Tremont may be a neighborhood known for university-themed street titles like “Literary Road” or “Professor Avenue,” but if there is one place to get schooled in the art of great food, this is the place to go.
Less than a mile southwest of downtown Cleveland, Tremont is home to some of the best eateries in the city. From Cleveland staples we all know and love to the coolest brunch spots, these are the best Tremont restaurants.
Top 12 Places To Eat in Tremont: Best Restaurants In Tremont, Cleveland
Best Casual Tremont Restaurants
Maybe you’re looking for a great place to relax after a hard day of work. Maybe you want to refuel after a day of sightseeing. Either way, try one of these fantastic Tremont restaurants.
Ginko
2247 Professor Ave. // +1 216-274-1202
This place is more smart casual than jeans and a t-shirt, but it is well worth it. I mean…who doesn’t love sushi? While Cleveland isn’t exactly known for its exotic seafood, Ginko ships the freshest fish twice a week from around the world, including Japan. This place isn’t just a sushi restaurant; it’s THE sushi restaurant in Cleveland. As in, once you’ve had Ginko, you won’t even bother going back to the half-off sushi place around the corner.

If you really want to splurge, try their 6-course tasting menu or chef’s daily selections. That way the master can give you the perfect plate of delicate sushi.
Ty Fun Thai Bistro
815 Jefferson Ave. // +1 216-664-1000
While this place doesn’t look like much on the outside, it serves up all the Thai classics: Thai coconut soup, tom yum (hot and sour soup), mee grob (crispy rice noodles), and the ever-popular pad Thai.
They also serve a huge vegetarian menu that includes tofu steamed, fried, crispy, and sautéed. It’s a great spot to taste the tantalizing flavors of Thailand and its friendly staff.
Corner 11 Bowl & Wrap
2391 W 11th St. // +1 216-713-1757
Hawaii comes to Cleveland in this small but popular poke bar. Pick your size, protein, dressings, and toppings for a make-your-own poke.
Proteins range from tuna and salmon to chicken and fried tofu. You can top it with tom-yum, spicy mango, or even sweet shoyu sauces.
Bourbon Street Barrel Room
2393 Professor Ave. // +1 216-298-4400
Worried you have to search high and low for cheap flights to New Orleans for good, Cajun cuisine? Think again.
Head to Bourbon Street Barrel Room during happy hour for $4 Abita drafts, appetizers, and even mini hurricanes. Then, tuck into some seafood gumbo, gator bites, and perhaps an old favorite: the oyster po’boy.
It’ll feel like you’re so close to Mardi Gras, you can taste it! They even have specials and a whole celebration centered around Mardi Gras!
Rowley Inn
1104 Rowley Ave, Cleveland, OH 44109, United States // +12167955345
An interesting restaurant famous among the locals for serving Cleveland-style comfort food and uniquely crafted beers and ciders. The ambiance is excellent, and the staff is very polite. This restaurant is a must-visit in Tremont.
The food is fantastic! For the fried pickles, they use decent-sized spears, and it wasn’t mostly breading like some restaurants. Pretzel bites with cheese are also great.
It was hard to decide between the omelet of the day and chicken and waffles for breakfast, so I ordered both. You can tell everything was fresh and homemade.
The Bacon-wrapped tots, The Breakfast mac with four kinds of cheese and the pancakes are one of their most popular options on the brunch menu.
For lunch, there is chicken Hungarian “paprikash,” pulled pork sandwich, Hungarian chicken sandwich, the classic mac and cheese homemade soups and salads and many more exciting dishes.
Try out the brioche bread pudding paired with ice cream as dessert to finish your lunch.
Staple Tremont Restaurants in Cleveland
Most places come and go, but these tired and tested Tremont restaurants are here to stay. From Eastern European classics to every millennial in Cleveland’s favorite taco spot, a visit to each of these restaurants is practically required the next time you’re in Cleveland.
Barrio
806 Literary Rd. // +1 216-999-7714
This taco joint got its start in Tremont, but it has since spread like wildfire across town. Thankfully, the menu remains the same. Pull up a chair, order a margarita (we love the skinny skeleton), grab a pencil, and fill in the menu sheet to order your own custom taco.
And, we’re not talking just ground beef and cheese! We’re talking from shell to the last drippings of sauce. Think Coca-Cola marinated steak, pulled pork, and Thai chili tofu. A favorite order is the green goddess shell (soft taco encasing a hard taco shell, kept together with queso and guacamole), jalapeño lime shrimp, pico de gallo, and all that topped with chipotle crema. You won’t be sorry.
Speaking of no regrets, try the stoner queso. This isn’t a suggestion. You never realized how much you needed something until you eat this simple queso. Their homemade queso is tasty enough, but add in a little rice and it’ll blow your mind. The taste, the texture, it’s everything and more.
Dante
2247 Professor Ave C, Cleveland, OH 44113, United States // +12162741200
Modern, Mediterranean-tinged New American fine dining restaurant with elegant decor, classy ambiance and magnificent crystal challengers. The staff is very polite and knowledgeable, and the food is definitely on another level.
Chef Dante’s Tasting Menus include The Experience menu, Vegetarian menu, Vegan, or Gluten Free menu. In addition, there are 5 Courses Paired with Wines, and you can see everything is made with love and affection. The plates are perfectly decorated, and the taste is fantastic.
One of the three pasta dishes is a must-see as they make the noodles and sauce from scratch. The vegetarian options are just as plentiful and beautiful as other options. For example, try out the vegan lasagna. It is a creamy, soft and perfect light dish.
There are excellent meat and fish options for lunch, such as lamb chops, Scallops, Canadian salmon, redfish fillet, and Certified Angus Beef steak served with purple potato confit and glazed in pepper. The salad with seven vegetables (mesclun, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, green apples, broccoli, carrots and fennel) is amazingly refreshing and pairs perfectly with every meal.
Fat Cats
2061 W 10th St. // +1 216-579-0200
Much like the name suggests, you won’t go hungry here! While I can’t quite put my finger on what they specialize in, Fat Cats’ ever-changing menu features unique eats like the crab melt: lump crab meat, gruyere cheese, and tarragon, or even a pumpkin tart complete with mushrooms, caramelized onions, and Lake Erie Creamery feta.
Some of their delicious options are the grilled octopus, bahn bao (pork belly steam buns), and their divine salmon with pumpkin pancakes.
Look for this hidden treasure of Tremont if you want a place that caters to locals.
Best Brunch Restaurants in Tremont
While many Tremont restaurants serve brunch, these few have distinguished themselves as the best brunch spots in the neighborhood. If you’re looking for a late breakfast, check out these best places to eat brunch in Tremont.
Grumpy’s Café
2621 W 14th St. // +1 216-241-5025
With breakfast and brunch served daily (and until 3 pm on weekends), this place does brunch, and it does it well. They serve all of the brunch classics…and sometimes all on one plate. Take, for example, the Grumpy’s special: two eggs, choice of meat, home fries, and toast. Still hungry? You can even add pancakes.
They also serve tasty twists on traditional fare. Try the veggie Benedict with poached eggs over tomato and avocado slices or the amazingly fluffy and delicious cinnamon apple walnut French toast.
This family-friendly place is perfect for when my large family complete with in-laws and nephews comes to town!
Lucky’s Café
777 Starkweather Ave. // +1 216-622-7773
Ever wondered if you could possibly eat everything on a menu? You’ll wish you could when you stop by Lucky’s for their weekend brunch. Think gingerbread waffles topped with roasted apples, honey whipped cream, caramel sauce, and cinnamon sugar. Then, add in their baked mac-n-cheese featuring brie, cheddar, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheese.
Top all that off with a cheddar scallion biscuit and you’ll think you’ve gone to breakfast heaven.
Pro-tip: If you’re really hungry, order the shipwreck. With hash browns, eggs, veggies, bacon, cheese, toast, and fruit, this dish will definitely leave you full and happy.
Best Tremont Restaurants For Pizza
Have people written poetry about pizza? If not, they definitely should. Who thought a chewy crust topped with gooey cheese and covered in pizza sauce could be the most amazing thing ever? While these places don’t exactly write poetry, their pizzas certainly speak for themselves.
Fahrenheit
2417 Professor Ave. // +1 216-781-8858
This place has a fantastic menu overall, but we love the pizza. Baked in a stone oven at 515 degrees Fahrenheit, their pies have that perfectly cooked and crispy crust. If you want a classic, order up their traditional Margherita or pepperoni and sausage. Or, if you feel adventurous, try the butter-poached Maine lobster pizza with triple cream brie or the Kobe short rib and fig pizza.
If you like a fancy slice of pizza, this place is one of the best Tremont restaurants to try.
Crust
2258 Professor Ave. // +1 216-583-0257
Hand-tossed and crafted from scratch, Crust specializes in just that: the perfect crust. But, their crust isn’t the only from-scratch part of the menu. They also make their sauce by hand and slice their pepperoni up fresh each day.
If you want a unique pizza, try the spanakopita pizza with garlic puree, spinach, mozzarella, feta, lemon zest, olive oil, and black pepper. And if you want a little more veggies with your pizza, be sure to try the roasted eggplant pizza with red sauce, oregano, red peppers, tomato, eggplant, smoked mozzarella, arugula, olive oil, and a balsamic reduction.
This place serves pizza that’s so much more. It’s like pizza’s grown-up more sophisticated sibling, and it sure is tasty.
Must-Try Tremont Restaurants Final Words
Some of the best restaurants in Cleveland are in Tremont. So, whether you’re coming for a long weekend or staying for a while, a visit to Cleveland means searching out and feasting at the best Tremont restaurants. From brunch to supper, a great meal in Tremont is more than just sustenance. When you dine in this neighborhood, expect an amazing experience.
Be sure to check out the Where to Eat in Cleveland article to see other Tremont favorites like Dante and Edison’s Pizza Kitchen.
FAQ
What are the best restaurants in Cleveland Ohio?
Marble Room Steaks & Raw Bar, Mitchell’s Ice Cream, Slyman’s Deli and The Rowley Inn are the best restaurants in Cleveland Ohio.
What is the most iconic restaurant in Cleveland OH?
Marble Room Steaks & Raw Bar, Mitchell’s Ice Cream, Slyman’s Deli and The Rowley Inn are the most iconic restaurants in Cleveland Ohio.
What is the best German restaurant in Cleveland?
Hofbräuhaus is the best german restaurant in Cleveland Ohio.
What are the best restaurants near Case Western Reserve`s campus?
Michelson and Morley Restaurant and L’Albatros are one of the best restaurants near Case Western Reserve`s campus.
What is the best Japanese restaurant in Cleveland?
Pacific East Japanese Restaurant is the best Japanese restaurant in Cleveland Ohio.
Which of these Tremont restaurants do you most want to try? Let me know in the comments section below!
Not in the mood to go out to eat tonight? Click here to have Grubhub deliver directly from the best restaurants in town to your doorstep.
While in Cleveland, don’t miss out on activities that will help immerse yourself with the city (hurry while they’re hot!):
Want to learn more about food in Ohio? Check out these guides:
- 10 Must-Try Ohio Dishes
- 10 Must-Try Toledo Restaurants
- 20 Best Restaurants In Cincinnati
- 10 Best Cleveland Pizza Parlors
- The 10 Best Restaurants In Cleveland OH
- Best Tremont Pizza Restaurants
- 8 Must-Try Tremont Bars
- 10 Best Things To Do In Cleveland, Ohio
- The 7 Best Tremont Brunch Restaurants
Visiting the region? Check out our guide of the 10 Best Restaurants In Pittsburgh!
Travel writer and owner of the blog. My work has been featured on Fodors, Eater.com, International Living, and Great Escape Publishing, among many others. My story? Nearly six years ago, I left my job at an Oklahoma City law firm and embarked on a journey around the world. At the time, I thought I would only be gone for 6 months, but the more I traveled, the longer my bucket list became. Flashpacker describes how I travel. Rather than traveling as the normal world wise backpacker and staying in hostel dorms, I prefer a more comfortable experience, and typically stay in private rooms, take Ubers instead of taxis, and now use a suitcase instead of a backpack. Foodie, on the other hand, describes one of the key reasons why I travel. I love to pick a central “base camp” and then explore the surrounding area, really immersing myself in the culture and interacting with the people, and enjoying and exploring the food of an area is an essential part of this experience.
Dan
Sunday 22nd of August 2021
You didn't do you're research... Sokolowski’s University Inn has been closed for over a year and is not reopening.
Woody Autumn
Friday 14th of October 2022
@Nathan,
Your article is dated September 5, 2022 and Sokolowski's was definitely closed at that time. Please read an article about its closing at https://bit.ly/3rU16kg.
Nathan
Monday 23rd of August 2021
All businesses were open at the time of posting. Perhaps it closed after publication?
Susan Tilly
Saturday 9th of March 2019
So far, we’ve tried Bourbon Street Barrel Room, The Treehouse, Lucky’s Cafe & Ginko. All wonderful experiences, to say the least!! Stopped by AffoGATO Cat Café - another must-see while in Tremont!! Grumpy’s, Corner 11 & Sokolowski’s are on the short list, but a second visit to other favorites isn’t out of the question!!
Jim Filicko
Tuesday 13th of July 2021
@Kat,
A bit outdated....Sokolowski's is closed, Literary Tavern is open and Southside summer specials have been great..
Kat
Thursday 14th of March 2019
Yay that’s awesome! Eating through Tremont is the way to go!