Oct 31, 2023 - News

Midnight Owl Brewing Co. opens in Shaker Heights

Sam Allard

SIde by side images: The exterior of Midnight Owl Brewing Company (with garage door frontgage and sign on the fence)(L); and a short brown beer on the bar with a TV in the background (R) — Midnight Owl's storefront on Chagrin (L) and the tasty alltbier in a half-pint glass. Photos: Sam Allard/Axios

After the abrupt closing of The Spotted Owl in Tremont last year, Northeast Ohio needed a good tavern with "Owl" in its name.

Driving the news: Husband-and-wife team Joel Warger and Rosemary Mudry have you covered. They opened Midnight Owl, their 100-seat brewpub on Chagrin Boulevard on Saturday.

Why it matters: The brewery is the first in Shaker Heights, and the latest project from Warger, who helmed the brewing operation at Goldhorn after a 14-year run with Great Lakes.

Vibe check: Unfussy, unpretentious, with garage doors fronting Chagrin and the house plants and Amazon chairs you're likely to find in your millennial friends' apartments.

What we drank: The "Wise Old Owl" altbier and "Haze Ho, Let's Go" hazy IPA, two of the six initial beers on draft.

Verdict: Two thumbs up. Rock solid beers from a guy known to brew exceptional versions of European standards.

Between the lines: The food menu is mostly pub staples — soft pretzels, smash burgers — but don't sleep on the empanadas, an homage to Warger and Mudry's time in Argentina, masterfully prepared by chef Edgard Sanchez.

Be smart: The brewery is across from the Van Aken District and the terminus of the RTA's Blue Line.

Take the Rapid, and don't stress about driving home tipsy.

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Midnight Owl Brewing Co. opens in Shaker Heights

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