We all know feeding out-of-town family can be stressful. Aunt Jane is gluten-free, and cousin Jerry is vegan, but uncle Dave will only eat meat. However, as Northern Kentucky experts we hope we can offer you some help, or at least some great restaurants that we hope your family will love.
Let’s take a look at some of the restaurants you have to show your loved ones while they’re in town for the holidays.
Elusive Cow: 519 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue
This Bellevue eatery says it “embodies the celebratory and gathering spirit of food. Locally sourced, high-quality, organic, natural ingredients are ideal for any culinary endeavor, and this nomadic cow is bringing a simple, honest culinary perspective to a genre of food that has largely lost its way.”
It offers American fare in the form of grass-fed burgers, local fish, and vegetables from local suppliers. They also have plenty of vegetarian and vegan options and a rotation of specials.
If you want to imbibe, Elusive Cow has a great selection of local beer and bourbon.
Tousey House Tavern: 5963 N Jefferson St., Burlington
This is southern cuisine in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. Its menu is a contemporary take on southern food — Chicken livers, deviled eggs, and fried green tomatoes. A must-try is their goetta egg rolls.
They offer fried chicken, burgers, and chicken salad as main dishes. On the higher end, they offer chicken thighs, pork chops, and a few different cuts of steak. Pair these with bourbon flights, local beer, and wine.
Coppin’s: 638 Madison Ave., Covington
Located in Hotel Covington, Coppin’s is a fine dining experience that will impress any family or friends. The food comes in two forms: small and large plates.
Highlights from the small plates: Brown Butter Cornbread, Cauliflower agrodolce, and Butternut squash fritters.
The large plates feature Ricotta Gnocchi and a steakburger.
Newport on the Levee: 1 Levee Way, Newport
The Levee is the place to entertain the entire family. The retail entertainment destination has recently taken on a new life, with new restaurants, shops, and activities occupying the space after the 2021 renovation.
The Levee also boasts a variety of food options, including Brio Tuscan Grille, Five Guys, Brothers Bar & Grill, CrepeGuys, and Tom & Chee, amongst others.
You can take your family bowling or to the award-winning Newport Aquarium. Beforehand, you can imbibe at Wooden Cask or 16 Lots Brewing.
There are also numerous local vendors inside the main building that offer a revolving artisan market.
The Hive: 480 Erlanger Rd, Erlanger, KY 41018
This two-story eatery features a coffee shop and bakery upstairs, while the main level serves classy breakfast and brunch-style dishes. They have all of the familiar favorites on the brunch menu the features their breakfast bowls.
As with all brunches, they offer up mimosas and coffee as well as some sweet treats like the bourbon French toast.
They also serve a lunch menu with soups, salads and tons of sandwich options that range from pulled pork to BLT’s to a meatball parm. There are also five different specialty pizzas plus a build-your-own option.
Crewitt’s Creek Kitchen & Bar: 2037 Centennial Blvd, Independence, KY 41051
Tucked in a strip mall in Independence, Crewitt’s Creek has a giant menu full of American classics – burgers, meatloaf, sandwiches, salads – and pretty much everything they serve comes with their rotating Fried Spuds. Make sure you check the chalkboard when you walk in to see if it’s tater tots, fries, or some other delicious variation.
Open for dinner during the week (but closed Mondays), they open early on Saturday and Sunday for brunch. And what a brunch it is – in addition to the usual eggs and potatoes, they serve up chicken and waffle flatbreads, chorizo sausage biscuits and gravy and a little Hair of the Dog, a breakfast burger with goetta, mustard aioli, a fried egg and bacon on a pretzel bun.
To wash down all that food, they have nearly two dozen draft beers, rum buckets, and of course, mimosas and bloody mary’s for brunch.
Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey: 9039 US-42, Union, KY 41091
Inspired by “frontier food,” chef and Christian Gill has created a delicious menu that often features the chef’s signature flaky biscuits. The Gold Shoes is a classic biscuits and gravy dish but with a Cincinnati twist, goetta gravy.
There are also larger entree options including catfish served with dirty rice and slaw Muh’s Meatloaf and pork seared in apple butter.
Sip on one of their craft cocktails like the Gold Fashioned (a classic old fashioned with Old Forester 86) or the bourbon-spiked hot chocolate. They’ve also got beers on tap and a massive whiskey selection.
California Marketplace: 3501 Shortcut Rd, California, KY 41007
If you are down in southern Campbell County, there aren’t a ton of options for sit-down restaurants. But if you are tired of cooking, you can always grab some of the best fried chicken in Northern Kentucky to feed your crowd at home.
Right off the AA, this small grocery store serves up crispy, delicious fried chicken with all the sides you’d expect – baked beans, cole slaw, mashed potatoes, macaroni salad – and soft, fluffy biscuits.
If chicken isn’t your speed, they also have pizza and deli sandwiches. You can pick up beer in the beer cave, and maybe even some donuts for breakfast.
