Best Steakhouse Comfort Foods in Cleveland

Cleveland has a knack for comfort food. One of the quintessential Midwestern cities, it’s the rare place with a seamless knack for elevating classic, comforting flavors in many of its myriad restaurants. Steakhouses are a particularly prominent example of this, as classic filets and potato-based side dishes share menu space with upscale pastas and decadent desserts. If you’re looking to splurge in Cleveland, these are the steakhouses worth visiting. 

 

XO Prime Steaks
XO Prime Steaks

XO Prime Steaks: From happy hour and small plates to indulgent butters and seafood, there’s lots of unique creations to savor at XO Prime Steak. For the best of the bunch, though, hone in on the “Chef Compositions,” where the kitchen really flexes its creative muscles with one-of-a-kind dishes like five-pepper seared ahi tuna with coconut sticky rice and butterscotch-glazed carrots; rigatoni with peppercorn-crusted tenderloin tips and creamy Cognac demi glace; and blackened lacquered salmon with blue cheese hash. Then there’s the veritable surf & surf of pan-roasted Chilean sea bass with lobster ravioli and lemon-saffron beurre blanc. 

Red, The Steakhouse: One of the most stylish and contemporary steakhouses in the country, with locations that span Ohio to Florida, got its start right here in Cleveland. One glance at the dinner menu, lit up with novel ideas and chef-y innovation, is enough to see why this place has caught the attention of so many customers and critics. The crab cakes come with mashed parsnips and fig agro-dolce, tuna tataki gets a togarashi crust and a side of puffed rice and parmesan and potatoes meld together in the form of grown-up tater tots. Of course, don’t ignore the more classic-leaning specialties either, which span a spectrum of steakhouse staples like veal Milanese, double-cut lamb racks and prime rib-eye seasoned simply with kosher salt and peppercorns. 

Strip Steakhouse: For the location alone, this Akron eatery is worth checking out. Located in the renovated Ewers Barn, which was built in 1851, it boasts a rustic backdrop like nothing else, with soul-soothing food that’s just as comforting as the hardwood lumber motif. Steamed mussels come with warm rosemary bread for dunking, Italian sausage-stuffed dates get wrapped in bacon, lobster cakes are pan-seared and enlivened with wasabi-caper sauce and Berkshire pork chops get glazed with whiskey and soy. Even the steaks are a notch above the norm when it comes to indulgent preparations, like the “Jake’s Steak” that gets basted with butter, and the “Boilermaker,” a 10-oz. center-cut rib-eye rubbed with sugar and spice before it’s blackened in a cast-iron skillet with a splash of Irish whiskey. 

Cabin Club: Similar to Strip Steakhouse, this Westlake destination is chock full of history. The building used to be a private hunting lodge dating back to World War II, and while the interior is now decidedly more modern, the exterior design preserved the building’s timber frame, lending a cozy, woodsy sensation. It makes for the most idyllic backdrop for enjoying cheesesteak egg rolls, raspberry bacon BBQ shrimp, walnut-crusted halibut, baby back ribs with Guinness BBQ and a ritzy Champagne surf & turf that pairs twin steak medallions with Cabernet reduction and broiled lobster rail with Champagne beurre blanc. 

The Diamond Grille: Since 1941, this downtown Akron gem has been serving steaks, chops and a whole portfolio of seasoned recipes. Regarded as the oldest steakhouse in town, you can rest assured that The Diamond Grille knows a thing or two about vintage comfort food. Indeed, there’s molten-hot French onion soup, oysters Rockefeller, broiled pork chops with spiced applesauce, lamb chops with mint jelly, garlic toast, onion rings and a bevy of other meaty sensations that have proven the test of time. 

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: You can’t talk about steak in Cleveland without talking about Hyde Park Steakhouse, a local hot spot that’s spawned several spin-off locations and remains one of the utmost destinations for see-and-be-seen steaks. The food speaks for itself, proving its mettle as a real crowd-pleaser for decades. Creamy lobster bisque and jumbo shrimp cocktail start the meal off on a high note, followed by butter-poached and baked lobster tails, chicken Parmesan, dry-aged cheeseburgers and filet mignon with garlic and a shallot-Cabernet sauce. 

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: When it comes to steakhouse desserts in the Cleveland area, it’s hard to top the venerable Fleming’s. Here, you’ll want to save room for a smattering of sweets that do classic desserts proud. Like a molten chocolate lava cake with Callebaut Belgian chocolate and chopped pistachios; cheesecake with blueberry sauce and white chocolate shavings; walnut turtle pie with caramel and a chocolate pie crust; and a three-layer carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and dark rum caramel sauce. 

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