Chips & Salsa

Do you enjoy truly authentic Mexican cuisine? Do you appreciate when a restaurant staff is hard working, friendly and cares about your dining experience?  If so, then Chips & Salsa Mexican Restaurant is for you!

Chips & Salsa owned by Oscar McBenttes is located in the old Ponderosa building at 4272 Belden Village Street NW in Canton, OH

The colors are bright and the atmosphere is festive and it is here you will find a friendly, warm staff offering the finest in authentic Mexican cuisine at extremely affordable prices.

Your dining experience begins with a friendly host or hostess who will seat you in a location of your choice and a friendly wait staff who brings complimentary chips & salsa to your table and proceeds to take your drink and food order.

I personally recommend the Taco Salad with grilled chicken.  Without a doubt the best Taco Salad I have ever eaten anywhere!  My wife recommends the Salsa Special which is sliced grilled chicken with melted cheese and mushrooms served with a side salad and topped with sour cream and rice, she says it’s a culinary masterpiece and it sure looks it.

I can’t say enough about the quality of service, the friendly, inviting atmosphere and the authentic Mexican food.

I give Chips & Salsa a 5 out of 5 stars and encourage you to check them out.

Their authentic homemade salsa and homemade chips are also available to go!

Beef Jerky Unlimited

For the greatest jerky you’ll ever taste; just head north to Luna Pier, Michigan to enjoy the plethora of delicious flavors and spice.  From the tame to the wild, Beef Jerky Unlimited has it all.

I first discovered this wonderland of tantalizing taste bud goodness while going on a random drive from Toledo, OH into Michigan and when we saw the sign that read “Beef Jerky Unlimited, We are not a gas station” we knew we had to check this place out and it was one of the best decisions we ever made.

We were greeted by this seemingly sweet, friendly, elderly lady who invited us to take our time looking around and informed us that all of their jerky is made on site.  Upon finding out we were originally from Pittsburgh, she teased us at how much better her Detroit Red Wings are, but that did not deter us from sampling and buying some of the best jerky anywhere in the world.

Beef Jerky, Turkey Jerky, Pork Jerky, Wild Game Jerky, this place has it all and more.  They even sell spices and sauces and jerky making kits and so much more.

Among my personal favorites are the black pepper jerky, cajun beef jerky, hot & spicy turkey jerky, and of course the deer jerky!  The lady was sad to tell us that they were out of alligator jerky the day we visited, oh darn! I don’t think I would have tried it, but maybe.

All of the jerky is in barrels and you use the provided tongs to put jerky into brown paper bags and then at the end they weigh it and charge you.  While the cost does add up quickly, let me promise you, it is well worth the price you’ll pay for what has to be the world’s best jerky.

For more information please visit Beef Jerky Unlimited where you can even shop online, but trust me, the in person experience will be on of the best you’ll ever have.

Lembo’s Italian Restaurant

In 1964 Sig Lembo and Frank Vaccaro bought a small pizza shop on Canton Road in Akron. 45 years later Lembo’s Italian Restaurant is a family friendly staple proudly serving the Akron/Canton area.

Conveniently located at 1186 Canton Road in Akron, OH; at the intersection of  U.S. Route 224 (Waterloo Rd) and State Route 91 (Canton Rd.) and just minutes from Interstate 77.

I was first introduced to Lembo’s in 2007 through a fellow pastor and I have had the wonderful opportunity to dine there many times since then.

Lembo’s not only boasts an incredible menu of authentic Italian dishes, but they also have an incredible salad bar (which comes with all meals) and a separate soup bar complete with other cold and hot items.  You won’t want to miss out on what should be award winning, fresh baked, homemade cinimon sprinkled bread.

During the week, Lembo’s also features a pizza buffett at lunch time.

My personal favorite is the sussage and peppers, which comes mild or hot and is served with a large side of spaghetti and includes the salad bar, and let me tell you, this is no ordinary salad bar.

As my dad used to always say “if you go away hungry it’s your own fault.”  And with large, generous servings, along with affordable prices that is no doubt true at Lembo’s.

I will forewarn you that a certain waitress can be a little passive aggressive; but upon reminding her that you are a paying customer, all is fine again.

Lembo’s is the first review to receive 5 of 5 stars from me, which makes this Italian Restaurant a top place to dine!

For more information check out www.lembos.com

Mariachi Loco’s Mexican Restaurant

This evening I enjoyed my second meal at Mariachi Loco’s Mexican Restaurant aka Mariachi Mexican Grill located at 2215 East Waterloo Road in Akron, Ohio. http://www.mariachilocosmexicanrestaurant.com/

I had lunch here a couple of weeks ago with some of the other pastors in our association and I definitely enjoyed my first trip where I had the fajita chicken taco salad, which I hightly recommend.  Tonight I ate the taco Gordo salad, which I also highly recommend; however you better come hungry for this one because you will leave stuffed!

Tonight’s experience was a little different, mainly because I was with my wife, but also because I didn’t feel that we received the same great service as with my first experience.

One of the things that attracted me back to this restaurant was the fact that I told my wife we could eat there for about $20.  This too was part of the problem; as that estimate was surprisingly off.

The things I like about this place:

1.  Authentic Mexican Food – It’s definitely the real deal.

2. Free – all you can eat homemade chips & salsa

3. Modern facility, open space, friendly staff, uniquely and authentically decorated

4. Affordable prices so long as you are careful on what and how much you get.

5. Not being a drinker, I like how the bar area is clearly separate and away from the dining area.

Overview of what I do not like about this place:

When you order a salad; the menu states that guacamole is available upon request.  No where does it state that it costs anything extra, let alone a whopping $3.00 per cup, for which my wife and I spent $6.00 that we didn’t know we spent when we asked for it, otherwise we wouldn’t have.

Not all of the staff are friendly.  I’m not sure if this is a Mexican thing or what, but the gentleman who waited on us two weeks ago was awesome.  The girl we had tonight…. not so much.

Be very careful when you go to the bathroom (yes they are clean), this is NOT an area for children or anyone easily offended by nude “art.”  In keeping with the authentic Mexican theme and decor; there is a large, full wall painting of a Mexican muscle man saving the damsel in distress; however one of the damsel’s large breast is showing, nipple and all in a very realistic painting.

Over all the food is FANTASTIC and the Iced Tea is brewed to perfection and I’d give this restaurant 4 out of 5 stars!

Kickin’ It Off

I have a confession to make; I LOVE food.  Shocking, I know!  Maybe I love food a little too much.  I enjoy finding good, quality places to eat from high end or “fancy” to just little diners, drive-in’s and dives….why does that sound familiar?

I’ve found a lot of great places in my vast travels and some not so great places.

I will tell you about my experiences, what to look for and what to watch out for and hopefully along the way you’ll get to enjoy some of my absolute favorite places and dishes to eat.

I enjoy cooking, athough I don’t do it as much as I like. I like to hit up The Food Network and The Travel Channel for ideas as well.

Dinner is served!