I love flying with Southwest Airlines, and whenever I have the chance, it’s my airline of choice. On June 4th, Southwest launched new nonstop flights from Baltimore and Chicago to Cincinnati, making it easier than ever to visit the city.

To celebrate the new route, Southwest invited me and a few other bloggers from Baltimore and Chicago to Cincinnati for a day of exploring the city’s food scene.

And let me tell you—the Cincinnati food scene is legit. We ate some incredible meals during the trip, but what really stood out to me was the snack and beer scene.

Here are a few of the delicious stops we made during our Cincinnati food tour.

Cincinnati

Holtman’s Donuts: A Cincinnati Classic

Our first snack stop of the day was Holtman’s Donuts in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.

This shop is known for its fluffy, fresh donuts and creative flavors. Our group ordered two dozen donuts to share, which was definitely the right move.

Trending

Island Hopping in the Azores: Exploring Pico, Faial, & Terceira

I didn’t get to try every flavor, but I absolutely couldn’t resist one topped with colorful sprinkles. The donut was light, airy, and just sweet enough—perfect for a mid-morning treat while exploring the city.

Sometimes the simplest pastries are the most satisfying.

Cereal Donut

Holtman’s Donuts

Vanilla Sprinkle Donut

Assorted Donuts

Rhinegeist Brewery: Beer with a View

Instead of eating the donuts inside the shop, we took them to go and headed to Rhinegeist Brewery, one of the most well-known breweries in Cincinnati.

The name Rhinegeist translates to “Ghost of the Rhine,” referencing the brewery’s location in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine Brewery District. The brewery itself is located inside the former Moerlein bottling plant, giving the space a cool industrial feel.

The taproom is huge and open, with plenty of space for games like ping pong and cornhole. There’s also a rooftop deck, which quickly became my favorite spot. With temperatures in the upper 80s that day, being outside was definitely the move.

To make the most of our visit, we each ordered a beer flight, which included:

• Bubbles (rosé ale)

• Puma (pilsner)

• Hustle (red lager)

• Truth (IPA)

My favorite was Bubbles, the rosé ale. It was lightly fruity, slightly sweet, and incredibly refreshing—perfect for a warm summer afternoon.

Rhinegeist, if you’re reading this… any chance you can ship some of that to Baltimore?

Rhinegeist Brewery

Flight of Beers

Flight of Beers

Rhinegeist Beer Taps

Graeter’s Ice Cream: The Perfect Travel Snack

Our final stop on the Cincinnati dessert tour was Graeter’s Ice Cream.

Graeter’s is famous for making its ice cream in small 2½-gallon batches, which gives it an incredibly rich and creamy texture.

Conveniently, they sell their ice cream at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport, so we grabbed some before boarding our flight home.

Hello, plane snacks.

I tried two flavors:

• Vanilla Bean

• Chocolate Chocolate Chunk

Both were excellent, but the vanilla bean was my personal favorite. It was simple, creamy, and packed with real vanilla flavor.

The best part? I later discovered that Graeter’s ice cream is available in the Baltimore region, so I’ll definitely be picking up some pints at my local grocery store to try even more flavors.

Graeter’s Ice Cream

Final Thoughts on the Cincinnati Food Scene

Even though our trip to Cincinnati was short, it was clear that the city has a fantastic and growing food scene. From local donut shops to innovative breweries and iconic ice cream spots, there’s no shortage of delicious things to try.

And now that Southwest offers nonstop flights from Baltimore to Cincinnati, it’s easier than ever to plan a quick food-focused getaway.

Looking to visit another under the radar city – here’s where I ate in Williamsburg, VA.

Be sure to subscribe to my blog to catch the rest of the Cincy travel tips!

Drooling for more? Check me out on Facebook and Instagram.

While this trip was paid for by Southwest Airlines, all views stated here are my own.