The Willeyville

I went there on a Saturday night in January and the place was packed. I took that as a good sign however I was a little disappointed. The service wasn’t great, it took a while for the waiter to take each set of orders (drink, appetizers, and main course) and it took at least 15 minutes for our drinks to come. One person I was with ordered a second drink and it just never came. Each of the people I was with got a different main dish and no one was very impressed. That being said, the whipped ricotta was fantastic and is easily among the top appetizers I’ve had. It may be the only reason I give this place another chance but there are plenty of places I want to check out first.

This restaurant is located on the East bank of the Flats. We were there one week after it opened, and it was VERY slow (Wednesday night). Our server was dynamic and knowledgeable. The drinks were great — I sipped my moscow mule and was happy! The food was good, too. I had the simple salad and the spicy kung pao brussels sprouts with ramen. We’ll definitely return!

The Wileyville — if you’re looking for flavor, look no further! Ring ding dong, ring a ding ding ding dong — keep your taste buds ringing.
Seriously the most flavorful food I have eaten in CLE. When I say flavorful, I mean generous and appropriate use of spices and herbs, so not for a bland palette. The restaurant is described as comfort food with a twist of sorts and I think it was appropriate description. Ate there with a group of 5 people, enjoyed 2 appetizers and each ordered entrees — just the right amount of food. I am a vegetarian and options were limited but I really enjoyed the ramen noodle bowl option with a delicious ginger soy sauce — again really flavorful, packing some heat, very bold offerings!
Expansive drink menu, I had a great glass of wine and my husband describes his cocktails as 4 stars (out of 5). One watch out is that this place is super pricy, but a cool dining experience nonetheless. Really friendly staff working there, seemed informed about the food (local sourcing, made from scratch).
Also be prepared to pay for your own parking, they do not validate. This seems common in that area.

I’ve been here twice and have ordered the ricotta dip on both occasions (and I urge you to do the same!). It’s creamy with a little bit of heat from red pepper flakes. I’ve tried to re-​create it at home, but I just can’t seem to get it right. I’ve also had the ramen with chicken and a poached egg — also phenomenal.
On both trips, I’ve had the same friendly and accommodating server. Our service was great even when we had a party of 10.
A bit pricey, but I would say it’s worth it. The ambiance is great, too!

The Willeyville is an exceptional Cleveland secret. The food, while not your average fare, is always fantastic and keeps you coming back for more. Don’t expect anything standard here… Instead,
come in with an open mind and be prepared to be amazed. As a (very) occasional meat eater I tried the short ribs tonight and enjoyed every single bite. The sorbets were an amazing pallet cleanser too and can’t be missed.
On top of an amazing menu, the staff sincerely care about the guests and want you to enjoy every sip/​bite. After a few years the owner still takes an active role in addressing tables and supporting the staff.
We don’t live close enough to make this a weekly stop but definitely make it a point to check it out a few times a year!
Try it next time you are in the area, you will not be disappointed!

While the service was ok and no one in our party of 6 had any complaints, the food is not that great at all and it’s highly overpriced. We visited the restaurant on a Saturday evening late summer and expected it to be pretty packed so we made a reservation. It was not necessary as the place was pretty empty. I took my time to review the restaurant but I don’t see any raving reviews since our visit. I won’t be back here until I see better visitors’ feedback. At this time there are other better places to try.

I stopped here for dinner, and was a little hesitant because after a long drive I wasn’t quite in the «foodie» mood, but it was close to my hotel so I figured why not. The bread came out with a kale based pesto, normally I’m not a kale fan it this was delicious. I settled on the Asian braised spare ribs which were amazingly tender and had just the right amount of flavor and was by far one of the best preparations of spare ribs I have had. I did swap out the red cabbage with the plate for the polenta which had a good combination of flavors but something seemed a bit off in the ratios of ingredients, if I came back for another visit is like choose a different option. Overall I was very impressed.

I wish it was possible to give this place no stars. My husband and I went in here to eat. Set there for ten minutes plus and no service. No drink orders, nothing. We travel all over the U.S. And have never been treated this way. Would NEVER go here again!!!

We just got a salad and pickles; drinks of course. Everything was great and the rest of the menu looked delicious! Attentive bar staff and beautiful décor

New to cleveland. Live downtown, and found a great corner place for a wonderful experience. Bartenders were very knowledgeable.

I decided to try this place out for an early dinner before seeing a show downtown. I was with a few family members, 4 total. When I called earlier in the week, I was told that the only reservation available was for a bit earlier than I planned. I took the table, as I wanted to try the restaurant. I found it a bit strange that the restaurant was mostly empty through our entire dinner, including when we left.
Anyway, the food was just okay, especially for the price. The other 3 women at my table ordered the burgers and said they were good, but nothing special. I ordered the salmon tacos, which were tasty. I was expecting a bit more but it was overall just okay. Might try again at a different time of day or for happy hour.

As I am quickly falling in love with the new-​look East Bank of the Flats, we went to The Willeyville on a cool Saturday night with the sun just dipping under the horizon.
We were able to get a patio seat and enjoy the buzz of cars driving by a full parking lot and a steady stream of people smiling and laughing as they walked up and down the hill from the Warehouse District.
For an appetizer, we had the whipped ricotta ($ 10). And as would become a theme in our meal, it was a much more sophisticated dish than at first glance on the menu. The grilled bread was full of olive oil yet still crispy and the fluffy cheese was sprinkled with chili flakes and herbs to give it some depth.
For the main course, I had the Texas-​style brisket ($ 22) as I was in the mood for some red meat even though the other components of the dish didn’t wow me. So I was pleasantly surprised when the tangy BBQ sauce livened up my mouth while the baked beans and corn bread provided a nice starch and then the vinegary «mess of greens» cut through all of that. The dish sounded very rustic but when eating it was clear that a culinary mind refined it.
Jeannnene had the «there’s a fungus among us hanger steak» ($ 28.5) and she was similiarly impressed. I can only do mushrooms in small doses so I just took her word for it.
The cocktails ($ 11 each) were also full of intricate flavors. I had the Derby Smash (bourbon, mint, Apricot jam and orange bitters) which wa surpisingly tart; and the Fresno Trail (bourbon chili honey and lemon juice) and yes it was both sweet and spicey at the same time.
We wanted to enjoy the food and ambiance some more but since the server didn’t mention dessert we figured we’d just head out. But we will be back soon — to both the Willeyville and the Flats in general.

My meal here was so good. I tried the pork belly ramen and gnudi and both were exceptional. The tofu and the pork belly were the best I have had — excellently prepared.
They have outdoor seating. The indoor portion would seat about 50. Very pretty bar area. The cocktails are excellent.
The peanut butter nutella ice cream was also delicious.
The parking lot and valet were 10 $.
I think budget about 50 $ a person for dinner/​drink minimum but everything you consume will be thoughtfully executed.

The outdoor seating is on a street corner — breezy and a great way to enjoy a summer’s evening. However it posed a challenge for the kitchen. If our food was hot when it left the kitchen, it wasn’t by the time it made it to table. They need to heat the plates more.
The poutine appetizer lacked gravy but was ok. If it had been more than lukewarm it would have been better. The gnudi featured the tenderest, delicious pasta with slices of brussels sprouts and oodles of creamy cheese sauce. Decadent. Service was friendly.

Ate at The Willeyville and was surprised at how nice the place was. The name sounds like a rowdy bar with hotdogs, but it’s anything but. We ordered the ‘big plate of meat’, poutine, cheeseboard, and for my entrée ordered the meatloaf. The big plate of meat was very good and it’s the first time I’ve seen chicken on a meat plate. Out of the cheeses, the smoked ricotta was my favorite. It was delicious. The cheese plate is served with a small bowl of rhubarb which was another first I’ve seen. The meatloaf presentation itself is a spectacle. It’s served inside of a big bone with breaded bone marrow balls and sweet catsup all over the plate. It was very good, but honestly the catsup is what made the meatloaf really good.
The service was very good and it was very prompt. There weren’t many people there, but I am sure that will change on weekends and once The Flats get more built up.
Edited to add I forgot we also ordered calamari and poutine. The poutine was unlike any poutine I had in Canada, but I would order it ANYTIME! Very good. The best poutine in Cleveland so far. I don’t care for calamari, but the three people I was with polished it off happily and raved about the sweet peppers that came with it.

I thought the food was great here. The place was dead empty. I’d expect most places to be slow on a Monday night, but we were literally the only ones in there. I had the gnudi dish and it was phenomenal (very rich). Not the best beer list, but I managed. I have high hopes for this revamped area. For starters we had the poutine which was great and the calamari which was meh. All in all a great restaurant

My wife and I stopped in for a couple of drinks. There was only 4 other people at the bar and two small tables. The bartender dropped off our waters and then went MIA for 15 minutes (- no where to be seen). We almost walked out. Finally we got our drinks ordered. I ordered a Moscow Mule, which was decent. It was made with their own home made ginger beer and oh boy was It gingery! My wife asked for an Amstel Light and the bartender didn’t know what that was. We thought he was joking, but he wasn’t. We know its high end bar and most likely only carry micro brews, but come on man. The food did look good, from what we saw. We’ll go back to try the food and next time we won’t order anything fancy like an Amstel light.

I had not heard anything good about The Willeyville, so dining here was a low priority. I am now regretting all of the times I could have been here enjoying the delicious food!
PROS
*Poutine, my new favorite app. We started off with the Proper Poutine, a heaping plate of artery-​clogging goodness. Yes, it’s not the best for you. Yes, you will enjoy every bite. Fries, gravy, curds, hot sauce, and whatever cracklins’ are. Make sure to share.
*Pasta. Typically at a new restaurant I would order meat for my entrée, but I was just digging the description of the ricotta gnudi. And when the order came out, it exceeded all of my expectations. Little, fluffy balls of doughy goodness, covered in a rich white sauce, mixed with brussel sprouts and bacon bits. You cannot go wrong with this dish!
*The menu. Based on the flimsy white paper that the menu was on along with their online menu not matching the menu we got at the restaurant, I’m assuming they change up their menu quite a bit. I like that in a restaurant — they know what works and they try new things when something isn’t working
*Décor and Ambiance. We came during the day, which was fine, but as I looked around, I decided that the ambiance would be much more dramatic at night. The industrial decorations and lighting gives it a trendy, urban look.
*A lemonade-​cider drink. I cannot remember what it’s called, but it was basically like a summer lemonade mated with an autumn cider and had a baby. I approve.
CONS
*If you are walking here, you’ll have an easy time going down the hill to get to the East Bank of the Flats… but good luck trying to walk back up after you’ve stuffed yourself silly. My advice — call an über.
*The restaurant was smaller than I thought it was going to be, which is not necessarily a con… unless you bring a large group. I would limit the group to 8.
BOTTOM LINE
I will be back to try some other creations on the menu. And gorge on poutine and pasta.

I was on the fence about whether or not to actually take the time to update my review of The Willeyville. After all, we had only been there once before well over a year ago. Unfortunately, the disappointment we experienced during our last visit warranted at least a brief write-​up.
I still stand by my previous review when it comes to most of the aspects of service and location. Neither of those experiences have changed in any noticeable fashion, although the service was quite, how to put it nicely, stretched out. We were essentially the only couple in the restaurant and it took about 20 minutes for us to receive our appetizer. Where they really fell short this time was with the food.
When you visit a restaurant knowing full well that you’ll be spending somewhere around $ 100 for dinner and drinks, you’ve got certain expectations for nearly everything. This is especially the case when it comes to the food.
Our first course started out great. We ordered the Hot Arse Spinach Dip ($ 11.50). A bowl of blazing hot (temperature, not spice heat) cheesy goodness surrounded by crispy, fried tortilla chips. It was sinfully good.
Little did we know things were about to veer terribly off course.
The Willey Caeser Salad ($ 9.50) that my wife ordered was not what we expected at all. First, it’s loaded with sliced jalapeño peppers. If you are even remotely sensitive to heat in your food, steer clear of this salad. Second, the fried egg served atop the salad doesn’t really work, Once you break the yolk it essentially turns the salad into a soppy, yolky mess and the type of bowl it’s served in makes it awkward to eat.
The disappointment continues…
The Local Grass-​Fed Beef Cheek Mac and Cheese ($ 18.50) was just not good. Not good at all. Oh, and you read that price right. For nearly $ 20 I received a small bowl of pasta tossed with asparagus. Creamy it was not. The beef cheek was basically four small chewy, fatty pieces of meat buried under the pasta. I felt like this was a dish that I could have made at home. Sounded so good on paper.
The biggest disappointment of the evening was the Grilled Salmon Fish Tacos ($ 19.50). Wow. My wife and I couldn’t even believe how bad this dish was. The flour tortillas tasted raw. The slaw made them wet and the portion size of the actual fish — what I can only assume is the reason for the insane pricetag — was ridiculously small. Three tiny pieces, barely enough for an appetizer. My wife ate the fish and left everything else on the plate, untouched.
Those of you that read my reviews know that I am not normally one to complain about price. I know before I visit a restaurant how much I’ll probably be spending and I also believe that you really do get what you pay for… most of the time. This visit to Willeyville was just such a stark contrast to our first visit that it didn’t even seem like the same place. I’m sorry to say that I just don’t think we’ll be back.

If you haven’t been here for dinner in a while, it’s time you stopped back in. This place is impressive. And if something isn’t to your liking, tell your server. This place will bend over backwards to make things perfect.
So, now onto the review (it’s long but I got a lot to rave about today)…
I’ve held off on reviewing this place for a year because I’m friends with everyone there. I didn’t want that to impact my ability to be as honest as possible. After a full year of eating and drinking here more times than I can count, I feel very comfortable calling this one of my top spots in Cleveland. I think it’s had a few hiccups here and there, but I’m 100% confident that this is a consistent 5-​star spot. It’s been that way for a while.
The service is always top notch — it’s exceptional. The staff is very well versed in the food, preparations, ingredients, and plating. They know exactly what’s going on in the kitchen. This is incredibly important given the food and the ingredients are made in-​house. This also comes in handy if you walk in with a child or a crazy dietary restrictions. No kids menu? Trust me, they can take care of your child’s whim. Or perhaps your vegan or paleo and you don’t see a damn thing on the menu that works fully to your needs. No problem. Find what you want on the menu and they will make it work. I’ve never seen waitstaff and kitchen staff go to such lengths to ensure everyone is happy and full. But it all starts with that friendly and knowledgeable service.
The bar is damn good too. Cocktail wise, they make really great craft cocktails at a reasonable price given the quality of ingredients and the attention placed on doing it right. I don’t see how $ 11 or $ 12 bucks for a craft cocktail is even a bit pricey given the recipes. You’re not getting anything close to well drinks. But, if you want cheap, they do have well drinks available. All you need to do is ask. I will say they bar had some problems in the first six months of operations, but that’s just not an issue anymore. Service and quality of product are great at the bar.
What about the food? The food is the star. It doesn’t get any better – it’s creative and delicious. How do they make it so damn good? They not only make the food from scratch, they make the ingredients from scratch. They grind their own flour, grow their own yeast, ferment their vinegar… they even make their own tofu and miso! They do the same thing for the bar ingredients too! A lot of places around Cleveland play the «farm to table» card, but when a restaurant goes to the trouble of actually crafting the raw ingredients, they are doing it right. Of course, someone could go through all the trouble and still make junk food. Not here; not at The Willeyville. This place makes damn good food.
The charcuterie is my favorite. In the past year they have come a long way and I find this to be some of the best charcuterie in the city. I also love the hanger steak. Hanger steaks are a dime a dozen in Cleveland, but the way The Willeyville uses a quick cure and sous vide creates the most flavorful and tender hanger in town. The current adobo hanger prep with hominy, pickled jalapenos, tres pepper sauces, fried shishito peppers, crispy tortillas strips is the best version of their hanger to date.
I could honestly talk about this menu for hours. You may see a smattering of Asian, Italian, and European dishes. While that might seem confused, remember that the focus is about true from-​scratch cooking. America is diverse, shoot Cleveland is diverse. These are all the kinds of foods Clevelanders love, just under one roof and done really freaking well. Personally, the ricotta gnudi is better than some of the stuff I’ve had at famous Italian restaurants in very big cities. The smoked pork belly ramen (yes they even make the noodles in house) is the best bowl of ramen I’ve had from a restaurant not run by Japanese people. And the «proper poutine» while not the traditional poutine I get in Montréal, I just can’t hate on it – the thing makes my mouth and my belly beyond happy.
Don’t like fancy things, then get one of the hot dogs or sausages known as «Willey Wieners» during lunch or happy hour at the bar. They grind, season, and stuff these things all in house to great success. The Korean and the German variants are my favorite, but they got the traditional Polish boy that does the trick too. The burgers (traditional and veggie) don’t disappoint either. I’m not a vegetarian, but that veggie burger is something I would eat regardless. I don’t have a huge sweet tooth these days, but I make sure to get desert every time I stop in.
This place does the trick for me, time and time again. At this point in time, I can’t say a bad thing about the joint. Stop in for dinner and discover one of the best restaurants in town. If you aren’t like me and you do find something not to your liking, trust me, they will take care of you.