Eli's BBQ Review

Eli's BBQ in Cincinnati, Ohio
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

With the Pittsburgh skyline at our backs, the last part of our summer road trip started in the journey to Cincinnati, OH. After spending the whole morning driving, our group got BBQ fever. Rather than stopping at the Montgomery Inn, which is one of the most popular BBQ spots in Ohio, we decided to try a lesser known spot called Eli's BBQ.

Pulled Pork Sandwich Plate
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

Eli's has been serving up great food and great times to Cincy natives for the past several years. Their simple menu does not overwhelm anyone, as you have a few meats and several sides to choose from, which hints that they are all about perfecting what they do best. Their single location, at 3313 Riverside Drive Cincinnati, OH 45226, is minutes away from the Ohio River and is just far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Both the indoor and outdoor seating were packed, clearly their great food was not a secret to anyone, so it did take a little while for our food to get to us. Was it worth the wait? You bet it was.

Rib Tips
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

With the menu being smaller, only pulled pork, hickory smoked turkey, ribs, and Nathan's All-Beef Hot Dogs to choose from, I went with the classic pulled pork sandwich, which had a base price of $5. I decided to make it a plate for an additional $3, getting mac and cheese and coleslaw as my sides. I washed it all down with an ice cold coke, it was bottled, which I was a huge fan of. Soft drinks always taste better in a bottle to me. My meal was right around the $10 mark, which is pretty much the norm for BBQ no matter where you go. The most important thing to me is the quality, and Eli's was not lacking in that department. The pork was juicy, had a nice crust and smoke ring, and a great smoky flavor. I doused my sandwich in their tangy BBQ sauce, which  only made the sandwich better. The mac and cheese was hearty and flavorful, displaying all the classic signs of a great side from a quality BBQ establishment. In addition to my meal, I finished the rib tips my brother ordered, which were a special for the day. I don't eat rib tips often due to their reputation as being fatty, but these were not fatty at all. The slow cooking process melted the fat away. They were very meaty, had excellent flavor, due to the dry rub that was applied previously, and the BBQ sauce was an excellent contribution as well.

My first ever meal in Cincy was a success, and it was a great addition to my ever-expanding list of quality BBQ places. If you are in town on business, visiting family, or just checking out a Reds game like we were, make sure you give Eli's BBQ a visit. You will thank me later.

Ryan Magnuson is a Baseball/Food Writer from the Chicagoland Area