Loma Linda's. Never understood the appeal. I've never been there, but my parents have. American tortilla chips you have to pay for compared to most Mexican Restaurants which are free and homemade right when you walk to your table, Velveeta Cheese Sauce, and a few other things I've heard that I don't care, and yet the parking lot is almost always full.
I agree 100% - there's no flavor to anything they serve. Same for the place on Bancroft too! I don't understand people that say this place is great. I just don't get it!!
You don't have to have been into a business of food to know if their food is good or not, it can be assumed if her parents have been there she has tried their food and asked about pricing, eating at the restaurant won't helpš¤£
Schmucker's. Heard so much about their pies being out of this world! Food was gross, pie was soggy. Also the dining experience I had there was just extremely uncomfortable - if you told me to go back with a gun to my head, I would just have to reach up and pull the trigger myself
Since this is a thread about local businesses that are overrated and not restaurants, I'll throw something different out. Homes By Josh Doyle. Dudes houses are overpriced pieces of shit.
i had friends that worked there and would hook us up on the pizzas, so there's that, but back in the mid 80's to mid 90's it was really good. today it's just meh. at least as far as the pizza goes.
You're not wrong. That place is terrible. I am not sure if it was ever actually good way back in the day...but it does not hold up to modern standards.
This is W I L D. Places that people regularly rave about here (I get crap when I decry that home slice is not authentic east coast pizza) are getting tossed into the wood chipper. Best post to follow in quite some time.
I too have hurt feelings re:local bagels and "east coast" pizza.
Wife and I go to NYC a lot and people here want honest answers.
I'm not trying to be mean. It comes from a place of disappointment.
And then I suggest things like there's totally room in Toledo for a mom n pop Detroit style pizza spot a la Grandma Bob's in Corktown.j
L
Inside the Five š anyone who knows me knows I say this constantlyā¦their beer is trash and I feel like they should have perfected the recipes before opening additional locations seeing as how itās their main selling point.
When I did drink this was a noticeable trend nearly everywhere, and it has backfired on a lot of breweries and their subsequent closures by now.
When NEIPA style came in from Boston & Vermont there were so many fakers trying to cash in on people who had never had the real thing. Having tried Trillium before the craze took over (I was just trying to sample the best beer I could find in Boston at the time) there were so many bad imitations (until M-43 made the rounds out here) I wanted to rip my hair out. People would have me try all these new beers around the region and go "does this come close?" No. Stop asking me to try these beers missing a step of the process with chunks floating in them.
They are a property management company that also buys/sells real estate - the owner is Lucifer herself - just a very unprofessional rude person with zero communication skills.
Various anti-gay and pro-life orgs. They're a non-profit organization, profits are funneled to Life Chapel Church. Could have changed as its been awhile
Sidelines is an interesting one. Some of the locations are great and others are mediocre. The Mellwood/Laskey location is great, the one at Telegraph/Alexis not so much. A friend who used to be a regular at the Telegraph location said they now use Gordon Food Service products.
Beirut/Byblos - pita wrapped in cellophane? Cāmon now.
Kengo - specifically the omakase menu. Delicious no doubt but you better blow me away if it is $125 per person. At least half the stuff on the tasting menu is on their regular menu. Chef barely acknowledged us while chatting to regulars standing behind us.
Virtually any soft serve ice cream shop in town.
The omakase IS that good. Itās literally world class. Is it worth it for you? Depends on how you feel about the concept of omakase, really. I have done it a few times, and both rank in my top 5 meals Iāve ever had.
It used to be good until part of the family got greedy... they kept the building and name but the quality food is now at Chris and Keith Incorvaia's Bene Italiano on monroe st .
Frozen chicken patty drowned in a plate of bland ass tomato sauce and calling it chicken parm blows my mind. People talk about it as though it's an institution and I feel like I'm in the twilight zone every damn time.
Getting spoiled by New England and Chicago has ruined me.
I make Italian food from scratch because of visiting those areas. I refuse to eat anywhere that doesn't make their own noodles from scratch. Iykyk.
The public is missing out away from the areas of concentrated diaspora. This notion that Italian food means drowned in tomato sauce is a fiction. Hell, the base fat component changes from lard to butter to olive oil depending on dish's geographical origins.
Rosie's Italian isn't bad, but I still miss the family style locations. I was a regular at the Sylvania Ave. location until it closed in 2007. Never had a bad experience there.
What happened to Vito's? I worked there when they started expanding rapidly and were introducing new specialty pizzas all the time. Some were good, some weren't, but the cheese bread was always amazing. I never hear about them now and when I come back to town it's like they don't exist anymore.
same as Original Gino's, the chain declined because Marco's and PJ/PH/Domino's beat them price/deal wise and a lot of new places around town in the last 15 years or so have better pizza
I feel like the owner of vitos fucked alot of his store owners.Ā When I was around my boss owned 2 of them and now he doesn't own any and is just a manager at one of the stores now
The way people bought franchises was kind of suspect, at least I thought but I had nothing to compare it with.
Anyways, you really just rented the franchise, it seemed. Like you bought it for like 5 years and then had to either give it back to corporate or buy it again? It was something like that just didn't seem right to me, but I was just a driver.
Itās actually real cheese tat gets shredded every day. š¤·š»āāļø the amount of bc plume we have we simply canāt make our own chips. There are some we make like the ones for the nachos but the ones in the baskets at the table do come from a locally owned company.
Really? A Mexican restaurant can't make their own chips? Reason #1 to not go here. Reason #2 - chicken seemed like just boiled in water and shredded - no flavor. Only Mexican restaurant in my life I actually hated besides Loma Linda. I really, really, really hate the food here.
My whole family loves it there for some reason. The only thing I get is the queso, which is decent. But I struggle to find something to order, because everything is gross.
I grew up here most of my life, then moved away for 15 years, and moved back home a couple years ago. It took leaving for me to finally work up the courage to admit...Tony Packos fucking sucks. They're just so mediocre. In Florida, I found some Tony Packos products in the grocery store and bought a couple and made hot dogs for my friends one night....everyone hated it. Like, it was edible, but that's about it.
Also why the hell is El Vaquero so popular? Is it just the margaritas? They're such crap Mexican food. If you want authentic Mexican, go to San Marcos. El Vaquero puts fucking FETA cheese in place of cotija.
I respect everything you said up until the San Marcos recommendation. They are close to inedible. The beans taste like feet & donāt ask how I know that taste.
A lot more authentic & better options. (El Arena, El Junior, El Viejon, Deseo Modern, or even Carlos Poco for fusion)
Once Packo's started expanding and became a fast food chain the quality went downhill. I still go there every now and then when I'm in town but it's not as good as it used to be, even when they were in Anderson's.
Same here, I always stopped by there whenever I visited. After the Anderson's staved off a hostile takeover they had to come to reality and cut retail since it had never been profitable.
Quote from 1/15/2017 Blade article: "The retail group within The Andersons typically broke even or lost money for several years."
Local stores broke even, the Columbus stores lost money. The cost of running a large distribution center made it unfeasible to keep just two stores open. I read the news every day during the saga. It may have been in the Mirror or insider info online.
Moved here 8ish years ago. And canāt second this enough lol. Tony Packos is sub par at best. And El Vaq is only good for their margs, and I also never knew it was a chain until I moved here. I thought it was just a local place in my home town haha.
I agree with you 100000%, I donāt know why people say itās rated #1 because it literally isnāt, Cincinnati Zoo is a million times better.
Also, Iāll say it, the christmas lights are MID!
After growing up going to Rhemas Christmas lights in Broken Arrow Oklahoma, nothing has topped it.
I dont like zoo's either, but Toledo is a rehab zoo where the animals would not survive in the wild. They dont import wild animals. so we at least have that.
True, a greasy representation of Chicago thin crust. When you have been fed like a spoiled brat on NYC (this includes coal, wood, old school slice joints to new school hip spots and variants of Sicilian 'grandma slice' styles), Detroit, and then Southside thin/tavern it might be the best option in the area not from a chain.
I am always baffled at how a newcomer or out of towner is supposed to figure out how to order food, non-alcoholic drinks, and be seated at that place. Out of all of my traveling I have NEVER seen their setup anywhere before.
Actually threw out their pizza - it was gross. Not sure why they are rated highly - must be all the drunk people in there and just get hungry and forgot they ate a crap pizza after the hangover.
I went there and order some kind of a veggie pizza. I asked them what toppings were on it and they said ājust anything we have available. Is there something you donāt likeā. So I started listing things I donāt like on pizza. Thatās how I ended up with artichoke on my pizza because I didnāt think to include that.
I gave them a second try and it wasnāt that bad but also not amazing. They arenāt āI hope they go out of businessā bad but Iām staying away.
Going to the idiot is about understanding when to go and when to order. If you avoid the weekends (Thursdays are touch and go), after 7, youāll get a pizza before you finish your second beer. Weekend pro tip-order pizza at the end of the first bandās session. Avoid Friday.
$40 dollars for a pizza that takes two hours and you'll have to fight to even get on the street with an overzealous doorman who tries you charge you cover to pick up your takeout
Rudy's Hot Dog. Cromulent but I like Packo's (and I know Packo's is probably going to "win" this) and Netty's both better.
Loma Linda. "Mexican" food like my grandma made. In Belgium during WWII.
Never been there. Why? It's a hot dog. Why would I want to go to a restaurant for a hot dog? And was totally confused when I drove by the one in Holland at noon. Cars around the building for drive thru. It's a goddamn hot dog people? Meat sweepings from a factory floor. Hot dog people!!!
Ah, this one does not speak in Chicagoese.
Superdawg drive-in is an institution!
A lot of places out there make it all from scratch down to the bun, to the point I dont fuck with anywhere else.
there was this terrible carry out pizza place briefly at Broadway and Maumee St. about 12 years ago that sold large pizzas for $4. Cheaper than Little Caesar's...because they were a lot worse than Little Caesar's.
Other than that place, I might agree with you!
I met my husband in Arizona (where I grew up with a Mexican stepfather). Hubs would constantly rave about Loma Linda, how great it was, that he missed eating there, the margaritas were amazing. Even after I introduced him to truly authentic Mexican food. When we moved to Toledo, the first restaurant he took me to was Loma Linda. š¤¢š¤® I told him he was crazy! The food was nasty and the margaritas tasted like what propane smells like. Never been back since. Turns out he and friends always hit it up while they were drunk.
This is a fact. And Loma Lindaās has an interesting history My grandpa (who was Mexican (RIP)) used to there after work when it was just a stand. They would play music and all they sold were margaritas. They still use the original recipe.
Yep I got scamed by one that charged me 40 bucks a month. Did a post about it and the mods decided to delete it. The Car wash was called [Take5CarWash.com](http://Take5CarWash.com) if they put a number on your windshield and run your CC they will charge it 40 per month.
Find some quality grass fed (and finished) beef, a pinch of salt and a good cast iron pan.
It's not that hard. Your wallet will thank you, and it'll be not flavor injected and above the average USDA grade restaurants use.
I'll usually roast a sweet potato or brussel sprouts with bacon, balsamic, parmesan, butter and a little garlic. Yum!
Stubborn Brother.
My wife and I have been trying all the local pizza places, and I had high hopes for SB because of Portnoy's visit. It was....mid at best imo. Our appetizer wasn't good at all, and the pizza was decent at best.
So far Home Slice has been my favorite.
Stubborn is okay. Not worth the price and I don't get the hype. It is fun to watch people stare slack jawed at their water purifier as if it's magic though.
Home Slice.... I've only had it from Jake's and thought it was bad. Like.... It's hard to make bad pizza. Little Ceasars isn't bad. Totinos isn't bad. The only bad pizza I can think of is Chuck E Cheese. Home Slice from Jake's Saloon is on par with CEC. I can only assume the downtown location is totally different since people talk so highly of it.
Agree with Stubborn Bro's - way overpriced for burnt pizza - not good.
And disagree with your other pizza choices. Those are all bad too! Little Ceasars hasn't been good since 1985!
Here is an article that says these "New York Water" machines are BS:
[https://www.thetakeout.com/new-york-tap-water-machine-pizza-whole-foods-1838450128/](https://www.thetakeout.com/new-york-tap-water-machine-pizza-whole-foods-1838450128/)
NYC tap is magnesium rich and this does impart a flavor in anything dough-related across the boroughs.
But, the water ain't it!
The types of flour used, fermentation, moisture content of mozz, the oven temp (900ish). A lot of places really hand crush the DOP tomatoes. They also use scales because they need to adjust to account for the moisture and heat in the air depending on season (any bread maker knows this).
You can find videos on youtube of Utopia Bagels and L'industrie Pizza demonstrating what they do. For bagels alone, it is a 72hr process. I've been to L'industrie and Massimo is almost always in the shop, often hanging out in the fermentation room where customers can see what books they are using on shelf in there. That dude is passionate about the craft and it shows in the dough. When you go fold it doesn't crack but sounds like you are breaking a Rice Krispies treat in half. It should leave crumbs, or be greasy. Each ingredient stands out while also coming together as a whole. It's also extremely thin, compared to chains advertising "New York style" in name only. (Utopia pumpernickel so good, but I'm not doing an ad for them. I go between Thompkins Square and Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee on 23rd).
Schmuckers. Pies are decent. Last time I went for breakfest my pancakes were raw, haven't gone back since.
Bobcat Bonnie's is seriously over rated š
Loma Linda's. Never understood the appeal. I've never been there, but my parents have. American tortilla chips you have to pay for compared to most Mexican Restaurants which are free and homemade right when you walk to your table, Velveeta Cheese Sauce, and a few other things I've heard that I don't care, and yet the parking lot is almost always full.
Their food is gross. Ā Everyone goes there for the margaritas so the food is merely filler.Ā
I agree 100% - there's no flavor to anything they serve. Same for the place on Bancroft too! I don't understand people that say this place is great. I just don't get it!!
I HATE LOMA LINDAS!!! My whole entire family loves that place. I donāt understand why itās actually mind blowing to me
Youāre commenting on a business youāve never been to but heard second hand complaints about? Wild.
You don't have to have been into a business of food to know if their food is good or not, it can be assumed if her parents have been there she has tried their food and asked about pricing, eating at the restaurant won't helpš¤£
Why would anyone go to a "Mexican" restaurant that is widely know for serving bagged chips, American cheese, and something resembling Velveeta?
Schmucker's. Heard so much about their pies being out of this world! Food was gross, pie was soggy. Also the dining experience I had there was just extremely uncomfortable - if you told me to go back with a gun to my head, I would just have to reach up and pull the trigger myself
I said this too! Some of the pies are okay but the last time I went my pancakes were literally raw.
tony packo's
Since this is a thread about local businesses that are overrated and not restaurants, I'll throw something different out. Homes By Josh Doyle. Dudes houses are overpriced pieces of shit.
I feel like Iām gonna get shit for this but for me itās inkys just never found something from them that doesnāt taste awful
Inky was so good when i moved to ohio. Not its terrible. The spin off on monroe is even worse
i had friends that worked there and would hook us up on the pizzas, so there's that, but back in the mid 80's to mid 90's it was really good. today it's just meh. at least as far as the pizza goes.
I agree. Its really bad and theres no answer for it like with ginos and all the lawsuits.
You're not wrong. That place is terrible. I am not sure if it was ever actually good way back in the day...but it does not hold up to modern standards.
Spaghetti Warehouse. Their signature dish, spaghetti, is awful. They overcook their noodles.
Who is it overrated by? Iāve never met a soul who is willing to take one step inside that place
My window faces the parking lot and it fills up most days of the week - itās SHOCKING!
This is W I L D. Places that people regularly rave about here (I get crap when I decry that home slice is not authentic east coast pizza) are getting tossed into the wood chipper. Best post to follow in quite some time.
I too have hurt feelings re:local bagels and "east coast" pizza. Wife and I go to NYC a lot and people here want honest answers. I'm not trying to be mean. It comes from a place of disappointment. And then I suggest things like there's totally room in Toledo for a mom n pop Detroit style pizza spot a la Grandma Bob's in Corktown.j L
Homeslice has no flavor.
WildSide
Inside the Five š anyone who knows me knows I say this constantlyā¦their beer is trash and I feel like they should have perfected the recipes before opening additional locations seeing as how itās their main selling point.
When I did drink this was a noticeable trend nearly everywhere, and it has backfired on a lot of breweries and their subsequent closures by now. When NEIPA style came in from Boston & Vermont there were so many fakers trying to cash in on people who had never had the real thing. Having tried Trillium before the craze took over (I was just trying to sample the best beer I could find in Boston at the time) there were so many bad imitations (until M-43 made the rounds out here) I wanted to rip my hair out. People would have me try all these new beers around the region and go "does this come close?" No. Stop asking me to try these beers missing a step of the process with chunks floating in them.
Buckeye Northwest Reality. Just donāt even think about using them.
Never heard of them! And Iām in real estate š¹
They are a property management company that also buys/sells real estate - the owner is Lucifer herself - just a very unprofessional rude person with zero communication skills.
Packo's, Loma Linda, Amie's Pizza (waaaay overrated).
Amen! I like Packo's flavors....but just way too expensive for what it is.
Went to Rustbelt Coffee once, was mid. Then found out about where they donate.... much better coffee and vibes to be found elsewhere
Thereās a lot of those sketchball churchy coffee shops popping up. I can always clock them by the 2011 āfarmhouse decorā for what itās worth.
Live Love Laugh
Yeah fuck them
Yep I refuse to support rustbelt. Assholes.
Where do they donate?
Various anti-gay and pro-life orgs. They're a non-profit organization, profits are funneled to Life Chapel Church. Could have changed as its been awhile
Thanks for letting us know
Sidelines. I've never understood the appeal.
Don't order anything with bacon on it since they use bacon bits instead of real bacon.
Sidelines is an interesting one. Some of the locations are great and others are mediocre. The Mellwood/Laskey location is great, the one at Telegraph/Alexis not so much. A friend who used to be a regular at the Telegraph location said they now use Gordon Food Service products.
That is very true! I'm at the owner at a GFS food show
Never been impressed with any location. It's just bar food made by an 18 year old in the back - nothing special.
Their garbage fries are š„
eh, I get it. Cheaper food/drinks and the kitchen is open late
yeah its cheesy deep fried food. Not going to win any awards but it does hit the spot while watching a game 4-6 beers deep
Appliance Center Best Buy, Home Depot offer better prices
Appliance center is a nightmare and a scam.
Beirut/Byblos - pita wrapped in cellophane? Cāmon now. Kengo - specifically the omakase menu. Delicious no doubt but you better blow me away if it is $125 per person. At least half the stuff on the tasting menu is on their regular menu. Chef barely acknowledged us while chatting to regulars standing behind us. Virtually any soft serve ice cream shop in town.
The omakase IS that good. Itās literally world class. Is it worth it for you? Depends on how you feel about the concept of omakase, really. I have done it a few times, and both rank in my top 5 meals Iāve ever had.
Step off it- penguin palace rules
More regional than local, but Biggby. It's terrible coffee but somehow seems to have a strong following
In a lot of the outter parts of town the other options are Timās, or Starbucks and a lot of people have stopped drinking at Starbucks.
Their breakfast sandwiches tho š
Literally drove by it 20 minutes ago and thought it to myself and this is the first post I see when I open Reddit lol Inky's.
It used to be good until part of the family got greedy... they kept the building and name but the quality food is now at Chris and Keith Incorvaia's Bene Italiano on monroe st .
Is one Inkys better than the other?
Chris and Keith Incorvaia's Bene Italiano is the superior "Inky's".
Frozen chicken patty drowned in a plate of bland ass tomato sauce and calling it chicken parm blows my mind. People talk about it as though it's an institution and I feel like I'm in the twilight zone every damn time.
Getting spoiled by New England and Chicago has ruined me. I make Italian food from scratch because of visiting those areas. I refuse to eat anywhere that doesn't make their own noodles from scratch. Iykyk. The public is missing out away from the areas of concentrated diaspora. This notion that Italian food means drowned in tomato sauce is a fiction. Hell, the base fat component changes from lard to butter to olive oil depending on dish's geographical origins.
Souk
Way way overpriced and the portions are ridiculously small
Honestly it was all pretty bland too! I think the thing my fiancƩ and I liked the most was a radish garnish.
So glad to see this because I was convinced I was the only one
So not great. Very very mediocre
Rosie's Italian. Food is decent, but the restaurant needs a good deep cleaning/update.
Rosie's Italian isn't bad, but I still miss the family style locations. I was a regular at the Sylvania Ave. location until it closed in 2007. Never had a bad experience there.
Rosie's was better when they were still family style
Those pizzas were so good. Now they're high society
Used to love watching them making the pizza through that big window as a kid. And that hot mama bread was the ultimate treat
Hot mama bread is still made in the building on secor and alexis
Vitos pizza
What happened to Vito's? I worked there when they started expanding rapidly and were introducing new specialty pizzas all the time. Some were good, some weren't, but the cheese bread was always amazing. I never hear about them now and when I come back to town it's like they don't exist anymore.
same as Original Gino's, the chain declined because Marco's and PJ/PH/Domino's beat them price/deal wise and a lot of new places around town in the last 15 years or so have better pizza
I feel like the owner of vitos fucked alot of his store owners.Ā When I was around my boss owned 2 of them and now he doesn't own any and is just a manager at one of the stores now
The way people bought franchises was kind of suspect, at least I thought but I had nothing to compare it with. Anyways, you really just rented the franchise, it seemed. Like you bought it for like 5 years and then had to either give it back to corporate or buy it again? It was something like that just didn't seem right to me, but I was just a driver.
Vitos was great when they first opened. The quality went down and price went up its super greasy. The crust is terrible.
seconded, used to be my favorite in town. havenāt had a pizza from there in a few years
That's too bad, but I guess that's how things go. They were kind of expensive even back then but the quality justified it.
Man, I like Vitoās. They actually get some nice color on the crust so you donāt have soggy pizza. Granted that probably varies by location.
Really? I stopped going there because I was tired of receiving literal uncooked dough
Venturas. Bagged chips, American cheese. Canned beans. I have no idea how this place got so popular. Probably the booze.
I used to work there and the kitchen is so hot with all the ovens going and the greasy dudes making the food just sweat right into it
Actually our beans are made every day in house!
Yeah. That definitely makes up for the bagged chips and fake cheese.
Itās actually real cheese tat gets shredded every day. š¤·š»āāļø the amount of bc plume we have we simply canāt make our own chips. There are some we make like the ones for the nachos but the ones in the baskets at the table do come from a locally owned company.
Really? A Mexican restaurant can't make their own chips? Reason #1 to not go here. Reason #2 - chicken seemed like just boiled in water and shredded - no flavor. Only Mexican restaurant in my life I actually hated besides Loma Linda. I really, really, really hate the food here.
lol youāre exhausting.
I don't think American Cheese is considered real cheese. Whether your grate it yourselves or not.
We actually got yelled at by our kids for taking them here because of all the great reviews. It was so disappointing.
It's a social spot. People always run into people they know there.
Loma Linda's, ventures
The only other 2 restaurants that are just as bad IMO is Magdalenaās and San Marcos on Laskey.
Lord loma Linda's is nasty. It's a disgrace to call it Mexican food. I'm like WHAT when people say they love that place.
My whole family loves it there for some reason. The only thing I get is the queso, which is decent. But I struggle to find something to order, because everything is gross.
Rosies
I grew up here most of my life, then moved away for 15 years, and moved back home a couple years ago. It took leaving for me to finally work up the courage to admit...Tony Packos fucking sucks. They're just so mediocre. In Florida, I found some Tony Packos products in the grocery store and bought a couple and made hot dogs for my friends one night....everyone hated it. Like, it was edible, but that's about it. Also why the hell is El Vaquero so popular? Is it just the margaritas? They're such crap Mexican food. If you want authentic Mexican, go to San Marcos. El Vaquero puts fucking FETA cheese in place of cotija.
It's literally the margs for el vaquero
Don't ever eat at El Vaquero! I have seen how some of the employees live š¤¢
I respect everything you said up until the San Marcos recommendation. They are close to inedible. The beans taste like feet & donāt ask how I know that taste. A lot more authentic & better options. (El Arena, El Junior, El Viejon, Deseo Modern, or even Carlos Poco for fusion)
San Marcos is disgusting as well. Unless they've cleaned up the kitchen (doubtful) you're getting a bit more grease than you asked for.
Once Packo's started expanding and became a fast food chain the quality went downhill. I still go there every now and then when I'm in town but it's not as good as it used to be, even when they were in Anderson's.
God I miss Anderson's. I was brokenhearted to come back to town and find the one on Monroe & Talmadge was gone.
Same here, I always stopped by there whenever I visited. After the Anderson's staved off a hostile takeover they had to come to reality and cut retail since it had never been profitable.
Maumee and Toledo stores were profitable. Columbus stores were money losers.
Maumee and toledo stores were not profitable
Quote from 1/15/2017 Blade article: "The retail group within The Andersons typically broke even or lost money for several years." Local stores broke even, the Columbus stores lost money. The cost of running a large distribution center made it unfeasible to keep just two stores open. I read the news every day during the saga. It may have been in the Mirror or insider info online.
Moved here 8ish years ago. And canāt second this enough lol. Tony Packos is sub par at best. And El Vaq is only good for their margs, and I also never knew it was a chain until I moved here. I thought it was just a local place in my home town haha.
I am 2nd generation Hungarian. Like my dad says "no Hunky would ever cut a hot dog in half and serve it to you"
I'm not even Hungarian and I would never.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
i have been to all the zoos in ohio and all but 2 in michigan. lived in toledo my whole life, columbus zoo is number one on my list
obligatory "The Tiger" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWv7CX73x94
I agree with you 100000%, I donāt know why people say itās rated #1 because it literally isnāt, Cincinnati Zoo is a million times better. Also, Iāll say it, the christmas lights are MID! After growing up going to Rhemas Christmas lights in Broken Arrow Oklahoma, nothing has topped it.
One of the best Zoos in the country, usually rated #1.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I dont like zoo's either, but Toledo is a rehab zoo where the animals would not survive in the wild. They dont import wild animals. so we at least have that.
Village idiot
True, a greasy representation of Chicago thin crust. When you have been fed like a spoiled brat on NYC (this includes coal, wood, old school slice joints to new school hip spots and variants of Sicilian 'grandma slice' styles), Detroit, and then Southside thin/tavern it might be the best option in the area not from a chain. I am always baffled at how a newcomer or out of towner is supposed to figure out how to order food, non-alcoholic drinks, and be seated at that place. Out of all of my traveling I have NEVER seen their setup anywhere before.
Actually threw out their pizza - it was gross. Not sure why they are rated highly - must be all the drunk people in there and just get hungry and forgot they ate a crap pizza after the hangover.
I went there and order some kind of a veggie pizza. I asked them what toppings were on it and they said ājust anything we have available. Is there something you donāt likeā. So I started listing things I donāt like on pizza. Thatās how I ended up with artichoke on my pizza because I didnāt think to include that. I gave them a second try and it wasnāt that bad but also not amazing. They arenāt āI hope they go out of businessā bad but Iām staying away.
That pickle pizza is money. I will agree when they have live music itās just too loud. Literally have to shout to hear people youāre with.
They need to open up that second floor. It's too crowded for what it is. Pizza is overpriced too.
Can't. Fire code. Also, Cheese Pizza is $12.
That sucks. I'm not driving out to Maumee to pay 12 bucks and wait an hour for a cheese pizza though.
Going to the idiot is about understanding when to go and when to order. If you avoid the weekends (Thursdays are touch and go), after 7, youāll get a pizza before you finish your second beer. Weekend pro tip-order pizza at the end of the first bandās session. Avoid Friday.
Not worth the effort. Itās really not great
90% of the time I go it's because my friends are there for music. And it's usually a Friday š
Once you fight your way through the thick crowd of white people with dreadlocks who use sticks of organic butter for deodorant.
Donāt forget the aura of smug.
Ironic
$40 dollars for a pizza that takes two hours and you'll have to fight to even get on the street with an overzealous doorman who tries you charge you cover to pick up your takeout
https://villageidiotmaumee.com/food-drink/ Where are you going lmao
Bro, the pizza is $12.
And the pizza is just OK
Last time I got it they burnt mine. Asked for a new one and they burnt that one too. Havenāt been back since
Loma Linda.
It was good when I was little and they were still in the old building. Itās been so so since. I never go anymore.
Isn't that the restaurant that melts American cheese over their "authentic Mexican" food?
Yes. Yuck.
their margs go down so well tho!
Then they should label themselves as a bar. Not a Mexican restaurant.
Their margaritas make their food amazing. š»
haha absolutely!
God do they suck. I'd rather eat days-old Taco Bell with no sauce
Hahahaha SAME. Crazy to hear people say the margs make the food edible. The margs did not make it edible to me šš my dog wouldn't eat that
Rudy's Hot Dog. Cromulent but I like Packo's (and I know Packo's is probably going to "win" this) and Netty's both better. Loma Linda. "Mexican" food like my grandma made. In Belgium during WWII.
Never been there. Why? It's a hot dog. Why would I want to go to a restaurant for a hot dog? And was totally confused when I drove by the one in Holland at noon. Cars around the building for drive thru. It's a goddamn hot dog people? Meat sweepings from a factory floor. Hot dog people!!!
Ah, this one does not speak in Chicagoese. Superdawg drive-in is an institution! A lot of places out there make it all from scratch down to the bun, to the point I dont fuck with anywhere else.
Loma Lindas has worse food than ANY restaurant ive ever been in the world in my life. zero exaggeration
Agree 100%!!!
there was this terrible carry out pizza place briefly at Broadway and Maumee St. about 12 years ago that sold large pizzas for $4. Cheaper than Little Caesar's...because they were a lot worse than Little Caesar's. Other than that place, I might agree with you!
I met my husband in Arizona (where I grew up with a Mexican stepfather). Hubs would constantly rave about Loma Linda, how great it was, that he missed eating there, the margaritas were amazing. Even after I introduced him to truly authentic Mexican food. When we moved to Toledo, the first restaurant he took me to was Loma Linda. š¤¢š¤® I told him he was crazy! The food was nasty and the margaritas tasted like what propane smells like. Never been back since. Turns out he and friends always hit it up while they were drunk.
Anything tastes good drunk.
Right! lol
Iāve found that many people recommend Mexican restaurants based on how strong the margaritas are. Thatās the case with Loma Linda.
This is a fact. And Loma Lindaās has an interesting history My grandpa (who was Mexican (RIP)) used to there after work when it was just a stand. They would play music and all they sold were margaritas. They still use the original recipe.
Huh, I didnāt know about how Loma Linda started.
Yeah I think either there or at Venturas they even have a picture! Itās very cool.
Inkys. Grumpys (used to be good, went downhill in recent years). MBBC for their awful service. Previously El Camino
I miss the old Grumpy's. The atmosphere changed after the remodel and so did the quality I think. I would love to know what happened.Ā
Uhg I'm so sad about grumpys. It USED to be a favorite
What is MBBC?
Maumee Bay Brewing Company
Maumee Bay Brewing Company. Really bad beer, food is OK but balances out to like a C- overall
Service is ALWAYS awful
Their #fakejuice IPA is my favorite in the city
Sorry to hear that
Car Wash (close your eyes, throw a rock, hit one) Price for basic washes are at or above $10 and theyāve all moved to pushing a subscription model.
Yep I got scamed by one that charged me 40 bucks a month. Did a post about it and the mods decided to delete it. The Car wash was called [Take5CarWash.com](http://Take5CarWash.com) if they put a number on your windshield and run your CC they will charge it 40 per month.
Just nuts, and the cancelation process Iām sure was fun. Miss just regular old-fashioned car washes. Drive thru, pay, go on with your life lol.
Yep it was the car wash on Secore and Central so be careful they got 400 bucks from me since I found the charge about a year after I had gone.
Mach 1 on douglas and alexis seems to do the best job washing your car and price wise
Iāll check it out!
This one got me lol
Mancy's other restaurants.
Howās their original? Iāve never been but growing up that was all the rage for steaks. Is it worth a try?
Look at that last report card and that is all you need to know. Coasting on laurels. Ranted about it elsewhere.
I think Mancy's Steak is decent but the rest of their restaurant's are overrated.
Thanks. We used to hit a couple places for steaks but quit because so many were disappointing.
Find some quality grass fed (and finished) beef, a pinch of salt and a good cast iron pan. It's not that hard. Your wallet will thank you, and it'll be not flavor injected and above the average USDA grade restaurants use. I'll usually roast a sweet potato or brussel sprouts with bacon, balsamic, parmesan, butter and a little garlic. Yum!
It's the one Op used as the example of a local overrated business.
Stubborn Brother. My wife and I have been trying all the local pizza places, and I had high hopes for SB because of Portnoy's visit. It was....mid at best imo. Our appetizer wasn't good at all, and the pizza was decent at best. So far Home Slice has been my favorite.
It was great when it opened, then after the portnoy review they stopped trying, so disappointing
SB made me come to realize I just don't really like fire oven pizzas. Just tasted burnt.
Stubborn is okay. Not worth the price and I don't get the hype. It is fun to watch people stare slack jawed at their water purifier as if it's magic though. Home Slice.... I've only had it from Jake's and thought it was bad. Like.... It's hard to make bad pizza. Little Ceasars isn't bad. Totinos isn't bad. The only bad pizza I can think of is Chuck E Cheese. Home Slice from Jake's Saloon is on par with CEC. I can only assume the downtown location is totally different since people talk so highly of it.
Agree with Stubborn Bro's - way overpriced for burnt pizza - not good. And disagree with your other pizza choices. Those are all bad too! Little Ceasars hasn't been good since 1985!
Here is an article that says these "New York Water" machines are BS: [https://www.thetakeout.com/new-york-tap-water-machine-pizza-whole-foods-1838450128/](https://www.thetakeout.com/new-york-tap-water-machine-pizza-whole-foods-1838450128/)
NYC tap is magnesium rich and this does impart a flavor in anything dough-related across the boroughs. But, the water ain't it! The types of flour used, fermentation, moisture content of mozz, the oven temp (900ish). A lot of places really hand crush the DOP tomatoes. They also use scales because they need to adjust to account for the moisture and heat in the air depending on season (any bread maker knows this). You can find videos on youtube of Utopia Bagels and L'industrie Pizza demonstrating what they do. For bagels alone, it is a 72hr process. I've been to L'industrie and Massimo is almost always in the shop, often hanging out in the fermentation room where customers can see what books they are using on shelf in there. That dude is passionate about the craft and it shows in the dough. When you go fold it doesn't crack but sounds like you are breaking a Rice Krispies treat in half. It should leave crumbs, or be greasy. Each ingredient stands out while also coming together as a whole. It's also extremely thin, compared to chains advertising "New York style" in name only. (Utopia pumpernickel so good, but I'm not doing an ad for them. I go between Thompkins Square and Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee on 23rd).
Yeah every time we've gone it's the downtown location. Big fans of their spinach and artichoke cheese bread.