Restaurants

This Ohio favorite was voted best regional fast food chain in the US, says USA Today

From spaghetti to fries, Skyline Chili’s menu is stacked with entrees smothered in cheese and chili. The popular regional chain was recently voted the best regional fast food in the country, according to USA Today.
From spaghetti to fries, Skyline Chili’s menu is stacked with entrees smothered in cheese and chili. The popular regional chain was recently voted the best regional fast food in the country, according to USA Today. Screen grab from Skyline Chili

You may not have the pleasure of ordering an In-N-Out burger on a whim, but you do have access to the best regional fast food in the country.

USA Today released its list of the 10 best regional fast food joints in the country and Ohio’s very own Skyline Chili topped the list.

The newspaper’s editors nominated their favorite chains then asked readers to vote for their favorites. The 10 with the most votes became this year’s 10Best.

Sadly, the majority of Americans have never seen skyline chili on a restaurant menu. The dish includes a plate of spaghetti topped with a meat-based chili and tons of cheese. Ohio’s Skyline eatery introduced the entree decades ago.

“This chain of Cincinnati-style chili eateries started up in Ohio 75 years ago but has spread over time to a few neighboring areas (and the not-so-neighboring Florida),” according to the folks at USA Today.

These days, you can find Skyline in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida. Canned skyline chili is even easier to find in area grocery stores.

The nearest location is in Stow, Ohio. But with the new distinction, new franchises could be just around the corner. According to officials with the company, you can open a franchise if it is within 300 miles of their Fairfield, Ohio, commissary.

“We are actively recruiting for the I-75 and I-71 corridor,” according to the Skyline Chili website.

The initial start up cost is around $25,000. For more information, visit skylinechili.com and the company will send a detailed packet on how to franchise.

Mona Moore
Sun Herald
Mona Moore was a Service Journalism Desk Editor for the Sun Herald in Mississippi; Mahoning Matters in Ohio; and the Ledger-Enquirer and Telegraph in Georgia. Originally from West Covina, California, she holds a bachelor’s and master’s in corporate and public communication from the University of South Alabama. Mona’s writing and photography have been recognized by press associations in Mississippi, North Carolina and Florida.