Top 8 Restaurants in Portage County

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Whether you and your family are craving spicy Thai food, zesty Mexican flavors, or a classic American hamburger in Portage County, Ohio, you’re in luck. Enjoy experiencing a culinary adventure when you visit any of these top eight restaurants located throughout Portage County.

Wild Papaya Thai

Specializing in creative Thai-Japanese food, Wild Papaya Thai offers an extensive menu of Asian-inspired food that’s sure to please everyone. Start your meal with an appetizer such as zesty chicken satay or summer rolls filled with vegetables. Experience ocean flavors with the seaweed salad, or warm up with a bowl of hot and sour soup. Entrees include favorites such as curry dishes, garlic shrimp, vegetable fried rice, and crispy orange chicken. Finish your meal with Thai custard and a cup of amazing bubble tea. You can find Wild Papaya Thai at 1665 E. Main St. in Kent.

Bistro on Main

Take someone special for a date to Bistro on Main located at 1313 W. Main St. in Kent. As soon as you step inside the bistro, you’ll notice the warm environment and friendly staff. Sit at the bar and order your favorite glass of wine or sip on one of the 11 Ohio beers they have on tap. Share an appetizer like the smoky brisket fries and move on to a Caesar salad before your entrees, such as the seared salmon dish or sweet potato gnocchi.

Toko Japanese Steak House

Toko Japanese Steak House is the place to go for sushi, hibachi, tempura, and bento boxes. Start with a bowl of edamame then move on to your favorite sushi roll or thinly sliced sashimi. Enjoy something warm with the filet mignon lo mein or have the hibachi with lobster tails. Toko Japanese Steak House is located at 1619 Ohio 303 in Streetsboro and is open for lunch and dinner.

Ray’s Place

Opened in 1937, Ray’s Place has been serving award-winning chicken wings, ice-cold beer, and a variety of American-style food to its patrons. Appetizers include favorites such as pickle fries, which go perfectly with a burger. Enjoy a range of hot and cold sandwiches, a bowl of soup or chili, or a small or large salad. For dinner, order the homemade meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, lasagna with homemade marinara sauce, or a full rack of barbecued baby back ribs cooked to perfection in the smoker. Ray’s Place is located at 135 Franklin Ave. in Kent.

El Camino

After a day of volunteering in Portage County, enjoy some authentic south-of-the-border flavors prepared by the chefs at El Camino, located at 395 N. Aurora Road and Bissel Road in Aurora. Have a frosty margarita while nibbling on chips and salsa or creamy guacamole.

Choose from Mexican favorites such as enchiladas, tacos de asada, or grilled shrimp covered with a spicy chipotle sauce. If you’re really hungry, go for the giant super burro. Save room for El Camino’s famous fried ice cream. El Camino offers weekly lunch and dinner specials like discounted tacos on Tuesday or fajitas on Sunday.

James Place

Head over to 271 Garfield Road in Aurora to take someone special out for an upscale dinner at James Place. The food at James Place is carefully prepared with fresh, local ingredients, and many of the dishes are meant to be shared.

Order a handcrafted cocktail or share a bottle of award-winning wine with the charcuterie board, fried calamari, or mussels served in a savory broth. Have a flatbread with four kinds of cheese and fig jam or one with pepperoni, red sauce, and mozzarella. Entrees range from crab cakes with a Cajun remoulade sauce to a bone-in pork chop served with potato pancakes and applesauce. Soup and dessert selections change weekly.

Erie Street Kitchen

Get your taste buds fired up when you eat at Erie Street Kitchen in the Venice Cafe located at 163 W. Erie St. in Kent. Using fresh local ingredients, the chef-inspired menu features flavors inspired by Southern cuisine. Meet up with friends to share starters like fried green tomatoes or spicy deviled eggs. Dip fresh Brimfield Bread Oven bread into a bowl of lobster bisque, and cool your mouth with a garden salad made with hydroponically grown lettuces and vegetables.

Vegetarians will enjoy the grilled mushroom and tofu jambalaya, and burger lovers can savor a burger with toppings such as bacon, bleu cheese, or pickled vegetables. You’ll feel like you’re in New Orleans when you eat the shrimp or catfish po’boy sandwich. It’s fun to add sides like fried okra or buttered corn to any of your dishes from Erie Street Kitchen.

Black Iron Grill

Because Black Iron Grill strives to serve premium steaks at an affordable price, it’s a great place to bring the whole family for a special evening out. Adults can share a bottle of wine while starting with appetizers such as bacon-wrapped scallops or refreshing lettuce wraps. Since this is a steakhouse, you’ll want to have a steak such as the 8-ounce filet mignon or the 18-ounce T-bone. You can also order chicken specialties like the cranberry cashew chicken served with brie cheese, a steak and portabello mushroom burger, or mouth-watering eggplant Parmesan.

The little ones can choose from the kids menu with items such as mac ‘n cheese, fried shrimp with fries, or the kids sirloin steak dinner with two sides. You’ll want to share a dessert with the family with offerings like New York-style cheesecake or the cookie skillet sundae. Stop by 7291 State Route 43 in Kent to enjoy dinner at Black Iron Grill. Black Iron Grill is a great restaurant to eat at after a fun day participating in these things to do in Portage County.

There you have Kia of Streestboro’s top eight restaurants in Portage County. Which restaurant is your favorite? What dish did you enjoy dining on? Is there a hidden gem of a restaurant in Portage County that you like and we missed? If so, feel free to let us know and we’ll add your recommendation to our list.