills; Amsterdam & Sleepy Hollow Rds.
Virgil’s Cafe – Bellevue (DD&D)
Ft. Wright Family Restaurant 1860 Ashwood Circle Ft. Wright, Ky 41011 (859) 331-8359 Jack Kleier
Log Cabin Inn – south Covington
Midway Café – 1017 S. Ft. Thomas, Ft. Thomas 859-781-7666 – Chili burrito
La Mexicana – 642 Monmouth, Newport 859-261-6112 authentic! goat burrito
Bouquet – Covington place where Bookies had a great dinner – very intimate
OHIO – OTHER THAN CINCI
Maumee OH – Sam’s Diner; 578 W DUSSEL DR; Paul Egli “Get the burger… they are huge!”
Bangkok Kitchen – great Thai food!
Clyde,OH – Gary’s Diner (maybe just bfast/lunch?) , Winesburg BBQ – both on US 20
DAYTON
- Jay’s Seafood
- Thai Nine
- Smokin’ BBQ (limited seating)
Bellvue, OH – Miller Drive-In on east side of Bellvue on US 20
Bettsville,OH – Betty’s Pie Place?
Mansfield, OH (810 State Route 97 W, Bellville, OH 44813) – Bruce Fogwell mentioned that Buckeye Express YELP might be worth a try
Monroeville, OH –Vanson’s
Kent, OH – near Kent State University – Luna’s Del and Restaurant 1225 West Main, Kent OH 330-676-0764 (on Route 59)
FINDLAY
Wison’s Sandwich Shop, 600 S. Main St., Findlay, OH 419-424-5051 (Burger Places)
Dietch’s Ice Cream, ________________, Findlay, OH (great ice cream selection)
LIMA
Kewpee, 111 N. Elizabeth St., Lima, OH 419-228-1778 (2 other locations in Lima as well) (Burger Places)
DAYTON
Smoking BBQ – Patterson and 5th?? (right near the Dayton, OH bus station)
PIQUA – The Scottish Thistle
TIPP CITY
- Coldwater Café
- Sam & Ethel’s – favorite of Amber’s, get off at the Main Tipp exit (Exit 68), go right for 1 mile – on the right hand side between Second and First Streets.
Waldo – Waldo diner for their fried bologna and pie
Wapakoneta – Chill Zone, Lucky Steer, Azteca
Hamburger Wagon, 12 E. Central Ave., Miamisburg, OH 937-847-2442 (Burger Places)
COLUMBUS
- Thurman Cafe, 183 Thurman Ave., Columbus, OH 614-443-1570 (Burger Places)
- Gahanna Grill, 82 Granville, Gahanna, OH 614-476-9017 (Burger Places)
- Skillets in German Village
Athens, ohio – The Diner (Dewayne Ray)
Crabill’s Hamburgers, 727 Miami St., Urbana, OH 937-653-5133 (Burger Places)
I-71
Warner’s BBQ – I71 exits 50 & 65 – excellent food and the sweet tea is good!
KC’s Steak, Ribs, other,…. I-71 exit 157 or so – right near DutchHouse restaurant – closed Mondays
KENTUCKY
NORTHERN KY – SEE ABOVE
BEREA
Dinner Bell Restaurant, Berea, KY – pork tenderloin is EXCELLENT!
FRANKFURT
Rick’s White Light Diner (DD&D)
LOUISVILLE
Kingfish Restaurant (Martha Goldbeck worked here as a teen), Zorn Avenue, Louisville
LEXINGTON
Ramsey’s – original one is downtown (LP Jones)
JJ McBrewster’s (DD&D)
Parkette Drive-in (DD&D)
VERSAILLES
Wallace Station (DD&D)
LOWER KENTUCKY (exit numbers from I-71)
Richmond – Jackson’s Diner (Andy reco)
Jeans – exit 58 in Mt. Vernon. Left under overpass
Corbin – exit 25. Rt. 25 – take it til it ends. Take R about 500.
The Courthouse – Independence, KY
Joe Bologna’s – Lexington, KY
BP Truck Stop – Exit 41, London KY
Moonlight BBQ – Owensboro, KY
Windsor, ONT – Frenchy’s Poutinery 361 Ouellette Ave, Windsor, ON N9A 4J1, Canada
TENNESSEE
Emma’s – Murphreesboro exit 81 (Sam Cline)
Archie’s Diner – Hariman, TN – get biscuits and gravy, smoking permitted (Steve Shields)
The Old Mill – Gatlinburg – sourkraught and ribs
The Log Cabin Pancake House – Pigeon Forge, French toast royale (Shawn Madden, Thomas Sylvester)
Famous Dave’s BBQ
Apple Barn
Best Italian Restaurant – Gatlinburg (Thomas Sylvester)
GEORGIA
The Varsity, 61 North Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30308 (404) 881-1706
Gladys Knight and Ron Winans Chicken & Waffles, 529 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308-2228 Phone: (404) 874-9393
MICHIGAN
Exit 181 on I-75 Cheese House and Diner – Pinconning, MI
Detroit – Traffic Jam & Snug (511 W Canfield St, Detroit, MI 48201) – 10/2015 Guideposts article
OTHER REGIONS
ILLINOIS
Chicago – George Mitchell’s Artist Café – Michigan Avenue: good breakfast – Eggs Benedict Salmon; pancakes (DR)
I-74 Exit 82 Jubilee Café – From-scratch cooking, pies
INDIANA
While in Greencastle IN we discovered another restaurant to add to your list of interesting local places to eat. Marvin’s. It’s next to the parking lot at the Admissions Office of Depauw University. It’s the off-campus place where students like to go, and they deliver food to the dorms late at night. The specialty is a Garlic Cheese Burger, GCB, but they also have other sandwiches, pizza, and burritos.
Shapiro’s Delicatessin – 2 locations in Indy. Great pie and large sandwiches
808 S Meridian St 46225 317.631.4041
918 S Rangeline Rd, Carmel, IN 46032 317.573.3354
FLORIDA
Davenport cafe, davenport, FL no counter, lots of locals, smoketeer, 3 tier restroom, biscuits & gravy, cb hash,
MINNESOTA
Twin Cities area – Minnesota
Mickey’s
Convention Diner
Porky’s
Betty’s Pie Place
PHILADELPHIA
Bookbinders, near Independence Hall (Lee Davis and Harry Thomas)
Restaurantrow.com