In one sense, a restaurant makes it easy for me when they serve a lousy Corned Beef sandwich. I taste so much high-quality Corned Beef that it’s pretty easy to identify a loser. It doesn’t make it any easier to call their version a loser, though.

Especially when they have a sign in their front window claiming “Best Corned Beef”. That’s an assertion that needed some investigation.

Luna’s is a little diner and luncheonette at 33 West Aurora Road in Northfield, just west of Olde 8 Road (on Route 82). My wife is in this part of town on the occasional Wednesday and since I was going to be in the neighborhood, she suggested we connect up for lunch.

So we did.

She and the kids ordered off the menu (cheeseburger, fish fry, fish sandwich, pizza and club sandwich) and everyone was pleased. I, of course, couldn’t let their claim go unverified and so ordered the Corned Beef sandwich.

The color was excellent, the cheese nicely melted, the bread just the right kind, etc. And as far as grilled sandwiches go, it was a good sandwich. But when you call it a Corned Beef sandwich, standards increase.

And as far as that goes, it was a lousy Corned Beef sandwich.

The Corned Beef was not quite rubbery, but close. Corned Beef should be easily severed when bitten and the rest of the sandwich shouldn’t pull out of your bread when you pull away.

The taste was average but the texture and consistency were both below average. I shudder to think of it, but perhaps this had been sitting a while. Again, as far as grilled sandwiches go, it was acceptable. It just wasn’t a Best Corned Beef sandwich, by any stretch of the imagination.

I hate to say it, but perhaps Luna’s should consider taking down the sign. Or blocking out the “Best” part of it.

The Sportsman’s Restaurant at 101 Saint Clair Ave is right across the street from the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center and near one of the bus stops I sometimes use. I’d often wondered what their Corned Beef was like and made sure that it was on my list to try some day.

I note elsewhere that passions run high on the subject of Corned Beef and used The Sportsman’s as an example. Why do people care so much? (Perhaps I should ask myself the question someday, too.)

At first glance, it didn’t seem too impressive. The small, narrow restaurant was darkly paneled (or was that the effect of the poor lighting?) and on the surface, seemed unlikely to produce much excitement. It’s important though, to not judge a book by its cover! Or a restaurant by its lighting. One of my work colleagues says this is the place to go before, during and after Browns games!

On to the food: The sandwich was excellent and the service was sufficient. No doubt, had we been regulars, the service would have been stellar.

The Sportsman’s has been in the news a bit lately (here, here and here), being part of the plethora of sites being proposed for the much-talked-about and little-progress-made Medical Mart. It would be a real shame to bulldoze anything to make way for the Medical Mart, The Sportsman’s Restaurant included. (added 7/2009)

I’ll be looking for some history of The Sportsman’s Restaurant in the coming months. It certainly has some character. I think the men’s room may have some original plumbing in it still!

Overall, it’s a Corned Beef venue that I’d visit again and we’ll add it to the map that we’re using to track our progress.

Their take-out menu was very impressive (page one and page two) with a wide assortment of meals, sandwiches, drinks and desserts.

One of my colleagues ordered and very much enjoyed a Pastrami and Corned Beef (“The Clevelander”) while I stayed with the Corned Beef.

Try them out! You can find The Sportsman’s Restaurant at 101 East St. Clair in downtown Cleveland.

For Goodness Jake’s is a little deli at 130 Euclid Avenue. They make a very tasty sandwich there. I walk past this establishment once or twice a day. (I’ll publish a photo of the front when the current construction is complete. It seems as though this corner has been under construction for one thing or another for years and years.)

One can eat at the outward-facing bar at Jake’s or take-out. I opted for take-out so we could have a photo-shoot.

I asked the fellow behind the counter if he was Jake and he responded that he was Jake’s grandson. He wouldn’t claim to have the Best Corned Beef in Cleveland but he thought it was pretty good and challenged me to decide. So I ordered a Corned Beef Sandwich and asked him to make it the way he likes it.

It came on rye with a mild white cheese (Swiss?) along with a dill spear wrapped by itself. A very good sandwich, it was neither too dry nor too juicy. At about 2½, this sandwich seems to be about normal size. It was quite filling and very tasty, with lots of flavor.

While it can’t (yet) be said that For Goodness Jake’s serves the Best Corned Beef in Cleveland, it can be said that they serve quite a good one. If you’re in the Public Square area, drop by and tell Jake’s grandson that we sent you.

The Ontario Street Cafe at 2053 Ontario Street is near my place of employment. There you can find Carl and others behind the counter, serving sandwiches and other things. Their prices are reasonable, there’s always plenty of sandwich and the folks are friendly to this regular (I usually get take-out and eat back at my desk).

So it would only be natural for me to include this establishment on the trek through Cleveland’s Best Corned Beef. To be fair, in writing, they only claim to serve “Old Downtown Style“. Talk to them, though and you’ll quickly get a strong sense that they would lay claim to the title.

What did I get for my $6-and-change? A coke, deli pickle, chips, my choice of condiments, napkin, knife and a reported ½-pound of corned beef with some melted swiss between two pieces of rye bread.

How was it? Back at my desk (pictured), I unwrapped a delicious-looking bundle of corned beef and swiss on rye. Without squishing it down, fluffing things up or taking an average height, this sandwich appears to be in the 2½” range. (Note to self: not only do you need a non-reflective ruler, but you also need some repeatable measuring mechanisms.)

But how was it really? Besides being pleasing to the eye, it was delicious. A little dry for my taste, but delicious. I’m not sure I want to have corned beef juice running down my hand, but a little moister would have been good. It was tender, the flavor was just right and the swiss seemed just the right touch. The swiss was their idea, as was the mustard on the side. The horseradish, also on the side, packed a powerful punch and seemed to overpower the sandwich when I ventured to spread some on a portion.

While it can’t (yet) be said that The Ontario Street Cafe serves the Best Corned Beef in Cleveland, it can be said that they serve quite a good one. If you’re in the neighborhood (Public Square), drop by and tell Carl that we sent you.

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Note: As of late 2019, Ontario Street Cafe has closed.