Cleveland surprised me with how many one-of-a-kind places there are to eat and drink. You can sip cocktails inside a 1906 bank vault or order lasagna at Guarino’s, which has served Little Italy since 1918. In each listing, I share what to order and the timing tips that help you skip a wait or a cover charge.
A few listings sit in Greater Cleveland suburbs like Cleveland Heights and Westlake, all within about 25 minutes of downtown. Several spots don’t take reservations or close early in the week, and I’ve noted that in each listing. If you’re planning a bigger trip, pair this list with my guide to things to do in Ohio.
👉 Pro Tip: Discover the flavors of Cleveland’s Little Italy with the Neighborhood Food Tour! This 3-hour guided walk takes you to iconic spots for fresh pasta, cannoli, and more. Along the way, your guide shares stories of the neighborhood’s rich history and culinary traditions. Perfect for Italian food lovers, this tour is a delicious dive into one of Cleveland’s most charming areas. Come hungry and enjoy!
20 Most Unique Restaurants in Cleveland at a Glance
Cleveland is the kind of place where you can spend the afternoon playing shuffleboard in a retro arena and end the night sipping cocktails inside a 1900s bank vault. It blends blue-collar grit with upscale steakhouses and offbeat themed bars, so you’re never far from something memorable.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick guide to the 10 most distinctive dining experiences in the city, grouped by what makes each one stand out.
| Restaurant | Best For | What Makes It Unique | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Agave and Rye | Over-the-top tacos | Double-shelled tacos stuffed with fillings like garlic butter lobster and mac ‘n cheese | Warehouse District |
| 2. Citizen Pie | Wood-fired Neapolitan pizza | Pies bake in about 90 seconds in an Italian Stefano Ferrara oven | Collinwood |
| 3. Forest City Shuffleboard | Shuffleboard and pub fare | Indoor and outdoor courts, reopening under new local owners | Ohio City/Detroit Shoreway |
| 4. The Last Page | Date nights and weekend brunch | Moody supper club dining room with a front-room nigiri bar | Orange Village (Pinecrest) |
| 5. Zhug | Mediterranean mezze | Signature hummus lineup and plenty of vegan and gluten-free plates | Cleveland Heights |
| 6. Marble Room Steaks and Raw Bar | Special-occasion steak dinners | Restored 1890s bank hall with marble columns and a gilded ceiling | Downtown |
| 7. Guarino’s Restaurant | Old-school Italian | Cleveland’s oldest restaurant (1918), with a garden patio | Little Italy |
| 8. Vault | Craft cocktails | Lounge inside four 1900s bank vaults beneath the Cleveland Trust Rotunda | Downtown |
| 9. Momocho | Mod Mex and tequila | 1880s house with luchador decor, six guacamoles and 100+ tequilas and mezcals | Ohio City |
| 10. The Haunted House Restaurant | Horror movie fans | Ticket booth entrance, horror murals and fog-pouring potion bowl cocktails | Cleveland Heights |
This quick rundown helps if you just want to make a fast pick, but there’s a lot more to each of these local favorites. If you want the full scoop, including what to order and the little insider details that make them stand out, keep reading for the complete restaurant guide below.
1. Agave and Rye
- 📍 Location: 1352 West 6th Street, Cleveland
- 💲 Price range: $15–$30 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Double-shelled tacos, tequila and bourbon bar
- 🔥 Standout Features: Luxe lobster tacos, wraparound patio in the Warehouse District
- 🎯 Perfect For: Group dinners before a Browns game or concert, budget-friendly Taco Tuesday nights
Agave and Rye is my pick for over-the-top tacos in downtown Cleveland. Every taco comes double-shelled, a crunchy corn shell wrapped in a soft flour tortilla, and for $1.25 you can add a “love cushion” of queso, guac, pimento cheese or BBQ beans between the layers. The colorful Warehouse District dining room has a big wraparound patio and stays open until 11 PM Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday.
My favorite is the Crown Jewel, a Luxe taco loaded with butter and garlic lobster, mac ‘n cheese, shiitake mushrooms and truffle. If you can’t pick one, order a taco flight and mix any three for $15.95, plus $1 for each Luxe choice. The Plain Jane with seasoned ground beef and aged white cheddar keeps picky eaters happy.
Vegetarians have solid options, including the Bang Bang with crispy cauliflower and corn fritters. Vegans can order the quesa jackfruit with vegan cheese and a vegan dipping consomé. I’d pair any taco with the Jalapeño Pineapple Rita, made with jalapeño-infused tequila and fresh lime.
Tuesday is my go-to night. The Plain Jane drops to $4 and regular OG margaritas are half off all day, while weekday happy hour from 3 to 6 PM takes $1.50 off every Epic taco (specials are dine-in only). I recommend booking on OpenTable before Browns home games or big 2027 concerts like Metallica’s June show at Huntington Bank Field, a short walk away.
2. Citizen Pie
- 📍 Location: 15710 Waterloo Road, Cleveland
- 💲 Price range: $15–$25 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza
- 🔥 Standout Features: 90-second pies from an Italian wood-fired oven, second location near the West Side Market
- 🎯 Perfect For: Pizza lovers, a casual dinner before a show at the Beachland Ballroom
Citizen Pie is where I go for Neapolitan-style pizza in Cleveland. The Waterloo shop bakes each pie for about 90 seconds in a wood-fired Stefano Ferrara oven from Italy, giving the crust charred, bubbly edges. A second location on West 25th Street in Ohio City sits a block south of the West Side Market.
My order is the Calabrese, topped with hot soppressata, cherry tomatoes, oil-cured olives and Calabrian chili for $19. The Smoked Pepperoni is a safer pick at $17.50, and I’d order the Cacio e Pepe white pie with pecorino and stracciatella if you skip tomato sauce. Pizzas range from $13 for the cheese-free Marinara to $20 for specialty pies, and the Vegan Pizza lets you choose any five vegetables.
The Waterloo dining room is small, with an open kitchen and limited seating, and it doesn’t take reservations. I recommend arriving right at noon on weekends or ordering online for pickup. Both shops close on Mondays, and I’d check each location’s hours before heading over.
After dinner, cross Waterloo Road to the Beachland Ballroom for live music or browse the street’s galleries and record shops. Brite Winter takes over this stretch of Waterloo on February 20, 2027, with outdoor stages by bonfires and dozens of local bands. I’d grab a pizza early that day because the whole district gets crowded by evening.
3. Forest City Shuffleboard
- 📍 Location: 4506 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland
- 💲 Price range: $10–$25 per person, court rental extra
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Pub fare and craft drinks
- 🔥 Standout Features: Indoor and outdoor shuffleboard courts, 22-foot tabletop shuffleboard
- 🎯 Perfect For: Group outings, birthday parties, watching Guardians and Browns games
Forest City Shuffleboard is my top pick in Cleveland for a night out that involves more than dinner and drinks. The arena on the Ohio City and Detroit Shoreway border has indoor and outdoor shuffleboard courts, plus custom 22-foot tabletop shuffleboard games in the main bar. Courts rent by the hour, and anyone can pick up a cue and learn in a few minutes.
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The venue closed at the end of 2025 and is set to reopen under new local owners Tim and Erin Frazee, who also own Birdietown mini golf in Lakewood. They refinished the floors and courts and are adding two 100-inch TVs for Guardians and Browns games. Chef Rachelle Murphy, formerly of Rood, is creating a new menu of elevated pub fare.
Before you go, I recommend checking the Forest City Shuffleboard Facebook page for the reopening date and current hours. Once doors open, I’d reserve a court ahead for Friday and Saturday nights because groups book them up fast. Ask about leagues if you live nearby, since the arena has hosted them year-round.
The space hosts private events for up to 250 guests, which makes it a strong pick for birthdays and office parties. The outdoor courts sit right on Lorain Avenue, and I love playing out there on warm evenings. Birdietown is about three miles away if you want to add mini golf to the night.
4. The Last Page
- 📍 Location: 100 Park Avenue Suite 128, Orange Village
- 💲 Price range: $40–$80 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Modern American with global influences, nigiri bar
- 🔥 Standout Features: Supper club dining room, front-room nigiri bar, weekend brunch
- 🎯 Perfect For: Date nights, weekend brunch, happy hour after shopping at Pinecrest
The Last Page is my favorite date-night restaurant on Cleveland’s east side. It sits inside Pinecrest, the shopping and dining development in Orange Village, about 20 minutes from downtown. The dining room has a moody, modern supper club feel, and it won Best Restaurant of the East in 2026.
I always start with the Cracklin Ghost Wings, coated in a sweet and spicy dry rub with umami ranch for $20. My two go-to mains are the Truffle Orecchiette with black truffle cream for $28 and the Broken Egg Fried Rice with kimchi for $22. For a splurge, order the 12-ounce NY strip with kabayaki brown butter for $61.
The front bar doubles as a nigiri bar, where sushi chefs serve Tokyo-sourced fish in small, shareable sets. I’d pair it with the FML Margarita, made with habanero-infused reposado, crushed mango and sweet chili salt for $16. Happy hour cuts cocktail prices in half, and I’d time a visit around it.
The restaurant is closed on Mondays and opens at 3 PM Tuesday through Friday. Brunch is served from 11 AM to 2 PM on Saturday and Sunday, and I’d book weekend tables ahead on OpenTable. Valet parking is right outside, and the patio has a fire pit for cool fall nights.
5. Strip Steakhouse
- 📍 Location: 36840 Detroit Road, Avon
- 💲 Price range: $50–$100 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Modern American steakhouse
- 🔥 Standout Features: Restored 1851 barn, chef’s table overlooking the kitchen, bar-only happy hour
- 🎯 Perfect For: Anniversaries, special-occasion dinners, a steak night on Cleveland’s west side
Strip Steakhouse is the Cleveland-area steakhouse I recommend for a special occasion. It sits inside the Ewers Barn, a restored 1851 barn in Olde Avon Village, about 25 minutes west of downtown Cleveland. The first floor has a curved bar, and the intimate main dining room is upstairs.
Steaks are USDA Prime and aged for more than 21 days, and chef Ron Larson adds Midwestern twists to the rest of the menu. My pick is the 6-ounce Barrel Cut Filet for about $37, with sides of Gruyère mac and cheese and bourbon creamed corn. Sides are ordered separately and arrive in big portions, which makes them easy to share.
For a date night, I like the Dinner for Two, which includes two 6-ounce filets, soup or salad, two sides and a shared dessert for about $120. Ask for the Chef’s Table when you book if you want a view into the kitchen. Start with the Tree House lobster bisque, one of the dishes regulars order again and again.
Strip is closed on Mondays and serves dinner from 4 PM Tuesday through Sunday. Happy hour is 3 to 5 PM at the bar only, and I’d arrive early for discounted cocktails and wine. Book on OpenTable before weekends and holidays, and request lower-level seating if you need to avoid stairs.
6. Zhug
- 📍 Location: 12413 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights
- 💲 Price range: $30–$60 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Mediterranean and Middle Eastern mezze
- 🔥 Standout Features: Signature hummus lineup, large vegan and gluten-free menu, numbered house cocktails
- 🎯 Perfect For: Group dinners, vegetarians and vegans, dinner before a Cleveland Orchestra concert
Zhug is where I take friends for Mediterranean mezze in the Cleveland area. Chef Douglas Katz opened it in 2019 in the Cedar Fairmount district of Cleveland Heights, about 15 minutes east of downtown, and Esquire named it one of the best new restaurants of 2020. Every meal starts with warm pita and the restaurant’s namesake zhug, a fiery Yemeni chili sauce.
The hummus is the reason to come, and I always order the curried lamb and apricot hummus for $16. The nigella seed and burnt onion hummus is vegan and costs $14, and the harissa peanut hummus brings a creamy, mild heat. I’d order two or three plates per person, including the crispy chicken with harissa honey and the saffron and date braised lamb.
Vegetarians and vegans eat well here, with dishes like the falafel and eggplant moussaka clearly labeled on the menu. Nearly every dish is gluten-free, and you can swap in gluten-free flatbread for $7. For drinks, I like the Zhug No. 23 with brandy, pear shrub, arak and sparkling wine, or a sparkling gazoz if you’re skipping alcohol.
Zhug doesn’t take reservations for any party size, and weekend waits can stretch past 30 minutes. I recommend arriving when doors open at 4 PM, or putting your name in and walking the neighborhood while you wait. It’s open Monday through Saturday from 4 PM and sits a short drive from Severance Music Center if you have Cleveland Orchestra tickets.
7. Marble Room Steaks and Raw Bar
- 📍 Location: 623 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland
- 💲 Price range: $80–$150 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Prime steakhouse, raw bar and sushi
- 🔥 Standout Features: Restored 1890s bank hall, dry-aged steaks, live music on weekends
- 🎯 Perfect For: Anniversaries, dinner before a Playhouse Square show, business dinners
Marble Room Steaks and Raw Bar is my pick for a big celebration dinner in downtown Cleveland. It opened in 2017 inside a restored 1890s bank hall on Euclid Avenue, with towering marble columns and a gilded ceiling. Tripadvisor placed it in the top 1% of restaurants worldwide for 2026, and Wine Spectator has recognized its wine list every year since 2022.
I start with a half dozen oysters for $22 or the Surf-n-Turf roll with steak tataki and lobster for $25. The 6-ounce filet mignon is $45, and I’d steer serious steak fans to the 18-ounce Dry-Aged Delmonico for $88. Sides are made for sharing, and the potatoes au gratin with gouda and aged cheddar are my favorite.
For a group celebration, the Seafood Tasting brings lobster, shrimp, oysters and ceviche for $60 per person. Two people can split the 42-ounce Long-Bone Tomahawk for $150, and it arrives sliced for the table. Private-label caviar service starts at $90 per ounce, and the restaurant hosts wine dinners in its original bank vault.
Marble Room opens at 4:30 PM Monday through Thursday and 4 PM on Friday and Saturday, and it’s closed Sundays. There’s no formal dress code, but I’d wear upscale casual or dressier to match the room. Book on Tock for weekend tables, and on Friday or Saturday you’ll catch live music after 8:30 PM.
8. Guarino’s Restaurant
- 📍 Location: 12309 Mayfield Road, Cleveland
- 💲 Price range: $20–$40 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Classic Southern Italian
- 🔥 Standout Features: Cleveland’s oldest restaurant, garden patio with a trumpet vine from Sicily, free on-site parking
- 🎯 Perfect For: Date nights, family dinners, patio dining in Little Italy
Guarino’s is Cleveland’s oldest restaurant, serving Little Italy since 1918. Sicilian immigrant Vincenzo Guarino and his wife, Mary, started it in the back room of their poolroom on Mayfield Road, and the Victorian dining room has barely changed since a 1963 remodel. Nancy Phillips’ family runs it today, and the old family recipes are still on the menu.
My order is the lasagna, made from a recipe more than 50 years old, for $19. For something heartier, I’d get the braciole, a rolled flat steak stuffed with prosciutto, hard-boiled egg and cheese, for $24. Vegetarians can order the eggplant parmigiana for $19, and the chicken piccata is a lighter classic at $21.
In warm months, I always ask for a table in the garden out back, which Sam Guarino built in 1959. The trumpet vine Vincenzo brought from Sicily still grows there, and the garden now seats more than 100 people. Groups of 20 to 100 can book it for private events, rain or shine, under a tent.
Guarino’s is closed on Mondays and opens at noon Tuesday through Sunday. It has its own free parking lot, which is rare in Little Italy, where street spots fill up fast. After dinner, walk Mayfield Road for cannoli and gelato, and plan a return trip for the Feast of the Assumption in August 2027.
9. Vault
- 📍 Location: 2017 East 9th Street, Cleveland
- 💲 Price range: $16–$18 per cocktail
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Craft cocktail lounge with small plates
- 🔥 Standout Features: Four restored 1900s bank vaults, 17-ton vault door, bar lined with safe deposit box doors
- 🎯 Perfect For: Date nights, speakeasy fans, drinks after a Playhouse Square show
Vault is my favorite cocktail bar in downtown Cleveland, and it hides beneath the historic Cleveland Trust Company Building on East 9th Street. You step through a 1906 bank vault door into four former vaults that once guarded the fortunes of Cleveland’s elite. The safe deposit vault door weighs 17 tons and still bears its Carnegie Steel imprint.
Inside, you can sink into a leather or velvet sofa under a tin ceiling or grab a seat at a bar lined with old safe deposit box doors. Many cocktails are named for local history, and I like the Cleveland Trust with Maker’s Mark, honey, lemon and blackberries. Drinks cost around $16 to $18, and the kitchen serves small plates until an hour before closing.
Vault is only open Friday and Saturday from 5 PM to 2 AM, and it doesn’t take reservations. I recommend arriving near opening to claim a sofa before the late-night crowd shows up. Business casual attire fits the room, and staff have been known to share the vaults’ history if you ask.
Before heading downstairs, walk through the rotunda upstairs, which now houses a Heinen’s grocery store under a stained-glass dome. Look up at the Francis Davis Millet murals, which inspired the Millet’s Mural cocktail with Hendrick’s gin and green chartreuse. Vault sits a short walk from Playhouse Square and makes an easy nightcap after a show.
10. Il Rione
- 📍 Location: 1303 West 65th Street, Cleveland
- 💲 Price range: $15–$30 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: New York and New Jersey-style pizza
- 🔥 Standout Features: Thin, crisp pies, candlelit dining room, sister slice shop in Tremont
- 🎯 Perfect For: Pizza lovers, casual date nights, dinner in the Gordon Square Arts District
Il Rione makes my favorite New York-style pizza in Cleveland. The tiny pizzeria sits on West 65th Street in the Gordon Square Arts District, an area once known as the West Side Little Italy. Its name roughly means “neighborhood” in Italian, and the dim room glows under candle chandeliers.
Pies come in two sizes, a 13-inch small or an 18-inch large, with thin, crisp crusts. My go-to is the #1 Speck Pie with lemon ricotta, pistachio and hot honey for $23 small or $28 large. The #2 Green Pie with arugula pesto and fried sage leaves is my vegetarian pick, and the vegan margherita costs $22.
I like to start with the Rione salad with gorgonzola, pecans and cherry balsamic vinaigrette for $11. The drink list is short, with beer, wine and classic cocktails like the Negroni. Ask if the white clam pie special is on, since it isn’t always available.
Il Rione opens at 4 PM Tuesday through Saturday, and it doesn’t take reservations. I recommend arriving right at opening or putting your name in and grabbing a drink at a nearby Gordon Square bar. For a quick slice, head to Lil Ronnie’s, the team’s walk-up shop on Professor Avenue in Tremont, where cheese slices start at $4.
11. LBM
- 📍 Location: Lakewood
- 💲 Price range: $20 – $40 per person (Cocktail/Small Plates focus)
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Viking-Themed Cocktail Bar / Nordic-Inspired Small Plates
- 🔥 Standout Features: Viking/Norse mythology theme, dark/moody atmosphere, creative craft cocktails, unique Nordic-inspired small plates.
- 🎯 Perfect For: Cocktail adventurers, themed bar lovers, fans of unique flavor profiles, intimate date nights, and Viking enthusiasts.
Unleash your inner Viking at LBM (Lakewood Beer & Mead, but so much more!) in Lakewood. This unique spot isn’t just a bar; it’s a full-on Nordic-inspired experience with a dark, moody atmosphere, Viking-esque decor, and a menu of incredibly creative cocktails and small plates.
Sipping on one of their inventive craft cocktails, often with house-made infusions and Nordic spirit influences, is essential. For food, try their unique small plates like smoked fish rillettes, pickled vegetables, or hearty sausage boards. LBM offers a transportive and flavorful journey.
12. Momocho
- 📍 Location: 1835 Fulton Road, Cleveland
- 💲 Price range: $25–$50 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Modern Mexican
- 🔥 Standout Features: Six creative guacamoles, more than 100 tequilas and mezcals, 1880s house with luchador decor
- 🎯 Perfect For: Tequila fans, small groups, happy hour in Ohio City
Momocho has served mod Mex food in Ohio City since April 2006, and it marked its 20th anniversary in 2026. Chef and owner Eric Williams cooks in an 1880s house decorated with luchador masks and Day of the Dead art. His menu plays with Mexican flavors in ways I haven’t found anywhere else in Cleveland.
Start with guacamole, which comes in six versions from $10 to $12. My favorite is the smoked trout, bacon and poblano guac, and the guacamole trío lets you pick any three for $28. I’d follow it with the machaca taquitos with coffee and ancho braised brisket, served with six soft corn tortillas for $17.
The bar pours more than 100 tequilas and mezcals, from easy blancos to rare Banhez and Del Maguey bottles. Margaritas start at $12, and a margarita trío lets you sample flavors like spicy mango and hibiscus for $18. I like to come for daily happy hour from 4 to 6 PM and try a mezcal I’ve never had.
Momocho doesn’t take reservations, and the dining room is set up for groups of two to four. It’s open from 4 PM Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays and holidays, including Halloween. Parties of five or more get a 20% gratuity added, and I’d grab a patio seat when the weather is warm.
13. White Oaks
- 📍 Location: 777 Cahoon Road, Westlake
- 💲 Price range: $40–$80 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Classic continental fine dining
- 🔥 Standout Features: Former 1928 speakeasy, house beef Wellington, creekside dining rooms
- 🎯 Perfect For: Anniversaries, romantic dinners, old-school supper club fans
White Oaks opened as a speakeasy in 1928, and it’s my favorite old-school dinner spot near Cleveland. The Westlake restaurant sits above Cahoon Creek about 20 minutes west of downtown, and deer and ducks often wander past the back windows. During Prohibition, a night watchman kept an eye out for police, and only two families have owned it since.
Beef Wellington has been the house specialty for more than 40 years, and I order it every time for $49.99. The slow-roasted Long Island duckling with a Grand Marnier and clementine glaze is my second choice at $39.99. Start with the apple onion soup gratinée, a White Oaks classic for $14.99.
My best tip is to eat in the bar Sunday through Thursday, when in-bar specials drop the beef Wellington to $34.99 and the duck to $29.99. The lounge also serves burgers with Prohibition-era names, like the Bootlegger with bourbon caramelized onions and beer cheese. Those bar specials are dine-in only, and I like the lounge for a relaxed weeknight dinner.
White Oaks serves dinner from 5 PM Monday through Saturday and from 3 to 8 PM on Sunday. Call ahead for reservations, and ask for a table overlooking the creek. Cleveland voters have named it the area’s Best Romantic Restaurant nine times, and the restaurant turns 100 in 2028.
14. Noble Beast Brewing Co.
- 📍 Location: 1470 Lakeside Avenue East, Cleveland
- 💲 Price range: $15–$35 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Brewpub with chef-driven seasonal food
- 🔥 Standout Features: Decoction-brewed lagers, barrel-aged stouts and barleywines, 120-year-old steel warehouse
- 🎯 Perfect For: Beer lovers, lunch near the Rock Hall, casual group dinners
Noble Beast Brewing Co. is the downtown Cleveland brewery I send beer lovers to first. Brewer Shaun Yasaki and chef James Redford opened it in 2017 inside a renovated 120-year-old steel warehouse on Lakeside Avenue. Tables sit among barrels of aging stouts and barleywines, and there’s an open-air patio for warm days.
The brewery specializes in decocted lagers, brewed with a traditional German method that builds deeper malt flavor. My go-to is the Union Pils Bohemian Lager, a crisp Czech-style pilsner for about $6 a pint. IPA fans should try All Citra, All of the Time, and the rotating list also features smoked lagers and hefeweizen.
The kitchen cooks with seasonal ingredients from Ohio producers, and the menu goes well beyond typical bar food. I always order the soft pretzel with beer mustard and the Everything Bagel Wings. Vegetarians can get the General Tsofu sandwich, and families will find a kids’ menu.
Noble Beast is closed on Mondays and opens at 11:30 AM Tuesday through Saturday. It’s about a 15-minute walk from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is scheduled to finish a $175 million expansion in fall 2026. The same owners opened Anthology Cask House in Ohio City in August 2026 and are building a year-round biergarten on Lorain Avenue.
15. The Corner Alley
- 📍 Location: 402 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland
- 💲 Price range: $15–$30 per person, bowling extra
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: American sports bar food
- 🔥 Standout Features: 16 bowling lanes, 24 draft beers, lane-side food service
- 🎯 Perfect For: Group outings, game days, families before 10 PM
The Corner Alley is my favorite spot in downtown Cleveland for bowling with a drink in hand. It sits at the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 4th Street, with 16 modern lanes and multimedia scoring screens. Food and drinks come straight to your lane, and the walk-up bar pours 24 drafts and a long list of bourbons.
Lanes cost $25 an hour before 5 PM and $50 an hour after, and each lane fits up to eight people. Lanes are first come, first served, and I like coming before 5 PM when the hourly rate drops by half. Groups can reserve lanes up to four weeks ahead for $100 per lane per hour with shoe rental included.
The kitchen turns out wings, loaded nachos, pizza and burgers, and I’d order the chicken sandwich. Between frames, you can play shuffleboard, air hockey or foosball. On fall Sundays, dozens of 4K TVs show NFL games through NFL Sunday Ticket.
The Corner Alley opens at 11:30 AM daily and stays open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and 1 AM on weekends. It’s family-friendly until 10 PM, when it switches to 21 and over. I like stopping in before Cavs games at Rocket Arena or Guardians games at Progressive Field, since both are a short walk away.
16. Fat Cats
- 📍 Location: 2061 West 10th Street, Cleveland
- 💲 Price range: $20–$40 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Eclectic American bistro with Filipino influences
- 🔥 Standout Features: Arroz caldo from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, skyline-view patio, local art for sale
- 🎯 Perfect For: Casual dinners, Saturday brunch, vegetarians and vegans
Fat Cats opened in Tremont in 1997 and has outlasted every other restaurant in the neighborhood. Chef Ricardo Sandoval, who is half Filipino, blends Filipino and American flavors in a converted house filled with local art for sale. It celebrates 30 years in 2027, and the menu still surprises me on every visit.
Guy Fieri featured the arroz caldo on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and it’s my top pick. The gluten-free rice porridge comes with ginger, garlic, Calabrian chili, a poached egg and chicken for about $17. I’d add the pork banh bao steamed buns, the other dish from that 2022 episode.
The adobo fried chicken fingers with sweet potato fries are another favorite, and vegans can order jackfruit lumpia or tofu bao. The beer list leans local, with about 90% of its beers coming from Ohio breweries. Brunch is served on Saturdays only, and I’d plan a visit around it for breakfast dishes.
Fat Cats opens at 11 AM Monday through Saturday, stays open until 10 PM on Friday and Saturday, and closes on Sundays. Call ahead to reserve, and ask for a patio table with a view of the downtown skyline. Afterward, walk a stretch of the nearby Towpath Trail or browse Tremont’s galleries and shops.
17. Porco Lounge & Tiki Room
- 📍 Location: 2527 West 25th Street, Cleveland
- 💲 Price range: $15–$20 per cocktail
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Tiki bar with Filipino bar snacks
- 🔥 Standout Features: Original decor from Cleveland’s 1960s Kon-Tiki, 300-plus spirits, house-made falernum
- 🎯 Perfect For: Tiki fans, date nights, groups looking for a tropical escape
Porco Lounge & Tiki Room is my go-to tiki bar in Cleveland, tucked between Tremont and Ohio City on West 25th Street. Owner Stefan Was opened it in 2013, and the decor includes original pieces from the Kon-Tiki, a Polynesian restaurant that operated at the Sheraton Cleveland Hotel from 1967 to 1976. The jungle-themed carpet and thatched awnings make it easy to forget you’re in Ohio.
The bar stocks more than 300 spirits, and bartenders use fresh-squeezed juices and house-made syrups. My order is the Zombie for $18, made with house falernum that steeps overproof rum with nearly 100 limes. Staff cut you off after two Zombies because that adds up to about nine shots.
For something lighter, the Painkiller and house Mai Tai are crowd favorites. Pinoy Fine Foods handles the kitchen and serves Filipino-inspired bar snacks like sliders and tacos. I’d order the chicken tacos with pineapple to soak up the rum.
Porco opens at 5 PM Wednesday through Friday and 4 PM on Saturday, and it’s closed Sunday through Tuesday. I recommend reserving a table online for weekend nights or groups, since the lounge is small. The building looks unassuming from the street, and you can buy Porco’s tiki mugs online as a souvenir.
18. Bookhouse Brewing
- 📍 Location: Ohio City
- 💲 Price range: $7 – $12 per beer
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Craft Brewery
- 🔥 Standout Features: Brewery in book-themed setting, cozy library, quality craft beer
- 🎯 Perfect For: Craft beer drinkers, book lovers, unique brewery explorers, and cozy hangouts.
Crack open a cold one surrounded by actual books at Bookhouse Brewing! This charming Ohio City brewery cleverly blends craft beer with a cozy, library-like atmosphere. Where great beer and good reads collide! Shhh… great beer is brewing!
Settle into a comfy chair and enjoy a pint of their well-crafted brews. Consider their Hopmsworth Porter or the War of the Wortz IPA. They often have seasonal specials and a good variety of styles. It’s a relaxed, unique, and welcoming spot.
19. Good Night John Boy
- 📍 Location: 1048 Old River Road, Cleveland
- 💲 Price range: $12–$20 per drink
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: 1970s-themed disco bar with bar food
- 🔥 Standout Features: Disco ball dance floor, riverfront Flats location, Johnny Meal with a take-home toy
- 🎯 Perfect For: Bachelorette parties, birthday nights, dancing with friends
Good Night John Boy is my pick for a night of dancing in Cleveland. The 1970s disco bar first opened in the Flats in 2021 and moved to a new riverfront space on Old River Road in May 2026. The look is Studio 54 crossed with your grandparents’ wood-paneled basement, with a glittering disco ball over the dance floor.
The new location serves food for the first time, including the Johnny Meal, a burger or chicken tenders with fries and a toy to take home. Signature cocktails include the Disco Punch and Mood Ring, and you can text 216-440-3500 to book bottle service. I’d order a Disco Punch and head straight to the dance floor.
Good Night John Boy opens at 8 PM on Thursday and 6 PM on Friday and Saturday, and stays open late. A cover charge starts at 10 PM, and I like arriving earlier to skip it. It’s closed Sunday through Wednesday, and hours can shift for special events.
Watch its Instagram for themed nights like Soul Train Night, when go-go dancers teach a dance routine. The Funky Flea vintage market also pops up on select Saturday afternoons. Forward Hospitality Group also owns Welcome to the Farm and I Hate Cowboys next door if you want to bar-hop.
20. The Haunted House Restaurant
- 📍 Location: 13463 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights
- 💲 Price range: $20–$40 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: American comfort food with horror movie themes
- 🔥 Standout Features: Movie theater ticket booth entrance, smoking potion bowl cocktails, horror murals
- 🎯 Perfect For: Horror fans, birthday parties, families, Halloween season
The Haunted House Restaurant turns dinner into a horror movie night in Cleveland Heights, about 15 minutes east of downtown. A host greets you from a movie theater ticket booth, and murals of Beetlejuice and Jason Voorhees cover the lobby. Your table starts with buttered popcorn while classic films like Ghostbusters play.
The menu names comfort food after horror icons, and my pick is the Lurch Burger for $20.99. The Scooby Snacks nachos with pulled chicken and sweet chili queso are easy to share at $17.99. Weekend brunch adds dishes like the Texas Chainsaw Burger and colorful Haunted Waffles.
Cocktails come with names like Blood Bag and Poisoned Apple. For a group, order one of the Haunted Potion Bowls, giant shareable drinks that pour with a cloud of fog at your table. The restaurant has hosted events like brunch with Michael Myers, and I’d check its Instagram for October theme nights.
The restaurant is closed on Mondays and opens at 4 PM Tuesday through Thursday, 5 PM on Friday and 10 AM for weekend brunch. Walk-ins are welcome, but I’d book weekend tables ahead on OpenTable, along with any night in October. It opened in July 2021 and has earned an OpenTable Diners’ Choice award every year since 2024.
- Visit The Haunted House Restaurant website
- Read reviews of The Haunted House Restaurant
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Global Viewpoint is a personal blog. All content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional financial, medical, or legal advice.
