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Merrillville, Indiana, a town south of Gary, doesn’t have much going on outside of retail and chain restaurants. If you find yourself passing through, I can mention a few places to stop and see as well as some restaurants.
Albanese Candy Factory
The Albanese Candy Factory and Outlet Store, located on US 30, has a wide variety of candy to choose from, including gummy bears and chocolates. In the past, visitors could take a self-guided tour of the factory and peek into the operations floor from a short walkway at the back of the store.
Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral
This beautiful cathedral was built in the 1970s. If you’re in town on a Sunday morning you can pop in and take a look. Otherwise, you can take a tour during the annual Greek Festival, held in the middle of July.
Gino’s Steakhouse
A great place to have lunch or dinner is Gino’s Steakhouse. They offer delicious cuts of meat as well as pasta, fish, and chicken dishes. Appetizers are excellent, prices are reasonable, and service is friendly and efficient.
Brothers
Brothers is a family-owned restaurant that serves hearty breakfasts and big lunch plates. I had an excellent breakfast combo while my friend Pete had a burger. It was more than enough food and the prices were great. I’ll definitely be back!
Athenian Greek Cuisine (Permanently Closed)
Athenian Greek Cuisine is a family-owned restaurant serving authentic Greek dishes. The interior is decorated to make diners feel like they’re in Greece.
We started with fried calamari and saganaki, which were both good. For my main course, I had the broiled octopus. I topped off my meal with a rice pudding. The food was good, but it’s not nearly as good as the restaurants in Greektown in Chicago.
Roxana’s (Permanently Closed)
If you’re looking for something unique as far as food, head to Roxana’s. They serve American and Mediterranean as well as traditional Afghani dishes. The food is delicious and service is friendly. (Note: Roxana’s merged with Kabul Kabob of Bridgeview, Illinois, in September 2019).
I started with the lentil soup and shared an eggplant and crispy shrimp appetizers. For my main course, I had the mantu, which are dumplings filled with spiced beef and topped with yogurt and tomato sauce. On another visit, I tried the Roxana meatballs.
