A plate of wings is usually a reason to sit at a bar for a while. This guide to wings and beer in Cleveland covers the places where both are worth the trip: two breweries that pour their own beer, an Irish pub in the Flats, a bowling bar in Tremont and a handful of neighborhood bars from Lakewood to Bay Village.
Most of the list sits on the west side and in the western suburbs, from Lakewood’s Madison Avenue out to Lorain Road in North Olmsted and Wolf Road in Bay Village, with Noble Beast and Flat Iron Cafe covering downtown and the Flats. Tremont and the Parma area fill in the middle. For every wing spot on the map, including takeout counters, see the full Cleveland wings guide.
Wings with a pour
Bars and brewpubs for wings and beer
North Olmsted
Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon
Best for: Smoked wings with house beer
Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon is the original Fat Head’s brewpub, on Lorain Road in North Olmsted. It is one of the go-to spots for wings in the western suburbs, with smoked whole wings and dry rub wings next to the house beers.
Order a Head Hunter IPA with the wings, and if the table is hungry, add one of the oversized headwich sandwiches to split.
Downtown
Noble Beast Brewing Co.
Best for: Wings at a downtown taproom
Noble Beast Brewing Co. is a brewery and taproom on Lakeside Avenue at the edge of downtown, pouring its own beer. The wings are a standout on the bar menu, and the kitchen also makes a House Burger with a Beyond Burger swap for vegetarians. It is one of the best-liked places on this list, and it is an easy stop on the lakefront side of downtown. Check the days it is open first.
The Flats
Flat Iron Cafe
Best for: Breaded wings and live music in the Flats
Flat Iron Cafe is an Irish pub on Center Street in the Flats serving big, lightly breaded wings with the house iron sauce. There is live music most weeks, so a plate of wings here can easily turn into a full evening. It is one of the best-liked pubs on the list and an easy walk from the rest of the Flats along the river.
Tremont
HI and DRY Bowling & Beer
Best for: Wings with duckpin bowling and a group
HI and DRY Bowling & Beer is a bar on Professor Avenue in Tremont with duckpin bowling, an arcade, craft beer, cocktails and wings. It is built for groups and stays open late, so it works for a birthday or an office night out where people want something to do between rounds. Call ahead if you are bringing a crowd.
Lakewood
Woodstock BBQ
Best for: Big barbecue-bar wings by the pound
Woodstock BBQ is a barbecue bar on Madison Avenue in Lakewood with large wings and a patio. On one weeknight it runs a dine-in wing deal by the pound, which is the time to go if you are feeding a few people. The rest of the week, add ribs or rib tips and make a barbecue dinner of it.
Bay Village
Boss ChicknBeer
Best for: A wing night in Bay Village
Boss ChicknBeer is a wing-focused bar and grill on Wolf Road in Bay Village, out near the lake in the western suburbs. Its weekly wing night is a popular one, and the people who go are very happy with it. Chicken and beer are the whole idea, and it is the easiest wing stop for anyone living in Bay Village, Westlake or Avon Lake.
Parma
Characters
Best for: Wings and the game in Parma
Characters is a sports bar on Brookpark Road in Parma with classic wings, burgers, a patio and a happy hour. It is the plain choice for watching a game with a plate of wings and a beer, and it sits within easy reach of Brook Park, Old Brooklyn and the southwest suburbs. In warm weather the patio is the better seat, and happy hour is the time to order a second round of wings.
Parma Heights
Lively’s / Pounders Bar & Grill
Best for: Wings with pool, darts and karaoke
Lively’s / Pounders Bar & Grill is a bar on York Road in Parma Heights serving wings, burgers and craft beer. There is pool and darts, and the bar runs karaoke nights. It is a good fit when you want wings, a game of pool and nothing fancy.
Know your order
The wing styles you will find around town
Cleveland bars do wings a few different ways. Lightly breaded wings are the order at Flat Iron Cafe and at Rush Inn on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. Smoked and dry rub wings are the brewpub style at Fat Head’s.
Good Company on West 76th Street does confit style wings with a house ranch, and it is closed one weeknight, so check before going. Dina’s Pizza & Pub, in a former filling station on Memphis Avenue in Old Brooklyn, pairs wings in its house hot sauce with pizza and martinis. Hail Mary’s on Center Ridge Road in Westlake is the place for sweet heat, with spicy apricot and pineapple habanero sauces.
Staying in
Wings for takeout
If the plan is a couch and a game at home, Marsha’s Soul Food Cafe on East 71st Street in Slavic Village is a soul food takeout counter known for its wing snack pack, and it is one of the most talked about wing spots in the city. It is open only part of the week, so check before you go. For takeout closer to the west side, call any of the bars above and ask whether they pack wings to go on the night you want them.
Good to know
Questions before you go.
Are there gluten-free or vegan wing options?
Boss ChicknBeer in Bay Village has gluten-free and vegan options on its menu.
Where can I get wings near Brookpark Road and the airport?
Ice House Tavern and Grill on Brookpark Road in Brooklyn serves crispy wings with a wide range of sauces, plus pub fare, a full bar and outdoor seating.
Every wing spot on the map
See all the wing spots around Cleveland
The <a href="/guides/best-wings-cleveland/">Cleveland wings guide</a> maps bars, brewpubs and takeout counters across the city and suburbs, with details for each one.