what to do when passing through....for dinner

My college roommate's sister's husband (got that?) will be spending a good deal of time in A-K Rowdy in the coming weeks and it was brought to my attention that he may need some good suggestions for places to eat while he is in town. Obvi, fabulous akron is probably his best bet for avoiding some bad choices :) So anyways here is a short-ish list of places that are worth trying:


If you are in the mood for a burger:

• Swensons - This is a must stop location if you ask me. It has been featured on the food network and in my humble opinion it does not dissapoint. To be honest these are kinda small greeasy little burgers, but sometimes that is just what you want. Order a cheesburger with grilled onions or a "galley boy" if you want the full saucy experience...but regardless of your main course i highly suggest the potato teasers with ranch :)
• Bricco Pub - This is "in the valley" if you are trying to describe the location to someone and need directions. They have a good menu with lots of different topping options for any kind of burger you want. The decor is all straight from Ireland, and their bar is pretty cool.  I also highly suggest the fried pickles with garlic aioli or the pita triangles with warm goat cheese as an appetizer.

If you want Pizza:

• Gasoline Alley - Their pizza is beyond delicious. The sauce is really fresh and they will pretty much mix whatever toppings you like. I tend to go for Pepperoni, banana peppers and pineapple, but thats just me. This place also has gigantic stacked sandwiches, delicious soup, oysters if you like them, and pretty much anything else you can imagine. It is sort of a hole in the wall - but one of my favorite places to eat here. Their bloody mary's are tdf and they have every beer in the world to choose from.  
• Luigi's is famous in Akron. I like it, but to be honest i like their salad more than their pizza. I am in the minority for this though. Everyone else loves Luigi's so it has to be on the list.

If you want a steak:

• Ken Stewarts Lodge - is hard to beat. The food is ridiculously good. If you get to expense a nice dinner out - this is def where i would go. The decor is cool and lodge-y, the specials list is always like a 10 minute presentation but worth listening too....and their calamari with Jalepeno infused vinegar is one of my favorite things in life!
• Ken Stewarts grill.....same shtick different location. Great food, but I tend to prefer the Lodge
• Flemmings - a chain, but a good chain. This is right in the middle of Montrose (an area you will definitely get to know if you are on the road here)...your hotel is probably located somewhere in this stretch ( Montrose is also known as market street and rt.18 FYI)...try the chipotle mac and cheese here.
• Diamond Grill - to be honest, i haven't been here, but it is super famous in Akron (which might as well mean the universe) so it made the list. You will drive up to it and think to yourself "what the hell is his place" it looks kind of like a crack den next to a shady car dealership BUT  tiger woods loves it, and so do all of the other PGA tour golfers that stop through akron while golfing at Firestone sooo it has to be good right? Tiger woods is obvi the barometer for all things classy.
• Beaus - this is connected to the Hilton. The food is good and not too expensive. They have a total blast from the past lounge singer that works in the bar. He makes the trip worth while. I would also highly suggest the sea bass with lobster smashed potatoes here.

If you want a margarita:

• Tito's Mexican Grill - This place is pretty new. The food is good, but their margaritas, chips and salsa are great! it is tucked a little bit off of rt. 18 - they offer strawberry ( my fave) , peach and lime options.

If you want wings and a game to watch:

• Winking Lizard- this place is fun and has your typical bar food.
• Rockne's - an akron favorite. You will probably run into my friend mike there. He is always at rockne's
• Barley House - love their homemade chips, wraps, and burgers.
• Johnny J's in the valley - they have a lot of tv's and a decent menu. You might feel like you are 100 yrs old though...i did last time i was there. The waitresses wear shorts and tank tops in the winter and many patrons are definitely using their big brothers I.D's 

If you want "artsy fartsy food" as my husband calls it:

• Bricco - there are a few different locations around town. This one is right in downtown akron next to the minor league baseball stadium. They have delicious pizzas, pasta, bellinis, salads and other stuff oo
• Crave - i love their steak skewer appetizer that comes with smoked gouda dipping sauce.

If you want sushi:

• Sakura - very good. Looks weird from the outside, but the inside is nice and the rolls are always very fresh.

So hopefully this helps you Kyle. You are always welcome at the most fabulous place in Akron - Casa de O'Brien :)....Send me a message if you need anything while you are in town!