Flannery’s Pub isn’t known for their Corned Beef but I was there and thought I’d give it a try.
It was hot, a bit small and a little greasy (oddly enough, that added to the taste and the experience).
All in all, it was a pretty good sandwich.
But not a great Corned Beef sandwich.
The search must continue.
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.
Karl’s Inn of the Barrister’s at 1264 West Third Street is a local favorite. I was directed here by some coworkers who threatened to get physical with me if I didn’t consider trying it. No one was exactly sure of the address and since I didn’t want to wander in the general vicinity, I looked them up, got their address, gave them a call and had this (loosely recorded) conversation:
Me: Do you do take-out?
Them: Yeah, of course.
Me: Do you have corned beef sandwiches?
Them: Whaddaya think?
Me: Can I get a corned beef sandwich to go?
Them: Sure, whaddaya want on it?
Me: Make it the way you like it best. With a coke.
Them: <pause>Whatever. It’ll be a couple minutes.
<click>
Or something like that. On my way over I tried to convince myself that they weren’t being rude, just curt. Or efficient, yeah, that’s what it was. The were just being efficient. Didn’t have time for silly questions.
It was ready by the time I got there. On the counter, even. I grabbed a root beer from the case behind me, slapped down $10.95 for both items and palmed a business card from the counter in front. The price seemed a bit steep but I was willing to wait to pass judgment until I was back at my desk.
Karl looks just like his picture/drawing (below) and his son (I think I heard him call Karl “Dad”) can be seen below and to the right of the Miller Light sign (right). Both were extremely polite, pleasant and exhibited great customer service. I won’t be so timid next time!
Superfluous apostrophes bother me (and this guy, too), so I wondered about their sign on the way back. Should it be “Inn of the Barristers” or “Inn of the Barrister’s”? They don’t seem to discriminate, so I won’t either. If they can make a great-tasting sandwich, who cares, I suppose.
Back at the desk, the ruler showed that this was by far the tallest sandwich so far, right at 3″ thick. And I’m fairly certain it was also the heaviest. Karl certainly makes a good sandwich, too. Pressed between to slices of rye, with a little yellow mustard and some mild white cheese (swiss?) it was a delight to eat.
Karl’s menu shows that I had the “Barrister’s Famous Corned Beef Sandwich” and that it should have received “one pound of corned beef stacked a mile high”, not the three inches I received. Three inches seems about right—I’m not sure what I would have done with a mile of Corned Beef! Was it a pound? It’s too late to tell now! (Their prices must have changed from this menu or else my root beer was a full three dollars.)
It was a good sandwich, the biggest I’ve had yet. Is it the Best Corned Beef in Cleveland? With over twenty on the still-expanding list of known remaining candidates, I suppose it’s still too early to tell.
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.
Note: As of late 2019, Ontario Street Cafe has closed.
