Skyline Chili

Skyline is a Cincinnati Staple. It is also fast food and has turned into a national chain.  Blue tiles and little seat-attached tables give it  a hint of a vintage chili parlor feel. The food  may be one of the reasons that Cincinnati remains at the top of America's Fattest Cities, but don't let that stop you. 

The chili is unique because it is a soup-like texture, rather than chunky like its Southwestern cousins.  Skyline chili has a unique and delicious seasoning mixture of cinnamon and hints of chocolate, dreamed up by its Greek-immigrant creators. The most common way to eat Skyline is a "3 Way", meaning chili, spaghetti, and a heap of  finely shredded neon-orange processed cheese. If you get  a 4 way, you'll add tiny chopped onion. But the best is a cheese coney: chili smeared over a hot dog and heaped with neon cheese and onion, the liquidy chili absorbed by the bun.  Skyline surprisingly offers many delicious vegetarian items as well: stuffed potato skins, Greek salads. You won't leave hungry!  

Skyline is a great way to experience the culinary culture of a city for under $6.00, just don't expect fine dining, and don't be surprised when you see a heap of gleaming neon orange cheese on top of your food. The color is most certainly not found in nature.

Skyline is a Cincinnati Staple. It is also fast food and has turned into a national chain.  Blue tiles and little seat-attached tables give it  a hint of a vintage chili parlor feel. The food  may be one of the reasons that Cincinnati remains at the top of America's Fattest Cities, but don't let that stop you. 

The chili is unique because it is a soup-like texture, rather than chunky like its Southwestern cousins.  Skyline chili has a unique and delicious seasoning mixture of cinnamon and hints of chocolate, dreamed up by its Greek-immigrant creators. The most common way to eat Skyline is a "3 Way", meaning chili, spaghetti, and a heap of  finely shredded neon-orange processed cheese. If you get  a 4 way, you'll add tiny chopped onion. But the best is a cheese coney: chili smeared over a hot dog and heaped with neon cheese and onion, the liquidy chili absorbed by the bun.  Skyline surprisingly offers many delicious vegetarian items as well: stuffed potato skins, Greek salads. You won't leave hungry!  

Skyline is a great way to experience the culinary culture of a city for under $6.00, just don't expect fine dining, and don't be surprised when you see a heap of gleaming neon orange cheese on top of your food. The color is most certainly not found in nature.

There's no other way to say it. You must try Skyline or you will deeply offend your local hosts. There are even veggie options including the excellent bean burrito.

There's a Skyline in just about every Cincinnati neighborhood. If you want to hang with the late-night crowd, try the Skyline at the corner of Clifton and Ludlow down the street from the University of Cincinnati.

Although my family eats at Skyline at least once every two weeks, there are other fine chili parlors in Cincinnati. For example, there's always the James Beard award-winning Camp Washington Chili, which is open 24 hours.