The Best of Cleveland - Bar Revival

Poor John Hogen. Seven years ago, when the Euclid Tavern closed its doors, he probably figured the scrawling was gone for good. But the new Euc has preserved some of the old, including selected graffiti, such as a spraypainted “JOHN HOGEN IS GAY!” (Not that there’s anything wrong with that — except when someone writes it on a wall.) The landmark, late-night rock club strives to maintain the feel of the second-oldest bar in Cleveland without clinging to the past. The downstairs bar is made from salvaged flooring from the upstairs, the ceilings are original pressed tin, and acts such as Mr. Stress still perform there. But the bar also caters to Case students who prefer karaoke and movie nights to rock shows. 11625 Euclid Ave., Cleveland; (216) 231-7066

Though the outside received a historic facelift, restoring the building to how it looked in 1911, the inside of the Brothers Lounge was gutted and completely updated. Very little of the bar’s history was preserved, but the focus of making the place a hot new destination for blues music seems to have succeeded. Large crowds and a fresh buzz are hanging around this club that sits near the Lakewood line. With a classy wine bar attached, it looks better than ever with a Steinway baby grand, leather seats and 145 wine selections. The pub portion has a new mahogany bar and more than 50 beer selections, ranging from your typical domestics to Iron Chef Morimoto’s Imperial Pilsner. 11609 Detroit Ave., Cleveland; (216) 226-2767