Where to eat in Dayton Ohio North of Middletown

Got to Tank's for breakfast. HUGE servings. Not expensive. Hash Browns with onions, were excellent. Nothing else seemed too exciting. Scrambled eggs were kind of dry, a bit overdone, pancakes were a little spongy, not too tasty.
My 16 yr old son had a large omelette, with cheese, bacon, & I forget what else... He didn't finish it, which is shocking. It was indeed large, and he did wolf down his hash browns, but he usually eats til he's stuffed, which means he cleans the plate. He said the bacon was too much... not sure what that meant (too greasy?), but he stopped eating the huge omelette half way through.
Service was good, the waitress was nice and refilled the coffee often enough.
It's a bar - with a bar's decor. Which I thought was cool. We were there about 10 on a Sunday - some patrons looked like they'd just stopped drinking - which wasn't a problem, just kind of amusing. A couple groups of college kids made their way in while we ate. Not too many children in the place that I noticed.
I think if I would've had a beer with breakfast it would've been better. Not really disappointed, just not eager to go back for breakfast.
Anyone else been and had a different experience?

Two open questions I want to pose to this thread:

1) Where in Butler or Warren or N. Cinci or even Southern Dayton can you find the best fried fish and chips, as roadfood? (We went to La Comedia this weekend, and the dinner buffet had these just awesome fried cod chunks.) Granted that Ohio is not fish country.

2) Does anyone have experience with Micomonaco's Pizza in Middletown? How is it? I read in some local forum that it is a local icon or something. Just wondering.

Our lunchbunch ate at this Greek restaurant Thursday..we had all four of their soups, the Greek meatball hoagie, the mousaka, gyros, rice pudding and baklava.  The place  was packed wall to wall.  Food was good and prices very reasonable.  I found the baklava to be unbelievably delicious - the best any of have had anywhere:


Grecian Delight
By Teri Horsley, Contributing Writer
Friday, June 09, 2006
For those looking for a place "where everybody knows your name," Middletown's Grecian Delight is the place to be.
A combination of authentic Greek cuisine and all-American sandwiches, Grecian Delight has something for everyone. In addition, the owners know each of their regular customers so well that they can recite from memory what a person will order.
Founded in 1990, the current owners Maria and Kosta Ververis took over in 1997. The aunt and nephew take pride in bringing part of their homeland to Middletown.
Each weekday there is an authentic Grecian special which begins with Pastichio, a Grecian style lasagna on Monday, and ends with Friday's Chicken Kabob on Rice Pilaf. Saturday rounds out the week with any number of tasty delights including Stuffed Peppers or Stuffed Grape Leaves.
Grecian Delight has a huge carry-out business and offers a catering service.
The Ververis' customers are their best advertisement as many come several times a week to enjoy great food and a family atmosphere. Pat Montgomery of Franklin says "Grecian Delight is the best kept secret in Middletown," and her husband Richard agrees. "It is outstanding and delicious," Richard said, adding that, "Maria can make anything and it will taste good."
For those not sure if they like Greek food there is a wide variety on the American menu. "They have the best hamburgers in town, with everything being made fresh," said Maxine Evick of Middletown.
Maria Ververis makes it a point not only to remember the favorite foods of her customers, but she also keeps tabs on their families, and any major event that happens in their lives. "If you don't put your heart and soul into a small business it won't succeed," Ververis said.
Her pride in Grecian Delight is evident by her warm smile and welcoming attitude toward new customers. "It only takes one time to come here and you are hooked," said Ververis.  With the number of people willing to   brag to this reporter about the restaurant, it is obvious that Ververis is right.


how to go
THE NAME: Grecian Delight.
THE LOCATION: 1300 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, Middletown (Greentree Plaza).
THE HOURS: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and closed on Sundays.
THE STYLE: Casual.
THE TAB: Menu items range from $1.25 - $5.75 Daily specials are $5.75.
THE PHONE: (513) 424-5411.
THE CRITIC'S CHOICE: Keftedes (Greek meatballs) on spaghetti with Greek salad.

Grecian delight is one of the things I miss about living in Middletown. I miss my gyro fix.
            Cant beat the prices either.

I went to Tanks for the first time on Wednesday evening. I had a standard 1/2 lb burger with cheese, fries, and Bass Beer from the tap. This Burger is just as good as Slyders. My wife had the famous grilled cheese. It has a ton of ingredients and she enjoyed it. My son had the fish sandwich which was hand battered and very large. Cooked perfect on a quality bun. Fries were fresh cut to order and appeared to be twice fried and excellent. Served with malt vinegar. Sorry I had not been here before. Service was excellent and the place was packed. Waitress was a pro! From the outside one might think its just a bar. I actually asked if my 14 year old son could come in as the sign said 21 or over only. Definitely a bright spot in Dayton. Lots of character and characters adorn the place. I will definitely go back...Russ

We just gown from Grecian Delight.  My wife loved the wine cooed meatball sands and I loed the the gyro and suvgloki.  Along with the greesalad(lunch special) it was a ood meal.

Re: fish and chips. I will answer my own question. The Breakfast Club in Lebanon has their own battered-on-site fish and fries platter with slaw for $6.50. You get two very large (long) and tasty pieces of whitefish for the money. It could have almost fed two people with a second side. This serving of fish is the equal of a fish and chips that I got at Claddagh Pub in Mason that costs almost $20 for the "full" serving. GREAT value at 1/3 the price!

donw9876

Where in Butler or Warren or N. Cinci or even Southern Dayton can you find the best fried fish and chips, as roadfood? a local icon or something. Just wondering.

Is Northern Kentucky too far out of the way?  Mr. Herb's in Hebron out by the international airport does some fine fish and chips.

Ghaz

donw9876

Where in Butler or Warren or N. Cinci or even Southern Dayton can you find the best fried fish and chips, as roadfood? a local icon or something. Just wondering.

Is Northern Kentucky too far out of the way?  Mr. Herb's in Hebron out by the international airport does some fine fish and chips.

 
It would be however it is right down the street from my Kentucky office and I agree with you that it is the best fish and chips in the area and well worth the trip....Russ

We don't get down there that often, but thanks for the recommendation! We'll keep it in mind the next time we are in the area.

How is Mr. Herb's compared to either Mitchell's Seafood or Sweeney's (Centerville?) It sounds similar to Sweeney's.

Well, if you take a look at Mr. Herb's you'll see it doesn't really compare to Mitchell's at all

I meant more like the menu selections. But I see what you mean. Mitchell's has the "high concept" decor with nautical themes. Also a bit overpriced. But good. Much more of a chain, more "anonymous."

It looked from Mr. Herb's web site like it was a family run road food type place. Sweeney's in Centerville is probably similar - they also have cajun inspired seafood dishes and I highly recommend them. (I always get stuff broiled or blackened there.)

donw9876


We don't get down there that often, but thanks for the recommendation! We'll keep it in mind the next time we are in the area.

How is Mr. Herb's compared to either Mitchell's Seafood or Sweeney's (Centerville?) It sounds similar to Sweeney's.

Sweeney's is a little more upscale and offers a much better variety of seafood. Herb's is more of a one trick pony offering for the most part fish and chips. I have been to Sweeney's many times but usually dont order fried fish. They have way more options and a full bar...Russ

Russ Jackson

Sweeney's is a little more upscale and offers a much better variety of seafood. Herb's is more of a one trick pony offering for the most part fish and chips. I have been to Sweeney's many times but usually dont order fried fish. They have way more options and a full bar...Russ

I don't think I ever ordered fish and chips at Sweeney's either. It never occurred to me, with all of the great fish and side items on the menu. Herb's still sounds interesting enough to do as a side trip on the way home sometime, and appears to be even less formal than Sweeney's, which isn't very.

I lived in Ft. Wayne several years ago and I liked a local chain up there called "Famous Fish of Stroh", which sounds similar to Herb's. There should be a place in the food ecosystem for a plain old fish and chips restaurant.

donw9876
I meant more like the menu selections.

Check the 'Site Map' section of Mr. Herb's website that I linked to in my previous post.  It has a copy of their menu.

Ghaz

Check the 'Site Map' section of Mr. Herb's website that I linked to in my previous post.  It has a copy of their menu.

Ah, found it. Ok, it's clearly toward the BBQ and fast food/bar food end of the spectrum. I'll take Sweeney's, but Mr. Herb's sounds like it is worth a stop while on the road.

Jimmy's Italian Kitchen
3002 Woodman Dr.
Kettering, OH 45420

My in-laws recommended this place, so we gave it a try tonight-- pretty good!  I don't know how the food compares to Troni's since I haven't made it there yet, but I had the veal parmigiana and husband had the veal marsala (a special) with fried calamari as the appetizer.  It's not particularly cheap (a little over $60 for three people, and we all drank water) but everything was good with generous portions. 

NYPizzaNut, I think I remember seeing that you didn't care for the pizza here?  We didn't try that, but I'd happily eat off the regular menu.  I know Dominic's is a Dayton favorite, but thought the veal parmesan here was much better.

I'm going to be up in Kettering at the end of the month.  I'm looking for a place to have lunch near E. Stroop and Marshall for around $10.  I've already got Gyros on S. Dixie Drive and Hot Head Burritos on Smithville Road as possibilities.  Anyone else have any suggestions?  Thanks.

Ghaz


I'm going to be up in Kettering at the end of the month.  I'm looking for a place to have lunch near E. Stroop and Marshall for around $10.  I've already got Gyros on S. Dixie Drive and Hot Head Burritos on Smithville Road as possibilities.  Anyone else have any suggestions?  Thanks.

Any other criteria besides price?  You're not that far from Palermo's on Kettering Blvd. if you like Italian.  I haven't eaten lunch there, but it's hard to go wrong with any dish with bolognese sauce. 

No.  Price is pretty much my only criteria.  I like pretty much anything

Ghaz


No.  Price is pretty much my only criteria.  I like pretty much anything

A Roadfooder after my own heart, then!  ;)   You're also not far from Troni's on Dorothy Lane  (near the intersection with Wilmington, I think) which has become a local favorite for NY style pizza here in Dayton.  I haven't had the pleasure of trying it myself, but several of the regulars here give it rave reviews.  I'm not sure if it'll fit your $10 criteria, though.  Someone did post pictures somewhere in this thread, and I seem to recall there might've been a picture of the menu as well.

Whatever you decide, good luck.  :)

Ugh: http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2009/02/13/ws021309fire.html?imw=Y

If you like pizza and have not been to Troni's then you have no decision to make. Troni's is it. I assure you will not be disappionted. ...Russ

Went to dinner to a relatively new Thai place-- Siam Pad Thai on the corner of Wilmington and Dorothy Lane.  The restaurant was packed.  It doesn't help that the place is pretty small and there are tables wedged in every available corner.  Service was also a little on the slow side, but they were doing the best they could on such a busy night with limited waitstaff.

We didn't try any of the sushi (they do have a very small sushi bar and extensive menu with a lot of the crazy maki combinations if that's your cup of tea) but the calamari, fried tofu and fishcake appetizers were all very tasty.  I liked their pad thai pretty well.  It was a touch sweet and could've used more shrimp, but the shrimp that was in the dish were perfectly done and not all rubbery/chewy like you sometimes get in restaurants.  The basil chicken and Massamun curry were also good.  I liked the flavor of the Penang curry, but it's a little weird to me to have carrots, peas and long beans in a curry.  They were fine, if somewhat non-traditional.

The usual caveats-- Thai food isn't cheap, the portions are not large by Midwestern standards and Dayton is not the greatest place for it, but this was a lot better than that place that used to be on Alex Bell and I like their curries better than Thai Kitchen's.  I wouldn't object to going again, although I'd probably opt for a weeknight instead of a weekend in hopes of it being less crowded.

arianej


Went to dinner to a relatively new Thai place-- Siam Pad Thai on the corner of Wilmington and Dorothy Lane.  The restaurant was packed.  It doesn't help that the place is pretty small and there are tables wedged in every available corner.  Service was also a little on the slow side, but they were doing the best they could on such a busy night with limited waitstaff.

We didn't try any of the sushi (they do have a very small sushi bar and extensive menu with a lot of the crazy maki combinations if that's your cup of tea) but the calamari, fried tofu and fishcake appetizers were all very tasty.  I liked their pad thai pretty well.  It was a touch sweet and could've used more shrimp, but the shrimp that was in the dish were perfectly done and not all rubbery/chewy like you sometimes get in restaurants.  The basil chicken and Massamun curry were also good.  I liked the flavor of the Penang curry, but it's a little weird to me to have carrots, peas and long beans in a curry.  They were fine, if somewhat non-traditional.

The usual caveats-- Thai food isn't cheap, the portions are not large by Midwestern standards and Dayton is not the greatest place for it, but this was a lot better than that place that used to be on Alex Bell and I like their curries better than Thai Kitchen's.  I wouldn't object to going again, although I'd probably opt for a weeknight instead of a weekend in hopes of it being less crowded.

Have you tried Thai 9 arianej?...Russ

Russ Jackson

Have you tried Thai 9 arianej?...Russ

No, I haven't.  My parents tried it ages ago and were underwhelmed.  They thought it seemed more like Thai/pan-Asian fusion, with more emphasis on presentation and atmosphere than the food itself.  Their preferred Thai restaurant so far is Arloi Dee in Mason.

Theres a decent chinese buffet on 48 near Dorthy ln.  I was suprised that you listed Herbs.  Thats quite a trek from the Dayton area.
Does anyone know if Pugs Dog House was closed?  I thought I saw where it was no longer open

Brittneal, I am from that general area of Belmont, so this is interesting to me. This explains it:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/leadbelly/entries/2009/02/13/au_revoir_dugou.html

After reading this review on the Leadbelly blog, my husband and I decided to check out 4200 Place.  They have daily specials and do breakfast all day (and it looks great) but since we were there for dinner I went for the pork tenderloin and my husband had the 4200 burger.  The pork tenderloin was great (and huge), pounded very thin and fried crisp.  Even folded in half, it still overlapped the oversized bun!  In hindsight, I really shouldn't have ordered fries to go with it.  :) 

Husband's burger was also good, and he had the fries and gravy.  Nice, but kind of rich.  I think we both sort of hurt ourselves re: the food portion, and sadly, it left no room for dessert.  I didn't catch what kind of pies they had that day (although I thought I heard the waitress say sugar cream?), but in the dining room, you could clearly see three enormous homemade cakes.  One slice looked big enough for two people.

We'll definitely be back!  It's a nice, cheerful place, very friendly service and  I really hope it stays open.


4200 Place
4200 Kettering Blvd (on the corner of Kettering Blvd. and Marconi, across from the old GM plant)
Dayton, OH 45439

Gave the Fairborn Family Diner another shot today.  I was a goodboy and didnt even ask about the prime rib!
We go there because my wife just loves the hot-shots.  SHe usually gets the beef.  They only use one slice of bread cut in half.  The portions are huge.  The meat and gravy alone must weigh over a Lb!  She always subs the homefries instead of mash(instant).  They also give you soup or salad and another side item along with it.  For 9 bux you cant beat it.  Tonite she treid the turkey version that was on special  Again about a pound of white turkey meat.  This was the real deal carved off the bone.
I went for the breakfast menu.  They also have huge breakfast dishes at good prices.  I had 2 over easy, ham, HF and rye toast.  The slab of boneless ham I got was over 1/2 lb.  Along with the mountain of nicely browned HF's i was lucky to finish half of it.  Its not the worlds best ham but still decent.. For $4.95 its tough to beat.  One day Ill remember the camers.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/17/lippert.qanda/index.html

Welcome, Dictator!  And thanks for the tip Re: Milton's.  I don't usually go much for doughnuts, but your report has definitely intrigued me.  :)

We've been to that burger wagon thing in Miamisburg, but thought it was just okay, not so remarkable that we've bothered to go back.  Maybe this summer we'll give it another go.

Dictator.  Did you mean the Miamisburg hambger Stand just off cinci=day on the split from 741?  If so they were the worst ive ever had.  A deep fried (it tasted like a pork breakfast patty) topped with so much pepper you gag!  We waited in line for over 20 min during nonpeak times.  They sure do a business!  The best in Middletown is the BBQ trialer the guy sets up in the lot on 122 just before downtown.  If hes still there its great
A warning for Fairborn.  The Flying Dragon(not Tiger).  We got lunch there today.  We got a pint of chicken chop suey(all my wife eats of chinese).  The sauce had no flavor, the rice eve had a taste like old fish and it was only white not fried rice!  The chicken was very odd.  It was the only tough chicken I ever got from a chinese place.  Even when the use dark  meat as well as white, the flash cooking in the wok leaves it tender.  This was like beef jerky.  it looked like large slices of white mead about an 1/8" thick.  The texture had a pebbley grain like corned beef.  it was absolutely inedible!  My wife and eye both got stomach cramps with in an hour of eating.  We barely touched it but I saved it not to eat but to take to the ER if we get food poisoning!  I cant understand how a place can opperate when noone on duty can speak a word of English.  It took for ever to order a simple dish and i was still afraid it wasnt right!  Its a shame as it looked great and was loaded with veggies.  AT 6 bux for a full pint of chopsuey plus  a container of rice it was a heck of a bargin if we would have enjoyed it.  Im hoping that the meat was chicken of some sort.  Maybe and old stewing hen or rooster.  I bought a stewing hen years ago.  Id never had one before.  I figured I could roast it like a regular chicken.  It was a beautiful bird as big as a small turkey and only .39/lb.  It came out a lovely golden brown.  I tried to carve it but the knife wouldnt go thru the skin.  The meat was so chewy we coudnt swallow it and the skin was honestly as tough as leather.  Im guessing thats what was used there!

Ive reported some good meals before.  The Mel-O-Dee in Park Layne is very good as wellas the Fairborn diner if you dont happen to care for meats that tend to be cooked past medium.  Im sorry you didnt like my take on the Hamburger Stand.  If anyone else has eaten there they have to have noticed the white pepper issue as well as griping about a substandard chinese dinner.  I had planned on posting about the Flying Dragon when i saw your mention of the place in Miamisburg.
Is it the same one you are taliking about?  If so didnt it seem to have an extreme amount of pepper on it?

Normally I would never comment negatively on a persons appearance exspecially if related to a health problem.  I only mentioned the girl with the acne as it bothered me but I didnt go into details,  her face was very bad and she kept touching it and then handling foods without washing her hands,  none of the staff that handled food wore gloves either,  I spent over 20 years in food service.  I have NIFI's highest certification in food handling.( FBI, etc).  When I see things like this it bothers me.  I guess its a good thing the kitchen is in the open one can only dream of what goes on behind closed doors,
The burger we talked about was coated with white pepper from a shaker right before it was served,  I didnt know it its like that every time but it was so strong we both gagged.  I did mention how popular it is so some people must enjoy it.
As to my lambasting several places about the Prime Rib, I thought I had prefacd that. Before the food ever came out the server was instructed not to even bring it out if it was past MR.  Im sorry but a rib roast is not conjecture or guess work.  You can see what it is before its cut into!  At the same time I had asked if the roast was cooked in house or oif they purchased it from a purveyor precooked.  In both cases I mentioned it was precooked before it got to the rest.  I had firmly requested that they not serve it if that was the case and I got it anyway.  I ended up not eating due to the fact that it had ruined the meal by them bringing it out anyway.  By the time my new order would have arrived my wife would have been finished with her dinner.  Im sorry.  There is no excuse for that.  If they had done as requested I would have happlily ordered a different entree.  Instead due to either arrogance or lack of savvy they went ahead and served me what I had specifically requested them not to.  The key in any dinning experience is service and satisfaction.  If the staff is uncarring or incompetent then the diner suffers.

My own $0.02: I've noticed that as we eat out more often, we become more discriminating about bad service, poor sanitation and poorly prepared food, etc. This comes about from seeing distinct differences between different restaurants in terms of  food preparation, standards of cleanliness, quality of service, etc.

Many restaurants screw things up for customers and ruin the customers' enjoyment of their dinner by doing a few very easy and simple things very poorly, including poor communication, indifference to customer needs, and cleanliness. We've had the dinner experience basically ruined because the server decided that she was not going to bus our table and would treat us like pests (and I love to get negligent wait people fired just as much as I love to tip a really excellent waiter 25%.)

My guess is that Brittneal dines out a lot and he just sees more stuff gone wrong simply because he's an experienced diner-outer.

And personally, I think it's as much a meritorious public service to call out restaurants on crappy practices as it is to point out excellent places to eat. There should always be overwhelming pressure to improve.

I was only kidding about the girl at Troni's.  I had no salacious desires being very happily married.  Im imagine that some people always take everything verbetam.  As for my rampant typos..For a long time I had a cordless keyboard that was somehow misreading keystrokes.  I have a board I bought new that misses about 5% of the keys struck which makes for a post that looks quite unbalanced.  I am educated and have adequate spelling and grammar skills.  If it was that important why isnt there a spell check on this board?  Most I belong to offer that feature!  On top of that i have terrible arthritis in my hands and wrists.  unfortunately, I get careless and dont proof thinking it should be OK.  For a board dedicated to food we have a bunch of third grade garammar teacher wannbees.
By the way.  I am always extremely polite to the servers at which ever place i happen to eat at.  I am never demanding except when it comes to the prime rib as I dont want it if not done MR. I even make the effort to call and ask beforehand.  If they dont have the courtesy to tell they truth it does upset me! Thats not a lot to ask especially if its made clear before hand.I admit  that I havent given plaudits to many of the places Ive been to.  The reason was I havent found anything that was outstanding enough to mention while on the downside the bad experiences have been worthy of comment.
Dictator.  How can you call me out on this.  I had been mulling over why it bothered me.  I have been a member here for several years.  I am about to hit 1000 posts.  In no way were more than a small % of the in any way a negative comment or report.  I just realized that you only have 13 posts.  Before you come out swinging you ought to pay your dues first!

Also, sometimes when I try to edit there is a glitch that subtracts a letter for everyone I type.  I just fixed it with a cut and paste.  Ive had to give up and cut my losses before.  I dont know why this happens.  On different sites using different computers and OS its happened on EMAILS, Posts and documents.
 
 

Re: "What I don't do is go around swinging my d**k because I'm the Customer, and the Customer's Always Right."

Well... business would not exist were it not for the customer in the first place.

I've seen tons of marginal but possibly redeemable restaurants close because people "voted with their pocketbooks" but never said anything - the restaurant never got a clear message as to what they were doing deficiently. They just see their sales decline gradually and some people stop coming in and one day they shut the doors. What really happens, I think, is that the owners are completely disconnected from the customer's experience. They have no idea that they have exceeded some tolerance level of their customers, or that they are just not special enough to justify their prices.

I believe that a bad but "well delivered" (informative and reasonably objective) review is the biggest favor that a customer can give a restaurant - assuming that the owner or manager sees the review in time. Because  it is basically throwing them a lifeline to diagnosing their problems - so that they can stay in business.

I don't feel that I have a right to abuse the wait staff. However, they can certainly "earn" my right to do so by screwing up enough and by ignoring my comfort. 

But the customer IS always right in the final analysis because without enough customers  any place will fold.

dik.  You have used a pulic forum to make a personal attack on me and I resent it.  I tried to be gracious the entire time but feel forced to say that if anyone comes off as an a## here its you.
Talk to a moderator on any board and the will tell you that people who just come to read and dont contribute are considered "lurkers" and have no value at all to the web communitee at large.  In any venue one who only takes but never gives is never considered to be an asset of any sort.  Hence my opinion and personal value far out weighs yours! I believe Ive made some valuable and interesting posts over the time that you have been just lurking around.
What made you decide to "come out"?  Boredom or just an ovewhelming need to cause trouble?

brittneal


If it was that important why isnt there a spell check on this board? 

 
There is.  It's the key in the upper left corner of the 'Reply' box (not the 'Quick Reply' box however).

I agree that negative reviews can be as helpful as positive ones... if they are well written.  Oddly enough, I find myself entirely capable of assessing a restaurant without including irrelevant commentary on the physical appearance of the waitstaff.  I suspect people would find it difficult to take me seriously if I did.  (And justfiably so.) 


Dictator's status as a new member doesn't make his opinion any less valid than anyone else's.  I for one am glad he joined and I hope he'll stick around.  We could use the new blood.

I have no desire to continue this as I had no desire to be involed in the first place.  You chose to hijack this thread by deciding to make a pesonal attack on me from what you thought you gleaned from a couple of isolated posts.  The topic deals with dining in and around the Dayton metro area.  It has nothing to do with 1 persons private vendetta against another.
I had said I tried to be gracious about this the entire time.  You, on the other hand, chose to continue to go out of your way to find fault with me personally.  To say that I resent it it overstating the obvios..   This is the very last I have to say in this matter!

In regards to The Hamburger Cart in downtown Maimisburg:

Anytime one can get a hamburger deep fried in a Wok at a downtown turnaround I am stopping. No Frills just Burger fried, pickle, spice blend, raw onion, stuffed into a bag unwrapped. Nothing else tastes like them and there is always a line. Rain, snow, heat, it doesn't matter. Benjamines and Sliders are better but different...Russ

Russ, was it Middletown you were talking about or Maimisburg  It must have been an Isolated occurrence when we had the "pepper burger"  Maybe they arent always that heavy handed.  I havent been to dtown Middletown since we moved in 05.  My wife used to own a consignment shop on Central.  There was a Spanish(Mexican) market on Central that had great home made food and mexican stlye dogs..  The tacos were awesome to behold as well as the handmade relljenos.
Update on the Family Diner in Fairborn.  Went there last week and my wife tried the RB hotshot off the "lite" menu.  It was 2 bux cheaper then the menu vs.  It still came wsoup or salad and 2 sides.  The difference was it was on a round plate rather than the larger oval platter.  What did they do  They put her smothered home fries on a seperate plate!  She still got  about a lb of RB on the meal.  $6.95, cant be beat.  I opted for the Gyro platter.  It was a crispy home made flat bread and a ton of processed Gyro strips and loaded with fresh veggies.  The Tzanni sauce wasnt quite to my liking as it was home made with their own yoghurt. 

Maimisburg...Sorry my mistake...Russ

Russ, If you ever have some free time, what about a get together.  See if we can round up a few roadfooders in the sw ohio area and do a pilgramage.  Have a taste test on the fried burgers.  I had a local report back me up up on the wok frying and the possibility that the meat is mixed with a sausage.  While mentioning a bit of a zing it didnt say it was overdone.  I would love a chance to say I was wrong.  The crowds they get are most;y regulars and unless they have a white pepper addiction I just had a bad day
britt

Just a heads up.  For any lovers of real Mexican in SW Ohio there is a new option.  Probably one of the only taco trucks in a 100 mi radius!  Its parked in the parking lot where the VA Clinic is in Springfield.  It located on Burnett about a block south of the Springfield hospital.  Its been in the same location for at least 8 months now and I know they are open M_F at least.  I was short on time after my appt today but checked out the menu.  Tacos are $1.50 and burrittos are 6 bux.  It offers about 5-6 fillings including bistec, leguma(?), al pastor, Pollo and others.  The board also lists carnitas.  The only serve Mexican sodas.  I saw a line up of them on the counter, they were warm and I dont know if they offer them chilled.  I would have snagged a taco for the ride home but we are always cash poor(to eliminate impulse buys) and they didnt take a credit card.  If anyone has the chance to check them out before I get back, please let me  know how it is.  It smelled great and at 3pm the 2 picnic tables were crowded.
britt

Glad to see that there are some other SW Ohio Foodies around. I myself have been lurking around for a little bit of time and finally decided to give some input on some experiences that I have had regarding recommendations I have found here.
 
My parents and I tried Troni's a week ago and we got 2, 12" pies. My parents wanted a deep dish with cheese and I decided the traditional with pepperonni and we also got an order of the garlic bread with cheese. First off the garlic bread with cheese was a rather large dissapointment. While I recognized the large amount of garlic in it, which I do LOVE, I thought that they were rather underwhelming. I mean it was just a roll sliced in half and topped with some mediocre cheese.
 
The two pies I thought were alright. While I know a lot of people who tend to criticize deep dish pizza as being "too buttery", I thought that Troni's wasn't enough so. I mean it was definitely thicker than their traditional crush and while it was structurally sound I just didn't think it had enough of that buttery nature to it. The traditional cheese was alright and despite people saying that the crust was really flavorful I would have to respectfully disagree. While I thought that it was nicely cooked I think it could have used a little bit more char on the bottom and the cornicone could have been a little bit crisper.
 
Personally the best "NYC Style" pizza I have had in Dayton is at Johnny's off of 48. It is practically right next door to Bill's Donuts, best donuts in Dayton IMO. It used to be an old Roc-a-fella's that was closed and then reopened under the original owners of that Roc-a-fella's. It is by the slice or whole pizza and I think it is totally fantastic.

Soccer862923


Glad to see that there are some other SW Ohio Foodies around. I myself have been lurking around for a little bit of time and finally decided to give some input on some experiences that I have had regarding recommendations I have found here.
 
My parents and I tried Troni's a week ago and we got 2, 12" pies. My parents wanted a deep dish with cheese and I decided the traditional with pepperonni and we also got an order of the garlic bread with cheese. First off the garlic bread with cheese was a rather large dissapointment. While I recognized the large amount of garlic in it, which I do LOVE, I thought that they were rather underwhelming. I mean it was just a roll sliced in half and topped with some mediocre cheese.
 
The two pies I thought were alright. While I know a lot of people who tend to criticize deep dish pizza as being "too buttery", I thought that Troni's wasn't enough so. I mean it was definitely thicker than their traditional crush and while it was structurally sound I just didn't think it had enough of that buttery nature to it. The traditional cheese was alright and despite people saying that the crust was really flavorful I would have to respectfully disagree. While I thought that it was nicely cooked I think it could have used a little bit more char on the bottom and the cornicone could have been a little bit crisper.
 
Personally the best "NYC Style" pizza I have had in Dayton is at Johnny's off of 48. It is practically right next door to Bill's Donuts, best donuts in Dayton IMO. It used to be an old Roc-a-fella's that was closed and then reopened under the original owners of that Roc-a-fella's. It is by the slice or whole pizza and I think it is totally fantastic.

I will go to Johnny's and try it. When it was Rock-A-Fellas it was hit or miss. And the place was not clean enough. Troni's is relativly consistant. However they have off days so give them a few tries. Bill's is still a great doughnut. Agreed that it is still the best in the area. Not as good as when Bill was still alive...Russ

We had Johnny's a few weeks ago. Very good ingredients. But kind of bready. Not what I understand is a "real" NY pizza crust. But it's a good product, overall.

What is sad is that Troni's being the best Ohio has to offer would rate about a 7 out of 10 in New York at best...Russ

Hannigans...Do you mean Harrigan's possibly? If so then yes I have eaten there and they do a pretty decent burger and an interesting take on pizza. I don't know if the pizza there was really good because it had been probably about 3 months since I had pizza but it tasted fantastic.
 
The pizza is somewhat along the lines of Connecticut or Dayton style pizza and may lie somewhere inbetween. I thought that sauce and the cheese worked fairly well and I couldn't stop eating it. The burger was pretty good and I was impressed that they actually cooked it to the medium rare that I requested as most places almost always overcook it in Dayton and I inevetibly have to send it back.
 
Figlio's for me is a little hit or miss. I have had their pizzas and I think that they are undercooked. I like a liberal amount of charring on the bottom and the cornicone, crust for those who don't know the term. It is a "gourmet" pizza much alike Spinosa's at the Fairfield Mall or a classier CPK. I didn't particularly care for their Margerita pizza as I didn't like their olive oil and the tomatos were not good, or in season.  They have pasta dishes as well and my grandma really like her crabcakes the one time we went. If you do go you have to try their Red Velvet cake. It is a really good twist on a classic cake with dark chocolate frosting and a white chocolate creme inside. 
 
Speaking of Spinosa's has anybody tried it yet? I kind of want to but it seems rather pricy and everytime I pass by there is practically never anyone in there.

Dictator


Yes, I meant Harrigan's (I knew I'd screw it up).  Sounds like the missus and I will have to try that place as well.  Any mention of Connecticut style pizza raises my antennae.  I've never had it, but, honestly, it seems like it'd even beat a vaunted New York pie for sheer deliciousness.
 
 

That's ok. I am horrible with street names so you could have actually been talking about a place called Hannigan's and I would have been none the wiser.

DEWEY'S VS TRONI'S

My office is now in Columbus Ohio. I will be moving here shortly. I am obsessed with food in General but when it comes to Pizza, Authentic Mexican, and Hot Dogs I have a problem. That being said. For the first 7 of my 10 years in the Dayton area I lumbered around trying to find a quality Pie. I had given up until  member NYPIzzaNut turned me on to Troni's. I have now been to Dewey's three times in Columbus and I will review them. I only order the Old Fashion or a Standard Pepperoni from Tronis. The ingredients from Troni's are adequate.
 
Pepperoni is ok and similar to chain places. Dewey's is better however it could be better. Thicker pepperoni is a thing of the past. Pepperoni should be thick enough that it curls up causing a small pool of grease in each pepperoni. The older members will remember this along with brown paper wrappings that had spots of grease on them and when opened a plume of steam was released.

Cheese is about the same either way.

The rest of ingredients by far go to Dewey's. I bet Dewey's has 15 items that Troni's does not have like: Jalapeno, Canadian Bacon, Kalamata Olives, Anchovies, Fresh Basil...etc Troni's uses canned Mushrooms and Tomatoes. It seems all of Dewey's are fresh including whole cloves of garlic and red onions. While Troni's are supplied canned or prepackaged.

The Restaurant itself.
Service: Dewey's service is top notch. You can watch the men toss the dough behind the glass window in the lobby area and see the Pizzas made. The place is EXTREMLEY CLEAN. I mean spotless! Very nice people attentive to every detail. Top Notch. Pleasant female and male servers.

Troni's: While I really like the guys at Troni's service is always weak. To the piont that if the Pizza wasn't the best in 200 miles I would complain. I have only had a woman server once and that was just the other day. I have eaten at Troni's dozens of times and everyone knows me. The decor is bland and dated. The place is clean enough. I have nothing against male servers but in this case they are all family and there attention to detail is lacking. Crushed red pepper, shake on cheese, additional beer, paying your bill etc...You must track down your server to get it or do it yourself.

The Crust: There is no comparison. Troni's wins hands down! Pizza is the crust and Troni's does this better than anybody within 200 miles which means once I move to Columbus I will be driving 70 miles for there Pizza. While Dewey's is very good and I will continue to eat there.  Even though the toppings are far better at Dewey's the crust out weighs everything else. Dewey's is the second best Pizza in Ohio. Dewey's is a far better Pizza if you like additional toppings on your pie. My wife and office ordered there Edgar Allan Poe today: Olive Oil, Mozzarella - Fontina Blend, Mushrooms, Roasted Whole Garlic (There must have been 25 or more cloves on the 17inch) Kalamata Olives, Goat Cheese and Fresh Tomatoes and Parsley after the bake. I am a traditional Pepperoni, cheese and maybe jalapeno pepper Pizza kind of guy.

I also want to say that the staff at Troni's are extremely nice. I just don't think they have ever waited and people prior to this. It is more of a timing thing. I will still make the drive to Troni's. And these are the only two Pizzas worth eating in Ohio...Russ
 

It had been a while since we'd been to La Michoacana for lunch, so this past week my husband and I made a special trip to meet friends for lunch.  La Michoacana is a grocery store, but on one side there's a small restaurant area.  Quite a varied menu, too.  On weekends, they do pozole and menudo as well as barbacoa, but our usual order is one of their tortas, a huge sandwich that comes with various fillings, including chorizo, breaded fried steak, carnitas, beef tongue, etc.  I got the marinated pork ("al pastor") torta:



I would've taken more pictures, but people dived into their food too quickly.  ;P  It's delicious and large enough for two people to share.  Well, unless those two people are Roadfooders, maybe!  To wash it down, a glass of horchata, which tastes like heaven in this hot weather.


La Michoacana Market
748 Troy St Dayton, OH

Thanks to Tony Bad's keen eye  I am now able to post on this thread again.

The problem was that I had subscribed to the thread before the format change and that generated an error message each time I tried to post somehow.

Tony noticed my subscription and cancelled it and wallah I am now able to post once again here.

If anybody has a similar problem you can now easily rectify it.

By popular request I have begun a new thread covering SW Ohio, N Ky and SE In:



http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/tm.aspx?m=523987&high=

This new thread begins with the meandering lunches our lunch group experiences (we have been at it since 2000) but please feel free to post there about anything to do with food or restaurants you experience in this wonderful part of America, or continue posting here or on the Cinci thread as you have done in the past, as you deem desirous and appropriate.

A lot of more rural places will be covered - in addition to many places in and about greater Cinci and Dayton.

Critical error.  After touting my Chna buffet on another post i was locked in.  feeling a bit up we went after my dr appt at 4pm.  The dinner items had just been swapped out including chili fried crab sections and super plum snow legs.  Every thing was ice cold.  my wife could barely pull the skin of a wing!  The crans were like ice.  The corker is the hot and sour sopu I always srat ith.
My wafe is no fan and struggle to find enough to eta. As for me those americanized dishes are a treat
Nay way the hot and sour wasnt even room temp!.

I have a few pictures to share of in-and-around Dayton eateries we've visited recently.  :) 

Tienda Mexicana
215 Byers Rd
Miamisburg, OH

It's in the same strip as Dark Horse Tavern, near the 725 exit of I-75.  The shop itself carries a few grocery items, CDs, DVDs and miscellaneous goods, but they recently opened up a small kitchen in the back.  The main menu listed tortas (the big sandwiches), burritos and tostadas.  There's maybe half a dozen tables in the store, so it's not a very big dine-in area.  We got take-out.


This is one of their tortas with a beef tongue filling.  They also have the usual suspects: steak, pork, chorizo, etc.  If you ask for everything on it, you'll get lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, avocado, red bell pepper and pickled jalapenos.  A good value for $5.50, and very tasty.  There's a small handwritten menu at the cashier's counter that suggests they also serve menudo and tamales, plus a few other things I can't recall because I don't actually read/speak Spanish.



Next up is a place I've mentioned before:

4200 Place
4200 Kettering Blvd
Moraine, OH

This was our second visit, but it's already the top contender for favorite local homestyle/diner type place.  Service is very friendly (lots of joking among the staff and owners) and they have a lot of regulars.  Dinner crowd was brisk even on a week day, but it cleared out fast after 7pm or so.


The inside is nice and cheerful.  They have 2-3 homemade cakes on display, but I haven't managed to save any room for a slice.  :)  This is a close-up shot of their daily specials board.


I forget which burger this was-- one with two meat patties, obviously, and it turned out to be larger than I anticipated.  It was a decent burger, but I like their pork tenderloin sandwich even more. 



The fish basket special, which came with four moderately sized pieces of fish, fries, hushpuppies, coleslaw and homemade tartar sauce.  (Which is a bonus in my book, because I hate the tartar sauce that comes in packets.)  Breading is VERY crisp.

@arianej: I had heard that 4200 Place reopened and I had liked it before they closed but haven't been back since they reopened. Looks like I need to get my stuff together and get there.