Winking Lizard Tavern

Doesn't Recommend

Gatewayofficeworker

Joined 3 years ago

Noisy, rude. On an average day, just an average dive bar.

At least one evening during the summer, they take over the neighborhood until midnight. Hire a bad band to play trash music on amps at a million decibels. If you work in one the nearby office buildings, forget it. The party reaches into your office and prevents you from doing your job. The bar's management knows. And doesn't care. They want to spill out into the street and too bad if you have a reason being there and have reason not to join their beer party that particular evening. Does their attitude spills over and affect your experience as a patron there? It does now, at least for this patron.

Doesn't Recommend

skamment

Joined 4 years ago

Great for burger-eating bar crowd, disappointing for others. Most dishes at the Lizard include meat, and many items are deep fried. Although food is very well prepared, it's usually loaded with fat, salt and calories. It's hard to find dishes there that are not, yet are still good. There are a variety of salads, but they are nothing special. The few cooked veggies offered are overcooked and soggy with an unpleasant taste from the marinade. Because of the high fat content in most dishes, their take-out food does not travel well at all, unless it goes only as far as the car before eaten -- crispy things get really soggy and liquids run all over everything in the box. The Lizard does a great business and has no reason to change (yet), so maybe I just have to accept that and move on to somewhere else.

Recommends

skacleve

Joined 8 years ago

Popular sports-style eatery, decent food, close to games, family friendly but loud. First, let me say that this company operates a really tight ship, making them highly successful in a highly competitive market. It's always crowded at lunch, but table turnover is fast. The building is beautiful with nice street views and in a great location near most big downtown destinations. The menu is mostly sandwiches. Daily soup is almost always good, tho too salty or too thick late in the day. Their pizzas are also quite good and fresh-tasting, unlike commercial ones. Their food is pretty consistent, portions are usually big, and service is always good and amiable.

I notice the other positive reviews are about the beer selection, which is excellent, and the wings. But for a healthier meal, there needs to be more veggies and real fruits. Pasta and rice dishes added to the menu would help too (there used to be, but not any longer). Their weekly lunch specials and the seasonal menus are good for variety, when available, but the downtown location does not always offer the latter. They do have several decent salads. I wish a Seasonal Menu salad recently -- with goat cheese, nuts and fruit on mescelun greens -- was a regular offering (at a lower price). Ask for Romaine lettuce if you don't like iceberg, or another side if you don't want fries, as they are good about substitutions.

It's too bad there aren't more than just a few lunch items (other than sides) under $7, and most are over $8. Even most appetizers are over $6. If you like burgers, pizza and wings, this is a great place to eat. It's not if you want a small, healthy bite or don't want to spend $10 or more for lunch.

Recommends

starjacqueline

Joined 6 years ago

BEST WINGS!. Best wings in the east!Better then the Anchor Bar in Buffalo,NY where they invented the buffalo wing!! the burger are great too.

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

This longtime Cleveland favorite caters to a mixed crowd with its many munchies and good beer selection.. In Short
Typically, the regular lunchtime and after-work crowd, which can drift into the bad-tie variety, segues into a smaller group of rambunctious night owls. But it's when there's a game that the Lizard really gets slammed. Huge groups of pregame and postgame urban professionals invade to dissect every aspect of the latest game. The music is standard satellite rock, and it's reliably clean and nonsmoky enough for moms, dads and their minor leaguers.

Recommends

stevecir

Joined 8 years ago

Great all around bar. While visiting Cleveland, I went to the Winking lizard and fell in love. They have hundreds of different beers and a four page food menu. If they opened one in Detroit, I would be there every night.

Recommends

godlh

Joined 10 years ago

It rocks!. I've been there three straight years on the night before going to my one and only Cleveland Browns game a year (drive down from Ottawa, Canada...about 8 hours just to see my Browns!) and the place rocks!

Great service, fair prices, and so many different types of beer...makes me feel like I'm back home in Canada!

Recommends

hnblpie

Joined 10 years ago

The Lizard Winked. Pam & I stopped before a Tribe game and I got the chicken. It was hot, tender and very juicey. I recommend it to everyone on the east or west side and everyone in the middle. Pie

Recommends

graham_campbell

Joined 11 years ago

Go for the Tour. I was just passing through Cleveland and wanted to find a watering hole. The World Tour of beers is great fun and I wish that I could finish all 100 and get the free leather jacket. Good food, great selection of brews, and fun times all around. Highly recommend to anyone.

Recommends

gunners197

Joined 10 years ago

A real 10 spot. 10 business trips to Cleveland in the past year and I visit the Lizard each time (usually more than once.) Great wings, cold beer ,friendly wait staff and plenty of TV's to watch "my" teams. Recommend the Spicy Garlic Wings - just the right temp.