Over the last couple of months, I have spent some of my weekend time off with friends in the Cleveland, OH area, and there’s one source of good food that stands out, Fathead’s Brewery & Saloon in North Olmstead, OH. Website here: http://fatheadscleveland.com/
The restaurant building itself doesn’t stand out as anything remarkable, but you know the old saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover”. The food, atmosphere and drink (Homemade Root Beer) offered within are truly remarkable. I am not a consumer of really anything containing alcohol, and thus I have chosen a good scratch-made Root Beer as my drink of choice at the various Craft Beer pubs that seem to be all the rage these days. While I may not be a consumer of Beer, I do like the side-effects of such establishments. Most of these places offer not just a wide variety of (I’m told) delightful hand-crafted beers, but they also bring with them unique and interesting food offerings as well as other non-alcoholic beverages. The Root Beer at Fathead’s in particular is out of this world good! I can safely say that it’s my stand-out favorite. The one that holds a special place in my heart is the root beer offered at Chowning’s Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg, but that’s mostly because of the atmosphere in which it is served.
The selection of tasty comestibles is wide at Fathead’s as you might expect, and each dish that I’ve tried so far has been quite the trip down Flavor Lane. On my first trip to Fathead’s (an introductory trip with a couple of very good friends), I sampled the Wings. It was the first time that I’ve had a full-sized wing, and boy were they good! They were the Mild wings, and I chose the Buffalo variant. These came with the usual sides where Buffalo wings are concerned (Carrots, Celery and a generous helping of some truly delicious Ranch dressing). Along with the wings I sampled one of the Soups of the Moment, Clam Chowder. Here is a pic of the food from trip one:
On my second trip, again with a friend, I sampled one of the signature “Headwiches”. The particular “Headwich” that I tried was the Prime Rib and Brisket sandwich. It’s not often that a sandwich leaves you speechless, but this one did… It was delightful. A delectable combination of flavors that just worked. The meat was tender and juicy, the bread (Rye) was lightly buttered and grill toasted. The sandwich was a manageable size, and left me full but not stuffed. That’s pretty much the goal in my book. That, plus a couple of glasses of Root Beer, homemade BBQ potato chips, and good company made for a great visit. I heartily recommend that you pay a visit to Fathead’s if you’re in the area. It’s a popular place, so expect a wait if you happen to stop by during peak dining hours. The wait is worth it though. If you don’t mind waiting in a line, the bar is also a good choice. Expect more tomfoolery and jocularity though as the folks at the bar tend to enjoy themselves a bit more than those isolated at their own private tables. 🙂 No matter where you find yourself (table, bar seat, etc.), you will enjoy your stay at Fathead’s. The staff is very friendly, and if the menu is a bit daunting, they are more than willing to offer a friendly suggestion to steer you in the right direction. Enjoy!
