1.
Bricco

One W. Exchange St.
330-475-1600
Open Mon-Thur 11 a.m.-midnight; Fri-Sat 11a.m.-1a.m.

A casual Italian eatery with a fun, California flair.The 200-person seating capacity features a white-tablecloth theme and high-top tables in the bar area, with most entrees priced from $10 to $26.

2. Brubaker’s Pub
373 S. Main St.
330-253-7771
Open Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-2 a.m.; Sun noon-2 a.m.

In addition to ever-changing drink specials, menu noshes
include soups, salads, appetizers, and favorites such as the USS
Brubaker submarine sandwich, Texas chili, taco ensalada, and a
veggie platter – all priced under $7.

3. Bru’s Brew
376 S. Main St.
330-762-1000
Open Mon-Thur 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 7 a.m-midnight;
Sun 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

A cozy, comfy coffeehouse with open-air windows. Menu items feature coffee, tea, juice, shakes, root-beer floats,espresso bar drinks,and assorted pastries – from muffins and bagels to brownies – all priced under $5.

4. Café Momus
491 Brown St.
330-379-2233
Open Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sat 8 a.m.-midnight

Café Momus is a two-time winner of Northern Ohio Live magazine’s Reader’s Poll for “Best Coffeehouse.” The Tudor-style structure is the perfect setting for sipping specialty coffees while reading a book plucked from the library shelf, or playing a board game with friends. There’s also a scrumptious selection of soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts.

5. City Beat Restaurant and Lounge
20 W. Mill St.
330-384-1500 Ext. 7594
Open Mon-Fri 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat-Sun noon-10 p.m. lounge open Mon-Fri ‘til midnight, 2:30 a.m. weekends

Situated on the plaza level of Radisson Hotel at Akron City Centre (directly across from Akron Civic Theatre on the Bowery Street Side) City Beat serves a full-service lunch menu featuring soups, salads, sandwiches, lunch specials and a buffet – all priced under $8 – and dinner selections including steak and seafood, chicken and pasta, priced under $20.

6. Diamond Grille
77 W. Market St.
330-253-0041
Lunch Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Dinner Mon-Thur 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Fri & Sat 5 p.m.-midnight

Known for its 24-karat focus on quality, The Diamond Grille specializes in aged, hand-cut prime beef, and fresh seafood, broiled or pan-fried. Menu items range from $20-$35.

7. Evolution Revolution
115 E. Market St.
330-374-7830
Open Mon-Sun 4 p.m.-2 a.m.

A blend of South Beach, Manhattan, and historic Akron, Evolution Revolution opened in September as the dance hall/billiard-club. Comprising two sections, Evolution Revolution has a spacious front lounge that includes a bar, high-top and bistro tables, and a mix
of chair and sofa-style seating. A glass wall offers a fish-tank view of the rear lounge and dance area, dubbed “the boom-boom room.”

8. Fuel
348 South Main Street
330-434-FUEL (3835)
Open Mon-Sat 4:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.

Chic yet casual. Cosmopolitan yet comfortable. Designed to be a one-of-a-kind wine and martini lounge that stimulates all the senses, Fuel sets the mood with sensual music, and spotlights intriguing art. In addition to an expansive wine, martini and imported beer selection, Fuel serves gourmet cuisine.

9. Harry Buffalo Restaurant & Bar
222 S. Main St.
330-374-0999
Open Mon-Fri 11:30 a.m.-2:30 a.m.; Sat 4 p.m.-2:30 a.m.

A sports bar/restaurant venue with buffalo-head décor. Favorites include stuffed mushrooms, jumbo chicken wings in eight flavors, authentic buffalo burgers, Bison barbeque-rib dinners, chops, chicken dishes, grouper, salmon, and stir-fry. Menu items range from $5 to $12. At nightfall, a DJ heats up the largest dance floor between Cleveland and Columbus. A gigantic wide-screen and 52 televisions spotlight sporting events.

10. House of Hunan II
12 E. Exchange St.
330-253-1888
Open Mon-Thur 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-11p.m.

House of Hunan specializes in Chinese and Japanese cuisine, offering everything from appetizers, soups, pork, chicken and seafood favorites, to spicy specialties such as Szechwan orange roughy and Peking duck. Lunch menu items range from $8.75 for moo-shu pork, to $20 for Hunan lobster on the dinner menu. Sushi choices include more than 80 items ranging from $2 for miso soup to $29 for sushi combo deluxe. Voted Best Chinese Restaurant the last three years by readers of Northern Ohio Live magazine.

11. Jacob Good Downtown
45 E. Market St.
330-375-5200
Open Mon-Fri 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m.; Sat 5 p.m.-2 a.m.

Jacob Good Downtown–named after the man who owned the building 100 years ago–is a fine dining venue in a historic building situated between Main and High Streets. Inviting diners to
"escape the ordinary,” Chef Zachary Conover fuses classic American cuisine with a hint of Asian fare. Menu items range between $6-$32.

12. Jillian’s & Hibachi Grill
363 S. Main St.
330-252-0085 Jillians; 252-0088 Hibachi Grill
Open every day 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m.

The dining and entertainment megaplex includes The Video Café with giant screen TVs, The 9-Ball Lounge with 15 tournament-quality billiard tables, The Amazing Games Room with the latest electronic simulation games, live music at Blue Cat Live, a DJ and dancing in the Groove Shack, a cigar lounge downstairs, and private parties for groups of 10 to 1,000. In the main restaurant, which seats 120, specialties include sandwiches, soups, salads, burgers, barbeque, pizza, steak and pasta. Selections range from $6 to $15. There’s also the 60-seat Hibachi Grill, with menu items priced between $12 and $22.

13. Lime Spider
207 S. Main St.
330-762-2350
Open Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m.; Sun 8 p.m.-2:30 a.m.

The draw of the Lime Spider is live music and local color. Attracting both national and local talent, every night Lime Spider offers something different.The menu offers daily specials, soups, salads, a vegetarian sandwich board, and huge burgers.

14. Luigi’s Restaurant
105 N. Main St.
330-253-2999
Open Mon-Thur 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; Fri 11 a.m.-4 a.m.
Sat 5 p.m.-4 a.m.; Sun 5 p.m.-2 a.m.

As one of Akron’s oldest and most nostalgic dining establishments, Luigi’s has remained in the Ciriello family since its 1949 debut on Akron’s North Hill. Best known for “the best pizza on the planet,” baked lasagna, spaghetti, ravioli and rigatoni dishes, everything here is smothered in cheese. A tossed salad costs $1.95, and the most expensive entrée is $10.95.

15. Northside
111 N. Main St.
330-434-7625
Club open Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-1 a.m. and Sat. 5 p.m.-1 a.m.;
kitchen closes 10 p.m. Mon-Thur, 11 p.m. Fri-Sat

Overlooking the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Line on Akron’s North Hill, Northside is housed in a historic structure that was once a grand saloon.

16. Crave
57 E. Market Street
Akron OH 44308
330-253-1234
Chefs DeAnna Akers and Aaron Hervry conjure up favorites such as blackened catfish, Reuben sandwiches, and vegetable chip-crusted salmon over scalloped potatoes. Menu items range from $6 to $15.

17. Posh Nite Club & Bistro
One W. Exchange St. (second floor)
330-253-POSH (club) and 330-253-7777 (bistro)
Nite Club open Thur-Sat 8 p.m.-2:30 a.m.
Bistro open Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m.; Sat 4p.m.; 2:30 a.m.Sun noon-2:30 a.m.

The night club boasts an 80-foot lighted glass bar, a wall-to-wall color laser show, special effects lighting, and multi-level dance stages. A 30,000 watt surround-sound system pumps out Top 40, Latin and high-energy dance music.

The Bistro, with its 60-foot bar and 27 TV screens, serves lunch and dinner selections including appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, tortilla wraps, grilled Paninis, burgers, steaks, chicken, seafood, pasta and desserts.

18. Spaghetti Warehouse
510 S. Main St.
330-374-0025
Open Mon-Thur 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Housed in Bldg. 33 at the former B.F. Goodrich campus, Spaghetti Warehouse combines Old World Italian traditions with American abundance in hearty, made-from-scratch dishes.

In addition to pasta selections, favorites include fresh-baked sourdough bread, appetizers, soups, salads, and combination platters featuring 15-layer lasagna and homemade veal, eggplant or chicken parmigiana. Menu items range from $5 to $14

19. Trackside Grille at Quaker Square
135 S. Broadway St.
330-253-4541
Open every day 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; lounge open ’till 11 p.m.

Built in and around the authentic, original Broadway Limited Railroad Cars that ran from Chicago to New York City, the Trackside Grille offers salads, sandwichs, steak, seafood, or Trackside’s “pick-your-own-pasta" Pasta Express.

20. Whistle Stop Tavern at Quaker Square
135 S. Broadway St.
330-762-9333
Open Mon-Thur 5 p.m.-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

Sun brunch 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Converted from the barnstone cellar of the original Quaker Oats Cereal Factory (circa 1800), The Whistle Stop Tavern boasts three-feet-thick barnstone walls, stained glass windows from area churches, and a black walnut staircase from the home of one of the Quaker Oats founders.

Offering ample choices of appetizers, sandwiches, salads, steaks, seafood, and homemade desserts, the Whistle Stop is a relaxing venue for a casual meal or a favorite brew. Menu items range from $8 to $24.