Gold Star Chili Celebrates 60 Years with $6 Specials

Homemade Cincinnati Chili Spaghetti — Source: bhofack2 / Getty

Gold Star Chili is turning 60, and they’re marking the milestone with chili deals.

All September long, fans can grab a 3-Way or a 3 Cheese Coney for just $6.

They’re also tapping into nostalgia. Gold Star is asking customers to share old photos of themselves dining at the restaurant over the years. Every post is an entry to win Free Chili for a Year.

The Mt. Washington staple first opened in 1965, when four brothers — Fahhad, Fahid, Basheer, and Bishara Daoud — brought their family’s chili recipe to Cincinnati. What started as “Hamburger Heaven” quickly pivoted when chili became the star of the menu. Soon after, the brothers rebranded as Gold Star Chili, and a Cincinnati classic was born.

The Daoud family recipe is still at the heart of every order. The exact spice blend is a guarded secret, but like most Queen City chili, it leans on a mix of sweet, spicy: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, garlic, cumin, and more.

From a single shop on Beechmont Avenue to dozens of locations across Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, Gold Star has become part of the city’s identity.

Now, 60 years later, Gold Star is inviting Cincinnati to celebrate right along with them, one 3-Way at a time.