Okay, the food is like every other Winking Lizard, standard and good enough bar food. The problem with this one is the management! I had a problem with this location years ago, and vowed to never go back after that (I'm sure it was different management) , but we had a group of about 15 of us and they could accommodate us on short notice (like 5 minutes) so there stands the one star. I was treating everyone, so I ordered 3 spinach and artichoke dips for the table. After everyone had been eating them, and they were pretty much done, someone next to me found a piece of plastic (hard plastic) in the dip. I called the waitress over and she picked it up and said, "Oh, I know exactly what this is." Which she didn't share with us, but said she'd notify the manager. I assumed the one dip would be taken off the bill. When the $300 check came I noticed there were 3 dips on it. I called the waitress over and told her I was a bit surprised that they charged me for the dip that had the plastic in it! Her answer was, " yeah, I asked the manager and she said, well they ate it so leave it on the bill." We ate it because it wasn't found until the last bite! But I didn't want to bicker in front of my guests so I let it go. But I am back to saying, I will never darken the doorstep of the Independence Winking Lizard ever again! The problem is, it's a very busy location so they never care when there's a problem. My old complaint was it was filthy in the kitchen and the burger bun had grease on the top like it was dropped in a pot of grease and served anyway. Final straw. Never again. Diners beware at this location!!! There's another one in Macedonia, I'd go there instead!! read more

A go to sports bar in Cleveland. Highly recommend wings or Burgers here. Also get to know your neighborhood lizard.

I ordered a pizza and wings online, to Take Out. Upon arrival, at the restaurant I was surprised that I didn't see any visible Handicap Parking Spaces. However, I did see a few designated Take Out Parking Spaces, crammed closely together--barely leaving enough room for someone to open their car door, when others park next to them. Being short staffed, there was only one long line (which extended outside the door) inside the restaurant for both dine in guests (waiting to be seated) and guests picking up Take Out. I checked the order, and every thing was there. However, I was very disappointed with the quality and taste of the food when I arrived home.The wings were Ok, not as good as they were in the past. But the pizza was Absolutely HORRIBLE!!! The crust was soggy and undercooked. And the toppings were not as good as they were in the past. read more

The Wiinking Lizard restaurant was right down the road from our motel, so of course we had to eat here at least one night. The place was a bit crowded when we arrived, but within 15 minutes we got a table. Lots of good menu options they had. We started out ordering some boneless wings, as wings are always the perfect appetizer choice. We tried 2 different sauce flavors. I can't remember the exact one we ordered, but I believe it was a BBQ one and a honey garlic one. Both of them were delicious. I actually prefer boneless wings to traditional wings, as you get more meat. For our meals, we both ordered 2 different items, and split each of them. We went with the Wild Western Burger and the Buffalo Chicken Wrap. And a side of pfreds preferred fries as well. The burger was amazing and the chicken wrap delicious. We loved the award winning bbq sauce on the burger, topped with the bacon and all the other toppings it came with. It was cooked a perfect medium. Buffalo Chicken wrap hit the spot too, with the perfect amount of heat and sauce inside. And who dosen't love loaded fries. Their fries hit the spot indeed. Overall our meal choices were great and we liked everything we tried. On the way out, they provided complementary popcorn, which was cool. You got to fill up your own bag from the machine. I would come back here and recommend others to try this place for sure. read more

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Quickly seated on a Friday night with 10 people. Server was on her game- friendly and checking in often. Food was delish! Everyone loved it!

It's a great meet up spot after work near a busy interchange and several hotels. The Lizard has tons of beers on tap which is really cool. There's a phenomenal view of the city to take advantage of. The food is average but it's all about your company that you keep. It's perfect for out of town business travelers. read more

Winking Lizard - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

Wow. If I could give this place zero stars I would. I don't post a lot of reviews on here because I consider myself to be a really nice person. With that being said, let me paint a picture for you all. I arrived at winking lizard with a group of friends, around 4 or 5 people. Upon entering, we were "greeted" by two women at the hosting desk. They immediately gave us terrible looks and asked me if my "parents or guardians where with me." All of my friends and I are 21+. I understand if we looked young but a simple request for our IDs would have worked. Then there was a blonde host who had the most sour expression while asking for my name for the table after we asked about why we had to be IDed not knowing the rules. Then they told us the wait was 2+ hours even though the place was basically empty. We said that was ok and waited outside. Not even ten minutes later we were seated. The blonde host waiting for us, she greeted us with an eye roll and then sat us at our table. After waiting for about thirty minutes our waiter came and immediately asked for our IDs again. We waited another thirty for some beers and then another 40 mins the food which was burnt and unsatisfactory. If you're thinking about getting food here cut your loses and go to the dennys right across the street. 0/10. read more

Winking Lizard - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

Haven't been here in a while. Staff is friendly and the place is clean. However if this steak was anymore expensive I wouldn't have eaten it. I like some red meat as much as the next guy but this was RAW. One side was charred as it should be the other side barely hit the grill. Let's talk about the quality of the meat. Remember ponderosa? They served a steak this place would have been proud of and that was dog meat. Wings were good and wife's burgers were good. read more

Winking Lizard - T-Bone - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

Love this place! It's very large, with a few different rooms, TVs everywhere, and I would describe the food as upscale bar food. It's definitely bar food (burgers, wraps, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, etc.) but all of it tastes delicious. I would return here for sure. They also have popcorn, which is always a plus. The service was quick and the server was able to split our checks however we wanted. read more

The Winking Lizard is perfect for a relaxing night out! We both ordered burgers, and they were great. Our waitress was very sweet and helpful. We highly recommend outdoor seating if weather permits. The view from the patio is beautiful! read more

The buffalo chicken salad!!!!! I will always come only here to order that because I have not found anyone who makes a good buffalo chicken salad since moving here! I will keep going back. The service is okay. It wasn't anything spectacular and the atmosphere inside, is really just relaxed. read more

The Winking Lizard I was not for sure what or how this restaurant was so we decided to take a chance, and it was very good. We had a 35 minute wait but well worth it. The restaurant has lots of seating a lot bigger place then looks. We ordered Honey Garlic wings to start, and half rack of bbq ribs with man n cheese with side of coleslaw everything was very delicious read more

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Stopped here on our way home from some appointments at Cleveland Clinic and it was a delight for the tummy. Decor was the typical chain restaurant, except for the namesake lizard hanging out with the hostesses. The vibe in the place was jammin' and the staff was excellent. Our server, Janet, was on the ball. We had no wait to get a table during happy hour and within a few minutes Janet had our drink and dinner orders. She was pleasant and appeared to really enjoy her job. I ordered a burger with fries (I like simple) and it was perfectly cooked and the fries (mega potato lover here) were on point. Restrooms were clean, although the stalls felt a little small. Plus, you can snack on some deliciously buttered and salted popcorn while you wait for your meal. Overall, an absolutely wonderful visit and if we find ourselves hungry after a day of appointments in the future we would definitely consider stopping by again. read more

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I loved the vibes here! Very warm and welcoming, with great service and delicious food. I really appreciated the wide variety of menu options, in addition to the free popcorn. Prices were also really reasonable, especially for the portions. I can't wait to come back! read more

Well, after a long day of training, Company decided to take us out for dinner. Landed at this place.Got in, and waited for about 30 mins, which is not bad for a group of 12. They later sat down, and ordered drinks (They have quite an extensive beer menu - awesome!!!) Got a Pilsner that I cant remember the name of since it had a very strange name. Oh well, Appetizers were ordered next, which were great, We had some loaded nachos, as well as some grilled cheese, and some poppers. Entrees were next, I ordered the 12oz steak (it was either that or ribs). One of my co workers ordered some ribs loved them. Steak was ok, flavorful on some spots, but didnt rock my socks, then again my expectations were low, it is a bar after all. Overall, great spot to catch some sports, and decent food. I'd go again next time I'm in town. 3.5 Stars read more

Winking Lizard - Loaded Lizard Nacho & cheese - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

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Six of us for dinner on aFriday night and we were seated within a few minutes of arriving. We had 2 childrens meals, which they loved. The adullts ordered Pizza, it came out perfect. Big hamburger with fries, great and big. Ceasar salad, and if i have to complain its just that the dressing was to peppery, so we ate the salad plain. I ordered the pot roast sandwich no onions and no cheese. It was huge and fantastic and I had a side salad instead of the fries. salad was great as well. But most of all our server Alec was so nice and kept on top of refills and to go boxes. Very polite and friendly. Thank you Alec. read more

The food isn't the problem here, it's the people. I went in literally to pick up a giftcard and i waited there for 10 minutes before the hostess even said something, and then, the person who was supposed to be ringing me out, let four people cut me in line. like what business allows that? their GM must be so lazy. do better. read more

I'm updating my review. This is not a safe place to go. I'm really disappointed to have to say this because I love the food and beer selection. There is STILL a pandemic. They do not require anyone to have a mask on. The patio was packed shoulder to shoulder with people and no one but the staff had masks on. The dining room was less crowded, but still no masks. This is unbelievably irresponsible. I was picking up takeout, but I did have to go in. They do not offer curbside pickup. I got out as soon a s possible and likely will not go back for a long time. If they are tolerating such unsafe behavior in the dining areas, I can only imagine what happens in the back of the house. I'm so disappointed. read more

Huge great burgers with good flavor. The pizza had a wonderful crust which both can be customized also wings were extra crunchy with enough sauce, just pick a flavor or two! Price to quality of food doesn't quite match up. Fast service with friendly staff & wide selection of bar food choices & choose bar/high top or dinning table/accommodates groups for eating & outdoor seating as well. Clean bathrooms! The have so many TV's on each wall with multiple sport choices rolling & free popcorn. Check out the lizard when you enter and exit! read more

Very, very nice place. In fact, I don't believe I've ever been to a Winking Lizard location that wasn't a nice experience, and this place is certainly no different. I have been to many in the area and all are the same - quite enjoyable, and that says a LOT about the management teams. read more

Had a good time here while traveling. Good service and good drinks. Food wasn't great but did the job. Great atmosphere.

It's a Winking Lizard so it's pretty basic. The one thing I like about this location specifically is they usually have the "rare" beers available vs some locations (lookin at you Lakewood) run out super fast. I usually come here because it's a good half way point between the west & east side, but I don't really know why - I'm just not a fan of this location. I definitely got some suspicious cups & forks in the past that looked like they were used (I know they probably just came out of the dish washer but like spot check them before giving them to a customer). The wings are usually okay but sometimes I'd get like 2 boneless wings that are super hard or basically just breading. I know - "why don't you get regular wings instead of sauce chicken nuggets?" Idk I just like using a fork and not messing up my nails or makeup all the time (don't judge). read more

TAKE OUT. Came to our car hot. 5 large pieces of alaskan pollack. Steak fries, cole slaw for me, and my husband got 2 pierogies, he loved but no sour cream. Good thing we had some at home. Fish was pretty good, I just can't believe how much fish there was. 1 disappointment was we didn't get our garlic bread that was suppose to come with it. I was looking forward to that. read more

Winking Lizard - Alaskan pollock fish fry - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

Big fan of Monday and Tuesdays here as it is wing and pizza night specials. The Lizard once started on the east side and now they are everywhere. Kinda an Ohio version of BW3. I worked for the Lizard years ago and still know several people that do...what I can say and they can agree....they keep their kitchens clean. Anywell, back to the Lakewood Lizard. I'm a fan....the food is always good. The monthly specials are great. The glass of the month is almost always a must purchase. My only issues are the draft beer selection. They have had some weird thing where they just dont carry Bud products on draft. There are certain days of week where larger beers are on special. They have the Ohio famous Lizard World Tour of Beers....and you get a jacket. Add up that tour kids and that jacket cost about a grand. Think local and drink local....even if they dont have Bud Light on draft. read more

Good food, a nice and attentive waitress, and great atmosphere!! My sandwich on garlic bread was SO good!!

I was in Cleveland for a work trip, and I popped into WL for lunch. Starting with the chili, it was lukewarm and overly thick for my liking. I got the chicken sandwich as my entree and felt unimpressed as well. Slightly overpriced for the quality. The staff was friendly and I did enjoy the candy crane, but when the toy machine is your favorite part of the meal I'm most likely not going to go back. read more

The food was excellent here and the server was kind and knowledgeable. All the food we got (burger and a pizza) was delicious! Where this venue lost stars for me was that it was very difficult to talk because it is a wide open restaurant with a lot of people crammed in. If you're looking for a fun, sports bar, party night out, this is your spot. If you're looking for something more intimate I'd look elsewhere. No matter the vibe, the food was extremely delicious. read more

It was packed but, open. Moved us in and had drinks quickly. Service was excellent. Food was very very good. Cooked just right. Plenty of tv's to watch anything you want to watch. Staff was friendly, courteous and well versed. Will go again. read more

Do you know the phrase "A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one"? This restaurant is a jack of all trades. It has Mexican, American, Italian, Greek, and many other genres of food. The menu is tremendous -- order a beer and spend some serious time with it. I didn't feel like eating anything special, so I ordered the nachos. They were good, with the chicken nicely seasoned, but it was missing... something. I have a feeling with such a large menu, it is very difficult to make any one thing exceptional. This is a restaurant I would only recommend to locals: people who have the time to thoroughly explore the supersized menu (and beer and wine list!) to find their favorite. Oh, and don't forget to say "hi" to the lizard! ;) read more

Wings were very tasty and very good sized, not the wimpy ones you get at some restaurants.

Always good, the chicken nachos with Extra chicken and cajun sauce is addictive! I also had the chicken burger with bacon and fries, all grease, felt peace! Washed it down with a beer! I'll be back! read more

Burnt. Hard reheated greasy fries brought out 3 times. This happens daily . manager says ' I watched the cook the fries fresh'. Managers Never take responsibility food that's sent back add then want to argue about like their correct! Don't think so. Keep it up,and continue to lose loyal customers. Been coming here weekly since 1998 and food overall continues to get worse along with the management . read more

Winking Lizard - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

Over the last couple of years the food has really gone downhill. I first noticed it when i ordered a gyro last year and got a pita with four long pieces of mystery meat which were disgusting. I later went to another lizard and the waitress told me it was lamb flavored sausage. Another visit i got the fish and chips and the fish looked like perfectly stamped out flat pieces of fish like you would get from a grocery store. And today's visit i ordered the bbq chicken dinner with i have had many times before. The chicken in today's meal tasted very odd. And the side of mixed vegetables was a nasty mix of shredded carrots, onions, tiny broccoli, and one small piece of squash. It used to be colorful with large pieces of vegetables. It's really unfortunate, I've been going to the lizard for many years but what I'm seeing now is what usually happens before a place goes out of business. The food service products feel like the cheapest they can get in order to save money. I hope they turn it around, but it's been this way for two years now read more

This place is great with awesome service and great food. Travelled to OH for training and found this place as a true gem.

Food here is much better than the Fairlawn location. Not sure why. Bartenders are very friendly and nice. Food is served hot. Shout out to Lissette who is an amazing bartender. Keep the good food coming. read more

Winking Lizard - Chicken Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

Having been here once, I wanted to try something different. I had the Wild Western burger and it was very good. Today, I tried the ribs.... Oh my! A must try! Great rub, meat fell off the bone, and Lane did a great job serving! I'll be coming back!! read more

Every time I come here, the service never disappoints! We got seated right away whether it's in the afternoon or super late at night. This place always makes my food right during each visit, it's like they have the food gods in the back. I've tried the average bar food on their menu, from their nachos, cheese wedges, wings, Reuben, and pretzels! Drunk or not, I still love eating their food, which says a lot. You know how there's certain bars you don't eat at because their food only tastes good if you're a little intoxicated... yeah this place tastes good allllllll the time... sober.. or intoxicated.. it's amazing!!! I think the service of these amazing ladies and gents helps it make this experience even better! They are also open pretty late and will let you know when the kitchen is closing! I worked a late shift one time and headed here around 1230AM and I believe the kitchen was about to close at 1AM, which was awesome! So I got to get a warm meal in before I started to head home from my shift. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for some delicious bar food and an amazingly wide variety of booze! read more

Check your order ...ordered a cheeseburger well done. Get back to my hotel mouth watering I have a cheeseburger with bacon that is all pink inside. Call the restaurant and ask if I can get my order replaced the way I like. Alex think it was his name tells me to bring the order back in. He inspects it as if he doesn't believe me. Get my new order still pink Serious it's 10 o'clock now read more

Hey, this place really sufficed for a road warrior that wanted simplicity when it comes to comfort food. The beer selection is solid if one is into craft beers. The staff is cool, and I am always a fan of chicken wings. There is an island bar to make sure you are served promptly. If you are on the road check the place out and it is a clean place. read more

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Good god, who approved the patio furniture? Hopefully they were severely reprimanded. The Hi-top chairs are specifically designed to make moving once you sit down completely impossible. You cannot scoot your seat up to the table, you have to pull the table into you, which is a problem for the person sitting across from you. Complete and epic FAIL. read more