It all started in 1922 – when Tom and John Kiradjieff started selling chili-topped spaghetti at Empress Chili in downtown Cincinnati. It was different. But it worked.
In 1928, a man named Nicholas Sarakatsannis got a job at Empress, and just a year later decided to open his own restaurant called Dixie Chili in Newport, Kentucky.
Fast forward to 2025. That Dixie is still in operation. And there’s probably a Skyline or Gold Star within a short drive from wherever you’re reading this. Those two chains were later to the game but became ubiquitous rulers of the chili landscape. If you know where to look – if you’re a true chili connoiseur – the full picture of the local chili culture is no two-trick pony.
That’s why we decided to look for Cincinnati’s favorite mom-and-pop chili parlor. In an effort to shine a spotlight on some of our other coney operations, we put together a bracket of 16 parlors for some friendly competition. Cincinnati.com readers voted on each matchup until we had one chili to rule them all.
And wouldn’t you know it, Dixie Chili & Deli – Northern Kentucky’s first chili parlor – came out on top by a difference of only seven votes. Dixie’s narrow victory over the oft-celebrated, almost-always-open Camp Washington Chili was somewhat of an upset. Camp Washington came in as the No. 1 overal seed. Dixie was in the No. 3 spot.
After 6,500 votes overall throughout the competition – and a back-and-forth victory over Blue Ash in the Final Four – Dixie took the final-round win over Camp Washington by a score of 393 to 386. What a nail-biter!
A heartfelt congratulations goes out to all of our cinnamon-spiced competitors. But now, let’s take a closer look at our winner.
Dixie Chili has history
Dixie’s Newport location is the oldest continually operating chili parlor in Greater Cincinnati. The original store was a small 8-foot-by-30-foot space wedged between two buildings. “Though expansions and improvements have come, this site has been the nucleus of the business ever since,” according to the Dixie Chili website. There are now three locations, with the addition of parlors in Covington and Erlanger.
Dixie Chili is unique
Vampires beware: One of the surefire ways to know you’re at a Dixie is finding the six-way on the menu. Here, it’s served with the traditional beans and onions, but with the added funk of fresh-chopped garlic. (Don’t knock it until you try it.)
Here’s what Enquirer food and dining writer Keith Pandolfi had to say about the 6-way:
“Listed on the parlor’s menu as something ‘for the true connoisseur,’ the 6-way at Dixie Chili might be the most exciting chili dish I’ve had in years due to the simple addition of fresh chopped garlic piled on top of spaghetti, beans and onions and what I think is some of the best Cincinnati-style chili in town. I liked it so much that I might just start carrying little containers of chopped garlic no matter what chili parlor I visit.”
Dixie has more than chili
In 2023, my colleagues and I set out to find the best non-chili items at our local chili parlors. That’s when I met the Alligator. It’s a dill pickle spear, a wiener, mustard, mayo and cheese on a coney bun. Sound weird? It is. Deliciously weird. We also loved the Greek fries, which are topped with a house Greek dressing that I wouldn’t shut up about for weeks. And if you’re not full by then, they also have gyros, sandwiches, salads and more.
Dixie Chili is … in Kentucky
Sure, we all call it Cincinnati-style chili. And now it’s deemed Cincinnati’s Favorite. But with this garlic-topped history, maybe we’ve been eating Kentucky-style chili all along. Three cheers for our 859 chili champ. Hip hip!
Dixie Chili locations (get you some)
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: We have a winner! Cincinnati’s favorite mom-and-pop chili parlor is …
Reporting by Rasputin Todd, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
