Break the chain: Try these independent Cincinnati restaurants for your food needs

Yelp! recently put out a study showing that their users like independent restaurants over chains across the board. Their study also revealed that Cincinnati has more chains as a percentage of all restaurants than any other city in the survey.

But Cincinnati Yelpers still prefer independent restaurants, even in the fast-casual and fast-food categories.

More: On Yelp, independent restaurants are outpacing chains. Just not in Cincinnati.

So, if you like to eat at chain restaurants, you should give some independent alternatives a choice. Maybe, like Yelpers, you would like them better.

I'm here to help by picking out some very popular chains and giving you a locally-owned alternative that I think is better.They may not be visible on every corner, but they're worth looking for.

Chick-fil-A: People love the monochrome meal at Chick-fil-a: All crispy light brown and white. But there is a much better alternative, though it has only one location, so far.

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CityBird. This is the new chicken tender place from Thunderdome, the people who own the Eagle fried chicken restaurant in OTR. It's next door and is like a mini-Eagle, with tenders to go (carryout only for now) They actually taste like something, with a slightly spicy coating, and parmesan and parsley on the fries. The dipping sauces are more flavorful and sophisticated, like a delicious lemon-thyme. If I know the Thunderdome guys, there will be more of these.

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Starbucks: They came from Seattle and got everyone hooked on espresso and dark roast. But there are so many local alternatives to Starbucks in almost every neighborhood.

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If you're ready to raise your standards, you should try Collective Espresso or either Deeper Roots locations. You can wean yourself from too-sweet coffee drinks with their delicious versions with far less sugar. If you like hanging out in the coffee shop, there's Coffee Emporium, Downtown and Reality Tuesdays. I could go on and on. Places like Coffee Shop on Wooster and Mad Llama in Madisonville even have drive-throughs.

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Five Guys: This is the most successful of the "better burger" chains; fast-casual restaurants that specialize in burgers that are a little bigger, more customized, with better toppings.

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None of them hold a candle to Frenchie Fresh, the fast-casual burger restaurant that Jean-Robert de Cavel opened in Rookwood Exchange. It's the only location, and there's no drive-through. But the burgers are perfect. They come on either a soft American roll or on a French roll, you can get them with a salad instead of fries or tots, and there is a lot beyond burgers, with sandwiches and salads. And they have beer and wine.

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Dunkin' Donuts: This chain really needs no explanation. Donuts, coffee, breakfast quick. There are so many locally-based alternatives to this.

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Holtman's has four locations, and every one of them beats Dunkin' with their hands tied behind their back. Butler County has a whole donut trail you could spend a weekend on. Graeter's also makes fine doughnuts, and they have lots of locations.

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Chipotle: I mean, Chipotle's pretty good.

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But for a locally-based chain alternative, there's Currito, also from Thunderdome (see City Bird, above) with lots of burrito choices based on ethnic foods beyond Mexican. Habanero in Clifton custom-makes burritos with interesting fillings and salas. Burrito Joe's, on the western edge of Downtown, has been making choose-your-own ingredient big burritos since before Chipotle got here. And there are those fine burritos at The Comet in Northside or La Mexicana in Newport.

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Buffalo Wild Wings: So many wings in so many restaurants, but it does seem that Buffalo Wild Wings is everywhere.

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One great locally-owned mini-chain alternative particularly stands out: Wild Mike's, with several West Side locations. Eat in or take them out by the tray. And Buffalo Wings and Rings, a full-blown chain, is based in Cincinnati.

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McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King: It's hard to do burgers as fast and cheap and as ubiquitously as the big three burger joints.

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But Mad Mike's is similar, much better, and still affordable. Three locations in Kentucky, one on the West Side and one in Hamilton.