cleveland-heightsMon-Thu 09:00-21:00; Fri 09:00-22:00; Sat 07:30-22:00; Sun 09:00-21:00
Tommy's Restaurant on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights, a vegetarian-friendly institution since 1972, runs falafel sandwiches, spinach pies, hand-mixed milkshakes and a meat-eater menu.
Try: Falafel sandwich and spinach pie
little-italyMon-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-23:00; closed Sun
Mama Santa's on Mayfield Road in Little Italy, the Sicilian-style pizzeria run by the Santa family since 1961, anchors the cheap-lunch slice scene on the Murray Hill block.
Try: Square Sicilian pizza slice and a side of meatballs
asiatownTue-Sat 10:30-20:00; Sun 10:30-19:00; closed Mon
Superior Pho inside the Cleveland AsiaTown plaza on Superior Avenue, a Vietnamese family-run noodle counter, runs heaping bowls of pho, bun and rice plates through lunch and dinner.
Try: Pho and bun bowls
asiatownMon-Fri 11:00-21:00; Sat-Sun 10:00-21:00
Li Wah inside Asia Plaza on Payne Avenue in AsiaTown since 1991, the longest-running Cantonese dim sum room in Cleveland, runs weekend cart service alongside a full lunch menu.
Try: Weekend dim sum cart service and Cantonese lunch plates
ohio-cityMon-Sat 11:00-19:00; closed Sun
Phnom Penh Restaurant on West 25th Street across from the West Side Market, a family-run Cambodian BYOB room, runs cheap-eat noodle bowls, curries and the city's defining Cambodian food.
Try: Cambodian noodle and rice plates
ohio-cityMon-Thu 11:00-21:30; Fri-Sat 11:00-22:30; Sun 11:00-21:30
Mitchell's Homemade Ice Cream on West 25th Street in Ohio City, the Mitchell brothers' production-and-scoop room inside a former movie theater, runs daily scoops from a Cleveland-produced base.
Try: House-made ice cream cone or sundae