Burger Week: Louie's
It's pretty hard to cover burger week in Greater Akron without going to Louie's at 739 East Glenwood. That's just south of Tallmadge Avenue for those of you not familiar with North Hill. Louie's gets included if no other reason than the number of times it has been awarded someone's “Best Burger” championship, the first coming in 1993, just one year after the Khoury family established this very traditional bar and grille.
The burgers here are a bit unusual, in my opinion, and I think it has something to do with the way they are cooked in the back room. I'm not privy to the secret, but these gigantic half-pound chunks of ground beef simply never have the greasiness that most burgers pick up from the grill. They come out a lot more like the ones I make at home, with the meat not sticking together in that sort of “hockey puck” firmness most patties have. There are 10 “standard” versions, or you can make up your own by mixing and matching various toppings.
The meat tastes so fresh I'm pretty sure it's never been in a freezer. The sides are that way, too. I love the onion rings, which are in my top five in the area. They are big, meaty rings with an excellent beer batter that picks up that “onion” taste as they are fried. The french fries are hand cut fresh every day.
Louie's isn't limited to burgers and fries. There's a list of appetizers as long as your arm...think just about anything including sauerkraut balls, or even Reuben bites, that can be deep fried. For the health nuts among us (but who goes to Louie's for health food?) there's a long list of salads, and fresh made soups. There are also some Greek specialties, as you might expect from a family named Khoury.
Louie's also has a full-service bar, and a big cold beer from the tap is the perfect drink with a cheeseburger and an order or rings. If you want to know even more, here's a link to the web site: