We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The Tripadvisor website may not display properly.We support the following browsers:
Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari.

Ratings and reviews

RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

Details

CUISINES
American, Bar, Pub
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Takeout, Seating, Television, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Table Service
Reviews (212)
Filter reviews
212 results
Traveler rating
95
74
35
5
3
Traveler type
Time of year
LanguageEnglish
Traveler rating
95
74
35
5
3
Show reviews that mention
All reviews burger chilli patties toy train onion rings are cold beer zips
Sort and selected filters
Sort FilterEnglish
Updating list...
Reviewed October 8, 2023

This isb the spot that you want to go to for a good hamburger and onion rings, the food is excellent, the service is great and the food is good. I would highly recommend if you want casual food,

Date of visit: September 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed July 12, 2023

Great food, great service, great atmosphere, great history. I went for a business lunch and I enjoyed myself so much that I look forward to returning sometime with friends.

Date of visit: June 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed May 8, 2023

DISAPPOINTING. $57 FOR TWO BURGERS, A CUP OF CHILI AND 1 DRINK. NOT SURE HOW THIS FOT A SINGLE "$" RATING? AND IT WASN'T ANYTHING EXCEPTIONAL.

Date of visit: April 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed April 4, 2023 via mobile

Simplicity at it's best. Their zipburger is consistently good and flavorful with local ingredients. I always do what I can to support local businesses.

Date of visit: February 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed January 16, 2022

Best burger in town. Zips uses a local German butcher shop, Avril & Bleh, to make its patties. The quality of shows in the end product. Great service, ambiance, cold beer and a toy train. Can get busy on weekends. Decent craft beer list and...a small bar in the rear of the restaurant. The menu looks like it is from the 1920s. The chili (Texas style) and onion rings are also stand outs. This restaurant is in the pantheon of great local diners such as Echo, Proud Rooster, Blue Ash Chili, and Hathaway's. Hope it never changes.More

Date of visit: November 2021
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 23, 2021 via mobile

Great food as usual! I had chili and a cheeseburger with onion rings didn’t love the onion rings but chili and cheeseburger were fantastic! My mom is vegetarian and had the black bean burger which was also very good!

Date of visit: June 2021
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed May 28, 2020

once each year I give places like this another chance, Zips gets a lot of review saying it's the best in town, best ever, I've been reviewing burgers for over 30 years now in this area, this a good burger, but it clearly is not...the best in town, not even top 10, but it's good, no doubt. But at best it's a good Plain burger, nothing else, it's nothing you can't duplicate on your grill in your own backyard with some good beef and a few spices and a good bun. You can't do that at the top 10 burgers in town, it's plan, it's average, it's good, but that's it, the Locals worship this place and they flood the reviews of it on every burger review site in town, stop it people, get out and try the truly great top 10 burgers in the area, heck i would even take Freddy's over this one and it's more a fast food place. Get over it, it's a good one, not a great one. Once again i gave it a shot here, I liked it, but again it was plain, average and just plain good, that's it. the place even when not busy and I run in to place my order, they act like your bothering them, i try to ask questions about the food, the burger and things, they act like your bothering them and don't feel like talking to you, i would never want to eat inside, i guess they cater only to their local fanbase, if you grew up here and you only ate your burgers here you would think it's the greatest in the world, until you got out and tried the best, the top 10 would change anyone's mind, but these people are diehards, I'm sorry but that's the truth and this place treats new customers they don't know like outsiders, like they barely want to deal with your business, this is my last time reviewing this place, let the locals have it at least 15 other burgers in town better, maybe more. it might make my top 20 list barely. And I'm a diehard burger lover with no links to any particular one, I'm always looking for a better burger, I'm fair and give an honest review.More

Date of visit: May 2020
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed March 5, 2020

Great burgers, great chili and solid service as well as a great selection of draft beers. Good for families and old cogders...

Date of visit: March 2020
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed February 1, 2020

I don't eat cheeseburgers often but when I do, I eat Zip's. I even order takeout sometimes. It's my guilty pleasure, my secret treat. The hamburgers taste like they are freshly made and not frozen patties. The bread is good.....I gotta stop. This is making...me want to get in my car and go get a cheeseburger.More

Date of visit: January 2020
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed December 31, 2019

Every year at least twice a year, there are 4 or 5 highly rated burger joints in the area that I keep trying that I think are only good average burgers, and this is one of them, I still think the local's flood all of...the reviews on this place, yes it's a good normal burger, but nothing I can't duplicate at home. It's not top 10, not even top 15 even though it's good there really are at least 15 other better burgers in the Cincinnati, N. Ky. area. start with Street City Pub, Prime City, Burger brothers, heck even Freddy's has a better-tasting one and they are like a fast food place, but Freddy's is actually excellent. But don't go here expecting a top 10 Burger, go during Cinci burger week this coming year and try out some real burgers, again this one is good, no complaints, but it's a plain good ole burger, not an awesome top 10, this area is actually loaded with awesome Burgers, you just have to pick them out, I have done a Burger blog in the area for over 25 years now, I know my burgers, big difference in good, or even very good, and Excellent tasty and delicious. this one is good, at best very good. Arnold's has great burgers, Taste of Belgium, too many to list hereMore

Date of visit: December 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed December 27, 2019 via mobile

Zips is a quaint little burger joint that is a must visit while in Cincinnati. It’s small and unassuming, but the food is amazing. Highly recommend the zip burger, but their chili is great too. So add the chili cheese fries and you won’t be...disappointed.More

Date of visit: December 2019
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed October 17, 2019 via mobile

Can't recommend this place enough. Just an amazing gem of a restaurant. Food and service is incredible...but the spot takes it over the top.

Date of visit: October 2019
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed September 4, 2019

My husband and I love Zip's. We are vegetarian and they have a great veggie burger option - loaded with all the fixings and their delicious skinny fries! It's in a great location, with excellent wait staff. Afterwards you can walk down to get some...gelato at Buona Terra.More

Date of visit: July 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed September 1, 2019

This is a cozy cafe with really good basic burgers, fries, and onion rings. They also have hot dogs and sausages. It was such a good burger, sometimes that is all you want. I see why they are so packed regularly.Try them out!

Date of visit: August 2019
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed August 30, 2019 via mobile

I’ve been waiting for George Motz to add a Cincinnati burger joint to his Hamburger America book; he finally added Zip’s in his third edition. I took 4 business colleagues here for a lunch, about a 20-25 minute drive. We all had Zipburgers with cheese...with either fries or onion rings - all 5 of us enjoyed the simple meal. The burgers are made fresh and loosely packed and are tasty with the right amount of meat for lunch; they offer a double burger for those with larger appetites. They also offer variations on the burgers. The cafe is quite old and dark, very different feel to it but not uninteresting. The toy train was visible but not running. The only negative from our group was the very cold AC; it was almost unbearable but the burgers made us glad we visited. I recommend Zip’s Cafe - try the burgers.More

Date of visit: August 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
View more reviews
Best nearby
Best nearby hotelsSee all
Residence Inn Cincinnati Midtown/Rookwood
62 reviews
1.55 miles away
Courtyard Cincinnati Midtown/Rookwood
227 reviews
1.60 miles away
Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati Midtown
169 reviews
1.87 miles away
Homewood Suites By Hilton Cincinnati Midtown
152 reviews
2.02 miles away
Best nearby restaurantsSee all
Buona Terra
44 reviews
.03 miles away
Coffee Emporium
31 reviews
.87 miles away
Unwind
35 reviews
.91 miles away
Best nearby attractionsSee all
Ault Park
95 reviews
.98 miles away
Cincinnati Observatory
81 reviews
.74 miles away
Hyde Park
58 reviews
.96 miles away
Mushroom House
15 reviews
.85 miles away
Questions & Answers
Ask a question
johanna729
April 6, 2019|
AnswerShow all 2 answers
Response from Bob r | Reviewed this property |
Nope and it's on a very busy road so I wouldn't leave a dog out front, but they will give u a doggy bag!
1
Vote
Rosie1466
May 27, 2017|
Answer
Response from marksvickery | Reviewed this property |
Who cares? It's a burger joint.
0
Votes
Is This Your Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Free Listing

ZIP'S CAFE, Cincinnati - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Zip's Cafe

Yes, Zip's Cafe offers takeout services.

Zip's Cafe is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers:
  • Food: 4
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4