Hidden Restaurant Gems: Cleveland's Best Eats

[Shakalu M.D.]

Best pizza is Mama Santa's in Little Italy.

 

[kosis]

One of my favorite restaurants is India Garden in Lakewood. Everything on the menu is good, especially if you like spicy food. All you can eat lunch buffet is the best deal in Lakewood.

 

[Shakalu M.D.]

I'm sure it has come up before and most of us are familiar with it, but Melt is phenomenal too. Huge portions, not too much money, and delicious food. There's a few locations, the original being in Lakewood. They just opened up a new location in Mentor about a month or two ago. I've only been a handful of times, but I try something new whenever I get a chance. Mom's meatloaf dinner sandwich is incredible. The blackened chicken sandwich is awesome. The dude abides is probably my favorite.

 

[Giambiwannabe7]

I'm sure it has come up before and most of us are familiar with it, but Melt is phenomenal too. Huge portions, not too much money, and delicious food. There's a few locations, the original being in Lakewood. They just opened up a new location in Mentor about a month or two ago. I've only been a handful of times, but I try something new whenever I get a chance. Mom's meatloaf dinner sandwich is incredible. The blackened chicken sandwich is awesome. The dude abides is probably my favorite.

Love Melt. This month's special is a Hungarian pulled chicken paprikash sandwich. Homemade dumplings on it. Pulled chicken is packed with flavor. Absolutely phenomenal.

 

[The Oi]

How has Corky and Lenny's not been brought up? It's like the Joe's Stone Crab of Jewish delis. Do I even need to talk about the pickles and the reubens?

Mama Santa's also has the best rigatoni and sausage that I've ever had.

 

[Bill Walton.]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/arielknutson/funny-restaurant-signs

 

[Triumph36]

melt is good but the wait makes it such a PITA

b spot is just decent overall but pretty fantastic for happy hour

 

[Shakalu M.D.]

How has Corky and Lenny's not been brought up? It's like the Joe's Stone Crab of Jewish delis. Do I even need to talk about the pickles and the reubens?

Mama Santa's also has the best rigatoni and sausage that I've ever had.

Let's not forget classics like Slyman's. They've been around forever for a reason.

melt is good but the wait makes it such a PITA

b spot is just decent overall but pretty fantastic for happy hour

Just go at an odd hour to Melt. I usually just pick a weekday when I don't have work for whatever reason and fast. Then I go at like 4 PM and there's no wait. There's enough food on that plate to make sure I'm not going to be hungry again at like midnight.

I don't get why so many people think B-spot is just average. I've only been once as it's a bit of a drive for me to get there, but the burger was fantastic. There's a reason he's won the "burger bash" 3 years in a row. The one I ordered had pastrami on it and was cooked to a perfect medium rare. It was fantastic.

 

[WUJU]

I hit Momocho for the first time tonight. As JJ from Goodtimes would say DYNOMITE! It's in Ohio City not too far from Great Lakes. It's a American twist on Mexican and the guac is amazing. Another gem!

 

[OptimusPrime]

Mama Santa's is good, but the best pizza is the house special at Angelo's in Lakewood.

 

[gourimoko]

God... I miss Cleveland..

 

[The Oi]

Eat your spam salad and STFU.

 

[Chardon]

Mama Robertos in Mentor. My God, they give you so much food.

 

[macbdog]

Been to Tasty's multiple times. They actually sponsored a team of mine a few years back. Not as good as Giuseppe's down the road, IMO. http://giuseppespizza.com/index.html

Bangkok Thai is a very good and fresh restaurant in a shotty strip mall... Great, cheap. http://www.yelp.com/biz/bangkok-thai-cleveland

I don't know a whole lot about the west side.

I have seen that Thai place and was curious, I'll have to try it out now.

Ohio City Burrito and University Inn for me. Maybe not hidden gems, at least for any hipsters or regular eaters, but I like these places. Also like Rincon Criollo in Detroit.

 

[macbdog]

melt is good but the wait makes it such a PITA

b spot is just decent overall but pretty fantastic for happy hour

Like someone else noted, just don't go right at dinner or lunch. The Cleveland Heights one by me, I never have a prob getting a table or if Im solo just hit the bar and I never wait. It kind of sadden me, though, that they are franchising. I understand why and all- gotta make the dime and I respect that- but it is losing its' exclusivity. At least there is no shortage of tattooed hipsters to work the bar for them that they can branch out and still maintain the shtick.

Oddly enough I have never been to B-Spot despite having lived within walking distance for a year and being a burger freak.

Any Parmaites try Cleveland Corned Beef Co.? Used to be a Corky n Lenny's satellite, supposed to be the same guy who ran that. They are only open until 5 so I miss it when I hit that side of town.