Until Elliott Coffee arrived last year, Dayton, Kentucky, lacked a solid coffee hangout spot. Owners Elijah Knapp, his wife Isabelle, and Elijah’s brother Asa tout “a celebration of ordinary days,” but there’s nothing ordinary about the place. First of all, they transformed an old service station into a separate room to order the coffee, outdoor seating and the detached auto shop for indoor seating. They use roasters from all over the nation, including Georgia’s Valor Coffee and California’s True Love Coffee Company. Drinks like espresso with Ale-8 set them apart from ordinary shops. They occasionally serve top-notch food like French toast and breakfast sandwiches. Akin to Collective Espresso Newport, people can get their film photos processed from Velocity Film Lab, which has a drop-off box. elliottcafe.com.
Eats
Here are the 2025 Best Of Cincinnati® Reader and Staff Pick winners for Eats.
- Sleepy Bee Cafe
- First Watch
- Sugar n' Spice
- The Echo
- Original Pancake House
- Maplewood Kitchen and Bar
- HangOverEasy
- Anchor Grill
- Taste of Belgium
- Proud Hound
- Gomez Salsa
- Chipotle
- Mazunte
- El Rancho Grande
- The Comet
- Agave and Rye
- Olla
- Tortilleria Garcia
- Cancun Mexican Restaurants
- La Mexicana Restaurante
- Skyline Chili
- Coppin's at Hotel Covington
- Incline Public House
- Avril-Bleh Meat Market & Deli
- Eckerlin Meats
- Jungle Jim's International Market
- Lehr's Prime Market
- Bridgetown Finer Meats
- Humbert Meats
- Wyoming Meat Market
- Bill Finke & Sons
- LK at Findlay Market
- (TIE) Hyde Park Meats and Redden Fine Meats & Seafood
- Sotto
- Agave & Rye
- Pepp & Dolores
- Marx Bagels
- The Bagelry
- Bruegger's Bagels
- OTR Bagel Bar
- Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli
- Big Apple Bagels
- Everything Bagels
- Skip's Bagel Deli
- Livia Jo's Bagels
- Bagel Brothers
- Eli's BBQ
- City Barbeque
- Montgomery Inn
- Lucius Q
- Pig Candy BBQ
- Just Q'in
- Bee's Barbecue
- Smoke Justis
- Sweets & Meats BBQ
- Beards & Bellies Barbeque
- Yard House
- The 859 Taproom and Grill
- Northside Yacht Club
- Goodfellas Pizzeria/Wiseguy Lounge
- Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar
- Smoke Justis
- Madtree
- Fifty West Brewing Co.
- West Side Brewing
- Nine Giant Brewpub & Fermentorium
- HighGrain Brewing Co.
- Dead Low Brewing
- Third Eye Brewing
- Moerlein Lager House
- Barleycorn's Brewhouse
- Voodoo Brew Pub
- Sleepy Bee Cafe
- First Watch
- Maplewood Kitchen and Bar
- HangOverEasy
- Taste of Belgium
- Greyhound Tavern
- Coppin’s at Hotel Covington
- National Exemplar
- Sacred Beast
- Cedar
- Allyn's Cafe
- Swampwater Grill
- Knotty Pine on the Bayou
- The BonBonerie
- Nothing Bundt Cakes
- Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli
- Skyline Chili
- Goodfellas Pizzeria
- Zip's Cafe
- Blue Ash Chili
- Gomez Salsa
- Mazunte
- Dixie Chili
- Camp Washington Chili
- Price Hill Chili
- Gold Star
- Jungle Jim's International Market
- The Rhined
- Urban Stead Cheese
- Penn Station
- AJ's Cheesesteaks
- Cincy Steak & Lemonade
- Jose Salazar (Mita's, Safi Wine Bar, Daylily)
- Dylan Jones (Jeff Ruby Steakhouse)
- Hideki Harada (Kiki, Sen by Kiki)
- Jacob Wood (Sotto)
- Drew Rath (Tuba Baking Co.)
- Alfio (Alfio's)
- Cristian Pietoso (Via Vite, Forno, Nicola's)
- Jeffrey Harris (Nolia)
- (TIE) Jawuan Coleman (Incline Public House) and Paul Barraca (The Governor)
- Mary Paff (Ivory House)
- The Eagle
- Galactic Fried Chicken
- Silver Spring House
- Ron's Roost Restaurant & Bar
- The Hitching Post
- Libby's Southern Comfort
- CityBird
- Greyhound Tavern
- Revolution Rotisserie
- Joella's Hot Chicken
- The Eagle
- Galactic Fried Chicken
- CityBird