Looking for a sit-down restaurant? Where to eat in downtown Akron for weekday lunch

For folks who are back to work, there are plenty of sit-down lunch restaurant options to choose from in downtown Akron as business owners report more foot traffic as omicron cases subside.

After all the COVID-19 cutbacks and closures in the last 22 months, many people may be wondering where they can go. The Lockview and Baxter's are still closed for lunch, while Crave, which didn't reopen for lunch hours during the pandemic, is closed in preparation for its move to the Landmark Building.

Dozens of downtown restaurateurs are hanging in there as business starts to rebound after a difficult holiday season capped off by omicron. Some report doing a brisk lunch business lately while others say they're still struggling with low foot traffic along parts of Main Street.

The newer Totally Baked Pizza, which opened in July on North High Street, has seen strong enough business that it just added more weekday lunch hours. It is now offering lunch on Tuesdays and Wednesdays after testing it out on Thursdays and Fridays in the fall, said co-owner John Taylor.

More: Akron Dish: Totally Baked pizza joint features adventurous options

He said he's seen lunch business picking up.

"We're hoping that downtown is going to start coming back to life," Taylor said. "We've heard that April, May, June is when a lot of the businesses should start coming back."

He hopes by then, road construction down the block on East Market Street will be done so it'll be easier for folks to get to his business.

Ed Sutter, owner of Eddies Famous Cheesesteaks and Grille, said business has been slow at his end of Main Street at Bowery, where he's not seeing foot traffic from large office buildings nearby including the banks and FirstEnergy Building. He moved into his space at 147 S. Main St. in March 2020, right before the pandemic hit.

More: Local Flavor: Akron's favorite cheesesteak place returns downtown

"The north end of Main Street has really been hit the hardest because there's just nobody there" after the holiday omicron surge, Sutter said Jan. 19, whose lunch business was busy in the summer and fall but has been cut in half since the holidays.

He encouraged people to come downtown to eat: "The reality is downtown is clean, downtown is safe. Downtown is new and fresh" with Main Street road construction and Bowery development work complete.

Staffing has been difficult at some downtown restaurants. Manager Brian Pellegrino at Barley House recently decided to close the restaurant Mondays after half of his staff had come down with COVID. He's continuing to serve the lunch crowd other days, offering affordable daily specials.

Brisk business

On the south end of downtown, Charly Murphy is seeing more foot traffic each week at his Cafe 388 at the AES Building and said his Stray Dog Bounce Cafe business that he opened in September at Bounce Innovation Center is going strong.

More: Bounce Innovation Hub turns to Stray Dog food entrepreneur to run cafe and coffee shop

"Bounce is great. We're busy every day," he said.

Business also is good at his Stray Dog Library Cafe: "Our Library Cafe is doing almost double what we were doing pre-pandemic at the north end of downtown."

Brett Magilavy, co-owner of Diamond Deli, reported that business is booming at the deli his family has owned for nearly 25 years.

"Foot traffic, for us it's fantastic. We have a ton of businesses around the area within like a few blocks" that people walk over from every day, he said, citing workers at the AES Building, GOJO Industries and Canal Place.

His family, which he said takes pride in building relationships with their customers, has a large, regular customer base.

"We had a scare after the pandemic, we weren't sure what to expect, but actually our last two years have been two of our busiest years ever," said Magilavy, who runs the business with brother Chad and dad, Chuck.

Dominic Caruso, spokesman for the Downtown Akron Partnership, stressed that many downtown places are open for lunch and have new winter menus that folks should explore.

"I think we're all feeling that winter lethargic feeling. It's a good time to try something new," he said.

Luis Escudero, one of the newest restaurant owners downtown who opened El Patron Tequileria & Cuisine in April, saw a lull for almost two months as the omicron virus ran rampant before and after the holidays.

"Thankfully it was short-lived. We're kind of seeing an uptick" in business now, he said.

His full-service, sit-down restaurant launched a new lunch menu Jan. 1 with lower prices to draw in the lunch crowd.

More: Inside Akron's newest downtown restaurant, El Patron Tequileria & Cuisine

Lunches that used to average $20 to $25 with a drink and tip have now been brought down to $15. New offerings include the traditional brunch chilaquiles, which are crispy tortillas smothered in salsa verde with a fried egg for $9.99.

"We want to be able to compete with like your fast casual restaurants," Escudero said. "We restructured our lunch menu to be able to be attractive to different wallets."

Here's a list of downtown places where folks can get weekday lunches.

Sit-down service

• El Patron Tequileria & Cuisine: Lunch served daily. Hours noon to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. The downtown eatery and tequila bar, which opened in April, celebrates the cuisine of Mexico City with a large variety of tacos, burritos, fajitas, quesadillas and botanas, or small plates. 54 E. Mill St. 234-231-1665. https://www.elpatrontequileria.com/.

• Barley House: Weekday lunch Tuesday through Friday. Hours 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. 222 S. Main St. 330-374-0925. Pub food featuring traditional American cuisine, including daily specials ranging from taco Tuesdays to fish fry Fridays. 222 S. Main St. 330-374-0925. https://barleyhouseakron.com/.

• Boiling House Akron: Weekday lunch offered on Fridays. Hours 3 to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. Fresh seafood and sushi include fried crawfish, Japanese squid salad, snow crab legs and shrimp tempura roll. Call 234-571-9692 for a reservation to dine in. 1 W. Exchange St. Suite 150. https://www.orderboilinghouse.com/.

• Cilantro: Weekday lunch 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Evening hours 5 to 9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, 4:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday. Located in a historic bank building, Cilantro offers Thai dishes and sushi amid a contemporary, chic decor. 326 S. Main St. 330-434-2876. https://cilantrothai.com/.

• Twisted Tomato Pizzeria & Beerwall: Open for lunch daily. Hours 10 a.m. to midnight Monday-Sunday. One of downtown's newest restaurants that opened in October, the 45-seat restaurant is doing a brisk weekday lunch service, with offerings from specialty pizzas to pasta and fried chicken. 325 S. Main St. 330-849-5707. www.twisted-tomato.com/.

• R. Shea Brewing — Canal Place: Weekday lunch starts at 11 a.m. Hours 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Industrial-style restaurant that opened in 2019 features a wall of graffiti art and a mezzanine overlooking the brewery production floor. Menu includes pub-style appetizers, burgers, chili, pizza and salads. 540 S. Main St., Suite 214. 234-571-5036. rsheabrewing.com.

• Spaghetti Warehouse: Lunch starts daily at 11 a.m. Hours 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Italian food can be eaten in a trolley car inside this huge restaurant, whose lunch pasta specials are served 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 510 S. Main St. 330-374-0025. http://www.meatballs.com/.

• Luigi's: Opens for lunch weekdays at 11 a.m. Hours 11 a.m. to midnight Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. to midnight Sunday. Iconic Italian restaurant established in 1949 is known for its no-frills atmosphere plus its baked pastas, Italian tossed salad loaded with cheese and award-winning pizza. Lunch menu served until 3 p.m. 105 N. Main St. 330-253-2999. https://luigisrestaurant.com/.

• Lock 15 Brewing Co.: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Brewery restaurant along the canal and Cascade Locks Park has a menu ranging from charcuterie, calamari and lobster and pork belly mac to soups, salads and burgers. 21 W. North St. 234-900-8277. https://www.lock15brewing.com/.

Counter order, sit-down service

• Missing Falls Brewery: Weekday lunch Tuesday through Friday. Hours 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon to midnight Saturday, noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. 540 S. Main St. Suite 112. 234-231-1000. https://www.missingfalls.com/.

Counter service

• Eddies Famous Cheesesteaks and Grille: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday. Fresh steak-cut fries and signature cheesesteak sandwiches, described as festival favorites taken up a notch. 147 S. Main St. 234-312-9835. https://eddiesfamouscheesesteaks.com/.

• Chameleon Cafe: Both breakfast and lunch offered all day, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. The 30-seat restaurant offers gourmet coffee, homemade soups, artisan wraps, salads and sandwiches ordered at the counter. 23 S. Main St. 234-334-3603. https://www.chameleoncafeakron.com/

• Hamad's on Main: Deli-style restaurant open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday. Sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads and sides are on the menu, which changes seasonally. 121 S. Main St. 330-615-7544. http://hamadsonmain.com/.

• Diamond Deli: Weekday lunch offered, with hours 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Hopping delicatessen serves hearty sandwiches named after family members, soups, homemade salads and desserts. 378 S Main St. 330-762-5877. https://www.diamonddeli.us/.

• NOMZ: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 9 am. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Galley-style kitchen inside Northside Marketplace offers a coffee bar, brunch and lunch, including sandwiches, salads, vegan offerings and soup. 21 Furnace St. Suite 404. 330-286-1315. https://www.nomzeatz.com/

• Cafe 388: Lunch and breakfast spot open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday. Gourmet hot dogs, sandwiches, wraps and sides on menu that includes breakfast burritos and quesadillas all day. 388 S. Main St. (inside AES Building). 330-594-5392. https://straydogakron.com/cafes/.

• Stray Dog Library Cafe: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Sandwiches, wraps, dogs, mac and cheese bowls, salads, breakfast sandwiches, coffees and teas. 75 S. Main St. 330-594-5392. https://straydogakron.com/cafes/.

• Stray Dog Bounce Cafe: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Cafe with sandwiches, salads, hot dogs and breakfast choices opened in September at Bounce Innovation Hub. 526 S. Main St. 330-594-5392. https://straydogakron.com/cafes/.

• Totally Baked Pizza: Hours 11 a.m. to midnight Tuesday-Saturday, 11 to 8 p.m. Sundays. Offbeat pizza offerings include the Shaggy & Scooby, with PBJ, shredded short rib, red onion and Italian cheeses. Menu includes subs and salads. Hippie-themed decor includes colorful murals by local artists Mike and Chuck Ayers. Seating for 20 includes a vintage dinette, booth, couch or love seat and some TV trays. 18 N. High St. 234-678-0421. https://totallybakedpizza.net/.

• Smack Yo Mamma Wings & Things: Weekday lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Comfort food includes flavored wings, fries and more, including a variety of "loaded stufted potatoes" known to be a meal by themselves.115 E. Market St. 234-208-8393. See Smack Yo Mamma on Facebook.

• Street Treats Grill: 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday. Sandwiches, soups, salads, bowls, breakfast selections. 209 S. High St., Summit County Courthouse. 330-379-9996. https://www.streettreatsgrill.com/.

Some downtown establishment remain carryout-only options for lunch, including Vietnamese coffee and sandwiches at Evelyn's Banh Mi (https://www.evelynscoffee.com) at 11 E. Exchange St. and Sweet Mary's Bakery (https://sweetmarysbakery.com), whose menu at 76 E. Mill St. includes quiche, soup and croissant sandwiches. Fast food options include two Subway locations on North and South Main Street, and Jimmy John's and DaVinci's Pizza on South Main.

Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Plenty of downtown Akron restaurants open for weekday lunch