We love comfort food in Cleveland. Every type of cuisine has their own specific type and in this city, we’re fortunate enough to have a multitude of choices, whether it’s southern, diner fare, burgers or European. According to Yelp users, these are the 25 best restaurants to get some of that comfort food, whatever it means to you, in Cleveland.

Rowley Inn 1104 Rowley Ave., Cleveland “Can’t believe this was my first time coming here! What an awesome hidden gem in Tremont. Let’s start with the best thing on the menu, their bacon wrapped tots. These things are gigantic and covered in strips of bacon before they are deep fried. The bacon soaks into the tots so it gives them amazing succulent flavor while still being crispy on the outside. Seriously whichever chef designed this menu item needs to win a James Beard award. The rest of their food was also great, the burger was cooked to perfection and their other breakfast items including the grilled cheese is also good,” James P. on Yelp Credit: Scene Archives
Zanzibar Soul Fusion 627 Prospect Ave., and 13225 Shaker Square, Cleveland “Hands down, this may be the best tasting soul food that I’ve had in a restaurant in my life. From the beginning with the appetizer of catfish fingers through my ultimate feast dinner where I selected the blackened catfish, turkey chops, Mac n cheese, corn w/ okra and corn bread. I had the nerve to top it off with peach cobbler, not because my stomach had any space, but rather because everything else tasted so good that I wanted to see how my favorite dessert would taste. Zanzibar did not disappoint. Wow!” Nyota W. on Yelp Credit: Scene Archives
Lucky’s Cafe 777 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland “You have to go here! Travel if you must, it’s a destination eatery! Seriously great fare!!!! I’m a foodie and I know great food! This place has homemade gourmet style food that is top notch. Lobster mac and cheese is like no other you’ve ever eaten! Please try this place out. The owner is serious about the quality and uses local foods and grows her own herbs and most veg. Don’t miss this place! We travel over 2 hrs to get there and its worth it!,” Kathleen F. on Yelp Credit: Scene Archives
Kim’s Wings Multiple Locations “Passing thru on my way to Chicago and the front desk person recommended Kim’s. I was not disappointed. We got a couple of wing dinners with no sauce and peach cobbler. Everything was superb including the fries and coleslaw. Next time I will get double dipped wings as recommended by one of the regulars. Maybe we will stop by on the way back home. St Clair Ave. is the joint,” Bernard G. on Yelp Credit: Scene Kim’s Wings/Facebook
49th Street Tavern 4129 East 49th St., Newburgh Heights “One of my new favorite places for lunch! Stopped by for a quick bite to eat between meetings and found the place busy with what appeared to be a crowd of regulars enjoying their mid day break from work. The place is clean, and the food is practically all made in house, and the service was friendly and fast. I got the house burger with cheddar, house cut fries, and a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Everything was lights out good and the bill was under $10. And get the house cut fries!” Matt N. on Yelp Credit: Scene Archives
Black Box Fix 25359 Cedar Road, Lyndhurst “I don’t usually rate a place after only 1 visit, but this place earned it. The “Famous” OMG Philly (Seasoned grilled chicken w/ sautéed mushrooms, onions, peppers, garlic & melted swiss cheese, topped w/ Creole jumbo grilled shrimp. Served on a toasted hoagie w/ yum mayo) was so, so, so good. Outstanding, actually. You could taste how fresh every item in the sandwich was, including the bread. Plus the sandwich was LOADED with meat. All sandwiches come with a side of fries. You can choose from plain, garlic Parmesan, lemon pepper, cajun, or creole butter, which was my choice. Fantastic flavor on still-crispy fries! All this, and it’s locally owned and operated by one of the nicest couples I’ve ever met. I made sure to express to them how great the food was before I left. If I didn’t live an hour away from this place, I’d be grubbin’ there ALL the time,” Michael G. on Yelp Credit: Photo Provided
Good Company 1200 West 76th St., Cleveland “Hands down the best burger I’ve eaten. The wings were excellent as well! Great service in a friendly environment. She had the steak supper and loved it. She especially loved the fries. This place is just bursting with flavor. They have a unique spin on everything. Every new restaurant should take notes on what they do. Overall experience is a step above excellent,” Shawn P. on Yelp Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner
Fahrenheit 2417 Professor Ave., Cleveland “This is our go to when we go to Cleveland. This Rocco Whalen joint is nestled into the trendy Tremont neighborhood. I’ve had about 5 birthday dinners here and it is fantastic. I was actually shocked that I haven’t reviewed this place yet. Most recently we went for the brunch and that too was impressive. This time we tried the Cap N Crunch Pancakes which is a must even if it is just to share (which is what we did). Then I ordered the Fried Chicken and Potato Waffles with the Chorizo gravy. My wife had the shrimp and lobster eggs benedict, all very amazing. Oh and be sure to check out their create-your-own Bloody Marys!” Anthony P. on Yelp Credit: @FahrenheitCleveland/Instagram
Wonton Gourmet & BBQ 3211 Payne Ave., Cleveland “This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in Cleveland. I have been on a long hunt for good Asian food places in Cleveland the past few months and am happy to place Wonton Gourmet at the top for Chinese picks! If you are looking to satisfy an authentic Chinese food craving, I recommend this place!” Ashley C. on Yelp Credit: @PatBenatarNation/Instagram
Hatfields Goode Grub 16700 Lorain Ave., Cleveland “I lived in Charleston, SC for 5yrs & was absolutely spoiled by the food there & I quickly fell in love with grits but… Hatfield’s takes the cake! Best grits, best sausage gravy AND we’re in Cleveland!? I never would’ve imagined I’d find such good Southern food so far north but here it is! Banana pudding is incredible too!! Better than my great aunt’s homemade!” Ashley W. on Yelp Credit: Scene Archives
The Inn On Coventry 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights “Love love this brunch spot! I have come here several times and it is my go-to for visitors new to Cleveland. The Lemon Ricotta pancakes are delicious, a perfect mix of sweet and tart. I often want savory along with sweet for brunch, so I get the scrambled eggs and home fries on the side. The home fries are seasoned very well and are a big portion. I also enjoy the bottomless coffee. The service is the best part of this place. There is often a short wait but all the wait staff is so friendly once you are seated. They make you feel right at home. I will come back here again and again. Hopefully, I can stop myself from ordering the lemon ricotta pancakes so I can try something new,” Naini S. on Yelp Credit: Scene Archives
Das Schnitzel Haus 5728 Pearl Rd., Parma, “Loved the food here. Just moved from Florida and have not had German food since I moved from Buffalo NY. My family did get take out but never tried this place and I said it’s a must. OMG it was awesome!!!!! The Schnitzel was to die for. From the soup, red cabbage and Spätzle, everything was 5 stars. I actually ordered delivery 2 weeks later and did not tell my brother! I didn’t want to share,” Kathy D. on Yelp Credit: Scene Archives
Joe’s Deli 19215 Hilliard Blvd., Rocky River “Joes is by far the best deli I’ve ever been to! The Reuben is unbelievable and you can literally make 2 more sammys with all of that corned beef! If you like battered onion rings, omg…you’ve gotta get them from here! The steak sandwich is also very good and their matzo ball soup…yum! We don’t stray much further from our favorites just because, well why would we ha ha,” Savvy T. on Yelp Credit: Scene Archives
Landmark Smokehouse 11637 Clifton Blvd., Lakewood “This place is amazing! I love it here – it’s so slept on! From breakfast to dinner it’s soo good! i miss the wings and mac & cheese balls but I’ve mostly had the whole menu even from the veggie dish! It’s so good! I would definitely recommend it to anyone! One of my favorite spots & it’s so nice inside with a great location. This place plus the food makes me so happy! Mac & cheese is my fav!” Nicole D. on Yelp Credit: Scene Archives
Real Smoq’ed BBQ 3829 Lorain Ave., Cleveland “These guys are doing it right. I ordered ribs and some coleslaw a few weeks ago, just to try this place out. The owner came out in the lobby and said hello and thanked me for supporting his business. He even threw in some delicious banana pudding and some potato salad for me and my friends to try because it was our first time eating at his place. When they had all the food packed up, he had them throw in a free drink. He was just so nice and truly thankful for the business. The food was outstanding! I will be going back and supporting all winter when I need my bbq fix,” Mary D. on Yelp Credit: Emanuel Wallace
Southern Cafe 11817 Detroit Ave., Cleveland “This place is so friggin good! If you’re looking for a good home cooked soul food meal look no further! I ordered both the fried catfish and blackened catfish dinners and they both tasted so good along with the most flavorful potatoes I could eat like three bowls. The cornbread was so moist it tasted like cake. I ordered by phone and picked up the meals by parking on street by the restaurant,” Maritza M. on Yelp Credit: Emanuel Wallace
Superior Pho 3030 Superior Ave. E., Cleveland “Fantastic, quick and easy pho. Kind of hidden away in the Asia town area in the back of another building. Superior Pho serves up some of the best pho in Cleveland. They make it super easy and offer great combos to get you taken care of. The pho here comes in huge portions and has a beautiful,clear flavorful broth to go along with all the accompaniments. It’s always important to me to leave a pho restaurant full and Superior definitely takes care of that,” Grant E. on Yelp Credit: Scene Archives
Grumpy’s Cafe 2621 West 14th St., Cleveland “I’ve been here many times, this is a great spot for breakfast with a lot of options! I’ve had their chorizo tacos which are really flavorful and delicious, biscuits and gravy, 2 egg special, a few of their pancake options, and I really like their breakfast potatoes topped with cheese and bacon as well. It’s usually pretty crowded when I come, seems to be a very popular place! The service is good, usually it’s pretty quick, and I always love their food,” Marsha Z. on Yelp Credit: Scene Archives
Bourbon Street Barrel Room 2393 Professor Ave., Cleveland “Okay Yelp, 5 stars is just not enough for Bourbon Street Barrel Room! Now let’s get to the food… I’ll be honest, I’ve never been the biggest fan of Cajun inspired flavors, but everything I tried was incredible. We arrived in time for happy hour, so we ordered jambalaya and hush puppies to share, and we each ordered a mini hurricane cocktail. The hush puppies were the best I’ve ever had! For our entrees, I ordered the shrimp and grits, and my husband had the catfish. Both meals were very large (we both left with leftovers), and delicious. Despite being very full, we decided to share the bread pudding for dessert, which was the perfect ending to our meal,” Rebecca L. on Yelp Credit: @BSBRCle/Instagram
Steve’s Doghouse 3850 Pearl Rd., Cleveland “Near perfection in a small, “greasy spoon” breakfast joint. Took my daughter here on a recent weekend and have a fantastic experience. Everything was perfectly cooked…eggs were large, home fries really tasty and not overly greasy, thick-cut pepper bacon was crisp, pancakes had a delicious flavor (not overly fluffy), good coffee. The waitress asked us about each breakfast item in detail (like, do you want regular bacon or crispy) and each item came out exactly as we asked for…you gotta love that kind of attention to detail!” Evan F. on Yelp Credit: Scene Archvies
Urban Kitchen and Deli 9751 Chester Ave., Cleveland “Absolutely awesome place with a unique concept. It’s breakfast meets traditional east coast deli meets authentic Egyptian fare right on the Cleveland Clinic’s campus. I had the hummus (which was uber fresh and could immediately tell it was made in house) to start, then followed things with the “Rocky Balboa” sandwich. Mr. Balboa offered a blend of corned beef and pastrami that was super reminiscent of a deli that you’ll catch in NYC,” Rodger B. on Yelp. Credit: Urban Kitchen and Deli/Facebook
Yemen Gate 11901 Lorain Ave., Cleveland “Yemen Gate is like grandma is in the kitchen whipping up a nice classic meal. I love to eat here every time I come visit for a business trip. I make sure to eat in and get served up amazing home style food, hot & fresh ready to eat. It’s amazing how a nice meal can make you feel comfortable when you are so far away from home,” Danny I. on Yelp Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner
Rood 17001 Madison Ave., Lakewood “Wow! What a wonderful surprise! We loved the creativity on the menu and wanted to visit to experience it for ourselves. We were so glad we did! This creative young chef outdid herself! The details on each dish make each bite a delight, everything so beautiful and perfect together. The pork belly app is a must and the beef tenderloin was cooked perfectly, the oyster mushrooms were such a nice addition to a great plate. The pie is also elevated in flavor combinations. No room for dessert- we took 4 different slices home to share with the kids. Banana, Peanut Butter, Whiskey Chocolate and the Salt and Honey. All delicious but the Salt & Honey is something special.” Kim W. on Yelp Credit: Scene Archives
Little Polish Diner 5772 Ridge Rd., Parma “All I can say is the food is out of this world! This is a very small family owned little diner. I would say more than 15 people can’t eat here at a time, but you should try to get a seat anyhow! Absolutely the best meatloaf I have ever had. The pierogies are out of this world, the stuffed cabbage is awesome and we cannot wait to come back! Get their earlier in the day because once they run out of stuff it’s gone,” Allison G. on Yelp Credit: Scene Archives
SOHO Chicken + Whiskey 1889 W. 25th St., Cleveland “This place has consistently been great. Out of my four or five experiences here, I have never been disappointed. To start, the biscuits with rosemary butter and apple jam are delicious, and I could eat several servings as a main dish if I really wanted to. Outside of this, all of their chicken dishes center on juicy fried chicken, that I have had cooked perfectly every time. Along with this, they provide their own house made hot sauce that is one of my favorites. Really give this place a try ASAP, I’m sure you won’t regret it!” Andrew M. on Yelp Credit: SOHO