Pizza, chicken and jo-jos? It’s a Fiesta! | Local Flavor
Sixty years?!?!? We’re late to the party.
Even though Fiesta Pizza and Chicken has been serving Goodyear Heights since 1963, I’m embarrassed to say that I had never tried it before.
Lebanese immigrants Alfred Ajamie and Walter Abood founded the Akron restaurant at 1860 Newton St. and it’s still going strong at the original location. There also are Fiesta shops at 2792 Albrecht Ave. in Ellet and 1939 Bailey Road in Cuyahoga Falls.
The restaurant lays claim to being Akron’s first pizza shop to offer fried chicken and the first place to serve jo-jo potatoes in Summit County.
Ajamie’s family continues to run the business: Son Rod Ajamie owns the franchise, son Terry Ajamie owns the Goodyear Heights location and grandson Steve Ajamie operates the Ellet store.
After years of hearing good things about Fiesta, I decided to see what I’d been missing. My wife, Susie, and I ventured out to Goodyear Heights for an early dinner on a beautiful autumn afternoon.
The spring door creaked as I swung it open. A wonderful aroma hit my nostrils as I stepped inside the small waiting room. The shop doesn’t look like it’s changed much over the decades. In fact, Fiesta stills uses a 1955 oven that rotates the pizzas like a Ferris wheel.
Rita and Patti, the women behind the counter, were friendly and welcoming, and joked around with me as I picked up the order.
In addition to pizza and chicken, Fiesta’s menu includes buffalo wings, boneless wings, steak sandwiches, meatball sandwiches and fish dinners. Side orders include coleslaw, hot rice, onion rings, breaded mushrooms, breaded cauliflower, mozzarella sticks, sauerkraut balls and, of course, jo-jos.
We stuck to basics with two small pizzas and an order of chicken and jo-jos. Fiesta offers small cheese pizzas for $8.25 plus $1.65 for each additional topping. I selected mushrooms, bacon and banana peppers while Susie opted for pepperoni and sausage.
The original location is takeout only, so Susie and I brought a tablecloth for a picnic table at Goodyear Heights Metro Park, which is just a few blocks east on Newton Street. Surrounded by fall foliage in the golden sun, we opened the boxes and began to feast.
The hot, thick pizzas were crispy on the edges and loaded with colorful toppings, gooey cheese and savory tomato sauce. Fiesta doesn’t skimp.
“You’re sure to get pepperoni and sausage with every bite,” Susie said.
I enjoyed the abundance of fresh ingredients while my wife liked the zesty meat.
Between slices of pizza, we dug into a four-piece box of chicken and jo-jo potatoes ($11.50). The tender chicken was coated with a seasoned breading and pressure-fried to retain its natural juices. The quartered potatoes were breaded and fried to a golden brown.
“The box of chicken and jo-jos is like a clown car at the circus,” Susie observed. “More and more keep coming out.”
Honestly, I expected maybe eight jo-jos at most, but I lost track around 20. You could probably make a meal out of the potatoes alone.
The mouthwatering chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, and the potatoes tasted nice and fresh. Such greasy goodness!
“I think these are some of the best jo-jos I’ve had,” Susie said.
Be forewarned: Napkins are mandatory at Fiesta. We wiped our fingers and mouths repeatedly while eating. I was on the last of eight napkins by the time I finished.
There was no way anyone could eat all that food in one sitting. We made it halfway through the pizzas and barely made a dent in the chicken and jo-jos. Happily, there were plenty of leftovers for the next day.
Not including the drinks we brought from home, our total bill came to just over $36, which seemed like a bargain to us.
“We definitely have two more meals apiece,” Susie said.
My wife would go back for the chicken and jo-jos. I would go back for the pizza. The restaurant’s founders were brilliant to offer both.
Now we have a better understanding of the shop’s devoted following in Goodyear Heights. Sorry we were so late to the party.
Happy 60th anniversary, Fiesta!
Mark J. Price can be reached at mprice@thebeaconjournal.com
Details
Place: Fiesta Pizza and Chicken
Address: 1860 Newton St., Akron
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Service: Takeout
More info: 330-733-2201 and fiestapizzaandchicken.com
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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Fiesta Pizza and Chicken in Goodyear Heights is worth the hype
