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| - The Winking Lizard has about 18 locations around northeastern Ohio, but I've always enjoyed visiting this location the most. I'm sure everyone has been to the Winking Lizard but if you're new to the area or just passing through, let me give you the down-low on this place.
This location can be found in the small town of Peninsula, next to the Cuyahoga river, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Rail Road, and the Hike & Bike trail, which makes it an ideal place to grab some food or a beer. Unfortunately, due to the heavy foot traffic finding a parking spot can be a real pain in the butt, especially on the weekends. If you don't find a spot around the building you can usually find a spot around town. Just take note of the towing signs, Peninsula doesn't mess around.
As for the restaurant, the building has been there since the early 20's from what I can tell. The main dinning room features vintage signs and photos, a large 'u' shaped bar, TVs in every direction you look, and a glass cage featuring what else... an iguana. They also have an outdoor patio for when the weather is nice out, and a VERY cool basement bar that used to be a speakeasy during the prohibition era.
The food is usually good... I would give them 8 out of 10 most of the time. You're not going to find unique delicacies here, just your typical American food: BBQ, wings, burgers, salads, and pizzas. The free popcorn is a nice touch. What makes this place special though is their beer selection! Around 100 different beers to be exact. You can join what they call their 'Beer Tour', which is a competition to taste all 100 beers within a year and at the end they'll reward you a prize. I'm a 2004 beer tour alumni :)
Some people have had bad experiences here, which I can understand. This place can get REALLY busy and you can't please everyone. I can only speak from my own experiences and over the past 15 years they have all been good ones! So the next time you're taking a trip through the valley, whether by car, train or bike, you should put this place on your agenda.
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