Alesci’s Downtown

Even though there aren’t that many choices downtown for Italian, Alesci’s is the BEST you’ll find in the area by far. This place is no fuss, no hassle, and offers great Italian eats. If you’re an Alesci’s virgin, start with the stromboli – one bite of this oozy, gooey pizza dough concoction, and you’ll be hooked. Other more than decent offerings include the pizza, ravioli, pasta and lasagna. Yeah, these choices aren’t healthy and definitely don’t provide any nutritional value so as much as I love Alesci’s, please eat sparingly!
Also, bonus points for carrying soda without high fructose syrup. I rarely drink soda, but when I do I like to have choices without a ton of unnecessary sugar. Keep it up, Alesci’s!

The best hassle free lunch downtown. A handful of choices each day prepared cafeteria style along with pizza and sandwich options. Rating lowered 1 star because I think more carbohydrates is the last thing Cleveland’s office workers need.

Popped in here for a quick lunch. The Italian stuff (pizza, lasagna, and chicken parm) looked very good and perhaps I should have ordered one of those. I ordered the ham and bean soup which was pretty good. I also ordered ½ Italian sub and it was just okay. Nothing more than stacks of meat, a slice of cheese, wilted lettuce, warmed between two pieces of a sub roll. I will give Alesci’s another chance by going back and ordering a pasta dish or a slice of pizza.

If you like Italian food and you DON’T like Alesci’s Downtown, you’re out of your freaking mind. It’s the best Italian eats that I’ve ever had (outside of a family members’ kitchen and authentic food while visiting the homeland.) It’s a must-​visit spot before any Tribe or Cavs game — much better than paying for overpriced food inside the stadium. It’s cheap and delicious — you can eat and drink for less than $ 10. It’s a little crowded inside, but it’s worth it. The stromboli, calzones and sausage and pepper sandwich are my faves. The owners are super-​friendly and if you frequent Alesci’s enough (like my family did during the Indians ’94-’99 heyday) you’ll get on a first name basis really fast.

I was looking for a quick late lunch and happened to stroll by Alesci’s. Great food at very reasonable prices (delicious stromboli $ 5, pasta dishes $ 6.50). No Frills but good food, drink at grea tprices. What more could you want?

This is a great place to stop at before an Indian’s game. It’s right next to Panini’s but is about 100 times LESS crowded. It doesn’t look like much from the outside but they have a decent alcohol selection at the bar, and in the back you can go get some delicious Italian food from a counter. Perfect!