AKRON, Ohio - Sometimes restaurants - like people and computer programs - need an upgrade. A face lift, a new approach - something to break out of the doldrums, keep up with the times.

More than a year ago, Arnie's shook things up.

What used to be a bar with barely passable food, boring decor and lackadaisical service has a year under its belt in its new incarnation.

What a difference. Everything has been improved tremendously, from its former staid surroundings being transformed into a lively tavern with Don Drumm art on the wall.

Formerly Arnie's Standing Room Only, it's now Arnie's Public House. It sits at a busy West Akron intersection, an area that has a lot of shopping but is in need of a place like Arnie's - an energetic and comfortable bar and restaurant. It's where you can go for a drink and watch a game as you hang with friends along the curved bar, or sit in the back of the dining room. It all depends on your mood.

On one visit, our group nibbled on a trio of appetizers: Hush puppies were some of the best I have ever had, crisp on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. Brussels sprouts were sauteed with a delightful mix of bacon, sriracha and cornbread croutons. And Irish Nachos came with traditional nacho toppings over a bed of the thinnest slivers of fresh-cut potato chips. A nice touch, something different, not overwhelming, and very tasty.

A pair of small meatloaf sliders are tasty morsels, as are soft pretzels that come with a unique and delicious apple-mustard dip as well as cheese sauce.

An incredibly thick APH Burger is one of several half-pounders on the menu. Served with bacon and egg, it is scrumptious and hearty. There's also build-your-own options.

Speaking of build-your-own, you get choices of meat, vegetables and cheeses with Mac N Cheese. Want bacon, broccoli and tomatoes? No problem with the made-to-order menu.

A pork shank was fit for Fred Flintstone, a brontosaurus-like bone protruding across the plate.

A Po Boy crab was delicious and didn't skimp on the crab, nor did it cover up with an overly creamy remoulade.

That tavern staple - fish and chips - is on the menu, and its thick, generous planks of cod are well-prepared - not greasy at all. (One nit to pick: Charging $1 for dill dip is unnecessary. Just serve it alongside tartar sauce.)

The only inconsistencies were a salad and the fall cavatappi.

A bacon and egg salad with warm bacon vinaigrette, shaved parmesan and poached egg came over-dressed, but on another trip it was served more balanced.

The cavatappi, ordered with chicken, resulted in a bland dish with no discernible spices; it needed some seasoning and also left an unappetizing pool of oil. But on a subsequent visit, without chicken, it was tasty and had no pooled oil.

Arnie's sole dessert is a brownie with ice cream - a tasty warm-cold contrast, but then again it's difficult to screw up a brownie and ice cream.

Cleaning the plate: Often a restaurant's bar is an afterthought, or a bar throws together a menu because, well, it has to. But Arnie's is clearly operating as both a tavern attracting a core group of regulars and a restaurant offering a great menu with comforting touches.

More on Arnie's Public House

* Located in Akron's Wallhaven section, in the Westgate Shopping Center at the convergence of Hawkins Avenue, West Market and West Exchange streets. It's in a small strip mall across the under-construction Whole Foods. It's about 4 miles from downtown Akron.

* Parking spots are in front of the line of shops and in spaces out back near Swenson's. (Make sure you don't park in a Swenson's designated space, or the carhops might run out to take your order.)

* Local foods and references are common on the menu. Kirbie's Meats in Stow provides beef, "The Amber" shaved rib-eye is an homage to a longtime bar that used to be around the corner, and Johnny Marzetti - beef and pasta and cheddar cheese casserole and founded in Ohio decades ago - is on the menu as the ultimate comfort food.

* Good craft-beer selection, with a dozen drafts and about 40 bottles, including a handful of locals. And while the wine list is small, bottle prices are affordable with diverse selections, and more than half are available by the glass. A Cotes du Rhone and Chianti were nice finds.

* Servers were friendly, and when we ordered a bottle, the waitress had a solid understanding of food and wine pairings.

Taste Bites

Arnie's Public House

Where: 1682 W. Market St., Akron.

Contact: 330-867-0154.

Online: https://www.facebook.com/ArniesSRO/

Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Sunday-Thursday; 11 am.-2:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Prices: Appetizers, $3-$10; soups, salads, $4-$12 plus add-ons; sides, $1-$6; handhelds, pasta and entrees, $6-$18; desserts, varies.

Reservations: Accepted.

Credit cards: All major.

Cuisine: American.

Accessibility: Very good.

Grade: ***

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