(This college football season, Arizona football beat reporter Justin Spears is trying out popular restaurants in towns the Wildcats are playing in. Up next: Skyline Chili.)
CINCINNATI — Since 1949, Skyline Chili has been a staple in Cincinnati and has expanded across Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Florida.
Skyline Chili has become the "official chili" of the Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals, Columbus Blue Jackets and Kings Island theme park. It's also the official sponsor of the Crosstown Shootout, a basketball rivalry between the Cincinnati Bearcats and Xavier Musketeers.
Skyline Chili is sold at Nippert Stadium, where Arizona upset the 25th-ranked Bearcats, 30-24.
Famous politicians, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, have stopped at Skyline Chili on the campaign trail.
Former NFL offensive lineman Jason Kelce said on Mythical Kitchen in 2023, "The first time I ever had Skyline Chili, it was absolutely disgusting. But then you eat it enough times at 3 in the morning and it tastes delicious eventually."
President Barack Obama stops at Skyline Chili in Cincinnati, Monday, July 16, 2012. Obama is spending the day campaigning in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
We decided to try it for ourselves (click here for the video version).
Restaurant: Skyline Chili
Food: Chili with spaghetti, chili dogs, baked potatoes, fries
The rundown: When in Rome — err, Cincy, you eat Skyline Chili. It's not your typical chili that many in Arizona or the southwestern part of the U.S. have consumed over the years during sweater weather.
The chili has a sweet-and-savory taste and doesn't have the spicy kick like most southwestern chili.
Skyline Chili's main attraction is the three-way — and bed of spaghetti with the chili and a bag cheddar cheese. You can also order habanero cheese to give the chili an extra kick, if you enjoy spicy chili.
A four-way at Skyline Chili is a three-way with diced onions or beans, and a five-way has all of the aforementioned ingredients. Every meal is served with a bag of oyster crackers. Skyline Chili also has oyster cracker-flavored ice cream.
The order: A five-way
The final verdict: If you know Skyline is sweeter than most chili, you won't be disappointed. I prefer my chili with a spicy kick and served over a mountain of Fritos — also known as Frito Pie.
Since my flight to Cincinnati landed on Friday at 8:30 p.m., I was unable to order from the Skyline Chili at the Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky International Airport, which closed at 8 p.m.
The Skyline Chili lobby in Hebron, Kentucky closed at 9:30 p.m. and I arrived at 9:39 p.m., but my Uber driver was kind enough to take me through the drive-thru to order and drop me off in the parking lot.
Having a five-way in the parking lot of the Northern Kentucky Skyline Chili wasn't what I expected, but the experience was unique in comparison to the other food spots we've tried over the years.
The ingredients of spaghetti, chili, beans, onions and habanero cheese was like a warm hug for the soul. It's not the best version of chili, but Skyline Chili is a solid 6.7/10.
