Forget “peak hours,” most of these Cleveland hot spots always have a wait, or are booked during traditional dinner hours, and it’s understandable, they’re all killer. From high-end formal dining, to comfort food and casual bites, here are a few of our favorite local haunts where you’ll almost never eat alone. Remember, it doesn’t hurt to call ahead!

The Sleepy Rooster 5120 Chillicothe Rd., Chagrin Falls In early 2021, Craig and Sarah Fitzgerald opened The Sleepy Rooster in Chagrin Falls. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu Institute in Pittsburgh, Craig worked in fine dining restaurants in Pittsburgh and Florida. At Sleepy Rooster he focuses on top-flight breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes like fresh-baked biscuits and gravy, goetta and eggs, avocado toast and fried bologna sandwiches. Credit: Doug Trattner
Cloak and Dagger 2399 West 11th St., Cleveland This bookish cocktail lounge has nicely settled in at the revolving-door space in Tremont that has been home to many short-lived restaurants. Billed as a neighborhood craft cocktail bar, the library-themed salon boasts a book-like menu filled with libations described with tasting notes like herbal, floral, smoky and spicy. The beverages are buoyed by an all-vegan roster of bar bites like fries, “pork” rinds, BBQ “chicken” skewers and banh mi sammies. Credit: Photo by Josh Dobay Productions
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. Both are tough reservations to get, especially on the weekends, so plan accordingly. Credit: Scene archives
Juneberry 3900 Lorain Ave., Cleveland There is a silver lining to the 2019 closure of Jack Flaps, a popular breakfast diner in Ohio City. Chef Karen Small took the space over and finally opened a diner of her own after much anticipation. The bustling cafe serves breakfast-all-day and lunch items until the early afternoon. Small, who is also in the process of a new concept at the recently closed Flying Fig (2523 Market Ave.,) in the same neighborhood was motivated to grab the space because of what she believes is a gap in the marketplace. Juneberry features an all-day breakfast and lunch menu largely inspired by the chef’s decade spent living outside of Athens, Ohio. Credit: Photo by Karin McKenna
Edwin’s 13101 Shaker Square, Cleveland Edwin’s is an upscale restaurant with fancy French cuisine, so it’s definitely a great way to spend a few hours, but the best part of Edwin’s is its mission. The employees are almost exclusively formerly incarcerated, and the restaurant now has a companion butcher shop with the same mission. Grab a reservation before you go, and know you’re helping a great cause. Credit: Scene Archives
Marble Room 623 Euclid Ave., Cleveland Marble Room Steaks and Raw Bar is unbelievably fancy in a great downtown location. They do take reservations, and you’re likely going to need to book in advance if you want to sweep someone off their feet at this romantic spot on a weekend. Photo via lunchbox_lb/Instagram
Boom’s Pizza 14370 Detroit Ave., Lakewood Partners Ben Bebenbroth formerly of Spice and Jonathan Bennett of Moxie and Red started hosting “doughball Fridays” at Keep the Change Kitchen Collective, the now-closed virtual food hall from Spice Hospitality Group, during the pandemic. The pizza became so popular that they decided to open a brick and mortar space which opened in Lakewood in January as Boom’s Pizza. The Neapolitan-style pizza shop has quickly become one of the most popular eateries in town, and for good reason. It’s phenomenal. Credit: Agape Photography
Molto Bene 18401 Detroit Ave., Lakewood Molto Bene has some great non-pizza Italian options, a rarity (yes, of course they also have pizza, and yes, of course it’s delicious). The fabulous dishes and gorgeous space make this space worth calling ahead for, so be sure to check it out when you’re feeling fancy. Credit: Scene Archives
The Pompadour 320 High St., Fairport Harbor The Pompadour is a ways away, but absolutely worth the trip and the scheduling. Be sure to call ahead, and take in the great views and scrumptious tapas. Credit: Scene Archives
Salt 17652 Detroit Ave., Lakewood Salt’s Chef Jill Vedaa is a James Beard semi-finalist this year, and a deserving candidate for the coveted cooking prize. Salt absolutely lives up to the prestige. The bad news? You’re definitely going to need to call ahead and make a reservation, especially on weekends. Credit: Scene Archives
Vero Pizza 12421 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Heights Vero doesn’t take reservations, and this pizza spot in the former Gelateria fills up fast. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is cozy, so give this Heights restaurant a shot on a weekday when you’re craving pizza. Credit: Scene Archives
Cent’s Pizza 5010 Lorain Ave, Clevelands Cent’s is all about the details, from the dough to the toppings to the goods for sale in front and the stunning design. While hand-shaped and baked in a wood-burning oven, the pies can only loosely be described as Neapolitan. They are larger, more uniformly round and lack the soupy middle and wild crown typical of the genre. Also don’t miss the Wonder Bread: After a quick spell in the wood-fired oven, a doughball is transformed into a nearly spherical steam-filled loaf. Of course, it tastes even better when schmeared with the house-cultured butter or the ‘nduja. Credit: Photo by Kory Gasser
Best Pizza: Il Rione 1303 West 65th St., Cleveland It’s safe to say that there are no other pizza joints in town quite like Il Rione, who have now won Best Pizza for the third year in a row. The warm lighting, stylishly weathered interior and upbeat soundtrack spinning out tracks combine to create more of a pizza lounge than pizza shop. But here’s the kicker: the New York/Jersey style pizza is phenomenal. The diavolo and the clam are our favorites. Credit: Scene Archives
Acqua Di Luca 500 West St. Clair Ave., Cleveland For those looking for a restaurant to celebrate life’s big moments, thankfully, there’s Acqua di Luca, the latest restaurant from the husband-and-wife team behind Luca Italian Cuisine and Luca West. In true “special-occasion restaurant” form, the menu is unabashedly extravagant. The walk-in coolers are filled to the brim with shellfish, fin fish, veal, filet mignon, Kobe beef and menacing tomahawk chops. The owners stripped the 140-year-old space down to the exposed-brick walls, unearthing in the process the property’s stately Warehouse District charm. Today, the restaurant is more open and buoyant than it has been in decades, with foldaway windows that better connect it to the cityscape beyond the panes. Credit: Scene Archives
Best Chef: Doug Katz Zhug, Amba Doug Katz has been on the Cleveland dining scene for years, with most of his formative career being spent at Shaker Square’s Fire. When Fire closed during the pandemic after 20 years in business, Katz was able to turn that into an opportunity to branch out more. When Fire closed, Katz had already recently opened the wildly popular Middle Eastern small plate spot Zhug and pandemic had him experimenting with two new concepts out of a ghost kitchen, Amba and Chimi. As at Zhug in Cleveland Heights, the aim is to foster an energetic, lively and informal atmosphere where diners can feel comfortable standing, talking and visiting with nearby tables. Also reminiscent of Zhug, the menu at Amba is loaded with small plates built for sharing. There are two dozen items that range from small, zesty condiments to composed meat and fish dishes. Many of these “Indian-inspired” street foods have a clear through line all the way back to the tandoor oven at Fire. Credit: Scene archives
Eating Through Doug Trattner’s Best Dishes of 2022 Going through our dining editor Doug Trattner’s best dishes of 2022 is something we’d highly recommend. The paneer at Amba, the jerk chicken at Gar and Mar and the cornmeal fries at Martha on the Fly are a good place to start, but you’re gonna wanna finish the whole list. Credit: Tiffany Joy Photography
The Last Page 100 Park Ave. Ste. 128, Orange Village Within a tsunami of fast-casual monotony, The Last Page at Pinecrest is a welcome detour. This modern-day supper club offers an immersive, upscale experience, from the luxuriously appointed waiting area to the grand bar in the rear of the drama-filled dining room. A lengthy menu avoids categorization of any kind, presenting instead a blitz of 25 appealing items that lean on various cultures and cuisines. Credit: Scene Archives
Martha on The Fly 2173 Professor Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113 This breakfast concept took their pop-up concept and turned it into a brick and mortar spot that opened in Tremont in 2022. At this micro-diner, patrons can look forward to breakfast sandwiches perfected during the pop-up run, items like the Betty, Shirley and Doris egg sandwiches and their phenomenal cornmeal fries. But this place is usually packed so plan in advance. Credit: Scene Archives
Thyme X Table 583 Dover Center Rd., Bay Village In Bay Village, Thyme Table, which opened in 2019, has quickly established itself as one of the best restaurants in the near Western suburbs. Chef-owner Michael Smith captured the curiosity and support of the community with his spiffed-up tavern concept, where the menu is approachable at nearly every turn. Thyme Table is the opposite of a special-occasion restaurant, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing special about the place. Credit: Scene archives
Sharing a maki roll at Ginko in Tremont is the perfect combination of sexy and quaint to start off a romantic evening. Then have a night cap at the legendary Velvet Tango Room. We recommend the “deal sealer” – the Moscow Mule. Credit: Photo Courtesy of Instagram User sushiloving
L’Albatros 11401 Bellflower Rd., Cleveland L’Albatros seduces diners with a roster of classic brasserie gems like escargot, roasted cod, and an outstanding selection of cheeses. But since this is a Zack Bruell restaurant, guests can count on more than a few contemporary menu twists, all served up in a series of intimate dining spaces and, in season, one of the region’s loveliest secluded patios. It’s an A-list Cleveland restaurant for a reason. Book yourself a table. Credit: Scene Archives
Cordelia 2058 East 4th St., Cleveland When speaking of hotly anticipated openings, nothing topped Cordelia taking over the former Lola space. Owner Andrew Watts calls East 4th Street “the best address in the city,” and in July, he and executive chef Vinnie Cimino officially became that street’s newest operators with an approach they call “Midwest Nice”. The restaurant has quickly vaulted to the top of many best restaurant lists so you definitely want to snag a reservation if you want to eat here, and when you do so, chart your course through a menu filled from snacks to entrees with adventurous fare that takes the comforts you know to new levels. Credit: Courtesy Cordelia

Scene's award-winning newsroom oftentimes collaborates on articles and projects. Stories under this byline are group efforts.