Metro Burger - Akron Premium Burger Joint

Metro Burger would not be one of my first choices for a meal, in fact just a couple of weeks ago I picked Zub's across the street (see review here), but when it came up on Groupon I checked out the website (located here) and they claimed to have award winning veggie burgers so I figured for half price it was worth a chance; and that is a great thing about Groupon, you get to take a chance without the full outlay of money (check Groupon out here).  Located at 845 W Market St. Akron, OH 44303 in the Highland Square area of Akron (map is here) is an attractive modern premium hamburger joint. 

The decor is modern funky with bright colors and steal tables and chairs.  A long counter holds the menu sheet that you fill out and present to the cashier, a slightly different approach and it can be a bit daunting with all of the choices, but at least they are clearly presented. 

While it may take a while to work through, the menu is fairly easy, you pick the kind of burger you want (beef, vegie, chicken or turkey), the size and whether you want a combo or not.  Then you work through the toppings, sauce, cheese and how its presented.  In my case I got a double veggie combo on a pretzel roll with smoked gouda, mushrooms, onion straws, red peppers and jalapenos.  Add in sweet potato fries and a drink and the $10 was gone. I also ordered the BBQ sauce and Basil Pesto Mayo to top the burger with.

After a couple of minutes wait, my electronic buzzer went off and I picked up the order.  I immediately noticed that they forgot the BBQ sauce, which they quickly remedied and later figured out they gave me the Horseradish Mayo, which actually worked out well for dipping the fries.  But I would make sure that you get the right order, especially if they are busy.   The 1/3 pound veggie burgers were huge and if I had to do it all over again I would order a single and get another side.   The veggie burger was interesting with a beef like texture, if I had to guess I would venture that it was a combination of soybeans and some other bean.  My personal preference would be for the patty to be a bit moister inside with a bit of a crust on the outside, but this was much better than most of the commercially available veggie burgers.  Taste was mild, without a lot of distinct flavor notes, good to use to build a sandwich around, but not a burger that I would crave.   The pretzel bun was nice, except it started to fall apart once the burger was fully dressed and sauced.  The toppings were good with the roasted jalapenos being the standout player, spicy hot with plenty of flavor and punch.  The gouda was lost between the two big patties.  Topped with BBQ sauce and some hot sauce the burger overall was good, but it had more to do with all of the accouterments then the "meat" of the sandwich.  The sweet potato fries were OK, nicely fried, but without much sweetness; luckily the horseradish mayo that I got by accident proved to be a great dip for the fries, with enough horseradish punch to set off the fries, but not enough to blow your nose off.

If I had it to do again, I would have probably gone with a single and gotten the onion rings or the fried pickles.  Metro Burgers was good, its a bit pricey, but you get a lot for what you pay, especially when you consider the premium toppings and quality ingredients.  The veggie burger is better then most, but lacks a bit in the crave-ability department.  Using the Groupon I was very happy with my visit, but for me, Metro Burgers is not high on the list for a return visit any time soon, but the carnivores among us should enjoy it.

Mr. Zub's Deli - Akron Subs with Attitude

So its a beautiful Friday and I have just finished a long hike in the Wetmore area of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and I am headed to Cuyahoga Falls for the Rocking on the River concert and I want to grab some food to take to the concert.  I pointed the motorcycle towards Fairlawn, but noting hit my fancy, that is until I hit the Highland Square area on Market Street and I saw Mr. Zub's  (map is here).  From the outside it looks a bit scruffy, but the name intrigued me and I could go for a good homemade Zub, so I figured I would give them a try.  Well it turned out to be a great decision.  Mr. Zub's is a classic hole in the wall sandwich shop attached to the Matinee bar next door. 

Walking in you quickly feel the attitude.  The menu is unique and at times hard to navigate (you can see it on Zub's website here); but it has some real appeal, with sandwiches named after characters from movies with the movie and the year it came out helpfully identified for those of us with spotty memory.  Prices generally range from a couple of bucks for a Thorton Melon (Back to School) pizza bagel to about $7 for a few high end sandwiches; there is $10 Aunt Marge giant corned beef and Swiss. 

I ordered the Large Marge (Pee Wee's Big Adventure) Tuna Melt, subbing provolone for Swiss.  What I got was a decent sized hogie roll stuffed with Tuna, some red onions and tomatoes with perfectly melted cheese.    While not as impressively big as the chain subshops, this was very filling as there was a big portion of Tuna and all of the ingredients were high quality.  In addition, instead of putting the sandwhich through a conveyor toaster, this was oven baked until melty good.  What was unique is somehow they got the Tuna salad to taste more like a Tuna steak then the usual creamy mess you get at Jared's favorite place.  Overall a very nice and fairly unique interpretation of a Tuna Melt.

When I am in the area and feel like a quick sandwich I will be stopping by Mr. Zub's again.  If you are heading to Rocking on the River or Lock 3 its worth going out of your way and checking them out.