Just like with his now-defunct flagship Lola Bistro, Michael Symon created “Cleveland-style” barbecue to fill a hole he saw in our city's dining scene.
“For us, opening Mabel’s was more about Can someone please make good f***ing barbecue?” says the celebrity chef. “Can someone source the right products, treat them with respect and then cook them with real natural wood and not in an oven?”
Since Mabel’s opened in 2016, Northeast Ohio has seen a BBQ boom, but Symon’s East Fourth Street spot is still the prime choice.
A la carte platters feature pulled pork ($15), hot collard greens ($6.50) and all the classics. Kielbasa ($13), instead of hot link sausage, and a barbecue sauce with a base of Cleveland-made Bertman Ballpark Mustard offer a Cleveland spin. Best of all, beef brisket ($17), perhaps BBQ's most divisive cut, is offered lean or fatty, the latter being our preference due to the buttery pocket of liquid gold between the tender, stringy meat and the dark, crusty bark.
Symon’s Lola and B Spot may be gone, but with a new location in Eton Chagrin Boulevard, Mabel’s BBQ remains a delicious interaction with Cleveland’s culinary son. mabelsbbq.com
Honorable Mention
The Proper Pig Smokehouse: Shane Vidovic and Ted Dupaski have come a long way since their $1,000 food truck serving Texas-style barbecue. The friends took advantage of the pandemic to add a full bar with Texas-made beer to their Lakewood space. properpigsmokehouse.com
Our full list of 34 Best Restaurants, 10 Best New Restaurants and reader-voted Silver Spoon Awards is your guide to Cleveland’s best bites.
