14 Best Restaurants in Ohio, USA

Go for the food, not the surroundings. The tables are crammed together, there's no table service, and smokers sit in the parking lot. You'll be rewarded, however, with big portions of North Carolina–style barbecue or ribs dressed with corn, baked beans, and other traditional fixings. The approach has worked, as City Barbecue has several Columbus locations and has expanded into the Cincinnati, Dayton, and Toledo areas.

Breakfast and brunch are satisfying at this restaurant in downtown Cincinnati; try banana crunch–or raisin walnut pancakes. The lunch menu is creative as well, with such entrées as pecan Dijon salad.

Put-in-Bay's quintessential fast-food joint for the past six decades, Frosty's is known for its cheap eats, fun atmosphere, and cold beer served in tall, frosty mugs. It serves fried breakfasts in the morning and pizza and sandwiches throughout the rest of the day and into the evening. There's a kids' menu and it's popular with families during the daylight hours. It also has a backyard bar specializing in cocktails and live entertainment, with a "Big Man's Burrito Stand" that also serves tacos and nachos.

The true test of any ice cream brand is the vanilla, where there are no candy pieces to hide behind; Graeter's is superb, a deliciously creamy yet light blend. The chocolate chip improves it by adding huge slabs of dark chocolate. The full rainbow of flavors is available, including seasonal favorites like peach. The neighborhood ice cream parlor has multiple locations, including a dozen in Cincinnati and many others in Kentucky, Indiana, Dayton, and Columbus. Get in the inevitable line and start pondering your choices.

The traditional grub at this pub southwest of downtown in Ohio City includes wood-fired pizzas, burgers, Irish stew, and ribs. Great Lakes also has lighter options, such as salads, fish, and vegetarian dishes. Of course, every item has a recommended beer pairing, the best reason to come. Open-air dining is available in a courtyard with 25 tables. There's no smoking here.

This publike eatery in historic Ohio City has an open kitchen and a glass garden atrium filled with plants. A Cleveland institution, Heck's has been around for more than 40 years and is known for its bouillabaisse and (arguably) the best burger in town.

The more than 80 menu items are printed on chalkboards at this New York–style deli in German Village. It's known for its Reuben sandwiches, and open-air dining is available.

Chef-owner Michael Symon has received national attention from food and wine critics, but he stays true to the Cleveland roots with creations he describes as "urban comfort food." Popular choices include the smoked-lobster salad with red pepper and papaya, the bone-in rib eye with morels and potato puree, and, at lunch, the macaroni-and-cheese dish with fresh rosemary, goat cheese, and roasted chicken. Fish and game are first-rate, and the desserts are out of this world. There's also a second location downtown at 2058 E. 4th Street.

The barbecued ribs are famous (Bob Hope was a fan), and you can't get any closer to the river without jumping in for a swim. This is the sister location of the original sports-themed joint, which is in the northeastern suburb of Montgomery. The menu is so dominated by the tender, finger-licking ribs that even the few poultry and seafood items are barbecued themselves or served as a combo with ribs. Sinful sides include onion straws and Saratoga chips (potatoes sliced and fried). Lunchtime and happy hour both draw crowds.

One of German Village's first pubs, this eatery in a 1933 building is famous for its horseshoe-shape bar. Pictures of staff and customers cover the walls. With the food a cut above "pub grub," it's one of few places that stays open until midnight on weekdays and 1 am on the weekends. Specials are ever-changing and there are all-you-can-eat quesadillas nights. Popular dishes include the roast beef sandwich with chicken salad on top and beef stew served in a hollowed-out round of bread.

For many Cincinnati expatriates, the first stop on a hometown visit is the nearest Skyline Chili parlor. Whichever way they take it—three-way (chili with spaghetti and shredded cheddar cheese), four-way (chili with spaghetti, cheese, and onions), or cheese Coney (chili with shredded cheddar on a hot dog with bun)—people here are passionate about their chili. A tip for blending in—don't twirl your spaghetti; cut it with the side of your fork and scoop up a mouthful.

This cute little snack shop on park grounds sells sandwiches, wraps, bottled water, sodas, organic tea, vegetarian options, and other offerings from local purveyors including Mitchell's Ice Cream, Harlow’s Popcorn, and Honadle’s Fine Chocolate. You can order at the counter and eat inside or take it with you. There are also souvenirs and gifts available for sale.

The Worthington Inn, with its antiques-filled dining rooms, is about 15 mi north of Downtown. New Zealand rack of lamb and grilled salmon are specialties. Don't miss the bountiful Sunday brunch of shellfish, waffles, eggs, desserts, and cheese. Open-air dining is available on the front porch with cast-iron furniture or in the brick-paved courtyard. There's live jazz on Fridays.