There are too many good places to eat in Northern Kentucky to count, and the people on the LINK team certainly like to eat (and occasionally drink), so we thought we’d share some of our favorites.
To get you the best recommendations I could, I (LINK’s digital editor) asked our team members (and myself) six questions:
- What is your favorite NKY late-night spot?
- What is your overall favorite NKY restaurant?
- What is your favorite drink in NKY?
- What is the NKY restaurant with the best vibes?
- What restaurant or bar do you recommend to people visiting from out of town?
- What is your go-to local comfort food?
Here are our answers – with a lot of talk about delicious dishes and fantastic vibes.
Favorite late-night spot
The LINK team was a little split on late-night recommendations, and the split was definitely by generation.
For a true late night, business reporter Kenton Hornbeck said his go-to is Gyros on Main in Covington’s Mainstrasse Village. “It stays open until 2 a.m. and offers a nice change from typical late-night food options like pizza or fast food.” My favorite after-midnight stop in NKY is the Covington Goodfellas Pizzeria for a slice and a breadstick longer than my arm.
Our sales account manager, Nick Kettler, said Galaxie, a bar, restaurant and EDM venue in Covington, is “my go-to when I need an EDM fix.”
Popular among the LINK team, and Sports Editor Evan Dennison’s favorite, is Second Story. Is it because it’s only a hundred feet from our office? Possibly, but the creative cocktails and immersive, artsy atmosphere don’t hurt.
On the chiller side, Managing Editor Meghan Goth has five kids, so late nights for her are few and far between. When she does get to go out in NKY, she enjoys Braxton’s rooftop after the sun goes down, “The lights overhead, the view, the vibe … it’s just perfect.”
Our VP of sales, Brad Crosby (who has three kids), said that Ripple Wine Bar in Covington is “a great way to end the night. They have an awesome selection of wines.”
Our CEO, Lacy Starling, who admittedly said “my idea of late night might be earlier than most!” says her go-to spot for an after-dinner drink is Juniper in Covington.
Overall favorite
Brad agrees with the Mayor of Flavortown himself with his overall pick of Camporosso in Fort Mitchell. Not only has this local spot, known for wood-fired pizza, been named Pizzeria of the Year in 2024 by Pizza Today, but it was also recently featured on an episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” with Guy Fieri.
Italian eatery Carmelo’s, which opened last fall, is Lacy’s favorite place to dine in NKY. Co-owned by Mitch Arens and Billy Grise, the restaurant features family-style Italian dishes that harken back to Grise’s heritage. Lacy said the place is “always a winner. Terrific food, great service.”
As “not a highfalutin person,” Kenton said he’d much prefer a casual bite than a fancy dinner, so his overall pick is La Mexicana Restaurante Cantina and Tienda on Monmouth Street in Newport. The restaurant doubles as a grocery store and is known locally as having some of the best Mexican food in the region.
Greyhound Tavern has been serving up classic comfort food for over 100 years, and it’s the pick for our office manager, Shelly Braun. The menu offers favorites like fried chicken, fried green tomatoes and world famous onion rings.
Predictably, Campbell County reporter Haley Parnell went with a Campbell County spot: Grass Roots & Vine. The Fort Thomas favorite offers wine, loaded salads, cheese boards and more, plus brunch on Sundays.
My favorite restaurant in NKY has to be Mama’s on Main. The red-sauce Italian restaurant with a twist opened in 2022 in Mainstrasse and has an amazing vibe and even better food. I highly recommend the chicken parmesan and, of course, several orders of the focaccia bread service.
Favorite drink
Two of our reporters picked coffee drinks for this category, not really the spirit of the question, but we’ll give it to them. (We do need a lot of coffee to get through the day at the LINK office.) Kenton’s go-to is a mocha or latte from Ludlow Coffee, and every Friday during our weekly office hours, Haley gets an iced oat milk latte from Carabello.
Evan is more of a beer drinker, and he recommends anything from Braxton Brewing.
On the cocktail front, Lacy loves the Oaxacan No. 1 at Wayfarer Tavern in Dayton (did she pick this because she can walk home from Wayfarer now that she’s a Dayton resident?). Brad’s top two picks are the espresso martini from Wiseguys or Crazy Norse from Barleycorns.
I also couldn’t choose just one: I’m stuck between the Scarlet City vodka sour from Second Story and the vanilla Coke cocktail with rum from Jerry’s Jug House. Since this is my article, I’m picking both!
Best vibes
For a seasonal atmosphere, Meghan’s pick for vibiest spot is the Hive in Erlanger. Offering coffee plus scratch-made breakfast and lunch, the Hive is definitely a vibe, and Meghan said she “especially loves the way they decorate for the holidays in December.”
Kung Food Amerasia in Covington has the best vibes in NKY according to Kenton. He said, “It really is one of the most unique spots in the region. Plus, it’s downtown in a cool space, which adds to the vibes.”
Shelly’s top pick just opened earlier this year. Stonehouse Settlement Winery in California is in a renovated schoolhouse. On Saturdays and Sundays, visitors are welcome to explore their tasting room and vineyard, and the property is also available for private events.
Located in a repurposed 1930s garage and serving up loaded sandwiches, fries and more, Lacy’s pick offers a real retro vibe. Right in the heart of Mainstrasse, the Standard offers fun food, cocktails and a great brunch on the weekends.
Sanctuary Social in Villa Hills is a “great space inside and out,” according to Brad. The menu offers everything from a chips and dip flight to flatbreads, loaded salads and cheese boards.
“Good vibe” is hard to define, but for me, I love a view. So my recommendation for the best vibe is MRBL in Bellevue. You truly cannot beat the view of the river and the city skyline; plus, the decor gives a classic steakhouse feel with a modern twist. I highly recommend going for happy hour and sitting at the bar.
For out of town visitors
Recently reopened six years after it was hit by a barge, Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club – a Northern Kentucky staple – is Brad’s recommendation for out-of-towners. The floating bar and restaurant is known for its live music, and Brad described the experience there as “unique.”
Lacy had a lot of recommendations, depending on the mood of those you’re giving a recommendation to, but her top three are Frida 602, which serves up Latin street food in Covington; Kealoha’s Kitchen the authentic Hawaiian food joint also in Covington; and Wayfarer Tavern, a pizza and cocktail spot in Dayton.
Coppin’s at Hotel Covington is “a great place to get an idea of NKY all in one spot,” according to Meghan. “The decor is also awesome,” she said, “and you can either sit down for a formal meal or sit at the bar or in comfortable chairs (I usually choose the long tables by the bar because there’s a plug underneath for my laptop 😂).”
Kenton recently hosted some of his friends from out of town and took them to the Standard in Mainstrasse. “It has a cool vibe and brand, good drinks and food, and a neat outdoor area. They loved it, and I felt validated,” he said, “so good for me.”
Go-to comfort food
Since 1963, Fesslers Pizza & Legendary Hoagie has been serving up greasy comfort food on Fairfield Avenue in Bellevue, and it’s Shelly’s go-to place for something comforting and delicious.
Lacy goes for a “big plate of rice-and-beans Mexican food” when she needs something comforting, and her go-to place to get it is El Señor Pig in Dayton.
Burgers from Mad Mike’s Burgers and Fries are Nick’s comfort meal of choice. The local chain has several locations across NKY and Cincinnati, and Nick said it’s got “great burgers and delicious fries.”
Kenton goes with the Singapore chicken noodles (spice level three) from Kung Food Amerasia. About the dish, he said, “If I had more money, I’d legit eat it every other day.”