and where are the best places in the state to get them?
Polish Boys
Do the brown paper bags of fried chicken and jo Jo potatoes count? You know it’s good when the bag starts to turn transparent from the oil
Jo Jo potatoes are absolutely an Ohio staple, should be up way higher
Sadly I’ve never even heard of a Jo Jo potatoes.
It’s an eastern Ohio thing. A lot of pizza shops have them. The chicken and potatoes taste identical.
Now that you say that I remember a pizza place having french fries with the chicken breading and they were freaking awesome.
It’s just potato wedges lol I figured this out in brookeville Indiana
Crazy I thought JoJos just went out of fashion but I only ever stopped seeing then when I moved out of Ohio….
Damn I never knew this was just an Ohio thing
The only other people I know of who call them Jo-Jos are people from Portland Oregon.
Woah had no clue Jo-Jos were an Ohio thing nice
Never heard of them living in Cincinnati and Cleveland.
Akron thing
Goetta
Came here to say this. Couldn’t believe how far down it is on the post.
Nobody outside of Cincinnati has heard of it, let alone eaten it.
I know was surprised it wasn't mentioned myself, I live like an hour north of Cincinnati so our grocery stores don't always have it, but when ever I see it I grab atleast two pounds. I love putting it on a piece of toast with an over easy egg on top its fucking delicious
Tony Packos hot dogs
city chicken (unique to a few other rust belt cities), mr hero, and recently learned that Cleveland Cassata cake is different than all other parts.
Was just about to post about both Mr Hero and Cleveland Cassata Cake
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9d
Chocolate no bakes are so damn good. Last year mu mom made some and forgot the chocolate so they were just peanut butter oatmeal no bakes. I melted chocolate and poured over and they were the bomb. I didn't know they're an Ohio thing tho.
pawpaw!
Like from Jungle Book? I’ve lived in Ohio for 37 years and had no idea paw paws grew here. I legitimately thought it was a tropical fruit.
Not only do the grow, but they're native. They have like a 24 hour shelf life so it's nearly impossible to find them if you can't pick them right off the tree.
Thanks to squirrels they have about a 10 minute shelf life if they fall
People are now trying to cultivate them! Here's a cool book on the whole pawpaw scene. It seems mostly centered around Athens.
I’ve lived in Ohio for over 30 years as well and have never even heard of pawpaw until now.
They are more common in southern Ohio.
As someone from southern Ohio for 30 years this is the first I've heard of it
Yup. Athens has a whole festival for them. A ton of them grow in my parents yard that backs up to Sharon woods here in Columbus as well
I only learned about them when I moved to Athens tbh! There’s even a pawpaw festival
Yep it’s a … very quintessential southeast Ohio thing
My wife’s Grandma has lived here for 90 years and she had no idea they grew here, or were the state fruit of Ohio
Sauerkraut balls.
Pierogi Mountain in Columbus makes some unbelievable sauerkraut balls, big time recommend.
Lima’s Kewpie hamburgers. Dave of Wendy’s fame worked there and influenced his burgers
This is way too far down the list. Every time I go through the Lima area I have to stop at least once for Kewpee
It’s more of a Cleveland thing - but god I miss the brown stadium mustard. I lived out of state for 18 years now (transplanted in Texas) and I always pick up several bottles. We don’t have ANYTHING comparable to it down here. :(
Shredded chicken sandwiches, fried yellow perch, five way chili, Johnny marzetti pasta. Very Ohio dishes but I generally find them as home cooked although there are certainly restaurants that make em
Shredded chicken sandwiches are elite.
Especially if they're served to you by a little old lady at a community event.
They HAVE to be homemade. None of this canned bs
I can't believe they aren't common everywhere.
All the same in Pennsylvania.
I live close to Root's Chicken. A birthday, graduation, or wedding is not complete without it on the table.
This is ubiquitous in some parts of Ohio, while completely foreign to nearly the rest of the country.
Never heard of them but that might just be on me
Facts. My ex’s family from Dayton was beyond baffled by shredded chicken sandwiches. As equally baffled as I was by chocolate chips in Cincinnati Chili
Shredded chicken sandwiches is just an Ohio thing?….. I find this hard to believe
Every time we had a new employee who wasn’t from Ohio and served up creamed chicken sandwiches at a lunch, they were amazed! They’d also never had Monster Cookies either!
I was new to Ohio in ‘04, my new friends mom and dad had these at a potluck she hosted, I was amazed I had never had this before. I wept tears. I was expecting the quintessential jelly/cocktail sauce meatballs not the sandwich from the heavens.
Who puts meatballs in cocktail sauce? Is this a thing, or were you looking for another word?
I have no idea why people did this. Grape jelly and a jar of Heinz’s chili sauce or cocktail sauce and a bunch of meatballs. It is honestly so wonderful. It’s a 70’s recipe that your 80 year old aunt brings to the BBQ.
Like the original wadsworth monster cookies?
Don’t know - never been to Wadsworth!
Grew up in Ohio, moved to Florida in 22. I'm Gen X never heard of a shredded chicken sandwich.
I grew up in NW Ohio and basically half my calories as a kid came from shredded chicken sandwiches
I'm 35 and have lived in northeast Ohio all my life and have never heard of shredded chicken sandwiches.
I’m 52 been here my entire life and never heard of shredded chicken.
I never knew that dish was called Johnny Marzetti until this very moment, despite having it often as a kid.
It's hamburger helper basically
You have the Cleveland,Cincinnati and Columbus dishes. Johnny marzetti has widest reach
Love Johnny Marzetti, with lots and lots of cheese.
Romanburger.
Haven't had Mr hero in like 20 years lol
Wor Sue Gai!
It’s a Chinese-American dish that is basically fried chicken in a “gravy” with sliced almonds.
Specifically created in Ohio and has since found its way to Detroit MI as well.
Also Paw Paws
Edit: paw paws are a tree fruit that have the texture of a banana and taste like a mango, banana, and passion fruit. If you haven’t, go check out the paw paw festival in southern Ohio
I had no idea it was such an Ohio thing until I moved to NYC and couldn’t find it at any of the Chinese take out places
I did NOT know this was Ohio-specific! I see it at almost every Chinese place here.
Swenson's Galley Boy
Man I love Swenson.
Happy cake day! Grab a galley for yourself!
With a California to wash it down
Best damn burgers in the state
Swensons Garden Burger is great if you don’t eat meat!
Jojos
Johnny Marzetti
Buckeye candy.
Brier Hill pizza - a Youngstown area gem
But who makes the best Brier Hill pizza? St. Anthony’s? Avalon? Wedgewood?
Youngstown and the surrounding area have the best pizza in all of Ohio. Wedgewood, Elmton, Avalon, LA Villa, Cornersburg, ect... I'm sure I'm forgetting some other great ones. Now I'm hungry for pizza from the Yo. Also miss Sandwich Factory (can't find subs like that anywhere in Columbus or Florida). Station Square. I'll stop now.
Sunrise, all their pizzas are fire too. Shit, everything is good there.
This. Or wedding soup.
Graeter's Ice Cream.
Handels Ice Cream.
Ballreich potato chips.
Grippos chips!
Conns ftw
Barberton Chicken Dinners
Give me that hot rice and slaw!
Sauerkraut balls!!
Ballreich chips!
Handel's ice cream. Currently conquering Utah.
I was so happy when I found them in California. The buckeye ice cream was a dead giveaway for being an Ohio brand!
My favorite in Columbus.
Ski pop
I came to this thread to say this. Yes, it’s not all over Ohio, but a significant chunk of southeastern Ohio is full of it and people love it.
Ski only barely touches Ohio. Other than at Cracker Barrel, you can only get it from like Lancaster and Chillicothe areas and South.
It's actually more hugely popular in SW Indiana, and is from Chattanooga, TN. Also popular in Kentucky as well apparently where you'd have it with slaw, a burger, and some fries. Lol
I'm curious which flavors are peoples' favorites?
Little Kings, Pierogis, chicken paprikash
Arther Treachers is now an Ohio only thing
Not true. The only free standing restaurants are in Ohio, but there are some attached locations in New York.
It was a weak attempt on my part
It is an Ohio original, founded in Columbus. So, there's that.
Cottage ham-my mom‘s house Goetta-Eckerlins Three ways-Dixie Chili
I've lived in Ohio for 30 years and as far as I know the only thing we're (in)famous for is chili served over pasta.
That said George's Lounge in downtown Canton serves up the single best cheeseburger I've ever had in my life. I've since moved halfway across the state but I still make the journey back at least once a month.
I think culinary preferences seem to split between Northern and Southern Ohio.
Yeah, I grew up in SW Ohio, and some of these culinary icons are completely foreign to me. Shredded chicken sandwiches? JoJos? What? I know Skyline, goetta, Graeters, brats and metts, cottage ham, etc
I’m with you - 40+ years in Ohio between Columbus and Cincinnati and I have no idea what half of this stuff is. Skyline, graeters, Cincinnati style brats and Mets, goetta, I know all that but wtf is a monster cookie?
From my experience shredded chicken sandwiches is a thing between Sandusky and cleveland.
There’s a pretty stark divide between northeast and southwest. I’ve lived in Ohio for 40+ years, split between central and southwest, and I have no idea what shredded chicken sandwiches or monster cookies are.
Cincinnati Chili - Although some claim it's not really chili at all :)
I had my first 3-way in Cincinnati!
By that logic I am the three way champion. Only ever been with one woman though lol
I have a 4 way once a week 😛
I so wish it had never been called chili. It would have cut the negative b.s. in every online discussion about it by like 90%. 😆
It’s “chili-adjacent”
Tomato juice. It’s disgusting and our state beverage. But hey if you get sprayed by a skunk 🙃
Troyer's Trail Bologna
Rax
Ski and ‘veals’ in Vinton/Jackson counties.
Jackson county veal?
Creamed Chicken Sandwiches
Just some off the top of my head:
Cleveland: + Polish Boy + Smokies (smoked beef sticks from any butcher) + Cleveland Cassata Cake + Mabel's - Cleveland BBQ - Brown mustard based sauce + Pierogi + Happy Dog - build your own hot dogs + Romanbirger- Mr.Hero + West Side Market
Akron: + Galley Boy - Swensons
Cincy: + Cincinnati Chili + Goetta + Blue soft-serve ice cream + Findlay Market
Columbus: + Jeni's Ice Cream + North Market
Apparently elephant ears. Everyone seems to know funnel cakes, but I’ve never met someone out of Ohio who knows elephant ears.
grippos chips, geotta
Trail balogna
Yep. A lot of people don't realize it's from Trail, Ohio.
Perogis
This is just Polish food and there happens to be a dense Polish population here. My mother's side of my lineage is Polish and I'm from Western NY. I'm nearly 50 and have been helping to make them since before elementary school.
Name checks out
Spelled with an “s” and fried with onions is quintessentially Ohio
Lake Erie water.
Polish Boys…
surprised no one's mentioned buckeyes yet. i could eat a whole box of those beautiful things
A good rueben sandwich. We are definitely known for polish boys.
Ohio Valley Pizza
Cassannos or my favorite- Marian's. It's Dayton style pizza to be fair though.
Skyline Chili
Briar Hill Pizza from Youngstown
Barberton Chicken and hot rice
Coneys with mustard and onions.
My area seems paczki and Perogies
Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
I have lived in Northeast Ohio for 35 years first in an east side suburb of Cleveland then in a west side suburb.
There are a few of these things I have heard of but I would like to add a few more that I did see and mention again some that didn't really get noticed
Cleveland cassada which is a cake that uses strawberries instead of candied fruit, custard instead of sweet ricotta and whipped cream instead of marzipan.
JoJo's - thick cut potato wedges floured and sometimes dipped in batter and fried.
Sloppy Joe’s - It originated from the 1930’s working-class neighborhood of Scottsdale, Ohio, during the Great Depression. The classic sandwich consists of ground beef with onions, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, or ketchup and spices on a hamburger bun
Sausage Sandwiches - It is a savory combination of tangy peppers, sweet onions, and rich hot sausage.
Spudnuts donuts - potato flour donuts
Bertman's Stadium Mustard
Waldo Ohio, fried bologna sandwich. Actually if you’re in Hilton head there’s a place called coco’s on the beach that has a mean fried bologna cause the owner is from Ohio
Red pop!!!! Red cream soda is far superior to regular cream soda.
Can't believe no one has said Skyline Chili/ Cincinnati chili
Can’t believe no one has said fried bologna!
That’s a southern thing brought here. Definitely not unique to Ohio. When you go to the Carolinas or Georgia you usually see it on the menu, but in Ohio it is hard to find it most places.
Coney Island With Cheese. Them heathens in Detroit dont put cheese on their coneys. Goetta
Pop.
Steubenville(Ohio valley) style pizza
This is what I was going to say. I love Ohio valley style pizza but I know some seem to hate it.
Kewpee of Lima.
Cincinnati Chili. Buckeyes cookies. Tony Packos. Pepperoni Rolls (which is a Pittsburgh/WV thing too I know).
Busch Lite
Ah love a Latte
SE Ohio Veal is a big thing..
Buckeye's Chili spaghetti Fish fry's Waffle cakes.
Roots chicken delicious memories
Crabill’s Hamburgers in Urbana
Skyline, Graeter’s ice cream, Esther Price.
Shredded chicken sandwich. Which apparently doesn’t exist outside of central Ohio
Cincinnati Chili
Conn’s chips. Rare treat: the cinnamon sugar ones crushed over ice cream.
Californian here whats Jo Jo's potato you speak of.
Waldo bologna sandwich. Uhhh G&R Tavern in Waldo, Ohio. About 45 minutes north of Columbus give or take traffic and lights on 23.
I’ve actually lived in Marion almost my whole life, been to G&R once, and even worked at the vet in Waldo, and never had the famous sandwich lol
Natural Light (Natty). My freshman year of college in Baltimore, MD, I asked an older roommate to get me some Natty. He questioned me, “Really, Natty?” I said yes and he came back with a sixer of National Bohemian, or “Natty Bo,” a beer brewed in Baltimore. Most guys were from Jersey and the cheap pisswater beer they were used to was Keystone Light. By my junior year, I had introduced and converted all my friends to Natural Light; the one, true Natty #OATW
White brats w/ Stadium or Bertman’s mustard. On a Schwebels hot dog roll. A six of Dortmunder or Commodore Perry.
Vernor's ginger ale
Peanut butter blossom cookies!
Johnny Marzetti, Donatos pizza, Skyline Chili, and buckeyes.
dirusso sausage
Malta Ohio: The Bookdocks - Boondocker Sandwich (slaw on top)
Athens Ohio: Jackie O's Beers, Obetty's Hot Dogs
Zanesville Ohio: Headley Inn Wines, Weasel Boy Beer, Tom's Ice Cream Bowl
Columbus Ohio: Thurman Cafe - The Therminator Burger
You either have to be really hungry or a glutton to eat the Thurminator! Tiny tiny spot with a great atmosphere. Love that place.
Check out Schmidt’s if you’re ever in German village in Columbus. Biggest crème puffs you have ever had / best sausages. The Bahama Momma sausage is a thing of wonder.
Marion’s pizza and Skyline chilli!
Marion's is so good. I get it every time I drive through Dayton. Or I'll hit up cassano's in Cincinnati
Jeni's ice cream and Norka!
Ranch dressing on anything
Ski!!!
Taste of Orient, Curry N A hurry, Jeni's (hold the listeria) The Eagle Short North, annnnddd PJ's subs
Cleveland Cassata cake! Better than the original style.
I’m a big fan of the Bucyrus bratwurst festival! Carles rocks!
Anything at Carfagna's. Best Italian ever!
Lived in Ohio my whole life and never heard of most of these
Polish Boy (Cleveland)
Sweet corn, apple butter, world's greatest tomatoes, Great Lakes Christmas Ale, Ice Wine from vinyards near the Lake; perch, walleye, cheese, plenty of micro brews, Michael Simon.... Clevelands West Side Market, many wineries,
Briar Hill Pizza in Youngstown.
Scrolling through, not really seeing a "quintessential drink". The official state beverage is tomato juice. I'm somewhat disappointed, lol.
Creamed Chicken Sandwich is a central Ohio staple. I know the recipe if anyone is interested.
If you’re near Youngstown brier hill style pizza and handels ice cream
Grippos best tater chip made. I dun even like bbq chips but I love Grippos.. dear god I do.
Don’t forget buckeyes