Friday Feature: Taste of Cincinnati

If you’re a true Cincinnatian, you know the Taste of Cincinnati comes to the downtown area every Memorial Day weekend. Some people plan their weekend around it, knowing there is no chance they’ll miss it. Others plan their weekend around avoiding the area due to the traffic and crowd. I am one who tries to attend every year- even more now since moving to downtown. So how did 2019 compare to previous years? Read on to find out!

If you can’t tell by now (Huge LOL here), I am quite the foodie. I love exploring new restaurants and going to festivals/events that highlight a variety of cuisines. This is why I love going to the Taste of Cincinnati. It has been around for over 20 years and still has its fire. There was a time when there were concerns with going due to increased crime and traffic, but with the years spent cleaning up the downtown area, increased security, and a slight move of the location, it has made for a better and most importantly, SAFE experience for everyone.

So what keeps me coming back?

To start, the food is always amazing. The organizers have done a great job of bringing in additional vendors, both new and old to create a unique experience. The layout is now broken into sections of main vendors, food truck vendors, and Findlay Kitchen vendors. With Cincinnati having so many new, hip, and contemporary restaurants, it’s great for the ones we all know and love (which are often family owned) to receive much deserved attention here. My favorite section was Findlay Kitchen (which I missed the first day and had to come back for). This area highlighted restaurants who do not yet have a Brick and Mortar location but are well known in the marketplace. Their prices were noticeably cheaper while being just as delicious!

Speaking of prices, in the past, there were complaints in this area. This year, in my opinion, the prices have not necessarily gone down for most, but the price in comparison to portion sizes have gotten much better. As mentioned, there were also areas that were cheaper, but you must keep your eyes open for them!

Main Vendor Selections:

: Bourbon Coole

: Thai Chicken

Food Truck Selections:

: Food Truck Alley

: Food Truck-Marty’s Waffles

: Food Truck-Marty’s Original Waffle dipped in belgian chocolate

: Food Truck- Brisket Mac n Cheese

: Food Truck-Kevin Bacon Ranch- Hungry Bros.

Findlay Kitchen Selections:

: Taste Findlay Kitchen

: Flavors of the Isle

: Jerk Chicken-Flavors of the Isle

: Southern Grace

: Fried Grippo Chicken Slider

Future Food Tips:

Walk around the full festival once before buying anything. There are so many great options and many of the same food type. You may see Thai chicken at one place for $6 and Thai chicken + rice for $5 at another. Look around, make a note of what you want, compare prices, then dive in!
Pace yourself! As mentioned, you’ll receive a nice portion at almost all locations. You don’t want to come all the way to the festival and get full after only trying two or three places. If you have a friend, share your selections so you can get the most bang for your buck and time.
Unless it’s alcohol, don’t pay for drinks! There were multiple stands that offered free, unlimited tastings of their flavored water. I have seen this almost every year. Take a moment to try out their products rather than paying $3 and up for a bottled water or other drink.

In addition to the food, the live bands were fantastic! There were times when bands were playing at multiple areas of the festival, but it was never too loud or overlapping. They chose a nice variety that play songs that are great to keep the liveliness going. There were people of all ages singing and dancing the night away! I noticed an increase in bands from previous years spread out across the full walkway instead of just in a select area.

Lastly, the Taste of Cincinnati is a great festival for the entire family! The variety of food, fun activities, and music are fun and appropriate for people of all ages. It starts early and ends late, so you can choose what timeframe is best for your group. It’s also such a great way to bring people of diverse backgrounds together. What a great way to connect the beautifully different people of Cincinnati!

If you haven’t been, I hope this helps push you to go next year. It will be hot and may even rain (like it did this year), but don’t let that stop you from enjoying this fun event. If you have been, leave us a comment with what you enjoyed most!