By now you've likely been besieged with tips and guides on what to eat and where to drink while visiting The Championship City. But since most of those suggestions have been put forth by outside media or inside boosters, please take them with the shaker of salt they deserve.
Below you'll find not only a listing of worthwhile spots to sip and snack like a local, but also one that doesn't include places that are closed for private events or located inside that pesky security perimeter.
Ohio City
Bar Cento (1948 West 25th St., 216-274-1010, barcento.com) is open every single day of the year until 2:30 in the morning, so they're not about to mess things up now. Swing by this laid-back wine bar for amazing meat and cheese boards, killer frites served with an array of sauces, and smart, seasonal entrees brimming with local ingredients. But most people come to this 10-year-old enoteca for the fly pies, a roster of a dozen thin, crisp and shrewdly topped platters that are served, you guessed it, every day of the year until 2:30 in the morning.
Jack Flaps (3900 Lorain Ave., 216-961-5199, jack-flaps.com) serves the funkiest breakfast in town on the edge of town. This diminutive diner specializes in sweet and savory breakfast items like waffles, flap jacks and french toast, but none of it is conventional. The Fat Elvis caps a waffle with banana, whipped peanut butter and bacon praline, while the Benedicto Mexicano is like biscuits and gravy dragged kicking and screaming across the border. Here, "bacon" is Mexican Coke-glazed pork belly. And you should get it.
Johnny Mango (3120 Bridge Ave., 216-575-1919, jmango.com) is like that wonderful little lunch spot you wandered into on vacation when you didn't know where you'd wind up. It's bright and beachy, with festive artwork shellacking most of the interior. The drinks are equally cheerful, with margaritas, sangrias and Long Island iced teas at the ready. Even the food is an escape from the everyday, with a curated menu of inexpensive dishes plucked from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Far East. Most people dig the black bean quesadillas, the shrimp pad Thai, and the spicy jerk chicken.
Old Angle (1848 West 25th St., 216-861-5643) is where the locals drink whiskey and watch sports, mainly soccer, but also baseball, basketball, football and golf. The grub here leans to Irish comfort foods like pot pies, shepherd's pie, fish sandwiches, burgers and fries. The drink leans to draft and bottled beer and the aforementioned brown booze. This convivial tavern predates most of the bars and restaurants on the main Ohio City drag, earning it a loyal following among longtime neighborhood residents.
Tremont
The Tremont Tap House (2572 Scranton Rd., 216-298-4451, tremonttaphouse.com) is an oasis of craft beer and gourmet grub in an overlooked section of otherwise bustling Tremont. From dozens of taps flow some of the best brews available locally, including many brewed right here in Cleveland. Knock those beers back on the roomy patio or inside the snug gastropub, where upscale bar food keeps regulars coming back for more. On the plates are fat German pretzels, pork belly nachos, and blackened salmon BLTs. Sunday brunch here is tops.
Fat Cats (2061 West 10th St., 216-579-0200, coolplacestoeat.com) was cool before Tremont was cool, with this hip bistro approaching 20 years in the business of pleasing neighbors. Settle in at the petite bar, beneath a fading pressed-tin ceiling, and take in the view, which includes funky local art and views of the city skyline through the picture window. The hearty but progressive Mediterranean menu goes big on flavor, with items like grilled octopus, pan-roasted salmon and the overlooked bavette steak. The chef-owner knows his way around both a bouillabaisse and a wine list.
Bac (2661 West 14th St., 216-938-8960, bactremont.com) is a one-off that attracts the lunch, happy hour and dinner crowds thanks to original, contemporary pan-Asian food. This laid-back neighborhood bistro is going on seven years thanks to a menu of delicious and different Asian American eats like green papaya salad, pork-filled steam buns, mango curry and Vietnamese crepes. Hit the bar, dining room or patio for a true Cleveland experience.
Edison's Pub (2373 Professor Ave., 216- 522-0006, edisonspub.com) wears its "dive bar" status like a rusty crown. This is the place where neighbors, dogs and in-the-know visitors cohabitate in tipsy harmony to live music, rowdy trivia or the soothing sound of popcorn popping. A good-enough beer selection is served up by personality-rich bartenders operating with limited space. Open til 2:30 every night, Edison's is often that last stop for locals before they call it a night. Before you call it a night, order a pizza from the adjacent shop.
Detroit Shoreway
XYZ the Tavern (6421 Detroit Ave., 216-706-1104, xyzthetavern.com) somehow manages to please everybody in the group. It starts with the setting, an open barroom space that goes from tranquil to lively right along with the clock and crowds. Whiskey fans love XYZ for its massive bourbon collection, and craft beer lovers take comfort in the two dozen craft taps. There's no tasting menu here; just solid comfort food that ranges from house-smoked barbecue and New York-style pizza to fish and pasta specials of the day.
Luxe Kitchen (6605 Detroit Ave., 216-920-0600, luxecleveland.com) welcomes one of the most diverse, eclectic crowds in town, much like the neighborhood that surrounds and embraces it. Most of the time, those folks are unwinding after a long day or week with a seasonal cocktail on the back patio, which puts most others to shame. Indoors is just as nice, a cosmopolitan bar and dining room that fit like a glove. An amazing staff dishes up unfussy Mediterranean fare like burrata with local tomatoes, grilled lamb meatballs, and ricotta gnocchi with short ribs.
Parkview Nite Club (1261 West 58th St., 216-961-1341, parkviewniteclub.com) has the distinction of being one of Cleveland's oldest bars, a true legend among many legendary watering holes. History comes at you from all sides here, from the sturdy and stately wooden bar to the black-and-white press clippings that serve as wallpaper. Trouble finds you here, too, thanks to cheap drinks, live music and the bar's out-of-the-way address.
Beyond
Tommy's (1824 Coventry Rd., 216-321-7757, tommyscoventry.com) isn't just worth the trip from downtown; it's worth the flight from out of town. For more than 40 years, Tommy's has anchored the Coventry neighborhood of Cleveland Heights, which is seven miles east of Public Square. This hippie haven was serving vegan and vegetarian food long before Instagram, with amazing pita sandwiches filled with falafel, tofu and tempeh. But this place loves omnivores too, with roast beef, corned beef, burgers, fries and the world's best milkshakes.
Trattoria on the Hill (12207 Mayfield Rd., 216-421-2700, trattoriaromangarden.com) is in Cleveland's storied Little Italy neighborhood, a place with wonderful Italian American restaurants and miserable parking. We grit our teeth and bare it knowing that heaping platters of satisfying stuffed peppers, eggplant Parmigiana, linguini with clam sauce, and veal scaloppini await. For more than 30 years, this Old World gem has been bucking trends and bulging bellies with family-style meals that arrive on time and under budget.
Pier W (12700 Lake Ave., 216-228-2250, pierw.com) used to have the view game pretty much all to itself. But then came the Flats East Bank, which deposited a dozen new eateries on the banks of the Cuyahoga. Still, given the likely crowds, we recommend heading west to Lakewood to dine at this majestic seafood restaurant perched high above Lake Erie. To go along with the water and skyline views, might we suggest starting with a seafood tower cascading with shrimp, lobster, oysters, mussels and lump crab? Do not miss the lobster bisque or the bouillabaisse loaded with fin and shellfish in a sunny saffron broth.
Balaton Restaurant (13133 Shaker Sq., 216-921-9691, balaton-restaurant.com) is as Cleveland as a restaurant gets. Opened 50 years ago by Hungarian immigrants, the welcoming eatery at Shaker Square offers a heartwarming taste of home for countless Eastern Europeans who resettled here in the Midwest. The wienerschnitzel is legendary: thin, crisp and extending over the edges of the plate. Also on the bill of fare are stuffed cabbages, veal paprikash and Szekely goulash, a pork and sauerkraut dish served with dumplings. Cap off your meal with flaky Hungarian strudel or sweet-cheese filled crepes.
Corky & Lenny's (27091 Chagrin Blvd., 216-464-3838, corkyandlennys.com) has been feeding Jewish people and those who love them since 1956. It's a bustling, New York-style delicatessen in the eastern suburb of Woodmere, near Beachwood. Huge deli coolers stock carry-out items like chopped liver, smoked whitefish, gefilte fish, knishes, meats by the pound and pastries like rugalah and black and white cookies. Sit down and wade through a sprawling menu that runs from breakfast through dinner. Tops are the mish-mosh soup with matzoh balls, kreplach, egg noodles and rice; the corned beef, pastrami and Reuben sandwiches; the potato latkes with sour cream and applesauce; and the open-faced turkey with gravy and mashed potatoes.
