Winking Lizard is a chain in the Ohio area. We had a late lunch/early dinner at the one in Independence. 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. read more

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Was hungry on way home from a Cavs game and we knew the Lizard would be upon, so we stopped in. 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. read more

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We were traveling cross-country in the middle of a military move and stopped here hoping to have a meal with our dogs. When we arrived, we put our name on the waitlist and specifically asked the hostess if dogs were allowed. She told us they were. In the middle of our meal, a manager came out and demanded that we confirm our dogs were service animals. We explained that we had checked reviews beforehand, understood the location to be pet-friendly, and had also been told by the hostess that dogs were allowed. Despite that, she insisted we leave immediately. To make matters worse, this happened during a rainstorm, forcing us to walk out in the middle of our meal under those conditions. It was an extremely frustrating and disappointing experience, especially while traveling through an already remote area. This is a terrible policy and an even worse example of customer service. We would not recommend this place to anyone looking for a reliable, welcoming place to eat while traveling with dogs. There is no manager empathy or professional tact at this place. read more

This is a great bar, service was quick, food came out very quick, and everything is very fairly priced. If I lived closer I would come to this bar all the time. read more

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We were there on a Saturday prior to attending the Polar Express. Our party was eight (5 adults and 3 kids). The place was packed with many customers clearly planning a trip to the Polar Express. We were told it would be a 45 minute wait. It was only 15 minutes. Our waitress was great. She was prompt, helpful, cheerful and friendly. Our food was delicious and hot, although the chili was so spicy, I couldn't eat it. The restaurant was crowded but they moved people in and out quickly. The restrooms are clean and warm. read more

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We were in town for a work trip and was only going to be there one night. This restaurant was recommended so we tried it out. Not a good decision, unfortunately. We gave our name and phone number and were told probably a 30 minute wait and they would text us when a seat on the patio was available. Surprisingly, we got a table in ten minutes! We sat down and decided to order some apps while we reward thru the menu. Our waitress was pleasant but seemed a bit shy. We got the spinach dip & breadsticks and both came out pretty quick. The apps were delicious! Our entrees were not. My salad greens were not tasting fresh and clean so I didn't eat much of it. My friend's salad also she said had the same issue and the chicken was a bit rubbery so she didn't feel comfortable eating hers either. Finally, the other person had the sandwich and said it tasted "dirty" and the bacon wasn't fully cooked. He only had a few bites and passed on the rest of it. Good thing we had decent apps. Well, the guy with the sandwich didn't fare well that night and was up sick all night and missed the work meeting that we had travelled three hours in for; we all felt bad. He only had a little bit, too! Maybe it was an off night there, who knows, but none of us would recommend this place to a friend. I'm sorry to leave a poor review but this meal was a fail. read more

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I ordered online for a pickup order. The hostess was very nice but the food could have been better. The boneless wings were hard and cold and barely had any sauce on them. The fries were cold. I was very disappointed. read more

This is by far my favorite Winking Lizard location. Not only is it operated smoothly, which is essential because it is always busy there, but the views from the bar area are impeccable. You almost feel like you're at a fine dining restaurant with the view of downtown Cleveland's skyline! The food is always on time and cooked to perfection. They also always offer seasonal/special cocktails which are delish. I'll be back to try more specials and just return for a fun hangout spot! read more

Winking Lizard - Boneless wing special! Mango Habanero , Hot, Peach - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

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We stopped in late one night on our way home from a Cavs game. The service was quick and friendly and we're really happy that their kitchen was still open and serving food. I got the Caribbean jerk wings. Not my favorite Caribbean jerk that I've had but it was tasty enough. However, the ranch was GREAT!!! He got the hot honey peach wing sauce and it was damn good! read more

Terrible service. Order was wrong and the waitress' response was "they are remaking it". No apology. After 10 min of waiting for a new salad, I went and found the manager and eventually got my correct order. Mistakes will happen but customer service goes a long way. Train your servers to serve. read more

Great ambiance with many TV's to watch sports. Amazing beer list of draft, bottles and cans. read more

Winking Lizard - Daily Specials - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

1000000/10 this place is absolutely wonderful. The staff were so nice, the girls at the front were always super friendly, welcoming, and accommodating! The food was amazing and the drinks menu was spectacular, me and my friends ate here almost every night of our trip because we were staying in the hotel across the street, it was convenient and welcoming and it just kept getting better and better everytime!! Next time I'm in the area I absolutely will be stopping by! read more

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Let's just say I give this a 3.5 star. It took two attempts to come here because the first time they were very busy. Self-serve popcorn is a nice touch however, since the clients are able to grab it themselves, you don't know how sanitary that could be. Definitely a happening spot for the area good prices mid bar food, but overall agreed atmosphere to hang out with friends. Grabbed a couple appetizers shrimp, pickles, pretzel and ribs, just so that we can try some stuff out. My husband loves the fries, steak cut fries or clutch overall feel like in for a sports bar to hang out in. I would recommend it. read more

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Great place on the hill. Good views good beer large menu. I had the gyro special. Very tasty, the tzatziki sauce was a bit thick, but tasty. Fries are big and delicious. read more

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Well it wasn't the 1st place we picked but it was 1 helluva meal. My brother &i shared 1/2 a bacon cheeseburger & 1/2 of a full slab. My grandson & wife shared wings & fries, mom ate a bacon cheeseburger. Everything was to die for the ribs were fall of the bones which to me l'm not a fan of but oh well it was very delicious, the cheeseburger had an awesome char flavor. Wings flavor were good the taste were above ordinary wings. The all around ambiance were eye appealing there was a TV with something playing a different sport for all type of occasions from car racing to baseball. We had Tatiana as a server she was very atentful from refilling our refreshment to asking my brother if he wanted his beer refilled.even though we weren't the only table she had. She made sure everyone was satisfied, she was a great waitress hope we have her again next time we go again... ***BUEN PROVECHO*** read more

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Great food, great service, affordable drink specials, I have been back a couple times when I'm in town

I really liked this place! It was super fun inside and just an awsome vibe! Their food was really good especially their Mac n cheese and wraps! They have a wide beer menu and food to choose from ( there's something for everyone ). The service was also good! read more

One of my favorite restaurants, but the hostess made this trip not as fun. They were busy because of the Cavs playoff game, but it felt like she was not happy it was busy. Disappointed. read more

OH 02-2024 Winking Lizard Tavern at Independence Ohio near Cleveland Ohio With hubby Tony Vanoy. We enjoyed lunch after the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. Tony ordered a Budweiser and I went with iced water with lemon & lime. Tony chose the Chicken Philly with Steak Fries and I went with the Bacon Cheeseburger with Steak Fries. The food was pretty good. They have their own ketchup and BBQ sauce and the fries were killer! There are a lot of restaurants in the area I have never eaten at before, so I would probably try somewhere else before going here again...nothing stood out to me as a definite I git to go back for! I hope your experience is better! read more

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Great lunch, we had the Freckles for appetizer, yummy Blueberry Steak Special, and the Hanson Burger, everything was delicious. The burger was one of the best burgers my husband has had a quite a while, juicy, full of great flavor, and cooked perfectly medium. We were also so pleased with the prices , service was good too! We will be back. Thank you . read more

I'm visiting Cleveland for the week. This location is pretty close to my hotel, so I thought I'd try it out. It's a normal Saturday night crowd, nothing crazy. All they had available was outdoor in the blazing sun. Fine. I ordered fried pickles as I sat down. I then ordered the Cajun chicken wrap before I got the pickles. The pickles came decently quick. They were middle of the road. I then waited well over 30 minutes for my wrap. It was horrible. The Cajun seasoning burned, giving the whole wrap a burnt flavor. The Southwest ranch was awful. I truly can't believe I waited so long and paid so much for this dinky piece of garbage read more

Winking Lizard - Cajun chicken wrap - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

Holy chicken sandwich, i asked for a grilled chicken sandwich not a hockey puck do not make that again please fries was decent and wings were aight read more

Visited Winking Lizard again with my coworkers. On this occasion, we celebrated a coworker's retirment and birthday. We were seated at our usual large table and many retired coworkers joined us, so it was an enjoyable event. For lunch, I requested a veggie wrap with fries. The food was delivered quickly, despite the number of people we had. My veggie wrap was served with some sauce that was very tasty. Great wrap. As always, the fries were on point. Winks serves of some of the best french fries, especially when dipped in their amazing BBQ sauce. Our server was superb. read more

Winking Lizard - Veggie wrap and fries - excellent - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

First time ever at a Winking Lizard establishment and this place did not disappoint one bit at all. Great to know this place is also family friendly as well too. A colleague referred me here since he had a going away party not too long ago at another location. I came here by myself to have a few drinks and explore it's food menu. Though I didn't eat anything, their menu has something for everyone, great burgers featured. Their drink menu is way more comprehensive with more than 500 options! They had hard Cider options I've never tried before and really strong mead too. The bar has a great scenic view where you can see the city pretty well. Very friendly staff too that makes sure everyone is having a good time. read more

I like this place. They have great food/drink specials and a large selection. I had the smash burger and it was great. It's a great place for lunch and a place to watch a game. read more

Stopped here for a quick late lunch while on a business trip. Food was good: I had the bacon tomato grilled cheese and fries. Loud music and unenthusiastic server put a bit of a damper on things. read more

Love the ambiance. Definitely love the drink specials. Took a while for the food to come that was my main issue. See ice was friendly so whenever I'm back in the area I may swing back. read more

Terrible service and even worse wings. Got 10 wings for 16$ that were chewy and undercooked worst wings I've ever had. We only saw the waitress a couple times on a slow night. Stay away! read more

My friend and I visited this location while we were in the area. I've never been to a Winking Lizard but bar food always sounds good to me. And yes, it was. I ordered the fried haddock and it was one of the best fish and chips versions that I have ever tasted. It was a thick piece of fish with a light breading. It was fantastic. My friend needed a good old-fashioned burger and it met her expectations. Best of all, our server, "Michelle," was outstanding. She was incredibly attentive and friendly. She had a great sense of humor and made our visit all the more enjoyable. Thank you to the management and the team. read more

The ambiance is a casual sports bar. Great food. Our waitress was outstanding. I would eat here again. read more

Winking Lizard - Looking around the room - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

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Fun place, kinda ho-hum because the Dallas Cowboys beat the Browns. Even though we had our Dallas jerseys on, staff was friendly. Service was kinda slow, but I don't think they expected the influx of Cowboy fans. I ordered the sliders, asked for lettuce and tomato, so that was nice. They have their special BBQ sauce which was good on said sliders. Probably the best menu I've seen anywhere. read more

Went there for dinner, ordered our burgers medium. First time they came back they were raw. Sent back and they came back again raw. Waitress agreed with us and apologized. We said we weren't hungry anymore and they still ended up charging us for our 2 soft drinks. Having worked in the industry I would have never charged my customers for their drinks with such a bad food experience read more

A pretty typical experience at this chain restaurant. We went on a busy Saturday night, got in just before the crowd, and were seated. The atmosphere is like other in the chain- noisy, but you can still converse. Our waitress was no nonsense, but she got the job done. Two of us got hamburgers, but the temperatures were off, and they were a little dry, so that was not so great. One person in our group got wings and loved them. One in the group got a salad and liked it too. So, anyhow, it is nothing to write home about but a pretty typical experience, like you would get at most any other Winking Lizard. read more

To say I love this chain restaurant would be an understatement. I absolutely love their dirty martinis, and I have never had a bad experience while dining in at this location. However, I am sad that they removed the iguanas that used to live here. Their ribs are always delicious and I always get a side of baked beans with mac & cheese. They're deep-fried pickles and mac & cheese bites are also a fan favorite in my house. My husband always gets their wings and enjoys them thoroughly, however, one time, we got them a bit burned. But it was no problem exchanging them. I would also like to say that wow this location is normally pretty busy services is always exceptional. I particularly enjoy that they offer complimentary popcorn and the prices are affordable while the quality is not compromised. Even though they are a chain restaurant I do enjoy the winking lizard thoroughly and you should check it out for yourself. Sidenote, every time I go I inform the server of my allergies and have never had an allergic reaction here due to cross-contamination so that's always a plus. read more

Big fun environment. Huge Iguana in cage soon as you walk in. Bartender was friendly. Lots of monthly specials. Huge selection of craft beers. Food was good. Bo-Man's Honey Club was excellent! read more

Winking Lizard - Bo-Mans Honey Club - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

Great beer selection as already stated. Didn't like the salad offerings and ended up going with a patty melt. It was under cooked and left my stomach wishing I had said something. The beef they use is is fatty and with an undercooked burger in addition to heavily buttered rye bread that isn't toasted well, it was a greasy mess. Disappointing. I don't think I would order another burger here. Left lost the meal and asked for the check. Bartender never asked if everything was OK. Good Guinness. Had two. read more

I never leave reviews but my experience was appalling. I was there with my husband and kids eating dinner. It was our first time at this location. I've been to other locations and they were great but here was different. Although the food was okay and my server was nice the management here was awful and needs to be more aware of their surroundings. Not only are they rude and disrespectful but they made a scene in front of my kids, other families that were there, and overall the whole restaurant. I'm assuming this was the GM but this man had an altercation with another guest that he was escorting out. This man (assuming GM) said the most derogatory terms in front of everyone. Every cuss word in the book, almost fighting this customer. Whether there's a rude customer, the fact he made a scene yelling and threatening to fight this customer in front of the restaurant he "manages" is highly unprofessional. I'm not sure what happened with this customer but he engaged and was ready to fight this customer in front of everyone. I'm not sure I want to be in a restaurant with an aggressive GM. I can't imagine what the workers there endure with the management at this establishment. read more

Nothing bad to repot about this place. It your typical sports bar and sports bar food. The have specials almost every day with a large drink menu as well. I would get here early as this place is packed and not a lot of parking. The bar was very crowded and the dining room as well. One thing I will say is that it smells like stale beer. You know the kind of dive bar you walk into and you can tell that beer has been spilled and poorly wiped up? I had a cup of chili loaded (cheese, onions and sour cream). It was a bit pricey for what it was. I know that food cost have gone up, but this was a tad over priced for the quantity of the product. Also, had chicken chunks that were on special. They weren't bad and not great. I got the Thai sauce on them and it was supposed to be the third hottest they had. I've had hotter mild wings to be honest. I am one who enjoys hot sauce on almost anything and I would have put this towards the middle to lower end of hot sauces. The gentleman sitting next to me had chunks as well and got some jalapeño sauce which was rated lower than mine and he said they were bland for a hot sauce as well. Service was good. They seem to cater more to the regular patrons more than those they don't know. It was a times tough to get things, but nothing really to complain about. I guess if I was in town again and there wasn't anything else close as far as sports bars go, I'd stop in again, but I'd definitely try something different first. read more

My favorite Winking Lizard. Nice view of downtown and the valley in Independence. Of course, the food is outstanding as is their selection of well over 100 craft beers. This is where I got my start as a beer snob and never leave here hungry or unhappy. read more

Winking Lizard - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

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Two co-workers and I went to the winking lizard for dinner after not eating all day, so we were starving. I ordered the cheese fries and one of my co-workers told the waitress to bring us two other random appetizers as well. She came back a short time later with the cheese fries, a chicken quesadilla, and nachos. They were all delicious. Then we had the tough decision on our meal. It was Thursday, which is Rib Night. Two of us got a rack of ribs and the other got a buffalo chicken salad. The ribs were great. The sides i had were mad and cheese and beans. The Mac and cheese seemed like velveeta shells and cheese. The beans were very sweet. After eating appetizers, i couldn't finish my ribs or my sides. It was great and I'll go back the next time I'm in the area. read more