Most of the city’s smokehouses sit west of the Cuyahoga, strung along a few long avenues. If you are looking for BBQ on the west side of Cleveland, the good options run from Lorain Avenue in Ohio City out to Detroit Avenue in west Lakewood, with a cluster right where West 117th Street meets the Lakewood border.
The places below cover the range: counter-service rib joints, barbecue bars with patios, a Southern kitchen that also does brunch and a Texas style smokehouse near Denison Avenue. Several of them are bars as much as restaurants, so they work for an evening out with a bourbon or a beer as well as for a quick plate of ribs at the counter. The whole list, east side included, is in the Cleveland BBQ guide.
West of the river
West side smokehouses and barbecue bars
Cudell
Sweet Pork Wilson's
Best for: Pulled pork and po boys at the Lakewood line
Sweet Pork Wilson’s is a small barbecue joint on Madison Avenue at West 117th, right on the Lakewood border in Cudell. The orders to get are the pulled pork, the sides and the po boys. It is casual and quick, and it is one of the most talked about barbecue spots on this side of town, so it makes a good first stop if you are new to west side barbecue.
Lakewood
Woodstock BBQ
Best for: Ribs and wings on a patio
Woodstock BBQ is a barbecue bar farther west on Madison Avenue in Lakewood, with a patio and a menu of classic plates that rotates. Get the ribs, the rib tips or the wings.
It works well after work, with happy hour meat combos, and Taco Tuesday gives it a second reason to come back. It is a bar first, so bring friends and plan to stay a while.
Ohio City
Real Smoq'ed BBQ
Best for: A Polish Boy or chopped brisket to go
Real Smoq’ed BBQ is a no frills counter on Lorain Avenue in Ohio City that used to be called Ohio City BBQ. Order the ribs, the chopped brisket or a Polish Boy, the Cleveland sandwich of kielbasa piled with fries, slaw and sauce. It also caters, which is worth knowing if you are feeding a crowd on the near west side.
Cudell
Landmark Smokehouse
Best for: Half and half ribs with bourbon
Landmark Smokehouse is a smokehouse and bar on Clifton Boulevard at West 117th in Edgewater. Get the ribs with half BBQ and half buffalo sauce, a side of mac and cheese and something from the bourbon list.
On weekends the brunch menu brings a brisket breakfast burrito and smoked-meat latkes, which makes this the west side barbecue pick for a late morning.
West Park
Hatfield's Goode Grub
Best for: Barbecue with Southern comfort food
Hatfield’s Goode Grub is a restaurant and bar on Lorain Avenue in West Park, well out toward the airport side of the city. It serves barbecue next to Southern comfort food, and breakfast and brunch are on the menu too. That mix makes it the easiest place on the list to take a group where only some people want a plate of smoked meat.
West Side
Bronco's Western BBQ
Best for: Texas style brisket and sausage
Bronco’s Western BBQ cooks Texas style barbecue on Ridge Road near Denison Avenue, on the Old Brooklyn side of the west side. Order the ribs, the brisket or the smoked sausage. It draws less buzz than the Madison Avenue spots, but the people who find it are very happy with it, which makes it worth the short drive south.
Lakewood
The Proper Pig Smokehouse
Best for: A compact smokehouse in west Lakewood
The Proper Pig Smokehouse is on Detroit Avenue in west Lakewood, closer to Rocky River than to the city line. The dining room is compact, and the menu is traditional barbecue with hearty sides and beer. Brisket and Texas style sausage are both on the menu. It is the most convenient option here for anyone coming from the western suburbs.
Plan a route
Two stops on West 117th Street
West 117th Street is the one road that ties the west side barbecue list together. Sweet Pork Wilson’s sits where it meets Madison Avenue, and Landmark Smokehouse sits where it meets Clifton Boulevard, a short drive north. Pick up pulled pork and po boys at the first, then sit down at the second for ribs and a bourbon.
Woodstock BBQ is a few minutes west on Madison from Sweet Pork Wilson’s if the group wants a patio instead. Check hours for each before you head out, and plan on taking leftovers home.
Beyond the west side
East side and out-of-town barbecue worth the drive
On the east side, Smokehouse 91 on SOM Center Road in Mayfield Village is run by the owners of the Village Butcher next door and is one of the best-liked barbecue kitchens in the region. Mt. Pleasant BBQ on Kinsman Road in Mount Pleasant is an east side classic with a short menu, and plenty of people order it for takeout. Check hours for both before making the drive.
Two places outside Cuyahoga County are worth a trip. Joe’s Barbecue on Tallmadge Road in Kent grew out of a food truck, is takeout only and draws long lines. Ol’Chefskis BBQ on Trails End in Aurora started as a small farm shack and is only open part of the week.
Good to know
Questions before you go.
Where can a big group eat barbecue downtown?
Mabel’s BBQ on East 4th Street is a two-level barbecue hall with communal tables and a long bourbon bar. It is known for Cleveland style kielbasa and the Polish Girl sandwich.
Is there kosher barbecue in Cleveland?
Yes. Mendel’s KC BBQ on Chagrin Boulevard in Shaker Heights, near the Van Aken District, serves kosher Kansas City style barbecue. Prices run higher, and it closes for part of the weekend, so check days before going.
Is there barbecue in the Warehouse District?
Tha Land BBQ on West 6th Street, next to Rumors, is known for ribs with coleslaw and fries. Items can sell out, so going earlier is safer.
Every smokehouse on the map
See all the barbecue around Cleveland
The <a href="/guides/best-bbq-cleveland/">Cleveland BBQ guide</a> maps smokehouses and barbecue kitchens on both sides of town and beyond, with details for each one.