Make your way through Middleburg Heights — choose your own adventure. From sips and suds to massages and many ways to play, the possibilities can fulfill most any appetite. And, there’s such a range of ways to dine, relax, get pampered and gather that you can design each “what-to-do-today” differently.
These 10 Chamber member stops are just a very small sampling of the amazing places Middleburg Heights has to offer.
Rise and Shine
Wake up and smell the options for a satisfying cup of coffee, breakfast eats and delectably sweet treats. Middleburg Heights offers a range of dining opportunities, including a couple of homegrown businesses you’ll want to try as you explore the community.
Sips and Such Social House
Start the day — or circle back for lunch — at Sips and Such Social House, where owners Randy and Rhonda Burch have built a loyal following. A sizeable community table is convenient for meetings, and the low-top tables and booths provide plenty of cozy seating for sipping and dining.
Sips and Such has a gastropub feel with coffee shop warmth. The Burches completely renovated the interior in 2019, expanding the kitchen’s capabilities and, as a result, growing an even larger, curated menu. Think local, and a fusion of breakfast meets bistro.
Chicken waffle sliders, banana bread French toast, breakfast flatbread and caprese avocado toast are a few favorites. “We do vegan bowls, eggs Benedict and wraps,” adds Randy Burch, relating that coffee is roasted weekly at Cleveland’s Rising Star, and milk is sourced from Hartzler Family Dairy in Wooster. “We team up with local purveyors as much as we can.”
The Burches with Sips and Such are big community supporters, sponsoring youth activities and teams. You might find their food truck out and about at parties and events. “We make a special menu to serve from our Sips and Such Mobile Kitchen,” Burch says.
Specialty drinks are a go-to — especially salted caramel chai, mimosas and bloody Marys.
“The community’s response has been overwhelming,” Burch says. “They have welcomed us with open arms.”
Try It: House-made Sippuccino — This frozen, blended coffee comes in three sweetly satisfying flavors: chocolate malt, caramel and vanilla.
sipsandsuch.com | 7535 Pearl Road | 440-532-7078
Twisted Sweets
She’s known as the chocolate lady — and once you step inside Twisted Sweets, you’ll see why. Christine Czech creates handmade, custom-designed chocolate treats such as an intricate sea turtle, edible unicorn basket and gecko chocolate bars.
“Popular items are my toffees, buckeyes and fun chocolate-covered Oreos I decorate for the season,” says Czech, who left a 25-year career in fashion design to pursue Twisted Sweets full time. For years, her chocolate fans had told her, “You should start a business!” Six years ago, she did. Last year, she opened her storefront, where you can select a treat or two, build a box of goodies or pick up larger orders.
Twisted Sweets also caters events and holds home parties for family gatherings, girls’ nights and birthdays. She stops into businesses with baskets of chocolates to sell to staff, too.
Try It: Giant peanut butter cup — Enjoy it plain or covered with toppings like crushed M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces.
twistedsweets804.com | 7551 Pearl Road | 216-926-8044
Ready for R&R
Relax — we’ve got you covered if you need to hit a pause button to escape stress or if you simply crave some downtime to exhale with a therapeutic massage or unwind in an infrared sauna. Or, if you’re looking for some active recreation, why not go for a scenic hike? Have the pup or kids in tow? There’s something for them, too. Recreational options abound in Middleburg Heights.
LifeWorks of Southwest General
Feeling tense? Over time, our bodies can stop telling us the neck is stiff or our shoulders are achy. “After a while, your body compensates,” explains Karen Raisch-Siegel, executive director of LifeWorks of Southwest General. “When muscles tighten up, it can impede your functional movement and you don’t even realize it because you get used to it.”
Massage therapy improves quality of life, can help manage arthritis pain and joint concerns — and releases tension from everyday activities. “Work life can also lead to different back and shoulder issues, and we see this in people who sit at a desk,” points out Mallory Diebel, LifeWorks services coordinator.
Need more reasons to take a break for a massage? It improves circulation and flexibility, boosts your immune system, enhances sleep quality, improves concentration and reduces pain, stress and anxiety while lowering blood pressure. Massage can also reduce recovery time after an injury or surgery.
Members and non-members of LifeWorks can schedule appointments.
Raisch-Siegel says, “Therapeutic massage works out toxins and gets the knots out, and afterward, you realize how tight you were after you allow the body to relax and recover.”
Try It: HydroMassage — The HydroLounge is a reclining seat with traveling water jets that move up and down, massaging the body. You get to control the pressure and speed.
lifeworksfitness.net | 7390 Old Oak Blvd. | 440-816-4202
Sage Salon
Treat your tresses to a fresh style — or try out one of Sage Salon’s specialty services. Offering Brazilian blowouts, a full menu of color options, Restoration CBD Treatment, formal styling and more, there’s something for everyone.
Try It: Full Balayage — Providing natural-looking results, these highlights are easier to maintain than traditional foil highlights.
hellosagesalon.com | 7511 Pearl Road | 440-842-1404
Dolce Organic Salon
Heal, relax — restore and reinvigorate. Rejuvenate from the inside out at Dolce Organic Salon, which offers complete hair and spa services, including an infrared sauna and salt room. The salon uses Organic Way (Oway) products from Bologna, Italy, that contain biodynamic, organic and fair trade ingredients.
“Your skin is your largest organ, so you’re taking a lot in with the shampoos and products you use,” points out Steve Kazar, co-owner with his wife, Aundria Kazar.
The infrared sauna is a customer favorite, and one session produces the same cardiovascular results and calories burned as an hour of vigorous exercise, according to Dolce Organic Salon. Infrared saunas also help detoxify the body, deliver pain relief and aid in muscle recovery. Some find improved sleep and relaxation from the therapeutic sauna.
Infrared saunas use infrared light and waves to create high heat rather than emitting steam like traditional saunas.
Try It: Halotherapy — Also called salt therapy, the treatment involves relaxing in a room where the walls and floors are covered in salt. Negative ions in salt are said to improve mental health conditions like depression, stress and anxiety. They also combat positive ions emitted by computers and other screens. Those with asthma and sinus issues can also find relief, Kazar says.
dolceorganicsalon.com | 18820 E. Bagley Road | 440-238-5514
Cleveland Metroparks Big Creek Reservation
Need some exercise or a breath of fresh air? Make your way to the Cleveland Metroparks. The Big Creek Reservation offers peaceful trails (and, in winter, fantastic sledding hills) that allow you to enjoy the great outdoors no matter the season.
Try It: Hike the Lake to Lake Trail — This 2.4-mile, accessible, all-purpose trail connects Lake Abram to Lake Isaac. During your journey, you’ll cross Abram Creek and Bagley Road, enjoying the sweet sights, sounds and smells of nature as you pass through the headwater wetlands.
clevelandmetroparks.com | 440-887-1968
Get Air Trampoline Park
A Kiddie Court for tots, trampoline dodgeball, ninja course and giant foam pit are a few ways to burn off energy at Get Air Trampoline Park. Kids of all ages can jump in on the fun, with a dedicated space for the youngest set (less than 46 inches), and an open court with thousands of square feet of side-by-side trampolines for the whole family.
getairsports.com/middleburg-heights | 7204 Pearl Road | 440-591-6520
Tri-City Bark Park
Unleash and unwind at Tri-City Bark Park, a nearly 30,000 square-foot, 0.75-acre space for pooches to play. The dog park is a partnership with Middleburg Heights, Brook Park and Berea.
Tri-City Bark Park is fenced in and includes water fountains, benches and plenty of space for dogs to meet, greet, romp and roll.
18825 Sheldon Road
Dinner & Drinks
Dine around Middleburg Heights, which offers a diverse menu of restaurants to try. Here are a couple of spots to add to your list as you explore the city’s dinner and drinks scene.
Fat Head’s Brewery and Beer Hall
At Fat Head’s Brewery and Beer Hall, you’ll find 20 Fat Head craft beers on tap and an 800-pound capacity smoker for making bona fide barbecue — you’ll find this, along with a vibrant production brewery you can tour; a full-fledged, dog-friendly patio Hop Garden; and a menu that matches the ratings of this establishment’s award-winning reputation.
Aside from the location’s production brewery, there is a small, 15-barrel pilot brewery that makes the bulk of the beers found on tap at the Middleburg Heights beer hall. “With that, we get small-batch brews that are draft-only and only available through Fat Head’s,” says Bill Wetmore, sales and marketing director.
Some beers are experimental, and some are old favorites. Others are both. “Our true flagships are Bumble Berry and Head Hunter, which just won gold at the Wold Beer Cup in Nashville,” Wetmore says. “What’s interesting is we have done some popular twists on Bumble Berry, like Crumble Berry that focuses on vanilla and cinnamon, and you can only get it here.”
Another twisted favorite is Jungle Juice Head Hunter — an India Pale Ale — with navel orange undertones. “We take our Head Hunter and juice it,” he explains. Another favorite is Hop Juju with a tropical flair.
Lagers and pilsners from the pilot brewery are also popular picks. Wetmore explains that Fat Head’s German-style brewers have a passion for the tradition. “Our brewery is also unique because we have open fermenters, a European brew style, and those are exceptionally good for wheat beers, so we always have Goggle Fogger on tap, awarded medals in 2020 and 2022 as the best Hefe-Weizen in the U.S. and world.”
Self-guided tours are available, too. Learn how Fat Head’s produces its craft beers and watch the operation in action. A glassed-in production packaging line allows you to walk the corridor and check out what’s happening. “Our brew deck is above the bar, so as you are sitting there, we are actively brewing Monday through Friday,” Wetmore says, adding that the self-guided experience includes a storyline on the walls. “We explain our brew process and the evolution of Fat Head’s.”
Try It: Up in Smoke Headwich — Pair a flight of smaller pours with Fat Head’s Up in Smoke Headwich, featuring smoked brisket, smoked cheddar, smoky barbecue sauce, red cabbage slaw and savory onion straws.
fatheads.com/brewery | 17450 Engle Lake Drive | 216-898-0242
Santo’s Italian Restaurant
Steeped in tradition, dining at Santo’s Italian Restaurant is truly a family affair passed on to generations. A refined menu of homemade pasta and house specialties includes seafood and veal dishes, poultry and pizza.
Santo’s opened in 1972, founded by John and Florence Santosuosso — and is now run by their daughter and son-in-law Louise and Tony Raffin, along with one of the Raffin’s four children, Annette.
“Anything that comes out of the kitchen, it’s not a frozen product — it’s all homemade,” Annette says. She points to the restaurant’s spaghetti sauce as an example, which is still made using her grandparents’ recipe. “They start with meat on bones, because it’s more flavorful, and you cook that with some garlic and olive oil,” she shares. “Then you add tomato products and some spices.”
This spaghetti sauce is made fresh in-house three or four times a week, she adds.
Annette is proud that the restaurant has called Middleburg Heights home for so many years and enjoys hearing stories of families who have been dining at Santo’s for generations. She regularly hears from customers who say their parents brought them to the restaurant as children and, when they grew up, they got engaged there and now bring their own children to Santo’s.
“Hearing those kinds of stories makes it all worth it,” she says.
Try It: The Feast — Flavorful shrimp, clams and mussels sauteed in Aglio-Olio or marina are tossed with linguini in this mouth-watering seafood dish.
santospizzaandpasta.com | 7565 Pearl Road | 440-234-6480
