Easy Out is the antidote to Cleveland's sports bar insufficiencies
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👋 Sam here. The best thing I ate this week were the loaded fries from Easy Out (11822 Detroit Ave.), the new sports bar at the Cleveland-Lakewood border.
State of play: Easy Out is the latest concept from Buildings & Food, the rapidly expanding hospitality company led by Will Hollingsworth.
- It opened on Super Bowl Sunday, and it may become my go-to spot for late-night Cavs viewing.
Vibe check: Nothing special (complimentary) — a gimmick-less, old-school sports bar.
- Ample big-screen TVs; lovingly procured Cleveland sports decor; moderately priced domestic and local craft beers; and pub grub that's both elevated and self-aware.
Dig in: The starters are mostly between $7-12, but you can load up chips, sidewinder fries, tots or onion rings with Genny Cream beer cheese, cajun ranch and fried shallots, plus your choice of chili or pulled pork (or both).
- I opted for the pulled pork option ($15). The generous platter — crispy potato, tender meat, heavenly beer cheese — was among the best in the genre I've had.
Zoom out: If you'll indulge me, there are two things that continually bum me out about the Cleveland bar scene.
- It's getting harder and harder to find any place open for a nightcap! I know Gen Z doesn't drink and the pandemic killed our desire to regularly congregate, but it feels like the city shuts down at 9pm on weeknights. Forget about Mondays.
- Too many local dives are unaware of the Cavs schedule and don't seem particularly interested in streaming NBA basketball. I often feel like I'm inconveniencing staff by asking if they can turn on the Cavs — you know, THE PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL TEAM THAT PLAYS IN THE CITY WHERE WE ARE LOCATED.
Reality check: Easy Out is the antidote for these particular grievances. It's open until 1am seven days a week — critical when the Cavs are on the West Coast.
- And when I went this week, a roving manager with a tablet changed multiple screens to the game minutes before tipoff, leaving several with the Olympics and college hoops — and even one with an old movie — for patrons with more ecumenical tastes.