eskca is proud to bring you the best grub locales in Cleveland, Ohio. You can see our methodology here.

Find a digital badge to celebrate your awesome accomplishment here, or contact us here if you’d like to request one as a sticker for your restaurant!

1. Townhall

Try the: Crepes

Also honored in: 2021 Best Restaurants in Cleveland

“TownHall believes that healthy does not mean perfect. We believe that BALANCE is the key to a happy and healthy life. WELLNESS encompasses the body, mind and soul. CHANGE is ignited through passion! At TownHall our passion is in the hearts of our entire team. We hire only those that are committed to our mission, and we think of our team as our family. Each day we motivate each other to be the best we can be. We go to work with the goal of becoming a little better, a little smarter, or a little braver. We will celebrate the achievements we have made together, but also focus on the work still to be done, never letting being good get in the way of being great.

TownHall set out to create a NON-GMO menu, not because it was easy, but because it is the right thing to do. We can no longer ignore the research being published daily pointing out the dangerous nature of GMO foods. A combination of bad science and backroom deals brought GMO’s to the American table, and our children will look at us and wonder how we allowed this to happen. TownHall believes that human beings should not be used as a case study or science experiment. We should not be shrouded in mystery and deception. We have the right to know.”

2. Mabel’s BBQ

Try the: Pork Belly

Also honored in: 2021 Best Restaurants in Cleveland

“Chef Michael Symon’s Mabel’s BBQ is a Cleveland-style barbecue restaurant located in the heart of downtown Cleveland and coming soon to Eton Chagrin Boulevard.

By incorporating Bertman’s Ballpark Mustard into the barbecue sauce, using Eastern European spices and smoking meat over local fruitwood, Symon has created a barbecue style Clevelanders can call their own. The space’s arched ceilings, industrial lighting and exposed brick are reminiscent of Cleveland landmark West Side Market, evoking the feeling of a rustic smokehouse with a laid back vibe.

Friends can kick back at communal picnic tables and feast on brisket, kielbasa, pork ribs, and a variety of eastern European inspired sides, coupled with locally made Cleveland kraut and pickles.”

3. Great Lakes Brewing Company

Try the: Pretzel Chicken

Also honored in: 2021 Best Restaurants in Cleveland

“Two Irish brothers with limited brewing experience. A city that shuttered its last production brewery in the early 80s. A neighborhood in serious need of a facelift. In 1986 when Patrick and Daniel Conway opened their fledgling operation in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood, the odds were stacked against them. Fortunately, they surrounded themselves with a staff of passionate, knowledgeable people, and from the start committed themselves to bringing a sophisticated, diverse selection of craft beer to their home state. Two decades, multiple awards, and a whole lot of stories later, Pat and Dan Conway celebrate over two decades of brewing exceptional beer for their adventurous and discerning customers.”

4. Lucky’s Cafe

Try the: Pecan Bacon

Also honored in: 2021 Best Restaurants in Cleveland

“To provide the people of our community with food, pastry and bread which are made by hand with care and attention to quality, using only the freshest of ingredients.

We support and promote our Ohio farmers and producers by showcasing the bounty of their harvest in our products.

We offer our customers an alternative to the mass produced by committing our passion for the craft to creating good wholesome food.

We will remain creative with and inspired by the cultural diversity and layers of tradition our community offers us.”

5. Momocho

Try the: Pork Chop Al Carbon

Also honored in: 2021 Best Restaurants in Cleveland

“innovative, hip + exciting ohio city restaurant highlighting mexican cuisine | momocho focuses on seasonal + local ingredients combined with unique presentations that capture the spirit of mexico | viva momocho!”

6. Butcher and the Brewer

Try the: Pork Shank

Also honored in: 2021 Best Restaurants in Cleveland

“Butcher and the Brewer encourages interaction and a sense of community through public house seating, progressive dining, and shared plates. The passionate culinary team, which includes an in-house butcher and charcutier, has created a farmhouse-inspired menu drawing on local ingredients, ethnic flavors, and artisan products. Our brewmaster uses his strong background in science, a formal education in classic brewing techniques, and our custom on-site brewery to brew a range of traditional and innovative beers. Cheers!”

7. Superior Pho

Try the: Summer Rolls

Also honored in: 2021 Best Restaurants in Cleveland

“Phở is a hearty rice-noodle soup with cuts of tender, thinly-sliced beef.

At Superior Phở, we serve an authentic family recipe passed down from generation to generation. Creating the broth is a time-intensive process that requires simmering for an entire day. Each bowl of phở guides your taste buds through a flavorful journey full of exotic spices, bringing you to a warm place in sunny Vietnam where it all began.”

8. Happy Dog

Try the: Tater Tots

Also honored in: 2021 Best Restaurants in Cleveland

“The Happy Dog is a neighborhood corner bar in the best sense of the term.

We’ve got hot dogs and beer, and lots of live music, from rock and country to punk and polka. The bartenders are friendly and the bar itself is open and inviting – a racetrack oval wood bar, with plenty of old chrome barstools. It’s not retro because it’s pretty much unchanged from the time the Socotch family built the place back in the late 40’s.”

9. The Bourbon Street Barrel Room

Try the: Shrimp Po Boy

“The Bourbon Street Barrel Room offers a relaxed, casual, fun atmosphere while serving authentic New Orleans cuisine by Southern Louisiana native, Johnny Schulze. Chef Johnny’s Creole and Cajun-inspired menu includes classics such as: gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, & beignets (just to name a few). The Bourbon Street Barrel Room also features 30 rotating craft beer handles from some of the best breweries in the world, as well as ALL the classic New Orleans cocktails made with love and care. Located in the heart of the historic Tremont neighborhood on Professor Ave in Cleveland Ohio, BSBR features an open split-level room with bars on both floors creating an exciting guest experience! BSBR is also open for lunch on Saturdays and offers an authentic New Orleans Brunch on Sundays.”

10. Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream

Try the: Banana Cream Pie

“Each batch is hand-crafted in our Ohio City Kitchen. This building got its start over a hundred years ago as a live theater. We got our start in 1999, and since 2014 ice cream has been the show here. Come by & see what we’re making. Our Kitchen is always on view, come by and see us baking crumble for Wildberry Crumble, or mixing in the chocolate chunks for Double Chocolate Chunk.”