Bistros, trattorias and the everyday rooms where Cleveland actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Cleveland actually eats.
Mabel's BBQ on East 4th Street in downtown Cleveland, Michael Symon's smokehouse since April 2016, builds Cleveland-style BBQ on fruitwood smoke and Bertman Ball Park mustard.
Signature: Smoked brisket, Cleveland-style ribs
Order: The four-meat tray with smoked kielbasa, plus an order of the spicy pickled vegetables.
Tip: Walk-ins seated at the bar; reserve the dining room on OpenTable two weeks ahead.
Larder Delicatessen and Bakery on West 29th Street in Hingetown, Jeremy Umansky's koji-and-curing project a 2025 James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef Great Lakes and Outstanding Pastry Chef.
Signature: Pastrami on rye, Matzoh ball soup
Order: Pastrami on rye with a side of matzoh ball soup, plus a knish to go.
Tip: Hot food service stops 17:45; walk-ins welcome. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Mama Santa's on Mayfield Road in Little Italy, the family-owned Sicilian pizzeria since 1961, anchors the Italian-American block with hand-tossed pies and homemade pasta dishes.
Signature: Sicilian pizza, Homemade manicotti
Order: Sicilian sausage pizza and a plate of the manicotti to share.
Tip: Takes reservations and walk-ins; the patio opens in warm months. Closed Sunday.
Trattoria on the Hill on Mayfield Road in Little Italy, an Italian-American dining room since 1988, runs hearty traditional pasta plates and veal mains with a parking lot.
Signature: Eggplant parmesan, Chicken piccata
Order: Eggplant parmesan and chicken piccata, plus a slice of cassata cake to finish.
Tip: First-come, first-served seating most nights. Little Italy parking is tight outside the lot.
Vero Pizza Napoletana on Cedar Road in Cleveland Heights, a 900-degree wood-fired Neapolitan room with imported Italian flour and Vesuvius tomatoes.
Signature: Margherita pizza, House gelato
Order: A Margherita from the wood-fired oven plus two scoops of locally made gelato.
Tip: Walk-ins only; arrive by 17:30 Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Li Wah inside Asia Plaza on Payne Avenue in AsiaTown, Cleveland's longest-running Cantonese dim sum room, runs weekend cart service and a full menu through the week.
Signature: Cart-service dim sum, Peking duck
Order: Cart-service har gow, siu mai and BBQ pork buns; pre-order Peking duck a day ahead.
Tip: Saturday and Sunday cart service from 10:00 is the move; weekday lunch is menu only.
Astoria Cafe and Market on Detroit Avenue in the Gordon Square Arts District, a Mediterranean restaurant and import shop since December 2016, runs mezze.
Signature: Mezze plates, Cured meat board
Order: A cured meat and cheese board plus three to four mezze plates for the table.
Tip: Walk-ins seated at the bar; the dining room takes reservations for Friday and Saturday.
Le Petit Triangle Cafe on Fulton Road in Ohio City, a small Parisian-style cafe in a triangular corner building, runs French brunch and dinner plates with a heated outdoor patio.
Signature: Croque monsieur, Escargot
Order: Croque monsieur with bechamel and the classic escargot to start.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday; brunch on weekends runs busy from 10:00 onward.
Lucky's Cafe on Starkweather Avenue in Tremont, the Diners Drive-Ins and Dives brunch room often voted Cleveland's best, runs farm-driven breakfast and lunch daily 09:00 to 15:00.
Signature: Shrimp and grits, House biscuits
Order: Shrimp and grits and an order of the house biscuits with house jam.
Tip: Reservations only for parties of six or more; arrive by 09:15 on weekends to skip the queue.
Prosperity Social Club on Starkweather Avenue in Tremont, an Eastern European tavern in continuous operation since 1938, runs pierogi, stuffed cabbage and craft beer.
Signature: Pierogi plate, Stuffed cabbage
Order: The pierogi plate and a brandy Old Fashioned at the bar before sitting.
Tip: First Monday of the month is Prosperaoke karaoke night. Original wood-panel barroom unchanged since 1938.
Hofbrauhaus Cleveland on Chester Avenue downtown, the German beer hall licensee of the Munich Hofbrauhaus brand, pours imported Bavarian beer and runs the schnitzel and sausage menu.
Signature: Wiener schnitzel, Bavarian sausage plate
Order: Wiener schnitzel with potato salad and a half-liter of Hofbrau Original.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable for Oktoberfest weekends; the communal tables turn faster than the booths.
Bright Side on West 25th Street in Ohio City, Sam McNulty and Mark Priemer's reimagining of the old Bar Cento space since June 2022, runs house pasta and the Sunnyside egg pizza.
Signature: Sunnyside pizza, Rosemary garlic frites
Order: The Sunnyside pizza with runny-yolk egg and pancetta, plus a basket of rosemary garlic frites.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable. Bird of Paradise basement bar opens after dinner service.
Superior Pho on Superior Avenue inside Superior Square in AsiaTown, an award-winning Vietnamese family restaurant, anchors Cleveland's pho and banh mi scene.
Signature: Pho tai, Banh mi
Order: Pho tai with raw beef plus a banh mi with house pate and roast pork.
Tip: Cash and card; the small dining room turns fast at lunch.
Mitchell's Homemade Ice Cream flagship on West 25th Street, the Ohio City kitchen and shop in a restored old movie theater, hand-crafts every batch and runs vegan options daily.
Signature: Homemade ice cream, Seasonal vegan scoops
Order: Two scoops of the seasonal flavour the kitchen is leading with, plus the kitchen tour on weekends.
Tip: Tours run by appointment on weekends; weekday afternoons stay quietest. Free Bridge Avenue parking lot behind the building.
Mason's Creamery on Bridge Avenue in Ohio City, the Jesse Mason and Helen Qin ice cream shop since 2013, runs small-batch scoops year-round plus a winter ramen pop-up.
Signature: Small-batch ice cream, Winter pork tonkotsu ramen
Order: Two scoops of small-batch ice cream in summer, a pork tonkotsu ramen in winter.
Tip: Ramen runs winter into spring; ice cream year-round. Cash and card accepted.
Inn on Coventry on Euclid Heights Boulevard in Cleveland Heights, a Coventry-adjacent breakfast and brunch diner for over 40 years, runs the bottomless mimosa brunch and pancake stacks.
Signature: Chocolate chip pancakes, Lemon ricotta pancakes
Order: Lemon ricotta pancakes plus a bottomless mimosa, or the breakfast burrito on a slower day.
Tip: Arrive by 09:00 for Sunday brunch to skip the line; the diner closes 13:30 daily.
Cleveland Vegan on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, a plant-based restaurant and bakery since 2012, runs breakfast through dinner and full-service vegan catering.
Signature: Vegan fried chicken sandwich, Oreo milkshake
Order: The fried chicken sandwich and the Oreo milkshake.
Tip: Closed Mondays; brunch on weekends runs through 15:00.
Beet Jar Juicebar and Takeaway on Detroit Avenue in Ohio City, a vegan-owned juice bar and raw food shop since 2013, runs organic cold-pressed juices and creative raw plates.
Signature: Cold-pressed juice, Bravocado sandwich
Order: The Bravocado sandwich and a green cold-pressed juice.
Tip: Counter ordering; the Van Aken District branch is the second location.
Stone Oven Bakery Cafe on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights, an artisan bread, soup and sandwich shop for over 25 years, runs the Cedar-Lee block from morning through evening.
Signature: Artisan bread, House-baked sandwiches
Order: A house-baked sandwich on artisan bread plus the soup of the day.
Tip: Counter service; weekday lunch runs fastest. Additional outlets at Eton and the Galleria.
Poppy on Larchmere Boulevard, chef Jill Vedaa and Jessica Parkison's small-plates room since March 2023, runs a tight rotating menu in a converted turn-of-century house.
Signature: Rotating small plates, Seasonal mains
Order: Order four to five small plates per pair from the rotating menu, plus an entree to share.
Tip: Reserve on Tock; the dining room sits small. Closed Sunday and Monday.