You knew we couldn’t do a west side restaurant slideshow without following it up with one about the east side. With an eclectic mix of food, from Ethiopian and Vietnamese to pizza, French and sushi, you can seriously find any sort of cuisine on Cleveland’s east side. So, here are the 23 restaurants you absolutely have to check out at some point in the near future. (By the way, we considered everything east of Downtown as the East Side.)
You knew we couldn’t do a west side restaurant slideshow without following it up with one about the east side. With an eclectic mix of food, from Ethiopian and Vietnamese to pizza, French and sushi, you can seriously find any sort of cuisine on Cleveland’s east side. So, here are the 23 restaurants you absolutely have to check out at some point in the near future. (By the way, we considered everything east of Downtown as the east side.)
Umami
42 North Main St., Chagrin Falls
A decade ago we stumbled into an impossibly small bistro in Chagrin Falls, where we were blown away by the progressive Pan-Asian fare emanating from the equally small kitchen. True to its billing, Umami trafficked in foods redolent of racy flavors like tamari, dashi, ponzu, ginger and galangal. Back then, the swank but conservative village was awash in burgers, meatballs, steaks and ribs, and dishes such as seared albacore with ponzu sauce, coconut curry-spiked mussels and wasabi-crusted halibut proved a refreshing, even exciting, departure. The decade may have changed, but Umami thankfully has not.
Photo via Scene ArchivesSlyman’s
3106 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland
16 tons and what do you get? The best corned beef sandwich in Cleveland. They still slice every sandwich to order, and every sandwich still towers above much of the competition. Amaze your friends by ordering in Slymaneze: a “natural” means plain; “original” comes with mustard; and “Smurf” buys you one with Swiss and mustard (which ain’t kosher, by the way).
Photo via Scene ArchivesZoma
2240 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights
Despite what that one guy on Yelp said about the “bread,” we’re slightly obsessed with Zoma. We love the communal atmosphere of the experience, where diners sit around a platter of colorful, savory stews, pinching off bites with stretchy injera. Rare is the place that hungry vegetarians and omnivores can so peaceably coexist thanks to items starring chopped greens, chickpeas, lentils, beef and chicken. The housemade Ethiopian hot sauce, fueled by an exotic berbere spice blend, is righteous.
Photo via Zoma/FacebookVero Pizza
12421 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Heights
It might just be pizza to us, but to owner Marc-Aurele Buholzer, it’s a way of life. First you make the dough, then you stoke the fire, and finally you feed the neighborhood. There’s only so much of that naturally leavened dough to go around, so admiring diners know to get here early to secure one or three of those fly pies. They exit the wood-burner with a textbook puffy, chewy, tender crust spotted like a leopard with slightly bitter bits of char.
Photo via @VeroPizza/InstagramTrentina
1903 Ford Dr., Cleveland
Head to University Circle, in the beautiful old Sergio’s space, and you’ll find James Beard Award Winner Jonathon Sawyer’s Northern Italian gem of a restaurant. They originally opened back in 2014 with a tasting menu and then expanded to include a la carte options as well, and if you haven’t been there yet, well, you better get to one of the most creative restaurants in town.
Photo by Emanuel WallaceTommy’s Restaurant
1824 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Heights
Known for their vegetarian and healthy options, this Coventry Road staple has been serving up Clevelanders since 1972. While they had vegetarian and vegan options before those became popular, they have more than just healthy options. The thick-cut french fries are some of the best in town and their milkshakes, especially black cherry, is a must try.
Photo via Tommy’s Restaurant/FacebookSzechuan Gourmet
1735 East 36th St., Cleveland
When it comes to authentic Chinese food, this is the place. The best Chinese restaurant in town, bar none, boasts dishes that are out of this world. Try the three pepper chicken for some spice, the mapo tofu with pork, the cumin beef, the chili cucumber, and you’ll leave with a belly full and a smile on your face for how delicious this food really is.
Photo via @Dorjans/InstagramSuperior Pho
3030 Superior Ave., Cleveland
Because pho is an essential part of a balanced diet, not to mention one’s sanity, noodle shops like this one hold a very important place in our lives. Winter or summer, a bowl of pho is more than food; it’s a restorative elixir that sets us on a brighter path. Crispy spring rolls, citrusy cabbage salad, and meaty banh mi sammies also make us happy, so it’s a good thing that the versions served at this perfectly acceptable dining room are as delicious as the noodle soup.
Photo via Scene ArchivesRed, the Steakhouse
3355 Richmond Rd., Beachwood
Luscious slabs of beef and creative, indulgent salads, sides and desserts make this modern American steakhouse a prime location for well-heeled meat-eaters. A well-organized wine list, gracious service and contemporary rustic decor with a Napa-like sophistication complete the region’s best steakhouse.
Photo via @RedSteakhouse/Instagram Credit: Scene archivesPacific East
1763 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Heights
Casual, comfortable and completely unpretentious, this popular Japanese restaurant serves some of the best sushi and sashimi in town, featuring quality ingredients, plenty of variety and wallet-friendly prices. An assortment of tempura, yakitori and teriyaki dishes serves as counterpoint.
Photo via @XiaoBaiBai1024/InstagramNora
2181 Murray Hill Rd., Cleveland
Nora upends the Little Italy stereotype of the spag-and-ball joint by applying classic French technique to Italian ingredients to come up with dishes that are in synch with the season, if not the surrounding restaurants. While you won’t be dabbing red sauce off your shirt, you will be awash in the Old World charm that attracts us to the Hill in the first place. Beneath a pressed-tin ceiling and behind a wall of windows, diners dig into creamy burrata, crunchy polenta fries, wild mushroom stuffed agnolotti, and fettuccine carbonara topped with crispy matchstick potatoes and a buttery poached egg.
Photo via Scene ArchivesLJ Shanghai
3142 Superior Ave., Cleveland
Soup dumplings, or xiao long bao, have popped up around town during the occasional dim sum feast, but no place has mastered and marketed these delicacies as well as LJ Shanghai, a newcomer in Cleveland’s Asiatown neighborhood. Open since October, this Chinese noodle house has been absolutely besieged by savvy diners who recognize quality xiao long bao when they see and taste them. LJ’s are brilliant: tucked inside the delicate housemade wrapper is a dollop of meat swimming in intensely flavored broth. Pair them with the pan-fried noodles and an order of cucumber and you’ll leave with full belly and a smile on your face.
Photo by Emanuel WallaceL’Albatros
11401 Bellflower Rd., Cleveland
Given that University Circle is the epicenter of Cleveland culture, you’d think it wouldn’t be so damned hard to find a great meal. Fortunately there’s this French-themed gem, the crown jewel of the Zack Bruell kingdom. While we could happily live on the wine and cheese alone, it’s nearly impossible to skip the garlicky snails, the mussels frites, and the textbook skate with browned butter. Do yourself a favor and order the pied de cochon, goosed with the silkiest béarnaise.
Photo via Scene ArchivesGeraci’s Restaurant
Multiple Locations
The thick-cut pepperoni (we recommend ordering double-pepperoni) on their pizzas are the stars of the show at this mom and pop Italian restaurant that’s been a family business for over 60 years. Don’t let that stop you from exploring the rest of the traditional Italian menu, with other staples like spaghetti and homemade meat sauce and eggplant parmesan. Now, you can try their delicious offerings at two locations, one in Pepper Pike in addition to their original home in University Heights.
Photo via Geraci’s Restaurant/FacebookFlour
34205 Chagrin Blvd., Moreland Hills
Is it just us or does Flour get better and buzzier over time? We’ve been fans of the Italian restaurant since the start, lured out to suburbia by the four skilled hands belonging to Paul Minnillo and Matt Mytro. This tag team of tagliatelle put the panache back in pasta, elevating the genre from dependable gut-buster to captivating, elegant cuisine. The perfect pairings of noodles and sauce, like rigatoni with lamb neck gravy, are memorable to the very last bite.
Photo via Scene ArchivesFire
13220 Shaker Square., Cleveland
There seem to be fewer and fewer gimmick-free farm-to-table bistros, the types of places that simply do in place of try. For more than 20 years, chef-owner Doug Katz has weathered every conceivable trend, challenge and calamity in this unpredictable business, responding with an ever-steady hand on the wheel. Diners can always count on Fire to deliver reliably delicious food trimmed with seasonal foodstuffs and served by a professional staff in a crisp, cool setting. Fire’s sunny weekend brunch can make a morning person out of Rip Van Winkle.
Photo via Fire Food and Drink/FacebookEdwin’s Leadership and Restaurant Institute
13101 Shaker Square., Cleveland
In 2013, Brandon Chrostowski opened Edwins Leadership and Restaurant at Shaker Square. Not only is the French bistro one of the finest restaurants in town, they’re also a non-profit organization that hires and trains convicted felons to work in their restaurant. Chrostowski started Edwins with the belief that, “every human being regardless of their past has the right to a fair and equal future”. Everything on the menu is superb, but we’re big fans of the burger that’s prepared table-side, and the duck is also delectable.
Photo via Scene ArchivesCrumb and Spigot
16783 Chillicothe Rd., Chagrin Falls
This tavern located basically out in the cut in an unassuming strip mall is worth the trip out to far Chagrin Falls. Crumb and Spigot does a great job of seeming like any old tavern but it’s far from that. Highlights of the eccentric menu include a beer board featuring house-made jerky, their take on a sloppy joe, and their wood-fired pizzas.
Photo via @Crumb&Spigot/InstagramCitizen Pie
Multiple Locations
With wood-fired pizza ovens straight from Naples, Citizen Pie isn’t messing around with their pies. They originally opened in Colinwood in 2015 but then expanded to Ohio City in 2017, so now Clevelanders on both sides of town can enjoy their mouthwatering Neapolitan slices.
Photo via @Citizen.Pie/InstagramBoiling Seafood Crawfish
2201 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights
The seafood-in-a-bag trend rolled into town with a bang, with three spots devoted to the concept opening in a few short years. You don’t have to explain why to the diners who crowd this small, boisterous storefront by the Cedar Lee Theatre. Digging your hands deep into a bag of spicy, saucy steamed seafood might be the most fun one can legally have in a restaurant.
Photo via @BoilingSeafood/InstagramBalaton
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, Weiner 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 by Emanuel Wallace
