Most of the good spots for a boozy brunch in Cleveland sit a short drive from each other on the near west side and downtown. Tremont has two bars that build brunch around the Bloody Mary, Ohio City adds a French cafe on Fulton Road and a burger house on Bridge Avenue, and downtown and the Flats East Bank cover mimosas and cocktails.
The full Cleveland brunch guide also covers diners, bagel shops and dim sum. The places below are the ones where the drink is part of the plan, so they lean toward bars and full-service dining rooms.
Some of these serve brunch every day and some only on weekends, so check the place before you go, especially if you are planning a morning around one of them.
Tremont, Ohio City and downtown
Where to get brunch with a Bloody Mary or a mimosa
Tremont
Rowley Inn
Best for: A tavern brunch in Tremont
Rowley Inn is a Tremont corner tavern that has been open since 1906, close to the A Christmas Story house. Its brunch leans into bar food: breakfast poutine, pierogi poutine and a chicken schnitzel sandwich served on waffles, with Bloody Marys alongside.
It has long been a neighborhood brunch go-to, and brunch here is not limited to weekends. Local beers are on tap and there are arcade games if the table decides to stay a while.
Tremont
The South Side
Best for: Oversized Bloody Marys
The South Side is a bar on West 11th Street in Tremont, and its weekend brunch is known for Bloody Marys that arrive big and heavily garnished. The food follows the same thinking, with breakfast pierogi hot pockets and enchiladas topped with eggs.
Pick it when the drink is the centerpiece of the morning and the group wants to settle in. Since Rowley Inn is also in Tremont, one makes a good backup if the other has a wait.
Ohio City
Le Petit Triangle Cafe
Best for: Crepes and cocktails in Ohio City
Le Petit Triangle is a small French cafe on Fulton Road in Ohio City serving crepes, quiche, savory French toast and shakshuka, with Bloody Marys and cocktails on the menu too. It is a smaller, quieter room than the Tremont bars and suits a brunch for two.
Waits can be long on weekends, so get there early or plan to put your name in and walk the neighborhood while you wait.
Ohio City
Heck's Cafe
Best for: Brunch and a burger on Bridge Avenue
Heck’s Cafe is an Ohio City burger house in a converted townhouse on Bridge Avenue, and on weekends it runs a brunch with baklava French toast, a shakshuka and the Brieberry burger. The Bloody Marys are bacon-infused.
It works well for a table split between breakfast people and burger people, and there is a patio for warmer days. Heck’s also has sister locations in Avon and Beachwood.
Downtown
House of Creole
Best for: Bottomless mimosas downtown
House of Creole is a Louisiana Creole restaurant on Prospect Avenue downtown, and its brunch includes bottomless mimosas and craft cocktails. It is the choice here for a group that wants a long, sit-down brunch with drinks that keep coming, and the Creole menu sets it apart from the rest of the brunch options in the city.
The downtown location also makes it easy to fold into a day in the city, whether that is a game, a show or an afternoon walking around.
The Flats
Lago East Bank
Best for: A riverfront brunch in the Flats
Lago East Bank is an Italian restaurant on the Flats East Bank, on the Cuyahoga River, and its brunch is best known for crispy chicken with buttermilk waffles. Cocktails are part of the menu, which makes it a good fit for a slower brunch by the water.
It sits on West 10th Street, the same street as 27 Club Coffee in the Warehouse District, if anyone in the group wants a coffee and one of its oversized cinnamon rolls first.
Planning
Make a morning of Tremont and Ohio City
Tremont and Ohio City are neighbors on the near west side, so four of these places are close enough to plan around together. Rowley Inn and The South Side are both in Tremont, and Le Petit Triangle on Fulton Road and Heck’s on Bridge Avenue are a few minutes north in Ohio City.
That makes a good fallback plan. If one place has a long wait, another is nearby, and Tremont is an easy neighborhood to walk around between courses or after the meal. Check which days each one serves brunch before you commit, because The South Side and Heck’s run it on weekends while Rowley Inn serves it daily.
Skipping the drinks
Brunch spots where the food is the draw
If part of the group would rather skip the Bloody Mary, the brunch guide has plenty of daytime options. George’s Kitchen on Triskett Road in West Park is a classic diner with generous homestyle breakfasts. Inn on Coventry on Euclid Heights Boulevard in Cleveland Heights is known for lemon ricotta pancakes and a long list of eggs Benedict variations, and it works well with kids. In AsiaTown, Li Wah on Payne Avenue serves dim sum from carts and is set up for big round tables.
Good to know
Questions before you go.
Where can I get brunch with a view of Lake Erie?
Pier W in Lakewood runs a Sunday brunch buffet with prime rib, oysters Rockefeller and smoked salmon, with views of the lake and the downtown skyline. It is a special occasion spot, so make a reservation.
Where can I get a weekday breakfast near downtown?
Slyman’s Deli on St. Clair Avenue serves its well known corned beef with eggs at breakfast. It is open weekdays only.
Is there a good bagel option for brunch at home?
The Cleveland Bagel Co. on Detroit Avenue makes New York-style bagels, schmears and bagel sandwiches, and it is open every day.
Keep going
See every brunch spot on the map
Diners, bagel shops, dim sum and bar brunch across Cleveland, with a map and local details for each place.