Old 97
1503 Kenmore Blvd, Akron
(330) 745-5493
Recent Reviews
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Great service, comfy surroundings, and bingo night was very fun. The food is delicious 😋 beautiful patio
Love this place so much and the staff makes You feel very comfortable and always make sure you get what you pay for. J got a steak and baked potato and they have the best steaks around!!!!!! Will always refer this restaurant to everyone
This place is most definitely the best spot around! It is amazing, Food is fantastic and all of the staff are so friendly and very attentive (: Tiffany the manager actually interacts with everyone and always makes sure everyone is taken care of! will definitely come often
Super cool place! Great atmosphere and great food! We will be back soon!
Tiffany is a wonderful Hostess and she took care of our group the food here is good and the patio is amazing
We hosted a surprise 40th birthday party at The Old 97 on May 16. While we had a positive experience at the venue in the past, this most recent event fell short due to significant miscommunication, broken assurances, and a lack of professionalism—most notably in our dealings with Tiffany Casanova, our primary point of contact.
Our planning began in February. We originally hoped for May 17, but Tiffany informed us that a band was scheduled for that date. Because having live music during our event would be a dealbreaker, she assured us that May 16 would be free of any live performances. Based on that assurance, we moved the celebration to May 16 and secured the French Barn and patio by submitting a deposit that same day.
However, just one day before the party, I reached out to request a tent due to the forecasted rain. I was surprised to be told we were booked for the Speakeasy—not the outdoor space we had toured, discussed, and paid for. To make matters worse, I was then informed that a band was in fact scheduled to play outdoors on May 16, contradicting everything we had been told. As the event was a surprise and rescheduling wasn’t an option, we were forced to pivot quickly—something that should never have been necessary with proper planning and communication.
On the morning of May 16, we arrived at 10:30 a.m. to begin decorating. Tiffany had explicitly given us permission to use crinkle paper for the table settings. However, we were disappointed to find the space had not been cleaned from a prior event. My husband, sister-in-law, and I had to remove balloons, cut down streamers, sweep confetti, and rearrange tables and chairs ourselves—tasks we did not expect to handle after months of coordination.
Despite repeated communication that this was a surprise party, the surprise was inadvertently ruined. The downstairs bartender, unaware of the circumstances, asked the guest of honor if he was there for the “surprise 40th” and initially denied him access to the upstairs space. While we understand this was unintentional, it undermined a moment we had worked hard to plan and protect.
Later in the evening, we encountered further issues with timing. We were told the venue would remain open until 2:00 a.m., consistent with The Old 97’s extended liquor license. However, by 11:30 p.m., guests were being told to close out their tabs, and we were informed that the bartender would be leaving by midnight. Guests began to leave early, and the event came to an abrupt and premature end. By 11:30 pm, Tiffany was actively encouraging guests to exit the space. The limited mess left behind was due to the rushed closure—not neglect on our part.
As a final note, the upstairs bartender permitted myself, my brother’s boyfriend, and several guests to take small farewell Fireball shots from our party goodie bags—and even participated in one himself. While this was a lighthearted moment, it only further highlighted the inconsistent management of the event and venue policies.
I have not yet received a clear resolution or acknowledgment of these issues. We are currently waiting to see how the situation will be addressed. What should have been a joyful, celebratory evening was overshadowed by logistical breakdowns and last-minute changes—many of which were directly the result of Tiffany’s lack of follow-through and attention to detail.
The Old 97 remains a beautiful venue with great potential, but that alone is not enough to compensate for disorganization and poor communication. As returning clients who entrusted the venue with another milestone event, we left feeling deeply disappointed and frustrated. We sincerely hope management takes this feedback seriously to improve the experience for future clients.
Food was ok. Service was good. We had a party of 7 and apparently there is an automatic 20% tip added for “large parties”. We were not made aware of that until after we paid and tipped. Double tip and server never said a thing.
Side note. The chip dip was out of this world. Def not worth $3.00 but absolutely incredible.
First off never got a confirmation text on reservation so had to do follow ups. Knew they had a band at 7 so went at 6 to beat rush for food. Got drinks but waitress never came back to take our order after she delivered menus. After we flagged down someone to put in an order 40 minutes later, after 1 hour and a half of being there the food still wasn't delivered to us. When we finally got it, the filet was tough and tasteless, the steak tacos were missing all other ingredients but steak and were covered in a spicy gravy and meat was tough. Very disappointed. We heard lots of excuses on what happened but still had a large bill for terrible food and bad service. Drinks were mediocre. Never will go there again. Over rated under delivered.
This is a hidden gem. I have been here twice, and both times, I have thoroughly enjoyed myself. The atmosphere of this vintage house is amazing. The food is to die for, and the service is, above all, amazing. You are treated like family.
A fantastic cocktail bar with a solid food menu and an amazing vibe. The inside is super cozy and intimate - not a ton of tables so it doesn't get too crowded or noisy, and the lights are kept low - and their back patio is a gorgeous little oasis in this part of town. I always recommend checking their events online as they often have live music or even movies on the patio in the summertime.
Restaurantji Recommends
There 2 hours and 2 of our party of 5 had not received their meal. When we questioned the poor service we got " if you don't like it, why don't you leave and "" good luck"": whatever that means. I will never go back!! .
Under staffed....poor service and terrible attitude. Will never go back .... "good luck"
Great venue with excellent food and service.
I got the chance to have dinner with my friend, who recommended the restaurant. We happened to show up on Galentine’s night accidentally, so they had some festivities going on that looked like lots of fun! We ordered the filet, and had a strawberry margarita. The margarita is delicious and made without sour mix, so it was a nice treat! The filet was cooked perfectly, and the potatoes are so darn good! The ladies were so nice and gave us a few extra treat bags for the Galentine’s night as we were finishing up. It was a very nice surprise and much appreciated :) The staff is really wonderful, the atmosphere is fantastic, and the food is delicious. It is a smaller place, so prepare to wait if they’re busy. I did forget to take a picture of my food, but I’ll get one next time!
Great place, good time, food is really good and cool drinks.
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