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| - I will always have a special place in my heart for Winking Lizard. I met my wife back in the late 90's when we both lived in Cleveland Heights. We spent countless nights hanging out at the Coventry location with our friends so the emotional connection is undeniable. All mushiness aside, I'll try to be as objective as I can.
There are really two main reasons you should come to this or any other Winking Lizard:
1. The Beer
2. Reasonably priced and pretty tasty pub food
The beer selection at Winking Lizard is pretty spectacular. Long before the current craft beer craziness, the Lizard was bringing beer to the masses. They've got a bottles list that features hundreds of options and a very well-maintained and regularly rotated draught selection that typically numbers in the dozens. They've also got something called the World Tour of Beers. For $10 you sign up get some membership tchotchke and you're on your way. Finish 50 beers and you get a wall clock. Finish the tour (100 beers) and you get a jacket and an invitation to a tour-finisher's soiree. I'm pretty sure you'll end up spending close to $600 in the process but I guess that's not the point.
I haven't really had any bad food at this or any of the other locations I've been to over the years. Now, I'm not saying it's high-class cuisine full of complexity and prepared by graduates of Le Cordon Bleu. It's bar food. That being said, the menu is pretty large and it has just about everything - pizza, burgers, wings, entree-like options, salads and even ribs. The wing sauces are tasty, the cajun chicken spinach salad is among my favorite things to order (warm bacon vinaigrette, mmmm) and I could stuff myself sick on their fries dipped in their house BBQ sauce. Some other highlights include a grilled salmon that's surprisingly good and the fried pickle chips (Lizard Freckles).
Just so I can feel confident that I've given a fair and balanced review, I've got to include some of the not-so-good. When it comes to this location in particular I'll hit a few of the major PsITA:
1. Parking sucks in a major way - the Lizard shares a lot that's right next to a hotel that typically booked solid with business travellers. It gets bad enough that they have to staff lot attendants if that tells you anything.
2. It's loud and it's crowded nearly all the time - If you go anytime on the weekend, may God have mercy on your soul. If you go anytime during the week, especially Tuesdays and during happy hour, it's nearly as bad. Your best chances are before 4pm or after 6pm Mon, Wed and Thurs.
There are also a few things that most of the NE Ohio Lizards have in common that aren't so good:
1. Hit or miss service - The Lizards are consistent in their inconsistency. I've had great service and I've had nearly non-existent service. Roll the dice and go in with low expectations.
2. Bar seating is at a premium - If you plan to pop a squat at the wooden altar you had better get there early (see #2 above).
Like I said, I've got a soft spot for Winking Lizard so I guess I tend to look past some of their shortcomings, sort of like those little annoying habits your SO has that you find a little endearing (in small doses, of course). All in all, it's still a solid place for good food and a beer list that's long if a bit dizzying. If you haven't been to one I might recommend you make the trek to Cleveland Heights, that's my favorite. But don't take my word for it, they've got 14 locations. You're bound to have your own.
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