Our favorite bites: Beacon Journal food writers rank their Top 10 restaurants (2024)

Maybe we go there all the time. Maybe we don’t go there nearly as often as we’d like.

Either way, we go. And, boy, do we enjoy.

The Beacon Journal’s food writers were asked to name their 10 favorite local restaurants. With all the dining options in Northeast Ohio, it was no easy task, but we rose to the challenge.

Here are our personal favorites. Bon appétit.

MARK J. PRICE

1. Luigi’s, 105 N. Main St., Akron. The line is worth the wait. A hangout from my high school days, and the place where my wife and I had our first date. Open late. Favorite bites: Baked ravioli florentine and an Italian tossed salad with cheese.

2. Swensons, 40 S. Hawkins Ave., Akron. American drive-in cuisine at its finest. I’ve been going since before I could drive! Favorite bites: A Galley Boy and a side of breaded mushrooms.

3. Diamond Deli, 378 S. Main St., Akron. I eat here every week, and the sandwiches are always fresh and delicious. Favorite bites: Cori’s No Meat Nonsense and a bowl of matzo ball soup.

4. Guiseppe’s Pizza, 14 E. Caston Road, Green. My favorite pizza of all time — ever since my grandmother worked there in the 1970s. Favorite bites: A medium pizza with mushroom and anchovies, and an order of pepperoni bread.

5. Taco Tontos, 123 Franklin Ave., Kent. My college friends and I have been regular customers for 40 years. Love this place. Favorite bites: An El Biggo combo burrito and a basket of house-fried chips.

6. Papa Joe’s Iacomini’s, 1561 Akron-Peninsula Road, Akron. With fine dining in an elegant atmosphere, it’s a wonderful restaurant to celebrate special occasions. Favorite bites: Lasagna dinner and calamari appetizer.

7. New Era, 10 Massillon Road, Akron. A local legend for nearly a century. My family has been enjoying this homestyle cooking for decades. Favorite dishes: Chicken livers and bean soup.

8. Ray’s Place, 135 Franklin Ave., Kent. I started going as a Kent Statestudent and never stopped. Favorite bites: A Bleu Cow burger and a bowl of Gerty’s homemade chili.

9. Arthur Treacher’s, 1833 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls. Enjoy fish and chips at one of the last Treacher’s locations in the country. Favorite bites: Clams and chips dinner and a bowl of clam chowder.

10. Hopocan Gardens, 4396 W. Hopocan Ave. Ext., Norton. If you want to try Barberton chicken, start in Norton. Favorite bites: Breast and wing dinner with sides of hot sauce and cottage cheese.

TAWNEY BEANS

1. Sunrise Social, 3875 Massillon Road, Suite 20, Green. The best chicken and waffles I’ve ever had (and probably ever will). If I’m within a 10-minute radius of the place, I always stop by. Favorite bites: Chicken and waffles plus whatever is in the bakery display.

2. Joe’s Barbecue, often at the intersection of state Route 43 and Tallmadge Road in Brimfield. The best barbecue in the state as far as I’m concerned. I’ve never met someone who wasn’t feral for Joe’s after trying it. Favorite bites: Ribs or a brisket sandwich with a ridiculous amount of sauce and two Oreo puddings.

3. The Funky Truckeria, 3200 Greenwich Road, Suite 113, Norton. A little place serving artisanal tacos with traditional Mexican flair and flavors from Korea, Thailand and Jamaica. Favorite bites: Korean barbecue pork belly tacos.

4. Ohio Pie Company, locations in Brunswick and Rocky River. A favorite pizza place of myself and Beacon Journal photojournalist Jeff Lange, though we both discovered it separately and by accident — story on that to come. Favorite bites: Piggy Bird (chicken, barbecue sauce, bacon and crispy french-fried onions) with some Ohio Cookie Company cookies.

5. Cilantro Thai & Sushi Restaurant, 326 S. Main St., Akron. When Thai Pho on Tallmadge Avenue shut down, I was dazed, confused and hungry without my favorite pad thai. Cilantro brought me out of that slump. Favorite bites: Chicken pad thai or green curry and Thai tea.

6. Valley Café, locations in Wadsworth and Akron. The frequency with which I visit some eateries on this list is based on how often I pet-sit near them, and this is certainly one of those cases. I would eat here every day if I lived closer and my wallet and blood sugar could handle it. Favorite bites: Grilled Amish cinnamon toast and anything savory that catches my eye.

7. Showcase Meats, 2355 Manchester Road, Akron. The area’s best chicken spot with a wide selection of homemade cheesecakes, brownies, cookies, cakes and more. Favorite bites: Chicken and waffles with hot rice and lots of desserts.

8. Mr. Zub’s Deli and Bar, 795 W. Market St., Akron. I’m not into drinking but I do love a good movie, so Zub’s school-bus-yellow walls adorned with movieposters and its menu of movie-themedsandwichesquickly won me over. Plus the bread on their Reuben is never soggy. Favorite bites: The Royal Tenenbaum (aka a Reuben) and onion rings

9. Shawarma Brothers, 1808 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls. Hands down the restaurant I frequent the most thanks to its convenience, pricing, fresh ingredients and how downright delicious it is. Favorite bites: Chicken shawarma bowl and a side of falafel.

10. Diamond Deli, 378 S. Main St., Akron. Are there other sandwiches in downtown Akron that I love? Yes, but I must admit, while it took a minute to grow on me, Diamond Deli has the best customer service of any restaurant I’ve visited. Favorite bites: The Sweet Baby Elaine (toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwich with bacon on wheat bread).

KERRY CLAWSON

1. Blue Door Cafe and Bakery, 1970 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls. It’s my favorite brunch spot in the area with its European entrees, pastries and breads. The food is fresh, flavorful and made from scratch. Brunch is the bomb here but I’ve yet to try dinner service with chef David Chin. Pencil me in! Favorite bites: The Monte Cristo crepe and pain au chocolat.

2. Square Scullery, 778 N. Main St., Akron. I’ve followed chef/owner Matt Ulichney and his inventive food from his globally inspired comfort food at the original, 13-seat Highland Square restaurant to Square Scullery’s larger, eclectically beautiful eatery on North Hill, which has a European-influenced menu. Favorite bites: Maiale al Latte milk-braised pork with bok choy and nutmeg gnocchi; and Matilda triple-layer ganache cake.

3. Le Petit Triangle Cafe, 1881 Fulton Ave., Cleveland. Let’s face it: I’m a Francophile. This Ohio City restaurant, originally a tiny, triangular-shaped bistro that’s since expanded into next door, satisfies my cravings for the French cafe food I loved as a college student visiting Paris. It’s a charming experience either sitting on the awning-covered front patio or inside the wedge-shaped dining room. Favorite bites: ham and brie crepe, croque monsieur sandwich.

4. The Merchant Tavern, 1824 Merriman Road, Akron. This Merriman Valley staple is a great later-night spot for tasty appetizers and delicious adult beverages, featuring the restaurant’s own Towpath Distillery spirits. The casual eatery, which focuses on sandwiches, burgers and seafood, is also one of my favorite places close to home to have a relaxing dinner with my husband. Favorite bites: poutine (fries loaded with bacon gravy, barbecue pork belly and cheese curds) and toasted angel food cake with fudge sauce and vanilla ice cream.

5. Beau’s Grille, 3180 W. Market St., Fairlawn. There’s not a prettier terrace for fine dining in the area than at Beau’s Grille at the Hilton Akron/Fairlawn. The airy, comfortable space has striking stonework featuring a fireplace as well as dining tables and soft seating. Favorite bites: berry and watermelon salad, black pepper ravioli.

6. 111 Bistro, 2736 Medina Road, Montville Township. This casual-chic restaurant run by chef Anthony Scolaro is clearly committed to excellence with both its creative flavor combinations and excellent service. The food’s sophisticated but the vibe’s relaxed, perfect for a great date night. Favorite bites: ahi tuna with house kimchi appetizer, ricotta ramp gnocchi with duck confit and demi-glace. (Menu changes seasonally.)

7. Momo House, 1548 Home Ave., Akron. Eating at this friendly, reasonably priced Nepali restaurant is a spicy adventure. I tried my first momo dumplings there and fell in love with the dahi papad chaat appetizer — a delicious combination of yogurt, potatoes, papad chips and deep-fried chickpeas and green peas. Favorite bites: dahi papad chaat and savory pyazi onion fritters.

8. Valley Cafe, 1212 Weathervane Lane, Akron. This Merriman Valley gem is my go-to delicious breakfast place that I visit most often with my daughters and girlfriends. It’s hopping on weekends, so go early to get on the waiting list. The wait’s never too long and the yummy food’s served quickly. Favorite bites: thick-cut glazed and grilled Amish cinnamon toast, San Fran eggs benedict with avocado and bacon.

9. F.A.T.’S. Backroom, at Todaro’s Party Center, 1820 Akron-Peninsula Road, Akron. You feel like you’ve stepped back in time into an intimate supper club at this elegant Italian restaurant, complete with a player baby grand piano. The pasta and wine is delicious and the service is fantastic at this ristorante, open Thursday through Saturday. Favorite bites: linguine with meatballs and shrimp diavolo.

10. Shake Shack, 311 Park Ave., Orange Village. I’ve been enamored with these burgers and their creamy, tangy ShackSauce ever since I visited my first Shake Shack in Manhattan more than a decade ago. It’s a rare treat for me to eat at this fast-food joint, where I like to keep things simple. Favorite bites: ShackBurger, vanilla frozen custard shake.

CRAIG WEBB

(Full disclosure: I have five kids so I can never say I have a favorite — but that child knows who they are. The same goes for this list. These are my favorite Akron-area restaurants in no particular order.)

1. Hamburger Station, with two locations in Greater Akron on Manchester and Canton roads. This local burger joint has been around long enough to know what they are doing. I literally get excited waiting in the drive-thru for my Speed Pack ($7.69) that comes in a nifty box with two slider hamburgers with sliced onions and mustard on top along with fresh fries and a drink. Pure heaven.

2. Girves Brown Derby, has three locations in Medina, Streetsboro and Middleburg Heights. This local chain known for its delicious steaks can trace its roots to Akron. Gus Girves opened hisfirst Brown Derby across from Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. on East Market Street in 1941. Nothing can beat sitting in the restaurant with the smell of the steaks cooking on the flame grills.

3. Luigi’s, 105 N. Main St., Akron. There aren’t many places that can be considered an institution and Luigi’s is certainly one of them. The salads with cheese are the absolute bomb and could be a meal in itself. This place certainly serves up a heaping plate of nostalgia.

4. Dr. Hibachi Food Truck, check the truck’s Facebook and Instagram pages for locations. They say you can judge a restaurant by the number of cars parked outside. The same can be said of a food truck. There’s always a line of eager customers at the Dr. Hibachi Food Truck. I have been known to scuttle dinner plans when I spot the truck in town.

5. Waterloo Restaurant, 423 E.Waterloo Road in Akron. There’s nothing more Greater Akron than a good sauerkraut ball. And this is a delicious appetizer that should not be reserved for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Thankfully the family-owned Waterloo Restaurant that has been around since 1957 serves them up year round. And they also serve up a pretty yummy cabbage roll.

6. Samosky’s Homestyle Pizzeria, 6738 Center Road, Valley City. This one is a bit of drive from Akron but it is worth it. And who doesn’t love a drive to the country? I will drive out of my way to pick up a Samosky’s Philly cheese steakpie. It is pure heaven with a great dough, to which they add house-made alfredo sauce, topped with Swiss-American cheese, Philly steak meat, onions, mushrooms andgreenpeppers.

7. Showcase Meats, 2355 Manchester Road, Akron. Hands down this is the best place for fried chicken in Greater Akron or anywhere for that matter. And the jo-jos at Showcase Meats aren’t too shabby either. The blend of spices on the fried chicken hit all the right notes — sorry, Colonel Sanders.

8. Diamond Grille, 77 W. Market St., Akron. This place is truly special. From the classic neon sign outside to the intimate dining inside, the Diamond Grille is a place to celebrate a special occasion or simply a hankering for a really, really good steak. This place checks all the boxes from great food to an attentive waitstaff. There’s a reason this place has been an Akron institution since 1935.

9. Diamond Deli, 378 S. Main St., Akron. The list of sandwiches with clever names is pretty lengthy at the Diamond Deli. But for me the list could be super short. I always order the same thing — a Reuben. I’m sure the other sandwiches, soups and sides are wonderful too but you can’t beat the Diamond Deli for a great Reuben.

10. Swensons, various locations in northern Ohio. This popular car hop can trace its roots to Akron. I love a good burger and there may be none better than the Swensons classic Galley Boy — a double cheeseburger with two special sauces on a toasted bun. The best part is the green olive on a toothpick.

Mark J. Price can be reached at mprice@thebeaconjournal.com. Tawney Beans can be reached at tbeans@gannett.com. Kerry Clawson can be reached at kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com. Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com.