Visitor's Guide to Toledo, Ohio

When you think of Toledo, Ohio, not many great things come to mind. It is a small Midwest city with a minor league baseball team and not much else. However, tucked away in East Toledo there is a great Hungarian Restaurant. Tony Packo's Café has delicious food and a fun ambiance that make it an must see non your trip through Toledo.

Some people may remember hearing about Tony Packo's on the TV series MASH. Jamie Farr's character Klinger was from Toledo and he would talk about the restaurant on the show. I think they may have even ordered something from the store on the show at one point or another. The restaurant is well worth the hype it received on the show.

The menu has everything from hot dogs (more on those later) to traditional Hungarian dishes (East Toledo was one known for being the hub of Hungarian culture in the city). Now before you dismiss the Hot Dogs, you need to know that these aren't just your garden variety hot dogs you can buy at the grocery store. These are more like a sausage and once you add the Packo's sauce and cheese, a bowl of chili or soup, one of their many sides and a side of their pickles, you have a combo meal. If you do not like hot dogs, please still give these a try. I promise it you will not be disappointed.

While you are in the restaurant, you will see that there are rows and rows of hot dog buns on the walls. If you look closer you will see that each of the buns are signed by a celebrity. Some are local celebrities, others are more famous. You will find President's , actors and musicians names all over the restaurant. This is packo's real claim to fame. How do they keep the buns from deteriorating? Well the secret to that is they are not real buns. They are plastic, but you could never tell.

Don't forget to check out the gift shop. Yes the restaurant has a gift shop. You can get shot classes, beer steins, a jar of their pickles, t-shirts and even their Hot Dog Sauce from the gift shop. Are you already addicted to this place? If so you can order most of these things via the internet off their website. You even order hot dog packs for cookouts and parties off the site.

The original café is in East Toledo, but there are little satellite stores around the city. However, if you want the true Tony Packo's experience, it is best to go to the original East Toledo location.