Skyline Chili

Great Skyline location, excellent managers. Food is always fast and everyone is friendly. One of a few restaurants remaining in the area!
Only problem: I don’t think their soda fountain has a filter and the Mountain Dew mix is always «off». End up getting water because of this.

An Ohio classic. I had to have it one more time before I left.
Its not necessarily in the nicest area but the restaurant itself is fine. Its clean and spacious. The staff is friendly and attentive and since all this food is just sitting in the kitchen in big pots, its super quick. Its also super cheap.
My only complaint is they don’t give you enough cheese ;-).

Always get a 3 way… had my first skyline burrito today. yum!
Our server was super fun today. wish I’d have gotten his name

It’s difficult to say which I’m more addicted to… the chili spaghetti or the hot sauce. I regularly buy bottles of the hot sauce to use on scrambled eggs or baked potatoes.
I usually use the drive-​thru but I receive the same friendly service whether I dine in, carry out or drive-​thru.

An older store in a declining area. The staff is friendly and attentative. This is a very clean restaurant with good and consistent food. They really make up for the age and location. I drive by another Skyline to visit this store.

Its good American fast food. Don’t go into it looking for «grandmas chili» Go into it looking to try something new. Plus first timers get a free meal. The chili reminded me of mole. Not chili. Not bad, just different. Mole over spaghetti with cheese and onions.

Tried their chili for the first time today. I thought chili was supposed to be red, not brown. Did not like the flavor at all. Glad they have non chili options. I should of ordered one of those instead.

I grew up in Columbus, but never tried Skyline Chili, mainly because of my parents’ poor opinion of it. So, this past summer, when a friend had coupons and suggested we go there, I had to try it, to see for myself whether it was good or not.
Unfortunately for Skyline, I have to agree with my parents that Skyline just isn’t that good.
I got the three-​way, which you can see in any number of the pictures. The spaghetti is typical enough, but the chili is subpar, and the cheese is meh. I’ve heard that Skyline chili has chocolate in it as the secret ingredient; whether it’s true or not, I’m not a big fan of the difference between Skyline’s chili and, say, the chili you can get at Wendy’s. Whatever Skyline is doing different, it isn’t making it a better chili.
But really, the problem is that I can do a lot better myself at home, without too much effort. Why would I go to Skyline and pay $ 5-​$ 6 for a mediocre Cincinnati chili when I can spend less than that on ingredients, make my own that tastes a lot better, and have plenty of leftovers for the next day?
On the plus side, what they call Cincinnati chili is Cincinnati chili (unlike some places I’ve been to out of Ohio, where the Cincinnati chili doesn’t have spaghetti). And the service was perfectly fine when I was here.
I do know some people who love Skyline chili, so it might be worth trying. But I wouldn’t go into it with great expectations.

Omega was our waitress! She has a million dollar smile, pleasant personality and was one of the highlights. The dogs and 3-​way were wonderful. Worth the plane trip from LA! Can’t get them in LA so we flew back home to experience the food we miss.
Stop by and tell Omega hi!

This was my first time ever having Skyline and it was horrible! The chili has a sickening sweet flavor that just makes me want to vomit. Sorry. details… yeah.
Covered in cheese in my thing, hotdogs are my love, and chili is yummy… these things together usually make me very happy. The cheese is shredded fresh and the chili is an old recipe, but my main issue are their hot dogs. Yeah I dont like their chili but their hot dogs are awful! They taste like soggy boiled crap frankly. I’ll stop here.
My husband swears by their chili so idk. I love hotdogs way too much to appreciate this place.

Typical chain food. It was not too good or not too bad.

It was time for me to get some more Skyline. I went over and had a three-​way (spaghetti, chiili, & cheese). The waitress even tied my bib on for me. ;) And it was pretty good, after dumping about half the cheese off.
And hey Chris, this isn’t chili as you and I know it. It’s Cincinatti chili or Greek chili. That’s why it comes with spaghetti. ;)

I am a chili fanatic. I have many recipes, and have entered (and won) many chili cook offs. I do use cinnamon in a couple of my «sweet» recipes, but Skyline is over the top! I know its a Cincinnati thing, but I cant fathom a chili that tastes more like my favorite breakfast cereal… its simply just too much cinnamon. The cinnamon is so strong, it simply overpowers everything… all you can taste in the cinnamon, period. Did I say it taste like cinnamon? Im guessing the «5 way» is short for «5 ways to dilute and cover up the cinnamon». Seriously, Cincinnati or cinnamon fan… I still cant see how you would enjoy this as a chili… it should be called «Cinnamon Soup». Yuck.

This isn’t the exact Skyline that I went to when I was in Ohio a couple years back (that location was near Cincinnati, I think), but close enough. Some of the best chili I’ve had, I must say … and it’s unique. I’m fairly certain the chili is beanless, and know that it contains a helluva lot of all-​spice as the main ingredient. In case you aren’t familiar with all-​spice, it’s a Greek seasoning with a somewhat … cinnamon-​like flavor. That may sound disgusting in a chili, but trust me, it’s awesome.
I didn’t have anything else at one stop. I wound up going to Great American Ballpark to see the Reds and I got a Skyline Chili Dog and thought it was alright. They use a monstrous amount of cheese for such a tiny dog, and I just think it’s ridiculous. The dog itself is alright, but nothing special … it didn’t have a snap that I’m used to and enjoy. Still a tasty chili chain.

My first and last time at Skyline. It’s not this location’s fault. I give a gold star to the wonderful do-​everything waitress who was a pleasure to talk to. Here’s what you get when you order a chili: A few ounces of spaghetti (cost: 30 cents), if you’re lucky, two ounces of cheap ground beef, and I’m not sure you’re lucky (cost: 40 cents), a few beans and/​or onions (cost: probably 40 cents for both). Finally, a gigantic mound of grated cheese that dwarfs everything else you ordered. I think that’s the only reason why Skyline is popular, but the cheese has absolutely no flavor to it. If it weren’t for the waitress, I’d have given Skyline one star.

Corny service, cheap food. I don’t get it.
It’s not impossible to get gluten-​free food here, but it’s not worth it either.

I’m sure most of you have been to Skyline, if not, give it a try. This place is a little tucked away so it frequently is not busy. The service is very good.

This Skyline is one of those restaurants where, when I’m headed to it, I think of a backup restaurant in advance in case it’s out of business. I’m always surprised to find it not only in business, but crowded. It’s not exactly on the main strip, and nearby businesses haven’t fared well.
There’s really no point in describing the food here. If you grew up within 100 miles of Cincinnati, you already have decided whether or not you like it. If you do, you worship it and fill your blog with tributes to it. If you don’t, you tell everyone you know that «chili isn’t supposed to be like that.»
I’m in the former camp, although I can only do Skyline once or twice a year, because I know how horrible it is for you. My typical order is two cheese coneys (no onions, extra mustard, with the awesome habanero cheese if it’s available), and fries, which always always always come out piping hot and fresh.
The thing that amazes me about Skyline is how fast you’re served. I don’t think I’ve ever waited longer than three minutes for my food here. That fact doesn’t really jibe with the always-​hot fries, but there you go.
The servers and managers here always seem to be extremely friendly and smiling. So I’ll keep coming back here semiannually, as long as my stomach can handle it.

Spaghetti + Chili + Cheese + Onions = you are a fat ass for thinking this sounds GOOD.
Yes you. Me too.
Actually it IS pretty, pretty GOOD.
So GOOD I want to rub it on my tits.
So GOOD I want to take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant.
So GOOD I’m glad the nearest one is 2,268.69 miles away.
Get the smallest portion your fat ass will thank me later.
Don’t eat the crackers they are a fool’s paradise.
The word for today is GOOD.
Bonus:
Vegetarian Chili
Midwestern accents
View of the Budweiser Brewery

I was a Skyline virgin until 10 years ago when an old friend brought me to this location. He used to be the manager of this store, so he knew the business (and the food) very well.
As a new East Coast transplant, I had no idea what spaghetti covered with chili, onions, beans & cheese was. It was quite the conundrum. At any rate, I was accompanied by an expert, so it wasn’t hard for me to adapt.
My friend ordered a smörgåsbord of tasty treats from the menu so that I would experience the full flavor of Skyline Chili. For our appetizer, we devoured 4 Cheese Coneys — smaller hot dogs served in steamed buns with their special chili, onions and shredded cheese. Man, are they good!
Our additional appetizers were 2 Chili Burritos covered and smothered with all the same Skyline ingredients. Another winner with me!
Our entrée consisted of 2 Inverted 5-​Ways. What the heck is a 5-​Way? It’s their signature dish — Chili & Spaghetti with mounds of cheese, onions and red beans. What’s «inverted»? The ingredients are typically piled on top of the spaghetti on a plate that cannot possibly hold it all. So, to avoid a messy meal, my friend highly suggests getting your 5-​Way served «upside-​down», ie, «inverted». Don’t worry, all the same flavor is still retained!
Since then, I’ve come to really like their Greek Salad. Not only are the ingredients fresh and tasty, the dressing is absolutely killer! I’m also a huge fan of their hot sauce which is available at every table. I even apply it to the soup crackers that come with every chili meal.
If you want a break from the fast food jungle, Skyline is a great alternative. It’s an Ohio original to boot. Chow down & enjoy!