Food & Drink
Cleveland's 25 Best Restaurants Of 2019
Northeast Ohio's culinary scene has become a reputable region where chefs use locally grown ingredients to create simple, yet innovative dining experiences bursting with flavor. We've got your next dining excursion covered with these seriously great takes on steaks, stews and shareable plates.
by Walker MacMurdo, Kim Schneider, Jason Brill, Ruth Corradi Beach, Kate Bigam Kaput, Ilona Westfall | Apr. 25, 2019 | 4:00 AM
Editor's Note: Click the titles to read full write ups on each Best Restaurant. The articles will be posted periodically throughout May and the link will appear when the story is live. To read the full package now, pick up a print copy on local newsstands.
Astoria Cafe & Market — Say "Opa!" and grab a glass of wine at this laid-back Gordon Square gem.
Balaton — This family-owned restaurant celebrates its Hungarian heritage.
Crumb & Spigot — The Bainbridge eatery is like a family dinner with way, way better bites.
Distill Table — This year's best new restaurant is as local as it gets.
Empress Taytu — This Ethiopian spot in St. Clair-Superior has an air of perfection.
Flying Fig — After 20 years, chef Karen Small has proved herself a culinary pioneer.
Ha Ahn — In an AsiaTown strip mall, this family-run Korean restaurant offers homestyle dishes and sushi.
Hook & Hoof — Meat and fish play the main role, but this downtown Willoughby spot isn't afraid to challenge you.
L'Albatros Brasserie & Bar — Zack Bruell's French masterpiece starts and ends with fine wine and cheese.
La Plaza Taqueria — Amidst a new expansion, the grocery store taco joint delivers the best tacos in town.
Larder Delicatessen and Bakery — The Hingetown spot serves classic Eastern European deli fare but with an experimental twist.
LJ Shanghai — The Chinese restaurant won us over with its xiao li bao — or soup dumplings. But it's so much more than just that.
Lola — Michael Symon's East Fourth restaurant remains one of Cleveland's best.
Momocho — In a sea of taco joints, chef Eric Williams gives us creative Mexican cuisine.
Salt — James Beard-nominee Jill Vedaa gets Clevelanders to embrace small plates.
Smokin' Q's BBQ & Beer House — This Mayfield Village spot mixes our two favorites — barbecue and tacos — into a Tex-Mex delight.
Spice Kitchen & Bar — Chef and owner Ben Bebenroth is committed to using locally grown vegetables at his Gordon Square restaurant.
Thai Thai — You'll come here for the creative, fun takes on bubble tea, but you'll stay for the Thai street food.
The Black Pig — The classic Ohio City restaurant hasn't missed a beat with its French inspired menu.
The Plum — Brett Sawyer and Vince Thomascik's ever-changing Ohio City menu is Cleveland's most innovative American kitchen.
The Pompadour — The Fairport Harbor small plates spot is one of the East Side's hottest seats.
Trio — This Tremont spot thrives by not "over-chefing" its inventive menu of small plates.
Urban Farmer — Decadent, aged and Ohio-raised cuts are the meat and potatoes behind Downtown's best steakhouse.
Ushabu — This Tremont experience is a culinary exploration of Japan.
Vero Pizza Napoletana — The dough makes this Cleveland Heights pizza joint well worth your dough.
Readers' Picks: Click here for the 2019 Silver Spoon Award Winners, as selected by Cleveland Magazine readers.
Read Next: Cleveland's Best Food Speaks For Itself — What Cleveland's best restaurants say about the local dining scene.
Astoria Cafe & Market — Say "Opa!" and grab a glass of wine at this laid-back Gordon Square gem.
Balaton — This family-owned restaurant celebrates its Hungarian heritage.
Crumb & Spigot — The Bainbridge eatery is like a family dinner with way, way better bites.
Distill Table — This year's best new restaurant is as local as it gets.
Empress Taytu — This Ethiopian spot in St. Clair-Superior has an air of perfection.
Flying Fig — After 20 years, chef Karen Small has proved herself a culinary pioneer.
Ha Ahn — In an AsiaTown strip mall, this family-run Korean restaurant offers homestyle dishes and sushi.
Hook & Hoof — Meat and fish play the main role, but this downtown Willoughby spot isn't afraid to challenge you.
L'Albatros Brasserie & Bar — Zack Bruell's French masterpiece starts and ends with fine wine and cheese.
La Plaza Taqueria — Amidst a new expansion, the grocery store taco joint delivers the best tacos in town.
Larder Delicatessen and Bakery — The Hingetown spot serves classic Eastern European deli fare but with an experimental twist.
LJ Shanghai — The Chinese restaurant won us over with its xiao li bao — or soup dumplings. But it's so much more than just that.
Lola — Michael Symon's East Fourth restaurant remains one of Cleveland's best.
Momocho — In a sea of taco joints, chef Eric Williams gives us creative Mexican cuisine.
Salt — James Beard-nominee Jill Vedaa gets Clevelanders to embrace small plates.
Smokin' Q's BBQ & Beer House — This Mayfield Village spot mixes our two favorites — barbecue and tacos — into a Tex-Mex delight.
Spice Kitchen & Bar — Chef and owner Ben Bebenroth is committed to using locally grown vegetables at his Gordon Square restaurant.
Thai Thai — You'll come here for the creative, fun takes on bubble tea, but you'll stay for the Thai street food.
The Black Pig — The classic Ohio City restaurant hasn't missed a beat with its French inspired menu.
The Plum — Brett Sawyer and Vince Thomascik's ever-changing Ohio City menu is Cleveland's most innovative American kitchen.
The Pompadour — The Fairport Harbor small plates spot is one of the East Side's hottest seats.
Trio — This Tremont spot thrives by not "over-chefing" its inventive menu of small plates.
Urban Farmer — Decadent, aged and Ohio-raised cuts are the meat and potatoes behind Downtown's best steakhouse.
Ushabu — This Tremont experience is a culinary exploration of Japan.
Vero Pizza Napoletana — The dough makes this Cleveland Heights pizza joint well worth your dough.
Readers' Picks: Click here for the 2019 Silver Spoon Award Winners, as selected by Cleveland Magazine readers.
Read Next: Cleveland's Best Food Speaks For Itself — What Cleveland's best restaurants say about the local dining scene.
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