A brewery on a college campus? Yes, please! The Jolly Scholar is a casual sports bar and restaurant that also brews its own beer. It was surprisingly excellent on all terms. The single bartender did an amazing job dealing with multiple large parties and the bar clientele that no one felt ignored. They have a large menu of great foods from sandwiches to salads, and lots of sides that would be great to pair with some beers. The brewery is on the campus of Case Western Reserve, so it's an easy one to walk to if you're exploring that area. There's also parking garages and street parking nearby. For us beer fans, we tried a bunch of flight sized beers, and also sprung for some limited cans to share. Prices were reasonable for the quality. It was a fun first brewery visit, one that probably isn't on everyone's most known list. read more

See all

The falafels were way over cooked and very salty. Couldn't eat then. Next time I went my hamburger was good. If you like bay seasoning you would like then. Clark the bartender was awesome with everything. read more

The Jolly Scholar was a typical college bar. We arrived when they opened and it appeared staff were being trained and one staff person was taking care of customers. The dining area was cute and offered video games to play. There students stopping in for take out as we sat and ate our pizza. The pizza was good. The beer was ok. It was not apparent where they brew the beer and they were out of a couple of beer selections. The Jolly Scholar is located on CWRU's campus and they have a parking lot. Usually parking is at a minimum. Overall it was ok, but I would probably choose another brewpub in the area for next meal out. read more

See all

Fun college pub with house-made craft brews and solid kitchen This College pub is right on the Case Western Reserve University campus in a building that looks like a run of the mill early 1900's admin building. Weekday afternoon in the summertime; school's out so attendance was sparse. Open physical plant with lots of natural light, lots of high-tops inside with outside seating as well. The craft beers are made in house with a couple of guest taps. Our convenience sample of a couple of them found them to be solid renditions of APA, Pilsner and IPA. Falafel Nuggets are fun: one of our group loved them but another found them cumin-heavy enough to be a dealbreaker. The jalepeno edge brings just enough heat. Fish sandwich is excellent. This is a piece of battered fish and it is crackling crisp on the edges. This sandwich, served with pickles and shredded lettuce, is on a roll that is one of the closest I have had to Po-boy rolls outside of New Orleans. The onion rings are fantastic. Even though they are somewhat thicker cut, these breaded rings are crisp and delicious. For the most part, the onion stays with the ring. Would gladly get these rings again. Our group found the Barbecue pork quesadilla to be "very good." The barbecue sauce is on the sweeter side, and we think it has some cinnamon notes. We would happily return for bar-food bites and beverages: highly recommended. read more

The Jolly Scholar - Fish sandwich and onion rings - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Doesn't even deserve a star, honestly. We waited 30 minutes before we were able to order drinks, and after another 15 went by with no indication of our beers being served to us, so we left. I could have sat 45 minutes on a park bench and gotten the same level of service. I know the beer is good. I've been here before. The service just needs improved. read more

Ive been here a couple times and never have a consistent take on their service. My most recent visit it felt like they were fully staffed but only 1 person was doing everything and it wasn't timely. Also they were doing only their late night menu (fryer food) at 7pm on a Friday. Plastic cups and paper plates were an odd thing to encounter but not the large takeaway. The beer is good for the prices & the vegetarian wings and great! read more

The Jolly Scholar - Vegetarian wings - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

See all

They are a little pricy but so far the food I've had has been decent. The loaded fries are my favorite and probably my main reason for returning. The bartender is super friendly and attentive. He did his best to get me in and out quickly. The inside is spacious and felt pretty clean. If you're in the area and want a quick lunch this is a solid choice. read more

The Jolly Scholar - Loaded fries - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Cute college pub with outdoor seating. Nice beer selection and reasonably priced. Generous samples for $2. We didn't try the food - but it looked good. Ordered a milkshake to go- and it was delicious. read more

I came here with my family after we went to the Botanical Gardens and we were in the mood for a burger. To start, it's not visible as a free standing place when your driving around trying to find it because its inside one of the campus buildings. Park and take a walk. The interior is fun, lots of seating and a bar. Two of us got burgers and the third member got the chicken quesadilla. The burger was solid, no muss - no fuss. I would say the size is average - I wouldn't have been able to finish anything bigger, definitely disagree that it's "small." The quesadilla was delicious. We also grabbed a beer each and they were also solid. Our server was helpful and the girl manning the bar was happy to answer our questions and give suggestions. Sitting there and seeing the students made me feel nostalgic in a good way. Great place to check out! read more

See all

Jolly is a great little brewpub in the center of CWRU. The atmosphere is pretty spartan but what you would expect from a college bar. They have a great selection of beers on tab that are brewed by themselves, a full bar, as well as new items being tried out frequently. The menu is standard bar food with a few eclectic items and usually changes a little every 3mo. They have an amazing fish sandwich and several smashburgers I enjoy. They also usually run an all you eat wings special on Sundays. read more

What an interesting place - in the middle of CWRU campus, it's truly the perfect spot for college campus. Casual bar with good beers and eats. We came on a Friday in the summer so there were not very many people because classes weren't in session. These vegan wings are hands down the best I've ever had. Absolutely incredible. The falafel was good, but a little bit done for me. Still tasty. I wished they had more variety in their beer listing, but also wondering if part of that had to do with school not being in session. read more

The Jolly Scholar - Vegan wings - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

See all

Stopped in for dinner and a beer. Parking is a little rough since the bar is inside one of the campus buildings. The bar is large with plenty of seating. There is also outside seating if the weather is nice. They have plenty of beer options and food choices. The prices are pretty moderate. I had an IPA which was good plus the hangover burger which was also good. The bartender was great and definitely wasn't slow in any of my requests. Definitely a good place to check out if you are in the area. read more

The Jolly Scholar - Menu - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

See all

Cool place that offers British pub like vibes. On campus of Case Western Reserve University. The food is your average bar food but the prices are very reasonable. Their milk shake is great. Very modern way to pay. Simple scan a QR code and you are done. Great! The rest of their service is what you would expect. Check it out. read more

That's a little college bar that has above average college food. I've been there a few times and learned how to barbecue from this fellow 20 some years ago. His barbecue is definitely another level some of the best you'll have in the area. There was live music the evening we were there which was entertaining. We hit this place about once a month. read more

I work right nearby and come here every so often for an after-work beer or bite. Love to sit on the patio on a nice day! The beer selection is pretty extensive and I can always find something to suit my mood. I have also enjoyed some of their seasonal cocktails, though they are fairly run-of-the-mill in terms of ingredients and flavors. I usually order from the bar and service is pretty quick. On the other hand, the food menu mostly involves lots of meat, cheese, and fries... nothing really blows me away. But it is exactly the stuff you would expect from the "bar and grill" genre, and it can hit the spot when you want it! The fries and queso make an excellent accompaniment to a happy hour. read more

Great service, cozy space and good food and beverages. Nice place to visit while touring the museums.

We were staying at a hotel in the university district and were looking for a casual bite to eat nearby on a rainy night. This place popped up on Yelp, so we decided to give it a shot. As all of the other reviews say, this spot is hard to find inside one of the university buildings. The reviews were also accurate in saying that the service is quite slow. That said, the food is actually pretty decent. I had the buffalo chicken salad which was pretty good. We also started with the soft pretzels which were good, but not as good as the many other soft pretzel items that are popping up at restaurants all over. read more

Great in-house beer and friendly service. A little hard to find from the Euclid side, make your way around the right side of the building until you see orange umbrellas. Go in the door to the left of the umbrellas and you'll find the Jolly Scholar. I had the Redeemable Qualities IPA (6.99 for 16oz, 8.3%) and the falafel bites for $7.99. Tasty and crispy, fresh food. Clean, strong beer at a good price. A definite stop if you are working by Cleveland Clinic or the University campus. read more

Fun place located on campus. Good food- reasonable prices. Nice helpful staff. We didn't participate but they have lots of activities for patrons. read more

Hours do not match on Google and Yelp so we walked there to see if they were open. It's not apparent that it's inside of a building on the college campus so we actually walked past it first. It's unclear if just anyone can go in (appeared as thought it was taken over for a sorority event) or if it's a college dining option. Ended up going elsewhere. read more

Staff were rude, got our orders wrong, and acted like every request was an inconvenience. Head somewhere else if you're considering this establishment. read more

Food: 3/5 Beer: 5/5 average of 4 stars! I went to the Jolly Scholar as a visiting researcher in the area and thought it would be interesting to go to the campus bar - little did I know that they BREW THEIR OWN BEERS right there too! This means the pints were cheap and delish (~5/pint full price). Only downside was I was pretty hungry when I arrived and it took almost 2 hours to get me a hamburger (which was okay) and some obviously frozen onion rings (nothing against those, but they shouldn't take 2 hours to cook and deliver). The place was slammed with to go orders that day, but I was sitting there waiting :( I guess that's how they get you to drink more beer! Lol! I'd 100% go back for brews, but probably plan to eat elsewhere if on a schedule. read more

The Jolly Scholar - Winter themed brown ale - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

The only reason this brewery gets 2 stars is that it is on the campus of Case Western Reserve and the campus is lovely. I was served one of the worst hamburgers i have ever eaten. Two very small, chared, dry patties on a too large bun. The frys were ok. My companions meals were equally unimpressive. The bathroom is down 2 flights of stairs and you have to go down 1 flight to get the elevator - NOT ACCESSIBLE! The brewery is difficult to find and I won't be looking for it again! read more

I seem to find places off the beaten path to try. As many have mentioned, this is located inside a university campus building. However, the food was pretty good. We got the Nashville chicken sandwich and the carnivore burger. I definitely enjoy a double smash burger over a thicker one patty burger and it was extremely good. Fries were mediocre - not all that warm and sort of soggy. read more

Jolly Scholar is a bar located on CWRU campus. It's a revolutionary idea to open a bar on campus given that college kids are always in dire need of chugging alcohol. It's located inside a school building, so it may be somewhat difficult to find for anyone that isn't a CWRU student. The interior is noisy, but the ambiance is casual despite some elderly people dining. The drinks aren't special to taste, but they are cheap. Jolly Scholar mostly sells beers from the tap, but they also have other alcoholic beverages like a margarita. I had the margarita, and was impressed by it. My companion had a cider that he also enjoyed. The Jolly Scholar page on Yelp even offers a 50% off coupon that'll drives your cheap drink to a dirt cheap drink. I'd recommend Jolly Scholar for people looking for a quick,cheap way to get wasted. read more

Do yourself a favor and eat ANYWHERE else.. Rude management. Slow service. Mediocre food.

Overall the food is okay. Also the atmosphere isn't too bad for being technically on a college campus. The number one negative that's going to come from this place is the fact that if you have more than five people at your table the service is so extremely slow and confusing. Even after calling ahead and giving them a few days notice that a large party was coming in they were still unable to facilitate us. but if you're coming in by yourself or maybe a friend is not a bad place to go read more

Quaint little hole in wall in the bottom of the Thwing center on Case Western Reserve campus. Everyone was very nice and attentive. It sure that we would have k own about this place if we didn't know someone who worked there. Great place to watch a game. They have karaoke nights, not sure which though, sorry. They are a brewpub, but can make cocktails as well. Food was yummy. Definitely recommend the pretzels. read more

See all

I am quite surprised this is rated as well as it is. I ordered the pretzels as appetizer and I had the BBQ pork sandwich deluxe and my partner ordered chicken tenders with Caesar salad. The total came up to $44. The sandwich came out looking nothing like what is shown on this app and also their menu. So do feel somewhat mislead by that. The chicken tenders were super blond in color and could tell it's something someone took out of a frozen box, put in a microwave and gave to us. When our food arrived it came all out at once. So no appetizer before the meal. Also we were given no utensils or napkins for us to eat. I thought I was going to get something unique and different though I was expecting and hoping for a more positive experience. read more

The Jolly Scholar - Chicken tenders and Cesar salad - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

See all

Yay! I'm a fan! I've been here a couple of times now and you should check out The Jolly Scholar as well! Especially if you are in the know about the Cleveland Brewery Passport! Here you've got a Brewery inside a college that is run by the students. Might be a little hard to find your first time, and you'll probably be parking on the street somewhere and walking a bit, but I think the chill atmosphere and decent pub food/beers are worth it. Plus if you check in on yelp you get half off your first draft beer! On my most recent visit I came in with a couple of friends. They all got milkshakes and enjoyed them, while I partook in a couple beer samples. We dined on various things like a grilled cheese, a quesadilla, and mac & cheese burgers. I like that you can get a side salad (which is actually pretty big) instead of fries for your side for just a small upcharge $2. Food isn't scrumdiddlyumptious, but it's satisfying pub fair at affordable prices. Our server, Courtney, was personable and did a great job. Again, I want to mention that the atmosphere is so chill/laid back - I would have loved to have had a place like this on campus when I was in school! read more

The Jolly Scholar - O'Peaches, No Citra No Cry, Hibiscus & Lime, Campfire - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

See all

Jolly's decline in the past 2 years has been unimaginable. Used to have great chicken sandwiches with tons of meat. This is dry and only a quarter of what they used to serve. read more

The Jolly Scholar - Hot chicken sandwich - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

The wings were great specially honey mustard sauce. Music was nice. Our bartender Eli was very nice and had great suggestions on what to eat and he always checked on us few minutes or so. Kudos to him read more

Nice college pub. Very reasonable beer prices and the beer I consumed was very good. I did not try any food so I have no comment

I ordered food to go including a milkshake. My co-worker picked it up. When I didn't get my milkshake I called and was told that my coworker should have asked for it. I was refunded my money. In addition to that, I ordered the pulled pork, which was really good until I discovered 2 hairs in it. I called again and was told that he could take 10% off the price. Maybe that's fair since I ate 25% of the sandwich before I discovered the hair. read more

the food is not that good to be completely transparent. BUT i love their thursday night karaoke, and their drinks are pretty good and not too pricey. i'm not sure if they changed their cook/menu but the food used to be a lot better. i love their milkshakes tho read more

What an amazing gem in the art district of CLE! Was down at the main campus visiting a friend but spent the morning skating in Wade Oval and having a great afternoon at the Natural History Museum. Had some thought about stoping with the kids but decided to wait until later in the night. Should have stopped with the kids! The menu is amazing and the selection of brews are spectacular. I had the veggie wings with the 50/50 sauce that was out of this world. The scholar is jolly with the pricing for 16 oz; $4-5 you can't go wrong. A nice range of lights, IPAs, and dark brews for everyone's choosing. They also offer trivia night on Tuesday's and karaoke on Thursday. A must stop after a visit to the art museum or a concert at severance hall. read more

See all

The prices are great and the food we order was pretty great too! The chickpea burger my fiancé got was average she said, but the falafel bites and my veggies wings (Dry Rub and Fire Bird sauces) were amazing! The beer we had was decent as well. I would definitely recommend stopping by. Side note: it's in a strange location, but has decent seating inside. It's on Case Western's campus and inside what seems to be a building for classes. read more

The Jolly Scholar - Trying out the Jolly Scholar! The Kerstavond isn't as heavy as you might think and has lots of flavor! - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Most important: If you are not familiar with the location of this place, it can be difficult to find. Glance at the landmarks on your maps app so you have an idea of where you are going. The entrance I found was inside a student center of some sort. This is a bar on a college campus. Keep that in mind and you will get exactly what you expect. Main menu until 10pm then a late night limited menu from 10-midnight. It's a pretty large place. The servers I came in contact with were really attentive and helpful. Eats and drinks: Lots of beer, cheap drinks and fried deliciousness. I got the chicken summer delight salad and was not disappointed. The veggies and fruit were fresh and crispy. The only problem was the ginger dressing didn't taste like ginger, but I love ginger!! :( Overall a cool place to grab food and/or drinks if you live in or are visiting the University Circle area. They have tons of TV's which is perfect for all sports seasons and an absolute necessity for any place I go on Saturday or Sunday during football season :). read more

Interesting brewery on a University campus. Nice open space. Great selection of beers in rap they brew and a few other local beers too. Service at the bar was good. I did come in the middle of the afternoon so it is a bit quiet. Nice atmosphere and few TV's around the bar. read more

The Jolly Scholar - Sampling of the taps - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Guess how we found this place - Yelp, of course! What a hidden gem nestled into a college building on the campus of Case Western Reserve University. Well, maybe so hidden for students, faculty, and staff at the college, but certainly a great find for us. We had just completed a visit to the Museum of Art, launched Yelp to look for lunch, and BAM, we found The Jolly Scholar. A brewery in its own right, there is a healthy beer selection on tap plus a few ciders, too. There is ample seating in booths and at the bar, plus high top tables that can be pushed together for groups, and a patio overlooking campus. TVs abound for those needing to keep up with news and sports. During our visit, college students were prominent among the patronage, laptops open and earbuds in as they ate. The menu is expansive and everything we ordered was yummy. We tired the appetizer soft pretzels, a chicken quesadilla, macaroni and cheese poppers, and the bacon ranch fries - all were great! The Jolly Scholar also offers burgers, wraps, and salads. The service was quick and pleasant, great with recommendations and patient with our first time visitor, out-of-town questions. If you find yourself in the museum area of Cleveland, take the time to check out The Jolly Scholar - it is a smart choice! read more