HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — The famous chili here, a city across the Ohio River and close enough to Cincinnati so the skyline is almost visible, doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.

But you can ask for the beans on top. Or diced onions. Or both. And of course, any way you order it, the ground meat mixture is served over a plate of spaghetti with a mountain of shredded cheese. This, Texas red fans, is Cincinnati chili, not a chili as you or anyone else in the country understands it. “It really is more of a sauce,” explains Doug Zang, owner of a local Skyline Chili franchise.