Dinner at Tito's Mexican Grill a feast you'll want to repeat | Local Flavor

I made it a Mexican seafood night on a recent visit with my husband to Tito's Mexican Grill in Fairlawn.

It was our first time feasting on Mexican food at this establishment across from Summit Mall, which Arnoldo Ayala and his partners have owned since 2019. Tito's Mexican Grill was under previous ownership going back to 2011, but Steve and I hadn't dined there before.

It was about time.

The place offers an extensive menu of quesadillas, Mexican street tacos, enchiladas, fajitas and burritos. Add to that steak, seafood and chicken dishes plus 10 chef's specials. And those are just the entrees.

The ambiance is fun too, with colorful Day of the Dead artwork on the walls and wood-carved booths, tables and chairs with flowers and the Tito's logo on them.

Margarita choices at Tito's Mexican Grill

We started out with two huge margaritas ($13.99), with Steve picking the Paloma, featuring fresh grapefruit, lime, orange juice, organic agave nectar, tajin and tequila. His spicy cocktail, one of the restaurant's most popular, also had dark red tajin on the rim.

"It's like a salty, limey chili powder," Ayala said of the sweet and spicy seasoning powder.

I chose the Octopus — frozen lime margarita swirled with the restaurant's homemade sangria served in a round glass that Steve declared was a fishbowl. I enjoyed the fruity, mellow taste if the Octopus, which lasted for my whole meal.

All of the margaritas at Tito's feature fresh-squeezed juices, nothing from a can, said Ayala. Another top-seller is the signature margarita ($13.00), made from fresh orange and lime juice mixed with orange liquor and tequila. The top-shelf drink features fresh-squeezed juices and organic agave nectar instead of sour mix and simple syrup.

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Tito's boasts delicious seafood options

I was in the mood for seafood, so I started out with the shrimp soup as an appetizer. I'd never seen such a soup on a Mexican menu before and I was game.

The soup was a healthy option with shrimp, fresh broccoli and cauliflower and a spicy, orangey-brown broth featuring chile ancho and chile guajillo.

This soup's from a family recipe, made fresh to order instead of prepared in a big pot ahead of time.

The service at Tito's was very quick, friendly and efficient. That includes the chips and salsa that are included at every table, which we were happy to munch on.

We added chile con queso ($7.99) to dip the chips into, which wasn't as thick as I'd expected but was deliciously cheesy and spicy.

Next up was a lobster chimichanga ($15.99) for me and street tacos ($12.99) for Steve. My creamy chimichanga was the perfect combination with a sweet mixture of real lobster, scallops and shrimp in a large, fried chimichanga and topped with creamy cheese sauce.

I also enjoyed the light, delicate texture of the fried chimichanga tortilla that housed all that seafood goodness.

"I'm loving this," I told Steve of my entree.

Steve, never at a loss for words when describing good food, pronounced that my lobster chimichanga was "velvety."

He feasted on three street tacos stuffed full with steak, chorizo, pineapple, peppers and diced potatoes on corn tortillas, served with rice and refried beans. Steve enjoyed the spicy medley of flavors and the chewier texture of the corn tortillas.

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Twin Ayala brothers run the show at Tito's

Ayala, 35, is co-owner of Tito's in both Fairlawn, which is housed in the space where Egg Castle formerly was, and Tito's Mexican Grill in Coventry Township at 3333 Manchester Road, which he purchased at the same time.

He and his twin brother Oscar, general manager for Tito's, are originally from Guadalajara in southern Mexico. They moved to the Akron area in 2006, when Ayala began working at Tres Potrillos in Copley.

At Tito's, chef Brayan Lopez cooks the Ayalas' recipes and hails from Chiapas, Mexico.

"We teach him to cook our way," Ayala said.

Among the restaurant's most popular entrees are the fish street tacos ($13.99), made with fried swai fish. The three tacos are topped with red cabbage and pico de gallo, served with rice. Also popular for lunch is the panchita special, a choice of chicken and/or steak and chorizo over rice, covered with queso dip and served with a slice of avocado and tomato.

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Tito's definitely worth another trip

After this Mexican dinner, I had a load of leftovers, including some chimichanga and shrimp soup. We also agreed that it would be a sin to leave our leftover tortilla chips, salsa and chili con queso behind.

We'll definitely be returning to Tito's in Fairlawn, where it'll take years to sample all that the menu has to offer with its more than 90 entree options and build-your-own combos.

Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.

Details

Restaurant: Tito's Mexican Grill

Location: 25 Ghent Road, Fairlawn

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday

Information: 330-835-9801 or titosfairlawn.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Tito's in Fairlawn has huge menu, tasty seafood, street tacos, margs