Cincinnati ranks among America's best food cities for 2026

Cincinnati is more than a sports town. It's also known for its eclectic food scene.

U.S. News & World Report ranked Cincinnati No. 19 on its list of the nation's best food cities for 2026. New Orleans topped the ranking, followed by New York City and Chicago.

Cincinnati, the only Ohio city on the list, was also recognized for its "regional classics and craft food scenes" alongside Philadelphia, Louisville, Charlotte, North Carolina and Milwaukee.

The Aug. 24 article described Cincinnati as an "up-and-coming Ohio gem" with an "increasingly diverse food scene" and said the city has "no shortage of trailblazing chefs." It also highlighted the James Beard-nominated talent behind some of the city's top restaurants, including Chef Jeff Harris' Nolia

Kitchen and Sarah Dworak's Sudova.

U.S. News also named Cincinnati chili, Graeter's Ice Cream and LaRosa's Pizza among the city's "non-negotiable" culinary staples. The publication gave a special shoutout to Findlay Market, writing that "vendors sell everything from pho to pierogi to goetta – Cincy’s beloved German sausage."

Lastly, the report noted that no visit to the Queen City is complete without sampling the locally brewed beers that helped shape Cincinnati's history.

To determine its rankings, U.S. News used criteria such as "innovative dining concepts, awarded chefs and restaurants, and culinary diversity."

U.S. News' Best Food Cities for 2026

According to a new U.S. News & World Report ranking, the top food cities in the U.S. are:

1. New Orleans
2. New York City
3. Chicago
4. Los Angeles
5. San Francisco
6. Philadelphia
7. Las Vegas
8. Memphis
9. Houston
10. Dallas
11. Austin
12. Portland, Maine
13. Boston
14. Honolulu (Oahu)
15. Atlanta
16. Louisville
17. Charlotte, North Carolina
18. Milwaukee
19. Cincinnati

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati ranks among America's best food cities for 2026