Swensons Drive-in
658 E. Cuyahoga Falls Ave., Chapel Hill
330-928-8515
40 S. Hawkins Ave., Wallhaven
330-864-8416
40 Brookmont Road, Copley Township area of Montrose
330-665-1858
11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday
11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday
Website: https://swensonsdriveins.com/
When you bite into a Galley Boy at Swensons Drive-In — a double cheeseburg crowned by signature sauces and a toasted bun ($4.99 as of Oct. 27) — you’re tasting history. Consistency. Nostalgia even.
All the things that, when done right, draw Akronites in droves to chain restaurants.
“Maybe all you do is you come to Swenson’s you get your standard Galley Boy, potato teezers, a hot fudge peanut butter shake, and you don’t even look at a menu,” said Jeffrey Flowers, who rose from curb server and University of Akron graduate to his current role as president.
“It’s a total routine.”
Routines are important to families tight on time, money and satisfactory options for their tikes, from a classic double cheeseburg ($4.89) to a milkshake ($3.89 and up) and crispy fries ($2.99). So it comes as no surprise that this homegrown business, first served out of Wesley T. “Pop” Swenson’s station wagon near Buchtel High School, has grilled its way over the decades to become the Akron area’s favorite chain restaurant.
More than nine decades after the first Swensons Stand opened, the business operates around two dozen locations as varied and far away as Cleveland’s Rocket Arena (Street and Loudville Level concourses) and Lower.com Field in Columbus (Columbus Crew home games), Cincinnati, the Youngtown area and Massillon. And its pickup-only location near the UA campus. You can also find Swensons on the go — thanks to its food truck — and its many partnerships with existing brands.
Swensons enjoys a very Akron advantage over its restaurant chain counterparts: Local pride. Just ask LeBron James, who has traveled across the world as an ambassador of the 330, basketball and, unofficially, Swensons.
“I swear, every time I grab Swensons after being on the road, I fall in love all over again,” James wrote during the final season of his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. “V says I’m worse than the boys!
“Grabbing Swensons with the squad or with my family is a treasured tradition for me,” he added.
Sorry, Big Mac.
Other notable fans include The Black Keys and Cordelia chef Vinnie Cimino, an Akron native who this summer created a pimento cheeseburger for the drive-in restaurant and fulfilled his teenage dream of working as a curb server.
“I scream about Akron as much as I can, even though I work in Cleveland,” Cimino told Signal Akron last summer. “Akron will always have my heart. And as a kid from Akron [and] somebody who still lives in Akron, Swensons has always been a big part of my life and my culture.”
There’s that local pride — tied to a burger and milkshake.
The original location is still open on South Hawkins Avenue near West Market Street in Wallhaven.
2nd place:
Aladdin’s
782 W. Market St., Highland Square
330-535-0110
Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
https://aladdins.com/
When Aladdin’s opened its first location in Lakewood in 1994, there was a bit of a learning curve for diners who stopped by for Mediterranean fare.
“We had to teach people how to eat hummus, how to eat pita bread” said Brittany Constable, area director for the chain’s Akron-area locations. “Over time, obviously, it’s caught on.”
These days, regulars know where to find their favorite baba ghanoush and tabouli, but the draw for this Mediterranean spot has changed with the times.
“There’s a lot more attention on ‘healthy eating’ in the last 10 years,” Constable added, “so that’s been good for us.”
Fady Chamoun came to Ohio in 1972, dreaming of opening a restaurant featuring food from his home country of Lebanon. He spent years working his way up at Little Ceasar’s before taking the plunge to open his own spot.
About 31 years later, customers come for the chain’s vegetarian and vegan options. Those with dietary restrictions know they can find nut-free and gluten-free options too.
“There have been variations to the menu over time. This past year we changed to basmati rice instead of brown rice,” Constable said.
A popular dish remains the Genie’s combo plate, which features cauliflower florets, chicken mishi and lebanese salata over rice with hummus, tahini and turnips. There are tons of shareable options too: a pita pizza you might not have tried, juices and smoothies.
Oh, and save room for dessert. Turns out you can thank ancient Greece for cheesecake.
One thing that’s stayed the same is Aladdin’s commitment to the dining experience.
“We want to make sure people who come into the restaurant feel like they’re at a friend’s house, and that’s what Lebanese hospitality is,” Constable said.
But that doesn’t mean it’s always a casual spot. Constable said it can also be an elegant dining experience.
To start, try choosing from one of their wines, all sourced from Lebanon, including the country’s first organic line by Adyar. The Expression Monastique, a red blend, pairs well with the kabob.
But if you’re more into white wine, Inspiration goes well with their Greek Pitza or the Fatayer Plate. You can even take a bottle to go.
3rd place:
Olive Garden
3924 Medina Road, Copley Township’s Montrose area
330-666-5313
480 Howe Ave., Cuyahoga Falls
330-928-2205
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
330-928-2205
Website: https://www.olivegarden.com/home
If you’re still associating Olive Garden with special occasions like prom and graduation and their quintessential unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks, it’s time for another visit.
Now, you can order digitally from your booth when you sit down and pay without fussing with receipts. Order for pick-up or delivery, too. And don’t forget they cater.