Best restaurants in Cleveland
December 22, 2011 12:02 PM   Subscribe

Cleveland restaurant filter: What are your favorite restaurants in Cleveland? Visiting here, interested in any cuisine in any part of town—just looking for the proverbial "best" restaurants (however you might personally judge that). Thanks!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell to Food & Drink (14 answers total) 17 users marked this as a favorite
 
Greenhouse Tavern
Lola
Lolita
Mochoco (sp? Ohio City Mexican)
B-Spot

People also like Melt, which is a grilled cheese restaurant, but I'm just Meh. Similarly Tommy's, which is legendary for existing but the food is merely fine.

Prosperity Social Club is a bar with bar food and excellent dive atmosphere.

Finally, Sokolowki's is a legend (pierogi and sausage) but I've yet to go there.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 12:13 PM on December 22, 2011


Sokolowskis is amazing.

Pier W is upscale and the food is terrific.

Dons lighthouse is old school important occasion great.

Mi pueblo Mexican grocery on lorain ave is burritos done right.

villa y zapatas is underground, hard to find, and better mexican than everywhere I've been except mexico city.
posted by chasles at 12:26 PM on December 22, 2011


L'albatros. Seriously, it's been almost three years since I've lived there, but I miss nothing else as much as I miss L'albatros.

Other good places, some mentioned already: Melt, Tommy's, Mia Bella, Presti's (baked goods/lunch/dessert)

But really, L'albatros.
posted by kiltedtaco at 12:41 PM on December 22, 2011


When we're in town we like to peruse the stalls of West Side Market for lunch.
posted by hydrophonic at 2:06 PM on December 22, 2011 [1 favorite]


I love love LOVE Bar Cento. Food and experience here has been consistently great for my wife and I. We end up getting the Pommes Frites and Sunnyside Pizza a lot, but have enjoyed everything else we've tried on their seasonal menu. Plus, they have a good beer and wine selection (as well as the option of getting drinks from Bier Markt next door). If you're sticking on the West side, you can head out Detroit a bit and grab dessert at Sweet Moses Ice Cream as well.

If you don't mind heading south of town 30-40 minutes, Russo's is an awesome Creole and Italian Soul food restaurant in Peninsula, which is our "go to" for a nice meal out.

Other's worth checking into:
Vincenza's Pizza & Pasta - people like different things in pizza, but their stuffed meat is just AWESOME! Only open for lunch. In my top three pizzas ever.
Happy Dog - hot dogs with unlimited toppings and sauces!
Empress Taytu - Ethiopian in Cleveland
Jeni's Ice Cream - not a restaurant, but some of the best ice cream you'll ever have
The Souper Market - home made soups!
La Gelateria - fantastic gelato on the East side. Stay away from their pizza though
The Blue Door Cafe (formerly the Golden Goose) - some of the best breakfasts I've ever had, but it's closer to Akron than Cleveland
posted by bwilms at 2:39 PM on December 22, 2011 [1 favorite]


We're on the east side. don't have much business downtown anymore, and generally prefer not to drive long distances for food (not-side-ist), so all of these suggestions are east side oriented.

Melt (Cleveland Heights) is a great place to be 23 years old and trendy while waiting three hours for a f*cking grilled cheese sandwich. No thanks. Meanwhile, just a few doors up the street is. . .

Cafe Tandoor, one of the better purveyors of Indian cuisine in the area. Two other locations. I recommend: everything.

Tommy's (CH), mentioned above, is trendy, good, and cheap. For better or worse, Tommy Fello hasn't changed his menu or methods since at least 1977. Great shakes.

Sun Luck Garden (CH) for Chinese. Annie's wonton soup it the world's best, and she makes fantastic 'western' deserts. The only Chinese restaurant where I regularly order seafood (like melt-in-your-mouth grouper in black bean sauce).

Sergio's (Uni Circle) or Sarava (Shaker Sq) for Brazilan. Sergio hosted the $50 / plate fundrasier buffet at the Sarava location (many Clevo restauranteurs participated) when Annie had to close her shop for two months for surgery.

Empres Taytu (St. Clair @ E. 60th) for Ethiopian, beats any 'Blue Nile' in the US.

Anatolia (CH) for Turkish. Just what you'd think based on the map: halfway between Greek and Syrian/Lebanese. We like the lamb stew.

Mad Greek (CH) used to be one of our faves, but they've been going through a lot of changes the last few years. Still the best hummus and best pita in town. If the mezedakia is back on the menu, get one and share it. The bar is a popular hang-out, especially in summer when they open the garage-door sized windows.

Valerio's (Little Italy/ Uni Circle) used to be our favourite Italian restaurant, but we haven't been since they moved into larger digs up the street. Anything involving shellfish or portobello mushrooms, tiramisu, fantastic. Watch out for very expensive wines.

A bit of a drive, but Punderson Lodge (out east somewhere) has one of the best Sunday bunch buffets around. Go either when the fall colors are happening or in the depths of winter and enjoy a view of one of Ohio's few natural glacial lakes while you dine. Walk off your meal on the trails. Check out the Society of Metals Geodesic Dome on the way back.

Finally, my all time favourite, Nighttown (CH). Irish pub / restaurant / jazz venue with a James Joycean theme. The coffee mugs feature Molly Bloom's soliloquy from Ulysses. I like the Dublin Lawyer, Bangers and Mash, NZ Lamb when it's in, Irish Coffee, Key Lime pie. And Guiness, of course. Brunch, lunch, and early dinners are less expensive. Touring jazz acts perform, practically in your lap. Shake hands with Brian Auger, John Pizzarelli, or Mose Allison (while you can), buy a CD after.
 
posted by Herodios at 2:40 PM on December 22, 2011 [1 favorite]


fire food and drink at shaker square. best restaurant in cleveland by far.
posted by rglass at 2:59 PM on December 22, 2011


I went to college in Cleveland and want to go back just so I can go to Tommy's again.
posted by gerryblog at 3:05 PM on December 22, 2011


+1 on Tommy's,
Sokolowskis and Slymans have better corned beef but Tommy's Reuban is the best!
It is the gestalt of reuban sandwiches.
posted by Pecantree at 4:09 PM on December 22, 2011


Mostly seconding/thirding/nthing things: West Side Market (I like the crepe place a lot, though its name escapes me right now), Superior Pho, Tea House Noodles, Momocho, Lola/Lolita, Prosperity, Lucky's Cafe, Jeni's (ice cream), Lilly (chocolates and beer), Tremont Tap House, Buckeye Beer Engine, Melt, Happy Dog.
posted by box at 6:04 PM on December 22, 2011


More from some Cleveland pals: Pacific East (best sushi), Tree Country Bistro (great sushi, plus good Thai and Korean), B-Spot, Greenhouse Tavern, Crostata's (best pizza competitor), Edison's (ditto), Noodlecat.
posted by box at 6:40 PM on December 22, 2011


Pier W as mentioned above in Lakewood.
Heck's in Ohio City (not far from West Side Market).
Sokolowski's is an experience in Cleveland culture and Polish food.
Fat Cats in Tremont.
Wild Mango in North Olmsted for Asian fusion and a posh style.
posted by prettymightyflighty at 7:57 PM on December 22, 2011


In Little Italy:
Mama Santa's has the best pizza. Presti's has the best pepperoni rolls and minestrone soup, and fresh donuts at 4 am. Valentino's has the best white artichoke pizza.

Source: bananafish
posted by jewzilla at 11:18 PM on December 22, 2011


Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions. We wound up going to Melt in Lakewood. My wife had wanted to go there for quite some time. We were told the wait would be an hour, but it was not that long. The food was awesome and the portions insane. It definitely was not "just" grilled cheese. Would definitely go back. Looking forward to trying some of these other ideas, too!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 8:08 PM on December 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


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