Wexler's Tavern is a solid middle-of-the-road neighborhood bar and grill in every sense of the genre. It's tucked away in Cleveland's Old Brooklyn neighborhood in an area that's a mix of old and new, residential and commercial, basically, exactly what you'd expect from a Cleveland joint like Wexlers. I don't know the history but I'd venture to guess they've been serving the locals for decades.
We walked in and were immediately greeted by the gentleman behind the bar. Sit wherever you want. The decor has that worn-in, comfortable feeling, like somewhere you've never been before but somewhere you've been a hundred times before. A small bar, tables to the right, jukebox, big, bricked wall with a fireplace in the rear, bright light streaming in from a skylight in the center of the ceiling. I doubt they've changed the place much...ever. I guess if it's working for them why monkey with it, right?
I've seen others complain about the service, but our experience was very good. She was instantly on top of things, taking our drink orders within minutes of our sitting down, knew the menu and the beer list well, and checked in with us just the right number of times. I honestly don't have any complaints about the service at all.
The beer list at Wexler's was surprisingly good. I tend to temper my beer expectations when I go to places like this - I get it, craft beer isn't their thing - but when I saw 8 taps and a bottled list that numbered just north of 50 selections (OK, maybe around 20 decent beers amidst the typical macro beer you'd expect) I was sure I'd be able to find something. And I did. Unfortunately, our server informed me that they were out of most of the bottles, but I'll chalk it up to the fact that it was the day after St. Patricks Day. There were a couple of missteps in the beer service side of things, but I won't dwell on them.
The food is definitely a step above typical bar fare and their menu is pretty expansive for your a small neighborhood tavern and eatery. Salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizza and house specialties like ribs, gyros and stir fry. I'm tellin' ya, you'll find something that you'll eat here. Trust me. We started with the house dinner salad and fried mushrooms. The salad was a mix of iceberg and mixed greens topped with shredded mozz, a couple slices of cuke and tomato and pepperoncini.
The fried mushrooms were very tasty. We polished off the basket pretty quickly.
For our meal we both went the sandwich route. I went for the corned beef Reuben and my other half had the chicken Philly cheeseteak. The Reuben was pretty good. I couldn't help but compare it to Slyman's, which is in no way fare, but I couldn't help myself. It could have used more meat and the corned beef was sliced a bit thick. The accompanying fries were delicious. My wife really liked the cheesesteak with its soft, multigrain bun (nice touch) and perfectly cooked yellow peppers and tender chicken. Nice cole slaw, too.
It was good and better than we expected. I guess when you're trying a new neighborhood spot that's about all you can ask for, right? Good service, good food, good atmosphere. It probably won't blow your mind but it'll fill your belly and leave you with some change in your wallet after. Support local and dine at places like Wexler's.