Best Fireside Dining: 1818 American Grille

Updated 9/25/26

The comforting, nostalgic smell of woodsmoke permeates the air in 1818 American Grille as a bone-in pork chop cooks on the restaurant’s wood-fired grill. Fed using a blend of two-thirds cherry and one-third hickory wood, the grill provides a culinary anchor point to Bath’s new hot spot — and imbues its offerings with flavorful depth.

“The woodfire is the heart and soul of the kitchen,” says chef-partner Brad Race. Originally from New York, he’s worked in the restaurant industry for nearly 30 years, including in Michelin-starred establishments. “We’ve built this concept around that.”

Opened in July, 1818 — which takes its name from the year of Bath’s founding — is the newest offering from Race, Gary Shamis and Todd Leebow, the team behind the Last Page, a popular, award-winning Cleveland restaurant serving globally-inspired, shareable modern American fare.

“This is more classic American grill but executed at a really high level,” Race says.

Serving a menu full of favorites — such as mussels with white wine, garlic, shallots, thyme and grilled sourdough, a 7-ounce 1818 burger, grilled chicken thighs, garlic rosemary fries and more — 1818 gives diners what they’re looking for.

“It’s more approachable,” Race says. “They can come back, and get something different every day.”

Guests at 1818 can dine in the main dining room, private dining areas or under a covered patio on the first floor, which also features a raw bar and opened Sept. 24 — on a pondside covered patio, at high-top tables or, uniquely, at a 16-seat chef’s counter, facing the open kitchen and the woodfire grill.

“It creates a vibe. It creates a buzz, right? And it gets people talking,” says Race. “It really sets us apart.”

Watch as the kitchen staff prepares dishes such as grilled salmon, filet mignon and Cajun chicken pasta using the grill. The grilled broccoli ($12), finished with lemon, garlic, chili and butter, and bone-in pork chop de Parma ($44) — sourced from the same pigs used to make Prosciutto de Parma — really pick up the smoky flavor.

“The cool thing about it is in Parma, Italy, not only do they have pigs, but they also make Parmesan cheese. And the Parmesan cheese factory takes all of the leftover whey and byproduct from the cheese production, and they feed it to the pigs,” Race explains of the pork chop, which is brined overnight and grilled fat cap down first. “We paired it with some Parmesan mustard jus and a Parmesan potatoes to kind of bring out the Parmesan flavor that’s in the meat naturally.”

Also order the roasted beefsteak tomatoes ($12), crusted in Herbs de Provence.

“When someone orders the tomato, we sear it on the plancha,” Race says. “We finish it with a little bit of lemon oil and some chopped parsley.”

Spot local sourcing — 1818’s Parker House rolls are baked daily by Morning Star Bakery & Cafe, its ice cream is from Pav’s Creamery and its honey is sourced from Akron Honey. The restaurant makes its own beef, chicken and pork stock.

Pair your meal with a cocktail — including the Gold Rush ($16) made with Buffalo Trace, lemon and honey, or a Spicy Ranch Water ($16), with Casamigos Blanco, lime, soda and jalapeno — and enjoy the rush of the kitchen at work from the chef’s counter.

“There’s nothing I love more than creating a dish for somebody, serving it to them, watching their reaction when they get the plate … taking a bite and their eyes light up,” Race says. “That’s my favorite part of the day, and it happens 30 times a day.” //CG

1070 Ghent Road, Akron, 330-790-1818, 1818grille.com

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