Cinners: User Reviews

We saw this place featured on 190 N and I had lived in Cinci and LOVE MY SKYLINE, so I was so excited. I am so disappointed. Great concept but poor execution and I think they need to revisit their recipe book! First, we ordered the buffalo chicken app, and they were missing a couple key ingredients that were listed in the description, cream cheese, jalapeños and onions! It was basically chicken cubes in hot wing sauce and was barely a dip. Then we got our 3 ways. I have to say I was excited when it came to our table and I saw the cheese…finely grated just like skyline, they did get that right. However, after one bite I knew something was not right. It was missing something. The taste was bland, pasta mushy, not at all like skyline. Next time when I have the craving for skyline in the city, I will resort to the cans you can buy online!

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No amount of negative reviews here could have dissuaded me from giving this place a try. And we're glad the negative reviews didn't dissuade us, because this was really, really good.

Let me preface this by saying that, although it's been about 14 years since I lived in Cincinnati, during high school I used to work at a Skyline Chili. So I think I am a fairly good judge of what's acceptable for Cincinnati style Chili.

This place was awesome.

The cubs were in a playoffs game, so the place wasn't jammed with people - but we got a table immediately. Drink orders were taken immediately and brought out promptly. Our food came out so fast after we ordered it that we hardly had time to drink our tasty drinks. BTW, the Over The Rhine drink is delicious.

Then it was time to determine whether or not what was in front of us passed the true test for Skylinishness. It passed with flying colors. I had to hold off dousing my 4-way with McIlhenny's as I used to do way back when so I could sample the chili.

Very good, very similar to Skyline - at least as far as my memory lets me recall.

Minor complaints - No oyster crackers on the table like Skyline used to do, and no desserts. The waiter said the owner was looking to import some Cincinnati-style desserts. Even as a former Cincinnati resident, I have no idea what that would be, but since this was a rare night out for my wife and me, we were looking to treat ourselves with something sweet after dinner.

Even my wife who normally doesn't care much for chili liked this chili, and again I thought it was very similar to the Skyline of my memory.

Bottom line - it's good, it's Skylineish, and even non-traditional chili lovers might appreciate it.

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We've given Cinners four chances...our first experience was pretty good, but it's just gotten worse each time. After tonight, we're done. The bar was empty on a Sunday night when the Bears were on except for one couple. We had 8 people in our party and were relatively ignored when we walked in. When we asked where we could sit, we were pointed to two tables in the middle and told 'well, I guess that's your only option." We put the tables together because he clearly wasn't going to jump to help us. The food was overly greasy, lukewarm and tasted like it had been warming for several days. We had to ask for a second round of drinks because the owner was busy talking to a friend at the bar. At a time when restaurants are desperate for business, you think he would have been a little more friendly and attentive. So sorry he hasn't gotten it together. We would have been regular customers.

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I haven't had Cincinatti Chili in years and was excited to try it at this rarity of a bar. It was just how I remembered. My fiance, who loves chili and has never had the Cincy kind, was skeptical at first but loved it. The owner is very friendly and has some good stories to tell.

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I had such high hopes for this place - anxiously waited months and months for it's opening. But, if you know anything about Cincinnati and it's chili, this will be a complete letdown. There's nothing Cincinnati about the place - you'd think they would have created an homage to the city of sorts, but it's a strange half-attempted lounge vibe.

The waitress didn't have menus for us when we sat down which was strange since the restaurant was only half full. How do you run out of menus?

I was willing to put these things aside if the chili satisfied my craving for Skyline. But in no way did the 3-way I had cut it. It was way too oily and too runny (Skyline is thin, but not like this). There were no oyster crackers and the spaghetti was mushy.

I was hoping to find a special place to indulge in one of favorite and most comforting foods. But sadly, I'll never go back.

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Just like many people that are from Cincy or have had some experience with Skyline, Goldstar, ect. in the past I was disappointed. Unfortunately I won't be going back either. I'm not as angered by it as some people seem to be on this site and Yelp. However the chili came no where near Cincinnati style taste. I had the coneys and I could barely taste the chili because the hot dog overpowered it. The hot dog was pretty average anyway, which would be fine if it was true Cincinnati style chili. The guy who waited on us was pretty unfriendly, and the bar barely had a Cincinnati feel. No TV's with Cincy sports playing either? The taste of the food was bland and not worthy of a craving. It was a somewhat nice try, but they need to get a staff that seems like they want people there, speed up the service, and get some chili with some punch like skyline. I'll stick to the skyline cans at home for my fix. Sorry for the poor review, but had to do it. Not sure where all the 5 star reviews are coming from, hard for me to believe someone could rate this place above a 2.

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Cinners does a fantastic job of filling my craving for Cincinnati chili, namely Skyline Chili. Check it out if you aren't familiar with the chili style. This chili is great for a late night snack attack with drinking or for a quick bite during sports season. The atmosphere is mellow and caters wonderfully to a local crowd...It's not a fancy evening spot, but its a quick walk from Lincoln Square so you could hit it for dinner on your to Lincoln Square or on your way home after having a few drinks in Lincoln Square.

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I cannot describe the horrific experience we had at Cinners. The owner and staff were downright rude. The chili was overcooked and cold and the beer was warm. We were so thrilled being from Cincinatti that there was a Skyline like place but I would make the 5 hour drive back home instead of returning here again.

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i have to agree with those who wrote about the bad service...employees were much more interested in mixing and taking shots at the bar with a few of their friends than welcoming anyone that had come to give this place the benefit of the doubt...we got no hello, no goodbye and no service in between...and the chili...not good. we had chili dogs and the buns were stale, the dogs were cold, the chili was not representative of famous Cincinnati chili, just all around bad. so disappointing.

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Great addition to Lincoln Square! My friend and I had chili (4-way) and cocktails on a week night. Nice diverse crowd. The atmosphere is inviting-candelight and dark red walls/bar area with black chairs and booths. Nice bar area. 2 flat-screen TVs (service to be added later this month). Service was super friendly and quick. The chili is authentic Cinci style. Great martini list. This place is on a nice tree-lined street right on Talman and Lawrence-if you are not from Lincoln Square it is a an easy two-block walk from the Rockwell Brown Line El-Stop. I will for sure be back on a regular basis!

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