Former Cincinnati Bengal Carlos Dunlap is transitioning his talents away from the football field and into the culinary world.
On Friday, the City of Covington honored Dunlap and his family at a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening Honey Uninhibited — a southern-style restaurant that offers brunch, lunch, and dinner.
“Honey Uninhibited is perfect for ‘Unapologetically Covington,’ and the essence of our city,” Covington Mayor Joe Meyer said at the ceremony. “This restaurant is really going to be a great addition.”
Honey Uninhibited’s menu features creative takes on classic southern favorites like gullah shrimp-n-grits and lobster truffle mac & cheese. Besides food, patrons can enjoy specialty-crafted drinks and mimosa kits.
Located in the Covington RiverCenter, Honey Uninhibited first opened to the public on June 26. This is the second Honey Uninhibited location in the United States. The original restaurant is located in Miami, Florida. Dunlap’s Uninhibited Hospitality Group manages the restaurants. The Miami New Times named it the Miami area’s Best Brunch of 2022.
“We love to Cov,” Dunlap said. “We’re grateful to be here and look forward to adding value to this community — to these hotels that we’re underneath and beside, as well as the office building the Corporex has had here for many decades.”
Covington-based real estate developer Corporex owns the RiverCenter. Dunlap said his company signed a 10-year lease.
Historically, several different restaurants have cycled through the space. Most recently, FIRE occupied it at RiverCenter, a New American restaurant that closed in March 2020. Prior to that, it was Behle Street Cafe which closed in 2013 but has since reopened in Fort Mitchell.
Dunlap mentioned he once lived in Northern Kentucky after he was drafted. He previously owned a townhome on Tower Drive in Newport, which he sold in 2021.
“It’s kind of surreal to bring my hometown cooking and flavors back to the area that I called home and bought my first home in,” Dunlap, who was raised in North Charleston, South Carolina, said.
Dunlap played ten years in Cincinnati, drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 2020. In 2023, he earned a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. He is currently a free agent.
