Gold Star Chili

Got a ham single and was very good fries were also amazing. Very fast service and waitress was super nice.

Cheap food, yeah, so good. Staff is always timely even when they have a full house. Nothing but enjoyable experiences here. Prices that won't break you.

I love the sandwiches that gold star has. I've never been one to Billy like chili but everything else that doesn't have chili is really really good though.

Vegetarian chili was absolutely delicious. It tastes almost exactly like the regular chili. I will get it again.

My family and I are regular customers to this particular store, and we have been regulars for nearly a decade now. This Gold Star is my go-to for Cincinnati chili, but lately my family and I have been noticing changes in the quality that have left us questioning whether or not we’ll keep coming back.

I wrote an overwhelming positive review for this location about four years ago, highlighting the quality of the food and service, particularly as they relate to Adel, the owner. Needless to say, a lot can change over four years, and it seems like the quality of food and service has definitely changed.

When Adel is in the store and working at the steam table, everything is great. Food comes quickly and both looks and tastes great, and the restaurant as a whole seems to be operating well. However, when Adel is out and “Gary” is in, chaos ensues.

Based on information I’ve gathered as a patron over the last few months, Gary is a shift manager, though it’d be hard to tell just by walking in the store. Gary is often loud, obnoxious, easily distracted, and fairly unprofessional; qualities that seem to be reflected in the food that comes out while he is “in charge”. Consistently, I’ve noticed that food prepared by Gary both looks much worse and tastes worse than food prepared by Adel or other members of the staff. It also takes much longer for food to leave the kitchen and make it to the table when Gary is around. Gary is the sole reason why my family is questioning whether we want to stop by less.

When Gary is not in the store, the food is great, and the service is quick and enjoyable. As I said in my original review four years ago, this Gold Star Chili really embodies what a local chili place should be like in terms of the experience and most importantly, the food! My family and I want to keep our weekly tradition strong, but at the same time we are hoping that something changes so the quality we receive is more consistent with the standard Adel seems to hold himself and his staff to when he actively working in the store.