Hodge's Cafe — Restaurant in Barberton

I travel a lot. One thing i really like about my free time when i travel, is finding jems like Hodges! When you pull into their parking lot the first thing you see is an old, weathered brick building, with an old, weathered sign that reads, "Best Burger in town!" Folks, you have no idea how many times i have seen a sign like that, only to go in and give it a try, and be let down. Not this time! Wow! Cheeseburger is big, fresh everything, and no skimping on condiments! Fresh, fresh, fresh! Crisp fresh lettuce, and a tomato that tastes like it should! I can't say this enough, OMG! Good and tasty! In fact, that burger was so good, it is easily on my top ten list of all time burgers!! I didn't even touch the fries, because i was so being delivered to burger heaven, i didn't want that euphoria to ever end. Now get this, here's the kicker. For those of us from the South, we know what good sweet tea is supposed to be about. You can't make some weak attempt and try to fool us. You just can't! Especially when some Yankee joint up north says, "we got good sweet tea." You know, insert funny look here! Uh huh! The wonderful and friendly waitress (daughter of the owner) poured me a nice tall cold icy glass of their sweet tea. OMG! That sweet tea is spot on!!! That's the stuff! Hodge's knocked it out of the park! If you are in the area, YOU HAVE TO GO TO HODGE'S CAFE! Don't let the look of the outside scare you away. If you skip this place, you will have totally missed out! 🍔 🍟 oh, that sweet tea!...

Seems to be permanently closed. Proprietor has been stringing what once was, loyal customers along for more than a year. A proper re-opening date never was announced. Servers that were there moved on to other employment opportunities. People grow older, for some retirement is in their sights, sadly for some retirement is not by their own choosing by whatever circumstances. Some small establishments are passed to family member that will with all heart keep that business going and thriving. Some Proprietors have no one to pass their legacy to, and others pass it along with hopes and expectations that do not come to fuision. When someone takes over a small business their goal is sometimes not to make changes too quickly then to the detriment of the business some want to quickly make changes. Some changes chase people away. Hodges Cafe had a glorious heyday. Hodge was always a friendly face ready for nice conversation or life advise. The Hodge Burger was award winning in this area; people still crave them. Friday nights were great for a Hodge Burger then walk it off with a walk to the theatre for a movie (now closed) then walk back to Hodges for beers. Sad that most of the neighborhood establishments are gone now. Barberton had quite a few neighborhood places that could be safely walked to from home. It seems to now be a rarity that people can pass along anything and expect the recipient to love it with as much heart as the giver. Your public...

My wife, 11yr old son and I stopped in for a quick lunch today. No stranger to Hodges, but haven’t been in a bit. I told my kid that these are serious burgers - a man’s burger 🤪. I am so pleased to say that nothing ever changes at Hodges, and I mean that in the best way possible. Quality is always top notch. The food is fresh as can be. You’d be hard pressed to find a better burger and fries in Northeast Ohio. I don’t think it would even be possible to have bad burger considering it’s cooked to order, and cooked by the owner himself, and the fries are fresh cut. I got the Big Hodge as usual. If you fancy a Big Mac style burger, I highly recommend this one. My kid got a build your own burger platter, and my wife loves the chicken sandwich. Oh, and the coleslaw is also killer.

I must mention the atmosphere too. It’s cool, laid back, and has a hometown feel that I enjoy. Wait staff is always very friendly and never leaves you needing or wanting for anything. We’ve always gotten our food pretty fast too, especially today. I can’t say enough good things...