Having a meal with Chef Mario and his team, on a recent weekend, has been a culinary highlight of…read more2025 (for us) in the greater Cleveland area! Tucked in the penthouse floor of a nondescript office building near the outdoor Fairview Mall complex...you navigate your way up the old, rickety elevator and around a couple of awkward corners to emerge in the kitchen of Mario's eclectic yet homey space. Getting a dinner reservation here is no easy task. It typically involves a series of text messages where you can determine when his schedule might allow for an opening for your party. Don't get discouraged as he's a very popular guy so it may be several months before you can find an open slot that meets your needs, but believe me...it is worth the wait! Pre-reservation (by a few days) you'll receive word of his chosen menu options during your visit where you'll be able to select from a variety of salad and soup options and then each guest may also choose their main dish from a variety that was larger than I'd expected for such a small operation. With seating for maybe 20 guests, when you arrive Chef Mario will greet you personally and then places you at one of his dining tables and the adventure begins! Drink orders are taken (only one red and one white wine option will be available), but feel free to bring your own spirits, wine, etc. As the meal began (and progressed), course after course of small bite plates are brought forward with a variety of tastes, textures, combinations and wild flavor mashups. I'm not going to recount each one, but every dish was truly unique and memorable. Interspersed with these "chef's choice" courses came our soup / salad choices and later in the meal our main dishes. My wife loved here burrata salad as well as her black squid ink pasta with lobster. I adored my seafood bisque and filet mignon cabernet. By the time the dessert courses arrived (yes, there was more than one!) it was getting hard to finish the dishes, but we soldiered on! In total, I think we were served nine or ten separate courses (many of which are small plate / bite style) with wine continuously flowing across this price fixe meal. It was a glorious feast in a very intimate atmosphere where you WILL get to know your table neighbors by the nature of of space layout and his intentions for communal meals. Run (don't walk) to make a reservation for this incredibly unique dining experience before Chef Mario decides to call it quits. We cannot wait for our next adventure there!

This lives up to all hype! Mario is a genius and this was the most wonderful dinner. There are…read morerules for dinner. I am not sure about lunch. So take this for dinner. You call or text and make dinner reservations. He tells you the time. A week before he texts you the menu and you choose a salad or soup and the entree. The rest is left up to his whim. We started with red or white wine. Basic wine. If you want something else bring it. Mario provides you with antipasti, bruschetta, and other light bites. Delicious and all different. All expertly hand crafted. You then get your soup or salad and some homemade bread. We got pepperoni roll. Then you get your entree. Even though you have already feasted on a number of small dishes. The entree can be pasta, steak, lamb, veal, chicken. You choose. It comes to your table because you ordered it a week before. I got the veal sambiocca. And my partner got the pasta primavera. Pasta is not cream based but tomato based with a ton of veggies. Fresh with herbs too. The veal was tender with cheese and prosciutto in a butter wi e sauce. Amazing. In between courses Mario comes by and makes sure you're ok and tells you a story or about the dish. It's very pleasant and gentile. You feel like you're in Italy. But you are in Rocky River. Dessert was a mascarpone pie with a strawberry purée. Light and delicious. The whole meal was light. You did not feel like you were too stuffed but, I didn't eat till 3p the next day. Mario's son waited on us and otherwise he is pretty much chief cook and bottle washer. It's all good and fun and delicious! It's a small 18 seat restaurant. So that's why only by reservation. It's in a non de script office building. You take a rickety elevator to the P or penthouse. Then you will have a fun time in Italy. The saddest part is that now I discovered him, he will be retiring at the end of the year. Bring cash. You can pay cards but not sure if you will get a surcharge. This is not cheap. Plan to spend over $150 for 2 people, not including tip. Well worth a special occasion. We will be back! Made reservations for next month.

Start with a lavender margarita! Subtle and refreshing with a punch. Need two!…read more Then the alote dip says comfort and satisfaction. Tacos delivered, but the Diablo Shrimp couldn't be stopped. Taste, Spice and a search for a spoon. Great addition to the River food scene!

Super sad to write that Char is now called "Avo"......??? I came here last year when it was Char…read moreWhiskey Bar and LOVED it! Atmosphere was a wood, rustic, whiskey barrel feel and the food was great. Came back this year, and it was probably the most brutal restaurant experience I've had in a while. So Char is now called Avo Mexican, but they didn't change the atmosphere to replicate a Mexican place. It's still whiskey themed- with signs slapped on the old logo. They still have some of the old menu items from Char- which is so confusing too. When we walked in I asked the host if the bar was open seating. He said "oh I don't know" and walked away. We just sat at the bar since he didn't come back. We asked the Bartender what happened to Char and he said the owners wanted a rebrand. But it looked like a whiskey bar still....they didn't rebrand anything. I got a marg and my guy asked for a Mexican beer they used to have. Bartender said we haven't had that in a year. So they got rid of all their Mexican beers....? Even though they are now a Mexican place? So he ended up getting a Coors Light. My Marg lacked any sweetness or Agave. It was tequila and lime juice- poor bartender was struggling with 4 bar guests. It was kinda sad. I got a taco salad and my guy got a burger. He used to get the burger with fries, but now that it's Mexican, they only have chips. We had chips and guac for an app, so that was super annoying. Fries used to be really good. And who wants a burger without fries? Place wasn't busy, but our food took 35 minutes. Bartender kept apologizing and saying the kitchen was slammed. It clearly wasn't, I'm sure the cooks were adjusting to a new menu. Food was okay. Used to be really good, but I wouldn't recommend anymore. I guess they close at 8pm some days, because around 7:40 when we just had gotten our food, the bartender said it's last call. We were kinda laughing that they did a last call during normal dinner hours. My fiancé was considering getting another beer after dinner, but I guess they were closing...so weird. I've never seen a place close at peak dinner hours. No idea why they rebranded it. Confusing signage, food is not good anymore, drinks are bad, atmosphere doesn't make sense, menu is lackluster, service and kitchen are lacking, hours are bad. Sucks to write this, but I 100% will not be returning.

Everything , food, service friendly staff . Plenty of room for the large party we came with .read more

Worst delivery I have ever had. Its sister, Gunselman's on Lorain, 44126, is 100% better than this…read moreride-on-their coattails to- go place. My ordered 'med rare' burger was well done. My fish (without the chips) were so greasy, I ate a half of one and thought I'd gag. Onion rings - the only good item. Must have their own grease basket. Never will I recommend this place to anyone. And I'm hungry and tired from chemo. Hangry. THIS IS NOT A FOOD BANK. IT'S A TO-GO RESTAURANT

BEAUTIFUL PLACE…read more Wow, the architecture in there I really like it. I took some pictures. I think they will show up at the bottom of this review of what used to be the front door. Fascinating space. I looked it up. It used to be retail when it was built in the 30s, and then it was renovated in the 60s and now it looks like they took all three storefronts for the restaurant. I was sitting there admiring the Cherrywood floor and thinking what used to be here. That display window I wonder if it was a little department store. They were very busy, the bartender was working it! Nice guy. Outside was packed. That's where I wanted to sit, but I sat in the dining room. The Lamb burger was excellent, handcrafted almost like a lamb meatloaf but very firm like a burger. It was great. My brother had the pasta and he loved it. I had an old Forrester and one of the house beers and my brother had a house beer. The whole tab out the door was $97 for the two of us. Next time I'll make a reservation and try to sit outside on a nice day. Very nice place five stars.

The food was superb and seasoned to perfection. The roasted beets and carrot salad was extremely…read moretasty. Our server was excellent and even suggested an off menu Tequila cocktail with Mezcal. We easily got a Friday night reservation, it could have been because we were getting some snow this evening. I highly recommend if you are a foodie.

My husband and I ate here today. OMG the best hamburgers ever. The taste of the sauce and all…read morethe other toppings, it came together perfectly. It was very busy because of the $10 burger, but our waitress from the bar area was amazing. We will return!! Robin F

Went with our daughter's to enjoy one of the CLE Burger week specials at 5:45PM. Stood at bar for…read morean hour and were eventually told there was no silverware, menus and the kitchen was asking staff to no longer seat people. Then when sharing our frustration was told that is was 2h to closing and that due to being short-staffed, apparently we were asking a lot for to be seated as a "large party" after a busy weekend. We were at that moment told a table was available. We ultimately paid the bar tab and left to have dinner at Nuevo Acapulco. Guess we need to be sure to arrive earlier than 3h before closing next time.

I've been hearing about the "Aviator" for a long time and for one reason or another just never got…read morethere. Well we finally made it tonight. It is not what I expected. The facility is far bigger than I thought it would be. They have a central restaurant with multiple party centers on either side. It's a really BIG facility. New, modern, and quite attractive. With plenty of convenient parking. The wall of the restaurant that faces Cleveland Hopkins Airport is all glass. It affords you quite an impressive view of the airport and the planes landing. The staff we met was pleasant and efficient. Our server, Mina, did an excellent job all night. If there was a weak point, it would be the food. It was not bad (I'm trying to be kind); it was just uninspired, limited, and not really well prepared. Because they do not offer bread for the table our only option was to order the "Soft Pretzel". It arrived badly overcooked, crunchy not soft, and even boardering on burnt. The charcuterie board was OK, but uninspired. I ordered the "Lemon Chicken" which was a full half chicken in a reasonably good sauce. But the meat was dry and it came only with brussel sprouts (yuk!). My wife had the "Walleye" which she simply said was "okay"... oh well. Our guests weren't any more impressed than we were. I will say our coffee and "Pot de Creme" were very good... thank goodness. All in all, our overall experience was "meh"... just "meh". Sorry - really probably should be 3.5

Celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary called for something simple, yet memorable--and The…read moreAviator delivered exactly that. We dropped in for Happy Hour, looking for cocktails and a few bites, and were immediately struck by the well-appointed space. The runway views at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport added an unexpected layer of entertainment--watching planes take off and land while toasting 14 years of marital bliss felt like the perfect backdrop. We started strong with a French 75 and an Old Fashioned--both expertly crafted, but that Old Fashioned? Smooth, balanced, and memorable enough to set the tone for the entire evening. Wednesday happens to be Wing Day ($2 whole wings), and we took full advantage. We sampled Buffalo, Sweet & Tangy BBQ, Lemon Pepper Dry Rub, and the undeniable star of the show: Garlic Parmesan. Each had its own personality, but that Garlic Parmesan was simply elite. Service was impeccable--Emily was attentive without being intrusive, making sure our experience flowed as effortlessly as the cocktails. Speaking of which, round two brought a Cosmo alongside a repeat of that Old Fashioned...because when you find the right note, you stay in that key. For food, we shared the French Dip Baguette--shaved prime rib, provolone, horseradish aioli, and au jus done right--and paired it with the Mega Crunch Fries, elevated with sea salt, rosemary, and a light truffle oil drizzle. Simple menu items, executed with intention. We closed the evening the same way we began--together, with one final round of Old Fashioneds. A Happy Hour well spent. A celebration well honored. A 14-year journey still taking off.

So happy we stopped at Quinn's Kitchen and Bar in Bay Village today. This is a place that flew…read moreunder our radar until tonight. It's been a round since 2023. How did we miss this place? We had seen some instagram post about peanut butter dessert and thought we should stop. This old Lawson's building has been converted into an intimate, beautiful and inviting restaurant. The menu is one of those menu's where you want to try 3 or 4 things and feel bad you can only try one of two. So we will definitely come back. Service from Britt was spot on and we visited with the GM Patrick. The food. We tried the smash burger. Large double burger( I would characterize as a double cheese burger as the patties where not smashed), amazing taste and cooked perfectly. As a side I got the cherry goat cheese salad as a side. Not one thing bad about this salad. Perfect. We tried the blackened Chicken on a cheesy risotto. Wow. Licked the plate. We ordered the blood orange sorbet and was surprised with a small portion of the Peanut Butter Bomb. Holy Cats. The Peanit Butter Bomb may be the best dessert ever. We will be going back soon. Very very soon.

Good food, large portions and great service…read more Thanks for having gluten free options. The drinks were also very good and good happy hour deals The parking is tight though

Great food choices, great patio. Had a salmon salad that was perfect!…read more Highly recommend stopping in!

AJ's has new owners who have breathed new life into this great local restaurant. They have kept…read more favorites on the menu as well as adding some exciting new items. There is a private room that can fit about 30 people. This is a great spot for lunches or dinners. The patio is super cute. The carryout is amazing too.

first time at scramblers, and despite moderate expectations i was pretty thoroughly disappointed…read more immediately upon walking in, i couldn't help but notice food all over the floor. in front of the hostess stand, under tables. we were seated at a dirty table by an unfriendly hostess and had to smear food off the seats. waffles were majorly undercooked and soggy. undercooked bacon. the chicken, reportedly, was good. hash browns were overly salty and wet. eggs were okay, but nothing to write home about. unfortunately, disappointing for the price. my first time will also be my last.

This is a GREAT restaurant chain out of Toledo. Many items on the menu are all you can eat. This…read morelocation has an outdoor patio. The North Olmsted location has private rooms for parties and corporate events. The new Rocky River location might also have this. Some locations let people use their space in the evening or night for events. The waitress on 7-20-25 at 6:30 am was very nice, I used my birthday reward. They are open from 6:30am to 3:00pm daily.

Herb's Tavern has been around forever and I'm embarrassed to say that it was my first time here !…read moreAnd I loved it !!! There's a parking lot in the back, which is always helpful. We walked in for brunch on a Sunday morning, and we were able to snag the last seat on the patio. I loved the little shade sails over the patio! It really helped keep things cool. The wait staff seemed a little stressed. But we were waited on by a man and were brought our food by a younger girl. Both were very sweet and pleasant ! I was with three other people and we all loved our food! I'm kind of a French toast snob, and it was incredible ! My husband got a ham & Swiss omelette and loved all the cheese on it. He said it was great. We also both agreed that the hash browns were incredible. A perfect balance of crispy and soft. My only little complaint was that our food all came out at different times, so I was done eating before two of the people in my party even received their food. One of the other servers came over to apologize to us for the scene, which I was confused by. Apparently the next table over were throwing a fit because they couldn't split their checks. I had no idea! So kudos to the staff for handling it discretely. Afterwards though, we DID hear the disgruntled guests honking obnoxiously at the patio and flipping us all the bird. lol what in the world? Hopefully their day got better. Lol

Over all the food was good but this is ala carte ala carte. Order a sandwhich and that is what…read morecomes on the plate. The plate looked bare. No Chips. No Pickles. The burgers all seemed small compared to another like burger joint. My wife likes to have drink at dinner and the drink was very good but$15.75!!!