Unearth The Voyage
Ohio’s food scene tells stories of immigrants, traditions, and home-cooked love on every plate. From Cincinnati’s spiced chili to Amish country’s sweet pies, each dish carries the warmth of generations who made this state their home. Whether you’re craving something fried, cheesy, or sweet, Ohio’s comfort foods offer flavors that stick with you long after the last bite.
Cincinnati Chili (5-Way)
More spaghetti dish than bowl of stew, Cincinnati chili breaks all the rules you thought you knew about comfort food. This Mediterranean-spiced meat sauce gets ladled over pasta and then piled high with cheese, onions, and beans depending on how many “ways” you order. The secret blend includes cinnamon, cocoa, and allspice that create a sweet-savory flavor unlike anything else.
Locals swear by the “5-way” version, which includes everything from spaghetti to kidney beans. The cheese melts into the warm chili, creating gooey strings with every forkful. You’ll find this iconic dish at chili parlors across Cincinnati, where it’s been warming hearts since Greek immigrants introduced it decades ago.
First-timers often look confused when their plate arrives, but one bite usually converts them forever.
Goetta
German immigrants brought this genius creation to Cincinnati, and breakfast has never been the same. Goetta combines ground pork with steel-cut oats and spices, then gets formed into a loaf and chilled overnight. When morning comes, thick slices hit a hot skillet and fry until the edges turn crispy while the inside stays tender and creamy.
The oats give it a texture that’s totally different from regular sausage—heartier and more filling. Some folks eat it with eggs and toast, while others prefer it in a sandwich with a fried egg on top. The outside crunch contrasts perfectly with the soft, savory center.
You might not find goetta outside Ohio, but locals consider it essential fuel for starting the day right.
Barberton Chicken
Barberton’s Serbian community created a fried chicken style so good that people drive from all over Ohio just to taste it. The chicken gets coated in a peppery, paprika-heavy breading that fries up incredibly crispy and stays crunchy even after sitting for a few minutes. But the real star might be the tomato rice served alongside—bright red, tangy, and slightly sweet.
Hot sauce comes on the side, and most people drizzle it generously over everything on their plate. The combination of spicy, savory chicken with that unique rice creates flavors that feel both exotic and comforting at once. Several family-owned restaurants in Barberton have been perfecting their recipes for generations.
Order a full plate and prepare to understand why this small town earned a big reputation.
Polish Boy Sandwich
Cleveland’s Polish Boy isn’t polite, pretty, or easy to eat—and that’s exactly why people love it. This monster sandwich starts with grilled kielbasa stuffed into a bun, then gets piled with french fries, tangy coleslaw, and your choice of barbecue or hot sauce. The result is gloriously messy and requires multiple napkins.
Every bite delivers different textures: snappy sausage, soft fries, crunchy slaw, and pillowy bread all mixing together. The sauce soaks into everything, creating a flavor explosion that somehow works despite sounding totally chaotic. Food trucks and corner stands across Cleveland serve their own versions, each claiming theirs is the most authentic.
Don’t wear your nicest clothes when tackling this beast—it demands full attention and zero concern for dignity.
Sauerkraut Balls
Akron gave the world these addictive little bites that prove sauerkraut deserves way more respect than it usually gets. Tangy sauerkraut gets mixed with cream cheese and seasonings, rolled into balls, breaded, and deep-fried until golden and crispy. The outside shatters when you bite in, revealing a creamy, slightly sour filling that tastes nothing like what you’d expect.
The cream cheese mellows out the sauerkraut’s sharpness, creating a balanced flavor that even people who claim to hate sauerkraut often end up loving. These show up at parties, bars, and restaurants throughout Northeast Ohio as the perfect appetizer. They’re best served piping hot with a cold drink nearby.
Once you start eating them, stopping becomes surprisingly difficult—consider yourself warned.
Buckeye Candy
Named after Ohio’s state tree nut, these peanut butter treats become practically sacred during football season. Smooth peanut butter fudge gets rolled into balls, then partially dipped in chocolate, leaving a circle of peanut butter exposed that resembles the actual buckeye nut. The combination of creamy peanut butter and rich chocolate creates pure comfort in every bite.
Grandmas across Ohio make batches for holidays and game days, though you’ll find them in candy shops year-round. The peanut butter stays soft while the chocolate shell adds a satisfying snap. Some people eat them frozen, others at room temperature—both ways work beautifully.
They’re simple, nostalgic, and impossible to eat just one, especially when your team is winning on Saturday afternoons.
Shaker Lemon Pie
The Shakers who settled in Ohio didn’t waste anything, which is how this bold pie came to be. Whole lemons—rind, pith, and all—get sliced paper-thin and macerated in sugar before being baked into a custard filling. The result is intensely lemony with a unique texture from the tender lemon slices suspended throughout.
It’s both sweet and tart, with a slight bitterness from the rind that keeps it from being cloying. The flaky crust provides buttery contrast to the bright, punchy filling. This pie demands attention and won’t let you forget you’re eating it—there’s nothing subtle here.
Amish and Shaker communities still make it the traditional way, and one slice usually converts skeptics into believers immediately.
Johnny Marzetti
Named after a Columbus restaurant owner’s brother, this casserole has been feeding Ohio families since the 1920s. Ground beef gets browned with onions and mixed with tomato sauce, pasta, and plenty of cheese before being baked until bubbly. It’s basically everything you loved about cafeteria lunch, but better.
The cheese melts into the pasta and creates those crispy edges everyone fights over. Some versions add bell peppers or mushrooms, but the basic formula stays comfortingly consistent. Diners across Ohio serve it as a daily special, and it always delivers that warm, nostalgic feeling.
Leftovers taste even better the next day when all the flavors have melded together overnight in your fridge.
Slyman’s Corned Beef Sandwich
Cleveland’s Slyman’s doesn’t mess around when it comes to portion sizes—their corned beef sandwich stands taller than most people’s fists. Hand-cut, perfectly seasoned corned beef gets piled so high on rye bread that eating it requires strategy and determination. The meat is tender, peppery, and sliced thick enough to have real texture.
Mustard is really the only condiment needed because the beef’s flavor speaks for itself. The sandwich is so famous that people plan their Cleveland visits around lunch at Slyman’s. You’ll probably need help finishing it, or just embrace taking half home for later.
One bite explains why this deli has been a Cleveland institution for decades—it’s simply corned beef perfection.
Amish Fry Pies
Amish country bakeries across Ohio turn out these handheld treasures that make the perfect road trip snack or dessert. Sweet fruit filling—apple, cherry, peach, or berry—gets sealed inside circles of dough, then fried until golden and crispy. The outside stays flaky while the inside turns into warm, jammy sweetness.
Some get dusted with powdered sugar, others with cinnamon sugar, and all of them taste best when still slightly warm. They’re portable, not too messy, and hit that perfect spot between donut and pie. Amish stands sell them at farmers markets and roadside shops throughout rural Ohio.
Grab a few for the road because one is never enough when they’re this good and nostalgic.
