Here in Dayton, we have a huge variety of small, regional chains and local mom and pop restaurants.
We have just about every type of cuisine possible, including some of our own world-famous local treats.
This list is in no particular order!
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Best Restaurants in Dayton, Ohio
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1. Young’s Dairy Farm
Address: 6880 Springfield-Xenia Road, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387
Ask anyone from Dayton, Ohio about Young’s Dairy Farm and they will tell you they’ve been a million times.
You can feed goats, see a variety of other farm animals, get some of the best ice cream in the area, play mini golf, batting cages, and try the driving range.
We love their buckeye sundae and cheese curds!
2. Frisch’s Big Boy
UPDATE: MOST LOCATIONS PERMANENTLY CLOSED
Anyone from California, Frisch’s Big Boy is the same as Bob’s Big Boy.
Same company, same menu, same everything.
As much as I love the hot fudge cakes, Frisch’s is all about the breakfast buffet though!
3. Carillon Brewing Co.
Address: 1000 Carillon Blvd, Dayton, Ohio 45409
Carillon Brewing Co. is an extension of Carillon Park.
You can dine here without going into Carillon park.
One of our favorite things to get is the German Soft Pretzel Braid with Beer Cheese and Mustard as an appetizer.
For an entree, we like to share the Wurst Platter.
You get to choose 2 wursts topped with sauerkraut and you get potato salad on the side.
4. Skyline Chili
Address: dozens of locations around Dayton and its suburbs
A trip to Ohio is not complete without a visit to Skyline.
Skyline is also super cheap.
My go-to order is a 3-Way and a Cheese Coney (no mustard).
I also recommend trying the Chilito.
It is just a tortilla wrapped like a burrito with just chili and cheese inside.
Sometimes they’ll ask if you want sour cream.
As part of their secret menu, you can also get spaghetti inside your Chilito if you want!
5. Milano’s
Addresses: University of Dayton, 1834 Brown Street, Dayton, OH 45409
Beavercreek, 2260 N. Fairfield Rd, Beavercreek, Ohio 45431
Miami Township, 9572 Springboro Pike, Miami Township, Ohio 45342
Milano’s has been one of my favorite restaurants since they opened their Beavercreek location.
Milano’s is regularly voted as one of the best pizzas in all of Dayton.
My personal favorite is the Chicken Cheesesteak.
I’ve been getting it every visit, since they called it the Chicken & Provolone Sub.
6. Marion’s Piazza
Addresses: there are 9 locations throughout Dayton and its suburbs
Marion’s is one of the most popular pizza chains in Ohio.
If you’re from here, you probably came here with every sports team you’ve ever played on to celebrate the end of your season.
When I was in high school, our school would bring us here for free pizza lunches after fundraisers.
7. Donato’s Pizza
Addresses: dozens of locations around Dayton and its suburbs
Donato’s always has been and always will be the absolute best pizza.
It’s so good, they just recently made a nationwide deal with Red Robin, so now you can get Donato’s Pizza at any Red Robin!
We tested it out in California and it is still definitely the same pizza.
8. Bill’s Donut Shop
Address: 268 N. Main St., Centerville, OH 45459
Bill’s is popular for its variety of classic glazed donuts.
I personally enjoy the Glazed Twist Donuts and the Sugared Jelly Donuts.
9. City BBQ
Addresses: there are 24 locations throughout Ohio
I love to get the pulled pork sandwich and then a sampling of all the sides like mac n cheese, corn pudding, baked beans, and green beans.
10. Graeter’s Ice Cream
Addresses: 2 N. Main Street, Centerville, Ohio 45459
2330-A N. Fairfield Road, Beavercreek, Ohio 45431
2412 Far Hills Avenue, Oakwood, Ohio 45419
Graeter’s has become so popular that some flavors are even available in grocery stores nationwide.
11. Amber Rose
Address: 1400 Valley Street, Dayton, Ohio 45404
This restaurant specializes in classic Eastern European dishes from countries like Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Russia, and even Italy.
I personally enjoy their pierogi & onions, sauerkraut balls, and German bier cheese appetizers.
For entrees, I recommend trying the 3 sausage sampler, homestyle pot roast, hunter schnitzel, grilled sauerbraten, or jagerschnitzel.
12. Basil’s On Market
Address: 18 N Market Street, Troy, Ohio 45373
Their deviled eggs are a great appetizer to start with.
There are also a lot of great pasta dishes like lobster mac n cheese, penne alla vodka, creamy cajun linguini, and more.
13. The Pine Club
Address: 1926 Brown Street, Dayton, Ohio 45409
Consistently named one of Ohio’s Best Restaurants, The Pine Club has been offering an upscale dining experience since 1947.
14. El Toro
Addresses: there are 14 locations throughout Dayton
El Toro is a popular local restaurant chain.
Their best dish is their Pollo Loco.
It comes topped with chorizo and a cheese sauce, so you can use your sides of tortillas and rice to build little chorizo tacos on the side.
15. Black Rock Bar & Grill
Address: 2745 Fairfield Commons Blvd, Beavercreek, Ohio 45431
At Black Rock, steaks are served on a 755-degree volcanic rock.
This way you can cook it just the way you like it and it stays warm while you’re eating.
Some other cool menu items are a cocktail that changes colors and a burger with a bun made out of fried mozzarella.
16. MacKenzie River
Address: 2739 Fairfield Commons Blvd, Beavercreek, Ohio 45431
MacKenzie River is a growing chain with a location just outside the Fairfield Commons Mall.
The MacKenzie Meatloaf is our favorite dish.
For dessert, their most popular dish is the Mack Lovin’, gooey chocolate chip cookies served in a skillet with vanilla ice cream.
The Kentucky Toast is also popular – a deep fried Southern butter pound cake with a Kentucky bourbon caramel sauce.
17. Oakwood Club
Address: 2414 Far Hills Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45419
Oakwood Club is a Dayton favorite that has been around since 1962.
The menu features hand-cut steaks, seafood, and pasta.
We ate here for my 30th birthday dinner and pre-gamed for a bit at the bar.
18. La Poblanita Mexican Market & Restaurant
I love their birria tacos and regular tacos.
Chicken Mole is one of my favorite Mexican restaurant menu options and not too many places around here have it!
19. Agave & Rye
This trendy, modern Mexican restaurant is located in downtown Centerville.
I thought it was so cute that their OG Margarita is served in a skull glass.
Their Brussels Sprouts are perfectly flavored and they have one of my favorite meals, birria tacos.
20. Club Oceano
Club Oceano is a seafood and steak house at The Greene.
We went recently for my birthday dinner.
For drinks, we had a Butter Chardonnay and an Old Fashioned.
They have a complimentary bread & butter service.
We shared a chopped salad and lobster bisque as appetizers.
For our entrees, we share a blackened red snapper with orzo and Chilean sea bass with wild mushroom risotto.
21. Pies & Pints
There are a handful of locations in the area, but we like to go to the one at The Greene.
As an appetizer, we tried the Pizza Skins – roasted garlic mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon, scallions & sour cream on house-made pizza dough.
For our actual pizza, we did a half and half.
One half was a meatball sub pizza and the other half was an Italian sub pizza.
For dessert, we got the Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Terrine – alternating layers of brownie & peanut butter, covered with chocolate ganache.
I also had a bottle of Magner’s Cider, which is one of my favorite brands!
Most places only have Angry Orchard.
22. Mode X Modern Kitchen and Bar
This is another restaurant located at The Greene!
For our entrees, we shared the Mode X Shrimp and the Pasta Tequila 2.0.
The glowing drink is called a “G Pineapple”.
It has vodka shaken with pineapple, fresh lime, and agave, finished with a silky coconut cream.
For dessert, we had the Godiva Chocolate Cake.
23. Kawa Revolving Sushi
Kawa Revolving Sushi is in Beavercreek, near the mall.
All the food comes out on conveyor belts and monorail cars and you just grab whatever you’d like.
Some hot dishes will be brought out on a robot cart.
All the food on the belts are labeled, so you know what you’re getting.
We also ordered some potstickers, chicken katsu, and then some fried oreos for dessert.
24. Paragon Supper Club
We ate here for one of our anniversary dinners and it’s just as good as Oakwood Club and Pine Club.
While waiting for a table to be ready, I had a glass of the house Chardonnay and JP had a bleu cheese stuffed olive martini and an Old Fashioned.
Once we were seated, we got some rolls and butter as part of their complimentary bread service.
As an appetizer, we shared the Reuben Soup.
I had a salad with French dressing and JP had a salad with Italian vinaigrette.
For entrees, we had beef stroganoff and bacon wrapped filet mignon with African Tristan lobster tail.
For sides, we had baked mac n cheese and onion straws.
Then for dessert we enjoyed a slice of key lime pie.
25. Original Pancake House
I think there’s just one location in the area toward Centerville.
The one must-try menu item is the German Pancake!
26. Meef’s Pasteria
This is one of the few Italian restaurants in the area that isn’t Olive Garden or Fazoli’s!
I recommend trying the Penne Bolognese and the Taste of Italy.
The Taste of Italy comes with ravioli, manicotti, stuffed shells, and lasagna.
For dessert, try the tiramisu.
27. Condado Tacos
Another restaurant at The Greene!
The chicken bacon ranch burrito is the most popular.
28. Cherry House Cafe
This is a small diner in Beavercreek off of Dayton-Xenia Road.
I love their croissant sandwiches and club sandwiches.
29. Meadowlark
Meadowlark is in Kettering, on Far Hills Ave.
As an appetizer, we had the Hummus, topped with roasted mashed sweet potato, bright lemon yogurt, crispy fried garlic bits, za’atar, and a few scattered chili crunch chickpeas.
For our entrees we had the Filet Mignon with Worcestershire Butter, made with homemade Worcestershire sauce and served with crispy Yukon Gold potatoes and sauteed broccolini and the pasta was a seasonal dish I believe because it’s not on the main menu currently.
For dessert, we had a chocolate lava cake.
30. Toasted Brunch Bar + Cafe
We tried a little bit of everything – pancakes, hummus, mac n cheese, tea, and coffee.
JP had the breakfast foods and I had the lunch foods.
Things To Do In Dayton
No matter what time of year you’re here, there are so many festivals, special events, and tourist attractions that are open year round.
We’ve got you covered all year!
Check out our Dayton travel guides for Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring.
If you’re interested in venturing outside of town, check out our guide on the Best Day Trips From Dayton, Ohio or take a day trip out to Cincinnati or Columbus.
Conclusion: Best Restaurants in Dayton
There you have it.
Dayton is home to some amazing restaurants that offer something for everyone!
Whether you’re in the mood for Italian, French, pub foods, Thai cuisine, or more traditional American dishes, you won’t be disappointed with these best restaurants in Dayton, Ohio.
