Miller's Dining Room (1)

More than 1,000 pounds of brown sugar — every week. That’s what it took to keep the silver trays of warm sticky buns circulating through Miller’s Dining Room.

From the day Miller’s opened on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood in 1950 to the day it burned down in 1995, it was known for those sticky buns. No fancy pecans or even icing. Just the simple union of dough and brown sugar in one warm, gooey, just-out-of-the-oven delight.

As soon as you sat down, a server came by with a tray, offering complimentary muffins, corn sticks, cloverleaf rolls and, of course, sticky buns. But it was those famous buns that went the fastest, by far. The trays were always circulating. Always tempting you to take another. The average customer ate two.

Check back Dec. 1 for our full story about Miller’s Dining Room (including the recipe for the sticky buns), as well as a look back at other bygone restaurants and dishes and much more in our tribute to classic Cleveland Eats.