The difference between Fat Head's locations

Skip both. Head to Platform, just down Lorain. If you must stick around 25th, Great Lakes followed by Town Hall (Willoughby Peanut Butter Porter on draft!!!). Market Garden's best beers are guest taps.

Edit - just read you want to dine customers. Platform wouldn't work for that. Head to Butcher & the Brewer on E 4th for best brewery food in town.

 

Also, Tremont Tap House is a 5$ can ride from GLBC. Best beer bar in Ohio, hands-down. 48 taps and awesome food.

 

Awesome, that will be a couple of blocks from my hotel and the convention, so that will work great! Thanks!

 

I personally don't like the restaurant much at all... The taphouse on the other hand is amazing, and I am often there weekly.

Restaurant is too busy, "generic" atmosphere outside of the bar, etc... The taproom is total opposite... Walk in and get a big whiff of all them hops! Great atmosphere, never that busy and while small, a great food menu. The crowd is usually chill and friendly. They also currently have head shrinker on tap and today trail head pale ale... Head Shrinker is JuJu with a different hop (as I was told while drinking some).

About Platform... that is a great place! However, I think Fatheads has stronger beers overall. FWIW. Platform doesn't serve food (usually, unless a vendor is present). I do love Platform though...

Brew Kettle is another great option... However, it's more bar-like than anything. I am a sucker for atmosphere, though... So that is it's downfall for me. Amazing food though and excellent beer.

Market Garden is really good, but it can get crazy busy in there. I usually don't like Ohio City for that reason, but if you go at the right time it's not too bad. I have been there 3-4 times now and have lucked out for the most part crowd wise.

Taphouse is my favorite place in Cleveland though, hands down.

 

With the exception of liking Market Garden, I agree with most everything here. I still like the FH in North Olmsted if I can get there early enough where it's not elbow to elbow, but that's not often. Surely I have seen you at the brewery, I'm there once or twice a week.

I haven't been too keen on anything I've had from Platform or Butcher and the Brewer, but still like them well enough. Anybody been to Brick and Barrel yet? Still trying to get there.

Anyway, as long as the Fat Head's Taproom doesn't become a shit show, I have a place to drink. Wonder if they still plan another location in Ohio City. Haven't asked about that in a while.

 

Yeah, we must have crossed paths at some point... Hard to miss me, I am about 6'6" and always with my girlfriend who is tiny... Usually at one of the sit down blue picnic tables or the bar. Usually there on Wednesdays or Sat/Sun at some point. Our visits are always a few hours at least. If you happen to see me stop and say hello!

Still have not been to Butcher and the Brewer, still on our go-to list along with many others. May take all summer to hit all the ones I want to get to in the area, as we tend to always end up back at FH's... lol.. But we are getting there. Platform we finally went to for the first time this past Saturday when I picked up brewing supplies across the street.

Yeah, I really hope the taproom stays low-key... It's wonderful. I have wondered on in on Saturday night and went right up the bar with it not busy. Only events/bands have I seen it really busy... I like that about it. I consider it the brewery gem in Cleveland and hope it stays that way!

 

Perfect description.
Although Sam (guy who kinda looks like the Fatheads logo) the Bartender at the restaurant is the one of my favorite bartenders in Cleveland.

 

They have a ways to go. Nothing putrid or riddled with flaws (actually, had a 'pilsner' at Cleveland Beer Fest in January that was pretty bad), but nothing that really stands out as being exceptional. And, with such small batches (IIRC, it takes 2-3 turns to fill a tank), I wonder if their beer won't "smooth" out until they can get better, bigger equipment.

 

Tell them to screw that and build that damn one in Columbus that was rumored before Portland came out of left field!

 

They had four beers on draft when I was there: a saison, the same saison with grape must, a scotch ale, and an IPA. The saison was sickly sweet and not pleasant. The scotch ale was alright, boozy and sweet. I dont remember the IPA at all but I know it was there.

 

I'm with you on that.

I get singled out here for being a Fat Head's homer(which I am, for good reason), but there is almost nothing I like about their business model outside of the beer.

 

I'm right there with you. I swear by them and Jackie O's. I get the decision to be out on the opposite coast to spread their distribution. The selfish part of me just wishes I didn't have to drive 2.5 hours each way to have that awesome beer and food. They must not have found a space suitable for their needs down here.

 

I often think things would have panned out better if Matt Cole was able to open his brewery on his own, without the cooperate, chain mentality nonsense.

 

I got back from downtown Cleveland last night and figured I'd give my highlights of the places I went during the week.

1. Had an amazing dinner at XO. Steaks and lobsters all around. High end place and the whole group loved it.

2. Went to TownHall and had a few beers including the Peanut Butter Coffee Porter. Amazing beer. Wish I had more time to explore Ohio City since it looks like a killer beer scene. The 1.5 mile walk back downtown was a bad idea. :/

3. Went to City Tap (downtown) a couple times. Great burgers and an awesome beer selection. Had KBS on tap, Head Hunter, Head Shrinker, a Jackie O's IPA, etc. Best bar I found in the downtown area (though I didn't search much).

4. Had dinner at the Butcher & The Brewer. Awesome awesome awesome food. It's designed to be small portions that you pass around the table. We ordered a lot of plates, had a bunch of beers and racked up a nice $500 bill (8 people, so not bad). The beer was pretty good. They had a gin barrel aged something that was great. The IPA was decent, but a little undercarbed, Hefe was great. Overall I highly recommend that place.

Thanks for all the great suggestions! Cleveland itself is kind of a dumpy city (no offense), but the beer scene was great.