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24 Cleveland Restaurants To Support With Takeout This Christmas Weekend

By Scene Staff on Sat, Dec 26, 2020 at 11:48 am

There's just so many good restaurants in town, we can't pick where to takeout from. Also, it's good to support local restaurants. At the beginning of November, we decided to highlight 24 local restaurants each week during the pandemic. Here's the 25 for this week.

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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, 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 via Scene Archives

Bearden’s

19985 Lake Rd., Rocky River

Bearden’s is offering the Peanut Burger which takes their famous Bearden’s Burger topped with melted peanut butter and sweet pickles.

Photo Provided by Restaurant

Ruchi

7205 Aurora Rd., Aurora

“A lot of interesting nuances about THIS Indian restaurant. Stopped in for their lunch buffet - on Saturday! Most others don't do buffet on weekends. Dishes were a little different than mainstream Indian restaurants. Their flavors were deeper and more diverse. They brought fresh naan to the table. They also brought their signature rice dessert to the table as well. This place's food and service is really 5-star,” Mark C. on Yelp

Photo via Ruchi Indian Cuisine/Facebook

Riverwood Cafe

18500 Detroit Rd., Lakewood

This Lakewood watering hole, known for one of the best happy hours around, is also frequented for their exquisite wings. Try the ‘Buffalo Garlic’ or ‘Sweet Heat’ for that extra kick.

Photo via @RiverwoodCafeLakewood/Instagram

Maxi’s

12113 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland

“If you haven’t been to this Little Italy spot with a cult following, you’re truly missing out. Family style is the way to go here. Order tons of appetizers (especially fried mozzarella, the tomato/mozzarella salad, escarole, calamari, stuffed peppers and escargot), get a couple of pastas for the table - the cavatelli bolognese is the best pasta dish in Cleveland and maybe the country, the flavia and farfalle are great too - and prepared to be wowed,” Louis Z. on Yelp

Photo via Maxi’s In Little Italy/Facebook

Corner 11

2391 West 11th St., Cleveland

“Corner 11 is my new obsession. Their create your own poke bowls are bombbb. You choose your base, protein, and then toppings including sauce. I've only tried the spicy tuna, but it's so good I don't think I would want to try anything else. All the ingredients are fresh, the sauces they use are all amazing, and they have so many options to choose from. This is the kind of place I could go to every single day and never be sick of it,” Danielle M. on Yelp.

Photo via Corner 11/Facebook

Otani Noodle

11472 Euclid Ave., and 234 Euclid Ave., Cleveland

Otani Noodle, from the same owners of long-standing Mayfield Heights hibachi restaurant Otani, recently opened their second location, this time in the heart of downtown in addition to their University Circle home, and if you haven’t been yet, you’re missing out. The tonkotsu broth they use for their ramen is delectable.

Photo via Scene Archives

Nora

2181 Murray Hill Rd., Cleveland

“Excellent. Probably some of the best Italian food in Northeast Ohio. The recipes are unique and the ingredients are fresh. This was one of the closest restaurants to actually eating in Italy in the area. They have fresh pasta and it is very good. My wife got the ravioli and I got the carbonara and both were great. We will definitely be back,” Lance B. on Yelp

Photo via Scene Archives

Pacific East

28601 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere and 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 Scene Archives

Prosperity Social Club

1109 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland

Cozy and retro, this former workingman’s watering hole serves up delicious food, booze, and a bowling machine along with the live music. They have a kitchen that stays open nightly until midnight and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Photo via @ProsperitySocialClub/Instagram