Camp Washington Chili

Camp Washington Chili
Exterior of Camp Washington Chili in 2019
Interactive map of Camp Washington Chili
Restaurant information
OwnerJohn Johnson
Previous owners
Steve Andon and Fred Zannbu
Food typeAmerican
Location3005 Colerain Ave, Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio, 45225, USA
Websitecampwashingtonchili.com

Camp Washington Chili is a Cincinnati chili parlor founded in 1940 by Steve Andon and Fred Zarnbus in the neighborhood of Camp Washington, near downtown Cincinnati, in southwestern Ohio. A well known Cincinnati landmark, the parlor is located at 3005 Colerain Avenue, and was run by longtime owner John Johnson until his death in October 2025. It is now run by his daughter, Maria Papakirk The restaurant left its old location and moved to a site a few lots away in 2000, after being told to vacate by the city in order to widen Hopple Street. Their new location is modeled after a 1950s-style diner. The restaurant is open 24 hours a day every day but Sunday.

In 2011, Camp Washington Chili was featured on a Cincinnati episode of the Travel Channel's Man v. Food Nation.

Reception

4-way Cincinnati chili from Camp Washington Chili

In 2009, food writers Jane and Michael Stern wrote of Camp Washington Chili that "when we crave the best, there is just one place to go." In a New York Times interview, the Sterns declared it the best maker of Cincinnati five-way chili. In 2014, Travel + Leisure named it one of "America's Best Chili(s)". Bon Appétit named it one of "The Best Chili Spots." In 2000, the chili served by the restaurant won an "American Regional Classic" James Beard Foundation Award. CBS News in 1985 named it "the best chili in the nation." The restaurant has been featured by HGTV, the Huffington Post, Forbes, and Every Day with Rachael Ray.

Blues musician Lonnie Mack wrote a song entitled "Camp Washington Chili".

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sheridan, Margaret (January 4, 1985). "Cincinnati-style chili parlor - A sweet success". Chicago Tribune. p. 16.
  2. ↑ Weiter, Taylor; Null, Alex (October 17, 2025). "'We lost a legend' | Camp Washington Chili owner Johnny Johnson dies". WCPO 9 Cincinnati. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
  3. ↑ staff, Adam Clements, WKRC (October 1, 2025). "Camp Washington Chili patriarch celebrates 90th birthday milestone". WKRC. Retrieved July 7, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ Perry, Kimball (February 22, 1993). "Camp Washington Chili going, but bigger one will replace it". Living. The Cincinnati Post. p. 1B.
  5. ↑ Stern, Jane and Michael (2009). 500 Things to Eat Before it's Too Late:and the Very Best Places to Eat Them. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 245.
  6. ↑ "Questions For... Jane and Michael Stern". The New York Times. May 31, 2006.
  7. ↑ Saladino, Emily (March 6, 2014). "America's Best Chili". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  8. ↑ Knowlton, Andrew (March 1, 2009). "The Best Chili Spots". Bon Appétit. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  9. ↑ James Beard Foundation America’s Classics Award Winners
  10. ↑ Martin, Chuck (June 23, 2000). "Last order's up at original Camp Washington Chili". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on November 1, 2000. Retrieved August 9, 2007.
  11. ↑ "Bun Voyage, Camp Washington Chili". Cincinnati Enquirer. July 9, 2000. p. 21.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  12. ↑ "Media Coverage". CampWashingtonChili.com. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  13. ↑ "How Camp Washington Chili Became A Cultural Staple Of Cincinnati". Forbes. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  14. ↑ Metcalf, Allan A. (2000). How We Talk: American Regional English Today. Houghton Mifflin. pp. 98. ISBN 0-618-04362-4.
  15. ↑ Shortridge, Barbara Gimla; John R. Shortridge (1998). The Taste of American Place: A Reader on Regional and Ethnic Foods. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 54. ISBN 0-8476-8507-1.
  16. ↑ Simonds, Dawn (2004). Best Food in Town: The Restaurant Lover's Guide to Comfort Food in the Midwest. Emmis Books. p. 145. ISBN 1-57860-146-0.

39°8′15.21″N 84°32′16.02″W / 39.1375583°N 84.5377833°W / 39.1375583; -84.5377833