Restaurants in Xenia

Pasquale Giammarco grew up working in his parents' pizzeria, which they opened after emigrating from Italy to the United States when Pasquale was 9. In 1978, adult Pasquale opened his own pizzeria, Marco’s Pizza, where he continued to top pies in the sauce recipe he and his father refined together. Beyond the sauce, which harmoniously blends three types of vine-ripened tomatoes, Pasquale perfected his dough—made fresh daily—and his cheese, which never saw a freezer before bedecking a pizza.

Nowadays, Marco’s Pizza’s brand has spread to more than 250 stores scattered across 21 states. Their specialty pies—whose diameters extend up to 16 inches—emerge from the oven in variants such as the Meat Supremo, topped with pepperoni, ham, italian sausage, and bacon, or a vegetarian style complete with mushrooms, olives, and tomatoes. Alternatively, patrons can customize their pizza toppings to please their unique palates, which may register salt as sweetness or sweetness as a telltale sign that the tooth fairy is hiding behind their molars. Wings in three flavors complement the pizzas, along with freshly baked hoagies and verdant salads.

Chefs at Dos Amigos pride themselves on the extensive menu of traditional Mexican favorites, as well as their smattering of unique dishes that customers can rarely find elsewhere. In addition to classics such as succulent carnitas and vegetarian-friendly spinach enchiladas, they harness the natural sweetness of seafood to forge house specialties including lobster chimichangas and fried-shrimp burritos. This family-owned-and-operated eatery also makes it easy to bring the whole clan, allowing kids to eat for $1 on Thursdays and hosting a daily happy hour ideal for atoning after misplacing your in-laws again.

On multiple occasions, Riverside Korean Restaurant has appeared on _Cincinnati Magazine_’s My 10 Picks feature, a list of recommended restaurants selected by guest writers. The writers often recommend the eatery’s time-tested Korean dishes, which include bibimbap and pan-fried dumplings, but the kitchen also fills with aromas that hint at more adventurous fare. Pork belly crisps nicely on the outside while remaining tender beneath a layer of kimchi and shrimp sauce. Raw flank steak soaks up the flavors of egg yolks, pine nuts, and korean pear, a crisp fruit with the deep gold hue of an alchemist’s Camaro.

The Mason Grill's culinary team caters to families with hearty, homestyle breakfasts served all day and a kids' menu with nine entrees under $4 each. Menu favorites include fluffy pancakes flanked by eggs, sausage, and plastic army-men sentries and three-egg omelets stuffed with a choice of breakfast meats, veggies, and cheese. Aside from their morning-inspired morsels, the restaurant's other dishes earn local acclaim, with Greek flavors found in their lamb or chicken gyros drizzled with housemade tzaziki sauce as well as their flaky baklava.

When George Clooney was in town filming The Ides of March, he made reservations at Trio Bistro.

Equal parts California wine bar and Florida coastal bistro, Trio Bistro has won over celebrities, critics, and patrons with its fresh seafood, including grouper flown in from Florida daily, as well as its meticulous service. Cincinnati.com praises Trio Bistro’s staff, saying, "there is clearly a good system in place that allows servers to do their job well," and Gayot lauds the "young vibe, all-ages clientele and a hip, circular bar made for hanging out." This carefully maintained ambiance accommodates any dining experience, be it an in-and-out dinner or a leisurely evening sharing a bottle of Orin Swift’s blend of zinfandel, cabernet, syrah, and petite sirah.

Located across from Nordstrom's, Trio Bistro, which is independently owned, has spent nearly a quarter century perfecting its bounty of steaks, seafood, and specialty pizzas and flatbreads. The menu draws inspiration from kitchens all over the globe—it's packed with pizzas that deliver Thai and Mediterranean toppings, fish that hails from Alaska and New England, and meatloaf, a 20-year mainstay. The bistro's small plates have earned them an excellent rating on Zagat.

Sunlight comes flooding through the venue's elongated windows, glinting off cherry wood accents and warm white tablecloths. In the Veranda room, two fireplaces blaze.

The inside of Three Meat Burger, formerly known as Sonny's Three Meat Burger, is standard enough, with ample seating, knickknack-lined walls, and free WiFi waves dancing through the atmosphere. But inside the actual burger—the one the restaurant claims is "like no other"—business is not as usual. That's because owners and burger masterminds Safet and Dee Sabanagic handcraft their patties from three different meats—beef, lamb, and chicken—and a secret blend of spices that helps boost flavors to another level. The burgers are manifested in the form of sliders, bacon burgers, and a make-your-own option that lets diners decorate their creations with 18 different toppings. Hand-cut fries act as the perfect accomplice to each patty, dipping in housemade sauces and taking the fall when plans to steal a molar's gold crown go awry.