25 Best Restaurants: Alley Cat Oyster Bar

While the resurgence of the Flats has seen a few setbacks in the last two years with the closing of Willeyville, Crop Rocks, Crop Sticks and Flip Side, Alley Cat Oyster Bar remains the beacon of hope for Cleveland’s waterfront dining and entertainment venues.

The ever-evolving, always-hustling Zack Bruell continues to reinterpret how we think about seafood with his ninth restaurant.

Part SoCal, part New England oyster bar, the two-story gleaming gem along the Cuyahoga River hooks us with an Atlantic-meets-Pacific menu that gets creative with standard coastal fare, offering a riff on nearly every variety of seafood at almost every price point, from mussels with kimchi and bacon ($11) to tender grilled octopus with a smoked paprika aioli ($24) to a full lobster tail ($60).

One of Bruell’s signature dishes (and his favorite) is the Mexican-style shrimp-stuffed pepper, drizzled with soy sauce ($12).

“It was inspired by some hole-in-the-wall place in the Coachella Valley,” he says.

And while you may not be on the West Coast, Alley Cat’s two riverfront patios — one with full dining service, the other with a full bar and limited menu for an ongoing happy hour vibe — are summer favorites for diners craving that coastal feeling.

Insider Tip:
All of Alley Cat’s seafood has been out of the water less than 24 hours, and the rotating list of oysters, such as bluepoints, Martha’s Vineyards and Puget Sounds, are shucked to order — rare even at coastal restaurants. 1056 Old River Road, Cleveland, 216-574-9999, alleycatoysterbar.com