Winking Lizard is a chain in the Ohio area. We had a late lunch/early dinner at the one in…read moreIndependence. It's located at the top of this curvy road surrounded by a number of hotels. When you enter, you line up and then get seated by a host. Our waitress was nice and kept refilling our drinks. The food there was really good. This is what we ordered and shared between the two of us: -- Onion Ring Basket (our "app") -- Black Bean Burger with Fries -- Large Veggie Pizza My husband and I had read an article from one of the Ohio tourist brochures we picked up at a travel plaza about "Cleveland Pizza." So we figured why not give it a try at the Winking Lizard. It's was really good. My husband even said he liked it better than Chicago-style. We would definitely come back again.

Was hungry on way home from a Cavs game and we knew the Lizard would be upon, so we stopped in…read more Service was quick. The kitchen was still open - thank you, universe! I ordered the hot honey peach wings and the sauce was the perfect blend of sweet and heat. Their ranch dressing is amazing Clean bathrooms. Tons of TVs.

Visited The Oak Barrel for dinner recently. When we arrived, it was quiet and empty, which was…read moreideal. When we were seated, our waitress brought us some cold water in glasses and gave us menus. I felt like trying some bourbon, so I requested Larceny. There were a lot of tasty looking options on the menu, but I ultimately settled on salmon. My wife requested cod, and my son requested the rib dinner. The ambience of the place was nice. The waitress was friendly and there was a car show outside, which was cool. It didn't take long for our food to be cooked. My fish was hot off the grill, had a wonderful crispy finish, and was cooked to my specification. The salmon was delicious, as were the mashed potatoes it was served on. The asparagus was perfectly cooked and delicious as well. I was craving more. Everyone enjoyed their meals and with great service, we agreed that this could be a place we visit when we're in the area. Great stuff!

I went to this location with coworkers for our Employee Appreciation Dinner and I had the wings…read more. I really did like them. They're delicious. Also, there is a slight "kick" but definitely bearable. The calamari was good as well. We sat on the patio and regretfully, I didn't go inside (too full) but overall, I'm willing to visit again as I stay relatively close.

Don't bother if you're handicap. Bartender also wasn't very friendly…read more It's a bar with a few tables on the back and enclosed patio to smoke

Thought we'd try something new so we decided to come and check this place out. The food looked…read moredelicious based on the photos. When we arrived, we were with somebody in a wheelchair and they had the ramp blocked for handicap which is why I gave 4 stars. The staff was nice and tried to accommodate us. We made it work. The place was packed. The food was good had good flavor. The bread that comes with pasta tasted like burnt toast. The server was new but he did a great job and kept checking on us making sure our drinks were full. They had a large screen with basketball ball game on and good vibe. The bartender told us they are here just for a few more months then moving or closing. But if you have a chance check it out you should.

This is a divey hood spot but it has good employees (everyone was very nice) and great food. I…read moreordered hot honey wings and they were delicious! The right amount of sauce and pro tip; ask for them well done so that they can stay crispy! The environment can get a bit loud since there is a DJ sitting by the entrance.

Update. Been a bit since we've eaten here. Still the same. Met some friends here on a Tuesday…read more Wasn't crowded. The server was very nice and accommodating. We haven't seen these friends in a bit so we were kinda eating and lounging and talking. We ordered the original corn beef to split the regular size and we got the homade potato and cole slaw. Our guests got the corn beef as well and potato pancakes as their side. One liked the potato pancakes and one did not. They are mash potato consistency not shredded. I tasted they were ok to me. The potato salad and cole slaw were both good. Better choice. The corn beef actually looked smaller than usual. It was good but I thought it had been larger in the past. Maybe not anymore. Service was good. Food came out on time. This is a good place to go. Prices are a bit high but it's a deli. You can do what we did and split the sandwich. It enough food. Bar is nice. The patio is nice too. It's a good space and they even have a party room if you want to rent it out. Slymans is an institution. We will be back at some point again.

How disappointing. The corned beef was bland and like something from the grocery store. Also had…read morethe pastrami, so bland. The fries were so so. Service was good, only reason for 2 stars. Simons deli and restaurant is so much better than here.

A friend was visiting from out of town and this was one of the places I thought would be unique for…read moreher to visit. We shared the loco moski, paprikash sandwich, and a side of bacon wrapped tots (good option if you just want 2 and not the full appetizer). While the bacon wrapped tots are famous from Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, I actually liked the loco moski and paprikash sandwich more. The loco moski is a fun combination between a loco moco but with pierogi, and I like that the peppered gravy wasn't too rich. The paprikash sandwich was also a great combo of chicken, sausage, peppers, cheese, paprikash, on lightly crispy bread. Parking available as free street parking--though you may have to circle to find parking since it's near the Christmas House. Staff were nice and efficient. The place does feel a little tight in terms of space with less lighting, but there's still plenty of seating and what matters to me more is good food. Overall, great place to try local food. Would get the loco moski and paprikash sandwich again.

This place is a one stop shop for many Cleveland classics both original and vegan versions…read more My pre-trip research brought this place to my attention. I wanted to try the pierogi and the Polish boy and the KRAUT and having an extensive beer menu doesn't hurt either. Friendly neighborhood watering hole literally on the corner and basically across the street from the a Christmas story house allowing you to eat within eye sight of the leg lamp. I wanted basically everything from the menu that came vegan (spoiler alert there are tons and tons of things) but gastric space comes at a premium on vacation so we settled on the fried cheese. I was very excited to see the Polish boy (and vegan option no less) I didn't have much of a choice. GF ordered the vegan pierogi platter with vegan kielbasa on a bed of kraut. Firstly the fried cheese was head and shoulders above any mozz sticks or anything of the sort that I have had in memory. The breading is seasoned and crispy and heaven on earth. The cheese is PIPING. Like you will burn yourself if you, like me, have no patience. The accompanying tomato sauce is also steaming. So good. The Polish boy was also in a league of its own. Love that they have a vegan version. What a combo. Probably one of Cleveland's most important community contributions. We ordered the latkes to go and they were orgasmic. What a special place.

Fantastic food is about where the positivity ends here. Fridays nights they have only ONE person…read morebehind the bar and the cook. Service is super slow. Lisa is amazing, but she can't be everywhere at once and if you're seated outside the bar, you won't get served. Friday nights are bingo nights, which are fun. But please..get two more bartenders / servers so people can eat and drink in a reasonable amount of time

Today I ordered four pretzel rolls. I'm a fairly regular customer. All I ask for is a Guinness and…read morean occasional crown. I used to order patty melts which were really good. But then it took over a half hour to prepare with fries. Today i waited 45 minutes and no pretzel rolls. Seemed to me way over the top in wait time. Bar maid didn't notice any time lag the cook said nothing about time lag. Most of the girls make sure an order is processed but this was a disrespectful moment I can't over look.

A small bar and restaurant. They also have a patio area for when the weather is nice. The lighting…read moreis dark inside. I was surprised by the selection on their menu. There are many things to choose from. I got the Character's roman burger. It was very good. Our server was pleasant, helpful, and attentive. I do plan on going back.

(Last visited September 20, 2023.) Hanging out in Cleveland, OH on business and it's…read more#WingWednesday! So I did some searching on Yelp to see who's got the best in the area! A place called Characters Bar & Grill kept coming up. So here's how things went! Atmosphere/Appearance: This place is like... at the EDGE of Cleveland's city limits. Lol. Brookpark Road or something. Once I pulled up it just felt like a nice, neighborhood spot! It does have a private parking lot, big outdoor section (where we sat) and plenty of space on the inside. It's a traditional setup. TVs everywhere, random swag and decor all throughout, plenty of high-top tables for seating and a big bar rail. The energy was lively and the music was so random. Lol. If you've been, you know what I mean. Service: I can't remember the name of who took care of us, but she was funny, sweet and just made sure we had everything that we needed. Food: While here I was able to try a few wings, so let's begin. First up were the Mike's Sweet Island Heat. For the record, if you order 10 wings, you can split them into 2-5s for an extra $1.00 if you want separate flavors. Also, on the menu there are 3 "types" of sauces that they offer. The first kind are Buffalo based sauces, the 2nd are barbecue based sauces and the last is "other". Lol. Anyway, these looked amazing, were super saucy and were a decent, seemingly normal size. I got lots of good fruity notes and aromatics as I put the wing to my nose. After tasting the flavors carried through with a bold, fruity, rich flavor. There was good spice and it felt like a chipotle based spice. It was a unique flavor for sure that I hadn't tasted before. Next up was Lenny's Honey Sriracha Teriyaki which is a mouthful of a name, but the flavors showed up! It was a good teriyaki base with citrusy lemon flavors that actually made my lips pucker just a bit. These weren't spicy at all, but it was missing something, I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Next up was Chipotle which I was lead to believe would be the hottest sauce on the menu based on it's placement on the menu, but I was wrong. This one did have some GOOD heat to it. The ingredients were balanced very well that created very bold, rich, hearty, chipotle flavors. I really liked this one. Next up were the Mild Buffalo. These were super saucy, juicy and had a very straightforward traditional Buffalo flavor that had some excellent flavor. The bleu cheese to go with these was a creamy, mild sauce that would cool your mouth down if you can't handle the spice. Next up was the XXX Buffalo which is actually the hottest sauce on the menu. The sauce was a bit watery which is a dead giveaway that it wouldn't be as spicy as it claims to be. It was still delicious, but the spice took a while to kick in, but it's nothing to write home about. It was like a kicked up Buffalo. Value: It's a sports bar, so the food won't be terrible expensive. I was there on Wednesday and wings were $1.00 each. Not bad at all considering how expensive I've see some. They even had $5.00 steaks this night, but I can only imagine them being a Salisbury steak or something. Lol. In conclusion, I had a blast here. The food was great, the people are awesome, I felt welcomed and it just felt like a good place to hang out! I look forward to returning and trying some more flavors!