Butler County – What to eat

by Erin

Eat like a local with this list of places to dine in Butler County Ohio.


Whenever I go on a trip, I make it a strong preference to dine at local establishments and participate in any local activities. Our weekend trip to Butler County, just north of Cincinnatti, was no different. Check out this first of two posts documenting everything we ate!

BUTLER COUNTY DONUT TRAIL

What better way to start the morning than with a trail of doughnuts! At each location on the Butler County Donut Trail you will receive an official stamp on your passport (which can be downloaded on their website or picked up at a participating shop).

We visited the Central Pastry Shop in Middletown first and picked up several varieties including an apple fritter, which is one of my favorites, and their seasonal pumpkin doughnut. This local shop was founded in 1949 and quickly developed a reputation for quality, taste and service. To this day it remains a full line scratch bakery using the same recipes!

Next up was Holtman’s Donuts in West Chester (which just officially joined the trail in December) for Bob and I’s favorite blueberry doughnut and more exotic choices such as the Lucky Charms doughnut which was better than expected. My favorite part about Holtman’s was actually one of the bakers, who was playfully throwing flour at a little girl protected behind a glass window. I wasn’t sure who was having more fun, the baker or the little girl.

Holtman’s first opened in 1960 in Newton, Ohio. Two sons started the business to provide their father a steady job, who had lost his job as a milk man when grocery stores started emerging and selling milk. To this day the shops are owned by the same family and the doughnuts are still made fresh and from scratch on a daily basis.

Our last stop was Jupiter Coffee & Donuts in Fairfield, known for their cream horn which I had never experienced before – it was a puff pastry shell filled with marshmallow cream! I also seriously loved the Ohio maple syrup glazed doughnut. And if you are a coffee lover, not only are the doughnuts made fresh every morning, the coffee is also roasted on site. They bakers also serve up more than just doughnuts, including danishes, muffins, cookies, cupcakes, and brownies. Fun fact, they open at 4am for all you early risers looking for a doughnut and coffee fix.

Once you visit all nine bakeries, whether it be all in one day (and you may need to get tested for diabetes) or over several trips, return your passport to the Butler County Visitors Bureau in person or via mail and you’ll get a t-shirt!

SAWASDEE THAI CUISINE

After dining on doughnuts all morning we worked up an appetite for something savory for lunch and Sawasdee Thai Cuisine (right around the corner from Jupiter in Fairfield) fit the bill. Upon first arrival, we were alerted that the kitchen ventilation was down and thus prevented their ability to cook. However, our disappointment quickly dissipated when they clarified that we could still order food, just not anything fried. Phew! Bob and I gravitate towards curry anyway.

Like many Thai restaurants, when ordering you are asked to what heat level you would prefer, 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest (there’s also an extreme level called the Fire Breathing Dragon). However, a sign when you walk in indicates that a 2 was about equal to a jalapeno. Note to self, stay at or below a 2. I ordered the Massaman curry at a 2 and that was perfect for me. Bob ordered his at a 3 which I think I could have handled as well but I would rather enjoy my food, not just tolerate it. And enjoy it we did, devouring every last morsel and drop of broth we could soak up with rice.

Starting in 2009, selling dishes at the West Chester Farmers Market, Lek’s loyal customers convinced her to open Sawasdee just a year later. All dishes are made to order using fresh and local meats and vegetables and homemade sauces. Fun fact Sawasdee means “Hello” in Thai!

MUNICIPAL BREW WORKS

Prior to dinner we stopped at Municipal Brew Works found in a gorgeous historic Art Deco building, located across the street from our hotel, Courtyard by Marriott in Hamilton. Lucky for us, the timing was perfect as both the Penn State and Ohio State games were being aired on TVs placed side by side. His and hers. Unfortunately, our merry time drinking their craft beer and watching out respective teams turned into drowning our sorrows as both Penn State lost to Michigan State and Ohio State lost to Iowa. Thankfully there were board games to distract us. As for food, while there’s no designated kitchen, there is a food truck on the patio where you can hang out during warmer months. We held off however as we did not want to spoil our dinner plans.

STONE CREEK DINING COMPANY

For dinner we ventured to the Stone Creek Dining Company, just a short drive away from Hamilton in West Chester. We ordered one more round of drinks to put the losses behind us and then dove into our food selections. The menu has a wide variety of sandwiches, salds, seafood, pastas, steaks, chops, and chicken, making. But to make our decision east they also offer combos. I ordered a combo of baby back ribs and sirloin paired with grilled asparagus and white cheddar au gratin potatoes. I finished every last bite. Bob ordered the beer-battered shrimp and the sirloin as well paired with the broccoli with lemon-chive butter and the Parmesan risotto which he also dominated. Needless to say we returned to our hotel room very content and ready for a relaxed evening before hitting the sack.

TOP GOLF

For breakfast the next morning, we multi-tasked with a couple rounds at Top Golf back in West Chester (across the street from Holtman’s Donuts). I’ll save the details of the play for my next post, Things to do in Butler County, and stick to just the food for now. I ordered the THe G.O.A.T (The Greatest Of All Time) which is an epic compilation of caramelized French toast, Cap’n Crunch breaded fried chicken, over easy egg, bacon, jalapeno gravy, and maple syrup. There were so many flavors going on and yet it all worked so well together.

Bob stuck to more of a classic dish with the Texas brisket hash skillet. Somehow after all that we were still a bit hungry and ended up sharing a order of the prosciutto, artichoke, and olive flatbread made on naan which totally hit the spot (olives on the side thanks). Who knew such deliciousness could be found at Top Golf? Heck I’d go there just to eat (and lucky for me there’s one opening in Columbus soon). As for the golfing aspect, that’s to be continued…

There are also several root beer stands in the area that you should check out for a good classic drive-in cheeseburger or hot dog.

Looking for more? Check out there posts from my Columbus blogger friends who also ventured to Butler County:

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post by the Inspire PR Group. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One year ago: Gingerbread Brownies with Eggnog Frosting

Three years ago: Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Candied Walnuts and Sage Vinaigrette

Four years ago: Quick Turkey Noodle Soup

Five years ago: Gluten-Free Ooey Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Six years ago: Pecan Chocolate Chip Gooey Butter Cake

Sevenyears ago: Matzo Ball Soup

11 comments

Ohio Root Beer Day Trip June 24, 2021 - 7:32 pm

[…] fifth overall stop, but third in Butler County brought us […]

Reply
Butler County - Things to do June 9, 2021 - 12:41 pm

[…] second post documenting our weekend adventure to Butler County, Ohio. The first post was focused on what to eat and today I’ sharing what we did beyond just eating our faces […]

Reply
cakespy December 6, 2017 - 7:13 am

DANG what a delicious trip!! I love unexpected food destinations like this, and I am so delighted by the donut trail.

Reply
spiffycookie December 6, 2017 - 11:08 am

Seriously, who knew? And you would totally love the trail!

Reply
Sarah December 1, 2017 - 6:10 pm

I live about an hour and 45 minutes away from Jungle Jim’s so when I visit Cincinnati, that’s where I go! Thank you for this post plus listing the other blogger posts. Hopefully I can find something else to go find! Me, I just want a damn good grilled cheese sandwich myself, that’s my goal to find in the area.

Reply
spiffycookie December 4, 2017 - 7:42 am

Jungle Jim’s is the best!

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Kayle (The Cooking Actress) December 1, 2017 - 10:46 am

ah so fun! pinning!

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Susan December 1, 2017 - 10:43 am

Erin, you almost make me wish I lived in (or near) Ohio. Butler County eating sounds great. I could feel my blood sugar rising as I read about the donuts, and lapsed into nostalgia over the apple fritter (there’s a place called Orange Blossom Cafe on Hatteras Island, NC, on the Outer Banks, that makes incredible and huge apple fritters, which we have tried and enjoyed greatly). What made me most nostalgic was your Thai restaurant, which made me long for the time I spent in Bangkok. Add the brewery to that and your breakfast the next day… Actually, I think I’m lucky I don’t live in the area, because I can’t eat the way you do – I’d gain 10 pounds on a weekend like that.

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spiffycookie December 1, 2017 - 10:51 am

Ohio is a pretty cool state despite most of the country considering it a fly over state. And those apple fritters sound like the best, now I want to go to the Outer Banks. As for the Thai I bet nothing can compare to the food in Bangkok and I hope to visit one day!

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Susan December 1, 2017 - 12:21 pm

Just had an idea for you: if you ever get over to Dayton, I would love to know how the Carillon Brewery is doing (it’s at the Carillon park). We visited before they got their beer going and unfortunately haven’t been back since. I hope you do get to visit Bangkok – Thailand is a wonderful place and the people are great.

Reply
spiffycookie December 1, 2017 - 12:41 pm

I don’t have any plans but if I find myself there I will have to go!

Reply

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