you can hear del shannon in your head as soon as you walk in. The owner looks like a 75 year old tony soprano sucking on a cigar. all the servers say "sweetheart" and there was a drunk guy with a jimmy stewart style hairdo that went up to this guy at the bar, grabbed his shoulders and said "BERNIE, I'M BEGGIN YOU YOU GOTTA BUY MY HOUSE" and then his wife back at their table starts rasping about how he doesn't even own the house, etc. so, you see, it doesn't just look like 1955 in there, it very well may BE 1955 in there. except the indians games are on the tv, and i'm pretty sure they didn't have shin soo choo back then. anyways the academy burger is bigger than my pet guinea pig and twice as tasty read more

Sorry, didn't like the change. The new beer list...something wrong with Coronas? Took away a lot of old favorites.....Mac and cheese....greens! Good to make new friends, but nice to keep the old ones, too! Raised prices and to top it off, charging $.75 for a slice of bread we never ordered. After being patros for almost forty years, we said our goodbyes to the Academy Tavern. Not worth the drive. Not worth the money! " $.75 for a slice of bread? You've got to be kidding!!! read more

The Academy Tavern has long been a staple of the Larchmere neighborhood. They have recently overhauled their menu and updated the decor. The place was always good. Now it is fantastic! Although the new menu has banished some of the old Academy standbys, you will find them replaced with an amazing selection. Everything from the side salad to the Academy Burger has seen major improvements. The ingredients are extremely fresh and the new chef is top notch. You can usually expect to see the owner, Sam, somewhere in the joint chatting up the regulars. Make sure you say hi and tell him what you think of the place. I highly recommend a visit. Stop in for a beer and a sandwich or a full on meal. You will not be disappointed. read more

Under "New Management" as of 03/07/2015. Some alcoholic beverage prices doubled, overnight. Menu has gone upscale, with higher prices and smaller portions to match. (3-large onion rings as a side, $4, / $2 extra if substituted for Fries.) Now its Big Plates, with small servings, of so-so food. Catfish Reubin was shy on slaw, and heavily breaded in hot, hot, hot, cajun-style breading. Yuck. Service was shaky on maiden voyage, @ 5:00 pm Saturday, And, many of the kitchen-style lower-tables and chars have been replaced with bar-height hard wood stools and tables. Oh, and They QUIT accecpting Restaurant.com vouchers, which was not communicated until it came time to pay the bill, despite the fact that the half-off certificate was out and visable on table @ time of ordering, read more

This is a great bar if it's what you're looking for - "Cheers"-like atmosphere, moderate food, moderate beer selection. Great patio with a live jazz night every week during the summer. Also a Mediterranean grill nights in the summer. Lots of local color/ambiance read more

This would be my go-to place to watch sports if I lived in the Shaker heights area. Partook of an eggplant parmesan sandwich and a Christmas ale (still on tap, yay!) during a recent trip and the food was pretty good bar fare. Not sure if I would come back for the sandwich alone, but the bar definitely serves its purpose as a neighborhood bar. read more

So I can cross coming here off my bucket list! It has been around for a long time. You seat yourself, so you may need to come early. Family, dive bar ambiance. You can seen customers from college students to octogenarians at the same time. All seem to enjoy being here. We had the fish fry - order one for two people. The clam chowder was loaded with clams and obviously freshly made. The pierogies were very good. Nice selection from the bar. Service was friendly. Great experience! read more

The Academy may be the coziest place east of the Mississippi (besides your grandma's house, of course). They also have veggie burgers; their food is homemade and served in big portions; the people who work there are very warm and friendly; and they have a nice, unpretentious crowd of all ages. read more

Great casual restaurant with a relaxing patio out back. Sandwiches are priced below 10 bucks. Dinners are a little more. There is something for everyone. Beer selection is good. Great little neighborhood bar...... read more

The pike did not disappoint! Huge portion and so flakey and delicious! Our waitress was attentive; fun to have her wait our table. We loved the pub feel the minute we walked in. Worth our 40 minute drive. read more

Had obscenities yelled at me from an over served patron sitting next to me, because I rode my bicycle to have dinner here and he hates cyclists. Did not receive an apology and the patron continued to be served and scream vulgarities at myself and other cyclists in the room. The food was fine, but I have issue with allowing these types of patrons to ruin others experience of others. Eventually we left and he stayed. First and last visit. read more

Great bar to visit. I go here when I don't want any fuss, they have an improving craft beer selection. Wings are the bedt

This is truly a classic in Cleveland. Amazing burger, great home made italian salad dressing and charmingly eccentric staff. I practically grew up here and it feels like home. The have recently spruced up the joint including a patio. read more

This place is a dump, not a dive. A neighborhood dive would be great, this place should be closed down. DIrty, rotten wood floors, walls dirty Overall filthy. Service horrible. The owner was apologetic, said the girl in our section was getting over an illness, she forgets things, we should have sat on the other side. Well, when we asked a server from the "other side" about getting some Italian dressing she said"is that like vinegar?". And she proceeded to bring us different types of vinegar. Food was average to below average when it finally arrived cold. In addition the server was coughing into her hands, I hate to see what goes on in the kitchen. I can only think that the good reviews are from years ago. There is nothing charming about this bar restaurant. This place is well beyond it's prime. read more

Been coming here most of my life. It's always good and the service is fast and casual. Sam is a cool guy and doesn't price gauge- which I like- anyway give it a shot read more

Met my wife here for dinner food was excellent service was great Atmosphere is old school but very friendly.

New chef with new menu. Food was great. Big burgers with fresh cut fries. The open faced sandwich was on thick-cut toasted bread and piled high with mashed potatoes and beef. Service was fast and friendly. The new decor gives the place a modern look. Will go back, too many things on the menu we want to try. read more

The Academy has always had a great atmosphere, the perfect old school neighborhood bar. I had not eaten there in awhile, but in the past month I have dined there twice and the food each time has been amazing - so good that you keep thinking about what you had (AM flatbread, falafel burger) and wanting to go back again. Plus last night they had someone playing the piano throughout the evening. We had guests from out of town and they loved it too! read more

Great beer selection! The soups are incredible! The new menu is outstanding and the food is fresh and expertly crafted. Will return again and again! read more

If you're looking for an establishment with great food, great staff and a great draft beer selection, then this is the place for you! We visited Academy Tavern by recommendation of a friend (said they had the best patio in town). Unfortunately it started to rain on our way but that didn't deter us from giving this place a try. The outside looks like a typical dive but don't let that scare you away! The inside is warm and welcoming and has a vintage old time watering hole feel to it. I can't say enough good things about the staff. Friendly and attentive! The food was phenomenal! We ordered a flatbread and falafel burger. We had such an enjoyable experience and will definitely return! read more

This place is a great local alternative to the fancy places on Shaker Square, what with their transient crowds of upscale folks looking for the safely eclectic. Here we merely find classic American and Middle-Eastern comfort food... a friendly blue-collar staff... lively, colorful piano-playing (on Wednesdays!)... dated, dark-wood decor... and a wide variety of locals you can get to know with repeat visits. If you're a sports fan, the bar is wide and the coverage is good across a couple of big screens above. The proprietor is a fun, grizzled, cigar-chomping Lebanese guy, and that sort of trickles down to most things about the place in excellent ways. Note: be sure to try their grilled kebobs during the warmer months. During cold months, their soups and chilis can warm up the coldness in your bones something fierce. read more

I would like to start off by saying that this is somewhat of a temporary rating because I would like to come back. The patio is absolutely adorable, very quaint and the food was delicious. Our server, however was awful. At the beginning, she was great and came to check on us a couple times. Once we ordered food she disappeared. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt because the Indians game was on but I literally never saw her until we decided to come inside to watch the rest of the game. A few times that the door to the patio opened I saw her inside sitting at the bar WATCHING the game while other servers were bustling around trying to get food out. Another server brought our food and at that point we made our way inside and sat next to the owner Sam, who is nice. Even at this point, now that the game was over, we still had to ask twice to close our tab. It was more frustrating then anything. I wanted to say something while sitting next to the owner but he was in conversation with numerous people. However, the food was great and other servers seem to be making the job their first priority. Maybe I will have an update soon when I make my way back! read more

We are visiting artists in the Cain Park art fair and dropped by this evening for a bite to eat and a couple of beers. I am stunned that this placed is not packed with people! The service is attentive, the food, awesome and the beer selection is good, too. Beside all this, the whole vibe is amazing! Completely laid back and friendly. This place is a gem! We are coming in again before we leave. Locals, get with it! You are missing out;. Head over and enjoy something that's been around since 1939! read more

This place is a neighborhood staple. The food is consistently good, and they always have a good variety of beers on tap, which changes regularly. I've heard the entrees are good, but I always go there for a burger or the Turkey Reuben (delicious). The atmosphere is nice too, on the dark side with lots of wood, pretty old fashioned looking. I just wish they would replace the high top tables inside with regular tables or booths. The back patio is also incredible in the summer. I've had several nice evenings having dinner out there, often with live music. I really like Academy! read more

Very disappointed and shocked. I recently started working in the Area and have heard great things about Academy Tavern as they have been around for Years!!! Yesterday I ordered an Academy burger to go and it was decent, I asked for a to go menu for future orders. Today I decided to try another item that caught my eye. I asked any coworkers if they were interested in ordering anything. Upon calling we were informed the menu I had JUST received the day before was "outdated" and the prices were not correct. I asked why was I given it then? I got no clear concrete answer. Instead of them honoring the menu they gave me the day before they said they had to "up-charge" us for what the sit down menu price was. Against better judgement we decided to order anyway. I ordered a Buffalo Chicken Egg Roll and as I was eating it I hit my tooth on a bone. I called to inform them that there was a bone in my egg roll. The same lady I had spoke with about the pricing said that the chicken was boneless. I again explained I had a bone in my chicken egg roll. She said I had to wait till after 5pm to talk to a manager but she doubted me and my story and said she knew that I would find "any" reason to call to back. Insulted I said excuse me may I have your name? And then she hung up on me. Being a paying customer spending 20 dollars in 2 days at an establishment I expect better customer service. That being said I marched back to the Academy Tavern with the bone to show her I have no reason to lie or complain about an order. This "lady" for lack of a better word refused to acknowledge me because she knew she was wrong. Fortunately the cook came out, he looked at the bone apologized and refunded me. I will not spend another dime in this establishment nor will I recommend it ever again. In the future the customer is always right, if they were given a menu the previous day the prices in that menu should be honored. Also if a customer has a bone in 'boneless" chicken apologize first before insulting them and accusing them of lying. Its Bad for business!!!!! Think I will stick with Big Al's instead. Great customer service and more bang for your buck. read more

Came here for the fish fry on a Friday during Lent. It took awhile to find a seat, but I was constantly being assured by leaving customers that the food was worth the wait. We get a seat at the bar and order a couple beers and our dinner (we both had the perch dinners). I usually don't have a problem waiting for food to come out, but it took nearly an hour for us to receive our 2 dinners and an appetizer of pierogis. I cut into my fish and about half way through the first piece I find a pin bone. I shrug it off as a missed bone and continue eating. In the second piece is where it went south. I only ate half the piece of fish and found an additional 4 pin bones. Now I've done some fishing in my life, and I know it can be difficult to get all the pin bones when filleting perch, but this was ridiculous. I immediately lose my desire to continue eating in fear of missing one of the bones and choking. I bring the bones to the bartender's attention and she apologized and took the bones back to the chef. The response I received from the chef was "that he's glad you found the bones, but it's fish and there's not a whole lot you can do, ya know?" I was absolutely floored at this response. I bit my tongue asked for the bill, paid, and walked out the door. I really wanted to give the Academy Tavern a higher rating. I love the atmosphere and the selection of beer was hard to beat, but their customer service is severely lacking. Maybe I'll give this place a shot again sometime down the road, but for now I have no desire to go back. read more

We love this right-out-of-a-50's-TV-show place on a corner in blue collar Cleveland. Solid from top to bottom. Tin ceiling, original bar, brews written on the bar glass, tall drinks, specials on an old chalkboard - and how special they are! You can't go wrong with their burgers, and the fish fry - WOW. I am not a fish fry fan at all, but this perch was light, delicate, and perfectly prepared. Coupled with an excellent slaw, a wide assortment of sides, and a huge hunk of fresh bread and butter - sigh. read more

Nice place to relax and grab a beer. The patio is nice and bright in the summer, I find it a bit dark inside but it gives a real retro feel. read more

They recently updated there menu which is a huge improvement from before. The beers too. Worth checking out for a casual bite to eat or drink. read more

Just an awful meal! Ordered the meatloaf dinner that came with broccoli and mashed potatoes. Everything came cold. Meatloaf was dry and tasted like it had been made several days prior. Mashed potatoes had off tangy taste and broccoli wasn't drained properly so plate was sloshing around in it's water. read more

never again .. what a shame too .. my husband & I used to go here at least once a year (full confession .. with an Entertainment coupon) but have not been in perhaps 5 years or so (full confession .. we no longer buy the Entertainment book) - on this past visit we found that the once plentiful menu with tons of choices is no more .. once we got menus they were tossed on the table with a very curt "WE NO LONGER SERVE THE PIEROGIES .. THE FALAFAL PATTY .. OR THE PORK CHOPS" .. I ask you what self respecting tavern in Cleveland does not serve pierogies even as an appetizer? .. we were also informed of a few specials .. were there on a Friday but were not told of the Friday fish fry .. we discovered that via a video board on the wall .. I would have ordered that had I known (my previous favorite was a red snapper dinner no longer on the meager menu) but instead had a hot ham & cheese that quite frankly I could have made better at home .. onion rings were tasty & plentiful .. husband had a burger that again I could have made better at home .. tots were tasty & plentiful .. we will not be back .. not with this pathetic menu read more

Great place on Larchmere! The owners are usually there and are the nicest folks. Great place to eat outside when it's nice, or inside if there's a game on. I love this place! read more

We tried this place a few weeks ago. The food was exactly what you expect from a tavern- nothing particularly special, just greasy bar food- but sometimes greasy bar food is just what you want! Our waitress was wonderful- had lots of advice about the extensive beer list, and when she realized they were out of many of the beers we wanted to order, she offered us one on the house. We loved our experience there. read more

I couldn't believe how good the food was here! I came here with my family on a Monday afternoon and the place was almost empty, so we got the whole patio to ourselves, which was nice. The waitress was very nice and the service was good. I got the eggplant parmesan sandwich and it was delicious. My brother and boyfriend both got the Academy burger and they loved it. The best part of the meal was definitely dessert--I got the peanut butter brownie with vanilla ice cream and it was FANTASTIC. I'm still thinking about it. It was a warm brownie with warm peanut butter in the middle and it tasted like a warm reese's cup. It was one of the best desserts I've ever had. TL;DR the food was delicious, friendly waitress, good service and a nice patio. Highly recommend. read more