Crowley's at Carroll may already be Cleveland's best college bar

👋 Sam here. The best thing I ate this week was a birria taco from Crowley's at Carroll — the John Carroll University bar that opened late last year.

State of play: Crowley's has become an instant hit at JCU, with daily specials that appeal to students and budget-conscious diners like yours truly.

• When I dropped in Monday — trivia night, as it turned out — patrons were taking advantage of that day's deal: a double smash burger and draft beer combo for $10.

Yes, but: It's taco week, and I couldn't resist.

Zoom in: The Crowley's offering ($5) was filled with dripping braised beef and queso chihuahua on a crispy corn tortilla, flavored with red onion and cilantro.

• It was served with "consommé," the savory dipping sauce created in the braising process.

The big picture: This is the fourth location of Crowley's, which began as a bar concept in Eastlake in 2023 that melded the Irish and Croatian heritages of its founders.

• There's no ćevapi at the JCU outpost — the omnipresent Balkan sausages served on pita with onion, cheese and red pepper relish — but Croatian flags and paraphernalia adorn the walls.

🤔 What we're wondering: Is this already Cleveland's best college bar?