Arnold's Bar and Grill is an american tavern restaurant in Downtown, Cincinnati.
Arnold's on East 8th Street downtown is Cincinnati's oldest continuously operating tavern since 1861, hidden behind a quiet courtyard with live music.
Why locals love it: Cincinnati's oldest continuously operating tavern, opened in 1861, with a courtyard tucked behind the building.
Tip: Live music in the courtyard most warm-weather nights. The Spaghetti Joe is the off-menu classic.
Address: 210 E 8th St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Eli's BBQ on Riverside Drive in Cincinnati's East End is the picnic-table smokehouse from a single backyard pit, hidden along the Ohio River road.
Why locals love it: Counter-only smokehouse along an industrial Riverside Drive stretch. Grew from one pit, picnic-table seating only.
Tip: Picnic tables under the trees. The jalapeno cheddar grits earn the trip.
Sundry and Vice on West 13th Street in OTR is Cincinnati's apothecary-themed cocktail bar with bitters and a hidden program from the OTR locals.
Why locals love it: Apothecary-themed cocktail bar on a side street that looks like a closed storefront.
Tip: Order off the cocktail menu, not the back-cover spirits list.
Chino's Street Food at Cincinnati's Findlay Market on West Elder Street is Nick Ho's weekend Chino-Latino outdoor stall, with fried rice, Vietnamese tacos and crab rangoon.
Why locals love it: Weekends-only Chino-Latino outdoor stall across from Saigon Market at Findlay. Easy to miss unless you know the schedule.
Tip: Order the fried rice and a Vietnamese street taco. Eat at the Market's outdoor benches.
Ghost Baby on Republic Street in OTR is Cincinnati's subterranean cocktail-jazz lounge in an 1850s lagering cellar, hidden five stories below Vine Street.
Why locals love it: Buried five stories under Vine Street in a 170-year-old lagering tunnel. Easy to walk past unless you know the location.
Tip: Live jazz sets at 6:30, 8:30 and 10:30. Reservations make a difference.
Pho Lang Thang at Cincinnati's Findlay Market on Race Street is the Vietnamese pho counter from the Nguyen and Le partners, hidden inside the 1855 market structure in OTR.
Why locals love it: Hidden inside the Findlay Market structure, walk past unless you know it's there.
Tip: Lunch is fastest. The pho ga is the under-the-radar order for first-time visitors to the market.
Mom 'n 'em on Colerain Avenue in Cincinnati's Camp Washington is the corner cafe and wine bar named the best coffee shop in Ohio by Food and Wine magazine.
Why locals love it: Off the OTR crawl in an industrial corner of Camp Washington. Food and Wine named it best coffee shop in Ohio.
Tip: Walk to Camp Washington Chili after for the full neighborhood.
