The Battleground Taproom and Mexican Kitchen

We went to the margarita class it was absolutely amazing!!! Learned craft cocktails, made different simple syrups! Different rim /salt mixtures! Totally worth it! Authentic, fresh, all natural … and fun!

We have eaten here a couple of times and it was delicious. Don’t expect the typical Mexican food. This is authentic and totally different than other places. We attended a tequila tasting and it was amazing! The tequilas were not like what I’m used to. These were unique and not what you would normally get in Ohio! We are looking forward to the next one!

The tamale cooking class was incredible! Not only did we learn how to prepare & cook tamales, we also got to taste the final result from the amazing chefs at The Battleground!
Cannot recommend this restaurant enough! Intimately crafted cocktails and menu!

As Mexicans, we highly recommend “queso birria”, although all dishes are sooo good, we really enjoyed everything, atmosphere, taste, etc. We felt nostalgic about our country and it’s amazing food.
Now The battleground is our favorite Mexican restaurant.

We’ve been to the Battleground maybe 5-6 times and it’s wonderful. The dining room is nice as well as two outdoor patio seating areas. They have an excellent selection of tequilas, beers, liquors. I had 2 excellent mojitos. The menu is fairly compact- 5-6 tacos, a handful of salads and maybe 9 or so entrees. Chips and salsa aren’t automatic. The flavors are what’s so outstanding - this is unlike any other Mexican Restaurant in the Kent/Tallmadge/Akron area. The food here is clearly authentic and very flavorful, using ingredients that are unusual to find in so many other restaurants. The owner has ALWAYS visited our table, at least once, during our visits. She is clearly on top of it and takes pride in this place she created. Sometimes in the past I thought prices were a bit high for relatively small portions but there was plenty of food for the price tonight (guacamole, chips, 4 different, very flavorful homemade tacos, orders of local roasted sweet corn in a delicious sauce). Making a reservation is a wise approach here- this place has a well-deserved, great reputation and attracts a crowd. Enjoy!

We went to the premium tequila tasting and had a wonderful time! The service, the atmosphere, and food was fantastic. We will definitely be back! In fact, we have already purchased tickets for another event.

Place is great. Awesome atmosphere. Really cool concept with some of their menu items. Love the interesting elements of serving insects with your tequila. The tacos are really good. Shrimp and Fish were my favorite. The Corn Elote was one of the best I’ve had. Really great stuff here.

We attended the premium tequila tasting and had a wonderful time. We were able to taste seven tequilas, four of which are only available in Mexico (and possibly other U.S. states). These were fantastic tequilas. Afterward, we enjoyed a great dinner with our friends. The menu at Battleground changes and offers truly authentic Mexican fare that tastes just amazing. Can't wait to go back!

We sought this place out after seeing someone wear their Social Justice Beer Project t-shirt at an Akron brewery, and we were not disappointed! They encourage patrons to "drink their values" by making a donation to a community philanthropy with every beer purchased. Our server was fantastic, helping us make menu selections that suit our tastes, and is a student at Kent State majoring in fashion, minoring in communication. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was pleasant and relaxed. While we don't find ourselves in Kent very often, we won't visit again without planning a stop to Battleground Taproom!

We finally tried The Battleground and wow... The attention to detail is evident, from the beautiful aesthetics to the restaurant's commitment to providing a genuine Mexican experience.

One of the highlights, especially for us Northeast Ohioans in the summertime, is the expansive patio. It's beautiful, with its multi-tiered layout, offering a variety of seating options. The patio perfectly captures the ambiance of the restaurant.

Now, let's talk about the food and drinks – excellent! Battleground takes great pride in featuring local Mexican recipes and dishes that are rarely found in this area, let alone the entire state. Their menu boasts an array of options, including street tacos, tamales, pozole, elote, churros, empanadas, and flan. What's even more impressive is that they rotate their menu seasonally, ensuring fresh and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

We highly recommend trying their street tacos, which are simply exceptional. And don't miss out on their signature cocktails, crafted with Mezcal or Reposado. The Oaxaca Old Fashioned and La Ciudad de Vanilla are both excellent choices 🥃👌

Visit The Battleground and go on an adventure that introduces you to new tastes and flavors. By supporting this restaurant, you're also contributing to their community efforts and the positive social impacts they strive to make.

We ate indoors on a cool Friday evening in April. Not your typical Mexican fare. I had a poblano pepper stuffed with squash and vegan cheese. I enjoyed my house margarita, best I've had in a while.
Vegetarian and gluten free available.

We loved everything about this restaurant. The handmade tacos were the best. The flavors and menu selections were very authentic. The craft beer selection was numerous and something for every beer lover. We also had a chance to talk with the owner who was very gracious and kind. I would highly recommend this restaurant.

This is our favorite Mexican restaurant around the area. It looks like a bit of a dive from the outside, but the inside is very nice. Never been on the patio, but it looks really pleasant too. The birra tacos are incredible, as is the chorizo fundido! Margaritas have the perfect blend of sweet, sour, and tequila. We will be back!

My daughter and I ate here because it it looked like the kind of unique place that we want to experience. We loved everything about it.
A truly exceptional place that everyone should visit. A culinary champion of social change, the Battleground is a refreshing reminder of the beauty that America produces when people from everywhere come together.
Everything from drinks to dessert is handcrafted and the commitment to being uniquely outstanding is evident everywhere. Market style Mexican cuisine that is flavorful and bold while still being refreshing in the freshness of the ingredients.
If you believe in people or if you believe in tacos, this is the place you've been looking for.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The best tacos in northeast Ohio
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fab service
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Delicious drinks
We will be back. Quality, well executed, delicious dishes. 2 nice patios.
& Support good causes with the beers
It's a little off the beaten path in Kent, but definitely worth a stop.

Absolutely delicious! My husband and I have been trying for years to find a more authentic take on Mexican and this is it! Also the margaritas are delicious too!

Visiting from Springfield and friends took us out to this amazing restaurant with a social justice theme. The food and drinks were simply OUTSTANDING!!! We order a selection of tacos and were made and seasoned to perfection. We were DEFINITELY not disappointed. We also tried some amazing handcrafted margaritas and a great selection of social justice craft beers. We were lucky enough to meet the owner of the establishment who is an amazing human being.

We visited our friends in Kent again and of course we had to stop and visit The Battleground because our last experience there was AMAZING! This visit was even better (didn't think it was possible). We enjoyed a flight of tequilas as we were educated on the different techniques of tequila processing. We then went on to enjoyed a fabulous meal of authentic Mexican fair. The service was wonderful our hosts (the owners) were as gracious as ever.
I have nothing but wonderful experiences to share about the atmosphere, food and service.

I do want to point out that the negative reviews that I've read seem to be from folks that must have no experience with what REAL Mexican cuisine looks and tastes like. It is very possible they are expecting Chipotle or Los Mariachis style food. Not to knock either of this restaurants but it is very different from what is to be expected at an establishment like The Battleground. The Battleground experience is truly based in traditional Mexican foods with a personal flair from specific regions. There is so much variety of colors, smells and flavors that make up traditional Mexican cuisine. One must come with a sense of openness to experience the best that they have to offer. Thank you again Battleground for a lovely evening of food, friendships and spirits.

The food was fantastic. The Tomales are my favorites. The bartender made some of the best Maker's Manhattans I have ever had, and I've had a lot. The pricing is a bit on the higher side, however the presentation and quality I believe make the difference. I will happily go again.

NOTE: they have Gluten Free options!
My review: I really loved this place, I thought the atmosphere was wonderful (very classy!) and the waitperson and staff were extremely polite, friendly and prompt. Food was served surprisingly fast! The live music that night often asked if the sound was too loud for the audience. After reading the other reviews, it sounds like they are actually reading the reviews because many of the issues mentioned in lower reviews seemed to be things they visibly addressed while I was there last Friday night (8/13/21). I'm sure having the right waitperson helps though. We had a really nice waitress who was very patient with us and helped with recommendations (even when my husband was obviously acting stubborn and picky lol) I do understand that there may be communication pitfalls with staff, especially when hiring in a college town, but we didn't seem to have any problems on the night we were there and saw other tables getting the same attention and service as us. The food was great for me, I loved eating something that was different than the usual, and the combination of flavors really was a fun change. I went there fully aware that it wouldn't be the type of food I was used to at other 'mexican' restaurants, and that was what I was looking forward to!!
Of course, I tried a couple things and not everything was for my particular taste, but I loved my chicken taco and the corn, and the salsa was awesome for me! (I took some home too, but would definitely say a bigger serving of the salsa would have been nice.) My husband said it wasn't for him, but everyone has a different taste. It wasn't at all what he was expecting and I think you have to go into a new restaurant without preconceived expectations in order to really enjoy the experience. (He hadn't read the website before we went so he was expecting... well, something more "typical".)
I really loved the way the patio was set up and look forward to seeing how it evolves over the next few years as some of the small trees and bushes grow and create more of a boundary. I feel like this restaurant is still growing, but they have a lot of uniqueness and it's a whole experience. I can't wait to see how it grows!
The one thing I would warn everyone about is to be careful where you park. The parking lot is small, so if you show up on a Friday evening when it is packed (get there before 5:15!), you may have to park a block or so away on a side street or something and WATCH FOR THE NO PARKING SIGNS! The surrounding neighborhood has limitations on what streets you can park on, so be careful about that. Hopefully the restaurant can work out something to help designate proper overflow parking within the community that they can convey to the customers. That was one of our struggles. We got a parking ticket parking on a side street where the no-parking sign was covered with a tree. We notified the city about the sign visibility, but it still sucks to walk back to your vehicle and see a ticket. (No fault of the restaurant's, so I didn't knock off a star because of that.)

Absolutely the BEST Mexican food I have had in the USA. The atmosphere was warm, the food and drinks authentic, and our bartenders were very personable. Thanks for a great night of food and conversation!