PEACH WEEKENDER

DINE Recently reviewed restaurants: 7-17

7/17/2014

Summaries of recently reviewed area restaurants, in the order in which they were reviewed, with the most recent at the top. To see previous Bill of Fare reviews on the Web, go to toledoblade.com and type "Bill of Fare" into the search box and click enter.

● Zia’s Burger Bar, 805 N. Reynolds Rd., has mastered the art of the American classic. In addition to several great burger varieties, Zia's offers great beer-battered onions rings and outstanding grilled barbecue wings. $$, 3 stars.

● Burger Bar 419, 5125 Monroe St., Sylvania Township, crafts the American classic hamburger in a variety of ways, leading to burger bliss. Hamburgers are dressed with braised short ribs, BBQ sauce, hot peppers, a variety of cheeses, onions, bacon, and mushrooms. Locally sourced grass-fed beef is consistently cooked to perfection. Salads, veggie options, and gluten-free buns are on hand for the health conscious eater. $$, 4 stars.

● Smoke Bar BQ, 2556 Tremainsville Rd., gets it right when it sticks to dry-rub delicious barbecue: brisket: ribs, pulled pork, ham and bean soup, baked beans, etc. But it veers off the main course with weird takes on common side dishes such as potato salad and mac and cheese. $$, 3 stars.

● Firepit Grille, 7723 Airport Hwy., Holland, is an attractive venue with some good bones: long hours, a Sunday jazz brunch, TVs everywhere, and a great patio. But no surprises or delights in its standard-fare menu of sandwiches and burgers, a couple of steaks and seafood items. And the kitchen wasn’t on its game when we visited. $$, 2 stars.

● Jo-Jo's Original Pizzeria, 4336 Monroe St. Comfort food is the name of the game at this Italian-American eatery, which has been serving up pizzas and hearty pasta dishes since 1957. You can get everything from sandwiches to fettucine Alfredo in steaming portions. Scarcity of parking and limited dessert offerings are among the few blemishes. On the plus side, half price pasta dinners on Tuesday and half price pizzas on Monday and Wednesday keep customers coming back. $$, 3 stars.

● Swig, 219 Louisiana Ave., prides itself on offering craft beers and hand-crafted sausages and cured meats, but the downtown Perrysburg gastropub should satisfy even the most routine eater and drinker. The menu is packed with everything from the unusual — a duck reuben, scotch eggs, or a gyro sausage ground out of lamb — to some of the old standbys. The pub opened five years ago and appears to have a cult following of those interested in the craft beer of the week. $$, 4 stars.

● Campus Pollyeyes, 440 E. Court St, Bowling Green, serves very good pizza, subs, salads, nachos, and more, but it’s the “world’s best stuffed breadsticks” that makes this eatery near Bowling Green State University stand out. $$, 4 stars.