Larder Delicatessen and Bakery in the Hingetown firehouse on West 29th Street, the Jeremy Umansky and Allie La Valle koji project, runs the most quietly.
Editorially verified June 4, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Why locals love it: A James Beard-recognized koji and fermentation deli inside a converted firehouse that reads as a small lunch counter
Tip: Order the koji-cured corned beef sandwich on house rye; the deli closes early on weekdays, plan for lunch
Address: 1455 W 29th St, Cleveland, OH 44113
Phnom Penh Restaurant across from the West Side Market on West 25th Street, a family-run BYOB Cambodian room, runs the city's defining Southeast Asian noodle.
Why locals love it: A family-run BYOB Cambodian room across from the West Side Market that almost nobody walking the market notices
Tip: BYOB so bring a wine across the street from the market; the coconut milk Cambodian curry is the standout
Slyman's Restaurant on St Clair Avenue is the Slyman family corned beef counter since 1964 with a busy weekday breakfast and lunch trade for downtown workers.
Why locals love it: A 1964 sit-down deli on a non-touristy stretch of St Clair Avenue, hidden in plain sight by suburban diners not in the know
Tip: Order the corned beef on rye and ask for extra mustard; cash and card both work but the line moves faster at the counter
Phnom Penh Restaurant across from the West Side Market on West 25th Street, a family-run BYOB Cambodian room, runs the city's defining Southeast Asian noodle.
Why locals love it: A family-run BYOB Cambodian room across from the West Side Market that almost nobody walking the market notices
Tip: BYOB so bring a wine across the street from the market; the coconut milk Cambodian curry is the standout
Tommy's Restaurant on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights since 1972, a vegetarian-leaning diner that hides a meat-eater menu, anchors the Cedar-Lee east-side.
Why locals love it: A 1972 vegetarian-with-meat-options diner that locals know is way better than the Coventry tourist menu suggests
Tip: Order the falafel sandwich plus a chocolate hand-mixed milkshake; the menu has every diet covered side-by-side
Velvet Tango Room on Columbus Road in Tremont is Paulius Nasvytis's unmarked cocktail room since 1996, with pre-Prohibition drinks and a vintage soundtrack.
Why locals love it: An unmarked 1996 craft cocktail room on an industrial stretch of Columbus Road that you'd never walk past
Tip: Book ahead for a table on Friday or Saturday; every drink is built from scratch, expect a wait between rounds
Mama Santa's on Mayfield Road in Little Italy since 1961 is the Santa family Sicilian pizzeria with the block's cheapest hot lunch and family pasta dinners.
Why locals love it: A 1961 family-run Sicilian pizzeria in Little Italy that gets overshadowed by the heavier-marketed Mayfield Road pasta rooms
Tip: Order a square Sicilian pizza and a side of meatballs; the lunch slice is the cheapest hot meal in Little Italy
Astoria Cafe and Market on Detroit Avenue in Detroit Shoreway is a Mediterranean cafe-market with shakshuka, Greek coffee and a tinned-fish retail counter.
Why locals love it: A Greek-Lebanese cafe-and-market crossing on Detroit Avenue that doesn't read like a restaurant from outside
Tip: Order the shakshuka and a Greek coffee for breakfast; the front market sells olive oil and tinned fish to take home
