The best local restaurants can stand the test of time, and that is certainly true for Berardi’s Family Kitchen! For more than 80 years, spanning multiple generations, this family-run eatery has been one of the most popular in the area. They offer many classic Italian-American dishes, such as spaghetti with marinara sauce, baked lasagna prepared in-house, and meatballs. Whatever you order, expect large servings and excellent service.

The extensive menu here also features salads, sandwiches, plenty of fried appetizers, and thick burgers made with 100% grass-fed beef, which, of course, come with fries! One of the reasons people love Berardi’s Family Kitchen is their hand-cut fries. They are crispy, salty, and served piping hot! You can also customize them with seasoning, bacon, and beer cheese. You’ll likely be back for more soon if you aren’t already a fan!

Pizza is the ultimate day-off dish. It’s comforting, filling, and relatively affordable when compared with other popular restaurant dishes. Chet & Matt’s Pizza has a sports bar theme that’s impossible to miss if you eat in, but your focus will almost certainly be on the pies they serve! They have some tasty and unique specialty pizza, like the Redskin’s Pizza. It has a sour cream sauce topped with redskin potatoes, onions, bacon, cheddar cheese, chives, and their in-house cheese blend for the most incredible homage to a baked potato.

You can always build your own pizza, and they even have a cauliflower crust for a reasonable upcharge. Their other menu options include burgers, subs, and salads heaped with toppings. If you have a big appetite, check out their lunch or dinner buffet, where you can enjoy all the salad, pizza, and breadsticks you can eat. On Tuesday nights, the dinner buffet also includes their locally-loved boneless wings!

If you want something with complex flavors and fresh ingredients, search no further than Mekong Vietnamese Restaurant! If you’ve ever had their beef pho, you already understand. They have an impressive assortment of Vietnamese and Asian fusion dishes. Consider trying their shaken beef, which features cubes of steak, onion, green peppers, snow peas, and crushed peanuts, all served in a rich, savory sauce with white rice.

Of course, you should get a side of their Chucky rolls, which are a cross between traditional fried egg rolls and the much lighter spring roll. They even have vegetarian-friendly options with tofu on the menu, as well as dishes like Orange Chicken that appeal to almost everyone!

Many bakeries that specialize in donuts offer little more than baked goods, but that isn’t the case at Jolly’s Donut! They have a full breakfast menu, complete with numerous coffee drinks. You can enjoy sit-down service in a diner-style setting for a quick breakfast or lunch. You can also pop in to grab a few donuts to go!

If donuts are the priority, you can’t go wrong with the Honeydew, which has a sweet melon flavor, or the maple eclair. They also have unique options, like the Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Fruity Pebbles, which are topped with their namesake popular breakfast cereals. If you plan to eat in, grab a bowl of their buttery grits or their breakfast bowl, which includes scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and home fries topped with avocado and served with Belgian waffle toast!

Next time you’re craving a massive burrito or pork carnitas tacos, make a trip to Casa Real! This Sandusky staple has incredible Tex-Mex dishes and some authentic Mexican options on the menu as well. If it’s your first time and you’re there for lunch, consider ordering the Ohio Special, which comes with one cheese chili relleno, a chicken chimichanga, a pork tamale, and a chicken burrito.

Trying a little of so many dishes can give you a feel for other options on their menu you’ll enjoy. Just save room for dessert. They have a few options, but the banana chimichanga is definitely worth a try! They roll a banana in a tortilla, deep-fry it, and serve it topped with ice cream and whipped cream.