* This post is in partnership with Ohio. Find It Here. Thank you Butler County Visitors Bureau for hosting my stay.
There are only a few more weeks of summer left in the year but there is more than enough time to get in a few more adventures. Butler County, Ohio should be on your radar! Last month I had the incredible opportunity to explore Butler County. Being that I was born and raised in Ohio, I was very excited to explore a part of Ohio that I’ve only driven through.
Butler County is located in the southwestern part of Ohio between Dayton and Cincinnati. It is made up of 14 communities: Hamilton, Fairfield, West Chester Township, Oxford, Trenton, Hanover Township, Madison Township, Milford Township, Reily Township, Ross Township, Middletown, Okeana and Shandon, Liberty Township, and Monroe. Butler County has so many amazing places to explore and I was so excited to have 3 days to experience this area of Ohio. Big thanks go out to the Butler County Visitors Bureau for the invitation and for providing an amazing itinerary for my stay.
Day 1
Wednesday morning we took the 2 1/2 hour drive from Toledo to Butler County, Ohio. I was excited to have my daughter and parents join me on this adventure. Our first stop was to check into the beautiful Cincinnati Marriott North located in West Chester. After dropping off our luggage we headed to Fairfield to have lunch at the House of Bangkok.
What a great way to start this journey! If you just love great food, House of Bangkok is a must-stop! You just love great food, House of Bangkok is a must-stop! There were so many menu items I wanted to try! I decided to ask the waiter what their most popular dish was or I would have ordered half the menu. He said that they were known for their Pineapple Fried Rice. It’s made with pineapples, onions, bell peppers, cashews, scallions, and eggs mixed with curry powder. The waiter asked me what my desired spice level was on a scale of 1-10. I decided on a 5.
The meal came with a delicious sweet and sour drop soup. We also ordered a few appetizers: crab rangoon and spring rolls. Dad ordered Sweet & Sour Pork. Mom ordered the Bangkok Trio. My daughter ordered Pad Thai. We all agreed that everything was delicious! Every dish was so flavorful and easily the best Thai food I’ve had to date.
The next stop on the Butler County tour was Jungle Jim’s International Market. This place is the most interesting grocery shopping experience you will ever have. This store had the most extensive selection of international food items I’ve ever seen. I could have spent hours there!
Jungle Jim’s International Market
5440 Dixie Hwy.
Fairfield, OH 45014
Next, we headed back to the hotel to rest up a bit. I was very impressed with our stay at Cincinnati Marriott North. The rooms were very clean as was the entire hotel. The hotel had great amenities including an indoor pool, a nice fitness center, a laundry room, and a club lounge. The beds were very comfortable and the rooms were a nice size. I would highly recommend Cincinnati Marriott North for your stay in Butler County.
Cincinnati Marriott North
6189 Muhlhauser Rd
West Chester Township, OH 45069
After resting up, we headed to Indian Springs Berry Farm to pick blackberries. This was my first time picking blackberries so I was very excited. Indian Springs Berry Farm is a USDA-certified organic blackberry farm located in Hamilton. This family-owned farm has been producing blackberries since 2017.
Upon arrival, we were given a tour of the farm by the owner, Jason Pratt. He told us all about the farm and demonstrated how to pick the blackberries properly. It was very important to only pick ripe blackberries. How you know if a blackberry is ripe is by slightly pulling on a darker berry. If it easily comes off the vine it’s ripe. Picking blackberries is a very relaxing activity. I loved it. We left with a box of beautiful blackberries and a jar of their honey.
Indian Springs Berry Farm,
2840 Tylersville Rd
Hamilton, OH 45015
We ended the day with dinner at Aladdin’s Eatery for some Lebanese-American cuisine. Another amazing dining experience with very tasty food. I ordered the Lamb Salad with grilled, seasoned lamb over greens, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, kalamata olives, scallions, and feta.
Everyone was very satisfied with their meal selection so we decided to top it off with dessert. We ordered a couple of slices of Creamsicle Cheesecake to go. When we got all settled in our hotel room, we enjoyed our dessert and became excited about the next day’s adventure.
Aladdin’s
9344 Union Centre Blvd.
West Chester, OH 45069
Day 2
The next day our first destination was a stop on the Butler County Donut Trail, Holtman’s Donuts in West Chester. This donut shop was the cutest and once inside it was hard not to leave without a box of donuts in your hand. Every flavor sounded amazing!
Holtman’s Donuts
9558 Civic Centre Blvd.
West Chester, OH 45069
Stop 2 was another stop on the Butler County Donut Trail, The Donut Dude. After speaking to the Donut Dude himself, I learned that he opened this donut shop last year in the middle of the pandemic. Just wow! He said the people needed the comfort of donuts during such a time of uncertainty. You can taste the love in every donut I tried.
The Donut Dude
7132 Cincinnati Dayton Rd
West Chester, OH 45069
Before lunch, we headed to Petals & Wicks to pour candles. I’ve made candles in the past, so this was an activity I was looking forward to. Petals & Wicks is located in the heart of Hamilton. They offer a great candle pouring experience that is fun for the entire family. The staff was very friendly and accommodating when helping us customize the scent for our candles from their 100+ scent selection. We all made some amazing-smelling candles that we were very proud of.
Petals & Wicks
119 Main St.
Hamilton, OH 45013
Next, we traveled to Middletown to have lunch at Combs BBQ. Combs BBQ has been rated one of the best barbeques in Ohio multiple times. They offer bbq favorites like ribs, pulled pork, brisket, and chicken. All made in-house. As you enter this local gem, you can’t help the nostalgic vibe of the restaurant. The walls were filled with vintage collectibles, art, musical instruments, and neon signs.
On my visit, they were not offering inside seating, but they did have a very large outside patio area where you could enjoy your bbq. We ordered a little bit of everything: bbq ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, bbq chicken, mac n cheese, jalapeño cornbread, coleslaw, and baked beans. It was a great lunch!
Combs BBQ
2223 Central Ave
Middletown, OH 45011
After a quick stop at the hotel, we headed to Liberty Township to check out Liberty Center. Liberty Center is like a mall but 10 times better. It’s over 100 acres of retail, restaurants, and culture. Upon entering the area, I could tell this was the place to be. There are so many unique as well as familiar shops to explore. If you were looking for a sweet treat they had you covered with Graeters, Le Macaron French Pastries, and Molly’s Cupcakes.
I loved all of the murals that were sprinkled throughout the property. They made the best backgrounds for photos! While we were there we caught a live performance in the entertainment area. The group was very lively and has the audience up and dancing.
Liberty Center
7100 Foundry Row
Liberty Township, Ohio 45069
We ended the day with dinner at Pies & Pints. Pies & Pints is known for its selection of craft beers from around the world. It’s the perfect pair up to their very unique pizza selection. The pizzas are huge and delicious! We loved it!
Pies & Pints
7621 Blake St.
Liberty Township, OH 45069
Day 3
Our final day in Butler County included a stop on the Butler County Donut Trail, Stan the Donut Man. The family-run donut shop has been in the donut-making business for over 50 years and is a gem in the community. I highly suggest the pineapple fritter.
Stan the Donut Man
7967 Cincinnati Dayton Rd.
West Chester, OH 40569
I couldn’t leave Butler County without checking out one of their many coffee shops. Our next destination was CAVU coffee also in West Chester. This locally-owned coffee boutique is serving up an amazing espresso experience. They make their caramel sauce, lavender syrup, vanilla extract, and even their own oat milk!
CAVU Coffee
7755 Cox Ln.
West Chester, OH 40569
I love shopping for retro and vintage pieces so I was very excited to check out Unsung Salvage. This store had some of the coolest items in it. If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind gift this is the place! You’ll find items that have been repurposed, handmade, as well as unique new items. All made and created locally. Loved it!!
Unsung Salvage
212 Main St.
Hamilton, OH 45013
The last stop before lunch was to Sarah’s House, a super cute shop located in Hamilton. They specialize in modern, handmade, and repurposed gifts and decor. I could have purchased every single thing in this store! I loved hearing that the shop is run by Sara, her husband, and their two children. Sara’s husband Dave, makes their very unique custom lamps made from vintage finds. I met Sara’s daughter, Maria when I was there. She helps with every aspect of the business. It was a pleasure chatting with her that day. Sara’s son Drew, makes their golf club bottle openers. I loved that this beautiful store was a collective family effort. Definitely put this on your list of places to visit when you’re in Butler County.
Sara’s House
254 High St.
Hamilton, OH 45011
The final stop on this most amazing 3-day adventure around Butler County was to High St. Cafe. High St. Cafe is located right next door to Sara’s House. I had mentioned to Maria that we were going to have lunch there and she highly recommended their Chicken Berry Salad. She described it and I knew I wanted that. I substituted the chicken for blackened salmon. It was amazing!!!
High St. Cafe offers an array of American breakfast and lunch dishes as well as made from scratch bakery items. Our experience at High St. Cafe was exceptional and the perfect way to end our stay in Butler County.
High St. Cafe
250 High St.
Hamilton, OH 45011
Need more ideas?
Check out the Rock & Ride Road Trip curated by Ohio.org. The road trip includes stops to Cedar Point, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Amish Country, The Ohio State Reformatory Central, National Veterans Memorial and Museum, and Hocking Hills State Park. Click HERE to view the trip!
Visit Ohio.org for more last minutes summer ideas
Thank you Butler County for an amazing time!
Shana Was Here 