Where to eat in Dayton Ohio North of Middletown

arianej


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.

...I like the sound of Tienda Mexicana!  No goat?  Horchata?

Soccer862923: I don't think I'd been to 4200 Place before it closed, so I can't compare.  But I  liked it.  It had a nice combination of good, reasonably priced food and a friendly atmosphere.  I'll be bringing out of town guests here to show them what a pork tenderloin sandwich is, and I mean to try their fried chicken sometime in the near future.  :)


NYPizzaNut: I didn't see goat listed on the menu, but it's worth asking about!  The very small menu board at the cashier counter (which lists more stuff than the large one at the back) did list horchata.  I'll have to try that next time, because I love that stuff.

Anyone been here yet, or know if they have indeed opened:

http://dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2009/08/17/daily7.html

Monday, August 17, 2009
New pizza place to open near University of Dayton

Dayton Business Journal

A by-the-slice, New York-style pizza restaurant is opening near the University of Dayton.
The new restaurant, Pi Pizzeria, is scheduled to open in mid-September.
Craig Hatfield, owner of Pi Pizzeria, said the concept he and his business partner — Johnny’s Pizzeria owner Johnny Riveria — are bringing to Brown Street is unique to the neighborhood.
“We’ll be selling by-the-slice. Nobody does that down there,” Hatfield said. “The sauce and the dough are going to be made fresh everyday.”
Pi Pizzeria, located at 1910 Brown St., will feature fresh, homemade pizzas, as well as baked sandwiches, strombolis, calzones, stuffed New York-style hot dogs and salads.
And since Pi is targeting college students, Hatfield is aiming for affordability. A slice will cost $2.50, two slices and a drink will cost $6, and a whole 18-inch pizza will be $15.99.
Hatfield has a three-year lease with an option for renewal for the 1,560-square-foot restaurant. There will be bistro-style seating on a patio outside the restaurant, and customers can watch employees toss dough from the front window.
The restaurant will employ seven people, three delivery drivers and four cooking up Italian classics.
Hatfield’s goal is to open a Pi Pizzeria near a university campus at a rate of one per quarter. He is targeting Wright State University and Ohio State University for his next locations.
Store hours for Pi Pizzeria will be 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to midnight on Sundays.

E-mail tdemeropolis@bizjournals.com. Call (937) 528-4427.

A few notes:

Rudy's Churrascaria in Germantown is closed: http://www.daytondailynew...at_closed_10_days.html

We went once, and it really didn't merit a second trip (I posted a pretty negative report last November). They need to fix their service, or stay closed. My guess is that everyone in the area who was curious tried it, and they got few second visitors.

We went to Hot Head Burritos in Centerville the other night and I revise my earlier positive review - Taco Bell is better, honestly.

My wife got nachos, and it was actually disgusting. How can you screw up nachos? Well, they used a bowl type plastic tray for the nachos. The chips went in first, then ground beef, then queso sauce, and then lettuce. Their queso is apparently the more authentic white runny stuff. So, even though we ate in the place, the chips were soggy and everything in the tray looked disgusting after about 5 minutes. All they really needed to do was have some intelligence about using a larger shallow tray and spread things out.

I got two tacos. The one with ground beef was OK. The shredded chicken was sub-par and tasted like precooked chicken from a bag. Also, I got salsa verde and it was fairly bitter tasting.

So this is my big question. Does anyone reading this thread have a favorite place where they get broasted chicken in the greater Dayton area?

I used to go to this place in Vandalia (which I highly recommend) but I am trying to find something closer to central Warren county - Middletown, Lebanon, Wilmington, S. Dayton or N. Cincinnati burbs.

Thanks.

donw9876


So this is my big question. Does anyone reading this thread have a favorite place where they get broasted chicken in the greater Dayton area?

I used to go to this place in Vandalia (which I highly recommend) but I am trying to find something closer to central Warren county - Middletown, Lebanon, Wilmington, S. Dayton or N. Cincinnati burbs.

Thanks.

Don't know how it compares to your usual place since we've never been there, but I recently tried the broasted chicken at Holly's Home Cooking in West Carollton and it was pretty decent.  (As a bonus, they're open 24 hours a day.)  Prices are very reasonable.  My husband gives a thumbs up to their chicken and dumplings special as well, and said it was like his grandmother used to make.

And if you're ever up in the Hocking Hills area, Bush's restaurant in Logan has great broasted chicken.

brittneal


Tronis still gets my vote for the babe in the pin sweater! Hubba-hubba

The daughter is now at home and two of the sons are no longer there regularly - one is at college and one has a regular job.  They now have outside help waiting tables and bussing them.   Nick - the one remaining son - and his dad make the pizzas now - with mom in the kitchen making most of the other food.

arianej

donw9876


So this is my big question. Does anyone reading this thread have a favorite place where they get broasted chicken in the greater Dayton area?

I used to go to this place in Vandalia (which I highly recommend) but I am trying to find something closer to central Warren county - Middletown, Lebanon, Wilmington, S. Dayton or N. Cincinnati burbs.

Thanks.

Don't know how it compares to your usual place since we've never been there, but I recently tried the broasted chicken at Holly's Home Cooking in West Carollton and it was pretty decent.  (As a bonus, they're open 24 hours a day.)  Prices are very reasonable.  My husband gives a thumbs up to their chicken and dumplings special as well, and said it was like his grandmother used to make.

And if you're ever up in the Hocking Hills area, Bush's restaurant in Logan has great broasted chicken.

I can attest to the quality of Holly's chicken - our lunchbunch was there some time ago and we reported on it further back in this thread I believe.

Folks, thanks for the recommendations for Holly's and for Bush's.

Just a heads-up for all Troni's fans, they will be closed from Oct 4-25. Family vacation.

Oh my God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the heads up.

Anyone been to Monster Pizza / Doubledays Bar and Grille on E Alex Bell??

Doubleday's: We ate there a few months ago but I didn't order their pizza. It is a standard sports bar type place. A bit better than average. Nothing about it really stood out.

Tonight we tried Rosati's Pizza in Springboro after I had viewed many glowing comments about it in an ActiveDayton.com article. This is a local unit of a franchise chain and is a Chicago pizza themed place. But since it's the only one of its kind in the region, I consider it somewhat Roadfoodish.

We ordered a 14" thin crust with pepperoni and bacon, two side salads and two soft drinks.

The pizza had a pastry like crust, actually a bit flaky on the bottom - no real gluten development. There was plentiful cheese (seemed like double cheese from other places), and the pepperoni was embedded under the cheese.

The crust was yellowish - I get the impression that a Chicago thin pizza crust is supposed to be a "butter" crust. 

It filled us up and was fairly tasty with a decent sauce. But, it doesn't hold a candle to Ron's or Troni's. The crust texture was blaaah. I hate to think what NYPizzaNut would write about it.

The total bill for the meal described above was $29. Quite overpriced for what you get. The server had the small town "I'll forget tables that my friends aren't sitting at" mindset - she totally forgot she was going to get our check - so we had to wait a long time at the end, and finally nag her to bring our check. Irritating. The salads were very blah standard side salads.

It's close to where we live so I wanted to know if it is an option. Ok, so we tried it.

Verdict: Meh. Not worth what you pay without some coupon deal, and not worth a side trip.

I'll save $23 and buy a frozen pizza if I'm really that hard up.

donw9876


Doubleday's: We ate there a few months ago but I didn't order their pizza. It is a standard sports bar type place. A bit better than average. Nothing about it really stood out.

Our lunchbunch ate there yesterday and the meal is reported on here:


http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/tm.aspx?m=523987&mpage=6#544368

I pretty much agree with your comments on the place.  Except I found their potato wedges to be superior to just about anything I have ever eaten before and their soups were very good.

I see Voltzy's has opened a stand alone place. Great Dayton Charachter. Here is some food pics from his place enjoy...Russ

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=62309095

What is the deal with Five Guys Burgers in front of Sam's Club on 725? We went by there about 2 PM on a Sunday recently and the line was out the door and the place was packed. For burgers? We skipped it.

The wife and I ate at the new Smashburger ( http://www.smashburger.com/menu_ohio.php ) across from the Dayton Mall in Miamisburg last night.  The wife ordered the third pound barbecue, bacon and cheeseburger with haystack onions, while I ordered the half pound spicy Baja burger with Smashfries™.  In both cases the burgers were dry and flavorless.  The Smashfries™ were pretty all right, but the haystack onions were utterly forgettable.  We left wishing that we'd stuck with our original plan of going to Five Guys.  We will not be embarking upon any subsequent visits.

Captain Howdy


The wife and I ate at the new Smashburger ( http://www.smashburger.com/menu_ohio.php ) across from the Dayton Mall in Miamisburg last night.  The wife ordered the third pound barbecue, bacon and cheeseburger with haystack onions, while I ordered the half pound spicy Baja burger with Smashfries™.  In both cases the burgers were dry and flavorless.  The Smashfries™ were pretty all right, but the haystack onions were utterly forgettable.  We left wishing that we'd stuck with our original plan of going to Five Guys.  We will not be embarking upon any subsequent visits.

My dad and I had about the same experience when we went there. I got the spicy baja and thought it wasn't too terribly dry but it did seem marginally so, the guacamole was the only thing that saved it. I personally really enjoyed the fries but I have always been a fan of that kind of fry. I really enjoyed the chocolate shake I got but when you are using Haagen Dazs ice cream it would be pretty hard to make a bad one in my opinion.

Thanks for the insight, we considered Smashburger after checking out Five Guys but I was in the wrong lane to make the turn.  Sounds like no great loss.

Back to Five Guys - what is the deal with the cultlike crowd that I saw in the middle of the afternoon for a burgers n' fries place? Do lots of people think it's cool so they "have" to eat there?

donw9876


Thanks for the insight, we considered Smashburger after checking out Five Guys but I was in the wrong lane to make the turn.  Sounds like no great loss.

Back to Five Guys - what is the deal with the cultlike crowd that I saw in the middle of the afternoon for a burgers n' fries place? Do lots of people think it's cool so they "have" to eat there?

I think with 5 Guys is that is has a rather large following out there where they do have them and well Dayton loves its chain food places... Needless to say I still enjoy their burgers immensely and think they have the best Fast Food Burger that I have had to date.
 
Most of it probably just has to deal with the fact that it is the new thing in town so it has that "cool" factor.

Most of it probably just has to deal with the fact that it is the new thing in town so it has that "cool" factor.

I agree with that. Same thing happens when In-N-Out, Krispie Kreme or even new Sonics open up.

I tried that Five Guys a couple weeks back and was not at all impressed. The burger was very overcooked with a dry, crumbly texture, despite the coating of grease. Little to no beef flavor. The toppings were the biggest disappointment, I asked for the sauteed onions and the mushrooms, got exactly one slice of mushroom and 4-5 pieces of onion. The fries were ok and they give you a bunch, but again not much flavor other than over-used cooking oil/shortening. A lot of other folks think this place is great, so possibly I caught them on a bad day, every place can have one. I'll have to give them another try on a different day, after the herds of sheep go elsewhere to graze.

One slice?!

I've eaten at that specific Five Guys location (and no other) three times; twice in its first week of operation, and the third time just a few days ago.  My order all three times has been a bacon cheeseburger (with lettuce, tomato, mayo, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, pickles, and barbecue sauce) and a regular order of fries (split between two people).  The first two times, I raved about the quality of their burger: It was juicy, loaded with toppings (no "one slice" for me), and damned tasty.  The fries were on the order (as has been said by others previously) of those that are found at Penn Station, and we got quite a large portion of them, more than enough to fill the both of us up.  This last time, however, the burger was a little less flavorful, and they left off the barbecue sauce and the tomatoes (of course, I didn't discover this fun little fact until I had returned home, and had no interest in making the 15 minute drive back to Centerville to rectify the situation).  Also, the fries were near-cold (and this has pretty much nothing to do with the fact that we got the meal to go; we'd done the same the previous two times that we had Five Guys, with very little heat loss) and not nearly as plentiful as the previous two times.  Still, I will go back (and I'll be sure to open up my burger and account for all ingredients before I leave the premises) again, probably sooner rather than later.

Also also: On each visit I have encountered a very long line, but it truly has moved quickly, and I've each time gotten in and out within the span of 15 minutes.  And believe me, I'm unsurpassed in my impatience (as my wife will be only too happy to confirm).

jjjrfoodie


Well, on my way to a meeting in Dayton last nite I needed to grab dinner, and a lot of Dayton foodies here mentioned Troni's. I'd thought I'd make the trek.

Grabbed a New York Style pizza with pepperoni and sausage and man, you folks have a little locally owned non-chain gem there.

Crust was browned with little blackend bits on the bottom and crunchy on the edges, but foldable like a NY pizza should be. Fresh made and shaved sausage--none of that crumbly stuff.

We've got maybe 3 or 4 non-chain places I go to here in Cincy and this is up there with the best.

No, Troni's is not cheap. But it's nice yet casual enough that you could feel like going for a date nite and eat in, or get a carryout pizza and pay a little more for good quality pie. Lasagna portions were HUGE! Seems to be vegetarian friendly as well. I want to try the white spinach pizza next time I am up.


My pie :)



Menu





jjjrfoodie

I cannot believe I missed this post!  I of course add my endorsement of this fine establishment and their food and in particular Troni's pizzas of all styles and varieties!!!

I think their prices are very fair considering the quality of their food.

So you really like Troni's, huh?

What do you think about their pies now that you have been to NY?

Does anything in SW Ohio compare?

TJ Jackson


So you really like Troni's, huh?

Don't you have some people to scold for not posting within your parameters on the Cincy/NKY thread?

Just visited Culp's Cafe for breakfast this past Sunday with my parents. Not really worth mentioning other than to give my recommendation to avoid it.

I ordered the croissant french toast that turned out to be really bland and soggy with no crust whatsoever and it came with some cold syrup. The hash browns were by all accounts a very pathetic "attempt". I say "attempt" because they were the preformed patties that they bought somewhere and attempted to heat up, as all of ours were at room temperature at the hottest.  I didn't finish either item.

My parents got omelettes of various types, not any of the first choices as they were out of several ingredients. They said that they were alright and filling but nothing that they would consider good, but rather ok.

I also opted for their buttered and griddles donut. It ended up being very tasty and would have saved the breakfast if the rest of it wasn't pretty bad.  We all got coffee and it was good the first pot but then the waitress made the second super strong because that is the way she likes it. Well it ended up being too strong for both my parents and I so we didn't have a second cup.

The waitress seemed to be rather aloof and didn't do a good job of keeping our coffee refilled, which is usually a pretty big staple of small places. Definitely will not be coming back anytime soon.

Aside - there was a renowned Culp's Cafeteria in the Dayton Arcade up through the 1970s or so. I recall it being under the inside dome. I ate there with my parents when we would shop downtown. I recall it being very good (I was just a kid, so any place that made burgers was "good" to me.)

It sounds like this joint is just an attempt to capitalize on the name recognition. Thanks for the report, and warning.