Stopped by Butter Cafe for brunch since we're off this week for the holiday season, and given we'd…read morenormally be at work, figured heck let's stop by on a laid back Monday. The space is authentic, pure mom n pop personality with unique and cozy decor that you could tell the place was formally a house converted into a cafe. No corporate vibes here The food tasted fresh with generous portions and absolutely delicious. Had a Maryland style crab cake sandwich with an aioli sauce that balanced out the favors. Crab cake had a nice crunch in the outside while the crab meat was moist on the inside. My wife had the Paris omelette that had caramelized onions, mushrooms, goat cheese, and she added jalapenos. Also had some creamy potatoes that was almost like they boiled the potatoes to make them soft followed frying them for some crunch effect. Nice touch The service was sincerely friendly as well. We'll be back for sure!

Love getting lunch and brunch in fun local owned spaces. Tried the spring specials with the 100…read moreacres wood omlet with fresh veggies and goat cheese and the cherry blossom French toast filled with cherries and custard. Both are delicious and huge portions! Come hungry! The service is friendly and the vibe is casual and very cool. Parking is a scarce but there is a small lot behind the restaurant.

The service was first-rate and the food was tasty and generous! This restaurant is located in the…read moreMarriott hotel at the University of Dayton. The restaurant is quite attractive and well-maintained. Eschewing the buffet, I ordered the American breakfast combo off of the menu. Two eggs, sausage, ham, bacon, or Canadian bacon, a large mound of crispy and quite tasty hash browns, and a bread of choice. I went with two eggs over medium, sausage links, the delicious hash browns, a poppy seed bagel with cream cheese, and four sausage links. Everything was cooked perfectly and the portions were so generous that I could only eat half. It comes with coffee at no additional charge and the server left an individual carafe at my table so that I could manage my own refills. I highly recommend this establishment to anyone living or traveling to Dayton.

Food is not good. I will only eat here out of desperation. Cookies are good. Burgers are ok.read more

Service is amazing. Originally looking at the menu I wanted to try the walnut tacos but they don't…read morehave any walnut meat in stock. I grabbed the pasta salad and veggie soup. Both are 9/10!!

Today, I fell in love with Jackfruit Tacos. It has the right amount of spice, with loads of flavor,…read moreand a hint of sweetness. At first bite, I had to take a picture because I knew it would be ingested quickly. If you have a few moments on the weekend and you're in downtown Dayton, OH, stop by the 2nd Street Market and visit Vegan it Iz!

Let me tell you, everyone associated with this business is going to every possible spiritual heaven…read morethat has ever been conceptualized. Slapping my big fat belly reminiscing about the burrito I ate a few hours ago. May every single god thought of give these people the highest blessings. The service is very nice as well, the staff is friendly and has good music taste. Perfect ambiance when consuming upwards of 3,000 calories EASY MODE NO RESISTANCE just rotting into the seat as it buckles under your newfound weight

The food was great but the service was truly exceptional! The servers were efficient and friendly…read moreand all seemed to help one another out. They took initiative and anticipated our needs - bringing refills before we even had to ask. Would definitely eat here again!

It is currently a crisp and cold early mid spring afternoon. My buddy Patrick and I have been…read moreworking on trying interesting places in Dayton for a while now. Today's adventure brought us to Chef Danes first restaurant, a global comfort food diner called Culture. Culture is a pleasant, if a bit noisy at times, visceral experience of its namesake. The menu full of unique yet familiar dishes and ideas Invites one's culinary curiosity yet doesn't become unapproachable. On a different day I would have tried their Louisiana catfish, but today Patrick and I were on a mission. The specials were calling. Patrick and I have been trying to slowly become part of the Dayton community and Patrick's new job at Little Fish (a nearby bar and restaurant) has propelled us to dive further into our exploration. Patrick was made aware of Cultures new specials, a Thai cheesesteak and chicken tikka masala fries. We had to try them. So on this crisp and cold mid spring afternoon we decided to become cultured. First off we got the Chicken Tikka Masala Fries and we were quite impressed. I'm not the most familar with British Indian food (maybe a bit more than the average midwesterner but not by much) and the fries definitely brought a pleasant experience that Patrick an I enjoyed...but we didn't finish all of it at once. We saw a glimpse of what was to come and we didn't want to eat to fast and fill up to much. The picture I took does not do the Thai cheesesteak justice. It just had a certain presence coming off of the kitchen. We were sitting at the bar watching it all unfold for the most part and the smell was subtle yet hypnotizing. we finished maybe 3/5ths of the fries and waited for the sandwich. Once it got to use I cut it in half, Took as good of a pic as I could, Gave Patrick his half, And dug in. It might have been a bit too hot resulting in me burning my tongue but the flavor was encompassing. I could taste all the elements coming together in such a unique groove. Could be chalked up to just a damn good cheesesteak, they tend to illicit similar responses, but still. The first words out of my mouth after finishing that first bite were "holy shit". I then maybe finished the sandwich a bit fast but I couldn't help my self, i had to have it. It was so damn good. Well worth trying while they have it. To say anymore would spoil the experience. Anyway, I've rambled enough. I encourage you try Culture for yourself! Thank you. Drew, from Dayton

Decided to try this place before going to the Dayton Funny Bone. I love the inside, they have it…read moredecked out with famous black musicians. They had some good music playing to set the vibe. Prices are a little high, but the food was pretty tasty. I ordered the Birria Grilled Cheese with fries. My wife got the Shrimp and Grits. I had no complaints, the dipping sauce for the grilled cheese was really good. The fries were excellent! No ketchup needed, they were seasoned with what appeared to be a semi sweet dust. My wife enjoyed her meal, but she said she wished her grits were a bit hotter. She said they were just slightly warm. Customer service was decent. We will be back to try something different. Birria Grilled Cheese 1-5=4 Fries 1-5=4.6 Customer Service 1-5=3.5

What a great brunch spot! The hostess was a delight sharing with us the history of the building…read more Our server was great. Attentive. Food was good. I wouldn't order the $60 mimosa carafe. They got us there. I would just order a bottle of prosecco and a glass of oj for the mimosa esthetic lol Definitely will go back!

Location: 45 W 4th Street, Dayton Ohio Website:…read morehttps://www.table33dayton.com Menu: see website Hours: see website Parking: valet available, street parking (metered) This venue is constantly raising the bar. A favorite for brunch, we booked dinner for a Friday night. Phenomenal experience celebrating the holidays with a small group of family and friends. We already loved Table 33 for lunch or brunch, but had never experienced their dinner menu.... Now, it's our favorite Dayton-area restaurant for any meal, snack, or cocktail. (Do not sleep on their wine list though, fabulous assortment and available for retail purchase) Friday night dinner reservations and we were floored with the recent dining room updates - including new dining venues off a hallway, each with its own unique decor (including a unique chandelier in each) and a truly decadent and unexpectedly private environment. Seating for 4 and above in the varying spaces. After dinner, we booked the guaranteed add-on table reservation at the adjacent venue, 'The Dessert Room'. A well-appointed room with a European decor and upbeat music settles you in for a delightful list of desserts, from gelato and macarons to pies and cakes, and a nice coffee, port, wine, or cocktail menu. The service is amazing. The food and cocktails, phenomenally good. The venue? Truly gorgeous. The owner is reinventing another adjacent property next to 'The Dessert Room', currently a mix of a Mexican fare (bowls, burritos) and tequila. Previously a coffee shop, interested to see what it ends up being to tie these venues together.

Grist is by far the best restaurant in Dayton Ohio…read more Very consistently amazing. So hard to choose from the menu... everything is so great. Definitely don't forget dessert...

Simply amazing. We didn't have a reservation, and couldn't have gotten one anyway, because they…read morewere booked solid for two weeks out. So we just walked in, and the host was kind enough to let us sit at the little bar area near the window. I like their ordering system. You have many options --- go up to the cash register and order there, order from the server who comes by your table (or in our case, bar), or use your phone by scanning the QR code. And if you use your phone, each person in your party can do it themselves on their own phone. Regardless, it all gets added to the same order for the same table. Pretty slick. At the end, when it comes time to pay, the app lets you split the check however you want, and you can even see the name of the person that ordered each item. The food was incredible. It's not cheap, and the portions are a little smaller than some might expect at an Italian restaurant. But for us, it was filling enough. I personally had the raviolo, which was delicious. Little did I know that in Italian, "raviolo" is singular while "ravioli" is plural. So I got one giant raviolo on my plate (see picture). I didn't care much for the runny egg yolk on top, but it was as advertised on the menu. All the other food orders were amazing, especially the desserts. I'd definitely come back once my food budget resets.

Jollity is a very aptly named, up-beat restaurant with small menu, craft entrees and good vibes all…read morearound. The inside is a bit small but cozy with the kitchen in broad view. The menu rotates roughly every quarter, and given the use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients, the selection is a bit limited -- handful of vegetarian small plates, a few meat and a few seafood options. For the non-drinkers, they had two non-alcoholic cocktails available, but no NA beer. Beware though, as the NA cocktails were still around $11, which I always find frustrating as they are basically flavored sugar water. We tried the blackhawk beef burger and koji-aged ribeye. The blackhawk burger was a smash burger (thin patties, melted cheese), that tasted delicious. The ribeye was just as expected and cooked as ordered. The star of each of the entrees, however, was the thin cut, crispy fries. Good thing the fries were delicious because the sauces that came with it were quite bland -- would've preferred ketchup. For dessert we tried the bay leaf cheesecake. It was alright, had a subtle smokey flavor that I think threw us off a bit (although that was obviously the point given the bay leaf). Our server Renee was friendly and everything was prompt. Overall, we enjoyed our experience and the food was pretty good. Although, given the limited number of options on the menu, you'll definitely want to look at it ahead of time to make sure there is something that suits your palate.

Had dinner here with my family (all 10 of us!) this past weekend, and I'm still thinking about that…read moreribeye... The moment we stepped in, the modern aesthetic hit perfectly - clean lines, mood lighting, and just enough buzz to feel energetic without drowning out conversation. Our family gathering was greeted immediately by staff who seemed genuinely stoked to have us there. Major points for making a large group feel welcome! The menu is refreshingly concise - none of that overwhelming novel-length situation that makes you second-guess yourself three times. Their drink selection strikes that perfect balance too - enough variety in wines/beers/cocktails to satisfy everyone. They've got some non-alcoholic options as well. We started with the Kimchi Pancake and Brussels Sprouts for the table. Not gonna lie, I was skeptical about the pancake (kimchi can be hit or miss for me), but this was a revelation. The kimchi flavor was present but not overwhelming - just enough kick that played perfectly with the shiso and wasabi remoulade. And those Brussels? It's packed with flavor and disappeared in approximately 3.5 seconds... Maybe less! For my main course, went with my cousin's recommendation - the Koji Aged Ribeye. When it arrived I initially thought "that's it?" But this steak is deceptive. The thick cut topped with Togarashi Butter was significantly more filling than it looked. Cooked to absolute perfection, and that butter situation on top? A flavor bomb of sweet-spicy-savory that had me contemplating licking the plate - don't worry, I didn't! My taste buds were begging for more even when my stomach waved the white flag. That's when you know it's good. If you're anywhere near downtown Dayton, make Jollity a priority stop. Not sure when I'll be back in Ohio again, but would definitely have this resto on my return list.

Wow! We got lucky at Lucky's. Visiting from California. Always looking for veggie options. How…read moreoften do you find a local bar, with 20 choices of draft beer, and vegan options? First. Our server, TAYLOR was the best. So friendly, patient, accommodating, and fun. She made our meal experience. The selection of beers is impressive, and Taylor helped my decision with giving me samples of beers. I went with the Imperial Head Hunter and was happy as can be with this IPA, The food? Incredible. We started with mozzarella sticks and faux chicken tenders as appetizers. Both were great. The mango habanero sauce is more sweet than spicy. But both the cheese and chicken tenders were wonderful. Our appetizer +, was the tequila vegan chili. We don't find veggie chili very often, but this was prepared with veggie chili, beans and soyrizo. It was wonderful. My wife chose the jackfruit Reuben sandwich. Those of us that are vegetarian, miss favorites like Reuben sandwiches. This jackfruit Reuben met the challenge. Delicious and plentiful. I had the Fierro burger with an impossible patty. Definitely not as spicy as I wanted, but delicious nonetheless. Lucky's was a fun place either way, great food, cold beer, lots of vegan options, and a friendly staff. Go there!

If I'm craving a hamburger, you can bet we are driving the 20 miles from Springboro to Lucky's!…read more Their Cobra Burger is the best burger in Dayton! It has a Thai-style Marinade, with Peanut Butter, Fresh Cilantro, Cucumbers, Pickled Carrots, Jalapeños, and Sriracha Sauce. I've had peanut butter on burgers elsewhere but those are just a gimmick and don't have thought behind them. Thai food often has peanuts, so this combination makes sense and is fantastic! The restaurant itself is a bit of a hole in the wall. Nothing fancy but they have a lot of interesting and yummy sounding dishes, with many vegetarian and vegan options. I'd love to try other items but just can't pull myself away from The Cobra. They also have a good beer selection and the servers are friendly. Food came out quickly and several people checked in on us to make sure everything was good.

Well that was delicious. An amazing meal with my mom today. Had the Krab Cakes, Hashtag Hash…read more(recommended), and Cucumber Pork Bowl. We had to get the Krab Cakes since we watched Lester make them on Top Vegan. So good and quick service! Grabbed a few bottles of Invoke Sauce for gifts too. Can't wait to be back.

Lester - Congratulations on winning season 2 of Top Vegan!!! I was rooting for you from the first…read moreepisode. Thanks for making Dayton proud!