If you don’t need a greasy spoon meal every once in a while, you’re definitely not a Clevelander and we’re actually not even sure if you’re an American. The diner, or deli, or cafe or whatever you’d like to call it, is an institutional symbol of Americana cuisine. These 30 Cleveland-area places do it better than most.

Charlie’s Dog House Diner 2102 Brookpark Rd., Cleveland The kitschy roadside attraction has been in the exact same spot since 1952, when it began life as the Dog House, part of a national chain of shops that offered walk-up service to customers who ordered hot dogs and hamburgers through a window. Neon lights promising Chicago-style Vienna hot dogs and Charlie’s original waffles attract the early morning crowd before work. The eggs Benedict and breakfast burritos are also well loved. Photo via Charlie’s Dog House Diner/Facebook
Borderline Cafe 18508 Detroit Ave., Lakewood Nothing but breakfast served sunny side up Wednesday through Sunday at this popular West End café. Huge stuffed omelets, chewy buttermilk pancakes, and breakfast burritos are freshly prepared and restorative in nature. Don’t be put off by the line out the door; it just proves that people have good taste. Photo via Borderline Cafe/Facebook Credit: Scene Archives
Big Al’s Diner 12600 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland If you miss Mom’s cooking, this is the place to get your fix. Big Al’s has all the comforting favorites, like thick, steaming soups, homemade mashed potatoes with gravy, open-faced roast beef sandwiches and chocolate cake for dessert. Breakfast is served until the diner’s late-afternoon closing time. But the corned beef hash is the star of the show – it was featured on the Food Network’s Best Thing I Ever Ate by Michael Symon. Photo via @JamesBXXL/Instagram
Gus’s Family Restaurant 4377 State Rd., Cleveland This all-day breakfast joint has been serving up customers in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood for over 25 years. The home fries are really the star of the show here and we love the corned beef hash. Photo via Gus’s Family Restaurant/Facebook
Grumpy’s Cafe 2621 West 14th St., Cleveland If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Grumpy’s is the most important restaurant in town. The Tremont staple, which is nicer than your typical hole-in-the-wall, is a cozier, artsier version of a greasy spoon — warm colors and local art decorate the walls of the two-room affair. Grumpy’s has several omelets and special dishes like the West 14th Special with corned beef hash, two eggs and toast. Photo via Scene Archives
George’s Kitchen 13101 Trisket Rd., Cleveland Breakfasts here are great, with a number of egg dishes served all day at this iconic Cleveland diner that’s been open for almost 40 years. For something a little more adventurous than your usual breakfast, try the gyro platter, which includes a mountain of golden brown potatoes, sliced gyro meat, three eggs, toast and a side of tzatziki sauce. Photo by Douglas Trattner
Eat at Joe’s 1475 South Green Rd., South Euclid With both breakfast and lunch served all day, with a simple menu of diner staples listed on a table tent, Eat at Joe’s attracts customers from various generations, sandwiched in at the tables or elbow-to-elbow at the counter. A chalkboard lists daily specials like eggs benedict, turkey reubens and rice pudding. The quick, no-nonsense service and solid, filling fare make this a must-stop if you are in the area. Photo via @SallyAccorti/Instagram
My Friends Restaurant 11616 Detroit Rd., Cleveland Ask most people and the name My Friends Restaurant is what first comes to mind for the ultimate late night breakfast eatery. This 24-hour Lakewood/Cleveland border haunt serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day, but the people watching is priceless after midnight.
Michael’s Diner 13051 Shaker Blvd., Shaker Square Head to Shaker Square for the quintessential old-school diner, complete with small booths, neon lights and a checkered floor. There’s been a diner in this spot, located basically on the rapid tracks, since the 1950’s and Michael’s has operated since 1996. Photo via Scene Archives
Larder 1455 West 29th St., Cleveland Even though its only been around a couple years, this place is so damn good that it already has to be considered a Cleveland staple. At its heart, Larder, which was recently nominated for a James Beard award, is a Jewish deli, with matzo ball soup, thick pastrami sandwiches, and flaky fruit-filled rugelach. But there’s so much more going on here than that. Chef-owner Jeremy Umansky utilizes techniques like koji (a Japanese mold) curing, foraging for wild edibles, cold and hot smoking, and fermentation and pickling to produce an ever-shifting roster of seasonal plates. Photo via @LarderB/Instagram
Kleifelds 4048 Erie St., Willoughby A trip to downtown Willoughby would not be complete with a morning coffee and breakfast stop at Kleifelds Restaurant. This throwback diner compliments the old school Erie Street that anchors historic Willoughby. Try the country fried steak and eggs – for $5.49, it’s a steal. Photo via @Kleifelds/Instagram
Joe’s Deli 11750 Madison Ave., Lakewood Joe’s is a comfortable, tidy restaurant with a large menu of homey standards, including excellent corned-beef sandwiches, homemade soups, and freshly made Middle Eastern specialties.The breakfast goes until 10:30 a.m. so get there early and try the potato pancakes. Photo via Joe’s Deli Lakewood/Facebook
On The Rise Multiple Locations Known mostly for their artisan breads and mouth-watering pastries, we had to include this spot because it’s casual and local atmosphere is quintessential Cleveland. The sandwiches may be simple, but the freshly baked bread they come on takes them to another level. The prosciutto sandwich with honey butter and arugula is our favorite. In addition to their original location in the Heights, they’ve expanded to the recently opened Van Aken Food Hall in Shaker Heights. Photo via Scene Archives
Lucky’s Cafe 777 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland Lucky’s Cafe has won Scene’s best of brunch award so many times, we can’t keep count. Chef and Owner Heather Haviland’s Tremont cafe has also been featured on the Food Network multiple times, with Chef Michael Symon calling their biscuits and gravy the “best thing he ever ate,” and also on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Photo via @LuckysCafe/Instagram
The 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. The Inn also gears a good portion of its menu to vegetarian options. Photo via Scene Archives
West Side Market Cafe 1979 West 25th St., Cleveland For price, ambience, and first-class people-watching, no place tops the West Side Market Café in the venerable West Side Market’s southeast corner. Watching your wallet? A mere $2.25 will snag you two eggs, toast, and hash browns. Feeling flush? How about an eight-ounce strip steak, topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce, on an English muffin ($11)? Photo via West Side Market Cafe/Facebook
Tommy’s Restaurant/Facebook
The Place To Be 1391 Warren Rd., Lakewood Good food, great prices and a family atmosphere is the name of the game at this Lakewood greasy spoon. The menu claims that they have the “best biggest omelettes in town” and who are we to argue? Photo via The Place To Be/Facebook
Southside Diner 10705 West Pleasant Valley Rd., Parma The shiny, smile-inducing red and white decor bursts with 1950s kitsch, and while they do the old-fashioned bacon, eggs and toast pristinely, it’s the modern updates like barbacoa hash, iced lemon French toast, and breakfast tacos that draw the most raves. With heaping portions of good grub and cups of bottomless coffee, this little Parma treasure is sure to be the next place where everybody knows your name. Photo via South Side Diner/Facebook
Seven Roses 6301 Fleet Ave., Cleveland Even in a city with many citizens coming ancestors coming from Poland, it’s hard to find a ton of restaurants offering the cuisine. This Slavic Village diner not only offers good Polish food but they also offer it buffet style for lunch during the week and the kielbasa and pierogies are some of the best around. Photo via @RoyalDocksBrewing/Instagram
Yours Truly Multiple Locations The quintessential Northeast Ohio diner. It’s been said that if you haven’t had Notso Fries from Yours Truly yet, you’re not really a Clevelander. Head to one of their nine locations around town and change that immediately if you haven’t. Everything else on the menu will remind you of home too. Photo via Scene Archives

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