14 Best Restaurants in Ohio, USA

In a 1929 building with a steeple, this dining room has large windows, a high ceiling, chandeliers, and nautical murals. Lunch brings an array of fish choices and sandwiches evenly balanced among meat, poultry, and seafood; dinner is heavy on steak and seafood, with such high-ticket favorites as Alaskan king crab legs and steak and lobster.

The traditional grub at this pub southwest of downtown in Ohio City includes wood-fired pizzas, burgers, Irish stew, and ribs. Great Lakes also has lighter options, such as salads, fish, and vegetarian dishes. Of course, every item has a recommended beer pairing, the best reason to come. Open-air dining is available in a courtyard with 25 tables. There's no smoking here.

This publike eatery in historic Ohio City has an open kitchen and a glass garden atrium filled with plants. A Cleveland institution, Heck's has been around for more than 40 years and is known for its bouillabaisse and (arguably) the best burger in town.

Fine wood, linen, and a great wine list make Hyde Park elegant, but the service will put you at ease. The best steak house in Cleveland is adjacent to the Ritz-Carlton and Cleveland Renaissance Hotel. Valet parking is available.

Burritos, wraps, coleslaw with a kick, and fried bananas never tasted so good. The chips and salsa before dinner are notable, and the guacamole is outstanding. Make sure to get a booth toward the back of the restaurant to avoid the crush of incoming patrons. Brunch is served weekends starting at 9.

Mammoth portions of veal, pasta, and seafood draw diners to this small art deco hot spot in a 1917 building on a modest block in Ohio City. A specialty is the red bell pepper pasta tossed with shrimp and a cayenne-spiked cream sauce. You can eat inside on white linen or, in good weather, have a meal outside on the backyard patio. The place fills up quickly on Saturday.

Chef-owner Michael Symon has received national attention from food and wine critics, but he stays true to the Cleveland roots with creations he describes as "urban comfort food." Popular choices include the smoked-lobster salad with red pepper and papaya, the bone-in rib eye with morels and potato puree, and, at lunch, the macaroni-and-cheese dish with fresh rosemary, goat cheese, and roasted chicken. Fish and game are first-rate, and the desserts are out of this world. There's also a second location downtown at 2058 E. 4th Street.

With authentic Mexican food, generous portions, good margaritas, and friendly service, it's no wonder this restaurant is jammed on the weekends. Menu items change continually, and there are four other locations scattered around Greater Cleveland.

Chef Eric Williams creates artful, intense, and upscale plates—such as Mexican-style meatballs and pepitas- (pumpkin seed-) crusted trout—that push the boundaries of Mexican cuisine. Margaritas come in several flavors (mango pineapple, cucumber), as does the guacamole (pineapple, blue crab, smoked trout).

The downtown Cleveland branch of the well-known chain in the Tower City Center has its trademark formal mahogany interior with white tablecloths. Large portions of choice cuts of beef and seafood are accompanied by baked or mashed potatoes, salad, and fresh vegetables.

The chefs at the Ritz-Carlton's Terminal Tower restaurant have made their dining experience more accessible than at Century, the hotel's previous offering, while retaining the requisite glamour. The white-linen Muse has the feel of a tony lounge, with wood-paneled walls, armchairs with upholstered backs, and a menu full of international twists on American classics, such as the brown sugar–and cardamom-rubbed lamb and bison tenderloin carpaccio. The restaurant emphasizes fresh, organic ingredients and offers three-, four-, and five-course options at dinner ($58, $78, and $98). Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served daily.

Shaped like a ship, this restaurant in Lakewood, about 5 mi east of downtown Cleveland, juts out over Lake Erie, offering a good view of the city skyline and the water. The menu includes seafood dishes, fresh catch from Lake Erie, and beef and chicken entrées. There's entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights and a Sunday brunch.

This French countryside–style restaurant in the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel has bright murals on the walls and a massive stone hearth. Hearty foods—especially seafood—from the coasts of Spain, Morocco, Italy, and France are highlights. Fish and steak, for the most part, are the order of the day, with such entrées as tuna, salmon (served with a potato-eggplant tart), New York strip steak, and veal chops. The bouillabaisse with shrimp, mussels, clams, lobster, and scallops is a specialty.

A vegetarian institution, Tommy's serves hefty salads and sandwiches and embarrassingly large but delicious milk shakes made with Cleveland's own Pierre's ice cream. It's open daily for breakfast as well as for lunch and dinner.