Old 97 Cafe

Found this little gem by accident. Great cozy pub feel. Limited menu but really good food. Excellent cocktails. Nice staff and nice clientele.

I had my wedding and Dinner reception at the Café, Debbie Chapman is the best, she and her staff made our Day Unforgettable. We felt like we were at home with added elegance. The extra effort put forth was immeasurable, I will for ever be Grateful for the most wonderful Day Ever. There is nothing that could have made it Better. This place is an absolute GEM, please visit for any event that they have open, you’ll go back Promise.
Lisa and Phillip Johnson.

Awesome Martinis and great service! Coming back in summer to check out the outside bar.

One of my favorite bars in the area. The atmosphere is great, they have an amazing patio for outdoor hangs in the summer. Good cocktails, and I’ve never had a problem with the service. The only reason I didn’t give 5-​stars is because the beer is over-​priced. $ 5 – 6 for a beer that would cost $ 3 – 4 at most bars. …just order a cocktail instead.

I can’t say enough good things about the Old 97 Café in Akron. I took a friend there for a birthday dinner last night, and to listen to Rachel & The Beatnik Playboys (who were awesome as usual – if you don’t know their music, please check them out as soon as you can).
Neither of us drank any alcohol, but the 97 seems like the kind of place that can whip up a mean cocktail. And although their menu isn’t large, they had enough varied selections to please anyone, carnivore and vegetarian alike. I had chicken parmesan over angel hair pasta. It was very good and the portion size was generous. My friend had chili, and got a large bowlful. She enjoyed it a lot.
Best of all, when they learned that we were celebrating a birthday, they made a delicious chocolate and peanut butter cake to order, and didn’t charge us a cent for it. That’s going above and beyond. The staff couldn’t have been any friendlier or more accommodating, and you can bet we’ll be back.

I recently threw a surprise birthday party for my boyfriend at Old 97 and Debbie was so helpful and sweet. She made some appetizers for it and got everything ready for the party when I arrived. My guests LOVED this place inside & out and couldn’t believe they had never been here before. The drinks were amazing, the food was great, and Sam at the bar outside was so friendly & nice to everyone. It truly is a hidden gem in Akron. We will all be back for sure!

This is a hidden gem! Especially on Kenmore Blvd. of all places. I’ve been there several times now, and each time I’ve had a better experience than the previous one.
Fantastic drinks, fun activities (ping pong, darts, bocce ball), live music on two of the nights I’ve been there, amazing patio. The bartenders are very friendly and knowledgable about what they’re doing. The décor is fantastic as well. I can’t even think of a bad thing to say about this place.
If you happen to live in 20 minutes of this place, I highly recommend to come out and check it out. It’s close to highway access too!

This place is so great! If I could open a bar, this dark, classy, cocktail lounge, is exactly what it would be… patio out back, beautiful interior. Made me wish I was having an affair so I could meet him at T he Old 97. Could only give it 4 stars because our waitress was very unprofessional and messed up the bill. Then SHE was upset because we wouldn’t just pay the $ 104.00 she wrote on a napkin. We wanted to see what drinks we were getting charged for, as one member of the party left early. But don’t let that little blip keep you from checking this great place out! Alcoholics be warned– you’ll want to move in!!!

1^st time customers, we were intrigued with the décor both inside and out in the back (can’t wait for good weather to enjoy this!). Our service was both good and entertaining, thanks Kelly. Loved the variety of music playing and what was on slate for the immediate future. The limited menu was tasty, hot, & fresh. Definitely will be back, and soon.

I am only giving them one star for the cool atmosphere and movie nights. Both male and female bartenders are slow and unwelcoming. If you aren’t a regular sitting right in front of them don’t expect a drink or a smile. I understand taking care of your regular customers, but how will you gain business without providing excellent first time experiences? I really want to like this place because the owners seem great and have put a lot of care into it, but the staff needs to step up their game in a huge way. There is an upside to this story… we walked out and went down the street for amazing pizza and a big smile at Pierre’s Pizza!

Not very inviting. Unless you are a local don’t go in. Tried the place twice. Horrible service. Went in with a group if 8 people and Nobody even said a word to us we stood at the bar trying to get drinks and all three bartenders ignored us, never even acknowledging we were there so we left.