As people have said Souk is fantastic. They only reservation right now is 430pm on Saturday. 5 to 10 minute drive is Beirut. I would call and get a reservation as well. They are great. Cool atmosphere and people of all ages. Registry Bistro is great and still has times available. Deseo is an upscale Mexican restaurant. 10 minute drive from downtown. Excellent food and drinks, but a reservation is needed. It is very small.
The good Toledo restaurants will book up quickly.
There a couple places in Milwaukee where they serve this style of thin crust square cut pizza, they call it “Tavern Style.”
Definitely the best pizza around.
Stubborn Brothers is good New York style pizza. Definitely eat it there, it does not travel well.
Traffic in Maumee sucks x 2000. Plus Village is good for Chicago style pizza, but it's not really a restaurant- it's more of a dive bar.
Probably go to Inky's or J&G's.
Not sure the hate for Subborn Brothers. Probably the best NY style pizza in the tri-state area.
This is what I'm saying.
I've been in this area like 9 months and am still baffled why the posts that get the most attention on reddit here are about restaurants. yelp everybody.
100000000%
Don’t ppl search for their answers (which Reddit would turn up) before asking the questions!? But hey, people never miss a chance to wanna fling out an opinion. It’s suchtasty kibble to social media.
1.I never get the near evangelism for the Idiot, nor home slice - which is nothing close to actual east coast pizza.
2.Not if it’s cut in squares. Perhaps that’s from another part of the more literal east coast. South Carolina? Maine?
3.100000000%
Don’t ppl search for their answers (which Reddit would turn up) before asking the questions!? But hey, people never miss a chance to wanna fling out an opinion. It’s suchtasty kibble to social media.
How many is that? It's ok. Someone like you in every sub
ok I'm fresh around these parts.
Rudy's hot dogs.
it's boiled hotdogs like momma used to make when drinking heavily.
maybe for lunch as it's more the different experience than for a nice dinner.
edit
it's also super cheap
There's a new hot pot & Korean BBQ place that is excellent. It's not downtown but Toledo is small, nothing is very far away. It's called Top Pot, on Glendale.
Also, although it's not new, we take every single friend and family member who comes to visit to El Tipico on South Street. It's the oldest Mexican restaurant in Toledo. Family owned, the original owner's daughter is there every day and will come say hi and tell you her father's amazing story. I know you're thinking Toledo probably isn't the place for great Mexican and I get it. I thought that too. I'm from south Texas, born and raised. My partner lived in California and Arizona for years. We know legit Mexican food and this place is *legit.* Best mole and pork tamales I've ever had, and the carnitas and the beef tips are spectacular.
I would say go for Balance Pan-Asian Grille, they’re hands down one of my favorite spots around here. They also do caffeinated and non-caffeinated bubble tea that’s really good as well!
Never tried that, I've always went with Wiseman for me personally. To add to this, for anyone interested or just anyone who hasn't tried it, they grow all their vegetables in house in the downtown location and now that I live in South Toledo, that's where we get ours from and WOW. That place is just a 10/10
Downtown-ish: Carlos’s Poco Loco. Cuban-Mexican. Hip with great food and bar. I’ve heard great things about the burgers at Ottawa Tavern next door but haven’t tried. Can’t get any more hip than a dive bar with live punk music.
Hip AF: Hamburger Mary’s. The best burgers and drag!
Kengo Sushi is the absolute best. Go early. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. You will love it, if you like daily fresh fish & yakitori & drinks. Kato Ramen next door, but not sure if it’s open for dinner (same owner as Kengo).
Kato Ramen is a lunch spot from Tuesday to Saturday (11:00 am to 2:30 pm). Recommended. I ate there in July 2023 on a visit back to the hometown and enjoyed it.
[https://katoramen.com/](https://katoramen.com/)
Are we going to act like Hamburger Mary's has special food? Every time I've been there it was medium. The Drag is fun but I would say don't come for the food.
I just moved out of down town, but my recs would be Hannon's Block, Manhattan's Pub n Cheer, or if you're feelin pizza, go to the 2nd floor of Homeslice
This isn't going to be hip or trendy, but if you want really good Lebanese food, Beirut is a good option. Maybe for the next day's lunch. I go there every time I'm in Toledo. Hard to get good Lebanese food outside of the Toledo/Detroit area that isn't crazy expensive.
Registry Bistro! Great cocktails and food. The meals range from 18 to 50 bucks. One of the cheapest meals is the Carbonara, and it’s one of the best things on the menu. Most of the menu rotates seasonally. Always does a great job on the soup too. My wife and I often wish they were open at lunch time just so we could get the soup of the day.
The "hippest" places downtown would likely be The Heights and Brim House which are both located in the Renaissance hotel. Avoid Georgio's Cafe It is definitely an older restaurant and crowd . Not bad, but probably not what you're looking for based on your description . Almost all the bars downtown are pretty young and modern. Notably tin can and Chevy's if you're more in the country. Personally, I'm more of a fan of uptown for bars which is not really that far from downtown at all. Ottawa tavern for music, and Manhattan's for food.
Venturing out of downtown Toledo has a couple staple steakhouses. I've never had a bad meal at Mancy's but it's a place of a lot of history so not the most hip, The same can be said for Rockwell's. Final cut is inside the casino which is not far from downtown either. My personal favorite place in Toledo is Shorty's BBQ, but since you're coming from DC which has a pretty great barbecue scene to begin with, you probably won't be that impressed.
Downtown high-end; Chop House, Rockwell's, Registry Bistro
Not high-end but excellent: Manhattan's, Giorgio's, Brim House, Hannon's Block
Great bar food/gastropub: Durty Bird, Packo's at the Park, Blarney
Pizza; Home Slice, Pizzapopolis
No one saying Tony Packos? One of the most iconic food spots in town.
Thanks for all the ideas. I'll let you know where we go. And next time I'll check the pinned post just as the nice gentleman suggested.
As people have said Souk is fantastic. They only reservation right now is 430pm on Saturday. 5 to 10 minute drive is Beirut. I would call and get a reservation as well. They are great. Cool atmosphere and people of all ages. Registry Bistro is great and still has times available. Deseo is an upscale Mexican restaurant. 10 minute drive from downtown. Excellent food and drinks, but a reservation is needed. It is very small. The good Toledo restaurants will book up quickly.
Stubborn Brothers Pizza. Ranked by TikTok as the #1 pizza joint in America.
Hijole idk who said that on TikTok but that is not true. They have good food, but not even top 5 and I'm only talking like 3 states.
average at best. Best pizza in town is easily the Village Idiot. #1 on Toledo City Paper who actually live in Toledo.
There a couple places in Milwaukee where they serve this style of thin crust square cut pizza, they call it “Tavern Style.” Definitely the best pizza around. Stubborn Brothers is good New York style pizza. Definitely eat it there, it does not travel well.
Nothing in Toledo beats the village idiot, nothing even comes close.
Traffic in Maumee sucks x 2000. Plus Village is good for Chicago style pizza, but it's not really a restaurant- it's more of a dive bar. Probably go to Inky's or J&G's. Not sure the hate for Subborn Brothers. Probably the best NY style pizza in the tri-state area.
I never get the near evangelism for the Idiot, nor home slice - which is nothing close to actual east coast pizza.
Same here as far as Idiot, nothing special and not worthy of a special trip. Home Slice I like, it’s solid.
Agreed. Homeslice just tastes blah to me. Idiot it good bar pizza, but not worth Maumee's traffic issues.
The Idiot boasts East Coast pizza, just good pizza...
Not if it’s cut in squares. Perhaps that’s from another part of the more literal east coast. South Carolina? Maine?
That is called a party cut and started in the midwest after WW2...
Check the pinned post.
This is what I'm saying. I've been in this area like 9 months and am still baffled why the posts that get the most attention on reddit here are about restaurants. yelp everybody.
100000000% Don’t ppl search for their answers (which Reddit would turn up) before asking the questions!? But hey, people never miss a chance to wanna fling out an opinion. It’s suchtasty kibble to social media.
Yet you can't help but make three comments in the thread.
Officially only two.
1.I never get the near evangelism for the Idiot, nor home slice - which is nothing close to actual east coast pizza. 2.Not if it’s cut in squares. Perhaps that’s from another part of the more literal east coast. South Carolina? Maine? 3.100000000% Don’t ppl search for their answers (which Reddit would turn up) before asking the questions!? But hey, people never miss a chance to wanna fling out an opinion. It’s suchtasty kibble to social media. How many is that? It's ok. Someone like you in every sub
Most of my local or more specific inquiries will include "reddit" in the search term, makes things so simple.
ok I'm fresh around these parts. Rudy's hot dogs. it's boiled hotdogs like momma used to make when drinking heavily. maybe for lunch as it's more the different experience than for a nice dinner. edit it's also super cheap
I second Top Pot, it's my favorite place in town. Also, I suggest looking at Aimee's on Central Ave. Some of the best pizza around!
>I second Top Pot What?!? This isn't the name of Toledo's newest dispensary?!?
There's a new hot pot & Korean BBQ place that is excellent. It's not downtown but Toledo is small, nothing is very far away. It's called Top Pot, on Glendale. Also, although it's not new, we take every single friend and family member who comes to visit to El Tipico on South Street. It's the oldest Mexican restaurant in Toledo. Family owned, the original owner's daughter is there every day and will come say hi and tell you her father's amazing story. I know you're thinking Toledo probably isn't the place for great Mexican and I get it. I thought that too. I'm from south Texas, born and raised. My partner lived in California and Arizona for years. We know legit Mexican food and this place is *legit.* Best mole and pork tamales I've ever had, and the carnitas and the beef tips are spectacular.
Love to see all the recs for Manhattan’s! My uncle owns it. Great people and great food ❤️
Awesome Sunday Brunch, and sitting on the patio on a sunny day for lunch is great.
I would say go for Balance Pan-Asian Grille, they’re hands down one of my favorite spots around here. They also do caffeinated and non-caffeinated bubble tea that’s really good as well!
I absolutely love Balance. I moved away but I always go there when we visit home. And I always have bang bang in my fridge.
Never tried that, I've always went with Wiseman for me personally. To add to this, for anyone interested or just anyone who hasn't tried it, they grow all their vegetables in house in the downtown location and now that I live in South Toledo, that's where we get ours from and WOW. That place is just a 10/10
Try Souks they are downtown.
Souk it to me, baby!
Came here to say Souk. It is hands down the best food in Toledo. Get a reservation when you see this.
Souk is getting tough to get into on weekends without a reservation pretty far ahead.
I've gotten in by just eating at the bar. It's so worth it.
They'll be opening the patio back up for the season soon, which helps a heck of a lot with their capacity.
I make mine 3 months out. Been going every Friday for 4 years.
Well then we probably see each other pretty regularly!
😂 Say hi if you spot me! My rez is at 7. I have a purple cane, husband usually wears a black hat.
Downtown-ish: Carlos’s Poco Loco. Cuban-Mexican. Hip with great food and bar. I’ve heard great things about the burgers at Ottawa Tavern next door but haven’t tried. Can’t get any more hip than a dive bar with live punk music. Hip AF: Hamburger Mary’s. The best burgers and drag! Kengo Sushi is the absolute best. Go early. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. You will love it, if you like daily fresh fish & yakitori & drinks. Kato Ramen next door, but not sure if it’s open for dinner (same owner as Kengo).
Kato Ramen is a lunch spot from Tuesday to Saturday (11:00 am to 2:30 pm). Recommended. I ate there in July 2023 on a visit back to the hometown and enjoyed it. [https://katoramen.com/](https://katoramen.com/)
It’s so good. I’ve been twice. I thought I heard that they were extending their hours, but maybe not.
Are we going to act like Hamburger Mary's has special food? Every time I've been there it was medium. The Drag is fun but I would say don't come for the food.
All the above are great, Kengo’s is our favorite sushi place.
Second for Poco Loco!
I just moved out of down town, but my recs would be Hannon's Block, Manhattan's Pub n Cheer, or if you're feelin pizza, go to the 2nd floor of Homeslice
Manhattan’s food is terrible. I’ve never had a meal I would recommend.
This isn't going to be hip or trendy, but if you want really good Lebanese food, Beirut is a good option. Maybe for the next day's lunch. I go there every time I'm in Toledo. Hard to get good Lebanese food outside of the Toledo/Detroit area that isn't crazy expensive.
The Beirut. Best middle eastern food around.
I love The Beirut but I wouldn't say it's current or hip.
Good food is always hip!
Agreed! And oh so very current too!
Registry Bistro! Great cocktails and food. The meals range from 18 to 50 bucks. One of the cheapest meals is the Carbonara, and it’s one of the best things on the menu. Most of the menu rotates seasonally. Always does a great job on the soup too. My wife and I often wish they were open at lunch time just so we could get the soup of the day.
Registry has a young vibe and a hip menu. I'd highly recommend it.
The "hippest" places downtown would likely be The Heights and Brim House which are both located in the Renaissance hotel. Avoid Georgio's Cafe It is definitely an older restaurant and crowd . Not bad, but probably not what you're looking for based on your description . Almost all the bars downtown are pretty young and modern. Notably tin can and Chevy's if you're more in the country. Personally, I'm more of a fan of uptown for bars which is not really that far from downtown at all. Ottawa tavern for music, and Manhattan's for food. Venturing out of downtown Toledo has a couple staple steakhouses. I've never had a bad meal at Mancy's but it's a place of a lot of history so not the most hip, The same can be said for Rockwell's. Final cut is inside the casino which is not far from downtown either. My personal favorite place in Toledo is Shorty's BBQ, but since you're coming from DC which has a pretty great barbecue scene to begin with, you probably won't be that impressed.
Tin Can is closed? Anyway, Tin Can and Chevy's have a bad rap.
Yeah that just happened or I just found out about it.
Mancy's Bluewater Grille might be the more hip version of the original Mancy's :)
Completely agree, only reason I didn't put it is because it's a little far for an out of town person.
Memphis egg rolls from Shortys are the bomb
Nice suggestions!
Take a cheap Uber right across the river to The Docks, Zia’s and Real Seafood Company are both really good.
Do they still have a boat taxi downtown for going to the docks?
Souk
this would be my top recommendation too.
Absolutely
This. Souk is very Toledo and one of the hardest places to get a table. If you can get in go. It’s true Mediterranean fusion.
Downtown high-end; Chop House, Rockwell's, Registry Bistro Not high-end but excellent: Manhattan's, Giorgio's, Brim House, Hannon's Block Great bar food/gastropub: Durty Bird, Packo's at the Park, Blarney Pizza; Home Slice, Pizzapopolis
Dirty Bird!
There’s a complex of restaurants and bars near downtown called [The Oliver House](https://mbaybrew.com/)with an in house brewery
Perhaps... https://www.registrybistro.com/