A broad range of dishes and restaurants can be considered comfort food. How did we think of it? We thought of what we’d like to eat on a rainy day or when we’re not feeling our best, and the food we’d go for. Every culture and cuisine has their own type of comfort food. It’s usually something heavy and warm, soup and dumplings immediately come to mind, warm soups, fried chicken and more. And luckily for us in Cleveland, we have a ton of options when it comes to comforting food.

Bourbon Street Barrel Room 2393 Professor Ave., Cleveland “Stop what you are doing right now and head to the best NOLA spot in Cle.This hidden gem is so worth it, we waited 20 minutes for our table. Once seated, the server was super nice and attentive to our party’s needs. We loved the atmosphere and great cocktails. We ordered some appetizers to start and had lots of seafood for dinner. The dessert was just the cherry on top, Creme Brulee with fresh fruit. This place is phenomenal. Every time I come in I remember why I love this establishment so much. Can’t wait to go back and great the beignets,” Melissa P. on Yelp Photo via @BSBRCle/Instagram
Hatfields Goode Grub 16700 Lorain Ave., Cleveland Southern food is definitely what comes to mind when it comes to comfort food. And no one in town serves this type of comfort food better than Hatfield’s. They have an entire section of their menu dedicated to smothering your meal, where you pick your favorite dish and smoother that with mozzarella, cheddar, coleslaw, pickles, dill sauce and Cle BBQ sauce. Come on now. Photo via Scene Archives
LJ Shanghai 3142 Superior Ave., Cleveland LJ Shanghai made a splash in Asia Town last year when they opened as the first true dumpling restaurant in Cleveland. While they’re known for their dumplings, or Xao Long Bao, don’t sleep on their soup dishes for comfort food. They’re spicy, they’re tasty and they’re perfect for a cold winter day. Their pan fried noodles are top notch too. Photo via Scene Archives
Urban Kitchen and Deli 9751 Chester Ave., Cleveland “Absolutely awesome place with a unique concept. It’s breakfast meets traditional east coast deli meets authentic Egyptian fare right on the Cleveland Clinic’s campus. I had the hummus (which was uber fresh and could immediately tell it was made in house) to start, then followed things with the “Rocky Balboa” sandwich. Mr. Balboa offered a blend of corned beef and pastrami that was super reminiscent of a deli that you’ll catch in NYC,” Rodger B. on Yelp. Photo via Urban Kitchen and Deli/Facebook
Zanzibar Soul Fusion 627 Prospect Ave., and 13225 Shaker Square, Cleveland This Shaker Square eatery, which expanded to downtown in 2018, owned by the same restaurateurs that started Angie’s Soul Food Cafe, is a must-visit soul food spot. This place does their own take on southern comfort and the catfish po’boys and fried chicken are staples on the menu. Photo via Scene Archives
Whitmore’s BBQ 20209 Harvard Rd., Cleveland Whitmore’s has been serving up barbecue to Clevelanders since 1942! They must be doing something right. Known for their ribs, this was the original Cleveland comfort food spot. Photo via
SOHO Chicken + Whiskey 1889 W. 25th St., Cleveland Put “chicken” in your name and you better do it right, and SoHo does. While SoHo temporarily changed their concept to a takeout spot called Chicken Run for the pandemic, they’re still serving perfectly tasty fried chicken and other delicious southern foods like fried green tomatoes, gumbo and shrimp and grits. Photo via Scene Archives
Inn on Coventry 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights The Inn has been serving breakfast and lunch to Heights locals since 1981. Comfort food at its finest is the game here. You’d be hard-pressed to find better pancakes in town but you really can’t go wrong with this throwback diner. Photo via @dmcphcle/Instagram
Choukouya Resto Bar 4620 Richmond Rd., Warrensville Heights As one of Cleveland’s only West African restaurants, Choukouya offers guests a dining experience unlike any other place in town. One such revelation is the chicken yassa, a stew-like dish with beguilingly complex flavors. Photo via Scene Archives
Mama Santa’s 12301 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Mama Santa’s has been serving up pies at the same Little Italy location since 1961. With its retro vibe, cheap wine, and stunningly inexpensive Italian eats, there’s no need to change much. Thin, greaseless, crisp-crusted pizza is the specialty of the casa; when you and the gang can score a 15-incher for less than 10 bucks, who cares if there’s a wait for a table? Photo via Mama Santa’s Pizzeria/Facebook
Balaton 13133 Shaker Square, Cleveland Talk about underappreciated. When Balaton opened a half-century ago on Buckeye Road, the primary language spoken in the dining room was Hungarian. But word of the modest restaurant’s remarkable goulash, Wiener schnitzel, and paprikash wriggled out, at first to the immediate neighborhood, and later to the city and region as a whole. Come to the lovely restaurant at Shaker Square, where Balaton has now resided for 20 years, and you won’t be awash in Old World shtick. Photo via Scene Archives
Irie Jamaican Kitchen 621 East 185th St., Euclid and 4162 Pearl Rd., Cleveland This beloved Jamaican spot, which recently opened a second location in Old Brooklyn in addition to their original Euclid location, makes some really delicious food. The loaded plantains and jerk chicken bowl are especially scrumptious. Photo via Scene Archives
Black Box Fix 25359 Cedar Rd., Lyndhurst “Black Box serves up my dream sandwiches yeah. Chicken and shrimp cheese everything else, Yes please! What about steak and shrimp? We can do that too! How about some Cajun catfish? Absolutely phenomenal! I made a point of visiting this location while in the area,” Jennifer D. on Yelp Photo via Scene Archives
Battiste and Dupree Cajun Grill 1992 Warrensville Center Rd., Cleveland Fans of this quirky little restaurant in an overlooked strip center have come to expect glacial service from chef and owner Junior Battiste, who operates at a speed unto himself. For 10 years now, a committed and enthusiastic clientele has put up with that “leisurely” pace just to get their hands on this city’s best Creole and Cajun cuisine. And it’s totally worth whatever wait you have to endure to eat Battiste’s perfect food. Photo via Scene Archives Credit: Scene Archives
Xinji Noodle Bar 4211 Lorain Ave., Cleveland While it may be hard to ever achieve owner Shuxin Liu’s recommended five-minute limit when it comes to consuming a bowl of ramen, a time derived from the lifecycle of a bouncy noodle, it’s damn worth trying. Bowls of chicken and pork-based broth contain fresh noodles, silky slabs of buttery pork belly, corn, scallions, mushrooms and, if you’re wise, a soft-cooked egg. If at first you don’t succeed in the five-minute drill, try and try again at this fantastic Ohio City noodle bar. Photo by Emanuel Wallace
Southern Cafe 11817 Detroit Rd., Lakewood Don’t look further than this Lakewood cafe when looking for the best soul food in town. Chicken and waffles, fried catfish, gumbo, bread pudding. We’re sold. Since the dawn of time, Cleveland diners who craved Southern and soul-food classics like chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits and smothered pork chops had to cross the river and head to the east side. Southern Cafe offers all those home-style favorites with none of the commute. Photo via Southern Cafe/Facebook
Quisqueya 2317 Denison Ave, Cleveland Taking over for the popular Moncho’s in Brooklyn, Quisqueya expanded from their Clark-Fulton spot. The restaurant specializes in Puerto Rican and Dominican dishes like sancocho, mondongo, empanadillas, alcapurrias, fried pork with plantains, camarones con mofongo, and beef stew with rice and beans. Photo via Quisqueya Latin Cuisine/Facebook Credit: Scene Archives
Half Moon Bakery 3460 West 25th St., Cleveland After more than three years of pop-ups and catering, Half Moon Bakery finally unveiled its brick-and-mortar bakery in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, located across the street from MetroHealth. The carry-out empanada shop features the signature half-moon-shaped pastries, stuffed with flavor-packed combinations such as shredded chicken with garlic tomato sauce, tofu with seasoned veggies, and pepperoni, mozzarella and tomato sauce, along with sandwiches, fresh bread, pastries and cakes. Photo by Emanuel Wallace
The Little Polish Diner 5772 Ridge Rd., Parma Known for its homestyle Polish cooking, The Little Polish Diner offers a traditional Perch fish fry every Friday throughout Lent. And in authentic Cleveland style, the potato side is pierogis instead of french fries if you want them. Photo via The Little Polish Diner/Facebook
Twisted Taino Latin Eatery 1400 West 25th St., Cleveland Chef Jose Miguel Melendez applied for one of the original kitchen spots at the Ohio City Galley, making it all the way to the final round before losing out. Two years later, he’s preparing to open a restaurant there after all, one that builds upon his experience as a catering chef with Latin roots. The business, Twisted Taino, is the first to join Victor Searcy Jr. at what is now referred to as “Sauce the City Galley”. Twisted Taino is a quick-serve eatery that takes influence from various Latin cuisines, according to the chef. The menu ranges from smaller items like empanadas, gourmet tacos and Cuban sandwiches to “heavy hitters” like the mofongo bowl, a combination of mashed yucca and plantain stuffed with “Puerto Rican fried rice” and a choice of roast pork, chicken, steak or shrimp. The Bandeja Criolla is a hunger-slaying platter loaded with roast pork, chicharron, tostones and yucca fries. Photo courtesy Scene Archives
Marie’s 4502 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland Poke your head into one of the quiet, low-lit bars on St. Clair Avenue sometime and ask one of the regulars where to find good Eastern European food in the neighborhood. If you’re lucky, they’ll clue you into Marie’s Restaurant. For more than 40 years, it has been a stalwart of Croatian dining in the historically Slavic St. Clair-Superior neighborhood. It’s no mystery to Vucica how the restaurant has survived the city’s ups and downs: “Good food.” The menu at Marie’s is a bold throwback to the kitchens of mid-century America. Dishes rarely seen outside the most staunchly Old-World kitchens (beef goulash, liver and onions) are on proud display here. Photo via Scene Archives
Wonton Gourmet & BBQ 3211 Payne Ave., Cleveland Wonton dishes out some 20 varieties of Hong Kong-style soups, overflowing with plump shrimp and pork dumplings, garden-fresh greens and thin noodles. They also serve a wide selection of congee, or rice porridge, which is basically the definition of Chinese comfort food. Photo via @PatBenatarNation/Instagram
Woodstock BBQ 13362 Madison Ave., Lakewood If you love barbecue, this is a spot that is definitely worth checking out. The smell of smoke wafts into your nose as you enter this place. They really have all the staples of barbecue, including delicious ribs, wings, pulled pork, brisket, cornbread and much more. Photo via @FabulousKevin/Instagram
The Proper Pig 17100 Detroit Ave., Lakewood Barbeque has taken over Cleveland in the last few years and the Proper Pig really stands out amongst the different smoked options in town. From their meats by the half pound, to their ‘Texas-sized’ sandwiches to their bacon on a stick, you really can’t go wrong. Finish it all off with some banana pudding with Nilla Wafers if you still have room for dessert. Photo via @ProperPigBBQ/Instagram
Grumpy’s Cafe 2621 West 14th St., Cleveland Grumpy’s Cafe has been a Tremont staple since 1976. Current owner and longtime employee Kathy Owad took over ownership in 2004 and after a fire, turned the new space into a laid-back, comfortable eatery that embraced the local art scene. Grumpy’s is known for having one of the best brunches in town, featuring local and fresh ingredients. The corned-beef hash and smothered french toast are just two of our many favorites. Photo via @Grumpys.Cafe/Instagram
Superior Pho 3030 Superior Ave., Cleveland The Asia Town mainstay — an absolute favorite for quick lunches, group meals, and dates — also dishes up a great banh mi, bubble tea, and other Vietnamese appetizers and entrees. Try them, but do yourself a favor and get the pho first. Photo via Superior Pho/Facebook
Issho Ni 34302 Euclid Ave., Willoughby This cherry little spot on the far-east side of town is serving up some of the best ramen in Northeast Ohio. Choices include a classic pork tonkotsu prepared with various levels of spiciness, kuro ramen made black from the addition of squid ink and fermented garlic, Hokkaido-style yellow ramen, soy-based shoyu ramen and the broth-less mazeman ramen. Photo via Scene Archives
Batuqui 12706 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland and 17 East Orange St., Chagrin Falls Following more than a year of construction, Carla Batista and Gustavo Nogueira recently opened the second location of their popular Brazilian eatery. Like the original, which opened on Larchmere in 2015, “Batuqui on the Falls” has repurposed an elegant residential building — in this case, a stately brick Victorian a short stroll from Main Street. Batuqui Chagrin features the same popular dinner menu starring authentic Brazilian dishes like Feijoada and Moqueca Baiana and an ongoing selection of specials and cocktails. Photo via Scene Archives

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