Hey all- My apologies if this is another annoying 'where to visit' thread... Driving from DC to Iowa for the holidays, and potentially stopping overnight in Cleveland. My plan was for us to stay downtown and take a taxi over to GLBC. We aren't leaving DC until late afternoon, so it'll likely be 10:00pm before we make it to Cleveland. Looks like the taproom is open until 1:00am? What is it like on Friday nights? Big, crowded scene, or would we be able to get a table or barstool and relax w/ a couple pints after a long drive? Any other alternatives you would recommend? Thanks!
The GLBC Taproom is probably one of the last taprooms I would visit in Cleveland, to be honest - their tap list doesn't stray too far from their bottled offerings usually. I would make Fat Head's or Brew Kettle the destination instead. Great food and great taps.
As an out of towner coming in late going to GLBC has some added value due to the neighborhood it's in. You can walk to a few good pubs if GLBC is to busy or you wanna explore some other options such as Bier Markt (kitchen is open late),Nano Brew(usually has plenty of Fat Heads),Market Garden and Town Hall will offer you a great taste of what Cleveland has going for it. While I love the Brew Kettle and Fat Heads going out there that late at night will likely mean that will be the only place you go that night. Ohio is also found of checkpoints so if you do decide to head out take a DD. Enjoy Cleveland
Thank you both for the feedback. I just came across the Cleveland Hostel, which seems to be within walking distance of everything in the Ohio City neighborhood, so think we will go w/ that, visit as many places as we can nearby.
I would agree with the other BA's. Staying downtown and taking a cab over to the Ohio City neighborhood is the best idea. On a Friday night, both the upstairs restaurant and pub are packed as is the always tight downstair (cellar-like) bar, which is worth at least elbowing up to locals and out-of-towners alike or finding a standing room only spot (the downstairs has a great vibe but is noisy and truly can be "a-hole to elbow". Within a 5 min walk of there is Market Garden Brewery which has some decent local brews as well as a brief list of guests and large format bottles. They also have a really nice fireplace outside so if you're bundled up, you can enjoy a brew outside in the shadows of the West Side Market (also a place to visit early Saturday morning if you have the time and need some road trips snacks ). Also, there is Nano Brew and ABC Tavern that each have a unique dynamic and great craft selections as well as Bier Markt/Bar Cento/Speakeasy which is 3 different joints under one roof. Bar Cento is a fairly casual bistroesque spot, Bier Markt is a Belgian-themed beer joint (look to see if they have Cantillon in their "rare" beer fridge...its not uncommon) and Speakeasy is an old-fashioned gin joint below Bier Markt (there's is a chandelier above the stairwell, if its on, Speakeasy is open, if not, try next time). Have a great time. ANdrew
