Stepping into Stevenson’s Bar and Grill in Cleveland is like traveling back in time to a place where cash-only policies meant having to use the ATM in the corner or putting your name on a rolling tab behind the bar. The old-school charm of this blue-collar restaurant is thanks to chef Bruce Cerne, who has been using the same well-seasoned flattop grill to cook up his Big Guy burgers ($6.50) for more than 50 years. The 2/3-pound double cheeseburger drowns in American cheese, lettuce, pickles and a signature secret white sauce — harkening back to Ohio’s famed Big Boy burger greatness. By purchasing his ingredients from local grocers on an as-needed basis, Cerne has been able to keep everything on the menu — think breaded clam strips and shrimp baskets to BLTs and patty melts — under $7. Also Try: The strip steak sandwich ($5.25) boasts 4 ounces of thin strip steak smothered in grilled onions and cremini mushrooms on a hoagie bun. The chicken club ($5.75) may sound like your average breaded chicken tender sandwich with lettuce, tomato and American cheese, but Cerne uses twice-cooked bacon for extra crispiness. 800 E. 200th St., Cleveland, 216-999-7156
Cheap Eats: Stevenson's Bar and Grill
This blue-collar restaurants provides a menu of filling old-school favorites.
