Oodles of noodles, tacos, pizza: These 6 restaurants opened in Summit County in April 🍜🌮🍕

The restaurant scene seems to be on the up and up when it comes to new eats in Summit County.

Pizza lovers have already been ranting and raving about the opening of DeCheco’s Pizzeria in Northwest Akron, but there are still plenty of other new eateries primed to kick off restaurant season.

Fans of açaí bowls, Mexican fare, soul food and pasta will also be pleased with April’s lineup. We checked out each restaurant to see what they have to offer.

This is not an exhaustive list of all restaurants that opened in April, but you can help us make it more complete by contacting Beacon Journal reporters Tawney Beans at tbeans@gannett.com and Kerry Clawson at kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com with tips on restaurants openings.

Here’s what you need to know.

Don Jose Mexican Cuisine

The new Don Jose Mexican Cuisine , which opened April 8 at Valley Centre plaza in Akron's Merriman Valley, specializes in the foods of owner Carlos Hernandez's family's homeland, the Mexican state of Michoacan.

His parents, Jose and Josefina Hernandez, created the menu for the eatery at 1562 Peninsula Road, where King Crab used to be. Jose, a cook for 25 years, features his regional carnitas recipe and more. Josefina makes the red rice and tamales plus specializes in desserts, including homemade flan, chocolate flan and churros.

"They're teaching the recipes to the cooks," Hernandez said of his parents in late April.

The first-time restaurant owner, who lives in Barberton, has worked in the restaurant business since he was 15. Now he's running his own Mexican restaurant that seats 278.

Amid the restaurant's huge menu of 42 entrees is No. 5. Enchiladas de la Casa, the restaurant's signature dish that's one of its bestsellers. Four enchiladas — chicken, ground beef, cheese and beans — are topped with a house-made tomato sauce indigenous to Hernandez's hometown whose distinctive ingredients are dried guajillo chiles, onions and cloves.

"It's a totally different taste" from regular enchilada sauce, Hernandez said.

Other entrees include five types of enchiladas, flautas, sopes, chimichangas, tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, Mexican salads, appetizers and much more. During a recent visit, photographer Lisa Scalfaro and I sampled the quesabirria, tasty double tacos filled with brisket, cheese, cilantro and onion and dipped in savory birria broth.

We agreed that Josefina's chocolate flan was to die for. It's no wonder her batch of 27 chocolate flans — made with moist, rich chocolate cake contrasting with delicious, creamy flan on top with caramel sauce — ran out within seven hours on a recent Friday.

Another special touch at Don Jose's is that all margaritas are made by hand.

"We squeeze everything from scratch. Nothing is from a bottle but tequila," Hernandez said.

For more information on the restaurant, see Don Jose Mexican Cuisine on Facebook or call 234-334-0472.

1562 Akron Peninsula Road, Akron ; Noon to 8 p.m. Sunday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday; noon to 10:30 p.m. Saturday; 234-334-0472; Don Jose Mexican Cuisine on Facebook

— Kerry Clawson

Noodles & Company

Noodle-lovers, dreams really do come true. The first Summit County location of Noodles & Company, a national chain specializing in all things pasta, opened April 17 in Green.

The restaurant was founded in 1995 and has more than 450 locations in 26 states, the closest of which was in Westlake prior to the Green location’s opening. Guests have been welcoming to the new restaurant, according to area manager Jessica DeLaCruz.

“We cook everything to order, so there's not anything that is held,” DeLaCruz said. "So [when customers have] had to wait for a few extra minutes because the team is new and they just started, they've been very nice. I’ve opened five locations in the past 12 months and these guests are the nicest so far.”

One of biggest hits on the menu is the chicken parmesan ($10.95) — penne noodles, crushed tomato marinara, parmesan-crusted chicken and oven-baked mozzarella. Beacon Journal photojournalist Phil Masturzo tried the dish and was impressed by the depth of flavor in the marinara, a real compliment considering his Italian roots.

Their Japanese pan noodles ($7.50) seem to be a hit as well. It’s made with caramelized udon noodles in sweet soy sauce, broccoli, mushrooms and carrots topped with black sesame seeds and cilantro. I had marinated steak in mine, and the natural umami flavor from the carrots was robust.

Noodles & Company is also known for its Wisconsin Mac and Cheese ($7.35), which is a blend of cheddar and jack cheeses, cream and elbow macaroni meant to be eaten piping hot for maximum ooey-gooey cheesiness. And don't forget to grab one of their giant Rice Krispies Treats on the way out.

Customers can order on the Noodles & Company app and grab their order in store or through the drive-thru pickup window. App users can also redeem rewards and keep up to date with any news related to the new location.

3944 Massillon Road, Uniontown; 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 330-238-8139; noodles.com/location/noodles-green/menu

— Tawney Beans

Bahia Bowls

A sign inside the new Bahia Bowls in Green says, "Welcome to the Bahia Bowls Family."

The acai cafe, which opened April 27, specializes in bowls, with its signature acai bowl featuring an acai blend topped with granola, banana, strawberries, blueberries, coconut shavings and honey.

The line was out the door opening day at Bahia Bowls' third Ohio location , said General Manager Jolie Kolassa. Local franchisees Elizabeth and Hemil Patel of Strongsville own the three Ohio Bahia Bowls locations in Westlake, Canton and Green and plan to open three more.

Bahia Bowls, founded in Estero, Florida, in 2017, has 17 locations in Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.

In Green, customers can order from several kiosks or at the counter, with a choice of six bowls ($8.65 to $13.55), 12 smoothies ($7.95 to $8.95) and a variety of salads and wraps ($9.45 to $11.45) and toasts ($6.95 to $8.95) with diverse toppings.

Kolassa stressed that fresh, natural ingredients make Bahia Bowls stand out: "It's all-natural products. There's not fillers, no preservatives. We don't use syrups; we don't use any type of sugar, anything like that. All the sweet stuff comes directly from the fruits' natural sugars for our smoothie bowls. Same with our smoothies."

For an additional charge, customers can add sweet premium toppings to their bowls and smoothies, including Nutella, peanut butter, cookie butter, almond butter, chocolate chips and more. Cookie butter is a spread made from Lotus Biscoff caramelized cookies.

Photographer Phil Masturzo and I tried a Pitaya Bowl, featuring vibrant-colored, magenta dragon fruit blended with mango and banana and topped with granola, mango, pineapple, kiwi, coconut shavings and honey. The mango and pineapple flavors stood out, as did the tasty granola crunch.

We loved the banana bread protein bites — richly flavored dessert balls that we learned include cookie butter. These delicious treats could easily become addictive.

We also sampled a healthy Go Green smoothie made with spinach, kale, mango, pineapple, banana and almond milk, which had a light fruitiness. I also got a Sunshine Cobb Salad to go, featuring romaine lettuce, avocado mash, tomatoes, cucumbers, hard-boiled egg, bacon, cheddar cheese and tropical mango dressing. The special dressing added a lightly fruity twist to the cobb salad.

Bahia Bowls' most popular fare includes the acai bowl; the limited-time Paradise Bowl with pineapple, mango and fresh mango nectar; as well as the Berry Blast, Strawberry Bananza and Nutcase smoothies. The green eatery even has a smoothie happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, with 16-ounce smoothies for $6.

Popular toasts include Loaded Avocado and Cookie Craze, and another hit is the Southwestern salad or wrap, with house-made creamy chipotle dressing.

3485 Massillon Road, Uniontown; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; 330-572-7775; bahiabowls.com

— Kerry Clawson

El Papa's

A family-owned and operated restaurant staked its claim April 6 on State Road in Cuyahoga Falls. If we only had two words to describe the joint, they would be vibrant and welcoming.

El Papa’s originally opened in Dover in 2009. After a decade in business, it moved to Cuyahoga Falls on Howe Avenue and operated there for five years. Now the brightly colored eatery, sporting vibrant walls, curtains and banners, resides in what was once Domenic’s Pub.

Domenic DiLullo still owns the building and Molly Brown's Country Café next door. He didn’t hesitate to let Beacon Journal photojournalist Jeff Lange and I know how he felt about the new restaurant during our interview with co-owner Juan Rodriguez.

“Everything is made fresh, delicious,” DiLullo said. “Today is my sixth time coming here. Every time I come in, I try a different dish. Everything's super delicious.”

Speaking of dishes, the most popular at El Papa’s are the California burrito, birria tacos, white enchiladas and margaritas. Jeff fell in love with the birria tacos during our visit, and I had a field day with my Down South fajitas made with proteins like steak, shrimp and chicken.

Parents Rosa Alma and Jose Rodriguez co-own the restaurant with their sons, Marco and Juan Rodriguez. Each family member plays an important role in its daily operations, as Jose and Marco work in the kitchen while Juan and Rosa Alma do front of house operations, Rosa Alma primarily as a cashier and Juan as a waiter.

“You know what? I just want to have my customers happy,” Juan said.

That adjective certainly describes how Jeff and I felt after dining at El Papa’s.

2467 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 234-312-9083; El Papa's Mexican Kitchen on Facebook

— Tawney Beans

DeCheco's Pizzeria

DeCheco's Pizzeria, a joint with quite the lineup of pies, loaded jojos, desserts and more on its menu, opened its third location April 15 in Northwest Akron.

There are many outside-of-the-pizza-box menu items at DeCheco’s, including pizzas modeled after Doritos, pickles, tacos and potatoes ($12-$23 depending on pie size). Once things settle down at the new location, some new menu items will also be announced.

My friend Sarah and I were impressed with DeCheco's offerings when visiting the downtown Akron location for the Local Flavor series . We ordered meat lovers and New Yorker pizzas, pinwheels, funnel cake knots and mozzarella moons at the time.

There are two other DeCheco locations in Firestone Park and Lakemore, but second-generation owner Nathan DeCheco plans to grow that number.

DeCheco hopes to spread his pizza fan base far beyond Akron's borders. Tallmadge residents will have a DeCheco's Pizzeria in their neck of the woods by the end of the year, he said. The restaurateur hopes to open locations in Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson and beyond in the coming years.

2283 West Market St., Akron; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; 330-967-2283; dechecospizzeria.com

— Tawney Beans

Mick & Shirley's

That’s right, Akron’s beloved chicken and French toast joint is open once again, but this time it is just off the Tallmadge Circle at what was previously Salsitas Mexican Restaurant .

If you’ve never had Mick & Shirley’s, allow me to fill you in. The restaurant serves various breakfast, lunch and dinner options but is known for its chicken and French toast ($20), made by drenching slices of customized Texas-Italian loaf from Ideal Bakery in homemade batter.

After grilling, the French toast is covered in a homemade glaze and served with four well-seasoned chicken wings. Some customers say the dish is reminiscent of a Krispy Kreme donut.

Owners Charles W. Martin and Sheila Lee Martin originally opened the restaurant on South Main Street in Akron nine years ago near Ido Bar & Grill and Main Street Saloon .

At first, they didn’t have the money to fix up the building and began selling ribs, chicken and fish dinners in the parking lot. Customers started asking about a breakfast menu, so after finding out the building used to be a breakfast and lunch spot, Charles Martin began offering southern-style breakfasts.

In 2018, Mick & Shirley’s moved to Merriman Valley and teamed up with Social 8, a restaurant and social lounge. The restaurant closed for a year after Charles Martin went into a coma due to COVID-19 for a month in 2021. The restaurateur woke up attached to a ventilator and had to relearn how to walk.

“[The doctors] had actually told my wife to make her final arrangements on me, and then I woke up,” he said. “I woke up and it was New Years. They said I was going to come off [the ventilator] and I was going to keep the tracheostomy tube. I said, ‘Ya’ll don’t know the God I serve,’ and sure enough, they popped that trach out, and they didn't think I was going to be able to breathe by myself without oxygen, and here I am.”

Since Mick & Shirley's opened April 16, customers have ordered online or over the phone and picked up meals using the drive-thru window on the side of the building. Customers can also have food delivered through DoorDash.

A grand opening is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, during and after which customers will be able to dine in regularly. Charles Martin plans to open the dining room to train employees on Saturdays leading up to the big event.

137 East Ave., Suite #30, Tallmadge; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday (after grand opening); 330-459-2546; Mick & Shirleys Catering and Cafe on Facebook

— Tawney Beans

Got a story recommendation? Contact Beacon Journal reporter Tawney Beans at tbeans@gannett.com and on Twitter @TawneyBeans. And follow her adventures on TikTok @akronbeaconjournal. Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Oodles of noodles, tacos, pizza: These 6 restaurants opened in Summit County in April 🍜🌮🍕