It’s amazing if a restaurant stays open 10 years these days. So the fact that these 25 bars and restaurants have been around since at least the 1970s, and most for much longer than that, dating all the way back to the early 1900s is pretty damn impressive. It’s especially impressive to survive 2020, with COVID-19 causing sweeping closures to restaurants and bars across the country, including Sokolowski’s, a Cleveland staple since 1904.
So, don’t just admire these Cleveland area landmarks from afar. Visit them, eat at them and drink at them because they must be doing something right.
Harbor 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/FacebookHeck’s Cafe
2927 Bridge Ave., Cleveland
If you’re on a search for the best burgers in town, Heck’s is surely not to be overlooked, as they’ve been serving up burgers since 1974. If you can handle the spice, the Hot Fire Burger is the way to go. Don’t forget an order of Heck’s Fries, topped with salt and pepper and a side of malt vinegar aioli. In addition to their original Ohio City location, they’ve expanded to Avon and opened a Heck’s Express downtown.
Photo via Scene ArchivesNighttown
12387 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Heights
The preeminent jazz and blues club in town also serves up some of the best high end pub fare, and that’s been the case since 1965. The Dublin Lawyer, their house specialty, is fresh lobster sautéed in a mild cayenne butter cream sauce, mushrooms, scallions and Irish whiskey and is served with rice pilaf and it’s worth the trip alone.
Photo via @JCopsey/InstagramThe Greenville Inn
7150 Pine St., Chagrin Falls
While this Chagrin Falls dive goes back since at least the 1920’s, legend has it that it might date back even further than that. With cheap beer, live music every Friday and Saturday nights and karaoke every Tuesday, this place is always a fun time.
Photo via Scene ArchivesBearden’s
19985 Lake Rd., Rocky River
Bearden’s has been around since 1948 — in fact, it says it right in their slogan, “Always fresh, never frozen, original recipe since 1948” — so you know their burgers (with optional and recommended chili topping) have been completely perfected.
Photo via Bearden’s Rocky River/FacebookMama Santa’s
12301 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland
Mama Santa’s has been serving up pies at the same Little Italy location since 1961. With its retro vibe, cheap wine, and stunningly inexpensive Italian eats, there’s no need to change much. Thin, greaseless, crisp-crusted pizza is the specialty of the casa; when you and the gang can score a 15-incher for less than 10 bucks, who cares if there’s a wait for a table? Credit: Scene ArchivesJohnny’s Bar
3164 Fulton Rd., Cleveland
Dark, intimate, and timelessly elegant, this manly little jewel box of a restaurant is the sort of place you suggest when you want to impress the boss, wow a date, or just remind yourself why you work so damn hard. The menu is crammed with upscale Italian specialties, including some stunning risottos and one of the city’s finest long-boned veal chops; at lunch, though — pssst — the char-grilled burger is out of this world. Johnny’s opened as Louise’s Garden in 1920 and was renamed Johnny’s Bar in 1952.
Photo via Johnny’s Bar on Fulton/FacebookHotz Cafe
2529 West 10th St., Cleveland
This Tremont bar has been in the same family since 1919. Back in the days of League Park, it used to be a favorite hangout of visiting ballplayers and was frequented by the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ty Cobb. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is also said to have thrown back a drink or two at this dive.
Photo via Scene ArchivesCorky and Lenny’s
27091 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere
In 1956, Corky Kurland and Lenny Kaden wanted to open a New York-style deli in Cleveland and did so at Cedar Center in University Heights. That location eventually closed, but in 1973, they expanded to Woodmere, where the restaurant still stands, serving delicious corned beef, pastrami and any other type of delicatessen food. The restaurant is currently owned by Kurland’s son Kenny and his cousin Earl Stein.
Photo via Corky and Lenny’s/FacebookGunselman’s Tavern
21490 Lorain Rd., Fairview Park
Locally sourced and served on a cast-iron skillet, these burgers were recently voted the best in town. Gunselman’s is an old-school joint that has been around since 1936. But they keep up with the times. For something special, try the Cleveland Handshake – a burger topped with Ohio City Pasta pierogi, Cleveland Kraut, Bertman’s Dortmunder mustard and Cleveland Pickle’s onion jam, a smorgasbord of ingredients from local businesses.
Photo via @GunselmansTavern/InstagramGuarino’s
12309 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland
Established in 1918, Guarino’s in Little Italy is Cleveland’s oldest restaurant and is still a family operation. While the decor tends toward Victoriana, the kitchen’s pasta, veal and seafood dishes are all Italian.
Photo via Guarino’s/FacebookPier W
12700 Lake Ave., Lakewood
This Lakewood seafood restaurant has won Scene’s Best Of award for ‘most romantic restaurant’ multiple times, and for good reason. Since 1965, these views of Lake Erie and the city are unmatched, the atmosphere is sophisticated and elegant and the seafood is delicious.
Photo via Scene ArchivesFlat Iron Cafe
1114 Center St., Cleveland
The oldest Irish pub in Cleveland was established over 100 years ago, all the way back in 1910. They’ve been serving alcohol and pub fare to blue collar Cleveland in the Flats ever since.
Photo via Scene ArchivesGiovanni’s Ristorante
25550 Chagrin Blvd., Beachwood
One of the last remaining grande dames of the region’s formal dining scene, since 1976, this elegant Italian restaurant offers impeccable appointments, attentive service and a luxurious menu of steaks, veal chops, seafood and pasta. Yes, it is expensive. But the chance to put on a suit and feel like a grown-up and have pasta prepared table-side? Priceless. The bolognese is a must have.
Photo via Giovanni’s Ristorante/FacebookHerb’s Tavern
19925 Detroit Ave., Rocky River
Run out of a building from the 1930s, Herb’s, which opened in 1963 is a rustic Rocky River gem. They’re known for what Scene has previously deemed “The Best Burger in Town.”
Photo via @Herbs_Tavern/InstagramEastland Inn
33 Eastland Rd., Berea
To be in business for 80+ years, you have to be doing something right, which is the case with Berea’s Eastland Inn. Tucked away behind the Fairgrounds, this legendary bar and restaurant has been satisfying locals and travelers alike since the 1930s.
Photo via Eastland Inn/FacebookDer Braumeister
13046 Lorain Ave., Cleveland
What started as a speakeasy in 1925 still serves up some of the best German fare in Cleveland. In fact, they’ve been given that title multiple times in Scene’s Best Of Cleveland poll. What started as Herzog’s turned into Der Braumeister in 1983.
Photo via Der Braumeister/FacebookAcademy 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/InstagramWhitmore’s BBQ
20209 Harvard Rd., Cleveland
Whitmore’s has been serving up barbecue to Clevelanders since 1942! They must be doing something right.
Photo viaLongo’s Pizza
Multiple Locations
Longo’s Lakeshore Boulevard location opened in 1980. And they’d already been in Mentor for 11 years at that point! That’s how you know a restaurant has been around for a long time, when people say let’s go to the “new” Longo’s and it’s been around for 40 years.
Photo via Scene ArchivesMerry Arts Pub and Grill
15607 Detroit Ave., Lakewood
Since 1932, Merry Arts has served up food and drinks to the Lakewood community. It opened during the Great Depression, and if it could make it through that, well, we have a feeling it won’t be going anywhere any time soon, especially with how beloved Taco Tuesday’s are.
Photo via Merry Arts Pub and Grill/FacebookGeraci’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 three locations, in Pepper Pike and Mayfield Heights, in addition to their original home in University Heights, which opened in 1956.
Photo via Scene ArchivesDon’s Pomeroy House
13664 Pearl Rd., Strongsville
This restored mid-19th century mansion, which overlooks the town square of Strongsville, creates a dining experience that can’t be replicated. Featuring a traditional menu of steaks, seafood and chops, Don’s is pretty traditional menu-wise, but everything is done right, which makes sense when they’ve been doing it for 40 years.
Photo via Don’s Pomeroy House/FacebookBalaton
13133 Shaker Square, Cleveland
Talk about underappreciated. When Balaton opened over a half-century ago on Buckeye Road, in 1964, 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 ArchivesGiovanni’s Ristorante
25550 Chagrin Blvd., Beachwood
One of the last remaining grande dames of the region’s formal dining scene, this elegant Italian restaurant that has been opened since 1976 offers impeccable appointments, attentive service and a luxurious menu of steaks, veal chops, seafood and pasta. Yes, it is expensive. But the chance to put on a suit and feel like a grown-up and have pasta prepared table-side? Priceless. The bolognese is a must have.
Photo via Giovanni’s Ristorante/FacebookJack’s Deli and Restaurant
14490 Cedar Rd., University Heights
Not even a month’s worth of visits would be enough to do justice to Jack’s giant menu. It’s been around since 1980 and for good reason. The Jewish deli food is delicious.
Photo via Scene Archives
