The Larchmere Tavern is closing this week after 30 years in business. Credit: Google Maps

For nearly 30 years, the Larchmere Tavern (13051 Larchmere Blvd.) has been a reliable source of food and community on Cleveland’s near east side. The restaurant, however, has come to the end of its run. Owner Fred Vrabel announced that he will be closing the popular restaurant on Saturday, August 14th.

In the end, the losses sustained from the pandemic proved too great to recover from. The owner had launched a GoFundMe page to help recover some of the $120,000 loss of sales the business sustained in 2020.

While the handsome property has been home to the Larchmere Tavern since the early 1990s, the building has been a restaurant (and hotel) space for at least 80 years, with businesses like the Grist Mill and Shaker Tavern occupying the address.

This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 10, 2021.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.