We went to Cuyahoga Falls’ newest downtown restaurants. Here’s what to get

There’s something about Cuyahoga Falls that’s drawing restaurants to its downtown.

It’s rare to have two eateries open just a half-mile up the road from one another in less than a week, but that’s exactly what happened for Boss ChickNBeer and Thulung Boba House in early January.

Then you factor in that Glazed, a donut shop, is slated to open on Front Street within the next few months. Plus, Ryes and Shine, an all-day breakfast bar, opened three months ago on Front Street just east of state Route 8. And less than three miles west, El Papa’s Mexican Bistro plans to be up and running on State Road by the time the Super Bowl airs.

Is there something special in the water? Kool-Aid? A magic potion?

Turns out the secret ingredient is asphalt — and no, it’s not in the water supply.

Cuyahoga Falls’ restaurant boom likely stems from the city’s decision to reopen Front Street to vehicular traffic after 40 years as a pedestrian mall. Since the main thoroughfare became accessible to motorists in 2018, city officials have reported an explosion in pedestrian traffic and business growth.

Whatever the reason, downtown Cuyahoga Falls has two new places to spice up your restaurant rotation that, let’s face it, has been feeling a bit repetitive. I gave them both a try – here’s what to know before you go.

Sauce-less wings reign supreme at Boss ChickNBeer

Best to get this out of the way first: Yes, you will be charged $100 for sauced wings at Boss ChickNBeer. Brined overnight, baked each morning and fried to order, the whole process comes to a halt at the usual sauce 'n toss step.

No, there isn’t a charge for saucing the wings yourself — in other words, tossing everything into a to-go box and shaking it until the cows come home. Voila, saucy wings at no extra cost.

Although there is an upside to paying the hefty fine, since that $100 goes to any charity of your choosing.

All this was explained to me just before ordering by Will Ruiz, the local chain’s director of culture, who is serving as the temporary general manager of its Cuyahoga Falls location. After being with the company for five years, he has seen six people pay the price for saucing their wings.

It’s not just wings of the chicken variety that this rule applies to. Owners Heather Doeberling and Emily Moes made Boss ChickNBeer a fully “OMNI” restaurant, meaning that every item on the chicken menu has a counterpart on the plant-based menu. So, their cauliflower and tofu counterparts are no exception.

“We just don’t believe in it,” was Ruiz’s explanation − the same given under their sauce fee disclaimer on the menu.

Based on my visit, I would guess that the restaurant does believe in large, dry-rubbed wings.

I purchased a pound (eight wings) with onion rings and a cranberry salad-stuffed sweet potato on the side, plus some barbecue and honey mustard sauces for dipping and a cream soda. My total came to $31.64.

The wings were still satisfying even though they weren’t dripping in sauce before I sat down at one of the establishment’s picnic tables. However, next time I visit, I will probably grab a to-go box and sauce them myself instead of dipping — being a sauce-forward person is a hard habit to break.

The onion rings were surprisingly well-seasoned, almost peppery. I don’t often see restaurants put so much effort into their fried sides.

I felt the real highlight of my meal was the absolutely massive sweet potato. Its stuffings — arugula, candied pecans, cranberries, pickled red onion and a cherry maple vinaigrette — complimented the hearty and subtle sweetness of the big spud. Ordering it with some fried or grilled chicken on top would be a meal all by itself.

But I can’t forget the latter portion of the eatery’s name. Beer lovers can also find the most sought-after Northern Ohio brews at Boss ChickNBeer. The eatery partners with more than 50 local breweries from Toledo to Mentor and down to Canton to offer a rotating selection of beers that changes weekly.

Between the beer variations, seasonal menu and weekly specials (often gluten-free), it seems as though there will never be a dull moment at the downtown restaurant, which opened Jan. 9.

The Cuyahoga Falls location is the franchise's first in the county, and its fourth overall. The other locations are in Bay Village, Berea and Seven Hills. Its spot on Front Street, next to Clean Eatz, is also the largest, boasting a 24-seat outdoor patio, 48 indoor seats and a signature penny bar.

Thulung Boba House offers bubble tea, waffles and ice cream

As of Jan. 5, there is finally a bubble tea shop in downtown Cuyahoga Falls.

There seems to be quite an explosion of them in the area. In just the last couple years, Ming’s Bubble Tea expanded into Hudson, T-Bubbles opened in Stow, Poke & Roll came to Cuyahoga Falls and Bubbles and Puffles set up shop near the University of Akron.

At Thulung Boba House, thirsty customers can pick from bubble tea (both milk and fruit teas), milkshakes or slushes as well as their 13 add-ins, which include traditional boba, popping pearls and flavored jellies.

Not sweet enough for you? The shop also offers Hong Kong egg waffles, or bubble waffles, as the menu calls them. These are spherical egg-based waffles made in a pattern similar to bubble wrap that are filled with ice cream and various toppings.

I decided on a large peach tea with tapioca pearls and one of those crunchy-yet-subtly-soft bubble waffles filled with chocolate ice cream, Oreo crumbs and caramel drizzle.

The tea wasn’t overwhelmingly strong and didn’t have the intense, fake peachy flavor that some bubble tea shops seem to give it. The best thing about a good cup of boba is that there’s a built-in game at the end of every drink: Sucking straggling tapioca pearls from under the remaining ice cubes.

After ordering, I noticed chicken momo — delicate steamed dumplings that are one of the most popular foods in Nepal — was also on the menu, so I amended my order to include that as well. The boba house serves it with a spicy, flavorful sauce that has a kick of ginger. My total came to $25.01.

Thulung’s most popular menu items are its brown sugar bubble tea and bubble waffles, according to Basanta Rai, who owns the shop alongside her husband Sudan.

Nepali refugee founds pharmacy: BestCare Pharmacy brings health literacy, affordable care to Akron's immigrant population

The two fled their homes in Bhutan — a small, mountainous country sandwiched between China to the north and India to the south — as children with their respective families. They joined the more than 100,000 other Nepalese individuals that were being ethnically cleansed from the region by the Bhutanese army.

Basanta spent about 18 years living in a camp a few hours' drive from her future husband's. Eventually, they met at an apartment complex in Akron, where they both lived shortly after arriving in the U.S.

Sudan works as a technology support specialist at Harris-Jackson Community Learning Center and was formerly a Nepali translator for Akron Public School’s English as a Second Language program. Basanta was also a translator for the program but left to oversee operations at Thulung Boba House.

Got a restaurant recommendation? Contact Beacon Journal reporter Tawney Beans at tbeans@gannett.com and on Twitter @TawneyBeans. And follow her food adventures on TikTok @akronbeaconjournal.

Details

Place: Boss ChickNBeer

Address: 1791 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls

Phone: 330-805-4243

Hours: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (temporary hours)

Website: bosschicknbeer.com

Place: Thulung Boba House

Address: 2125 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls

Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Website: instagram.com/thulungboba

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Boss ChickNBeer, Thulung Boba House open on Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls