Park Chili is a very laid back greasy spoon with some decent low cost eats. I like stopping in to grab a breakfast sandwich or the mess in the morning, or a Phil Burger and side of fries in the afternoon. It is also a fun place to people watch, as folks from all walks of life stop in and add to the atmosphere. To me, Park Chili defines "local flavor" and I am not talking about just the food. The people are a plus!
If your in the mood for simple, good food and a slice of life, give Park Chili a try.
Got a hot ham and cheese double decker to go here for lunch, and before I could look around the place twice and take in all the faces, my sandwich was ready. Â This is a bit of a divey diner, but it has character in spades, as many have already noted. Â The guy behind the counter was engaging and funny, the sandwich was good and just what I needed to fuel the remainder of my workday. Â Did I mention that my order was ready to go almost before I ordered it? Â I swear it only took 3 minutes from start to finish, and I took it away in an Ace Hardware paper bag. Â You gotta love that. Â I'll have to have a sit down meal here and try the Cincinnati Chili next time..
Review Source:Park Chili is the sort of place I grew up with, the sort of place where the people are salty but stick to your insides. Or was that the Phil Burger?
To start with, I highly doubt Park Chili would satisfy a foodie, so just don't even go if you are one because you'll probably give it two stars or something (which might be appropriate for the food alone).
Me though, I like it. Quite a bit. It's made with either love or sarcasm, as a seasoning they taste similar I guess.
Come here for american classics from the 1950's at prices from the 1980's (who calls it ham steak?). How about two eggs, sausage, home fries, and toast for breakfast, for something like $4.50 (what it should cost). That double-stacked Phil Burger is only 3.50 and I have the receipt to prove it.
But cheap and cheap alone does not a good review make. The food really is good if you're a fan of greasy spoon places, and the grease isn't gratuitous, just the right amount. Anyway, this place's got pizazz! Yeah, those salty characters will lob one liners to make you cringe. But sit at the counter and check out that bowled-out cutting table, wood that emotive is only earned through decades of "love at first bite".
caveat: is cash only, so come prepared.
I only tried out Park Chili because Blue Jay was closed, but I wasn't disappointed. Two full breakfasts ran us around $12, and the food was alright. The waitress was very talkative, which isn't necessarily a downside, and the cook/owner? came over to tell us some pretty hilarious & raunchy jokes. All in all, average food and a good vibe.
Review Source:Let me get this out of the way first. I didn't sample their chili. So, I have no idea if it is anything good or not.
We were there for breakfast. Heidi and I both love a good "greasy spoon" and this place fits the bill (in a really good way. Family owned and operated husband, wife, son, and an uncle and full of locals)
Heidi had a standard eggs, fried eggs, and bacon. I had the house speciality - the "Mess". Take all the best parts of breakfast (eggs, meat of your choice - getta in my case, potatoes, and assorted veggies) and mix them all together and cook them. Then, cover it in gravy and serve it with a biscuit and some apple butter on the side. Good lord! It was delicious! They said the gravy starts a pre-made mix and then is "doctored up". Either way, it was good. The biscuits were great and the apple butter was like dessert.
The wait staff were friendly and outgoing. Our friends had their two year old daughter with them and they made her a special mickey mouse pancake and mixed up some chocolate milk (in a cup they drew a smiley-face on). Their son said she got a large milk instead of the small we ordered because "she was too cute not to have one" and they didn't charge us for it.
Park Chili might be a good chili parlor or it might not be. What it is is a good place for a hardy, filling, and tasty breakfast served a family who enjoys meeting their customers. I highly recommend it
NOTE! Park Chili is cash only! So, stop by an ATM on your way there.
Park Chili. Â In business since the 1920's, and at it's current location since 1937. Â The owner Phil told me the rich history of how many chili parlors were named after the theaters next to them (Empress is another example) and how he and his father have been selling chili the longest, but he did not lay claim to being the first. Â
The diner itself is a land that time has forgotten. Â The poster on the wall of the 1957 the UC Basketball team with Oscar Robertson has probably hung in that space since Mr. Robertson's Freshman self delivered it. Â
Phil's conversation routed through history, chili making, the Bearcats, and  a joke more likely heard in barber shops. The chili, he mentioned, tastes much better right after he makes it, which must be true because it had a burnt after-taste to it.  Meatier than it is soupy, stronger than it is spicy, served with typical oyster crackers and lackluster Kroger brand hot sauce, this chili isn't a top contender in my books.
The 4-way's spaghetti was pretty typical and firm, not runny nor stale. Â The coney's bun was about a medium in softness, and the cheese on both appeared freshly shredded and softer than some other local contenders.
What they lack in chili, they excel in ambiance and character. Â I will definitely revisit, and may even call first to see who fresh the chili is.
Park Chili is a place I've put off reviewing for a while, simply because I can't think of anything to say. Â I suppose the best word is just "average".
How is their chili? Â Average. Neither good nor bad, they went a little overboard with the cheese and a little underboard(?) with the chili. Â The taste of the chili is well, average.
How's the price? Â Well, if I had to pick a word for it, it's not too high and not too low. Â Somewhere in the middle. Â I guess you might be so bold as to say average.
The service? Â Well everyone is very nice, and it has a family run feel to it. (I think it is). Â However, I felt the wait was a bit longer than it could have been. Â It also took a while for a pal of mine to get a refill. Â So I guess it's somewhere around average.
I doubt the place has changed much in 30 years, and it has a homey, local diner kind of feel to it. Â They also have breakfast, as seems to be the norm at Cincinnati chili parlors. Â Then again, the classic diner look is also kind of the norm, so I suppose they're average.
If you're in the area, you might as well try it out. Â You will be neither disappointed nor thrilled. Â And if one of your buds ask how it was?
Average.
This is the sort of place I love to find. Â The staff and owner are right there to talk to you. In fact, both our waitress and the owner told us various jokes of increasing lewdness (after asking if it was alright, of course). Â The chili is very good. Â I'd argue better than Skyline and even Camp Washington (which I really like too). And the owner knows it is so. Â Ask him. Â We were obviously first-timers and we each had spoons of chili in our mouths before we were seated.
The prices are super inexpensive. Â Its less than 4 bucks for a heaping mound of 3-way. Â And the service is fast in the very American diner atmosphere. Â Also, expect to get a good honest helping of Northside gossip and scuttlebutt. Â Its a nice place to sit back, chow down, and chuckle at the all-too-rare eating experience you certainly encounter at Park Chili. Â They close during the week at 7pm and I don't think they take credit cards, so bring cash. Â But you won't need much.
Park Chili parlor is a great diner in Northside. Like the previous review, it's like stepping into the old days of diners. Eating there felt like a spectacle on a Saturday afternoon. There was one waitress hectically running to all the tables yelling orders and promising to come back soon. The cooks were constantly engaging in banter with one another and counter customers. Maybe some people won't like the small, crowded, and noisy atmosphere, but I loved it.
Now for the food. The chili there was pretty good, and much cheaper than skyline. Next to me, a guy ordered an astounding concoction of fries, gravy, fried eggs, and cheese. Eat your heart out, Guy Fieri. Seemed like most people were ordering breakfast food (at 2pm), I can't say that they have the best food ever, but it's one of those places you have to check out.
When you walk in to Park Chili you're walking back in time in more ways than one. It's a nice feeling when you walk in the door of this small diner-esque looking place with Formica counter, stainless steel stools and a few booths in brown pleather along the opposite wall. It's been around since 1937.
The menu is all about the chili. Â They have chili bowls, chili over spaghetti, chili dogs (Coneys), chili burgers and on and on. Â They also serve breakfast here and the special of the day still written on the board was "Two pork chops with eggs any style, potatoes and toast $5.25" Â
I ordered a Cheese Coney and a Patty Melt. Â The waitress asked what I would like on my Patty Melt, so I asked "what comes on it?" Â She said that it was not a traditional preparation and that it had lettuce, tomato, onions, etc....Huh? Â Ok, can I get it with cheese and grilled onions? Â Sure! Â Dose it come on toasted rye? No, but you can have it that way......cool. Â It cost 3.25. Â In fact, everything on this menu is cheap!!!
The food arrived and the Coney was about 4" long....little tiny thing at $1.25 each. Â The cook yelled across the counter "They're like Lay's, bet you can't eat just one". Â He was right, I ordered a second one. Â The Coney was good but not great. The dog itself was skinless, which I am not a fan of, the chili was good, not great and it was heaped with onions and shredded cheddar. Â
The thing I loved about this place was the people that worked there. They were so friendly and we talked about the Bengals and what a bad season they had and found out that the are cheering for the Giants in the upcoming Super Bowl. Â
The Patty Melt was good but the onions could have been grilled a bit more. Â The meat was good but the rye bread was a pumpernickel rye, not my favorite. Â
All-in-all, I liked this place and would return again if only for the very friendly people that work there, they are charming.
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