Because you can't give a half of a star, I will give it a full four but if you could, I would have given the experience 3.5 stars. I have heard for years how Eli's is highly rated. I was down at Findlay Market along with stopping by Sam Adams and wanted to grab a quick bite. My thought was how tasty a pulled pork sandwich would be so I stopped into Eli's. I placed the order then saw a sign indicating I believe it said 15-20 minute wait. At first I had a hard time comprehending this and why there were so many people standing around. After some time had passed, I heard them say to put DoorDash on a delay. After a bit, I walked over just to observe to see what may be taking so long for orders to be prepared as I don't believe any of their food is cooked to order but is prepared to order. With this I mean, all of their food is already cooked,it is a matter of dishing it up. Again, seeing that there were three people plus and order taker, again I (who worked much of my younger years in food service) was trying to decipher the delay. Then I watched as the staff was joking, laughing and just being sort of happy go lucky in the back (not that you shouldn't have a good time at your place of employment) whic in my personal opinion added to the delayed preparation. I'm order finally was ready after the 15-20 minute wait and I was ready to eat my long awaited pulled pork sandwich. I must say, it was quite delicious and met all that I was hoping for and I'm sure any of the sides are equally delicious. With all that said, the whole waiting experience lessened the visit for me but the food did make up for it. I'm not sure about their other location but with the one by Findlay Market, if you are in a hurry, skip Eli's, if you have the time to wait and want delicious food, them give Eli's a try. Now that I know what I know, the next time I go, I will stop by and place an order the go do my Findlay Market shopping and come back to pick up my food to help with time management. Nine the less, if you have the time, I would say give them a try. read more

Damn dude. For yearssss I've been a customer. This last 1-1.5 years has been drastically different. The quality of everything down to the coleslaw. I know with this societies environment it's hard. But recipes are obviously different and it went from quality and service of food consistently 1000% to now my 6th time getting it being ever hopeful to still be disappointed. As someone vetted in restaurant industry both back and front of house, it's obvious ownership/leadership made cuts in the wrong places. It feels like they've given up...and damn it's just to obvious n when you've had it years prior. To the staff dealing with complaints. It's not on you. Thank you for working in this industry in general. It's rough out here. Appreciate you and hope you feel appreciated. read more

Some really good rib tips in the city. I wasn't expecting them to be as big as there were but they have some good flavor and was well worth the price. read more

Eli's BBQ - Findlay - Rib Tips - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Go to the Riverside location. They wanna charge $1 for sauce after you spend $25. Other location had bottles out and get way better service. read more

Was visiting Cincy for a while for work and we came here late night. Nice little space and multiple people coming in with not a lot of time left on the clock so props to them for churning out some last minute orders. Got the ribs and the pulled pork. For sides grabbed their corn bread and grits. Really top tier ribs, came with a killer bbq sauce on the side, def worth it. The pulled pork came as a sandwich which I didn't expect, maybe I didn't read correctly, as was pretty dry. My friends really liked it but didn't do it for me. Loved the cornbread but those were some end of day grits! Not bad taste wise but texture wise, one might say they were not grits or perhaps began as grits earlier and now were sorta not. read more

Eli's BBQ - Findlay - Pulled Pork - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Pricey, service wasnt fast compared to other places, and ambiance isnt exactly special - its a take-out spot mostly where you can walk around findley market . In their defense it was a weekend and some events were going on so was packed. I will say, the food was truthfully underwhelming - ive had better from them but its been forever . The quality in this circumstance versus price isnt worth it and wasnt even warm bbq pork - tasted like its been sitting out . Sides werent a crazy size of sides either, and the cornbread with jalapeños was a unfortunate "let down." I know you got to be cautious with jalapeños for customers sake but the taste was non existent. read more

Great customer service. To place where you can walk and grab your food and eat outside if it's nice I was given king suggestions on what to order and even had to staff walk outside while I was eating to check & see how my food was.... The food was great! BBQ pulled pork was fantastic! The barbecue sauce was amazing. I should've bought some to bring home. Amazing baked beans. I wish I would've tried the macaroni and cheese. I heard it's really great, but said I ordered the jalapeño cornbread, which was extremely good. I will definitely return. read more

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Don't miss this easy to walk by delicious spot outside the Findlay Market. I read up a bit about it online before we went to the market and thought the jalapeño cornbread and cheesy jalapeño grits sounded tempting. Simple menu with just a few options but all you really need. We stopped in and placed our order. Waited 10 minutes and it was ready just in the time the girl taking our order said. The food looked good and tasted even better. The cornbread was delicious. The grits were very flavorful. Didn't have to add anything to them. I had the hotdogs with slaw and pork cracklings. Delicious. There was a generous portion of pulled pork on the sandwich. The BBQ sauce was delicious. The beans tasted better than they looked. The Mac n cheese was ooey gooey just the way I like it. Would for sure eat here again. read more

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Great food all around. Really enjoy the wings but never hand a bad thing from Eli's. Plus easy walking distance from several OTR locations.

Took two of my friends to Eli's because I always liked their food. Haven't been in awhile. The food was horrible. The pork sandwich was extremely dry and even the bbq sauce didn't help. The grits with jalepeno were good and all of the sides we had were fine but I was embarrassed that I took my friends there. I had always told people how great they were. I guess things change. Very disappointed! read more

Sauce is what makes these ribs. Not too sweet, big flavors. The actual ribs were tasty but I do wish they fell off the bones a bit more. I do love that I can order bones by number and not nearly half or full. Great for portioning and having ribs for a snack. read more

Eli's BBQ - Findlay - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Delicious bbq! The jalapeño cheddar grits are a must. Common allergens are listed which made eating gluten/free easy.

I wish I could add a photo here. I just spent 16.00 on rib tips that look like Jerry. Very unsatisfied to the point of never ordering again. Because I ordered through Uber Eats, I was told good luck, take it up with them. This experience was a fail on all levels. read more

Eli's BBQ - Findlay - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Easy carry out and the food is always good. We enjoy the dogs, bones, and pulled pork sandwich. Sides are all great as well. Would be nice if they set up some sort of notification system for when your food is ready as the time keeping and yo-yoing in and out to see if things are ready is a little cumbersome. read more

One of the best bbq places i tried while in Cincinnati! My husband is a big bbq fan so while planning this trip I researched who has good bbq, a few diff places popped up but this one was consistently in the top. And we were not disappointed! At this point in our trip I was tired of pork and opted for the turkey and WOW. Turkey is known to be easy to mess up, it gets hard and dry quickly, but this was hands down the best turkey I've ever had. I wish it would replace the thanksgiving turkey!!! The beans and mac n cheese were also delicious. There was no aspect of the food that wasn't good. The space itself is small and only allows you to pick up your food, you have to scrounge around findlay market to find a seat. I'm not sure if they change this for the colder months, but during warm weather when everyone and their mom is out and about its hard to find a seat! We managed to grab a standing table nearby. Overall: Highly recommend. Theres a chocolate shop a few doors down and I would make a trip just to get Eli's and the choc. shop! read more

Eli's BBQ - Findlay - Outside - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I've only experienced Eli's through delivery apps I'm not sure what the atmosphere is like. The food however is delicious! I opted for the Pulled pork sandwich, baked beans, jalapeno cornbread, and slaw. My sandwich came with a mountain of savory pulled pork. I mean MOUNTAIN! Everything was just delicious! read more

This place has the best barbecue in the city by far. They are consistent and they treat their customers with the most respect.

They have a location at Findlay Market!! And every time I'm down here I can't help myself! Eli's is fu%*!#$ GOOD! No indoor seating at this spot; must take to go or sit at Findley. And their sign. I get it. The pig sign. No words. Hip. But this area is way too busy, over the top busy for those kinds of shinanigans. I walked around Findlay 3 times before I found it. LET US KNOW, Eli!! Anyhoo, Girrrrrrrrrl, get them grits n' bones. Lip lickin good. read more

I love their barbecue turkey sandwich. I've ordered it through two different delivery services. The last three times I ordered it, I received someone else's order. Three times in a row. Their commitment through delivery service is broken! I reported to the manager, and was thanked for my (rather heated) feedback. As much as I enjoy the food I order, as getting it correctly isn't a part of their business plan, I won't order through them again. read more

Eli's bbq was good but not great. We served a meat-licious meal for 4 for about $50 which is a pretty good deal: 3 meats and 4 side dishes. Flavors were good but all the meats were probably 10% overcooked which meant that all the meats were slightly drier than desired. The dryness was most noticeable with the smoked chicken wings wherein the wings needed to be dipped in sauce. The rib tips were inconsistent with some pieces being 90% meat while others were barely 50% meat. Sort of a crap shoot. The ribs were the best as overcooking did not affect the tenderness of the meat. Some folks like a drier cook meat (to rid of excess fat), but it makes for a chewier drier less flavorful product to me. The sides, mac n' cheese, bbq beans, and mashed potatoes were ok with the standout being the mac n' cheese. This location on the street outside of Findlay Market is takeout only and sort of hidden (only a clapboard sign to show its location). There's small patio chairs and tables in the area if you wanna dine al fresco. All in all, pretty flavorful bbq at a very affordable price. But expect a drier smokier product than at other places. read more

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Very delicious BBQ with very good portion sizes and pricing. We had a party of 4 and shared an order of smoked wings, tips and 6 bones, with 2 sides of mac & cheese, a side of mashed potato and baked beans. It was just perfect for all of us. The ribs were our favorite. The smoked wings were good but a bit too dry. The wings came with this tangy sauce that enhanced the flavor well. The tips were very good as well. None of the meat were too fatty. The baked bean was good but lack bbn of any meat. read more

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We've had Eli's before but have never been to this location. We stopped in for lunch today and both of us ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich and a side of Baked Beans. The sandwich comes with a small side of coleslaw and bbq sauce. The beans are fabulous! A little sweet, a little spicy and a whole lot of flavor. We both finished them before touching our sandwiches. The pork was smokey and really good. I ate more than half of it with a fork, without any sauce. Just really good bbq. The coleslaw was pretty good too. Not a standout but still pretty good. Overall, it was a great lunch! Service was efficient. read more

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We stumbled upon Eli's BBQ after browsing the Findlay market. The smell lured us in. I got the pulled pork sandwich with slaw, mac and cheese, and the jalapeño cornbread. I felt $14 for the portion I received was fair. The service was super quick and the mac and cheese and cornbread were delicious. The pulled pork was a little dry, but the slaw helped give it a little more moisture. I liked the convenience and it hit the spot. read more

Eli's BBQ - Findlay - Pulled Pork Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

The best bbq sauce you buy. Sucks you can't get it at Kroger anymore. I drive to Findlay to pick up some sauces to give to friends.

It's a sad day. Foe the past 11 years every time our family drove through Cinni from the north or the south we would stop. We did the same today, the only difference was the food wasn't the same. My wife sad, I think this is the last time we need to detour to come here. The wings had no meat on them, the ribs were dry and they were out of sides that we normally get. Interesting on how you look forward to a good thing and things change. Farwell to one of our past fav's. read more

My new favorite spot for BBQ in the city. Maybe the best BBQ I've ever had. To start off the smoked wings are super juicy and crispy. They also aren't small. Mac and cheese was delicious and so was the corn bread. I have nothing negative to say about my experience. I order the food through DoorDash which was surprisingly super easy and the delivery was fast. Most importantly the food was still hot when I opened it. Highly highly recommend! read more

Eli's BBQ - Findlay - Smoked Wings - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Service was good but long wait! We ordered the rib tips they were okay but could be better seasoned. The sauce is to sweet for my liking. Jalapeño cornbread was jiffy mix with small pieces of jalapeños. Mash potatoes were good but it's really hard to mess that up. Cold slaw was bitter to say the least. This seems to be a big hit for locals I am from out of town must say this was horrible, read more

We had a yummy lunch here! Reasonable priced at this location. Quick service. I am not a BBQ expert but I think their ribs are good! Perfect, slightly sweet and smoky seasoning. The meat was crispy on the outside & juicy on the inside. Mac and cheese, corn bread & Cole Slaw on the side were nothing special. In our group, the ladies all got 2 ribs along with 1 or 2 sides and thought that's a perfect amount of food. It's a great meal option if you are at the market. read more

Eli's BBQ - Findlay - 12 Bones Macaroni and Cheese Creamy Southern Coleslaw - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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My first review in 2017 year was 5 stars. Today if flavor was the only thing that mattered, still 5 stars. But I have been burned and disappointed my last two visits. I bought ribs for my cousin who never had Eli's and the ribs were so over done they were stuck to the bone. Like no meat to them, just shriveled and no juiciness. I felt it had to be an oversight. I recently picked up 2 orders of wings for football watching day. They are great flavor but again very dry. I don't mind paying for good food but I mind when I get food not cooked well. Something has gone wrong with the preparation or should I say cook time. read more

Saw a bit of hype about Eli's BBQ on the internet and wanted to try it out. Tucked away in a small area in Findlay Market you can find a small area known for its BBQ. We obviously had to try their most popular sandwich which was the pulled pork sandwich. The serving was huge! Paired with their BBQ sauce, cole slaw, and some pickles I would have to say it was pretty good. However, it was not something that I would call my mom and tell her about. Overall, the service was quick and the food was good. One thing to note, the eating space is outdoors so if you're visiting during the cold times, you will not have a spot to site at inside. read more

Eli's BBQ - Findlay - Pulled porked Pork Sandwich plate - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Owned by Eli Manning, Eli Roth, and Eli Goulding. If you want BBQ in the Cinci area, this is the place where you can get a really good version of it. Excellent BBQ in Cincinnati and some of the best I've had in the entire state of Ohio. It's a little touristy and definitely on the Hipster side - but then so is your mother's brothel. But the server was absolutely lovely and we had a great conversation. The brisket that he recommended was delicious and really hit the spot. But not literally otherwise I my have ended up with a bruise in my spot. Located at the wonderful Findlay Market which is awesome unto itself. It's time to let sleeping dogs eli, and come and try the brisket. read more

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Great little spot at Finley market. Take away is good too. Portion sizes were good and good value. Liked the corn bread. A little spice but not too much. Slaw was a good balance not to runny but still moist. Choose your sauce type. read more

Eli's BBQ - Findlay - Pork Sandwich Creamy Southern Coleslaw Jalapeno Cornbread - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Food Reviews Pulled Pork Sandwich - 6/10 Mac & Cheese - 7/10 Mashed Potato's - 4/10 read more

In from out of town and had a taste for good BBQ and this fell well short of expectations! Ribs were dry and not good. The cornbread was good. I'll pass on this restaurant, next time. read more

Eli's BBQ - Findlay - Ribs, cornbread and slaw. - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Over-the-moon that Eli's is still open and doing take-out during this time of social distancing! Eli's BBQ has been my favorite Cincinnati BBQ for years and I can't imagine going weeks without it!! If you find yourself hungry for some BBQ, you must order the pulled pork sandwich. It is, by far, the best pulled pork bbq I've ever had! The sauce is delicious too, pour it all over the pulled pork! The mac & cheese though... amazing! It's the perfect side to pair with a pulled pork sandwich. If you don't like mac & cheese, however, you have to get the mashed potatoes (just as delicious). read more

Eli's BBQ - Findlay - Pulled Pork Sandwich and Mac & Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Terrible is the only way to describe my meal. I'm very forgiving. I've had Elis many times over the years and always get the rib tips or "burnt ends". My order on Sunday was so tough and dry that even the four cups of sauce couldn't save them. I guess that's why I stopped going. We have lots of other bbq options in town. I thought Eli's still had it, but it appears the magic is gone. read more

I didnt assume that the bbq would be any different than any other bbq joint but I was pleasantly surprised by the ribs!! They were a perfect balance of fall-off-the- bone ribs and crispy/caramelized ribs. The flavor was unique too!! Bbq is not necessary at all. I didn't care too much for the sides but that's the only thing that keeps this from being a full 5 star rating. Definitely will be coming here again the next time we visit Findlay's market! read more

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I've had plenty of Eli's pulled pork sandwiches in my day and they're delicious....but their ribs! After one visit, they're my all time favorite ribs and are way juicier and more flavorful than that other rib joint in town. read more

Eli's BBQ - Findlay - Six Hickory Smoked Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Eli's BBQ - Findlay was on our short list on a recent trip to OTR Cincinnati. My first comment if you are looking for them is that they have very little outside signage. We had a difficult time finding the storefront. They have a pig on the window - good indicator - but you are more likely to find them by smelling the BBQ than noticing the sign. At this point it is pick up with no indoor dining. There is always room outside at Findlay Market to sit and eat but we were headed back to our Airbnb to enjoy our lunch in the air conditioning. We got pulled pork sandwiches and ribs. The pulled pork sandwiches were big and stuffed full of perfectly smoked pork. The meat was lean, well seasoned and did I mention perfectly smoked! The ribs were probably the star of the show. They were incredible. Their dry rub covered a juicy, tender rib that everyone in our group raved about. We didn't get sides this trip. We concentrated on their meat and we would all come back to Eli's BBQ - Findlay. We will be curious next trip to see if any changes have been made with signage or if OTR's best little secret is still discretely turning out delicious BBQ with just a pig to denote the location. read more

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Small little place with great bbq. Both turkey and pork options were amazing. I tried the sides of Mac n cheese, beans, mashed potatoes and jalapeño grits. They were just average sides I'd say. Food came out pretty quick with decent portions. I'd recommend the bbq meat for sure though! read more

Eli's BBQ - Findlay - Pulled pork sandwich with beans and macaroni - Barbeque Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio