I recall my first experience with Cincy chili. I had just arrived that day from Chapel Hill and moved into an apartment, and for dinner walked over to a chili parlor, I had noticed them everywhere, and I like chili, so I figured this was the place for me.
I recall ordering it and the waitress asked me "what kind?" which I didn't understand, so I said "just chili". It was AWFUL. I mean really bad, I was poor so I choked it down, brownish gruel, really bad. I didn't go back for years until someone at work explained to me and I agreed to try it again. I finally figured it out and got used to it, expectations an all, and would go once a month or so.
There was a place near where I lived that hadn't changed their menus in decades and inflation was rampant so I'd take the kids there because it was cheap. I recall my boy would order an "8 way", which was two 4 ways.