19 minute read
West Side
Cheviot Green Township, Price Hill, Westwood + Nearby
Cincinnati’s West Side represents one half of the city’s most enduring rivalry (vs. the East Side). Though it’s technically everything west of Vine Street, I-74 is a popular dividing line. Full of some of the city’s hidden gems, you can nd down-to-earth communities that are equal parts mom-and-pop and big-box. And new businesses, nightlife and arts programs are popping up everywhere.
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Hailey Bollinger
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Ivory House
This West Side eatery opened its doors in 2020 and prides itself on specializing in “familiar food, elevated,” offering a fresh take on nostalgia-inducing dishes. The menu offers small plates like miso hummus and tomato bruschetta, as well as a handful of seafood dishes and steak options — with add-ons like lobster cream and baconwrapped scallops. Go big with a Japanese A5 Wagyu filet or strip for a couple hundred bucks. Ivory House also offers a pretty delicious brunch menu, with cinnamon rolls, steak and egg tacos and a fun choice of cassoulets, including a veggie hash with tempeh and a Cincy Hash with, of course, Cincinnati chili and cheese sauce. The restaurant is named after James N. Gamble, the inventor of Ivory soap who was also the mayor of Westwood before the West Side was annexed to the city of Cincinnati. 2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood, ivoryhousecincy.com.
West Side
Everybody’s Treehouse
Everybody’s Treehouse isn’t just for kids. Buried in the thick of the 1,459-acre Mount Airy Forest, this whimsical arboreal abode is one of Cincinnati Parks’ biggest secrets. The wheelchair-accessible structure — one of the only treehouses like it in Ohio — was built in 2006. It was the vision of then-WCPO reporter Michael Flannery, who worked with the Cincinnati Parks Foundation, Cincinnati Rotary and Forever Young Treehouses to build this nature-ringed nook for all. Thronged by trees and wildlife, it is the perfect spot to curl up with a book, plan a picnic, hang out with friends and/or laze the day away. 5083 Colerain Ave., Westwood, cincinnatiparks.com.
Hailey Bollinger
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Hailey Bollinger
Provided by Wondercade
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Wondercade
Leslie and Bill Rich, owners of Wondercade, moved to Westwood 18 years ago and began to amass their own collection of arcade cabinets. It all started with Space Invaders. Asteroids came soon afterward. Then a pinball machine. After four or five game cabinets were under their roof, the idea of opening their own arcade came up more and more in conversation. While most newly opened arcades seem to be bars first and arcades second, Wondercade operates as an arcade that happens to serve food and drinks — boozy, if you’d like — with kids welcome until 9 p.m., when the arcade goes 18-plus. “I think this is one of the few spots where people who are unified by the love of gaming can interact intergenerationally,” says Leslie. 3143 Harrison Ave., Westwood, wondercadecincy.com.
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West Side Brewing
Not only is West Side Brewing an excellent neighborhood watering hole, it’s also a community hub that hosts chili cook-offs, dog-friendly nights, pop-up workout classes, live music, fundraisers and big-game watch parties. Originally pegged as a craft brewery for the everyman, WSB is inviting enough for the casual beer drinker, spacious enough for groups and families, and legit enough to impress the most discerning local brewpub frequent flyers. In addition to porters, pilsners and IPAs, they also have ciders and wine, a few standby snacks and a solid lineup of food trucks frequently parked outside. 3044 Harrison Ave., Westwood, westsidebrewing.com.
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Hailey Bollinger
Price Hill Chili
Founded in 1962 by the Beltsos family, this West Side staple has expanded from a one-room chili parlor to a multi-building bar and restaurant, but the family values and wood-paneled aesthetics haven’t changed. For many locals, Price Hill Chili is a slice of their own history that serves up coneys and 3-Ways from the steam table, plus sandwiches, salads, Greek-inspired eats and all-day breakfast. On Friday night, try to grab a serving of super popular, from-scratch mac and cheese before it’s gone. 4920 Glenway Ave., Price Hill, pricehillchili.com.
Once a farming village, this residential suburb boasts “big-city spirit with a small-town charm.” cheviot.org
Eat
Maury’s Tiny Cove (3908 Harrison Ave., maurys-steakhouse.com) has been packed full of flavor and West Side tradition since 1949. The dimly lit supper-club vibe backdrops an extensive menu consisting of all the classic steakhouse options: tender, juicy filets, seafood and chicken cooked just right, plus pasta, Atomic Age sides (shredded lettuce salads; a complimentary ramekin of pickles on every table) and a perfect martini. The restaurant’s iconic sign is easy to spot on Harrison Avenue and features a kitschy cartoon steer holding a cocktail. Named after a small island in the Aegean Sea, Santorini Family Restaurant (3414 Harrison Ave., 513-662-8080) serves Greek-inspired dishes that please the soul without emptying your pockets. It’s gyro-tastic with gyro omelets, gyro pizza, gyro gyros and, of course, the largest local contribution of the Greek people: Cincinnati-style chili. For more Mediterranean eats, Sebastian’s Gyros (5209 Glenway Ave., sebastiansgyros.com) is run by Alex Vasiliou, who opened his family-run shop in 1976 after immigrating from Kastoria, Greece. Enjoy an Irish sausage sandwich and a Dublin-certified perfect pint of Guinness at The Public House (3807 North Bend Road, thepublichousecheviot.com). For dessert, head to creamy whip Zip Dip (4050 Drew Ave., zip-dip.com), a seasonal walk-up for soft serve. The building is topped by a neon sign featuring an ice cream cone bifurcated by a lightning bolt — a nostalgic, glowing reminder of summer since 1950.
Drink
Wander down Harrison Avenue in the Cheviot Entertainment District for a casual bar crawl — there are about a dozen bars in a three-block radius with cheap happy hours, bar snacks and plenty of big-screen TVs, darts, cornhole and, weirdly, shuffleboard to entertain you while you drink. Sip and sit back at a place where everyone knows your name (especially if you’re from Cheviot): Rootie’s Brickhouse (3609 Harrison Ave., facebook. com/rootiesbrickhouse) is a neighborhood bar without gimmicks but with multiple local craft beers on tap. Fogarty’s Irish Pub (3620 Harrison Ave., 513-515-7163) is known for its large outdoor patio complete with shuffleboard, 30 beers on tap and a wide selection of bottled beers. The more upscale (there’s a chandelier)
Maury’s Tiny Cove.
Dean’s Hops and Vines (3722 Harrison Ave., facebook.com/deanshv) specializes in wine, bourbon and 150 types of craft beers. Get in a game of sand volleyball (or cornhole) between beers at Game Time Sports Bar and Grill (3613 Harrison Ave., gametime2012.com). End the night at Kellers Cheviot Café (3737 Glenmore Ave., 513-661-9678). The drinks are strong and cheap, and there’s free popcorn.
Shop
The WestSide Market (Harvest Home Park, westsidemarketcincy.com) is a monthly local shopping pop-up featuring more than 100 arts, crafts and artisan foods vendors. Up Up & Away! (4016 Harrison Ave., upupandawaycomics.com) is a comic shop for serious collectors. Wassler Meats (4300 Harrison Ave., wasslermeats.com), a butcher shop that dates back to 1894, makes their own brats, metts, wursts, pickle loaf and goetta in-house.
Do
Harvest Home Fair (3961 North Bend Road, harvesthomefair.com) has been a staple among residents since the 1800s. Experience community pride with a parade, flower and art show, petting zoo, rides, games and music at the annual end-ofsummer event. Catch a classic comedy or musical from one of the longest-running community theater groups in Cincinnati, The Drama Workshop, who found a permanent home in The Glenmore Playhouse (3716 Glenmore Ave., thedramaworkshop. org). It has produced at least three shows yearly since 1954.
GREEN TOWNSHIP
Comprising the neighborhoods of Bridgetown, Covedale, Dent, Mack, Monfort Heights and White Oak, this bedroom community is one of Ohio’s largest townships. (We’re also grouping nearby Sayler Park and Delhi in this mix.) greentwp.org
Eat
There are plenty of longstanding establishments in this part of town with extremely loyal patrons. Kennings Circle K (6166 Bridgetown Road, kenningscirclek. com) sounds a little bit like a convenience store chain, but it’s actually a casual dinner joint, in operation since the 1970s. House specialties include old-school favorites like mock turtle soup (garnished with hard-boiled egg), a Kentucky Hot Brown and sauerbraten over egg noodles. Nick & Tom’s (5774 Bridgetown Road, nickandtoms.com), another locally owned (by the Skyline Lambrinides family) casual eatery, has been around since 1988. Find a giant white rooster statue on the roof and you’ve arrived at Ron’s Roost (3853 Race Road, ronsroost.net). As the statue implies, they’re famous for fried chicken. They also specialize in “old favorites,” like turkey Manhattan, breaded chicken livers with brown gravy and lemon meringue pie. Want some more local history? Lake Nina Restaurant (7200 Pippin Road, lakeninarestaurant.com) is a decades-old family-style tavern with an emphasis on fish, frog legs and a friendly waitstaff. They’re famous for their “fish logs,” hand-breaded fried Atlantic cod
Hailey Bollinger
(in the shape of a log) served with drawn butter and tartar sauce. For burgers, stuff your face at Chandler’s Burger Bistro (6135 Cleves Warsaw Pike, chandlersburgerbistro.com), which sources fresh beef from Bridgetown Finer Meats and serves burgers on Servatii buns. Since 1946, the Guenther family has been making smallbatch confections — like truffles, bourbon cherries and chocolate-covered bacon — at their Fawn Candy Co. (4271 Harrison Ave., fawncandy.com).
Drink
Because of the proximity to the river, there are a lot of Tiki bars in this part of the West Side. The pirate-friendly Knotty Pine Rock Club & Tiki Bar (6947 Cheviot Road, knottypinerocks.com) blends both worlds in its moniker with nightly live music and competitive co-ed sand volleyball leagues. Grab a piña colada on the seasonal Cabana on the River (7445 Forbes Road, cabanaontheriver.com) patio; it opens Mother’s Day weekend. Located along the Ohio River, the island paradise features glowing palm trees, beach volleyball and waterside seating. Located in the backyard of Kreimer’s Bier Haus (6052 State Route 128, facebook.com/ kreimersriverbar) is a Bavarian biergarten on the Great Miami River with three decks, fire pits and German eats. Not on the river is Tavern on the Bend (5471 North Bend Road, tavernonthebend.net), boasting 20 beers on tap and a loaded mac and cheese menu only found in your wildest dreams. Located on a former rural dairy farm, Vinoklet Winery’s (11069 Colerain Ave., Bevis, vinokletwines.com)
30 acres of rolling hills and ponds are home to the only working winery with a vineyard in Hamilton County. Tapping into the Ohio River Valley’s rich grape-growing history, Vinoklet produces almost a dozen award-winning red, white and fruit wines cultivated right in Colerain. A popular wedding destination, the winery also hosts an annual Art & Wine festival, summer Shakespeare performances and grill-your-own steak and seafood dinners.
Do
Ride the Anderson Ferry (1 Anderson Ferry Road, andersonferry.com). This nationally registered historic site has been in operation since 1817, transporting people and goods across the Ohio River from the West Side to Northern Kentucky. It used to be powered by horses walking on a treadmill, but now people use it as a shortcut to the airport. Buy a ticket, drive your car onto the barge, go across the river and come back. To experience the spoils of the land firsthand, visit Carriage House Farm (10251 Miamiview Road, carriagehousefarmllc.com). This Ohio Century Farm was established in 1855 and has been owned by a single family for five generations. Here, sprawled on 300 acres, exists a way of life that’s mostly faded from modern consciousness. Aside from food, the farm tends to horses, has trails and produces honey. Leave the phone behind and come for an on-farm dinner or rustic community classes. Each fall, delve into an instinct inherent to the human psyche: fear. The Dent Schoolhouse (5963 Hamilton Ave., frightsite.com) is open to the public during the Halloween season and renowned as one of Cincinnati’s most infamous haunted houses. According to legend, the bodies of several missing Dent Schoolhouse students were discovered in barrels in the building’s basement — and the janitor did it. Housed in an actual public school, Dent offers real ghost tours and lights-out experiences for those looking for a true fright, plus lights-on tours for kids and wimps.
Explore
One of the West Side’s best-kept secrets, Fernbank Park (50 Thornton Ave., greatparks.org) is a 60-acre greenspace that features hiking and bike trails, a playground, fishing areas and playfields. The park opens at dawn. For more outdoor exploration, the Western Wildlife Corridor (westernwildlifecorridor.org) runs along the Ohio River’s scenic wooded hillsides and greenspaces from the Mill Creek to the Great Miami River border. It’s full of parks, preserves and some strenuous hiking.
PRICE HILL
The Price Hill incline ceased operation in the 1940s, but East, West and Lower Price Hill are all on the rise with redevelopments, new businesses, nightlife and arts programs. pricehillwill.org; eastpricehill.org
Eat
A local staple, Price Hill Chili (4920 Glenway Ave., pricehillchilli.com) was opened in 1962 by Greek immigrants. It features family recipes and by-the-bottle homemade Greek salad dressing. The steam table serves up classic Cincinnati-style chili from 2-ways to 5-ways (chili, spaghetti, cheese, onions and beans), and bottomless coffee blended exclusively for the restaurant from the Wallingford Coffee Co., a Cincinnati roaster since 1909. For food with a view, the Incline Public House (2601 W. Eighth St., inclinepublichouse.com) boasts more than a dozen craft beers, artisan pizza, brunch, cocktails and a back patio with a city skyline backdrop. In fact, Price Hill’s entire Incline District offers excellent views of the downtown skyline, and as one of the originals to take advantage of the setting, Primavista (810 Matson Place, pvista.com) still serves up romance with their fresh pasta. The restaurant specializes in homemade sauces, veal dishes and being the location for hundreds of wedding proposals. Looking for lighter fare? SOMM Wine Bar (3105 Price Ave., sommwinebarcincinnati. com) wants to make sure your glass is always half full. The menu offers reds, whites, rosés and sparkling selections by the glass or bottle, with light paninis, charcuterie and European-style snacks so you don’t have to drink on an empty stomach. If wine isn’t your forte (though we question your judgment), they also serve craft beer and cocktails.
Drink
Feel like a good Irish Catholic at The Crow’s Nest (4544 W. Eighth St., cincycrowsnest.com), one of the city’s oldest Celtic pubs. Dine on their famous beer-battered cod or Limburger Cheese sandwich while you listen to live local music and drink a cheap Guinness. For a caffeine fix, the hyper-local BLOC Coffee Company (3101 Price Ave., bloccoffeecompany.com) uses locally roasted beans from Deeper Roots and milk from Ohio’s Snowville Creamery. Come for a craft latte and stay for the relaxing, homey vibes. Using local, organic and sustainable products, Common Roots (700 Enright Ave., enrightecovillage.org), a product of the Enright Urban Ecovillage, is both a bar and café serving local craft brews, organic wines and sodas, kombucha and live music on select nights. Proceeds go back to the community. At Enright Ridge Urban Ecovillage, founded by Imago Earth Center (700 Enright Ave., imagoearth.org), chickens roam, backyard gardens are plenty, neighbors share food and yards are cultivated as ecosystems. Take a stroll down the block lined with historic houses and wooded lots. Here, urbanites strive to be sustainable and live off their own land.
Shop
refugees are beginning to call Price Hill home. And establishments like the Maranata Store (1215 Rulison Ave., 513244-2494) offer a taste of Central America. The tienda stocks groceries while the modest restaurant serves colorful cilantro-infused ceviche, pork pupusas, fried plantains and three-milk cake. Grab a comic book at Rockin’ Rooster Comics & Games (5000 Glenway Ave., rockinroostercomics.com) and, if you’re feeling in the mood, stick around for a Magic: The Gathering tournament. Looking for a suit that really fits? Look no further than Peppe Ramundo (5229 Glenway Ave., pepperamundo.com). Launched by Italian immigrant and master tailor Peppe — who sadly passed away in 2021 — and his son Carmen, who holds a diploma in fashion design, this shop specializes in tuxedos, menswear and bespoke-style suit fittings. An American dream since 1967, this shop has fitted many film stars in town shooting everything from indies to blockbusters.
Hailey Bollinger
Do
Thanks to the efforts of rejuvenation nonprofits like Price Hill Will (pricehillwill. org), Price Hill, as a whole, is burgeoning with up-and-coming businesses and arts organizations. Located in a former Price Hill Masonic Lodge that sat vacant on Price Avenue for 30 years, ARCO (3301 Price Ave., arcocincinnati.org) — a portmanteau of “arts” and “community” — acts as a social enterprise. See the students from MYCincinnati Youth Orchestra (3120 Warsaw Ave., mycincinnatiorchestra. org) perform with the poise and passion
of adults in the historical Warsaw Avenue Firehouse cultural space. Inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema program, MYCincinnati uses classical music as a vehicle for social change by providing urban children access to free, intense and high-quality musical education. The annual, free
Price Hill Creative Community Festival
(creativecommunityfestival.org) showcases the talents of MYCincinnati musicians in partnership with different community arts groups and independent artists like dancers, poets, musicians and more. After more than 25 years based at Saint John’s Unitarian Church in Clifton, MUSE, Cincinnati’s award-winning women’s choir, moved to the Community Matters campus (2104 Saint Michael St., musechoir. org) in Lower Price Hill. The women blend musical excellence with a mission for social justice. The Cincinnati Type & Print Museum and BLOC Letterpress (2307 W. Eighth St., cincinnatitypeprintmuseum.org) is a working museum that celebrates local printing history — Cincinnati (with the help of the Cincinnati Type Foundry) was once the second-largest printing center in America. The fledgling enterprise has the goal of teaching guests to use classic printing presses to play and create, while its ministry side (associated with BLOC Ministries) aims to “break the cycle of addiction by providing training, jobs, and dignity to the people of Price Hill.” Several years ago, the minds behind Cincinnati Landmark Productions invested in the Price Hill Incline District to transform it into a West Side arts destination by building the 229-seat state-of-the-art Warsaw Federal Incline Theater (801 Matson Place, cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com/ incline). The repertoire mixes adult fare with family-friendly shows and musicals from the production team behind the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts and Madcap Puppets.
Explore
Olden View Park (2610 W. Eighth St., cincinnatiparks.com) is hailed as having one of the best views of the city; an ideal spot for pictures or reading on a day off from work. As the sun sets, stroll along the sprawling 84 acres of Mount Echo Park (202 Crestline Ave., cincinnatiparks. com) for another beautiful city skyline as well as views of the Ohio River and parts of Northern Kentucky.
WESTWOOD
Cincinnati’s largest neighborhood features tree-lined streets and historic mansions that give way to shopping centers and new developments. westwoodcivic.org
Eat
This neighborhood is home to the first LaRosa’s (2411 Boudinot Ave., larosas. com), a local pizza and pasta chain that has become part of Cincinnati’s cultural identity. But if you need to grab a pizza and a six-pack on the go, opt for Trotta’s Pizza & Drive Thru (3501 Werk Road, trottaspizza.net). A unique local experience, the Cincinnati-style pony keg not only brings booze to your car, they also serve really, really good pizza — thick-crust pizza topped with your choice of extras, including salami, meatballs or chili — all without you leaving the driver’s seat. Nation Kitchen & Bar (3435 Epworth Ave., nationkitchenandbar.com) offers a variety of burgers and sandwiches like the popular Nation burger, with a 6-ounce brisket
Katie Griffith patty, smoked cheddar, whiskey barbecue sauce, onion straws and horseradish aioli on a challah bun. After slingin’ patties in Pendleton since 2015, the Best of Cincinnati award-winning eatery opened a second location in Westwood in the revitalized Junietta Avenue Firehouse. It’s a two-for-one at Cancun Restaurante & Cantina (6385 Glenway Ave., Western Hills, cancunwesternbowl.com) and Western Bowl (6383 Glenway Ave., Western Hills, strikeandspare.com/westernbowl) — the establishments are connected by a doorway, making it easy to go from classic strip-mall tacos and tequila to classic bowling and beer. Since 1958, the glowing Western Bowl sign has been beckoning amateurs and pros alike to play on its 68 automatic lanes. With a Big Lebowski-esque atmosphere, the rates are reasonable, the snacks are cheap and the bar is fully stocked. Take your taste buds ’round the world at Habesha Ethiopian (5070 Crookshank Road, 513-429-4890), which has authentic East African cuisine. Or grab a classic Thai dish like Pad See Ew, Tom Yum Gai and various curries from Thai Taste (5120 Crookshank Road, thaitastecincinnati.com) or Lin’s Pad Thai (6155 Glenway Ave., 513-661-8080). Come back to the states and slide into a vinyl booth at J & J Restaurant (6159 Glenway Ave., 513-661-2260), a cash-only greasy spoon that serves heaping helpings of all-day breakfast, double-decker sandwiches and chili. Back in 1938, the Putz family opened an ice cream shop in a pair of trolley cars. Today, Putz’s Creamy Whip (2673 Putz Drive, putzscreamywhip.com) is not much larger in size, but it’s definitely a legend in reputation — a seasonal Cincinnati tradition. Try their “blue” ice cream plain, in a sundae, with a dip top or rainbow sprinkles.
Drink
Embrace your inner wine lover and make the trek to Henke Winery (3077 Harrison Ave., henkewine.com), one of the top urban wineries in the country. Muse Cafe Coffee & Wine Bar (3018 Harrison Ave., musecafecincy.com) has coffee, tea, pastries, wine, craft bottled beer and a food menu that includes a tasty grilled cheese with French gruyere, Wisconsin cheddar and Dutch gouda.
Shop
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store (3015 Glenhills Way, 513-347-0342) is almost overwhelming to enter. Loaded with marked-down clothes, knick-knacks, oddities, books and everything in between, St. Vincent is always swarming with deal-finders. For those who enjoy thrifting and digging to find treasures, you could very well spend an entire day browsing its accumulation of stuff. Bargains and Buyouts (5150 Glencrossing Way, bargainsandbuyouts.com) is another spot for the deal-seeker that lies within all of us. Find reduced furniture, décor and other housewares. Fuzzybutts Dry Goods (3022 Harrison Ave., westwoodfuzzybutts.com) offers high-quality food and toys for pets, plus a certified dog trainer.
Explore
Traverse through miles of hiking and bridle trails at Mount Airy Forest (5083 Colerain Ave., cincinnatiparks.com), which also features a sprawling dog park, a wheelchair-accessible treehouse, campgrounds and ideal picnic spots.
