Time well spent, if you need a traditional bar with great food, friendly no frill service, where nostalgia runnith over, get your booty to the Flat Iron Cafe...I mean it's Cleveland's oldest Irish bar after all. The weather was taking a turn for the worse and we needed to take cover, and like a beacon the Flat Iron Cafe was the ideal location. Admittedly, it had been 15+ years since I had been there, I instantly felt at home and was comfortable the minute I sat down. The bar offers great beer on tap, including your Irish staples, plenty of seltzers if that's your thing and an incredible menu. I mean if for nothing else, come for the food. I had to get the perch, local perfectly fried with fresh cut fries, never a wrong choice. My husband went for the French dip and said it was succulent! Not to be repetitive but the menu is amazing! I cannot wait to come back for lunch (if you work in the area, bring 8 friends and they will send the shuttle to pick you up). I look forward to making the Flat Iron s part of my routine, you still get the Flats without all the noise and pomp! read more

See all

I have always wanted to come here and just never did for some reason. Oldest Irish bar in Cleveland in flats at a very unassuming corner. You can park in the lot and pay or find parking. We found parking down the street. Walked in. Sign said wait to be seated. So we did. Finally after a few minutes someone noticed us and asked what we wanted. To eat. OK we are not busy sit anywhere. Kinda of a weird welcome. We found a seat and waited for menus. Menu is extensive. Lots of good looking items. Decided on the meatloaf sliders and colossal onion rings. Took about 15 mins and they came out hot. They had onion straws and BBQ sauce on them. They are big. And I got 3 colossal onion rings. That was extra for $2. Could have used a bit more BBQ sauce but it was good! The onion rings are delicious. They come with a ranch horseradish type sauce. It was too much food and had to take some home. But honestly I'd get it again. Server was nice. We got the strawberry cider on tap, it was good. Bill was about $42 for the 2 of us. Good place. Not too big. They have a patio in front. Inside about 18 tables and the bar. TVs around. Good atmosphere. Steady business. We'd go back. Try something else. read more

Flat Iron Café - 3 meatloaf sliders and colossal onion rings - Pubs Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

I was extremely excited to come here based on the reviews. My wife and I arrived right around 6:00 PM on a Saturday. It took a few minutes to get seated (restaurant isn't too large). Waitress looked a little frazzled that took our order. My wife had a Harp draft and I just had a Miller Lite. We were getting ready to order our meals and the waitress told us they were out of mashed potatoes. Now the mashed potatoes were supposedly homemade and this was around 6 on a Saturday. My bangers and mash plan went south as did my wife with the corned beef platter, How does an Irish bar run out of mashed potatoes. We had an onion ring appetizer, our onion rings were outstanding but size didn't seem consistent with a neighboring table and a dipping sauce would have been good. I had meatloaf sliders which were good with cajun fries, My wife had the flat iron which is corned beef. Sandwich was large. She could barely eat half. The food wait time was about 35 minutes. I'd return again to try some authentic Irish specialties, and if they were sold out again I wouldn't return, This seems like a great Irish pub, I just wish I had a better culinary experience. I'll definitely get it another chance. read more

See all

Service is ok but service was very slow, burgers just ok, wings and onion rings was phenomenal, awesome layout with original bricks

Whenever I'm here, it feels like home. The space has great bones, a classic Irish feel, and I went to school with the owners - what a bonus! Even when Dave and Ryan aren't in, the staff acknowledges you immediately, you sit where you'd like, and they're genuinely happy you're visiting. Beyond Flat Iron being the oldest Irish bar in the city - very cool, the food keeps us coming back. They're known for having great wings and I'm declaring them to be my favorite. My husband can't say no to the clam chowder and we leave feeling full and happy. read more

See all

Is there such a thing as a fairy-tale dive bar setting? If so, this might be it. Tucked beneath a bridge, the old red brick exterior and green awnings draw the eye. It's the kind of building that makes you want to walk in before you even know anything about it. Too bad that motif doesn't quite carry over to the interior. The inside still has some dive bar charm, but it simply can't live up to the fantastic exterior. That said, the bar has plenty of personality, as did both the bartender and the patrons. The barkeep was quick to recognize newly arriving guests, chatty without being overbearing, and poured a proper pint of Guinness....a detail that always earns points in my book. A good neighborhood watering hole. read more

Granted, my first visit to this century old Cleveland institution, was for dinner before a big baseball game, but my god, they were very, very understaffed today. It took over 20 minutes for our server to take our order and then an hour to get our food. We ended up taking most of it to go to eat at the stadium... My order was a Diet Coke ($3) and a sandwich and a side. My side salad was basic, especially since it had a $2 upcharge to be a side. I was talked out of getting the Shepherd's Pie. That's fine but I still wanted to get an Irish specialty for my first time at Flat Iron, so I chose to get a New York Reuben with dressing on the side. I think it was the first Reuben I didn't really like. Ever. And it's one of my favorite and go-to sandwich types so I've tried a lot! It was just way, way too buttery/oily/just plain sloppy and my arteries felt very, very clogged after I ate it. I finished it since I am not a quitter and I was also hungry, but it wasn't an amazing experience. I am glad it was only $12 (plus $2 for the salad upcharge). I am rarely critical of food - that comes with being a hungry, hungry hippo, but the food here is a 2/5. They've been around for 115 years. You'd think they'd perfect their food at this point! The bathroom was also filthy and everything was very sticky. As for the good aspects - it's cheap, staff is friendly (when they finally get around to serving you), and the free shuttle to the Guardians stadium is a 10/10 perk that'll probably be the main reason why I would come back here in the future. Flat Iron is not what I expected, unfortunately. read more

See all

Pierogis were good. Shepherds pie just okay. We were seated upstairs and it did get busy.

Great old CLE landmark and pretty good food with lots to choose from. Service was busy for Saturday at 12noon but sitting at the bar helped. Great Irish food and many comfort food classics. Known for wings and Irish dishes. Very eclectic inside but inviting. We get here a couple times a year from Lorain area when we're in the Flats. read more

See all

Every time I say Flat Iron, my mouth begins to water. The infamous Wing Wednesday got me! I've always heard of this incredible deal at The Flat Iron, but haven't had the opportunity to try until recently. AND where have I been hiding? This place is a gem and the deal is like no other! The rule: Bone in wings must be ordered in multiples of 6 per flavor. I have never had such juicy and decent sized wings until that night. Please do yourself a favor and stop by Flat Iron to try this out yourself! read more

Flat Iron Café - Pubs Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

An old reliable. Flat Iron has great food, and service is solid. Been a long time since I had been in there, and its just as good as it ever was. read more

I heard this place is the oldest Irish pub in Cleveland. I decided to check it out. For appetizers, I got the clam chowder soup and my boyfriend got fried pickles. He loved the fried pickles because the batter was so light and crispy. The clam chowder was a bit salty for me. For entrees, I chose shepherd's pie and my boyfriend got the corned beef platter. The shepherd's pie was okay. I think there was just too much cheese on top. The lamb was good but I feel like there was something missing. My boyfriend's corned beef platter was a bit mediocre. The corned beef was not very good. However, the drinks were fun and super sweet for me. Our server was superb and nice. Overall, it is a historic pub but the food was meh. read more

Flat Iron Café - Shepherd's Pie - Pubs Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

We popped in on a Tuesday evening for dinner. Great seats at the bar with a very attentive bartender. For a starter, we enjoyed their Colossal Onion Rings with a zippy horseradish sauce. Then we had a perfect cooked to temperature burger and a tasty primanti sandwich. Fries were nice and hot. read more

Flat Iron Café - High Level Burger w cheddar - Pubs Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

See all

A great place for lunch, dinner or drinks. I had the Lake Erie Perch plate and it was plenty of food. The coleslaw is good and the perch can't be beat! Service was good and our server was very good. Enjoyed my experience for lunch and would go back for more. read more

Flat Iron is a long-time iconic pub in the Flats. It was established in Cleveland in 1910. It historically served the Irish community in Cleveland. Now, it's a destination for long-time customers who have probably been going here for years. It's also a destination of Funny Bus, and buses before/after sporting events. It's a casual pub experience. The pub is no frills establishment with wood and exposed brick details. There is a bar downstairs and a few dining tables. There's also a party room upstairs available for reservations. Limited covered patio is available. You can find bar merch here such as shirts, hats, koozies, glasses, and gift cards. I have been visiting this pub for years. I stopped in frequently with friends and family when I lived downtown. I used to constantly crave their perch and pierogies. I always enjoyed beers here. My latest visit was unlike any prior experience, very mediocre. I was in the area for a music event, and stopped in. I was actually very surprised with this decline of the establishment. The bar looked dingy and unclean. Some of the bottles at the bar had thick and visible layers of dust. I ordered pierogies ($11), and received a very strange meal. The pierogies were very small, smothered in an overwhelming amount of cheese and onion. The dish lacked sour cream. The meal did not look appetizing at all. It didn't resemble a meal I'd expect from a bar or a restaurant. So after taking it to go, I changed my mind and never ate it. It was a much different presentation of pierogies than previously. I also remember the service always being jolly and welcoming. It used to be this friendly neighborhood pub. I can't say the same about this visit. It was a more dismissive and apathetic service. I was left unhappy with the changes at this once very tasty and friendly bar. Based on my latest experience I'm unlikely to return. I hope that this establishment can once again become its old self - jolly, fun, with good spirits and food! If you decide to venture out, here's a note about parking. There is limited street parking available in the area. There is also a paid parking lot right across from the pub. The parking lot is Heritage Park with the following prices: $3 daily parking (before 4 PM), $4 evening parking (after 4 PM), $5 weekend parking, and special events as posted. You can pay for parking at the signs with QR codes via mobile payment. The area is not very well lit at night, so remain aware of your immediate surroundings. read more

See all

On 8/5 I purchased the perch and onion rings for a total of $26. Now, it did show on the website that it was a pretty large order and shareable...maybe I saw that wrong, because it was a small order. It was not fried crispy. It was a to-go order. When I came in to pick it up and saw it I asked the bartender if he could do a different order because the onion rings were overcooked and perch undercooked. He stated "nope, because it was already brought out to you". read more

Flat Iron Café - Pubs Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

I feel like the inside is like home if i lived in cleveland it was very welcoming. For the food i was for the most part satisfied but i wish the food had a little more flavor and the beer was very good but my kid's lemonade was tasting like minute maid and i was upset because we have a whole jug of it at home. Our server was very nice but the food took forever to get to me. I overall enjoyed this experience but i don't think i would come back because i live 3 hours away. read more

Really wanted to like this place because it was the oldest Irish pub in Cleveland. Stopped on our tour with the Funny Bus (highly recommend) so we came back for food the same day. It was wing night and place was not crowded but service was extremely slow. Slow service for beers and the second half and half beer was not separated.-extremely disappointing for an Irish bar. Waited over 40 minutes for wings and fries. Fries were cold and had to send them back. Wings- garlic Parmesan has no flavor but. Cajun dry rub was fair. read more

It's got everything!! Make this your next go-to place! Make this your next destination place! It's the oldest Irish pub in Cleveland (so they say)! As you can tell by my other reviews, I rarely give out 5 stars. Here's why I rated Flat Iron Cafe at a 5. It's got amazing pub/bar food. Very tasty. Remember this is pub food, not some high class bar in a 5 Diamond hotel joint. I've had the fish and chips which were amazing. 3 pieces of crispy cod with tons of fries and cole slaw. The breading is perfect and light. I recommend tartar sauce and malt vinegar. Today I ordered a cheeseburger. It did not disappoint. It's a HUGE 1/2 pound burger loaded with toppings, I got cheddar, cole slaw, pickles, and onions. I subbed the fries for their AH-MAZING onion rings! You may think only 3 onion rings is being cheap. I couldn't even finish them. They're huge, with the perfect ratio of breading to onion. I washed it down with a bottled Stella and it was perfect. Huge meal! Honestly, I couldn't finish it and had to give the rest to my dog (I don't do leftovers). BTW, you'll need two (2) bottles of beer to get this down! The ambience is perfect. It's been around since 1910 in that building. It's in the Flats, so the location couldn't ge more quintessentially Cleveland. It's even got great lore. The upstairs used to be a brothel, and the staff swears the place is still haunted with the ghost of "Mary" (I think) a former vender who has been reputed to still haunt the place moving things around to make her presence known....at least the staff swears by it. Either way, fun. The ambience is soo cool. After dinner, take a walk around the Flats and drink in the history. This is a fun place to be, to eat, and to drink. It's a popular hang out place before Cavs, Browns, and Indians games with their own bus service to all stadia. Sorry I didn't take pictures of my food. I promise you won't be disappointed. Great menu, amazing happy hour specials. PS: Walking out the door of the bar, walk directly towards the river where there is a memorial/shrine to all the immigrants who came over from the Old Country and say a Pater, Ave, and Gloria for our deceased forefathers. This is quintessential Cleveland, it doesn't get more Cleveland than this. So don't miss it. read more

My wife and I have a pre Christmas tradition of hitting Cantonese's seafood shop for oysters and then getting lunch at Flat Iron across the street. I'm always impressed with the quality of the food here! My Reuben was one of the best I've had, and that includes the very good one at Larder. Neighborhood bar environment, full of regulars, and our server was super attentive and went out of his way to look after us. This year we will be back *before* Christmas! read more

Flat Iron Café - Reuben sandwich with local microbrew - Pubs Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Oldest Irish pub in Cleveland. Great service. Food was delicious and servings are enormous. You will leave stuffed and in a larger pants size. Decor is cool without looking trendy/hipster. Conveniently located across from Larry Flint's Hustler club if dinner and a show is your idea of a cool time. read more

See all

What a great dive bar, pre-concert spot. We sat at the bar and the bartender was both friendly and funny. Met some other people from Cleveland, and it seemed like there were some real salt of the earth people in the bar. Oh, and the wings? A very unique almost breaded style wing that was big and flavorful. Will come back! read more

Flat Iron Café - Wings - Pubs Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

It's located in a very convenient place in the area. Personally didn't live up to the hype I was seeing. Flavors were bland. Our server recommended the wings so we got 6 wings to share and it really didn't have a lot of flavor to it. I did have the French onion burger special and that was good but the fries were bland. Be prepared to use some salt and ketchup to give it some flavor. Our server was really great. Very knowledgeable of the area and gave us tips on where to go and the best way to get around. If we're back in town we'd only be stopping here for drinks read more

Great food and service! This little Irish pub turned into such a great find for us. We found parking on the street and did the meter app payment. Walking in, we were greeted and we took in the atmosphere. It was a traditional pub with wood tables, chairs and bar seating. The drinks flowing and various sports were on the many tv's. Very clean on the inside too. I had a delicious Hot Ham & Cheese with cheddar. This was such a good sandwich and a solid choice. I went with the homemade pasta salad as my side. The sever let me try a sample before I committed to it and after a bite I was all in. My partner enjoyed the French Dip and he said it was perfect. Our server was great and attentive and was spot on with his recommendations. Extra points for suggesting trying a sample of the Pasta Salad and the cheddar for the sandwich. read more

See all

My mom and I were on our way to the aquarium when we saw this spot and wanted a small snack to hold us over until our flight back home. We stopped in and I'm so glad we did. We ordered the pierogis, fried pickle spears (ask for ranch), and the mozzarella sticks. The server was so kind and very attentive. She checked in just the right amount of time. The food was all delicious and very fresh tasting. The pickles are spears and they're beer battered, which I personally love better than a bread crumb coating. The pierogis were delicious and had the perfect amount of filling. If I'm ever back in Cleveland, I'll stop back. read more

See all

Cleveland is a wonderful city. And the Flat Iron did not disappoint. The food was good, wings especially tasty. The service was a little slow and our waitress and the kitchen did not seem to be able to answer some of our questions about the ingredients in one of the dishes (the chili). The pub is reasonably clean. It seems to be in a nice area of Cleveland. Would definitely go back. read more

Unbelievable service and even better vibes. This place will leave you with a smile 10 times out of 10

Terrible service. There for over an hour and a server(s) would not even look at us. Servers are always in a bad mood it seems. Maybe they will be happier after the Browns move. read more

In town for a concert. Ended up here for lunch by accident. Turns out they have a free shuttle to events. We parked there for free, took the shuttle and had a great time. The food was great (best clam chowder ever) but the service was fantastic. Our waitress, Tracy I believe, was incredible. She took time to give suggestions about local things to do, walked us outside and showed us how to get to the stadium and where the train was, asked other employees questions about local activities she didn't know the answer to. Absolutely amazingly welcoming, helpful and kind. Great place. read more

I visited here last night after looking at recommendations for the area. I always like to visit local dives and eateries and this seemed like a good fit. It's located in the Flats in a great location on the canal. It was a big menu for pub food. I had the fish and chips. It was a big portion and very good. Great service and good food. I would recommend! read more

Flat Iron Café - Fish & Chips - Pubs Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Went here to celebrate a special occasion with my wife. The horrible service and disgusting food (it is not edible and should never even been served to a human) made it an extremely unpleasant, but memorable experience. Never again and advise all to avoid this place. read more

Flat Iron Café - Pubs Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

See all

Came here for 2021 Cleveland Burger Week. They were jam-packed, but we got a table within maybe 20 minutes of arriving, then the line was out the door! Service was slow, but rather expected given their lack of staff that night. Servers were working their butts off!!! We sampled several burgers and two flavors of chicken wings. The double smashburger was good but lacked seasoning and flavor, it came flattop grilled to a perfect medium with onions and American cheese on a toasted brioche bun that held up well. The Bourbon bacon burger was slightly better in taste but was overcooked. It came topped with cheddar cheese, seasoned thick-cut bacon, onion straws and a Bourbon based BBQ sauce. Both meals came with fresh cut fries that could have been cooked slightly longer. We also sampled their hot garlic parmesan wings which were very crispy outside and juicy inside with a light sauce on top. The sauce was not hot at all but had a solid garlic and parm flavors combined. Their house made bleu cheese dressing was tangy and thick. Food was fairly average, but I'm willing to give them another try to see if that particular night was an anomaly. read more

See all

This place did the damn thing! We had the party room reserved! When I say the staff are amazing and very attentive. The kept the drinks flowing and the food was beyond fresh and hot. I ordered outside of the catered food the Buffalo pierogie and they were amazing. The have a large selection of alcohol since they are a full service bar: the space was clean and social distanced: read more

Flat Iron Café - Buffalo perogies! - Pubs Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

The food was fabulous. Everything is homemade and Cook to order. We had seven people everybody eating something different and there were no complaints. Well worth the trip. read more

My favorite Lake Erie perch in town! Beer selection is decent. They also often have live music! read more

Flat Iron Café - Lake Erie perch platter sub pasta salad instead of cole slaw! - Pubs Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Fantastic Irish pub nestled in the Flats. Haven't eaten here yet, but quenched my thirst in the midst of a 25 mile bike ride. The Guinness here is poured by professionals and tastes great, just as it should. Great atmosphere inside. Need to come back to eat here read more

See all

On a date night before a show on a Sunday evening we randomly stopped. It was perfect caught a seat at the bar had a flat iron steak and cornbeef. Top notch food and cool vibe. read more

Outstanding atmosphere, service, and food. Prices are so reasonable. Great experience! Can't go wrong here.

Great food, service, and ambience. Pierogis were best in town on our Pierogi Week pub crawl! read more

Flat Iron Café - a plate of food on a table - Pubs Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

All I'm gone say is Ashley rocked it out..It took us some time to get our food,I said before I get a attitude let me peep out the scenery....I then watched as she went to every single table...I came up with."She doing it alone so I can't complain...She attentive she running,she clearing tables,she cleaning and still checking on everyone with a smile though..I called her over to the table and asked for to go boxes....She returned,I said you by yourself ain't you...She explained that someone new was there as well,I said Ashley,that don't even matter,you know your shit,you on top of it and you doing a Great job...I told her I had to give her a shot out because she deserved a round of applause...If you ever go to Flat Irion Cafe,request Ashley.She the bomb read more