That networking happy hour just ended, and you didn’t get nearly as many drink tickets as you banked on. You’re in town for business, sure, but now you want to get down to the serious business of cutting loose.
Luckily, whoever planned this convention decided to drop you in a place that’s no stranger to good brews, good people and having more fun on a business trip since that time Karen from accounts payable did 80s hair band karaoke all night.
Here are the best spots in Cleveland for after-convention cocktails and other extracurriculars.
Flats East Bank
The Flats East Bank section of Cleveland is home to gorgeous river views and a wealth of places to party down. For the Parrotheads among you, Margaritaville’s number of top-shelf margaritas, blended drinks, boat drinks, or even Moonshine-based cocktails will have you humming a familiar tune. For a more distinctly Cleveland flavor, try Alley Cat Oyster Bar for a hand-crafted cocktail, or Collision Bend Brewing Company, one of The Land’s many homegrown craft breweries.
East Fourth Street
Image © Nathan Migal
Cleveland’s East Fourth Street is a little oasis of downtown charm chock-full of can’t-miss bars and restaurants. Grab some sake with your sushi from Chef Dante Boccuzzi's GOMA or take off with Margarita and Tequila Flights with signature street tacos from Blue Agave and gear up for the long night ahead before hitting craft cocktail spots like Butcher and The Brewer and Society Lounge. House of Blues is right around the corner for all your late-night music needs or catch some comedy at Hilarities.
Ohio City
Image © Cody York
We mentioned brews, right? Cleveland loves its breweries, and no neighborhood packs as many in as Ohio City, home to national (and local) craft beer darlings like Great Lakes Brewing Co. and Market Garden Brewery. Don’t miss the up-and-coming Bookhouse Brewing, which has excellent atmosphere and great home-grown drafts for you to sample. At Porco Lounge & Tiki Room you can get an island cocktail bigger than your head that also happens to be on smoking when it arrives to your table.
Gateway District
Let’s be honest, a lot of people only know Cleveland from our sports teams, whether from the agony and ecstasy of our many near misses and all-that-much-sweeter triumphs, or even just the countless late-night airings of “Major League.” If you love sports as much as we do, you’re going to love the Gateway District, home to the Cleveland Guardians’ Progressive Field and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (also home to Cleveland Monsters hockey). No matter the season, there’s always something to do. Belly up to one of the many great local sports bars before the game and cheer with CLE fans at City Tap, Southern Tier or Wild Eagle Saloon — all of which offer slam dunk beer selections and home run eats.
