The train wreck Burger taste great as always. The service is phenomenal. And I love the little train that goes around the main dining area. read more

Zip's Cafe - The Train Wreck and French Fries - Pubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Such a good burger here. It's really simple, nothing crazy here, but a great spot. Can get crowded easily on the weekends but is worth it!

Amazing burger that was a good enough size to finish without feeling awful after, and it tasted amazing so that was a huge plus. Got food pretty quickly for how packed it was, and got offered a refill almost instantly after my drink was out. Bathroom is a little shady but overall a good and vintage vibe. Would recommend any day. read more

Zips is the best! I almost hate giving zips a good review because now it's just going to become harder to get into for lunch . Zips is a fantastic neighborhood burger joint and bar. It's an institution in cincinnati. When people tell you things to do while in cincinnati 1) will be skyline chili 2) montgomery inn... but usually in that top 5 will be "go to zips cafe". And theres a reason for that, the burgers are fantastic, the staff is super friendly, and the ambiance is patina-ed/historic. This is not one of those burger places that makes gigantic burgers or one that places 1000 items on the burger. These are all American burgers made to perfection. I usually go large when i'm at zips. Double cheeseburger with all the fixings (sometimes the train wreck when i feel real hungry), One bowl of chili with all the fixings, an order of onion rings and a truth (maybe 2) if josh or tank convince me to have an additional beer. Then you have to toll me through the old timey saloon doors in the bar A few specifics. Zips is in mt. Lookout. Which is right next to hyde park. 10-12 min drivibg from downtown cincinnati. And 30 min from mason. Mt lookout is a cute neighborhood with a very walkable square containing shops, restaurants, ice cream, coffee shops and bars. Its a great place to spend the afternoon. When you walk into zips it will be dark. Don't be surprised. Its part of the charm and always very clean. Often there will be a wait. Sometimes you will need to sit at a community table, which is way more fun than it sounds. The kids will love the train that goes around the top of the dining area, and if they are nice to the waiter/waitress they may even toot the whistle for your table. Zips is very kid friendly. Pro-tip: if you do not have kids with you, go back to the bar. The bar is small, but welcoming. The bar is full of locals that will tell you all about the place. Make sure you say hi to Dr. Alan The resident Cincinnati sport fanatic & deadhead. The bartenders are a cast of characters that will keep you in stitches and up to date on your sports. Stop into say hi to the gang. You won't regret it. read more

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When it comes to some of the oldest establishments in Cincy, Zips is in my top 3. The restaurant/bar itself may be "tiny" but their food and service makes it MIGHTY. My only wish is a double edged sword; bc on one hand I don't particularly like driving out to the MLT area (parking is always an ordeal), it being the ONLY location is what adds to the it's special-ness! read more

Zip's Cafe - The Girth Burger - Pubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Great burger. Simple and great. Onion rings were to die for. Best advice is to get there early! read more

Zip's Cafe - Burger with bacon and onion rings. - Pubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Old time standard Lots of memories at this place. Very solid. Not quite the same as 30 years ago but still very good read more

Zip's Cafe - Pubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Delicious burgers in a fun pub type restaurant. Generous portions, reasonable prices and great service!

We recently moved to Cincinnati and have had so many people tell us to go to Zip's for the best greasy burger around. We finally went and it did not disappoint! We sat at the bar and the bartender, you could tell, has been working there for a long time. He welcomed us to Cincinnati and answered any questions we had. We ordered some beers, I got a Zip burger, my fiancé got a double zip burger, and we shared an order of fries. Everything was incredible!! The double burger was so big that my fiancé struggled to finish it, and he can eat! They don't mess around when they say double burger. The regular, single patty burger was definitely enough for me. We had a great experience with great burger and we will definitely return! read more

Zip's Cafe - Zip burger and fries - Pubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Opened in 1926 and going strong in 2022, Zip's should make your top 5 burger places to visit in Cincinnati and a historic and fun anchor to the greater Hyde Park / Mt Lookout area. I started coming to Zip's when it was a new, barely 60 year old business in the early 90's, and after all these years it consistently offers a great burger in an old time venue from the past. The train still circles the room and saloon doors separate the front from back. It's a small dining area so it can get crowded, but it has always been worth the wait for me. I always get the burger, and you should too. If you have a cheat day relative to your Vegan, GF, animal free diet, use it on this burger. The burger meat is ground fresh daily at a local butcher and the buns are made locally. You can't get more Cincinnati than this. If you've read this far, you're wasting time. Get to Zip's! read more

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Best spot on the block to grab food and drinks. This old school establishment is fun for the whole family. Service is fast and super friendly. Food is cooked to order and always on point. It can get crowded so plan ahead. read more

My friend and I are new to Cincy and we are doing a burger tour of sorts. And Zip's was our first stop. LOVE THE ATMOSPHERE! It feels very neighborhood and homey sitting where we sat. It feels like Cheers, a place where people would know your name, and that was an awesome feeling. The staff was way busy and so not so attentive, but that was okay. As for the burger. The burger was fine. A solid burger, no flare, nothing fancy or distracting, a solid burger, like you would get in a back yard cooked out. And the onion rings were so tasty! Now, I was on the clock, so to speak, so I couldn't have a beer, but the burger would be an amazing beer and burger, burger! read more

What can I say? Still one of the best burgers in town. It's been 20 years since I'd eaten at Zip's due to moving out of the area. But when hubs and I dropped in on a Thursday night for a burger and beer, we were not disappointed. We experienced the same great service, food, and atmosphere that I remembered.. I had a Zip burger, onion rings, and cold draft beer, and consumed every last bit! I will def be returning. read more

Always a treat to eat here. Must've been a perfect time to come because we got the booth of our choice. Food is so consistent. Just thinking about it makes my mouth drool. Have to go back before too long. read more

Zip's Cafe - Dining area - Pubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I've been taking my family there for years. Great burgers nothing fancy but the old atmosphere is really the star here. Zips is a classic Cincinnati staple and I highly recommend it. Also love the old bar in the back. read more

The zips burger is pretty good and the fries/mac n cheese are exceptional. The service was okay of making sure that the food is good. The ambiance was good as well. read more

I love the train that goes around the top. Amazing vibes. Food was good and fairly priced, the specialty stuff gets expensive. Best mustard I've ever had. read more

The food was delicious, the chicken tenders were in fact tender and when paired with fries it's amazing. The service was good at the door you may have to wait a while depending on the time and day. Anyways the waiters were super nice and it was just awesome. I would love to come back sometime! read more

There is not a better burger in town; the meat is from Avril-Bleh, a legendary butcher, it comes out juicy and cooked to order!

Always love me some zips. Great food. Cool atmosphere. Cool servers. A tiny pricey. Son got the Trainwreck burger $17 But he loved it!!! read more

Zip's Cafe - Train wreck - Pubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Overall, not bad, but overpriced! It was packed and the atmosphere is great. Very dark/dim inside so it that isn't your cup of tea, maybe don't go! I had the zips burger with cheese and the chili- both were good, but the burger was way overpriced for the size and toppings. Overall, I think it's a good hole in the wall to try once for the history- but there are better burgers at that price point elsewhere. read more

This place was thought to be really hyped, but I would consider on par with Fristchs. The burger was just sort of mid. Onion rings are OK. The best part about it was really just a neighborhood tavern ambience field. read more

Service was ok pretty busy with locals from what we seen and heard but food was as expected. Burgers were pretty solid burgers, we came here for the Rueben but no longer have it on the menu. It is such a small venue, my hubby suggested a new place based on food and ratings so we had to try it out. I had the chili and zip burger while he had the train wreck both were pretty good onion rings we could have done without just average. We may be back again to try it out when less busy and less local attention. read more

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the 1st Burger tour of Cincinnati found me here! I go back now as often as possible! Quant, homey, and delicious. A MUST try for locals and visitors both. read more

Zip's Cafe - MMMMMMM - Pubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

THIS is my go to for a really good, tasty, basic burger and fries. I always try to sit in the bar area in the back, so I can chat with the owner and workers more easily. I always get their Zipburger with swiss, tomato, and pickle. Their fries and onion rings are delicious. I usually get a pint or 2 of a local craft beer. Often I will get a bowl of their chili, because it's just THAT good. read more

Zip's Cafe was excellent!! The cheese burger was perfect and the French Fries were the Best.

It's unquestionably my favorite burger, no cheese, just mustard, pickle and onions...their fries are world class, as is their chili...plus the owner owes me big time...this place is nothing but good! read more

Had not been to Zip's in forever. Brought our daughters here for the first time today and it was so fun to be back. I love this little place. Of course I had to have a Girth Burger. For all of you who don't know what that is it is a Burger with a split mettwurst on top. Of course with cheese and all the typical toppings. The onion rings are great. If you are headed here for lunch get here early as it fills up fast. The girls loved their burgers. We will be back. read more

Today (12-18-2024) I ordered from Zip's Cafe from door dash. I ordered the double cheese burgers with bacon, grilled onion with onions rings and chili fries. WOW what a burger please ordered from Zip's Cafe. read more

Always a very good burger, but it is too expensive for what you get. $10 small burgers with nothing included, no fried, chips, picke, nothing, just the burger. And specialty ones in th 17$ - 18$ range - also with no sides included. Great burger, but meh. read more

Love me some Zip's, I've been coming to this place for a weekday lunch forever. I always get the same thing: Zipburger with cheese, fries with cheese sauce on the side. The Zipburger IMO is the perfect burger: not too big, no fancy add-ons, just a high-quality burger with your choice of onions/lettuce/tomatoes/condiments and the option of cheese. I'm a bit of an onion ring connoisseur. I keep a list of restaurants on my phone which details which are good, which to skip, which are good if ordered "well-done", etc. Zip's onion rings are often good if ordered well-done. Sometimes they still come out too thick/slightly greasy, but infrequently enough that I usually take the chance. OTOH, the fries are always a winner. Get the cheese sauce on the side, or they get soggy fast. Zip's itself is worth a trip, even if you don't want a burger. It's an old-style burger joint with a bar in back and a lot of history. Tip: if you're coming for lunch, get there soon after opening (11:00) if you want to avoid standing in line. We arrived recently at 11:02 and there was only one booth left. By the time we left the place was full. Parking: it's tight in Mt. Lookout. Again if you arrive early, you'll be okay. There is some parking in front, and the boulevard carpark in the middle of the square doesn't usually fill up until noon. But be prepared, you may have to park several blocks away if you don't get here early. (OTOH, you can park several blocks away for free, so you might want to plan on that anyway!) read more

Great burgers and service. It has been one of my Cincinnati go to places for years. It transcends from college to grandparent years. Great burgers and great service. read more

This was a suggestion of my brother in law who lives in the Cincinnati area. Got the bacon cheese burger with cheese fries. I was not disappointed. This was one of the best burgers I've had. Small basic menu, with big taste. The place itself is very rustic (in a good way) and sets on a "local" vibe with the ambience. Service was great even though the place was packed. Definitely coming back next time we're in town. read more

Cincy has a ton of great burger places, but Zip's never fails at being the best. Simple, delicious ingredients, perfectly cooked and proportioned burgers, great atmosphere and impeccable service. A definite destination spot - there's no experience like it. read more

This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I'm not sure why this place is so highly rated. I'm convinced people in Cincinnati don't know a good burger. I'm from Columbus and used to Thurman Burger (the best) and other amazing burgers, so I was seriously let down. First I got the salad. Sadly, I don't have a picture. I got it with ranch, which was great. The salad though, depressing. It was a bowl filled with the shredded lettuce from their burgers and two tomato slices. That's it. I had to ask for cheese and was told they were out of croutons. When the burgers came out, the fries looked just like McDonald's. Honestly, they tasted the exact same, but McDonald's are cheaper. The burger was underwhelming. There wasn't even seasoning or flavor on the patty. Truly felt like a burger I made myself. No special sauce or anything offered. It felt like glorified fast food. The fries don't come with the meal, so it's really not as cheap as you think. Don't be deceived by the pictures and reviews. This place can be skipped and I'm still on my adventure to find a good burger joint in cincy. read more

Zip's Cafe - Pubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This was a dandy little cafe in the Mount Lookout area of Cincinnati. It has a really awesome feel inside the restaurant with lots of cool decor around. It even has a toy train that goes around the perimeter of the dining area and really made me happy. It has a small menu focusing on burgers, chili, sides, and a few other sandwiches. We got a small order of Cheese Fries for a starter and although it was extremely simple with just cheese sauce and the fries it was super delicious. The cheese sauce had great nacho cheese type of flavour and the thinner fries worked for this. I tried one of their signature burgers called the "Flying Pig". It is a quarter pound "Zip Burger" with shaved ham as well as 2 pieces of bacon, cheese, and mayo. The sandwich would normally have also come with onion, pickle, lettuce, and tomato but I prefer not having those on my sandwich. The beef was juicy and had tons of flavour which was really enhanced by the flavour from the bacon and the ham. It was a first rate burger for sure. I got onion rings as a side and they were really big ones. It had really tasty breading on it and had a great crispness. I was kind of missing a dipping sauce for it but that's a personal preference and the rings were good enough where you didn't really "need" it. The waitress left us hanging a couple of times which was unfortunate but it wasn't anything egregious enough where I'll complain anymore beyond that comment. This is a very simple restaurant with a relatively small menu but from what I can tell what they do have they do very well particularly their burgers. Definitely a big thumbs up. Plus they have a toy train....... read more

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Walked in from outside and it was FREEZING inside. The temperature had to be set to polar ice cap! My goose bumps had goose bumps! I couldn't get comfortable enough to really enjoy my food. I had to scarf it down so I could get out as quickly as possible. I ordered the zip burger and it did not disappoint. It was simple and the temperature and texture were perfect. I think they may want to consider using a different bun because the bun they currently use can not support the burger and does not match the quality of the experience. It started falling apart after the first bite and tuned into a mess shortly there after. As far as best burgers go it ranks in at #4 on the list. If the bun situation was resolved it would definitely be top three. Not so humbly submitted, Michael C. read more

Zip's Cafe - Zip burger - Pubs Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Zip's is both overrated and underrated. The burgers at Zip's are plainly overrated. The notion that this is the "best burger" in the world or even in the city of Cincinnati is not to be taken seriously. (In fact, it's not even the best burger on Mt. Lookout Square.) The reality is that Zip's burgers are rather average: The meat is somewhat flavorless and tough compared to top-notch burger joints, the buns are plain and white, and the toppings are pretty shabby. Pretty forgettable, when you get down to it, but enjoyable enough while you're scarfing one down. The atmosphere and tradition at Zip's is underrated. It's what makes the place special and worth returning to repeatedly. It's comfortable like an old pair of shoes. Dark, inviting, and timeless, and versatile enough both for families during the day and for knocking back a few later in the day or evening. Every city should have a classic neighborhood joint like this, but all too few actually do. Food: three stars. The burgers are decent enough, and the menu has some other quality bar fare, like a much-better-than-average black-bean burger. Atmosphere: five stars. Average it out.... (I sound like I'm parroting out-of-towner Bryan G. below, but he's on the money....) read more

This is a great spot! If you're looking for the best burger in Cincy, check out Zips. The menu is small and they stick to the things they are good at. Service is top notch, prices are reasonable and the restaurant itself has a cool vibe. read more

Food was fantastic and reasonably priced. Great local diner with a very old school vibe. I wish there was more space in there but what can you do ‍ read more