First Look: Never Say Dive, Opening in Old Brooklyn on Friday, Jan. 5

Never Say Dive in Old Brooklyn opens Jan. 5 Credit: Douglas Trattner

After 12 months of blood, sweat and tears, the team behind Never Say Dive in Old Brooklyn finally is ready to show off all their hard work. Last January, Eric Ho, Dan Watson, Tommy Shaffner and John Hagerty took possession of the former Steelyard Tavern. This Friday, January 5, Never Say Dive (4497 Broadview Rd.) will welcome its first public guests.

The team started with a classic 1920s-era tavern and ended with a colorful, comfortable saloon with just the right blend of whimsy and nostalgia. The buffed-up shot-and-beer bar features American chestnut walls, tin ceilings and checkerboard linoleum flooring. Management swapped some of the glass block up front for traditional windows, which let in more light while offering views of the interior.

To drink, there are draft beers, housemade hard seltzers and cocktails like an Espresso Martini on nitro, Dirty Martini with house brine, and Long Island Ice Tea meets a Ramos Gin Fizz. There are more beers by the can and wines by the can and bottle.

Adjacent to the barroom is a small dining room with a newly built open kitchen. Between the two rooms, there is seating for about 50 guests.

“The whole concept is a high-low thing, which I don’t think Cleveland has a whole lot of yet,” explains Watson. “You can roll in and get a beer and a shot and no one bats an eye, or you can get one of the best cocktails in town along with a plate of deviled eggs and grilled octopus.”

Chef Hagerty, also of the Green Kitchen in Clark-Fulton, has assembled a fun selection of small plates, many of them vegan or vegan-ready. Guests can mix and match snacks like deviled eggs, pork rinds with whipped blue cheese, and spiced nuts. There’s a cheese board from across-the-street neighbor Old Brooklyn Cheese, Mexican charred corn and Killbuck Valley mushroom toast. Larger plates include a double smash burger, udon noodle bowl and fried chicken with honey-duck fat glaze.

Never Say Dive will serve food until midnight during the week and 1 a.m. on weekends.

“Old Brooklyn seems to be the neighborhood where so many people have been moving to lately – and especially industry people,” adds Watson. “We thought it was the right time to open a cool option out here.”