Louie’s still tops the list of Akron’s burger options. We had the zucchini and breaded wings which were still nicely done. The fries were a little better this trip. Steph had the burger, the Greek, with stupidly salty feta…an excellent patty (where they make their gravy)…and a disappointing tzatziki sauce. I tried to stretch the menu…asked about the walleye sandwich (out), the steak sandwich (frozen), and the perch sandwich. Our server talked me off the frozen steak, gets chewy, but didn’t follow up with the fact the perch is clearly a frozen mess as well.
 

If you go to Louie’s you will find fast and friendly service and great burgers…but if you order anything else on the menu you will likely find disappointment instead. Have a great burger in a simply honest place, rub your full belly, go home. Any deviation is at your self-inflicted detriment.
 

Louie's Bar & Grille
 Akron, Ohio         Date of Visit: 08/11/12         No Known Website 

I’m not certain how many times I may have driven past this place. Just up the street from DiVitis it has been a number of times and until our familial burger aficionado (yes, the one who ordered chicken strips at Save the Fish Burger Bar) I have never seen nor heard of Louie’s. Having had absolutely fantastic burgers at Ray’s Hell Burger in DC this past weekend I was worried nothing in the Akron area could even begin to approach that standard…or I would have heard about it some time ago…right? We were set to find out. From the parking lot Louie’s looks quite the shambles…not that this is a bad thing…we have walked into a few shacks or lean-tos to walk out immensely satisfied. At least the bricks to which the white letters of the sign are affixed don’t appear in danger of collapse in the immediate future.
 

Mary's Decorated Bill Wallet
 

Stepping inside is a trip through the looking glass. It is definitely a bar/burger joint inside but it would be better described as upscale dive. It’s obvious the fixtures have been around for a while, but they are clean and classy.

Speaking of being around for a while, I suspect our server, Mary, has been a fixture at Louie’s for some time and it shows. Diminutive and naturally sweet (no artificial sweeteners) we learned her name when she dropped off the tab in the little leatherette wallet which she had apparently decorated in a cheery beach theme. Not only sweet but vigorous in following up on her tables, she seemed to be taking great care of charges all around the joint. Quirky and exceptional she really added to our experience. Steph left her a nice but less than extravagant gratuity which we have enjoyed doing for people who do their jobs so well. Again it wasn’t extravagant but after we left and were looking at the hamburger shaped pillow in the window Mary apparently ran to the window to wave and mouth “Thanks” to Steph.  Sweet lady, great server.
 

Louie’s proclaims to be known for two things, burgers and fried food so we ordered two salads. Right…. We started with fried zucchini and wings followed by two burgers and had designs on dessert. The sliced rounds of zucchini were beer battered before their bubbly dip in the Crisco and arrived screaming hot. Thick fresh veg, tasty coating, thick ranch dressing for dip, we were off to a great start. The wings looked much less successful. We ordered Hot Garlic Parmesan and what arrived appeared to be wings with a dusting of parm, no more. Then you take a bite and realize the wingys are breaded and the breading not only adds a thin layer of crispy crunch, it also provides a spider hole for the wing sauce to avoid discovery until the first bite. Crunch…hot chicken and layers of garlic and heat escape the breading and made me laugh with a little Ohh at the point of discovery.  Happy.
 

Then came the burgers. Thump. Now again, it’s less than a week from trying some of the best burgers I have had in some time, Louie’s may suffer in comparison. First off, while Louie’s offers a number of burger combos, by modern standards the offering are exactly that, pretty standard. No eel or marrow or uni here. Think pure American. Cheeses, veggies, chili, condiments. Preset combos or build your own. As long as it’s good.

Before we get to good I can assure you of one thing beyond doubt. They are big. All burgers are half pound patties and you won’t go away hungry. They had three deep fried desserts and we were considering the deep fried bananas foster which we had not seen before but there was just no way. Three wings, zucchini, massive burger, dessert was off the table.
 

The taste of the burger. The toppings again were pretty standard. Steph ordered the St. Louie’s Bleus Burger with crumbled bleu cheese and crisp bacon. I ordered the Greek Burger with Feta cheese and tzatziki sauce. All were good. The Greek burger might have benefitted from a spice rub of sorts but it was of little concern as the patties themselves are nearly as good as Ray’s Hell. Crispy exterior gives way to luscious beefytude which will run down your arms if you’re not careful, even at mid-well. Simple, straightforward, great sandwich on both counts. The wall has a number of awards for the best local burger and I see why, I just don’t understand how I never heard of it before. The burgers come with fresh cut fries which proved to be the only sticking point of the entire trip. They were good, would have been great with another minute in the fryer leaving some of them a little mealy and most missing a crunchy exterior. The fully fried ones were delicious which only made the less done sticks more of a bummer.

D.C. was quite an experience and we will certainly return for a number of reasons including dining options. To find a local joint so honed in on providing a great meal and experience is quite the find, one which will be enjoyed much more frequently. I really dug this place top to bottom.