To enjoy downtown Akron one absolutely have to hang out at the Lockview. Can't go wrong with their appetizers, grilled chicken sandwich, and happy hour. read more

Fun place to grab dinner before hitting up the Akron Civic Theater or Rockin on the River. Get there early or else...I found the food to be a solid 3 stars. Nothing really special about it. Bar service was attentive and friendly read more

You know you have gone to a great place when even road construction dont hinder guests from piling in. First time there and wont be the last. Service was excellent. Beer and margaritas were smooth and priced well. I got their special, a sloppy Joe grilled cheese. Took me straight back to my childhood of my mom making something similar. Perfect grilled bread. Hard to beat golden Krisp tater chips. The wife had pulled pork grilled cheese and it was crazy good. Music and ambience kept ya feeling good. What a treat before our concert across the street. Going to have to swing in anytime we are on that side of the city again. read more

A hip environment for an overpriced yet tasty meal. Recommended if you're feeling lazy to cook up some killer grilled cheese yourself

Small but interesting draft list. Lots of beers you won't find elsewhere. I've had grilled cheese previously but didn't get it today. However there are lots of interesting combos to choose from! Service was great. Baxter was friendly and knowledgeable about the drinks. All the food our group got came out super fast. We will be back! read more

Music way too loud, server was not concerned, even though we had to shout to be heard. Asked for it to be turned down a second time, was denied again. When I mentioned the title of my review was going to be "the music is too loud" she just shrugged and said "okay." At this point, I really don't care about the food. By the way, it was between 6 and 7pm. NOT when a bar would be expected to have turned up the volume for the late-night crowd. read more

Great place! Love the ambience, delicious food. That grilled cheese is one of the best I've ever had. This place has been here for awhile, and I just keep coming back for more. read more

My past couple of Yelp reviews have been real 1-star train wrecks. I need to write something positive about someone or something. Where can I direct some healthy, earnest praise? Searching....searching....searching. Ahhhh....the Lockview! What could possibly go wrong with grilled cheese sandwiches? As it turns out....to the benefit of my psyche and perhaps yours, too.....not much! I spent two delightful days in the downtown Akron court system, as a juror, convicting a man of first-degree aggravated stupidity. So at lunchtime during the trial, I headed on over to the Lockview to sample their urbane selection of grilled cheese sandwiches (and perhaps sneak in a beer...no one told me I couldn't! Drinking a nice cold Belgian ale gave me special insight into the defendent's state of mind during the alleged incident, so I felt justified.) Anyhow, I liked this place. It's classic Akron. The Lockview in the daytime has the dim feeling of a post-apocalyptic bowling alley, and it's recent transition from nite club /music venue is quite evident, but I think that's part of the strange appeal. It's lit by bare wire light bulbs. There's nothing fancy about it, but the staff were exceedingly cool and laid back, and they happily shared their extensive beer list with me. The G. C. sandwiches were merely good, not great, but then again...it's grilled f'ing cheese...what do you expect? I am told there is also roof-top deck, which sounded infinitely appealing, but it was closed during lunch. Perhaps another time, I will get to enjoy the vistas from atop the Lockview. So, come here to the Lockview and an enjoy some bread slices with cheesestuffs in the middle. Then, go put some bad people in jail. Or dispense with the legal system altogether and go vigilante-style. Hell, I don't care. *** SPECIAL LEGAL NOTICE FOR LAWYERS WHO MIGHT BE READING THIS: I know you're asking, how does someone who is clearly such a hyper-critcal, judgemental ass ever get seated on a jury trial??? If he wastes this much time and effort writing critically about something as inconsequential as his experiences at local restaurants, just imagine the ways he will dissect your late-night criminal activities. You do not want him deciding your fate in any serious manner! ANSWER: the guy defended himself in court, and was too incompenent to know that he should have automatically dismissed me from the jury . It was probably the first and last time a white male professional ever got seated on a jury in the city of Akron. read more

Very bad first impression We went in on Tuesday night around 9 something. The place was still buzzling. We stood cluelessly for a couple minutes then one dude who dressed like he was all hip walked to us and told us to sit anywhere, so there we sat in a booth. 5 minutes have past, nobody acknowledged us, and that pretend-to-be-all-hip dude walked back and forth to this table, that table, to the bar, walked out past our table, walked back in past our table and pretended like he didnt see us. I had to finally walk to flag down someone. That dude, while clearly saw me walked toward him, didnt give a slightlest shit what was going on and just stood by the end of the bar with drink in his hand. Fortunately, the other server was in sight, i told her what was going on, and she took care of us from then. One thing though i dont understand. Dont ppl that work there communicate? I mean if that dude was no longer on his shift, couldnt he tell the other server there were ppl that just walked in? This place seemed really inorganized. While we were waiting for our food, the table literally walked out becaused nobody acknowledged them. They literally said 'lets just go next door'. While they were out, nobody didnt even notice. I would have given 4 stars for the food and the ambiance. The food was actually really nice and pretty good value for the price. The ambiance was also fun. They played nice and fun music. We ordered tomato soup, which was excellent, soup of the day (carrot-ginger) was ok a bit too sweet, chicken quesadilla was very good though salsa was flavorless, spinach salad was nice and fresh, lockview burger was good and juicy. Our lady server was nice and attentive. That dude alone dumped the stars from 4 to 2. He made the whole experience from nice and fun to downright disgusting. read more

Group Think creates positives and negatives. For Lockview, it is a positive. For the people who eat at Lockview, it is a negative. I work next to this place and have tried many things on the menu and it just barely meets the "meh" level. The odd thing is that it is always crowded. I could see it being a good place for college kids getting a beer and greasy grilled cheese, but that's IT. A few things: The fried pepperoni. What??? It tastes as stupid as it sounds. A coworker once ordered the fish tacos, a combination of fish and tons of colslaw in a store bought tortilla, and they looked beyond disgusting. The grilled cheese sandwiches are OK, but why go here when NorthEast Ohio is home to one of the best grilled cheese creators in the world... MELT. Downtown Akron has some good eats. Don't be fooled by this place. Instead try crave, 3 point, or diamond deli! read more

Not your average college bar, The Lockview is a refreshing alternative to the sports bar scene with a staff that makes even out of town visitors feel like regulars. I visited The Lockview on two consecutive nights and by the second night I was greeted by Webber, the bartender, by name and with a firm handshake. It's this kind of personal attention that made me a temporary regular at this bar while I was in town on business. In an era where most bars are decorated with more televisions than you can shake a stick at, it was nice to see only two here. Not only that, but the main television is usually set to the Food Network unless there is a game on that a patron requests to view. The Lockview is a place where they'll hunt down a special bottle of their regular's favorite libation if they don't carry it, and would rather build a great clientele slowly rather than cater to the PBR set. If you are looking for great beer than you need not look further. With over 145 options, there is something for everyone. It is true that most of these options are bottled, but they have a decent variety on tap including some offerings from Rogue which is based way out in Oregon. The food menu revolves around variations on grilled cheese sandwiches which are quite tasty, though a little on the heavy side. I did have a salad one night which came with a generous portion of chicken. Deep fried peperoni are also available, but be sure to get these when you are with a group or during the half price appetizer happy hour as there are more than enough to share. Basically, go here. Go now and meet Webber. Talk to him and he'll recommend some wonderful beers that you've never heard of. read more

Ok, so I went in expecting something other than what it was. It's got kind of a cafeteria vibe to it. . but a cafeteria with a bar, and behind that bar is lots and lots of craft beer. The whole night I was getting caught up with my oldest friend in the world and the hole night the same two barbacks were in front of us. Now, you know me, I'll say anything to get a reaction and these guys didn't react to anything. I'd come up with some horribly off color stuff to work into my converation with mike and nothing, not a grin, not a chuckle, not a blush. Amazing. Kudos to them, though, for staying out of customer conversations. Anyway, the grilled chese selection is everythig people say, and they were even nice enough to throw some bacon onto my cmoked gouda grillie. . ok so I paid for it which doens't make it a nice gesture still/ SO GOOD. Also, the place was packed and peopel were waiting so if you want to hang out and drink here show up early. . it's totally worth it. OH and guys, seriously, if the barback gig doesn't work out I hear thay always need guards outside of Buckingham palace. read more

We visited the Lockview shortly after seeing their representation at the Hamburg festival. Our kids were very impressed with their food, their creativity when it came to sandwiches, and the overall taste of their food. The night we went to dinner was after a day of family activities and the kids were losing steam pretty quick. We all ordered different types of grilled cheese sandwiches and shared with the family so we could all taste the different options. Each one of the sandwiches were delicious in their own way which to me is very important. If you are making a different type of grilled cheese sandwich in order to stand out from other sandwiches it is important for it to taste unique to the other sandwiches- which each one of these did. I would recommend The Lockview to anyone for lunch or dinner. read more

Fantastic location! I like the layout & design of this little place. I am not a beer drinker, but if I was, I would be in heaven in this place! What a great selection! Been here twice and sampled a few grilled cheese sandwhiches. All were so delicious. One night I was there with my best friend and we just missed the potato bar special they were having. I can't tell you how disappointed we were! They looked amazing! I will need to keep an eye out for the next one they have- don't think they do it too frequently. I heard about the roof-top deck but didn't know where it was or how to get to it! lol read more

Beer, beer, and more beer. Plus they're one of the few bars in Akron that doesn't throw a fit when you order a Jamison shot with a pickle juice chaser (which, btw, if you haven't tried it you need to). And if you're a Bloody Mary fan you HAVE to try theirs. They make it all homemade with either pepper or bacon vodka... Okay now onto the food... Oh the food... Where to start! Everything I have ever had here is top notch from burgers to salads and everything in between. Lockview is probably the only place I habitually get an appetizer, entree, and a drink. Must try in the downtown area! read more

For a place that supposedly specializes in grilled cheese, the sandwiches that were delivered to our group were surprisingly lacking in...cheese. The bread was good, but I could hardly tell there was anything between the two slices. Others in my party agreed. The beer was warm, and the restaurant doesn't seem to have air conditioning. The saving grace was the mac and cheese bites on the appetizer menu. Other than that, this is the most disappointing trip to a restaurant I have had in some time. read more

To hell with all of this grilled cheese talk. This is simply one of the best beer bars I have ever been into anywhere in the world. The selection is outrageous, the staff is helpful (ableit a step slow when the place is crowded), and a tab can be had for a reasonable price. The Lockview could hold its own in any town city or village in America. Maybe even Mexico. read more

Like others, I was pleasantly surprised at what a great little hidden gem this is. We went on a Saturday afternoon and there were folks arriving for lunch - not packed but not completely dead. My friend had the tomato soup which looked silky and delicious, the grilled cheese sandwiches and goldfish were a hit with the kids at the table. The appetizer of Lawson's dip and chips were EXACTLY what I was craving. The fries were perfect and the #12 (cheese, gravy, garlic potatoes) was heavenly comfort food. Definitely will be returning with more friends! read more

Pop Tarts with raspberry sauce for dessert? Yes Lockview you have my attention. Lockview is a unique little gem of a bar in downtown Akron with a more than adequate beer and wine selection including lots of interesting choices on tap. The menu is simple and comforting including options like deep fried pepperoni and tater tots. There are nostalgic choices like chips and Lawson's chip dip that melt my little Akron born and raised heart. Lockview is probably most well known for their grilled cheese sandwiches which range from the simple American cheese on Texas toast to more fancy choices like the goat cheese, roasted red peppers, spinach and sprouts on toasted herb bread, not to mention the unapologetically gluttonous number 12 that is layered with mashed potatoes and cheese on Texas toast served with a side of gravy. Although the sandwiches are great my favorite item is the homemade mac and cheese which layers roasted red peppers and fresh basil inside a 3 cheese sauce that is divine. If that wasn't magical enough, they also deep fry the mac and cheese and serve with a house made sriracha ketchup. The duo seriously rivals PB and J and chocolate and peanut butter for culinary matches made in heeeeaven. One of the best things about Lockview is that NOTHING on the food menu is over $7. If you're craving something warm, comforting and cheap- Seriously how can you go wrong? read more

Lockview is a favorite. Food is always good, as is the service. I especially love their tomato soup, but had the Southwest Chicken soup. It was very good. Had it with some extra fish crackers which made it even more yummy. My husband enjoys the extensive variety of on tap beers. read more

I like The Lockview for a casual dinner and that includes some of the best toasted cheese sandwiches in town! They also serve chips with the local famous Lawson's Chip Dip! To me, that is awesome! The beer selection is a bit overwhelming but I can always manage to find a great beer to go with dinner! read more

First time here. Great experience all around. Good food. Unique menu items. *(side of Goldfish). Good beer/wine selection. TCM television and great music. Everyone very friendly. read more

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Beer beer beer. Cheese cheese cheese. Awesome pint selection, just about any taste you'd like. Cool vibes in the restaurant and a great rooftop bar/patio. Primarily known for their grilled cheeses but The Panko's Chicken sandwich is killer too. Give this place a shot, maybe take one yourself while you're at it. PS - Great whiskey selection read more

Really good food for a really good price. If you have a chance, sit on the patio and enjoy a drink with dinner. It is secluded and you don't even feel like your downtown Akron read more

Awesome grilled cheese selection! They have over 15 different grilled cheese options. But I really like the traditional #1. Each grilled cheese is served with goldfish crackers. The salads are also yummy! Service is always great! read more

This is my favorite place to visit when I am in Akron. I love the coziness of the hustle and bustle atmosphere. This place is made for all types of people; families, students, goldfish cracker lovers and beer drinkers . They are known for their grilled cheese and beer list. I get the same sandwich every time! I always order the #6 Grilled Cheese with Apples and Bacon. The beer list here is quite extensive and you could find yourself here for hours wanting to drink all of them. This place is simple and that is what makes it so great! read more

Based on the recommendation from a family member my girlfriend and I decided to try out The Lockview. To be blunt, this place is the quintessential "you pay for what you get" establishment. It seems promising when you look at the menu, and don't get me wrong the food is not bad; it's just not all that special. The prices seem to be right, $7.50 for a good grilled cheese and your choice of side, and their drink specials seem to be on point, $2 for a nice Belgian white. Just a quick note, very little standing room when entering, and it was a little too hot inside. To start the meal we had a mushroom cheese dip served with tortilla chips. The best way to describe this dip is disappointing. It was not good at all. It didn't really taste like a cheese dip; however it did have to consistency of one. The mushrooms tasted either like they were from a can, or just chopped into very large pieces and then warmed up in a microwave with queso dip. The chips were also cold. I will say the meal did get better once we received our entrees. Also, our waitress was amazing. She kept our drinks full, and overall she was very pleasant, always with a smile and a suggestion. She helped us with our drink requests and we were not disappointed. My girlfriend got the veggie burger with a side salad and according to her the veggie burger was not anything special. Her word was "ordinary". The side salad was very good which was accompanied with a creamy white French dressing. She said she would go back just for the salad, and in the end they were able to win her over with their amazing peppermint patty alcoholic beverage. It was a spiked hot chocolate, which on a cold night was amazing. I got the Number 7 with a side of sweet potato fries, which is one of their thirteen grilled cheeses, ironically named one through thirteen. I also asked for a side of tomato soup. The Number 7 consisted of smoked Gouda, tomato, basil all on Tuscan cheese bread. First off, I love the idea of this grilled cheese because it includes all the flavors I love as an Italian, but it lacked in execution. There was not enough cheese, it was not melted and the sandwich felt like it had been sitting for a while. The tomato soup was nice and hot, and was actually very enjoyable. Thankfully I was able to dunk the grilled cheese in the soup which assisted in melting the cheese. To sum everything up, it was decent. I'd probably go back just to try some of the other sandwiches, and I try not to judge restaurants on the first trip unless they really drop the ball. It could have been better, but then again it cost the same as going to Chipotle. read more

The Lockview - Veggie Burger with side salad - American Near Me - Akron, Ohio

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Visited here while visiting friends in town recently and had a great experience. Service was friendly and attentive. The food was awesome. Although not on the 'light and healthy menu', there is a wide selection of gourmet grilled cheeses and other fried delights. Tried the Pepper Jack and Jalapeno grilled cheese. Very good. Others tried the mashed potato grilled cheese and really dug it. Tried the fried mashed potatoes, deep fried pepperoni and tater tots--all excellent. Although I kind of mourn when this place was The Lime Spider, at least it's stuck around in the form of a quality bar and restaurant with a variety of beers and unique food options. read more

With 13 choices of grilled cheese sandwiches, I rate this the best lunch spot in Akron! The deep fried pepperoni are incredible and tater tots can, and should, substitute the goldfish crackers that come with. read more

Yum! Although I no longer eat dairy... I used to LOVE their grilled cheese (the goat cheese one is killer). But I now go for the atmosphere, the beer (GREAT GREAT GREAT selection) and their veggie burger that is brimming with delicious mushrooms. Used to love their mac and cheese bites too. Oh! And get the sweet potato fries - the extra charge is worth it! Good service, great booths, and great bar (awesome spot upstairs on their roof in the summer - it's a must for at least a drink in the summer!). read more

Just all around meh. I had higher expectations. Tap list is excellent but the grilled cheese and goldfish crackers were a little juvenile. I probably would have loved it as a college kid but I was slightly embarrassed to take my date here. read more

Who doesn't love grilled cheese? This place is just really good at what they do. I've loved every sandwich that I've ever tried, though I have a few favorites that I always come back to (8, 10, 13). Added bonus: It's only a block from work for me. read more

We went here before an event at the Akron Civic and they were slammed. Tipical dive bar atmosphere, interesting music, even though they were packed our table didn't feel cramped at all. Famous for the grilled cheese three of us went for those and the fourth had the burger. Under the circumstances the drink service was excellent and the food took a while but we had plenty of time to make it to our show. Overall the grilled cheeses were very good and the burger was ok. The highlight of the meal was the tomato soup, it was spectacular. The prices for dinner and drinks were reasonable and a comfortable casual atmosphere. This is one of those places that I will return to when I'm in the area. read more

We found this great bar/restaurant after going to The Nutcracker at the Akron Civic Theatre. We went there with 2 five year olds and 3 adults. It was wonderful! The server cut the breaded chicken like chicken fingers. Mac and cheese, grilled cheese w/lobster and salads were so fresh. The croquette appetizer with chipotle aioli was so so good. Something for everyone here! Cocktails were made well and the house Chardonnay good. The atmosphere was kind of quiet and a really good end to a perfect day:) read more

I love lockview! I used to go weekly. Sometimes the music is just way too loud though.

This is one of the best spots in Akron for food and drinks. The Rouge Ginger Cosmo is my favorite drink of all time! Really nice modern laid back atmosphere with good food and service too! If you can ask for the server Lana...she gives great service and is good to look at :) read more

The Lockview - Rouge Ginger Cosmo...only $5 during happy hour 4-7! - American Near Me - Akron, Ohio

Kind of divey but don't let that deter you. Friendly, attentive wait staff, extensive drink selection and creative food menu. I had hummus pita with fresh veggies and a side of hand cut fries. He had 3 grilled cheese sandwich with jalapeños and hand cut fries as well. Both selections were fresh, hot and delicious. read more

Ok this place is very unique. They are pretty much college oriented. Really close to Akron U. Location is good during the summer and winter. During the summer they are having concerts every Friday and Saturday night.. And during the winter they have ice skating. So after listening to some music or want to warm up from ice skating you just walk half a block from the concert area to get some food and drinks. Food is really great. They make my favorite which is grilled cheese!!! :) It is hard to explain but they make all sorts of gourmet grilled cheese. They also have an insane beer list that are brewed from locals and other small companys. They have over 150 diff choices for beer. read more

Order the number 8 grilled cheese, it was pretty good. Goat cheese with sprouts and spinach. Grilled cheese sandwiches come with goldfish crackers, which my 1 year old loved, but despite the nostalgia for my middle school years, I felt like it was a cheap way around fries. My husband had the burger and fries, he said both were pretty generic. Good location. Big disappointment was the fact that we saw a big sign upon entering that said on Mondays all regular menu items are $5. This is pretty good savings, $2-3 off each sandwich. However, when the bill arrived we were told that was a lunch only deal, despite the fact that the sign does not indicate it. The waitress even said people are confused by it all the time... Then why not fix it??? Did not discount our bill like they probably should have. Might go back if invited by a friend and give it another chance, but if I don't I won't be sorry. Can take it or leave it. read more

What a fantastic local downtown restaurant! Definitely an experience worth having. It's super small and super loud. And if you have a long wait, you are going I get familiar with the people at the bar. But it's a fun atmosphere and worth the adventure. They certainly have the best grilled cheese I have ever had (--sorry mom!). They even do this cool thing where you have the option to get goldfish crackers as your side. Now I can appeal to my inner nine-year-old anytime to eat grilled cheese and goldfish! Seriously though. A must try. read more