Restaurants in Niles

In order to permeate T8STE Tizzzzz’s congenial atmosphere with a perfume of sweetness and smoke, cooks slowly tenderize meats over hickory and oak before dousing them in housemade sauce. The eatery's soul food is among the best local eats, according to the Journal Gazette in 2011, and for a profile in the same publication, critic Ryan DuVall heaped praise on the restaurant’s burnt brisket ends, which spend 20 hours in a smoker.

The menu has a distinct Kansas City character, which is a result of owner Curtis Gregory's upbringing in KC. Rib tips and wings serve as alternatives to sandwiches overflowing with pulled pork or shaved brisket, and each plate can fill in with “fixins” of dirty rice or tender collard greens, or with thick slices of coconut pound cake.

Whenever an adult purchases an entree at select restaurants, a child younger than age 12 dines free thanks to The Kids Club Card—an innovative pass that helps families save money when eating out. Participating eateries, such as Applebee’s, Dairy Queen, and T.G.I. Friday's, offer a variety of tastes for patrons who might have otherwise avoided restaurant prices by staying home and eating porridge. Local charities also benefit from the pass, receiving a cut of its proceeds when it's sold in their communities.

At Fuel Vegetarian a vegan can bite into an American-style burger with a Peruvian-seasoned patty and gooey layer of cheese. The completely vegetarian, raw, and vegan-friendly restaurant crafts meat-free versions of classic tastes from places such as Italy, Cuba, Ethiopia, and Louisiana. Executive chef Denise Miller creates a list of regionally themed plates such as the southern stack, which includes cream of wheat-crusted substitution chicken strewn across a bed of black-eyed peas and collard greens. Along with using local and sustainable ingredients, Fuel Vegetarian gives back to the community by donating $0.60 to local nonprofits every time a customer orders a dessert or successfully licks their elbow.

A vermilion overhang of adobe-style tiles decorates the façade of Agaves Mexican Grill, giving only a hint to the south-of-the-border dishes the chefs inside are busy creating. Their menu pays homage to distinctly Mexican dishes, such as made-to-order guacamole, which also embellishes the popular enchiladas rancheras. But like accounting majors hailing from a long line of mariachi dancers, cooks aren't afraid to stray from the norm, as evidenced by their creative bites such as Mexican lasagna: a house specialty of cheese and shredded chicken stacked between layers of corn tortillas.

In the kitchen at Macadoo's Family Restaurant, owners Tim and Kathy page through their family recipe books to craft comfort food for breakfast and lunch. Homemade soups simmer on the stove each day, and warm ladles of beef manhattan cover their platters. And Tim's made-from-scratch sausage gravy layers over the "almost world famous" biscuits and gravy, whose international recognition was thwarted only by its own inability to answer reporters' questions. In addition to serving hearty entrees and sandwiches, the restaurateurs help diners embrace each sunrise with hot coffee and traditional breakfast dishes.