Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Pork cubes skewered on a stick, breaded and pan-fried; a Polish-American Depression-era dish that mimics chicken using cheaper cuts. A Slavic Village family-table staple.
City chicken emerged in Polish-American kitchens in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Detroit during the Depression of the 1930s, when chicken was more expensive than pork. The recipe stuck through the 1950s and remains a fixture at Slavic Village family tables and church festivals. Sokolowski's University Inn ran a weekly version until its 2020 close; Rudy's Strudel and Seven Roses in Slavic Village still rotate it through the cafeteria board, and the dish appears on every Polish parish fish-fry and pierogi-festival lineup.
2 editor picks for City chicken in Cleveland, ranked by editorial score. All Cleveland signature dishes · City chicken across every city.
Also in: Pittsburgh.
The West Side Market on West 25th Street since 1912, the 60-vendor public market in the Hubbel and Benes Hall, runs cheap-eat lunches from bratwurst, pierogi.
OrderCheap-eat lunches from 60+ vendors: bratwurst, pierogi, gyros, tacos
Prosperity Social Club on Starkweather Avenue in Tremont, an Eastern European tavern open since 1938, runs pierogi, cabbage and craft beer with karaoke.
OrderThe pierogi plate and a brandy Old Fashioned at the bar before sitting.
TipFirst Monday of the month is Prosperaoke; the original wood-paneled barroom has stayed unchanged since 1938.
City chicken makes more sense with someone from Cleveland explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Guided tour · 3.5 hours
Get an exclusive look at 3 Cleveland breweries as your guide walks you through the brewing process and what makes each brewery unique. Enjoy an included beer flight at...
Guided tour · 3.5 hours
Sample Cleveland’s culinary favorites on a guided walk through Ohio City. Taste at the West Side Market, local eateries, and choose to add drink pairings.
Private tour · 3.5 hours
Who needs Geneva - we're connecting three Cleveland wine and cocktail destinations by private golf cart, with music, city views, and a different Golf Cart Girl-CLE par...