The Rail

This is one of our favorite places to eat. I ordered a relatively new burger on the menu called the Philippe. I was excited for this burger because of the fresh ingredients such as spinach, cucumber, and avocado. This burger was something I wouldn’t order again. It needed cheese, in my opinion… But it also just seemed to lack in overall taste. We will be back to The Rail just because we normally love the food, but today’s experience just wasn’t one of our best.

There is a sign in the Men’s bathroom here that reads: «Anyone whose favorite burger joint isn’t in their hometown is a sissy». If you live near the Rail and it’s not your favorite place for a burger, this is a true maxim indeed.
Don’t let the kitschy suburban-​hell location of being attached to a mall deter you — this is a legit well crafted local joint that you’d expect to find in Tremont or Ohio City, or even the LES in NYC. My wife and I have grabbed here on many occasions, some carryout but mostly dining-​in, and we’ve never had a bad experience. The staff are friendly and quick, the décor is comfortable and cool, the drinks are awesome, and the food, well — incredible.
You can’t go wrong with any of the burgers here — they are all crafted so damn well and delicious. From the buns, to the toppings, to the meat — everything is great and comes together beautifully. However, my singular favorite menu item at the Rail is their fried mac and cheese ball appetizer. Fried.Mac.And.Cheese. Nothing else is really necessary to expand upon on that one. Do it.
The Rail is an excellent spot to catch up with friends over some truly awesome burgers or just grab a quick appetizer and drink at the bar. You will not be disappointed, I guarantee it — as the Men’s Wearhouse Guy would say.

Great affordable food. The only reason I wouldn’t give five stars is because I was seated next to the door and people who were waiting were blocking my booth.
Other than that… Great food! Great service!

This place has excellent burgers, great beer selections and wonderful service. They are priced a little on the high side, but well worth the money spent. Remember to add an egg to your burger for an even yummier treat. The fried pickles are also worth an order to start.

The Rail is fucking AWESOME. First time there this evening — let me tell you, it feels like this place doesn’t belong on some corner of a mall, but maybe that’s what makes it even better — it’s like a delicious juicy secret that only the stealthy burger club people know about.
The service for one, is STELLAR. My fiancé and I got in the door and were anticipating a 10 minute or so wait, based on what the hostess told us. We were sitting for maybe two minutes, and she offered up a huge six person booth just for us. We were like HELL YEAH! We scooted in to our ginormous private booth and were met shortly after by our server, who was not only SUPER friendly and nice, but also knowledgable about the beer and the burgers. HUGE plus. I know not everyone out there likes beer, or bloody red meat for that matter, but I really appreciate it when my server is on my level, it enables me to trust them, because I know they’re good people. It’s that burger/​beer unspoken bond. You just get it.
The atmosphere is warm and inviting, nothing is too loud, it just feels good. The booths are very comfortable, the décor is nice to look at, the tables are sturdy wood, everything flows very nicely together. I was just very happy to be in the space I was in. The wagon wheel lighting is also awesome and visually pleasing.
The burgers are unreal. Cooked to perfection, and ALL LOCAL FARM FRESH OHIO BEEF. So delicious, I had the blue Bessie — ½-​lb of Ohio beef on a layer of Horseradish sauce and spinach, then topped with blue cheese crumbles, sauteed ‘shrooms and tobacco onions. And I ate the whole thing. My fiancé had the December special, the lamb burger — equal blend of lamb and beef, fresh mozzarella, house made cucumber dill sauce, sautéed bell peppers and red onion, lettuce, tomato — he added a fried egg on top, per our server’s suggestion — he polished it off before I was half done with mine. Oh, did I mention we got the something or other fries for an appetizer? fries, pulled pork, rail sauce, bacon, cheese and green onions — amazing.
I have ZERO bad things to say about The Rail. If you worship the burger like I do, this is your heaven. Go to there and see. Be enlightened. You will not be disappointed. Promise.

The trouble began with trying to find the place. It was after dark, and they are attached to the mall between JC Penny and the cinema. I didn’t know this at the time. They have TWO neon signs, but didn’t bother to turn them on. Once there, I told the host, but he said maybe the sign is burned out. I said, you have two, so I doubt they are both burned out. Probably just not turned on. When we left, signs were still dark. Maybe the staff didn’t want much business that night.
The waitress and service once seated was great. Place was clean. Nice environment.
The food. Well, first, it is a little ridiculous to have half pound burgers and no smaller size. What does Grandma or a child eat? Yes they have a child slider for nearly the price of a full half pounder, which makes no sense. ¼ or ¹⁄₃ pound patties should be an option. In my party of 7, 6 of us shared burgers, which came out pre cut on separate plates for I believe no extra charge, which was nice. Meat was actually cooked to order: medium well did NOT come out well done as it does most places, so that is a plus. However, meat needed seasoning, and perhaps a better flavor of meat and fat ratio. In other words, nothing special at best. Good cheese choices for a cheese burger though.
Fries (regular and sweet potatoe, both shoe string) were a mix of crispy and just mushy. Pretzel bites, fried, lacked something. They were just ok. Fried pickles were the same.
Overall, okay. I could eat here again. But I think I will go to Brown Bag Burger nearly next door instead next time, which has been rated higher.
Had a decent beer collection and $ 3 happy hour margaritas though.
I’d give it a 2.5, but as I must round, don’t believe they deserve a 3.0, so 2.0 it is.

Coming from Chicago, where there are great burger joints all over, this place was not as good. Don’t get me wrong, it was NOT bad, just not as good as Umami Burger, Kuma’s Korner or The Lockdown…
Service was VERY good and knowledgeable on the different beverages available. But, the flavor of the burger was not as I’d hoped…

I’m a big fan of this place, great food.
They specialize in burgers, and they have numerous options so you wont get bored. Great atmosphere and great customer service. We’re always taken care of well when we dine here. Strongly recommend this place.

Had a wonderful meal here in the midst of Holiday Hell.
The service was excellent dispite the large crowd of people. Katie was a kind, respectful, and quick and thanked me profusely for being patient while she caters to the table of 6 middle aged women who refused to say thank you for anything (I watched). The professionalism of the service was surprising, as they handled the table next to me of a couple who tactlessly complained about 1. The salad lettuce being «frozen» (looked fine to me) 2. The red onion on their burger was bad (looked perfectly fine…) 3. The onion rings were over done (they looked perfectly fine) The funny thing is they replaced everything within seconds and (surprise!) It looked exactly the fricking same. And these people were nodding in satisfaction to the replenished supply of imaginary shit food. Then, the man gets his burger and complains, loudly, that his burger is too well done and after a manager comes over and offers multiple times to replace his burger, cooked properly. He goes «I’LL JUST GIVE THE REST TO MY DOG.» Okay, drama queen, I thought to myself. So the manager told him it would be out in literally minutes, and I was surprised at around one minute later it was sitting at his table. I was impressed at the manager for his expedient and courteous dealing with said assholes.
Annnnyway…onto the food. Got a simple burger with cheddar and the typical fixings. Was delicious. Cooked perfectly. All of my vegetables were fresh and normal. Had the homemade pumpkin pie a la mode for dessert. Was delicious. Will be back for the milkshakes and to try a burger that’s a little more adventurous.

This was my second time at The Rail. The first time, I got a burger, and while it was good, the second time I opted for grilled chicken, and it was AMAZING. I added the delicious jalapeño relish for some spice and it was soooo good.
My favorite part of the meal was the app: fried pickles with jalapeño ranch. I’m a HUGE fan!
The only thing really lacking was the service. It was abnormally slow both times, and I don’t like to have to ask for every little thing (refills, silverware, the check, a box, etc) each time I need something. A bit of a pet peeve of mine, but it really is annoying! Would have been 5 stars if not for the meh service.

B-​Spot and Five Guys, it’s not you, it’s the Rail. Breaking up with some of my favorite burgers in town for this new, fun and upscale burger bar.
Let me first start off by mentioning how awesome the staff was, from the hostess to our server for the evening. Very friendly and efficient!
As for the food – we started off with the fried green tomatoes which were fried to perfection. I’m always happy when a restaurant can nail down a fried food without the breading either being too mushy or falling off.
I then ordered the Greenwich Pig burger which had the most mouth-​watering caramelized onions, blue cheese, spinach and the rail’s very own mayo. The bun appeared to be buttered which there are no complaints here! Overall, the burger was a great size for a good price.
The only minor issue I had were that the fries were a bit cold; however, this will not stop me from coming back.
Also, how could I have not ordered a milkshake? I saw one of them when I was going to leave and now I’ve had an intense hankering for a chocolate milkshake.

My better half was craving a really good burger — you know, the kind that is thick and messy and really good. The Rail was mentioned in a ‘Cleveland’s Best Burgers’ article, so we decided to give it a try. We were not disappointed.
The menu is built around burgers — unique burgers, build-​it-​yourself burgers, bunless burgers. The cool thing is that you can substitute a chicken breast or veggie burger for the beef burger in any of the menu items. As someone who doesn’t eat beef, this was an important find.
They also have some interesting appetizers. We tried the homemade chips with blue cheese crumbles and truffle oil — delicious. Next time, we will try the sweet potato fries. It’s definitely a good place to try something new every time.
The Rail’s alcohol selection is impressive. They have beer, wine, mixed drinks, you name it. They also have homemade shakes and floats — some in combinations you might not have tried before. And they have the standard sodas.
It’s an upscale casual restaurant. I like the ambience — clean, cool decorations, etc. I personally am not a fan of the big screen TVs playing sports stuff, but that is a popular feature in this kind of establishment. We went on a Saturday early evening and didn’t have to wait to be seated. Our food came quickly and our waitress was attentive.
Getting back to the burgers, it’s really important that they do them right since everything revolves around them. I’d say they do a pretty darn good job. Expect to pay for this excellent burger — most of them were in the $ 9 – 11 range. Expect to pay extra if you want fries or anything besides the burger and a pickle spear. No matter what you get, there’s a good chance it’s locally-​sourced.
The Rail gets a 5-​star rating from me because let’s face it — it’s an epic eating experience. Our food was delicious, they had lots of different foods to try, their staff was friendly and attentive, the restaurant was clean, the ambiance was great, and they support the local economy by buying local — we will go back!
I recommend The Rail as a great place to eat for couples, groups, and individuals who are looking for a good burger (chicken breast and veggie burger substitution available) and appetizers that are a little different than what they’ve tried before.

Stopped in for a drink on a Sunday and we both wished we would have stopped in for dinner too after seeing the menu.
We sat at the bar and the service was great. It was very busy because the Sunday was that we stopped in was the night of the bicentennial fireworks.
We will definitely stop in for food soon and I will review the food as well. The beers were all local and delicious.

Okay, I’m gonna keep things short and sweet here. Tonight was my first experience at the Rail; I came with high expectations, and left with all of them met and then some! My father, girlfriend and I ordered the bourbon bbq burger, the burger with red onion jam, bacon, and truffle butter, (still going) the bleu cheese burger with caramelized onion and spinach, the nutella crunch milkshake, peanut butter brownie milkshake, and truffle fries.
I ordered the bourbon bbq burger with aged cheddar and tobacco onions. The burger was cooked excellently, was extremely juicy, and very flavorful. The ingredients were all obviously very fresh, and the beef was so tender it practically melted in my mouth. I’m a pretty simple guy, so naturally I prefer simple foods done right, and this was one of them.
We all split the burgers so I got to try the other two.
I don’t really like bleu cheese, so I’ll focus on things I can say without bias.
The Burger was cooked excellently– nice and juicy with a good crunch on the top from the sear. The bleu cheese on it was somewhat like a creamy sauce. The spinach added a nice, fibrous crunch to it.
The last burger (truffle butter, bacon, etc.) was dangerous! Holy mother of god! It tasted delicious, but I only took one bite and had to set it down to take the rest home.
The truffle fries were truffle fries. I think they’re so basic you can’t get them wrong. Good fries, truffle oil, and freshly grated parmesan. Though, I have had trufflier fries elsewhere. they were still tasty. I think next time I come this way I’ll go for the sweet potato fries instead.
Lastly, the milkshakes. The nutella crunch was my favorite by far. It had just the right thickness to it, and somehow was creamy, a good amount of nutella, and a great bit of crunch and flavor from the chocolate wafer. The pb brownie milkshake was also delicious. This one was much thicker in consistency, and had nice bits of brownie, and a little crunch from chunks of peanutbutter that froze in the making process. I’m actually surprised that I liked the nutella one more, cause I typically go for vanilla or peanutbutter shakes at the local Mitchell’s. Oh. We shared the shakes too. That’s important
Now! Believe it or not, I left without that food-​coma feeling despite how much I ate. All of us felt fine. I generally eat very healthily: little to no sugar, almost never eat beef, only lean meats and veggies, etc., and i still feel great almost an hour later. Usually I feel dizzy and sick after eating a meal like this, but not this time! That definitely has to be a strong indicator of the quality of the ingredients.
So, to sum things up, the food portions were very generous. A burger and half of a shake was enough to fill me up beyond full. The fries may have been over-​kill. The service was excellent, but sadly the name of our waitress slipped my mind, and I don’t have my receipt. Three gourmet burgers, fries, two milkshakes, and plenty of leftovers to spare; $ 57 was the price for three people getting a good idea of what this place had to offer, and it was well worth it! I’d definitely recommend checking it out!

Very good burgers, very poor service. I’ve been here several times and this has been true every time. Doesn’t matter what time of day it is, or where you sit, the service is always ice cold and the burgers are always delicious.
I know a lot of people can look past service issues, but I’m not one of them. It measurably decreases my enjoyment of going out, and it’s just not worth it. Since you can get great burgers and great service at other places in the vacinity.

This place gets one star solely based on the fact that I can’t give it zero.
I liked this place when I first started coming here, but I now plan on avoiding it like the plague.
The the quality of the food when comparing my first visit with my last visit are polar opposites, and that isn’t a compliment. The food went from perfectly cooked burgers and crisp fries to greasy and severely overcooked burgers and soggy, limpy fries. There was a literal grease pool from the bun alone.
When you pair bad food with horrible management that does nothing but pick chips out of the serving window instead of asking how everything is, it’s no surprise things are the way they are.
This place had so much potential when it first started, and that potential was wasted.

Definitely a 4.5 –
Nice atmosphere. Packed on a Thursday evening. Always a good sign. I love the idea of an All-​Ohio based business. Ohio beers, spirits, meats and dairies.
My husband grabbed the Gouda Mac and cheese bites for an appetizer — absolutely out of this world! I only snagged a bite but they were fantastic!
I got the Perfectly Naked — absolutely love that there is a low carb option which is one of the reasons we picked Rail. I added sautéed onions and the red onion jam, plus a fried egg. Everything was absolutely delicious but I definitely feel like I missed out on the experience without the bun. Totally want to give it another try on a day I’m feeling less health conscious!
My husband got the Crouching Burger. He said the bacon was everything the reviews promised and promptly quoted Pulp Fiction that «this is a tasty burger.» I tried a little piece of the shredded pork, and I honestly wasn’t impressed by that but I’m sure it tasted okay on the burger itself.
Really nice beer selection, although the thought of paying $ 7.50 for one beer makes me cringe. 2 burgers, 1 appetizer, and 4 beers came to $ 60 which seems a little steep. Probably won’t order drinks the next time we go, because it’s a fine value otherwise.
The service was great — with one exception. We didn’t get checked on at any point during the middle of our meal, and I could have used some extra mayo. In fairness, our server was either training someone or in training (couldn’t tell which was which) and it was pretty busy. BUT otherwise, friendly, knowledgeable and prompt with taking our order, getting the check etc.
Will be back

Move over B-​Spot, The Rail gives me all of the quirky customization options plus a more delicious bun and patty! The menu here is pretty big and full of daily/​monthly specials. Everything is sold separately, but even with ordering an appetizer, side, and two burgers, the price was right.
I ordered the bootlegger burger, complete with fried onions, BBQ sauce, and cheddar cheese. The burger itself was fabulous: tender with the right amount of seasoning. The bun was even more delicious and so buttery. My SO ordered the crouching burger with the pork shoulder and wontons; it was the perfect mix of soft/​crunchy and meaty. I can’t put in any comment on the milkshakes or cocktails, but we were drooling over the milkshakes at the table over.
The service here goes above and beyond, as well. Our server must have had ten tables or more at once, and we still received perfect service. The staff is knowledgeable, makes good recommendations, and prompt with delivery/​clean-​up. This is now my top place for burgers; I’ll be back.

I’m sorry Five Guys, you are now #2 on my list for having the best burgers in town.
The Rail’s burgers are so flavorful! The burger patty is a very decent size so, I think you get your money’s worth. The bun is soft & buttered… buttered buns & a flavorful burger = an insanely good burger. You honestly don’t need much toppings on it but I did get cheese, mushrooms, & sautéed onions.
The fries are also good! I can’t wait to try a milkshake the next time I go back too.

I’m not one for hyperbole (this is actually a lie), but: BEST BURGER EVER!
Seriously, though — I can’t remember having a tastier burger, ever. I got the Rail with cheese, loaded. It looked like a cartoon dagwood sandwich, with all the veggies. I loved it!
My friend and I shared a wedge salad before our burgers came out. It was delicious, and could probably be split 4 ways and still be an ample serving.
Our server was Diane, and she was phenomenal! She was so friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. She seemed genuinely happy to be there, and it was infectious. What an awesome, classy lady!