Flying into Aladdin’s Eatery

Where can you get amazing, authentic Mediterranean food while being surrounding by hip decor and a cool bar? Aladdin’s Eatery in Downtown Cincinnati! If you have been a subscriber to Pursuit of Delights for some time, you may have noticed we do not feature chain restaurants often. However, after dining at Aladdin’s newly opened location, we had to make an exception! The menu might be the same, but the vibe has been kicked up to make for a fun, yet welcoming experience.

Aladdin’s Eatery originated in 1994 in Cleveland, Ohio with majority of their expansion being in additional areas of Ohio. The downtown Cincinnati location marks the city’s 3rd opening. We sat down with the General Manager of this location and talked about the new vibes and what makes them special. Check it out below!

POD: How has business been seen you opened your doors a few months back? 

Aladdin’s Eatery: Although there has been a lot of construction on Main Street, we have had a good amount of business. There are also additional restaurants and coffee shops opening near us, which will naturally increase traffic. We were added at a stop for  Cincinnati Food Tours (see our blog post on Cincinnati Food Tours here ). This is exciting for us and has increased our daytime business. Many people still don’t know we are here. Soon, we will have neon open signs up to help attract more customers. 

POD: Having a patio is such a great concept appearing more and more at downtown Cincinnati and OTR locations. Tell us more about yours (which happens to be super cozy!)

Aladdin’s Eatery: This was such a fun addition! The outdoor bar is open on weekends or for special events. We will eventually have a tv as well. We want to get as much business in to enjoy it before the weather gets cold. However, we’ll keep the indoor bar open of course

POD: You mentioned this being Aladdin Eatery’s only location with a full bar. What led to this concept?

Aladdin’s Eatery: The owners were interested in more of an urban atmosphere. The downtown vibe led to the concept. Not only is there a functioning bar on the inside, but we also have a super cozy patio in the back that is perfect for a nice Spring, Summer, or Fall night. Our entire space can be used to lounge with friends or rented for special events, such as the TEA Dance Party recently hosted with 400-500 people! We had a blast!

POD: With the bar being new for you all, what selection is getting the most attention here? 

Aladdin’s Eatery: The Zaatorita is always at the top! It is made of Sauza Reposado, simple syrup, lime juice, mango nectar, lemon bitters, june bug blackberry lavender, and probiotic soda- because you know, you have to stay healthy ;) 

POD: Let’s switch up a bit and talk about food- one of our favorite words! What are your top sellers?

Aladdin’s Eatery: Specifically, the Aladdin’s Chicken Pizza with onions and cheddar cheese are one of the top. It is also my favorite! The hummus is almost always on someone’s table, which is very special to us. It’s a 3 day process and is made using fresh chickpeas. After soaking, draining, and boiling them, we put them in our patented mixer, which makes it creamy. We pride ourselves on using fresh ingredients. Our smoothies are made right on the spot with fruits and vegetables that are never frozen. Our kitchen manager, Tyrone, does a great job leading the team.

Sidenote: If a restaurant has a patented mixer just for hummus, you KNOW it’s good!

POD: And your desserts! They are massive! Do you make them in house? 

Aladdin’s Eatery: They are actually from a bakery in Cleveland called Sweet Hearts USA. We receive shipments twice a week. This keeps our items pretty fresh and moist. 

POD: Do you plan on expanding your hours?

Aladdin’s Eatery: This is definitely in discussion. In order to keep up with the downtown crowd, we have talked about treating our restaurant like a bar after normal hours and staying open later on the weekends so people can continue to enjoy the space. 

Aladdin’s Eatery has proven that a chain restaurant can join the up and coming eateries downtown and be successful. They made many adjustments to fit the downtown scene   for both lunch and dinner crowds. We dare you to walk in and not be amazed by their decor, the friendliness, the fresh food and patio. They are clearly here to stay!