A Taste of Home - Cincinnati Skyline Chili

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Cincinnati Skyline chili evokes mid-western memories of soccer games, big appetites and family time – win or lose! Across the United States, you’ll find legendary dishes that are integral to the identities of the places they come from. New York has pizza, Boston has baked beans, St. Louis has frozen custard… and Cincinnati has chili.

Founded by Greek immigrants, Skyline Chili has been serving up their signature recipe for over 70 years. [Learn more about the history of Skyline Chili!]

Customers can add toppings all the way up to a “5-Way”: spaghetti topped with chili, cheese, diced onions, and beans. However you take your chili, it’s always accompanied by oyster crackers.

Erika, currently based in Cary, North Carolina, grew up going to Skyline with her family. It was her favorite way to refuel after playing hard on the soccer field:

“Growing up in rural Ohio, much of my free time revolved around sports. One of the best parts of weekend soccer games – win or lose – was sitting down together with my family at Skyline chili, a regional chili chain restaurant originally based in Cincinnati, Ohio. I often knew a few of the faces when I walked in, and my voracious appetite was temporarily satisfied by oyster crackers. (Mom would let me have her crackers, too, of course.) The spaghetti, once ready, was topped with a generous portion of meat sauce whose seasoning tastes a bit like cinnamon, but is of course an industry secret. The meal was always topped with a heaping layer of finely shredded cheese, but it was never enough for me and my cheese- loving family. Before walking out of the restaurant, my belly and heart full, I’d clomp in my cleats to the counter and pay for a mini peppermint patty for the road. And whenever I find myself in Ohio, I never consider myself home until I’ve had a 3-Way at Skyline.”