Monday, March 31, 2014

Bar #55 Sidetrack Cafe Prologue



Due to everyone's lives becoming too busy and an avoidance to do the blog on the weekends I have only been puttering towards the final goal of having a beer at every bar in Lakewood and writing about it. Today, I write about a yesterday. It's fall 2005. I have a new 2006 Prius (that why I remember the year) and I am going with some friends to a bar I've never been to.  My memory may not be as accurate as I hope after almost a decade.  Bar #55 will be Sidetrack Cafe, but this is just its prologue to the official visit.


Sidetrack Cafe is known as a biker bar. Not in the flashy, neon fashion of the franchised versions out there or the biker bars seen on the Blah Blah Channel. Sidetrack Cafe is a place where people would sit down hot, stinking and tired after riding the backroads of America. They don't need a dozen specialized beers with spices, fancy names, and fancier price tags; if it was cold and beer, it was probably what they were looking for. A proper biker bar offers only what is needed to get the job done: beer, whiskey, seats and something that produces music. A real biker bar makes every other bar feel like a gimmick.


Sidetrack Cafe was split into three sections. The first section was your standard dive bar. Almost all the seating was along the bar itself and primarily warmed by men that have been riding motorcycles for most of the last half century. Classic rock was coming out of the jukebox and wouldn't stop for the rest of the evening. The bar was run by a pretty woman that had no problem keeping control her bar with just a smile and the ability to see problem coming.


The second room had some tables and chairs and centered on a large screen TV that remembered who shot JR. It had that slight lack in color that is seen in the old giant TVs that have been used a couple years too many. It may be too large to give up on, or might simply be too large to bother moving. My brain tells me everything in the room was a shade of brown.


The third room had plywood walls. There was a pool table taking up the majority of the space. That is everything in the room. The plywood didn't insulate as much as hoped, but we spent the evening in the room hoping the slight bit of shivering would work in our favor or that we'd stop feeling the cold after the next beer. At least we didn't have to worry about our beer getting warm.


Sidetrack Cafe gave me everything I wanted, beer, somewhere to sit and something to do. With all the amazing bars in Lakewood, it's easy to forget what really matters. Going to almost every bar in Lakewood has helped instill in me that it's not always about all the things a bar may offer, but all the things that I want from a bar on a specific evening. One evening I may want amazing food, and beer that tastes like a work of art. Another evening I may way want a dart board, cold ignorable beer and patrons that feel like we've known each other half our lives, even if we've just met. Living in Lakewood means getting exactly what you want, just remember that there's a chance you could find it in any Every Bar in Lakewood.


Sidetrack Cafe, Bar #55, may be completely different than it was 8 years ago. I look forward to seeing it again soon.

13429 Lakewood Heights Blvd
216-688-1498
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Thursday, March 6, 2014

St Patrick's Day Guide 2014

Merry Arts

OUR ANNUAL KIDS ST. PATRICK'S DAY! 
Saturday, March 15th from noon-3 the little ones have their own St. Patrick's Day! Free admission--live Irish dancing from the Brady Campbell school of dance, balloons, face painting, green milkshakes, kid's menu and Slider is coming by! Our new heated patio will be open!

ST. PATRICK'S DAY AT MERRY ARTS
Doors open at 7:30 for our annual $5 all you can eat breakfast buffet! 
Our Great Guinness Glass Giveaway, Irish music, the best corned beef around and much more will be happening all day and night. 
A special performance from the band Hot n' Ready from 4-6 after the parade. So take off work and celebrate one of the greatest days to be a Clevelander!
15607 1/2 Detroit Ave

Mars Bar
They're back tomorrow!!! 3 words... corned beef gyros!!! Mars Bar will be apen at 9am for St. Paddy's Day!!! Green beer, corned beef, corned beef gyros, & regular gyros, our whole staff will be up, and smoking area on our patio!!! Come up and drink with us!!!!!


Harry Buffalo Lakewood opens at 8am!  
Kegs & Eggs!
Jameson Specials!
18605 Detroit Ave

Bonnie and Clydes
Opening 5:30am Breakfast Corned Beef Omelet Corned Beef and Hash Also Serving All Day.. Corned Beef Sandwhiches Reuben Sandwhiches Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinners $1 Jell-O Shots $1.50 Green Beer Pints $2 Leprechaun Shots And Many Different $2 Green Themed Shots. We Also Have Limited Shirts Still Available for $15

Taco Tantos
We've brined and slow cooked the corned beef, today we just have to add potato, sour cream, steamed cabbage and cheese wrap it all up and serve it to you hot and toasty. Sure to to give you staying power whether you're celebrating with green beers or just having a regular Monday.

Shamrock will be carrying on with St. Patrick's Day pride: 
Open at 9AM for a pre-parade Corned Beef Hash & Poached Eggs Breakfast. Delicious Corned Beef Sandwiches and Corned Beef Dinners for as long as they last, plus a partial "regular" menu from Kim & Lu's Kitchen (for those who like alternative food choices.) 
Loud tunes, lots of beer and booze at fair prices, a visiting bagpiper, etc. 
If trolling West Side Irish bars with friends is your idea of fun, the Shamrock is a traditional stop.
11922 Madison Ave

Quaker Steak & Lube

15312 Detroit Ave


Spitfire
We will open at 5:30am, we will have free corn beef and cabbage in the morning. We will have $1 cans all day and night.
1539 W 117th St

Brew 133
We open at 8AM for kegs, eggs, and corned beef hash until 1pm. 

We have drinks specials and a DJ all day! 
The drink specials are; $4 Bloody Marys, $3 Guinness Pints, $3 Irish Whiskey (any kind), $2 Fireball, $3 pints, and $2 Throwback Tallboy 16 oz. Miller Lite Cans! 

We have Corned Beef Sandwiches and Chips for $6 as well! 

Bagpipes will be played by Cleveland Police Department and sheriff's office around 6:30.
13368 Madison Ave



McGinty's Pub
We will open the doors at 8. 
From 8-10 we will have $2 Guinness and Breakfast sandwiches. 

Starting at 11 we will have $6 corned beef sandwiches for sale. 

Also you can grab your very own 2014 McGinty's St. Patrick's Day T-shirt.  

The Guinness Bill Band will play Live starting at 6:30 and we will have bagpipes stop by during the day.
13751 Madison Ave


Waterbury Coach House
Corn Beef Dinner: (Corn Beef, Cabbage, Redskin Potatoes, Carrots) $10
Reuben Sandwich $8
Corn Beef Sandwich $7.50
Sandwiches include soup and choice of potato salad or fries.
Guinness bottles $4
We will have live music as well!
13333 Madison Ave

Lakewood Village Tavern


We are opening at 9am happy hour until 7, select $2 drinks at night. Corned beef hash, Reuben with fries, corned beef dinner, corned beef sandwich with shirts will be available for purchase as well.

13437 Madison Ave

Corky's
We open at noon
Karaokes at 4
Ruben pizzas for 6 bucks and $2 lucky leprechaun shots.. 

Now Guinness cans are 3 bucks and shamrock shake shots are two bucks these two specials all month long.
13302 Detroit Ave



Irish Kevin's

13601 Detroit Ave

Patio Tavern
Once again, we're looking forward to seeing all our friends, as well as new faces looking for some inexpensive drinks this Saint Patrick's Day! 
Miller Lite Drafts will be $1.25...all Domestic Bottles are $2.00...Jameson, Powers, Tullamore Dew, and Bushmills are $3.00...and we're fully stocked with Guinness, Conway's Irish Ale, as well as 8 other Craft beers on tap! 
Happy Saint Patrick's Day; we look forward to seeing you soon!
15615 Madison Ave

Pacers
14600 Detroit Ave

The Corner Pub
Were gonna do $3 green long islands, $5 irish car bombs, and $2 irish flag shots...there will be other surprise specials $3 and under.
12301 Madison Ave

Tarrymorre Inn will open at noon with $3 shots of Jameson and $2, 24oz drafts of Budweiser and Genesee!
13356 Madison Ave


World of Beer
9AM - 2:30AM 
This St. Patricks Day Drink Good Beer NOT Green Beer 

5 Irish Beers on Draft  
Guinness - Smithwicks - Bass - Harp - Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale  
First 48 guest to order a Great Lakes Conways Irish Ale keep the Great Lakes St. Patricks Day Glass !!!!!  
Jameson and Irish Car Bomb Specials  

Doors open at 9AM w/ Breakfast for $6 by Somethin's Smokin Smoked Corned Beef Hash and Scrambled Eggs from 9AM-11AM  
$7.99 Smoked Corned Beef Sandwich starting at 11AM  

Live Band from 4-7PM 
Black Bear Caledonia Pipes and Drums at 7PM 
Irish Music ALL DAY Long
14701 Detroit Ave

St. Patricks Day West End Tavern A west side landmark 30 years. ---featuring--- Guinness. Harp. Jameson. Powers. -and- Corned beef/Irish coffee -and- Bag pipers all day
11:00 AM "Late breakfast/lunch-dinner
Also starring: Leading craft beers such as founders dirty bastard, new Belgium fat tire, Oskar blues dales pale ale, southern tier 2x IPA, and bell's two hearted!
18514 Detroit Ave 

Sloan
Green pudding shots for $1.00 AND Corned Beef Pizza! What more could you ask for?
18196 Sloane Ave

Buckeye Beer Engine
It's pretty standard that we open early and feature corned beef type stuff, and will most probably run a pint special on Buckeye REDHEAD.
15315 Madison Ave

Melt

14718 Detroit Ave

The Red Rose Cafe celebrates St. Patrick's Day All Day with 
$6.50 Corned Beef Sandwich, 
$7.00 Reuben, 
$9.50 Corned Beef Dinner Includes Carrots, Cabbage, Red Skin Potatoes.  
40 Cent Wings as always! (dine in only).

$6 Pitchers of Miller Lite or Labatt, 
$8.50 Yuengling Pitchers, 
$2 Shot of the Month - The Shamrock Shot, 
$2.50 Domestic Bottles All Day & Night!
14810 Madison Ave


Pug Mahone's
March 17th open at 8am. Free Breakfast 9am-10 am Noon -1:30 Live Bag pipers 4pm-7pm Jim Tigue & Eroc corned beef dinner and sandwich specials. $4 shot specials - Irish breakfast, Leprechaun Kiss, Nutty Irishman Beer of the month Dundee $1.25 (all day-every day) Domestic pints $1.25 domestic bottle $1.50 (open to 8pm everyday)
17625 Detroit Ave

Around the Corner
18616 Detroit Ave



Check Out My Scene Best of Cleveland Guide helping you prove that



Saturday, March 1, 2014

The Best of Cleveland is Lakewood



Every year, Scene Magazine has us vote for who we think are the best at what they do at, well at this point, just about everything, in the greater Cleveland area. It's easy to get overwhelmed while trying to make it through the nomination list. This year Every Bar in Lakewood is going to try and help out with a Lakewood voting list.
One of the key missions of this blog has been to help promote this great city. In the voting this year I would like to see a stronger presence of our community felt.
It's time to show the rest of our area, that the best of Cleveland is Lakewood. If your business, self or favorite is from Lakewood and should be nominated, let me know. Comment on this blog, tweet me, email me at samlakewood@gmail.com, or just comment on my Facebook page, then I'll list it on this blog. The more entrees included will create a stronger presence for the list on Google's search engine helping others support our great city. If you'd rather someone different than I've listed, let me know. Some of these have simply been big supporters of the blog. I also wouldn't mind your votes for Every Bar in Lakewood as the best Blog and Food Blog.


Use this link to get to get to the voting page.
http://posting.clevescene.com/cleveland/Survey


Art event?
Lakewood Arts Festival

Performing Arts Theater
Beck Center
Place for free fun
Lakewood Park
School District
Lakewood 
Local Neighborhood
Lakewood
Suburb
Lakewood
Restaurant
Deagans
New Restaurant
Humble Wine Bar
Romantic Restaurant
Humble Wine Bar
Brunch
Deagans
Buffet
India Garden
Patio Dining
Humble Wine Bar
Patio for Drinking
Humble Wine Bar
Wine Bar
Humble Wine Bar
Beer List
Buckeye Beer Engine
Vegan
Root Cafe
Burger
Deagans
Fries
Deagans
Seafood
Pier W
Pizza

Dewey's
Greek
Greek Village
Indian
India Garden
Taco
Barrio
Bloody Mary
Deagans
Taco Tuesday
Merry Arts
Dessert Menu
Humble Wine Bar
Place to Buy Music
My Minds Eye
Thrift Store
Avalon Exchange
Antique Shop

Lakewood Antique Mall
Consignment Shop
Curvy Consignment
Best Chocolate

Fears Confections
Deli
TJ's Butcher Block
Wine Shop
Rozi's
Beer Store
Simone's
Eco-Friendly
Root Cafe
Hair Salon
Crazy Mullets
Barbershop/Men's Cut
Reagle Beagle
New Store
Re/Dress
Jazz Club
Vosh
Blues Club
Winchester
Hipster Bar
Mahall's 20 Lanes
Karaoke Bar
Corky's Place or Eddy & Iggy's
Neighborhood Bar
Merry Arts or Plank Road Tavern
Industry Night
Mahall's, Deagans, or Harry Buffalo (We do Industry night well!)
Bowling Alley
Mahall's 20 Lanes
Darts
Bobby O's