Monday, February 3, 2014

The Rail

"R" and I found ourselves in the North Olmsted area last weekend around lunchtime. We discussed a few restaurant options, but then suddenly The Rail popped into my head. It was one of the restaurants that you, readers, had suggested for the 2014 To Dine Challenge that just hadn't quite made the list. I've heard that they have a good burger, so I was interested to try it. The Akron-based restaurant just opened a new location in the Great Northern Mall, so it made our lunch decision pretty easy.
It was easy to find, with big signage on the side of the mall, and plenty of free parking in the mall lot. There was ample seating available between the bar area, small lower dining room, and upper level. We were seated right away, and left with the decision on what burger to order.

A couple of the burgers sounded really good, so I had a hard time choosing. I finally went with the Greenwich Pig ($9.50) with sauteed onions, bleu cheese, spinach, and rail mayo. I also added a side of the red onion jam.
This was hands-down the sloppiest burger that I've ever eaten. Things were just oozing out of the buttered bun, running all over my hands. It's one of those burgers that once you pick it up, you don't put it down. But, man, was it good.

"R" got the Crouching Burger (Hidden Bacon) burger ($10.50) with thick-cut Ohio bacon and pulled pork on top of it, so it was a meat-lovers dream. I didn't dare take a bite.

We also shared an order of the Sweet Potato Fries ($3.25) with a side of chipotle mayo (50 cents).
They were very crispy, not too greasy, and I enjoyed the dipping sauce. Worth the extra money.

Overall, I liked the look and feel of the restaurant/bar. It reminds me of B-Spot. A little "chainy" feeling, but they try to show their Ohio pride and farm-feel with the decor.
They also have a decent beer list, both bottle and draft. It seems like a great spot to pop into for a good burger and beer.

They will be opening a third location in Canton in March.

The Rail
4954 Great Northern Boulevard
North Olmsted, OH 44070

3265 W. Market Street
Akron, OH 44333

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've been to The Rail in Akron and loved it! Glad there's one closer to CLE, especially since I've been craving milkshakes lately.

Bite Buff said...

Jen- Yes, glad to have them move closer our way!

Dj said...

I'm not a burger person, but my fiance is. I got the bruschetta burger and it was by far the best burger I've ever ate. And that's saying a lot.

Bite Buff said...

Dj- Good to know! That was the January burger of the month at the North Olmsted location.

Kristian said...

At first, I thought the upside-down cow behind the restaurant name was a snail. Good thing I gave it a closer look! :-)

Burgers look and sound delicious!

Unknown said...

i LOVE their red onion jam! and sweet potato fries -- I wish they had them at B Spot!

Ben said...

We live pretty near the Rail and really enjoyed it when we visited a few weeks ago shortly after it opened. I got the Bootlegger, and the bourbon barbecue sauce really went well with the onions and burger. My only issue was that it was more medium well than medium rare (which was how I ordered it), but my guess is that it was a first few days being opened issue. The beer list, as you point out, is also really good, and we liked that the beef was grassfed and local.