As a lifelong Solon resident, I know all too well the struggle of trying to find somewhere to eat in my city. As I’ve grown up, restaurants have come and gone before people even have a chance to try them, and those living in Solon find themselves taking their money to other cities to eat.

With the recent loss of Paco’s Tacos, Panini’s, Tavern 91 and Jimmy Daddona’s, Solon is lacking family friendly sit down restaurants. In my culinary adventures, I’ve found many family favorites that I think would do extremely well in Solon.

Solon High School senior and self-proclaimed foodie Jared Mandell said he believes that Solon needs to step up quality and service.

“I think it would help to bring more American dining here,” Mandell said. “Solon is full of okay food, just because it’s mostly made of of fast food chains and slow service. What Solon really needs is high quality restaurants to come populate its city and fulfil its residents wishes.”

One restaurant I’m extremely fond of is Cleveland staple Melt Bar and Grilled. With eight locations across Northeast Ohio and two in the Columbus area, Melt is a well established business with incredible food. However, many Solon residents don’t have the option to go there often because the closest location is over 20 minutes away.

Mandell has been on the “Melt food chain” for many years.

“I believe that Melt offers very high quality service that caters to it’s customers,” Mandell said. “The portions are huge and the food is great. It offers not only classic grilled cheese, which is its trademark, but also offers any cheese sandwich.”

Melt, which has been open since 2006, has great food and good quality ingredients. Melt’s sandwiches are also relatively cheap based on the portion sizes. Melt in Solon would have the potential to be a popular spot for teens, adults and kids due to the variety their menu offers.

Senior Erin Eisner also agrees that Melt would be a success in Solon.

“Melt is so good, and it is one of those well known quality restaurants,” Eisner said. “Everyone raves about it, but not many people go there because they’re all [far away.] Melt would make a ton of money in Solon, because a lot of people in surrounding cities would come to Solon to eat [it].”

Another area I think Solon is lacking in is pizza. Despite having many delivery and take out restaurants, Solon has no sit down pizza spots besides Pizza Hut. I discovered my favorite pizza place in Cincinnati before realizing there was a Dewey’s location on Lee road in Cleveland. Dewey’s is by far the best pizza I’ve ever had. They have many chef designed dishes, which are always amazing if you’re looking for something unique, but also have the option for creating your own pizza with their multitude of topping options. I’ve had the opportunity to make my own pizza in Dewey’s kitchen and seeing the endless bar of fresh toppings really opened my eyes to the plethora of options they provide. Dewey’s will also half any pizza which makes satisfying large parties easy. In addition to their pizza, Dewey’s has great fresh salads which pair well with their savory pies.

Mandell also thinks Dewey’s would be a quick fan favorite in Solon.  

“I’ve always advocated for a great family pizza place in Solon,” Mandell said. “I think that would help bring to community together. I also think that would help lead to a series of higher quality restaurants entering into the Solon community which would be all around great.”

In addition to their great food, Dewey’s also has a different approach to their wait staff that provides customers with above excellent service. The wait staff works like a team, meaning all the waiters work with all the tables. This approach results in much faster response time and overall a better meal.

In addition to the specialized restaurants I’ve mentioned so far, I’d also like to see a Mellow Mushroom in Solon. Mellow Mushroom is an eclectic eatery offering everything from hoagies to pretzels to calzones to salads to pizza that has something to appease everyone in the family.

Mandell’s family has been fans of Mellow Mushroom since his parent’s college days, and pushed the restaurant to open their Northeast Ohio location, currently in Rocky River.

“Mellow Mushroom is very unique,” Mandell said. “Every location has a different trippy theme, whether it’s futuristic or tie-dye. It’s really great for the whole family. The food itself is great. They have really good seasonal specials, and they’re always changing up the menu while sticking to the classic favorites.”

Mellow Mushroom has so many options, Solon residents would go years before running out of great options to try. Mellow Mushroom also provides many gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options all labeled on the menu for easy ordering. They also feature incredible homemade pizza dough (also available gluten free) in many menu items.

One of my favorite sit down burger joints is Flip Side in Chagrin Falls. It’s also Eisner’s all time favorite restaurant. With a variety of options, Flip Side is a favorite spot for teens, but with Chagrin Falls’ parking issues, small tables and generally long wait times, many people skip out on going there. Having a larger space for Flip Side in Solon would not only be great for the business, but also would provide residents with a flavorful and creative burger option.

“Flip Side is amazing, their burgers are amazing, but they also have an ahi tuna sandwich which is great if you don’t eat red meat,” Eisner said. “Their chicken sandwich is also good, and they have good vegetarian options. Their mac and cheese is also a standout. Flip Side is so good, I would go there everyday if it was in Solon, so just with me they’d make enough money to stay open.”

Freshman Julia Polster might be the only one to rival Eisner’s love for Flip Side.

“I am probably the biggest fan of Flipside in the entire world,” Polster said. “Due to summer theater commitments, I spend a lot of time in Chagrin Falls, and after rehearsal, I spend a lot of time at Flipside. I have never tried anything on their menu that was less than amazing. Forester Burger? Amazing. Truffle Fries? Amazing. Seasonal Milkshakes? Amazing. Literally everything there is delicious.”

In addition to new sit down restaurants, I would like to see a couple of new fast food options come into Solon. The fact that our city can’t keep a McDonald’s is sad, and the only options we have left are Arby’s and Burger King, which aren’t the best quality, even for fast food. Five Guys, which I’ve loved since I could only get it visiting my grandparents in Virginia, and Chick-fil-A still provide fast service, but have better food. Having one or both of these restaurants in Solon would fill the hole of fast options without leaving the city.

SHS alumna Becca Illic has strongly advocated for a Five Guys in Solon for many years.

“The Five Guys on Richmond road is located near a Zoup and DiBella’s and there is a spot in Solon between those two restaurants so they would already draw that lunch crowd,” Illic said. “In addition, Solon clubs have done fundraisers through Five Guys and it would be so much easier having one actually in Solon.”

Sophomore Jack Kasper said he believes that a Chick-fil-A would increase the value of Solon as a whole.

“Chick-fil-A would bring a large crowd of consumers and would give more food varieties to the community,” Kasper said. “A majority of food places in Solon are run down, filthy, and are unattractive to the city. Only a handful of places are actually decent to eat at. Chick-fil-A would be a fantastic addition to the community.”

Overall, I think the city of Solon can do a much better job of attracting and keeping businesses. Getting and sustaining quality sit down restaurants would keep Solon residents in Solon to eat and spend money. Having restaurants like those listed above would improve the community and secure the opinion that Solon is a great place to live for generations to come.