Finding a spot to eat that accommodates your dog can be a nightmare. Despite that, some of the best food in Cincinnati is served in dog-friendly restaurants!
To make things easier for dog-owning gourmets, we’ve put together a short list of Cincinnati’s best dog-friendly establishments.
Tuck in your napkin, grab a knife and fork, and let’s dig in…
The Root Beer Stand
For a taste of pure childhood nostalgia, you can’t beat The Root Beer Stand. This humble establishment has been hawking its cult classic root beer and hot dogs since 1957!
Open all summer, The Root Beer Stand is a time-tested favorite of many Cincinnati locals. Patrons have been quaffing their root beer and chowing down on their hot dogs for 40+ years!
Make no mistake, The Root Beer Stand is not some kind of retro-hipster-ironic take on classic US street food. It’s absolutely the real deal.
Customers who complain about ‘a lack of culinary refinement’ or the use of affordable ingredients are not The Root Beer Stand’s target clientele. This establishment confidently serves budget-friendly and deeply nostalgic cuisine.
The root beer, to which The Root Beer Stand owes its name, is brewed from the waters of a 280-foot-deep well. Perhaps the magic of those pure waters is the secret to The Root Beer Stand’s enduring success.
The Root Beer Stand serves – and warmly welcomes – dogs. They even opened a new outdoor dining area at the start of this spring (2023).
If you’re craving a classic hot dog or a refreshing root beer this baseball season, consider giving The Root Beer Stand a whirl.
Bridges Nepali Cuisine
Rose, Manoj, and Ashak Chipalu have a simple goal: to communicate love, care, and connection in every dish they serve.
Bridges Nepali Cuisine is a family-run business.
Ashak works alongside his father, Manoj, and his mother, Rose. Rose and Manoj traveled from Nepal to join their son in Cincinnati — escaping the aftermath of the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake.
Reunited, the tight-knit trio started small — serving Nepali cuisine from a food tent at Findlay Market. Visitors to the food tent immediately realized what Manoj and Ashak had known for years: Rose could really cook.
Rose combines the rich culinary traditions of Kathmandu’s Newar people with her own years of professional experience. She and her family serve a range of Nepali dishes styled as rice bowls, dumplings, noodles, and soups.
These days, the Chipalu family serves their signature dishes at brick-and-mortar locations in Northside, Elmwood, and Downtown Cincinnati. You can even pick up their famous momo (Nepali dumplings) at Jungle Jim’s International Market.
There is no shortage of demand for Bridges’ distinctive Nepali cuisine — but that’s only half of the equation. The service at Bridges is as warm as their sweet and smoky soups.
One regular put it best: at Bridges Nepali Cuisine you’ll experience “Amazing food [and] amazing people”.
Fortunately, for dog owners, Bridges’ signature hospitality is also extended to canine companions!
The Littlefield
The Littlefield is the epitome of the modern gastropub.
Their carefully constructed menu is short and sweet, but it covers a lot of ground.
For dinner at Littlefield, you can order mapo tofu, pierogies, and bruschetta all in the same breath. The dishes are diverse but the culinary effect is harmonious.
The Littlefield has been hailed as the best whiskey bar and restaurant in Northside. Plus, their decadent brunch is the perfect remedy to a night spent sampling fine single malts.
Littlefield’s cuisine is elevated, but the atmosphere is casual enough for your canine companion to relax and be themselves.
If you want modern American cuisine, make sure to try the food here!
Laszlo’s Iron Skillet Restaurant
German food was, at one point in Cincinnati’s early colonial history, ubiquitous to the area. Many European residents in the historic settlement lived, traded, and spoke only in German.
These days, you’ll hear far less German spoken on the streets of Cincinnati. However, there are still some places where you can sample traditional German food.
When you want to sample the best German (and Hungarian) food that the city has to offer, it’s time to stop in at Laszlo’s Iron Skillet Restaurant.
Laszlo’s Iron Skillet Restaurant serves a tasteful selection of German/Hungarian dishes such as schnitzel, sauerbraten, goulash, and cabbage rolls. The staff are kind and attentive, and the whole place feels rich with history and culture.
The restaurant’s current location is the third that Laszlo’s Iron Skillet has operated out of.
The first venue was flooded, and the second burned down! Despite these disasters, and more than 50 years of faithful service, Laszlo’s Iron Skillet shows no signs of slowing down.
Dogs are more than welcome to accompany their owners at Laszlo’s Iron Skillet Restaurant!
Delwood
This relaxed and welcoming restaurant is governed by one simple principle, “If people leave happy, they will come back”. And so far, that principle has served them, and their patrons, very well.
Delwood’s menu is informed by ingredients and preparations from across Latin America. Those Latin influences are focused through the lens of the USA’s most quintessential dish: the burger.
How well do the folk at Delwood do when it comes to their version of a Pan-American burger menu? According to past visitors: very well. Bueller insists that “Delwood has the most consistently overlooked burger[s] in the city”.
The Latin American influence at Delwood has resulted in triumphs all across its menu. One Delwood regular believes that the humble ‘Yuca Fries’ are the best menu item in Cincinnati.
The folks at Delwood don’t only believe in welcoming human patrons. At Delwood, your furry friends are more than welcome also.
If you’re looking for a burger menu that is both delicious and inventive, grab yourself a table at Delwood.
Carl’s Deli
Well, the votes are in!
If you want the best sandwich in Cincinnati, you can get it at Carl’s Deli.
Carl’s Deli is a landmark of the Hyde Park neighborhood. First established in 1938, Carl’s Deli has served fresh deli goods to generations of Cincinnati locals.
This award-winning deli operates under the management of women, as it has for many, many years.
Eating at this classic establishment is, according to reddit user roboprober, “like [taking] a mini holiday”. However, be warned: Carl’s Deli is not a secret, and it does get very crowded around lunchtime.
So which sandwich should you order at Carl’s Deli? According to reddit users, Carl’s Deli simply doesn’t miss – no matter what you choose!
Some folk advocated for the turkey, some for the egg salad BLT. Others go for the pot roast and salted rye. The more I looked into it, the more options I found.
After careful consideration, I think it’s safe to say that Carl’s Deli simply doesn’t serve any duds. Whatever catches your eye is sure to please your taste buds as well!
Eli’s BBQ
Eli’s BBQ was born from the fiery passion of two best friends, Eli and Drew.
The embers of a BBQ joint had been burning in Eli’s heart for years. He first tried hawking hickory smoked pork sandwiches, on Cincinnati’s Fountain Square, in 2011.
The 2011 experiment went well for Eli. The low-and-slow BBQ master realized he needed to strike while the iron was hot!
Eli’s summer in The Square came to an end. Almost immediately, Eli and his bestie Drew cashed in their lives’ savings, and opened Eli’s BBQ.
These days, Eli’s BBQ isn’t just a Cincinnati favorite. Eli and Drew run the only Cincinnati establishment to make Yelp’s 2015 ‘Top 100 Best Places to Eat in the US’.
The plucky locals have also been ranked amongst the top 20 BBQ joints in the nation!
At Eli’s, you’ll find a selection of BBQ mainstays like pulled pork, smoked turkey, ribs, wings, franks, etc, etc. However, the object of many customers’ affections is Eli’s ‘Best Baked Beans’.
Recipes for Eli’s sweet and spicy ‘best’ beans are in high demand amongst Cincinnati locals. And once you taste them, you’ll understand why.
In my opinion, there’s no point trying to replicate Eli’s recipes — they’ll never taste as good as Eli makes them. And honestly, why bother when you can go straight to the source?
Eli’s BBQ has a great casual atmosphere. You get to enjoy rare and classic LP’s played on a vintage turntable through a well-loved Marshall guitar amp.
The staff are helpful and fun, plus you have your choice of indoor or outdoor seating.
Dogs are, of course, welcome at Eli’s BBQ. If you’re feeling generous, you might even throw them a bone!
Sichuan Palace
There is more than a little competition for the title of Cincinnati’s best Sichuan restaurant…
However, when it comes to authentic flavors, fresh ingredients, and good old deliciousness: Sichuan Palace has “out Sichuan-ed” the rest.
The flavors at Sichuan Palace are built on centuries of innovation and trade routes that date back to the middle ages.
In the 16th century, Mexican chilies arrived in Sichuan Province. These chilies were paired with the native tongue-numbing Sichuan pepper, and the course of culinary history was changed forever.
At Sichuan Palace, you can enjoy the best cuisine of the Sichuan province in a casual and affordable setting. People and their puppers are welcome guests at Cincinnati’s most authentic Sichuan restaurant.
Like any good Sichuan restaurant, Sichuan Palace offers a vast array of delicacies from the famous Chinese province. Every dish is unique, and, in traditional Sichuan style, guests are encouraged to order meals to share.
Meals at Sichuan Palace are affordable but of the highest quality. If you want to try authentic and delicious Sichuan food, this is your best bet in Cincinnati.
The Growler House
With a name like that, The Growler House was destined to be dog friendly!
Don’t get it twisted though! The artisanal beverages on offer are strictly for human consumption.
The pride of The Growler House is its hand-selected and constantly updated range of rare and award-winning craft beers. These beautiful brews are curated to challenge and delight.
The fine beers and ales of The Growler House can be enjoyed on-site or at home. However, sampling all 30 offerings will require multiple visits — especially if you want to remember how they tasted the next morning!
The name of The Growler House was derived from the 32-64 oz ‘growlers’ that can be filled and refilled onsite.
Growlers are a great way to take your favorite beers home with you — to enjoy at your own pace, in your own place.
While The Growler House doesn’t have an in-house kitchen, it does serve soft pretzels from Cincinnati-favorite Hoff’s, and pizza from Fireside.
Maybe you want to stimulate your palate while you unwind. Or perhaps you just want to view the finest facial hair and tightest jeans in Cincinnati! Either way, I’d encourage you to grab a craft beer and a slice at The Growler House.
Key Takeaways
Dining out with your dog in Cincinnati doesn’t have to be hard. From Carl’s Deli to the Sichuan Palace, we truly hope that you use this list of dog-friendly restaurants to its full potential!