It turns out you don’t always have to go downtown Cleveland to hangout at some of the best watering holes around. Whether you’re looking to grab a drink at the place closest to their home or even a cocktail de jure or seasonal microbrew, this list of bars that aren’t downtown has something for everyone.
It turns out you don’t always have to go downtown Cleveland to hangout at some of the best watering holes around. Whether you’re looking to grab a drink at the place closest to their home or even a cocktail de jure or seasonal microbrew, this list of bars that aren’t downtown has something for everyone.
Willoughby Brewing Company
4057 Erie St., Willoughby
In an area lauded for its craft beers, the contest for “Best Local Beer” is a tough one. But Willoughby Brewing Co., which has been slinging its Peanut Butter Cup Porter for years now, is no slouch. The eastside staple consistently ranks high on lists of our favorite breweries in town and the most underrated gems around here. You’ll always feel welcome when you slip into a booth at Willoughby.
Photo via Willoughby Brewing Company/FacebookBottleHouse Brewing Company
2050 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights
This Cleveland Heights brewery feels more like a community gathering place than a bar. Live music, board games, community tables and no televisions gives it more of that living room feeling. And the beer is delicious.
Photo via @BottleHouseBrew/InstagramThe Treehouse
820 College Ave., Cleveland
There’s really nothing fancy about the Treehouse, save, of course, the fake tree that sprouts from the middle of the bar and extends its branches outward. Otherwise, you’ll find a nicely stocked batch of taps, a healthy dose of (not always healthy) bar food, and one of the most glorious patios in Cleveland. Really, the patio is huge, and it’s filled afternoon or evening. It is one of the best spots to enjoy a brew under the open sky in one of Cleveland’s favorite neighborhoods.
Photo via The Treehouse/FacebookThe Spotted Owl
710 Jefferson Ave., Cleveland
With a detailed eye, reclaimed wood and stained-glass windows, the beautiful Spotted Owl came to Tremont in 2014. A cocktail bar at once sophisticated and approachable, with drinks that change as the Owl debuts new menus throughout the year, and which are seriously and thoughtfully constructed.
Photo via @SpottedOwlBar/InstagramThe Tavern Company
2299 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights
The Tavern Company has been a Lee Road staple for over ten years. In 2014, they took over the space that the iconic Colony operated in after owner Jim Brennan’s tragic passing. The Tavern Company, or TavCo as locals call it, is as Heights as it gets.
Photo via The Tavern Company/FacebookProsperity Social Club
1109 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland
Cozy and retro, this former workingman’s watering hole serves up food, booze, and a bowling machine along with the live music. You’ll find locals laying down everything from lounge and jazz to folk and bluegrass. They also have a kitchen serving tasty, hearty grub that stays open nightly until midnight and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
Photo via @ProsperitySocialClub/InstagramPorco Lounge & Tiki Room
2527 West 25th St., Cleveland
Porco Lounge & Tiki Room is only about five years old, but its dedication to professionally blended cocktails — even silly sounding ones — has helped its reputation grow at a brisk rate. The Mai Tai is the best of the bunch, a cold fusion of fresh fruit juices with coconut rum and a soupçon of almond. In 2016, the Food Network named the bar one of the best tiki bars in the country.
Photo via Porco Lounge & Tiki Bar/FacebookPlatform Beer Co.
3506 Vega Ave., Cleveland
The Ohio City-based brewery owned by Justin Carson and Paul Benner debuted with a wee 3-barrel system in the summer of 2014. Six months later the team upgraded to its current 10-barrel system, supported by a battery of new 15-barrel fermentation and conditioning tanks. It’s a microbrewery that feels like a bar you just want to chill at for hours.
Photo via Scene ArchivesParkview Nite Club
1261 West 58th St., Cleveland
Layers of mystery lie just beneath the surface of this rustic, aggressively unpretentious corner bar on Cleveland’s near West Side. Start with the decorative motif: How can the Rat Pack poster mingle with the framed Three Stooges photo? If this is the Parkview, where is the park — or the view? How can a bar tout its live blues bands, even as it advertises the birthday of a regular patron named “Disco Dicky”? Most of all, how has a bar with wood paneling on walls, floor, and ceiling managed to keep from burning down this long? These are matters that require intense study from the barstool and a thorough interrogation of the help.
Photo via @TheTavernCompany/InstagramNighttown
12383 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Heights
The anchor of Cleveland’s jazz scene since 1965, Nighttown isn’t just a place that locals love; it’s received national recognition for its music programming. Down Beat magazine has called it one of the 100 best jazz clubs in the world. The Irish-themed bar and restaurant features a welcoming bar area, a casual lounge, an intimate private room, an all-weather outdoor area and a more formal main dining room that features a small stage where the bands play.
Photo via Scene ArchivesNano Brew
1859 West 25th St., Cleveland
In 2013, Thrillist named this local brewery’s burger as one of the best 33 burgers in America. If that’s not enough of a reason to hit up this microbrewery, pair one of Nano Brew’s award-winning burgers (or sliders) with any of their 24 draft beers — they’ve got you covered until 2:30 a.m.
Photo via Scene ArchivesJukebox
1404 West 29th St., Cleveland
A music-themed neighborhood bar in the Rock N’ Roll capital? Sounds like the perfect spot and that’s what this Hingetown haunt is. The warm, brick-lined space features industrial lighting fixtures, rock and roll themed art and decorations, and the namesake jukebox, a 100-CD version stuffed with various Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted musicians, beginning in the ’50s and running clear through modern indie rock and hip-hop.
Photo via @JukeboxCle/InstagramThe Jolly Scholar
11111 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
Located on the Case Western campus and run by it’s students, this brewery and kitchen is mainly a la carte, but on Sundays, they have all you can eat boneless wings and french fries for just $9.95.
Photo via @NoneFlyer/InstagramHoopples
1930 Columbus Rd., Cleveland
We give a lot of credit to Hoopples for having one of the best views in the city with its industrial panoramic of the river and Cleveland skyline backdrop. An even more glorious scene: a basket full of filled-to-the-brim tacos. Sure, Tower City looks nice all lit up, but it’s twice as nice with cheap chicken, beef and black bean tacos.
Photo via Hoopples/YelpHarbor Inn
1219 Main Ave., Cleveland
As the oldest continuously operating bar in Cleveland — open since 1895, thank you very much — the Harbor Inn has many stories to tell. Thankfully, the West Bank of the Flats spot keeps its secrets, and night after night allows patrons young and old to imbibe in witty conversation and general tomfoolery virtually undisturbed while swallowed up in dim yellow light.
Photo via Harbor Inn/FacebookEdison’s
2373 Professor Ave., Cleveland
You’re not doing Tremont right if you don’t land at Edison’s for at least some portion of your night. It’s the quintessential Tremont bar, the quintessential Cleveland bar — a real bar’s bar, you dig? Whether you’re just stopping in at the pickup door for a pizza or you’re posting up at the lovely bar for an evening round with your finest friends, you’ll be well taken care of here.
Photo via Scene ArchivesCorky’s Place
13302 Detroit Ave., Lakewood
Corky’s, which hosts karaoke every Wednesday through Saturday, keeps its songbooks stocked with the newest hits from the Nashville country scene as well as old-school Seattle grunge. And unlike most karaoke spots, where the drunk redneck singing “Ring of Fire” is shoved off into the corner, here you’re the headliner, front and center, with stage lighting, a roaring sound system, and a packed house — especially on the weekends.
Photo via @NonsenseSinger/InstagramAcademy Tavern
12800 Larchmere Ave., Cleveland
Larchmere’s Academy Tavern is one of the oldest drinking establishments not just on the East Side, but in all of Northeast Ohio. Like a well-worn couch, this vintage corner tavern may show its age, but its comfort is undeniable. For proof, just look at the diverse clientele. They started serving cocktails just after prohibition, in 1939, and have been a staple of the neighborhood since.
Photo via @DJMikel/InstagramVelvet Tango Room
2095 Columbus Rd., Cleveland
What was once sort of an open secret around town has now become a full-on Cleveland landmark. The Velvet Tango Room remains the gold standard of martini joints in our city. Here, cocktails aren’t just another drink. Here, there’s a history and a story, not to mention handmade ingredients and the kind of expertise that translates to a few-minute wait for your drink and indelible, endless memories once you take a sip.
Photo via Scene ArchivesABC The Tavern
1872 West 25th St., Cleveland
A classic Cleveland “old-man” bar with a totally modern vibe, this well-run tavern offers a full bar and plenty of tasty noshes, ranging from roasted red pepper hummus to a humongous burger. Nightly happy hours help make this a popular destination.
Photo via Scene ArchivesTina’s
5400 Herman Ave., Cleveland
There’s no better date than embarrassing yourself with some karaoke. And Tina’s Nite Club in the Detroit Shoreway is a quintessential Cleveland dive bar with the most fun karaoke in town. Karaoke is for paying customers only, but the drinks are more than reasonable.
Photo via @XOXOGarbageGirl/InstagramThe Fairmount
2448 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights
Located in the Cedar Hill neighborhood, the Fairmount takes pub food to the next level. With a warm and lively atmosphere and one of the best patios in town, you’re missing out if you haven’t been. The rosemary bacon fries, lobster mac and cheese and brisket banh mi are some of our favorites.
Photo via The Fairmount Cleveland/Facebook
