Restaurants in Lorain

For 35 years, Hot Dog Heaven’s grill masters have crafted a menu fit to bust with flame-licked, condiment-topped meats. All-beef hot dogs ($2.99) gussy up like cylindrical socialites in à la carte accessories, such as homemade chili sauce and onions, or don preselected medleys including The Clevelander’s cheese, kraut, slaw, and bacon (add $0.35). Juicy hamburgers ($1.99 for single; $2.99 for double) can bask in the same topping treatment as their tube-shaped brethren. Six mini corn dogs ($3.79) present an ovation-worthy opening act, often inviting backup from fresh-cut fries ($2.79 for small; $3.79 for medium) that jackknife out of canola oil into a cup of prized chili ($2.79).

Cuisine Type: Italian Food, Pizzeria
Established: 2007
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Number of Tables: 11–25
Parking: Parking lot
Most popular offering: Pizza, calzones, stromboli, subs, and wings
Kid-friendly: Yes
Delivery / Take-out Available: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Pro Tip: Go up the stairs to the double french doors to dine in.

Q&A with the Owner

What is one of your most popular offerings? How is it prepared?
Our Margherita Pie is one of our most popular specialty pizzas. We start with fresh dough and drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the crust, then we cover it with tomato slices and fresh basil leaves, top it with our freshly grated provolone cheese, and bake it. It's very light, but hearty. The flavors meld together to give you an authentic pizza with our twist—provolone cheese.

Is there anything else you want to add that we didn't cover?
We're very passionate about what we do. We have exclusive specialty pizzas and one-of-a-kind subs. When the weather is good, we have al fresco dining.

In your own words, how would you describe your menu?
Our menu is focused around pizza. We have traditional Italian food items as well as other complementary offerings that round out our menu and provide a good selection. Our roots are in pizza, but we love everything "food," so we try to give customers our best version of what we like to eat.

Since 1934, Smitty's Place has bombarded appetites, including President Obama's, with a deluge of meaty burgers and wraps. The signature Smitty burger ($4.50) slathers a beefy double-decker with special Smitty sauce and melted cheese, and the nautical nutriment of a crab-cake platter ($7.50) powers up bellies for the difficulties of laughing through a snorkel. The chicken-bacon-ranch wrap ($7.15) bathes crispy or grilled chicken in cayenne ranch before wrapping it up in the warm arms of bacon, lettuce, tomato and a spinach wrap.

At Rotuno’s Texas Style Barbeque, the cooking never stops. That’s because each night the staff loads the eatery’s custom smoker with high-quality meats that slow cook into the morning. Owner Tim Rotuno sees to it that the menu is stacked with all the classic barbecue dishes, from St. Louis–style ribs, to Texas-style smoked sausage, to smoked corned beef. Southern sides such as baked beans and coleslaw round out finger-licking meals.