A neighborhood bar through and through. The friendliest place in town. The trivia host is very handsome.

Update: years later, it's worse. Owner must have an endless trust fund. everyone working there is unqualified and unconcerned with the business. If you've been there you m owners because of the owner. Dude is far more concerned with himself than running a functional business. read more

Onion rings came hot, beer battered, and even seasoned for just $5! Divey bar in Larchmere. Friendly staff when I walked in. read more

Academy Tavern - Onion rings $5 - Bars Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

A neighborhood staple and a great no frills place to get wings and a drink solo or with friends. My favorite thing to order are the Thai garlic wings, when fried crispy they always hit the spot. The burgers are also good with the fresh cut fries. I love the patio in the summertime. read more

Came in for lunch with a group of 11 on a Saturday afternoon at 3PM. Very quiet in there and only a few people sitting around the bar. We ordered drinks- my coke came and was terrible, no syrup- just colored carbonated water. Asked for another and took forever to actually get it. We placed our order and the food started coming out staggered over a 2 HOUR TIME FRAME! Was baffled by the way they served well done burgers before medium rare (medium rare never even made it to the table). Baskets of wings were missing and 2 others still hadn't gotten their food after watching other patrons come in, order and be served as well as to go orders being picked up as well. Many apologies, still no food so the 3 who were never served decided to cancel their orders. The manager Todd tried to comp our bill but never removed the food that was never cooked or served. He's got a terrible attitude problem and then proceeded to ask us to give them another chance. Sorry not sorry- if we wanted a humdrum waitress, mediocre food, terrible wait times and no response from the drunk owner that was walking around socializing we'd go back... I'll take my hard earned money elsewhere! Beware of this place! And it's dirty, just take a look around you'll see! read more

Great drinks and great service. The bartenders are so friendly. I love coming here after work for a drink

Considering that this place has a old world charm and look ,the food and the accommodations were horrible and the bartender/ server was very selfish! And inconsiderate. Again I love the look of this place and I ordered a cheeseburger and fries. The burger lacked flavor/ seasoning and tasted like it was from frozen and when I asked for condiments the bartender gave me a plastic cup with packs of ketchup and mustard I asked him did he have bottles of this and he said that it was too much of a inconvenience for him to have that then after that he disappeared the whole time I was sitting at the bar no follow up what so ever my overall experience was not pleasant coming from a bartender/ server/foodie of many restaurants in many places and cities .I want this place to succeed so bad Considering the area .the overall staff and the menu need a big overhaul and focus. read more

The academy burger I not what it used to be, the menu is limited compared to years ago, no specials, the slow service was also rude, my buddy and I probably will not return Two points for a friendly crowd read more

The food is delicious however, the staff is very unprofessional. The most dysfunctional establishment I've ever been to. I believe the staff, including the owners are on drugs, very rude, and do not hold their employees accountable. read more

I like this friendly, neighborhood tavern for it's laid back vibe and good comfort food. A great place to stop with cohorts after work! The burgers and chicken wings are good as well as the fries and other small bites. Staff is very friendly and chill, so the service could seem a little slow sometimes. Just plan to chill with your drink - the food will come and it will be good! read more

This neighborhood landmark has long been a fixture on Larchmere and has consistently served good food and drinks. One afternoon my friend and I decided to stop in to grab lunch and we opted to sit outside on the patio. The vintage interior is inviting and offers plenty of space at the long bar and a wealth of drink options! Since I wasn't feeling very adventurous, I went with a quesadilla and a rum and coke. Although the food took about 45 minutes to be brought to the table, it was nonetheless tasty and quite satisfying. That is the only reason why I omitted a star. Other than that this time honored locally owned and operated establishment is a solid choice for a few drinks and tasty fare in a lively setting. read more

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I figured with the Cleveland Taco Week going on I would check out Academy Tavern. The Academy located on Larchmere has been there since the 1930s; I used to go all the time with my father for lunch during the 1970s and 1980s, but has been a while since I stopped by. I love that the Academy still retains the old school bar feel and look; the tin ceiling, tons of dark wood and still the original bar. Nothing fancy here, but still a great local bar. They have added a nice patio out back, an especially good idea with the pandemic and the warmer weather. What has changed is the menu, in the past the Academy had a pretty extensive menu with sandwiches, Italian and fish, now the menu is pared down to a few select items. Not sure if this is just because of Covid or if this is there regular menu. Being a participant in Taco Week they have added a couple of taco variations at $2 each. I was lucky enough to get one of the last orders of the Cajun Shrimp Tacos. These were a real treat, large shrimp expertly grilled with a touch of Cajun seasoning on freshly warmed flour tortillas, topped with lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese and salsa. Because of the size and quantity of the shrimp they were the dominant flavor as they should be; the other ingredients worked well to compliment the shrimp. Service was friendly if a bit slow; they explained that they were understaffed with only a single person in the kitchen and they were doing a lot of takeout orders. Food came out in takeout boxes to make things simple. The Academy just keeps going on. Even with a limited menu and being short on personnel they managed to pump out some really flavorful food at a great price. Well worth a stop, its a great old school tavern. read more

Was in here a few weeks ago and the food was amazing! 12 chicken wing with garlic parm buffalo sauce and Cajun fries around $22 a great price! The service was awesome attentive and down to earth. I could tell the regulars here are like family read more

What a great little vibe this spot has...a total neighborhood bar atmosphere where the owners clearly knew lots of folks in the place as they "worked the room". My wife and I decided to share a few dishes (as we most always do). Our server suggested we order their signature burger and one of the flatbreads. We started off the meal by splitting the house salad with herb vinaigrette dressing (they were out of the green goddess...d'oh!). The dressing was tangy / zingy with a nice selection of greens and a few veggies. Salad came with a nice piece of fresh bread and butter on the side. The two main dishes came out together. The Little Spice flatbread was built around chorizo and a few different grilled veggies (like onions and red peppers). Unfortunately, it was too doughy and lacked any depth of flavor; I could taste the onions, peppers and chorizo but it needed their Academy Sauce to give it some bite. The Academy Burger was a little overdone and was decent but nothing "Wow". It was served with two kinds of cheese and strips of bacon. I also used their Academy Sauce on the burger, which is like a creamy and spicy thousand island dressing. Fries were well seasoned and would have been good, if they were hot. I think I may have to give this place another try sometime as so many others have really loved it...I would call it more like just above average. read more

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I was in the area for a local Yelp Elite event so I stopped by here for dinner with fellow Yelpers. Atmosphere: Casual ambiance. Big space. A bit dark inside. I wish there was more natural light. Food: I ordered the chicken parmesan sandwich with sweet potato fries. The sandwich was okay but there was too much marinara sauce (tomato red sauce). I think the sandwich would have tasted better without the the sauce actually. I ordered in a little bit of a rush so I couldn't really look at the menu but in my head the fact that marinara sauce was in this sandwich didn't quite make sense since you normally find that in Pizza. Anyway, the sweet potato fries were great though. Service: Quick service and friendly staff. read more

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Basic local bar for shots and beer. Good draft selection. Mediocre food served in styrofoam. Occassionally some good love music.

I had a really good meal there with some business associates. It was nice and laid back. The ladies that served us were very nice and were very funny. It's a good place to hang with the lads after work! read more

I will not recommend this place. The place is ran down. The customers were rude. The food was overcooked and underdone. The appearance was Bland. There was only one person working that was paying attention to Everything. That was the manager and he was great! this place has gone down. read more

Came in town for business and to see some friends. I needed a place to watch the basketball and enjoy a nice drink. I was lucky enough to find this place. It is a small neighborhood bar that feels homey. It has a nice outdoor open space in the middle. The server immediately asked if she could get me food or a drink. I ordered the tavern burger, wings and a rum and coke. The drink and food came out quickly. It was cooked to my request of medium well. The wings were hot and crispy, just the way i like them. During these tough Covid times this bar came through. The owner manager was also cool. Very hospitable. I definitely suggest you stop by if in town read more

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I've gone to the academy tavern multiple times and overall everything has been good. Great food and vibe

This place was A-OK but nothing to brag about to friends. It was definitely a chill bar vibe with bar style food and there was plenty of seating for our group of 6 around 5pm. The menu has a decent variety and prices aren't horrible but some things seem more expensive than the vibe of the place. Gives you the idea of a regulars place as people knew each other by name and servers sat down with visitors. Our food took a very long time to come out and we were rushing to scarf it down to make it to our event in time. I got the Academy Burger and it was pretty tasty but the tots were the best part. Beer was cold and a good variety but no specials for craft beers during HH so typical price. We had fun with one another but I wouldnt go back again for the food or drinks unless all my friends chose to meet there and I wanted to stop in to see them or something like that. read more

Academy Tavern - Academy burger with tots - Bars Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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I come every friday and saterday to have the best burger in Cleveland: The renown Academy Burger, with Sweet potato fries and a brewski to polish it down. The bar has 8 beers on tap, all good crafts. They have a wide selection of domestics in bottles and a variety of wines to choose from. I generally stick to wings,burgers and onion rings here, but I know my dad loves the meatloaf. read more

Academy Tavern - At the best bar in cleveland, polishing down the best burger in cleveland with a great cleveland beer! - Bars Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

My husband and I really enjoy the Academy Tavern and I'd be happy to tell you why: - Vintage Vibes: the gorgeous, Art Deco, wooden bar knocks my socks off! Ever time I walk in the door I'm gobsmacked by it; it's a place out of time. It would appear that nothing has been changed since opening day! - Best Casual Burgers in Town: A great, solid, classic burger. Beat's the B-Spot, easily. They serve a limited menu and everything is simple, homemade, and straight-forward. Delicious. - Absence of Attitude: The Academy is just a great, old school bar with no pretense and a great draft beer selection. The beautiful patio is a wonderful place to relax and unwind. Give it a whirl! read more

Food menu is pretty simple-typical bar food. Drinks are decent. Bartenders are nice. Patrons are the best.

You don't think much of it when you first walk in, but everything is amazing!! The food is delicious and the waiters are friendly, I highly recommend going read more

Academy Tavern - Academy burger with sweet potato fries - Bars Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

I love Academy. I want to see this great neighborhood bar get back to what it was. The current operation of the place is really bad. It was our weekly place prior to covid. We have been there three times in the past three months. First visit, we left after waiting for 30 minutes to have our order taken (Taco week). Second visit, sat at the bar and they got the order wrong. Third visit, they got the order wrong again and slow service. It's painful seeing the quality of Academy fall so far. If the owners can't step up their game, please sell to someone who can resuscitate this place. read more

Great spot if you looking for a friendly neighborhood bar. The owners are awesome. Friendly bartenders and great service. The food is great too. They also have trivia and karaoke. read more

Academy Tavern - Jameson shots - Bars Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Changed owners over a year ago and the quality of everything has plummeted, especially service. This was once a fantastic neighborhood bar but the new owners seem intent on destroying any character it had. read more

Man, I hate leaving negative reviews, but our experience tonight was pretty lousy. We went for a long bike ride on a Tuesday night and got hungry. Saw Academy was part of Cleveland Taco week so we thought we'd park our bikes and pop in for literally 20 minutes and grab a couple $2 tacos. The bar was dead, maybe 4 tables occupied. Ordered 4 of the veggie tacos which were just sorta ok at best. "Would we like salsa for our tacos?" Sure. And it's a Tuesday so we just had soda water to drink. We planned on tipping heavily since we've both been servers/bartenders for a long time. 45 minutes later we were still twiddling our thumbs waiting to cash out. Charged $3 for soda water and $1 for a spoonful of El Paso salsa from Aldi. Super disappointed. Seems like it could be a cool spot to grab a drink but I doubt we'll go back anytime soon. read more

Think it's going down hill. Not sure what's going on, order has been wrong last two times. Wings were dry for last order and would it be so hard to add a few extra fries? So stingy with the fries and they aren't even that good. Lady taking order tonight was borderline rude. Maybe business picking up with no more curfew and they are having a hard time keeping up now. Supported them during the lockdown but I think we are moving on. Good luck to the new owner. Three stars due to past orders/ food. read more

Well it's a Cleveland classic. Music is fantastic and it's a friendly vibe where everyone knows everyone from way back. Prices are v reasonable. Kitchen closed at 10 the night I got there so I didn't get to try the food but it looked serviceable, burgers and fries mainly. read more

I recently went to Academy Tavern with some friends for dinner. The menu has been reduced to bar food served in to go boxes. When I asked about the famous fish fry we have enjoyed for years I was told that fish makes the kitchen and restaurant smell bad and that they are going in another direction. The manager I spoke with seemed annoyed with me for asking. Well that direction will not be including us as the food was basic at best and the to go boxes it was served in were completely tacky. Better not to have any food at all. Such a shame as it had been one of our favorite spots for dinner. read more

Good place to drink and hang with friends. Great neighborhood feel and friendly owners. Food used to be amazing, but now most is not even worth ordering since change of owners and menu reduction due to COVID--a lot has gone downhill when it comes to the food. Hoping they go back to previous menu and prep/cooking methods! read more

This place blew me out of the water with their food! I have been wanting to try this place out because no one I know has been and WOW I love their food! I came here with my monthly pierogi group and it was well worth the drive from the westside the eastside. The bartender was awesome (unfortunately, I forget his name) and put up with our shenanigans of not being able to decide what to order. We shared an order of pierogi's and a full size Corned Beef Egg Roll. Don't be fooled, this is not your average egg roll! It is ginormous ans is so jam packed with corned beef. Out of all the pierogi's we have tried, I have to say these are in the top as the best in Cleveland. read more

Academy Tavern - Corned Beef Eggroll - Bars Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Popped in for a beer after dinner on a Saturday night. The place was pretty empty, which surprised me. Nothing fancy inside but great for a laid back draft at the end of the night. read more

I will absolutely be coming back to try more of their delicious food. My friends and I stopped by on a Saturday afternoon to sit at the bar to get some beer and pierogies. Good beer and delicious pierogies! They also had a special item menu so we decided to try the Reuben egg rolls. I am so glad the awesomely friendly bar tender let us know that the "egg rolls" were more the size of burritos. OMG, are these rolls fantastic!!!! read more

Academy Tavern - Perogies - Bars Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Great food, good service. Make sure they read your order back over the phone if you are calling it in. We have had consistent mistakes for the past three orders. That being said, I still am giving 5 stars because they are kind people with great food. read more

Casual pub on Larchmere. The eggplant parmesan is fantastic. The turkey burger and fries were both delicious. This a great place for comfort food. Entrees run about 10$. Its more affordable but less fancy food then the tavern across the street. Both great venues but this one is just more casual. It's open Sunday nights unlike most places on Larchmere! read more

Academy Tavern - Turkey burger - Bars Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Service was good . Because of Covid the menu is limited. I see it will be nicer after Covid is over .

Went here for taco week were tacos should have been $2.00. There was one on the advertisement that was $8.00 not $2.00. Service was slow food was served in styrofoam containers. read more

Academy Tavern - Patio area. - Bars Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio