The Most Flavorful Specialty Food in Cincinnati

Steiner's Country Market

★★★★☆ 3.9 (10)

"Hubby & I shopped today for deli meat & cheese. Cannot beat their prices & the service is second to none. I buy spices here every time I shop. With the holidays right around the corner, I'm stocking up on garlic powder, nutmeg, ginger, poultry seasoning, etc. Also bought sandwiches that they prepare with fresh cut deli meat & cheese and all the toppings of your choice. The employees are so polite & helpful. Love this place!"

Harvest Market

★★★★★ 5 (40) • $$

"I was very impressed with Harvest Market. They are nestled in the strip of all the amazingness that Old Milford has to offer. They do daily lunch specials Tuesday - Friday that look amazing, so this is what brought me in. The store is large, bright and airy. It makes you feel healthy just entering the space. Out front and around the side of the building are many nice outdoor tables. There is only 1 or 2 tables inside right now due to covid restrictions. They have some healthy grocery items, a cooler full of healthy frozen or refrigerated items, and a TON of craft drinks/beer! There is a smoothie bar for bowls or drinks. I started with a breakfast smoothie and the ricotta tartan. I grabbed their lunch special of the day, the cobb salad, for later. Everything was amazingly fresh and delicious. I could eat these exact same things each day and be happy! If you are in a hurry it is best to call your order in ahead of time. I ordered in person and everything was ready in about 20 mins. The staff is super friendly and helpful. They are also very efficient for how busy the place is. The patrons here are also very neighborly. There is ample free street parking, or even more in the adjacent lot. Harvest Market proves healthy can taste amazing and not be super expensive!"

Dean's Mediterreanean Imports

★★★★☆ 4.4 (35) • $$

"This place is happening on a Saturday morning! At first I was a little overwhelmed by how crowded and tight it is in here but then I just soaked in how excited folks were to make their purchases. They were busy selling everything from tahini and baklava to imported olive oil and cheeses. I ended up going home with some fresh baba ganoush and pita. I fought the urge to pick up some date syrup and a few other items I had my eye on. Despite the space being small, they pack in a lot of inventory and keep it organized. Overall, a fabulous visit paired with your Findlay Market vendors across the walkway."

The Jam & Jelly Lady

★★★★★ 4.6 (7) • $$

"Super cute little store. I very much enjoyed browsing and honestly would tried their jams and jellies if I lived in the area. They are friendly. Store is clean and well organized."

My Artisano Foods

★★★★★ 4.8 (4) • $$$

"Cheese is my favorite food - so when I saw this little shop, located texted door to the brewery in Lockland, I had to check it out. The young man who was in the shop was very knowledgable about the cheeses and enthusiastic when describing the flavors of what they had available. They make most of the cheeses in the shop and he let us peak through the window where it's made to get a look at the equipment. I chose the Brie, Goat and Mozzarella cheeses. All of them are fantastic! They don't have regular hours, we just happened to see them open. But we were told to call to check when they are in the shop. They are also at Montgomery Farmer's Market on Saturdays."

The Spicy Olive

★★★★☆ 3.9 (17) • $$

"Amazing find after checking out some decadence over at Graeter's!The staff was incredibly helpful and assisted us in picking out flavors for our friends that were dogsitting back home for us, asking questions to select the right flavors of olive oil and balsamic instead of trying to foist something pre-packaged upon us. They even wrapped the gift set for us, adding that personal touch that a large chain just can't touch!"

VOM FASS

★★★★★ 4.6 (16) • $$

"I came here with a groom friends. We had so much fun! This store is a place to be- it's not only for wine, liqueur, vinegar, oils, spices, etc, but is can be a privately booked party. We celebrated a birthday- Jeff and his staff were able to accommodate us. Jeff and staff cooked and served food and drinks for our party. They were all very personable, friendly, attentive. We feel that we got our money's worth and more! We feel that we made a new friend with Jeff and his staff.I highly recommend this place. We will definitely be back again."

Pepe's Mexican Flavors

★★★★☆ 4.1 (50)

"I visited Pepe's as I was visiting family out of town and the taco truck near their house was not open. I ordered a carne asada torta. The torta was really good. The quality of the cheese was solid. I also ordered tacos and a tamale for the wife which she enjoyed. A solid lunch choice."

Dayton Asian Market

★★★★☆ 3.5 (11)

"Happy Asian Mart - right beside Kung Fu Noodle! After dinner, I stopped by to check out the produce section.I love the prices. Much cheaper than a few Fairborn/Dayton asian markets I shop at! All of the produce is very fresh - the entire store is very clean and well kept (and smells really good, like a faint sweet clean smell).They had a ton of king oyster mushrooms for a great price and very fresh baby bok choy.Just a little note: Even the customers are really nice! Thank you to the person who bought us the mochi bean cake ...it was left on the belt after my purchase and I didn't want to ring my card again because of the transaction fee for the owner, so I was going to put it back. The other customer insisted on buying us the cake. So sweet. My boyfriend and I split it for good luck when we got home. :)Anyway, I highly recommend shopping here for groceries!"

Lennys Fruits & Vegetables

★★★★★ 4.7 (12)

"After reading only positive reviews, I had high hopes for Lenny's Fruits & Vegetables. Expectations of shelves abundant with fresh, local, produce filled my mind. What I found at Lenny's did not live up to my expectations, or the reviews I read. In the small space, produce is on the left while wine and various packaged items are on the right. What I saw on the right reminded me more of a mini mart than a produce shop. Ignoring what was to the right, I focused on the left. The produce looked nice. I'm not sure if any of it was local. California produce stickers were on numerous items. Some kiwi were from Chili, while others were from California. I also saw Florida labels. Prices were high for the same produce that may be purchased at ANY chain grocery store. It almost seemed like they went to a chain grocer, hand picked the prettiest pieces of produce, then marked them up for their shop. Customer service is what this shop has going for it. The woman working there was friendly."

A Bushel & A Peck Bulk Foods

★★★★★ 4.5 (6) • $$

"I was out and about today and decided to drive over to Clayton and visit A Bushel and a Peck. Located just north of Route 40, It is a nicely stocked bulk food store that also carries fresh eggs. I buy flax seed at places like this; my small bag cost under a dollar!. If you are in need of spices, extracts, snacks, candy, flour, etc...try this place. FYI....it is closed Sunday and Monday."

Uptown Eats

★★★★☆ 4.3 (9)

"New experience in Cynthiana. Catfish and onion petals were great. Wife had the three cheese sandwich and tomato soup and enjoyed both. Only concern was the soup was so hot she couldn't sip it for about 10 minutes. Josh the co-owner was very friendly and made sure guests were hoppy."

Jungle Jim's International Market

★★★★★ 4.6 (978) • $$

"Hi boys and girls, welcome to Jungle Jim's! (jovial laughing)I wonder how old the sound effects that they play at the main entrance are?In 2023 I moved to Ohio from San Diego. Many people continually ask me, knowing that food is so important to me, how are you coping with the loss of food options? They just can't fathom when I tell them that this area is super diverse, and we have incredible food available here. One of the main reasons is Jungle Jim's!!I am incredibly grateful to JJ's for their mission, and the constant hard work of their super helpful staff. It's a huge operation and it's awe-inspiring! They have not just style and showmanship but also substance.One of my favorite things is their kitchen tools section - they have ALL of the best equipment from brands I love and trust. Kikuichi knives, Demeyere, Le Creuset, Staub, Zwilling, Smithey, many specialty baking products, full OXO product line... whoever is in charge there really knows what they're doing. It's such an insane resource to be able to see high quality products in person and not have to buy everything online or run down to Williams Sonoma or whatever. With the combo of amazing equipment and huge variety of ingredients, I feel empowered to make anything I want in my kitchen, which feels really incredible. They also have cooking classes that I really need to look into!There are some food items they don't have, and this is where I'm spoiled by being a Californian. To me the Japanese section is lacking (because I'm used to Nijiya, Marukai, Mitsuwa) and the Korean section is pretty sad to me (HMart, KP international in Sac). I wish that they would carry fresh tteok, sometimes I see fresh noodles, sometimes I see fresh tofu. Maybe the local availability of these products just isn't there, what I do see comes from Chicago. They have all of the absolute staples and carry a lot of frozen products though, and if they're really missing something I can run down to CAM or Coco Sakula and I'm covered. They also didn't have dried limes a month ago (not Korean or Japanese lol) and still haven't restocked them, but there's probably somewhere else local I can find them.The sushi department confuses me but it's still good. The sushi is generally good but the majority of rolls seem to not contain seaweed for some reason? Not sure why lol... are people really that averse? If I ask for a custom roll I think they would use it, I should do that more often. The sushi is a good general base but I usually put rice vinegar and furikake on it when I get home. I like that they have onigiri. I wish they had more options though or maybe I'm just not there when more options are out (this is impossible because I basically live there). I would love some eel onigiri! Also, yes kimbap is NOT sushi but CAM has kimbap and I wish JJ's would too. I wish they would have more ready made food options in general. I guess what I'm really craving is HMart lol.Anyway I love JJ's and I discover more things I love about it every time I go. They move stuff around or get new products all the time so it always feels like an adventure. Of course that's also a downside when you want something and it's not there anymore (I miss you, lemon ricotta cookies). It somehow took me over 10 visits before I discovered the Italian, French and Kosher sections... ADHD lol. Btw they also have my favorite pasta of all time, Marella spaghetti... I just want to reiterate that they truly understand quality products here, and that I appreciate this store so much. I always spend too much money here but I will support them forever. I love you JJ!!!!"

Lenoxburg General Store

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"I enjoy eating at this General store on many occasions. Owners and staff are very friendly with daily specials."

Charcuterie Creations

★★★★☆ 4.1 (14)

"Cannot believe I forgot to take pics of one of the best paninis I've ever had! Omg, it was hot and delicious and full of yummy gooey cheese! Granny's Turkey Dinner may be one of my most favorite savory sweet dishes ever! The location wasn't too hard to find and they have ample parking so I would definitely dine in. I ordered the signature 7 for a NYE evening and it was beautifully made with a nice variety of cheese and meat. The person who took my order was very friendly and did not mind explaining the menu. Can't wait to have an event to order a larger selection."

Made By Mavis

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"Love the small batch jams Made by Marvis. It's a local small business and I am always happy with care and attention to detail of these type of almost homemade products.They have so many fun jam flavors, the red wine jelly, peach bellini with champagne, pineapple with chilies to name a few. They even make one with Braxton's Tropical Storm beer. You will also find the fruit classics and seasonals, yum! You can occasionally find these in Kroger or at local farmer's markets but I usually order online. They always have end if season promo. Apart from jams, they do a lot of catering that looks delicious. A great biz to support!"

Catch A Fire Pizza - College Hill

★★★★☆ 4.2 (6)

"Great food, service....not quite up to snuff yet. I would probably suggesting getting carryout until they work out some of the new location kinks.I started my night with a couple tasty cocktails from the bar and the Fire Bites - delicious peppadew peppers filled with herbs and goat cheese. I then split a couple pizzas with some friends: Mellow Mood and Mr. Brown. These were all great options since one of my friends is vegetarian. Both pizzas were tasty, though there was a bit of diminishing return with the truffle oil on Mr. Brown. Not a big deal though since we were splitting a small. It still got eaten.Getting the food ordered and receiving it took too long. I also ordered a Cabernet Sauvignon and had to clarify with the bartender that it was not a white wine. I still received a Sauvignon Blanc.I admire that they quickly took over a vacant restaurant space and I am eager to try them again, but will likely go carryout on the second go."

Bodega

★★★★★ 4.9 (14)

"Yes yes YES! Just want to give a list of the cold items we have enjoyed so far...chicken salad is excellent - even better than my previous favorite DLM. Their croissants are amazing with it. Pimiento cheese spread is very, very good. The fresh rosemary focaccia bread is out of this world, salty & rosemary-y and so soft yet with a tiny bit of chew. The broccoli salad is the best I've had anywhere. I'm not even much of a fan of it other places, but here it's in a bright, citrusy dressing. The broccoli is super crispy rather than chewy & wilted. It's not drowning in dressing but there's enough to make it taste good. The day I had it they had put blueberries and cashews in it, which was a surprisingly good combination. I recently tried the heat & eat lasagna and it was quite good, but I would prefer a bit more sauce. I haven't managed to get any of the daily meal specials yet, but hope to soon.Just discovered this place and cannot believe I hadn't been here before now. With Covid, their operations are probably very scaled back. Looks like there is seating in a raised section in back but the chairs are stacked up & no lights are on up there. I imagine they had quite a little thing going on with wine tastings, etc. In the meantime, definitely make a trip there for some carry out. The products & quantities are limited, but you'll probably find something. Each day they have a different full meal for lunch and dinner. They put out their weekly menu on their social media pages."

Grippo Potato Chip Co

★★★★☆ 4 (9) • $

"Grippo's literally has the best bbq chips ever! I have loved them my entire life. When family moves out of town, they crave them as well. It's one of their first stops when they return to visit. All of the chips are delicious. I especially appreciate the cheddar and original Grippo's seasoning popcorn-out of this world!"

Jungle Jim's International Market

★★★★★ 4.6 (514) • $$

"WOW!!!!! Please bring Jungle Jim's to Cleveland Ohio. I would do all my shopping there for sure. When I am traveling to cincy I stop by. I will buy a hundred dollars worth of stuff. Just because I'm here. I live four hours away. So can't buy items that won't make the trip. This place is huge. And they have everything you could possibly want. Please bring this to Cleveland Ohio."

The Cheddar Box Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (98) • $$

"I'm really confused by the people who gave this low stars! The service has always been incredible and the food is to die for. I literally went here two days in a row with my husband. My picture is of the tomato soup because that's my all time favorite part. This soup is out of this world!! The flavors are just *chefs kiss* and it goes great with the honey pecan chicken salad. The chicken salad is just the right amount in the half // half combination meal. I'd definitely recommend this place. I'm a big fan of the homemade food, the delicious deserts (creme brûlée cheesecake is a must), and the service!!"

Taste on Elm

★★★★★ 4.9 (8)

"How have I not reviewed Taste on Elm? Better yet... how has NO ONE ELSE reviewed Taste on Elm yet? This little specialty grocer is just another reason why Ludlow is such a little badass of a town. You heard it from me first... Ludlow Kentucky is ENTIRELY underrated. This small charming little store has so many great items and an equally sweet owner who was quick to make great recommendations. The prices are on the higher end, but so are the products. Just walk in knowing that you're probably going to drop at least $30 on few delicious treats for yourself. That's the beauty of the items sold here too... they all felt like such a treat. One of my favorites were the pickle flavored peanuts I ended up buying. There's a great wine selection and some delicious looking cheese to round out a great wine night. If you're popping over to a night with friends, this would be a great stop to pick up some wine and a treat to bring. I can't wait to have an excuse to come back to Taste on Elm soon!"