What does it take for a restaurant to go from simply popular to the sort of place that makes its loyal, repeat patrons spread its accolades to whoever will listen? It’s a hard recipe to pin down, but these places have figured it out, drawing big crowds of megafans for a reason. 

Caribe Bake Shop 2906 Fulton Rd., Cleveland Caribe on Fulton began life as a bakery, turning out loaves of that crisp-crusted, airy white bread for Puerto Rican home cooks and restaurants on Cleveland’s near-westside. Since 1969, this small bake shop in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood has been an invaluable resource not only for fresh breads, but also irresistible sweets like flan, coconut pudding and pastelitos de guayaba, or flaky guava-filled pastries. In recent years, Caribe added food stations serving up some of the most mouthwatering Latin food in town, highlighted by out of this world Cubano sandwiches and Puerto Rican favorites. Photo by Emanuel Wallace Credit: Scene archives
Food. The variety of and the amount of non-chain restaurants in the city is truly amazing. Via (deleted)/Reddit Credit: Scene archives
Big Al’s Diner 12600 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland Big Al’s has welcomed all — celebs, politicians, athletes, its neighbors in Hough and its neighbors in Shaker — with open arms and comfort food for the last three decades, building a reliable fanbase eager to introduce newbies to the joys of Al’s. This Larchmere diner has all the comforting favorites, like steaming soups, homemade mashed potatoes with gravy, open-faced roast beef sandwiches and chocolate cake for dessert. For breakfast, served until the diner’s late-afternoon closing time, the corned beef hash and sausage gravy over biscuits are the stars of the show. Credit: Scene archives
Barabicu Smokehouse 5767 Ridge Rd. “Barabicu for BBQ. Call ahead since they close after they sell out of meats.” Read Doug Trattner’s review here. Via PipingHotGravy/Reddit Credit: Scene archives
Everything Bagel at Nubeigel 2254 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights There is always room for another great bagel, as evidenced by the lines at this new Cleveland Heights bakery. Israeli emigrant Josh Admon keeps things blissfully straightforward, offering plain, sesame, poppy, everything and spicy everything bagels that are hand-rolled, boiled and baked. Bagels can be purchased individually, by the dozen, or as cream cheese schmears with various flavors and add-ons. Credit: Scene archives
Balaton 8564 Washington St., Chesterland 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, Wiener schnitzel, and paprikash wriggled out, at first to the immediate neighborhood, and later to the city and region as a whole. Balaton was in Shaker Square for over 20 years and moved to Chesterland in early 2023. Credit: Scene archives
Superior Pho 3030 Superior Ave., Cleveland Because pho is an essential (and reasonably priced) 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. Their phos are mostly $11.95 for a small, $12.95 for a large and $14.95 for an extra large. You can also get a bahn mi for 6.95 and it’s very delicious. Credit: Scene archives
Best Sub Shop: Herb’n Twine 4309 Lorain Ave., Cleveland People lose their minds over the sandwiches at Herb’n Twine, a -year-old gourmet sandwich emporium in Ohio City. They opened in 2015 and have quickly established themselves as the premier sandwich shop in Northeast Ohio. The smoked turkey club is a crowd favorite but the porchetta, Italian and shaved prime rib aren’t far behind. Photo by Tim Harrison Credit: Scene archives
Il Rione 1303 West 65th St., Cleveland The New York/New Jersey-style pizza dished up at this Detroit-Shoreway favorite was an immediate hit after it opened its doors at the end of 2017. A neighborhood pizza joint is a treasured thing, and even more so when it’s an elevated experience that draws its fans from down the street and across town. There are no complications to the menu here, just straightforward, perfect pie and a tight list of salads. And no reservations. But that doesn’t seem to bother everyone waiting for a table. Credit: Scene archives
Johnny’s Little Bar 614 Frankfort Ave., Cleveland Right around the corner from the popular Warehouse district white tablecloth Italian joint Johnny’s, you’ll find Johnny’s Little Bar, an iconic Cleveland spot, and much more affordable than their parent restaurant. The bar boasts a “world famous” burger for just $8.75, giving the traditional Italian menu at the main restaurant a run for its money. Credit: Scene archives
Tommy’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. Many of their delicious toasted pita sandwiches are well under $15. The EZ, a toasted pita with falafel, veggies, sesame sauce & cheese ($9.69) can be paired with their famous french fries ($4.99) and you’ll still be under $15 total. Credit: Scene archives
Swenson’s Swenson’s may have started out as an Akron thing, but the beloved burger chain has moved into Cleveland in the last decade and the drive-in burgers have been a huge hit across all of Northeast Ohio Credit: Scene archives
You will have a deeply held belief about Barrio Credit: Scene Archives
Best Diner: Grumpy’s Cafe 2621 West 14th St., Cleveland Grumpy’s Cafe has been a Tremont staple since 1976. Current owner and longtime employee Kathy Owad took over ownership in 2004 and after a fire, turned the new space into a laid-back, comfortable eatery that embraced the local art scene. Grumpy’s is known for having one of the best brunches and breakfasts in town, featuring local and fresh ingredients. The corned-beef hash and smothered french toast are just two of our many favorites. Credit: Scene archives
TownHall 1909 West 25th St., Cleveland TownHall opens at 11 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. on weekends. They serve up food that will also cater to your cocktail, wine, bro and beer needs. Credit: Scene archives
Jack Frost Donuts 4960 Pearl Rd., Cleveland Old school, new school, small, large, city, ‘burbs. Clevelanders have a wealth of options when it comes to fried treats, but few have the fanbase of Jack Frost, which has been making converts since 1937 in Old Brooklyn and, thankfully, at a new stand at the West Side Market since last year. With more than 200 flavors offered throughout the year, there’s always something new to try in addition to your go-to favorite. Credit: Scene Archives
Best Sandwiches: Larder 1455 West 29th St., Cleveland At its heart, Larder is a Jewish deli, with matzo ball soup, thick pastrami sandwiches, out of this world fried chicken and pastramiat sandwiches and awesome baked goods. But there’s so much more going on here than that. Chef-owner Jeremy Umansky utilizes techniques like koji (a Japanese mold) curing, foraging for wild edibles, cold and hot smoking, and fermentation and pickling to produce an ever-shifting roster of seasonal plates. Umansky, along with wife/co-owner/pastry chef Allie La Valle-Umansky and co-owner/chef Kenny Scott were nominated in the Best Chef: Great Lakes category in 2020. Credit: Scene archives
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
Corky and Lenny’s 27091 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere Village The iconic Jewish deli, known for their offerings like corned beef, matzoh ball soup and many more wonderful dishes has been going strong in the Eastern Suburbs since 1956. Modeled after famous New York delicatessens like Katz’s and the Carnegie Deli, Corky’s remains a beloved institution. Credit: Scene archives
Luigi’s Restaurant 105 N Main St., Akron, (330) 253-2999 An Akron favorite since its inception in 1949, Luigi’s offers award-winning Italian food in a casual and comfortable environment. This downtown joint not only serves up a variety of fresh-off-the-stove pizzas, but they also offer extra cheesy salads, baked homemade lasagna and other classic Italian bites. Though the restaurant tends to fill up quickly in the evenings, dinner is guaranteed to be worth the wait. Photo via ceseacelia/Instagram Credit: Scene archives
Joe’s BBQ 1293 Tallmadge Rd., Kent A little before noon on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, a small gravel parking lot in rural Brimfield Township begins to fill up with cars. At 12, the window of a rust-colored food truck goes up, signaling the start of another busy lunchtime rush. By 3 or 4 p.m., that little red trailer on a dusty corner parcel will have dispensed 600 to 800 pounds of barbecue. The entire experience is as close as a diner around here can get to enjoying Central Texas barbecue. From the roadside trailer and open-air cooker to the slow-smoked meats, long lines and daily sell-outs, Joe’s Barbecue would feel right at home in Austin. Owner and smoker extraordinaire Joe Menendez really is making some of the best brisket in Ohio, and Northeast Ohioans have certainly been catching on. Credit: Scene archives
La Plaza 13609 Lakewood Heights Blvd., Cleveland La Plaza was, for many in Northeast Ohio, their first introduction to traditional tacos, back before the Latin supermarket had a dedicated restaurant in front and instead was serving up the tacos filled with carnitas, carne asada and chorizoa from a small counter at the rear of the shop. After seven years, an expansion allowed even more to discover and enjoy La Plaza’s menu, which was good because by then the word had more than got out. Credit: Scene archives

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