Cleveland gets a bad rap because well…it’s Cleveland. They have a ton of breweries and an overall fun vibe, check it out!
Forest City Tips:
Fun fact, Cleveland’s nickname is The Forest City! There is a bunch of nature surrounding the city, so be sure to venture out into it!
Per all of my Midwest USA tips—I would recommend visiting May-October for the most joyful experience because winter is real and not fun when you’re walking around a new city!
You can see Cleveland in a weekend, you don’t need to plan for much longer of a trip.
Snag a Cleveland Brewery Passport and mail it in for prizes!
Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:
Masthead Brewing Co: The best beer I had in Cleveland! The atmosphere is fun, they’ve got a pizza kitchen, long tables to share, friendly staff, and fantastic brews!
Butcher and the Brewer: Located on the super cute 4th Street that is full of bars and restaurants, this brewery and restaurant combo has a fire Albino Stout that is worth a try and a fun outdoor patio to hang out on.
Town Hall: A craft beer bar and restaurant combo with fantastic brunch and cheap Happy Hour specials. Located in the heart of the Ohio City neighborhood. Check out their back patio if the weather is nice!
Bookhouse Brewing: Actually like a house full of books! This place is super cute and has fantastic beers. They’ve got a small snack food list, frequent food trucks, and lots of board games if you’d rather play something than read a book!
Terrestrial Brewing: Located across the highway from Edgewater Park with a view of Lake Erie. Delicious beers and the most dogs I’ve ever seen at a brewery (insert heart eyes emoji here!)
Noble Beast Brewing Co: Their taproom is combined with the brewing space which I love! Really good beers and fun vibes
Collision Bend Brewing: Located right on the river, this brewery has a full food menu, a killer Happy Hour, and lots of outdoor seating
Butcher and the Brewer
The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:
Brewnuts: This ever-popular donut and beer bar combo is worth the hype. Delicious donuts? Check. Fantastic tap list? Check. Do it up!
West Side Market: Cleveland’s large city market with food stalls in a historic building
Market Square Park is directly across the street and home to open air markets and frequent events
Great Lakes Brewing: Also right across from the West Side Market, this big name brewery lets you choose between outdoor seating, indoor-upstairs restaurant-style seating, or the indoor-downstairs pub-style atmosphere. Check out the mural on the back wall for a solid photo opp!
Edgewater Park: A great place to hang out on the lake or catch a sunset!
Rocky River Reservation: A nature park with trails and picnic areas. Heads up I’ve read some sketchy things about this park so be cautious.
Fat Head’s Brewing: The local’s favorite! Fat Head’s has won a plethora of awards for their beers. They have two locations in Cleveland that each have different beers on tap. The newer location in Middlebury Heights is conveniently located near the airport if you’re flying in/out of the city and has fun beer garden vibes inside, along with a full food menu.
Market Garden Brewery
Other ideas:
Saucy Brew Works: Restaurant style brewery with delicious pizzas and skee ball!
Market Garden Brewery: Located directly next to West End Market, this brewery has a full food menu and cute outdoor patio with a fire pit.
Forest City Brewing: A vintage-style brewery with a large outdoor space, games, and a snack menu.
Wander the Flats East Bank area: A very walkable area on the river with lots of bars and restaurants, though a bit touristy
Thirsty Dog Brewing is here. They have indoor and outdoor seating and cute dog bone flights, though the beers weren’t super impressive
Moe’s Tavern Brewing: A very interesting little space with tasty bar food and pub vibes
Platform Beer Co.: They sold out to Anheuser-Busch which was quite disappointing, but when I visited their were still independently owned and had solid beers
On an Ohio kick? Check out my Columbus recs here!
