First Look: Crumb & Spigot Opens in Lakewood

Earlier this year, we referred to Lakewood as a “foodie paradise,” and since then, the West Side city has continued to earn that title with yet another addition to its dining scene.

Crumb & Spigot, the popular cocktail-forward Chagrin Falls gastro pub, unveiled its new West side locale on Wednesday. Known for wood-fired pizzas and a trendy relaxing atmosphere in an unassuming strip in the suburbs, the original Crumb & Spigot location has brought home many accolades. In a former Verizon space, the second location clocks in at 3,000 square feet between Voodoo Tuna and Tapster in Lakewood.

Owners Jamy Bolling and Bo Brandenburg were already hinting at new locations after taking over the popular restaurant from its previous owners in 2022. Since announcing the second location in May, Bolling maintained that the new restaurant will be very similar to the first in its menu and decor.

“My partner Bo Brandenburg and I chose Lakewood as our second location due to the rich background and history displayed by the community for supporting local restaurants and dining out in general,” says Bolling. “We are excited to be a part of the culinary culture and genuine hospitality that’s been created, and we feel our restaurant will fit right in.”

The Space
Welcoming guests with the signature crow on the front sign, the new Lakewood space emanates similar vibes as the Bainbridge location. “It’s warm and approachable,” Bolling says. “It’s easy to see yourself siting at the bar and having a bite to eat.” With a relaxed ambiance with plaid-wrapped banquettes, oak barrel tables, and a bar, regulars will feel at home. The wooden tables, and green ambiance give off a charming and approachable feel.

Just like the original location, Lakewood’s Crumb & Spigot has a patio out front. The new space is slightly larger than the original, home to 65 indoor seats including the bar. The owners have taken over the spot next-door to the original Chagrin Falls location to add a small amount of additional seating so that both restaurants ultimately have a similar headcount. They look to complete that expansion soon.

But make no mistake — Lakewood is its own restaurant. Bolling says the team is open to adding to or adapting the menu based on what the community wants. “Lakewood’s a good restaurant town,” says Bolling. “It’s very diverse and they support restaurants.” 

The locally owned restaurant group doesn’t want to get “too big” but has a vision for the future.  “I feel there’s an opportunity for two to four restaurants total throughout Cleveland and then we’ll see where it goes from there,” says Bolling. 

The Drinks
Crumb & Spigot’s specialty cocktails are the star of the drink menu. “I think we buy really good liquor; that’s kind of the foundation of the cocktails,” Bolling says. “We have a couple great mixologists.”

Bolling has two favorites as we shift into winter. The first is the vieux carré ($15), “a Southern-inspired sweeter version of a Manhattan,” featuring Bulleit rye whiskey, Hennesey cognac, Benedictine sweet vermouth, and Peychaud’s and Angostura bitters. The drink is “perfect for a night like tonight…it really warms you up.” When he and his business partner meet up, “The vieux carré is definitely our fall drink,” he says.

His other libation of choice is the elder mother ($15), crafted with Tito’s vodka, St. Germaine, fresh lemon juice, basil, English cucumber and Sanpellegrino limonata. The drink menu also features some twists on the classics.

Guests can also choose their own flight of three ounce pours of bourbon, whiskey or scotch, or build their own beer flight. Mocktails, beer and wine round out the menu as well as a robust happy hour, held from 4-5:30 p.m., featuring $10 pizzas and house cocktails daily from Tuesday through Sunday. 

The Food
Crumb & Spigot’s menu is about diversity and quality. “We make everything in house, using the top ingredients,” Bolling says. The dishes have a rich deep flavor with layers, he adds.

The modern kitchen boasts a menu of from-scratch salads, snacks and apps, sandwiches, pub entrees, pizzas, cocktails and desserts, with the same menu at both locations.

The wood-burning pizza oven at the original location, opened in 2014, is a main fixture. Whether a patron is a vegan, vegetarian, meat-lover or veggie fan, there’s a solid tasty pick. The popular Speck pizza ($18) focuses on smoked prosciutto, pineapple, pickled jalapeño, fresh mozzarella, aged provolone and oregano.

“We have a pretty good following around pizza, but if you ask the people who get the bar steak or the chicken Milanese, they might have an argument for the claim to fame,” Bolling says. “Those are two of our best sellers.”

The chicken Milanese is prepared with arugula fennel salad, parmesan and roasted broccoli ($24) and the savory bar steak ($36) is served with whiskey mustard, mushroom shallot sauce and crispy bit potatoes.

Vegans and vegetarians are sure to find a new favorite here, too. “We had an inspiration early on toward vegetarian and vegan style dishes,” Bolling says. Several dishes have both a meat and vegetarian renditions, and the vegan versions don’t shy away from flavor. “I’m not a vegan or vegetarian but do prefer the vegan sloppy Joe more than the regular, which is pretty darn good by the way,” Bolling say. The vegan ($16) is made with a mix of mushrooms, black beans, farro, vegan bun and arugula salad and the regular ($16) is crafted with Angus ground beef, aged cheddar, potato salad and slaw.

For those looking for a sweet, lighter start, the strawberry salad ($10) is a good pick, with arugula, fennel, cranberries, toasted almonds and rosemary dressing.

Mains also run the spectrum of approachable comforting food, such as the sweet pea falafel ($18) with cauliflower tabbouleh, roasted zucchini, vegan lemon creme; and the shrimp and grits ($25) with bacon and garlic shrimp, white cheddar grits, spring pea shoots and fried egg.

Bolling recommends the chocolate chip cookie for dessert. “Other than the fact we call it the vegan chocolate chip cookie ($8) you’d really have no idea it wasn’t made with butter. It’s a warm chocolate chip cookie and you can’t beat it.”