Toledo’s downtown entertainment district has no shortage of great options for grabbing a bite to eat before or after a Mud Hens game, including a variety of new places to try out this season.
A half-dozen new pubs and eateries have opened within the past year in the vicinity of Fifth Third Field with several more slated to open this spring, some as early as April though not in time for opening day.
The new venues will join current downtown staples including The Blarney Irish Pub, Table Forty4, Packo’s at the Park, Grumpy’s, the Spaghetti Warehouse, Glass City Cafe, Bronze Boar, Quimby’s at the Park and more.
A. 151 on the Water
151 water St., 419-725-2151
151onthewater.com
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, 11 a.m . to midnight Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday for now, except for special engagements or rentals. Will be open Mondays starting April 23. Reservations suggested on weekends.
151 on the Water, a Chicago-style restaurant and music cafe, offers “fine dining without the price, in an upscale atmosphere with a casual attitude,” according to owner Mike Scott. The eatery opened in October near Promenade Park at the former location of Murphy’s Place.
“Sweet bourbon salmon, marinated for 18 hours, is our signature dish and to die for as well as our steaks, and we have the best chicken wings in town,” Scott said.
On Mud Hens game days, show your ticket to get half-off chicken wings or chicken sandwiches, or try the Muddy dog.
“It’s the best dog in downtown; you’ll love our sauce,” Scott said.
The eatery also offers a $5.99 lunch special, a nightly chef’s feature and happy hour from 2-6 p.m. featuring $5 martinis, $3 draft beers and $2 domestics beers. The eatery’s signature rock candy martini features crushed rock candy around the glass rim.
“Everybody loves it,” said Scott, who hosts a jazz show on WCWA-AM (1230) from 6-9 a.m. weekdays and formerly owned several night clubs and an ice cream/deli shop in Toledo. The venue also features smooth jazz and R&B on Tuesdays, live music over lunch and acoustic open mic night on Wednesdays, blues on Thursdays and top 40 dance bands on Fridays and Saturdays.
B. 329
329 N. Huron St., 419-241-3777
the329.com
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Thursday-Saturday, closed Sundays for now.
The three-level 329, which opened in November, features restaurant and martini bar studio Martini on the main level, contemporary dance music at Volume Nightclub on the top level and Government Club, a lounge for private parties, on the lower level. Featuring a bar on every level, 329 offers a full selection of draft and bottled beers, wine and liquor. Happy hour is 5-7 p.m., featuring half-off appetizers and half-off drinks. Volume Nightclub features a DJ on Thursdays, Fridays and saturdays while the restaurant hosts a live band. Menu options include appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, steak and more. dress is casual at lunch, but more dressy on nights and weekends, said owner Moe Tawfik.
“People are talking about this place, that it’s nice and classy and fun,” Tawfik said. “I want people to have a good time, get home safe and talk to their friends about us.”
C. The Bar
513 Jefferson Ave., 419-252-6528 Hours: 4 p.m. to midnight Monday-Thursday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, noon to 11 p.m. Sunday. Will also open two hours prior to all Downtown games and events.
The Bar, which opened in September across from the Huntington Center, features two full bars and five pool tables, including an upstairs pool room. More than 40 pool league teams play at the venue each week as part of the Northwest Ohio American Poolplayers Association. The recently opened kitchen serves “upscale bar food,” including steak and chicken sandwiches, burgers, wings and more, said owner Jeremy Mitchell. Happy hour is weekdays from 4-7 p.m. The venue also offers live entertainment, including a DJ and karaoke on saturday nights and the occasional live band. The Bar will be open at 10 a.m. April 4 when the Tigers play the Mud Hens and at noon on April 6 for Mud Hens opening day, Mitchell said.
D. (Coming soon) Lazeez Mediterranean Cuisine
337 N. St. clair St., 419-243-8485
With a name meaning “delicious” in Arabic, this family-owned eatery will offer Lebanese cuisine, including gyros, in a casual, fast-food style format, said Nader salami. The recent Whitmer High school graduate, along with his brother Sam Salami, will run the business, which is under construction and set to open sometime in April at the former location of Andrew Z’s Pizzeria. Their father, Jawdat Salami, will be chef, using his own recipes from his childhood in Lebanon. Lebanese food is known for being healthy and flavorful, Salami said. The eatery will take both dine-in and carryout orders, with all dishes made from scratch and cooked to order.
E. Our Brothers Place
233 N. Huron St., 419-244-5552
ourbrothersplace.com
Hours: 4 p.m. to midnight Monday-Thursday, 4 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Friday, 6 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Saturday, 6 p.m. to midnight Sunday
Our Brothers Place, which opened in June across from the Huntington Center, aims to fill a dining and entertainment niche for the 30 and older professional crowd. The atmosphere is “casual with a little beat of upscale,” said Mike Johnson, who owns the venue with his brother Glenn Johnson and brother-in-law Al Garmon. Shrimp is the most popular item on the menu, which also features crab cakes, burgers, wings, tilapia, chicken, club sandwiches and salad, Garmon said. The two-story eatery offers two full-service bars, happy hour 4-8 p.m. daily except Saturday, 50-cent wings and $1 draft beer on Mondays, free ballroom dancing on Wednesdays, comedy night and $3 Sex on the Beach drinks on Thursdays and live jazz and R&B on Saturdays.
“Usually the compliment we get is ‘We needed something like this for a long time,’ Mike said. “We want people to take in the atmosphere and have a nice night out with good music, good food and good conversation.”
F. (Coming soon) Registry Bistro
Secor Building, 144 N. Superior St. 419-725-0444
registrybistro.com
Hours: 4:30 (bar)/5 (dinner) to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 4:30 (bar)/5 (dinner) to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, closed Sunday-Monday except on game days.
Registry Bistro, slated to open this spring, will feature a dinner menu of contemporary American bistro cuisine with an emphasis on “shared plates,” said chef Erika Rapp, who co-owns the eatery with her mother Vickie Rapp.
Shared plates, similar to appetizers, are designed as an option for diners on their way to a game or show without the time to commit to a full dinner, Erika said.
The “casual elegant” eatery will also serve full dinners as well as lighter fare such as entree salads and sandwiches. The menu will change seasonally and the full bar will feature American craft cocktails, craft beer and boutique wine, said Erika, who was formerly chef at the Toledo Museum of Art and executive chef at diva.
The venue is on the first floor of the Secor Building, which connects to the Huntington Center, SeaGate Centre and the Port Lawrence Garage via skyways. Rapp said she hopes diners experience great food and exceptional service.
“We want to make sure everyone feels comfortable and has a great time,” rapp said. “That’s really what we’re focusing on.”
G. Slap Shots
319 N. Superior St., 419-246-9966
Hours: Opens 11 a.m. Monday-Friday, opens 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Slap shots, which reopened in March under new management, offers a full-service bar, happy hour 4-9 p.m. daily and a bar menu of burgers, sandwiches, wings and more.
The venue also features a club area, including a dance floor, mirrored walls and another full-service bar, where owner Corey Hughes, a 22-year-old Sylvania Northview High School graduate, hosts monthly theme parties. live bands and DJs perform regularly and Hughes said he plans to start hosting rooftop parties as well.
“I just want people to have fun and leave happy,” Hughes said.
H. Weekdays
614 Adams St., 419-244-8771
Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday, closed Saturday-Sunday
This casual, family-owned diner opened in February, serving breakfast and lunch, and offering a dine-in area as well as carryout. The breakfast menu includes omelets, pancakes, French toast, eggs, biscuits and gravy, muffins, bagels, Caribou Coffee and more. For lunch, the eatery’s homemade soups and Detroit-style coney dogs are among the most popular, said manager Sean Shikwana, whose father Yousif Shikwana, a longtime Toledo business owner, owns the eatery.
“People have been going crazy for those,” Sean said.
The lunch menu also offers sandwiches, burgers (including a vegetarian-friendly black bean burger) and salads.
“For just opening, it’s been going better than we could have expected,” Sean said. “everybody loves the food, everybody loves the prices. We see the same people in here three to four times a week, so we must be doing something right.”
I. (Coming soon) Ye Olde Cock n’ Bull Tavern
9 N. Huron St.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Monday-Sunday
Ye Olde Cock n’ Bull Tavern, set to open in April, will be a casual pub featuring a covered, four-season patio facing the home plate gate at Fifth Third Field.
“I wanted a name that was quirky, urban and fun,” said owner Jim Mettler, a Toledo native who was formerly general manager at Table Forty4. “You see a name like that and you know what you’re getting into. It’s going to be a fun, friendly place.”
The menu will feature soups, salads, hot and cold sandwiches, appetizers and daily specials and the fully stocked bar will offer 34 draft beers plus wine, liquor and bottled beer. Mettler also plans to offer live entertainment. “I hope people find a fun, relaxed atmosphere to meet with friends, make new friends and have a bite to eat,” Mettler said.
J. Ye Olde Durty Bird
2 S. St. clair St., 419-243-BIRD (2473)
yeoldedurtybird.com
Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday-Saturday. Hours subject to change
Named after The Durty Bird, one of the space’s most popular former tenants, Ye Olde Durty Bird opened downtown on St. Patrick’s day and is open daily for lunch and dinner. The casual eatery offers fresh soups, salads and sandwiches as well as a grill menu that include burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches and more, all made with fresh, locally grown produce, said general manager Julie Ketterman, who owns the business with her sister Linda Ball.
The venue — most recently the location of Jed’s At The Yard — offers daily specials, a full bar including a Bloody Mary bar every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights.
The decor is “warm, cozy and a tribute to Toledo,” Ketterman said.
K. (Coming soon) Italian restaurant
611 Monroe St.
An Italian restaurant is under construction at 611 Monroe st. No further details were available.
