How To Order Chili Like A Cincinnati Native

Cincinnati chili seems to exist only to defy any preconceptions non-Ohioans might have about what chili is and is not. Texas, perhaps the only state more closely associated with chili, often regards the Cincinnati variant with bafflement and horror. Created by two Macedonian immigrant brothers in the 1920s, Cincinnati chili is typically served over spaghetti and flavored with Greek-inspired seasonings like cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Even just the act of ordering this much-maligned dish can be an intimidating exercise for any outsider. Fear not, however, as Tasting Table is here to instruct you how to order chili like a Cincinnati native. 

Before making such an attempt, you should acquaint yourself with the basics of what makes Cincinnati chili so unique — if it doesn't appeal, fine, but you're missing out. Yes, it will be served on a bed of noodles, but so what? Anyone who's ever enjoyed a classic ragù alla bolognese cannot claim pasta and meat sauce don't go together. And when we say Cincinnati chili comes with cheese, we're not talking about a light sprinkling of parmesan. Rather, you'll be lucky if you can even see the chili beneath the mountain of radiant-orange shredded cheddar that traditionally accompanies this dish.

Bearing all this in mind, the key thing you should know is that there are generally three ways one can order Cincinnati chili from the more than 200 chili parlors found within the Cincinnati region. The first is the three-way, which will get you chili, spaghetti, and cheese. Next is the four-way, which comes with a garnish of either red kidney beans (as Cincinnati chili usually does not contain beans) or diced raw onion. Finally, a five-way will get you both garnishes. 

Any chili fan in Ohio will know what a three, four, or five-way means, but these are not the only garnishes one can expect on Cincinnati chili. True spice lovers can douse it in some extra hot sauce, but almost as ubiquitous as the three standard orders is a garnish of oyster crackers. 

Cincinnati chili is also a popular topping in Ohio for hot dogs, as evidenced on July 15, when numerous restaurants throughout Cincinnati celebrated National Hot Dog Day by giving out free Cincinnati Cheese Coneys. Although Cincinnati chili is widely sold throughout Ohio, its two best-known purveyors are the restaurant chains Skyline and Gold Star, each of which offer canned versions of the chili purchasable by those outside of the greater Cincinnati region. 

One notable non-Ohioan fan of this delicious but divisive dish was the late chef, author, and TV host Anthony Bourdain, who, in characteristic style, offered his honest feelings about Cincinnati's Skyline chili. While visiting a Skyline restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio, for an episode of his culinary travelogue show "No Reservations", Bourdain praised Cincinnati chili as "America on a plate." Less impressed was sports commentator Jim Day, who sampled a Skyline chili egg roll during a Reds-Mets baseball game at Citi Field in New York earlier this year — an experience Day described as "the lowest point of my career."