Crave

In downtown akron there is not many great places to eat. This places however is quite good. But it is very pricey. The black pepper pasta was ok. It wasn't the greatest thing ever. But it wasn't bad. It reads as a Carbonara with an Alfredo sauce. The predominant flavor is just black pepper. The airline chicken however is very interesting. Let's start with the bad the chicken at the thinner end is way overcooked. But the thicker portions near the bone are perfectly done. So you get about have a chicken perfectly cooked and the other half is a little dry. But the cornbread pudding pickles and caramel sauce its paired with is so interesting. This is a very interesting take on like a chicken and waffles. It's a great mix of sweet, savory, and acidic. The flavor pairing is exceptional. It is a very well conceived dish. It's only downfall is the execution on like half the chicken. I will say the airline chicken is worth it's price. The black pepper pasta is not. The black pepper pasta just isn't special enough to warent it. The crave martini is just an orange martini. It's good it's fairly balanced the orange juice isn't overpowering by any means and it doesn't read like a brunch cocktail. So I would say it's pretty good. It's also not overly sweet. Parking here is either street parking or one of the nearby garage. There is also a valet o option as well. Also be warned there is a 3% upcharge on meals paid by card.

The menu looked really good on paper but the food was subpar. Super dissapointed in the quality of the dishes. I split the black bean burger with my friend and after the second bite we sent it back. It tasted like a crispy quinoa patty and it was siper dry. The cheese on the burger was burnt. The vegan risotto was out second option but it was undercooked and the tofu was burnt. We ordered the fried green tomatoes and they were crispy but also just okay. The goat cheese was good. The server was being nice but she could see the quality of the good was not great. I wish she would've done more to make up for the experience besides knocking a dish off.

I was very much impressed by the food, and if you see my other reviews around Akron you would know I am quite picky here. I got the seared tuna app and cornflake crusted chicken entrees. They were unique, not what I expected, but still phenomenal. The aesthetic of the restaurant was very unique looking as well being an old bank, and they played great music.

Be ready to spend some money, but the food was excellent. The smaller portions you might expect at an upscale place, but the flavor and plating was superb. Our server appeared to be running the place by herself, including tending the whole bar. Not a criticism of her, but the service took a while because they needed more people.

My two sisters and I had a great lunch. The food was fantastic, they said the cocktails were also great. Our service by Katie was awesome. We had the smoked salmon bagel,calamari, crab cakes, and fried tomatoes. Place was great, we'll be back.

Went here on pride day on a Saturday night. Everything was great. No wait, wonderful waitresses. The food came out fast and it was delicious. I had the crab cakes with a shrimp add on and sweet potato fries. It was so yummy, I will definitely be back for more. The margaritas were good. One had Patrol and one had Don Julio. Both were perfectly made. All the waitress were dressed in pride colors and had great energy. Thank you so much!!

Our server Emily was phenomenal, personable, and took great care of us! You could tell management was actively on the floor helping staff which as a former restaurant human I can absolutely appreciate. Food was FIRE! The Cesar hot sauce wings man with the blue cheese!! Me and my bf do not like blue cheese but all those flavors together wow! Chef Jimmy’s special tonight, the swordfish, that man I swear has god living in his hands and his ability to craft dishes that are beyond creative and delicious. Will absolutely be back and will recommend to everyone!! Seriously everything was so good. Thank you.

Phenomenal experience! Menu is unique and so flavorful. 3 of us dined like queens and ordered half the menu. Stars of the show were the smoked tuna appetizer with Wasabi foam and the Chilean sea bass. Will be back for dinner to try next season's menu.

We stopped at Crave in Akron before a show at the Goodyear Theater. We had reservations for 4:30 pm but didn't really need them since it was not crowded. I was surprised that Downtown Akron was a ghost town but happy that it was easy to get around since it was my first time here and didn't know my way around. Found paid parking on the street and we were seated immediately. Our Server, Derek, was helpful and attentive. He quickly brought water and our drinks and was patient as we read the menu. We ordered the BLT (bacon lobster and tomato) served on Texas toast. Made fresh and tasty. We both had the chicken rice soup, which was served hot and was thick and hearty. We also got the burger, which was cooked perfect but seemed like a pre-packaged burger patty. Excellent service and good menu options.

I don't know what happened to Crave. The 1st time we went in 2022 it was FANTASTIC! I went last year, it was ok. It seemed like they had kitchen/cook issues. We went last night and it wasn't good at all. The drinks were terrible - not balanced at all. The are martini tasted of cheap vodka. However, the drinks here were never that good. My nephew's waffle (chicken & waffles) was burnt, my filet wasn't properly cooked, and the wrap my niece got looked dry and burnt as well. We ordered a side of fries that didn't arrive until we were done with our meal. Same with the drink my husband ordered. The server wasn't great. The food was dry and bland. We WILL NOT be back. Such a shame. This placed used to be packed Friday and Saturday nights. Now it's a ghost town, down to a 2 sided paper menu, with bad drinks & bland, expensive, improperly cooked food

We both ordered chicken and waffle. Waffles were old and cold. Chicken hood. They brought us another waffle and it was a tad less cold- still horrible. Again chicken was good... Calamari for Appetizer was good. But def would never go back.

Was baking in the sun around 3pm and stumble into Crave seeking water and a diet soda, glad I found this spot! Excellent service behind the bar and the burger was absolutely delicious. Also very comfortable interior, perfect temp. The chips left a little to be desired for cost of the burger but I'll still give this spot a 5/5. Would go back!

Crave is a really beautiful place to have a special meal as we did before seeing Nutcracker. My meal (salmon) and hubby's (bison steak) were probably 4-5 stars, but the problem was the short rib papperdelle. Nice idea, poorly executed and 3 of 7 in our group ordered it. Whoops. The short rib was hard to find, but worse, all 3 were cold by the time they were served. Bummer. Although service felt slow, they did get us to our show in time (5:30p reservation for 7p show), but not with much time to spare. I would go back with a smaller group and without time constraint to see if the experience and meal is improved.

It's taken me a little while to properly form a review because I had such mixed feelings about this visit. We dined on a Saturday (November 23) and had made reservations through their website. When we arrived we were escorted upstairs. This area really lacks the ambiance of the main dining floor. Overflow seating. We were sat next to cheap black room dividers that barely cover a large screen TV. There were extra tables, chairs, and serving tray stands haphazardly out near us (and no cheap divider even pretending to hide this.) I know the silverware station was right around the corner because at times it sounded like they were prepping silverware at our table. The setup definitely felt like an afterthought. Service was mid. I would not describe as very attentive or welcoming. Not great on refills or checking in to see if we needed anything more. Seemed like no one wanted to be making the trek upstairs and were just tired because of it. On date nights we're usually a two rounds of drinks or the type to order dessert--but because of the space and lack of attention we skipped it and went somewhere else. It was one of those situations where when they came back to see how the food was, we were almost done and just asked for the check because we knew it'd be awhile before they come back with it. Food was good though! Akron Style Giardiniera, duck, and the seafood dish. All very tasty. Which is kind of a bummer because the rest of the experience was so lacking I probably will not return.

My wife made reservations for Crave on New Year's Eve for our family. Upon arrival, we used valet parking for $7 and proceeded into the restaurant. Our table was ready and we were promptly seated. A few moments later, our waitress arrived and took our drink requests. I requested a berry cider, which was the only cider they had available and it was served in a can with a chilled glass. My wife and mother-in-law shared a bottle of prosecco while my father-in-law enjoyed some red wine. Looking at the menu, we decided to request three appetizers: charcuterie, steak skewers, and perogies. The red chimichurri sauce on the beef skewers was spicy and kind of ruined the dish. If they had just left the sauce off, this dish would be a winner. The periogies were delicious as they were filled with potato and gouda cheese. We dipped bread and charcuterie items in the red sauce that they was served with. The charcuterie board was decent, but we've had better. For dinner, I requested the airline chicken (which ended up not being what I consider to be airline chicken), my wife, bison strip steak, my in-laws, filet with potato and veggies, my son a $24 hamburger, and my mom, salmon. The food was prepared quickly and was delivered in under 20 minutes. We were a little surprised by this. Anyway, my airline chicken was very tasty, but the nan, curry sauce, and rice that it was served with missed the mark by a significant margin. Also, I tasted the caulflower that my mom's salmon was served with and it was warm, but hard. So they made an attempt to lightly grill it to no avail. Another big miss. The french fries that were served with my wife's bison steak were cold, hard, and stuck together. Oddly, they were completely different fries than those that came with their $24 hamburger. I believe this was the most expensive hamburger I've ever seen. And it was good, but not great. I tasted the meat because my son didn't finish eating it because it was overloaded with mayo. Everything else was tasty - the filet mignon was delicious. The potato that the steak was served with was amazing. As I thought about the gap in quality and taste of the food on our table, it made me think there were two people preparing the dishes. Perhaps they were Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Or maybe it was one bipolar chef. I don't know. Our waitress was fast and very friendly. Excellent service! Anyway, with the very high price ($63 per plate with drinks) and hit or miss food, I think we've seen enough of Crave and we won't be back.

Went for my wife's birthday and the food was great! Loved it all. Service was odd though. We were sat near the bar in a booth when we checked in for our reservation. There were 3 waitresses hanging out at the bar and no one was coming up to help us. After a few minutes one of them came up to us and took our drink order. Brought our drinks and then a few minutes later the bartender had come over to take our order and remained our waiter for the rest of the night despite there being several waitresses hanging out. My wife found a sheet of parchment paper in her lasagna, which the manager had remade. The food wasn't comped, but our drinks were. I hope the bartender didn't have to pay that out of pocket. Food was good. Drinks were good. Bartender was great just shocked he had to wait tables also on top of manning the bar. Also think it would be a nice touch to include a complimentary dessert or drink for birthday reservations.

Great service from Presley and fantastic menu of food and drinks. It was so hard to choose!! I had the fried green tomatoes and scallops which were uniquely prepared and delicious! French 007 cocktail was beautiful and tasty. Great atmosphere and off on a Tuesday or Wednesday check out the juice room and buy your wine at retail prices without corking fee. Easy street parking and valet available

This restaurant is always clean and pretty which beautiful indoor and outdoor seating. They have valet parking services if you need, and it's a great location because it's right next to the Akron Civic Theater. Great place to grab drinks before a show! I've been here a few times and, while I'm not really impressed with the food, the drinks and staff are always a delight! I feel like the food is overrated, but that's just my personal opinion. My favorite part of Crave is the convenience of location in the heart of downtown Akron!

Service was good food not so much. Burger was over cooked ordered medium came out well done and so were the fries

Had the Black Grouper and was so amazing. On a bed of rice and black bean paste with peach salsa. What a combo. Was delish. Service was great and cool atmosphere to hang out prior to shows at Akron Civic

The food was great and the service was fast especially for a Saturday night. Parking was a little difficult but they do offer valet. Nice bar setting with great table seating as well. Upstairs seating was closed but looked like a good spot as well.

Lunch during the week was worth the side trip. We had wonderful meals from the very eclectic variations on our plates. Salmon was perfect when paired with a parsnip cauliflower purée. Gouda Mac and cheese - perfect and garlicky. Good burger. The service was exceptional. Very impressed with the decor and urbane atmosphere.

First night they closed the doors early and didn't let me in. Next night, food was okay but not worth bragging about. Best spot on that street probably but wasn't worth trying to go back.

I hadn't been to Crave since it moved locations, so we went with friends last night. The new location is beautiful, especially the ceiling! It's roomier than the former location too. The service was very good, just shy of excellent though, and I think the pacing was just a little rushed. The food was very good as were the mixed drinks. I do think the menu could do with fewer sandwiches; sandwiches and chips don't quite go with the ambience of the place, but they were good nonetheless.

Great service at the bar. They had a lot of gluten free options. The food was delicious. I had Grand Marnier crème brûlée for dessert and it was amazing.

Honestly this place was better in my opinion before they changed locations. The newer location on main st is beautiful but I feel that it's fallen off quality wise. Their chicken and waffles was the reason I started liking chicken and waffles. It's a cinnamon and sage waffle with vanilla maple syrup, bourbon butter and a great hot sauce. If you go try that or the grilled cheese soup. Other that those maybe this place needs a bit of a refresh ? You be the judge.

Went on a Tuesday at 5 in February. There were not many other diners at the time, but it was filling up by the time we left. Service was excellent. We ordered the Akron Style Giardiniera which was great. The tomato grilled cheese soup was excellent. We each ordered sandwiches and all enjoyed what we ordered. Food came out quickly and without error. There were 6 or 7 draft beers with good variety, although they still had a Christmas Ale on draft which I feel should have been rotated off by now.

Great new dishes including a crusted cod dish and duck terrine I always like the spicy caeser sslad Can buy wine at retail prices Service staff are great

The worst dinner I have had in a long time. Sweet potatoes fries came out completely burnt, edible. Second batch was delivered undercooked. My steak was extremely undercooked. Manager working did nothing to help correct any of the issues.

The veggie wrap was fresh and tasty! Also, I really enjoyed the tomato soup and the atmosphere!

Not a steak fan normally but their steak was so good I had to get it, and the vibe was amazing, all good staff and one even helped us find the restaurant.

If you are looking for something unusual or want something special, this could be just what you are looking for. The interior is very upscale & the scallops I had were unusually prepare & presented! Very different from the traditional way they are served. Very tasty & the portion size was perfect.

Four stars = would come back, recommend. Crave is located in the Akron Savings and Loan building. Very modern interior design. Service is spot on, friendly, happy to answer questions. Food is very good with creativity on old favorites like mac and cheese orzo. Give the place a try.

I love crave! The new location is beautiful! Did is airways freshly made. Menu is slim./limited however what they do serve is delicious . However the house hot wings and sweet potato fries are A1!! We had drinks is Main St. Margarita and the paloma . Main st margarita is the star it's show! Tastes delicious like a tequila based old fashion sweet ending and tajin candy ! Delicious b! Paloma never missed! Service staff is so polite and nice! Very lively on Saturdays ! Sit at the bar

I had the Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese. The chicken was seasoned and cooked very well and the cheese sauce was great! The noodles were a bit dense, but the meal was still good overall. My waitress was great! She made recommendations and was a kind server. The ambiance was laid back and peaceful... good music at 3:30pm before the evening crowd. I would come again.

This was our first time going to the new location of crave. We used to go when they were on market Street and loved it then, but I will say I love it now at least every bit as much. I remembered very quickly that the sauce work was always on point at crave. They do a nice job featuring a wave variety of flavors that complement the dish. This is the first time getting dessert at crave, and it did not disappoint. We destroyed some apple pie with ice cream, and it was absolutely delicious.

Always a nice meal and good service. The staff always goes out of their way to welcome you there.

We had a party of 12. Service was top notch! Our server was one step ahead of our needs. Highly recommend fried green tomatoes, ahi tuna, wings and steak kabobs for apps. Fillets, chicken, ribs, all were excellent. Absolutely no complaints. Great night!!!

Can't wait to try new location!! The last location was not all that good.... Bland no flavoring nor seasoning I thought I had Covid cause I didn't taste nothing!!!

Wow! Their new location is STUNNING! I've always been a huge fan of Crave. The new locale is easily twice the size of the old one with the added bonus of a second floor and outdoor seating. Stunning, posh decor. They have some new menu items...but still have the old favorites, like the Lobster BLT. I love how Crave offers high end plates along side less expensive but still creative and delicious options. I also appreciate the ability to book a table online and not have to give your credit card info...at the old location, they threatened to charge you for no-call-no-shows. Valet parking is still an option. There is so much I want to try on this menu. Crave, you leveled up. Way to go.

We stopped in for lunch and started off with the fries. They were very good. I ordered the chicken and waffles. The chicken breast was quite tasty but that waffle with that syrup was outstanding. I was told by the wait staff that the waffles have cinnamon in the mix. I will be back the next time I'm in the area.

M- Fine dinning by concept and definition but lacking all the finest points you might expect. Atmosphere was loud like a collage bar. The service was attentive this is why it received higher marks. The meal was 3 star at 5 star prices. Everything is not included. The portions are light so don't come hungry or let the check be the last note.

We've eaten at Crave in the past, but this was our first try in their new location. The new dining room is well lit and nicely decorated, and the menu was outstanding as always. I went straight for my favorite the BLT (bacon, LOBSTER, and tomato) and it was fabulous as always. My boyfriend got the muffuletta and raved about it all weekend. Servers friendly and great at getting you out in time to make your show (lots of live performance options in the area). The valet parking is worth it - there are parking decks in the area but valet saves you a lot of hassle. Definitely check this place out!

My wife looked so beautiful I forgot to remember how good the food was. Thank you for the enjoyable experience.

Great service. Bar, atmosphere and food severely lacking. Oops evidently need 85 characters. Lacking, lacking, lacking, lacking. Go somewhere else!

Had lunch here. The sandwich was just ok. Bread was a little soggy. Fries were a little undercooked. I mean it wasn't bad but wasn't good. May try again for dinner.

We went here for some cocktails and an appetizer and it was delicious! The cheese board was awesome and the bartender was quick and friendly!

Great atmosphere and food. I had the fried green tomatoes for an app and the salmon meal; both were excellent.

I recently had my birthday dinner and it was everything that I expected and more!! The male server was amazing and has excellent recommendations. I love when they know the menu and can give honest reviews. It was a party of 10+ and wait time was very minimal. From the food to the drinks to the staff, I have absolutely not one complaint!! Oh and let's not forget the vibe of the place itself. It's such a nice place to go out with friends and enjoy a good time together. Definitely one of my new fave places

First time coming here. Wanted to try something new while I was with my wife and colleagues. This place had a great menu selection and many unheard of items. I will say, it's a bit pricey. They got items for vegetarians as well if meat / steak isn't your cup of tea. Great desserts,very clean restrooms too. The wait times can be long, we waited about 30 ish minutes. Parking is a bit of a pain as well but I would definitely come back.

Feels like an upscale, classy joint without terrible sticker shock. Portions skewed on the smaller side but prices seemed reasonable in these inflationary times. I absolutely loved the baroque-looking, decked out ceilings. Our waiter was friendly, helpful and had a good sense of humor. Menu had good range and each dish tasted fantastic! My date and I really enjoyed this spot. Parking was difficult but it was smack downtown Akron so it's what it is!

I simply cannot say enough about my experience at Crave - excellent all around!! We started with the sweet potato perogie app - fantastic!! While using my hands to talk, I spilled my wine and our waiter was efficient with the clean up, gracious with me, and refilled my wine for free!! We had the chicken and waffles along with the short rib with gnocci. Everything was perfect - and I mean PERFECT!! Dessert was the stuffed French toast. Again- flawless. I cannot say enough - and absolute must in Akron!!

Omg! I can't say enough about how good the food and drinks are at Crave! I love the truffle fries, grilled cheese tomato soup and especially the chicken and waffle! The location on E Market is currently trying closed because they are moving to Main Street as part of the Bowery project. However, I can not wait to see it open on the new beautiful space.

Very delicious place! Tried it for the first time during a festival! Had great options ain't everything so fast actually didn't take any pictures this time haha but a great restaurant with great people! All street parking!

I held a small gathering of 15 people for my MIL'a 70th Birthday in the Canal Room in Oct. The room has lots of windows and and a awesome view of the Canal. Room is set up best for seated guests, not a lot of standing room but we were comfortable. We were early diners so the kitchen was able to allow us to order individual meals from the menu. My MIL has many food sensitivities and does not often get to enjoy a meal she hasn't cooked herself, let alone enjoyed dining out. There were plenty of delicious options for her right off the menu and the staff was able to accommodate some gluten and dairy modifications. Our waiter, Tim, was excellent and so friendly and patient. Manager, Aaron, was a rockstar helping to organizing the details and giving suggestions to ensure the event went smoothly. Thanks to the whole Crave staff for helping to make my MIL feel as special as she is to all of us!

COMPLETE FAILURE! I have been going to this restaurant for 10+ years, no longer! Let's start with reception- jeans and floral pajama waffle weave shirt, really!? Jasmine, our waitress was good. Everything else was a train wreck! I have celiacs so I ordered two gluten free appetizers for our table of 4. Both were good- calamari and fried green tomatoes. We had a wonderful, over priced, bottle of wine ($95). I then ordered the menu specified gluten free filet cooked medium. When it arrived I mentioned that I was surprised that the croquettes were gluten free. Luckily the server said- "I don't think they are." The manager apologized and offered to remake the meal with the another side. 30 minutes + later I was served a RAW steak with some type of scalloped potato (ensured it was GF). By this time everyone was finished and I had yet to be served something I could eat. I requested that it just be removed from the bill. Our table then had two desserts. The bill arrived with no offer of any compensation for my lack of a meal. While paying the busboy started reaching around the table taking all the plates - can't wait a few minutes?!! I am done with this establishment and recommend complete overhaul of their training!

Had a celebratory family birthday dinner here and it was fabulous. Between us we must have tried nearly all of their cocktails. I think everyone enjoyed their food.