Ido Bar & Grill (lunch)
 Akron, Ohio         Date of Visit: 01/10/14            http://www.idobar.com/ 

A few days ago we had a disappointing dinner here which made me doubt by memory of our lunch stop some time ago, so we returned in the middle of the day. The interior remains the same. They were busy at dinner, they are stuffed to the gills at lunch. It was quickly apparent the front of the house staff during lunch is the A-team and apparently so is the kitchen. My memory appears generally intact.
 

The lunch team is driven and focused on getting your fed and going, smart in the middle of the day. We ordered pierogi, chili, a burger and another sandwich. The pierogi were pretty standard with sautéed onion and sour cream but these came with a few slices of smoked sausage, not bad. The chili is above average, shredded beef instead of ground, fresh veggies, cheese & onion on top, and some serious kick that lingers. Unique enough that you might find your way back if you enjoy that kinda thing.

Steph tried the Blue Cheese Burger with crumbled gorgonzola blue cheese, bacon, lettuce & tomato. The bun is tender and soft, catching the juices of a seasoned patty. The bacon is crisp, the cheese is sharp, the chips are salty. That’s lunch.
 

Chili Had Fresh Bite
 

Pierogi Were Fine
 

Ido A Burger Over Steak ANY DAY Here
 

So Much Better
 

I ordered the Hungarian Sausage sandwich, a homemade sausage patty (I’m pretty sure from Al’s in Barberton), topped with grilled onions, peppers & Swiss cheese on the same soft and toasted bun. Having been to Al’s restaurant and butcher shop I was expecting a patty that will slap you in the face and hope that you might swing back, knowing without doubt it will win any slap fight. It does. Dusky spices, spicy kick, color and flavor from loads of paprika, it’s a bonanza of flavor. The onion, peppers, cheese and bun try with mixed success to tame the combo contained within. Hard to go wrong here. The onion rings on the side were well fried to encourage the seasoned breading to cling to the veg. I would definitely do this again.
 

This Thing Is Right Up My Alley
 

Sausagey Hungarian Punch Makes It Memorable
 

Rings Were Better Than I Expected
 

It Ain't Primo's But It Ain't Bad
 

We were lured by the promise of carrot cake wonder, but we have had some really tasty ones. This one was fine. Six layers of dense and  moist carrot cake separated by layers of cream cheese icing. Compared to Primo’s this was a little less sweet and less vanilla, had WAY more coconut (some versus zero!) which is not as great for me and was more finely mixed, missing out on strata of long shreds of carrot, big chunks of pecan and so on. It was good, there are better. Speaking of better, the lunch menu and service at Ido was vastly superior to our dinner visit. Have a sandwich and go back to work happy, have dinner somewhere else.