Cancel

Open app

Search

Ava's Alley

3.8 (17 reviews)
InexpensiveDive Bars
Open • 4:00 pm - 2:30 am (Next day)

Ava's Alley Photos

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Ava's Alley

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

7 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Love it! And very clean, easy parking. Lanny makes a mean old fashioned! Darts and pool to offer. Cool regulars. Worth a visit!

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 6
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Chris D.
3
330
66

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Alison T.
45
18
26

15 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Ask the Community - Ava's Alley

Review Highlights - Ava's Alley

“Anti-Douche who loves a local bar.”

Mentioned in 2 reviews

Read more highlights

Verify this business for free

People searched for Dive Bars 8,173 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

Verify this business

The Highlander - BG's Highlander Tavern

The Highlander

4.6(18 reviews)
1.5 mi
•$

A great place to enjoy food and drinks with friends. I went…read moreto The Highlander with a couple of friends and we had a wonderful time. The brewery offers a variety of food options, including the amazing flatbread pizza that is attached to this post. The service was very quick and attentive, and the staff was friendly and helpful. Parking was easy and close, which made the experience even more enjoyable. We were able to find a spot without any hassle in a lot attached to the building. Overall, I highly recommend The Highlander for anyone who loves good food and drinks or wants to try something new. It is a great place to enjoy a meal with friends, and the prices are reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. I will definitely go back soon.

I wish you could give half stars as this is not quite a 4 but better then 3. Nice little…read moreestablishment in a small plaza. Nice crowd for a small bar. Off the top maybe 5-6 tables and a bar that holds 10-12 people if I was guessing. Multiple TVs playing all sports. Keno, Jukebox also available. Nice neighborhood bar. Staff were very friendly even though they were busy. As for the food, I ordered mozzarella sticks, a hot Italian sub with tater tots. The cheese sticks were bad. Tiny, lukewarm and not much flavoring. Marinara dipping sauce was bland as well. Now for the sub. Unreal Italian Sub. The tots were crispy and salted. The sub was AMAZING... repeat AMAZING. Served with Italian dressing, on a toasted roll. Banana peppers, onion, tomato, with multiple meats and cheeses. Definitely a bar favorite as I saw many people eating the same dish. It's worth a visit or a try if you're in the area. The big positive of this place was the prices. $2.50 a beer and $10 for that sub. My tab was low so that's always a good thing. I would go back to this place however it might be tough sometimes if the bar gets pizza. In the plaza it sits next to a pizza place that I was told you can order the pizza from the bar and they have a window to slide the food through. I didn't try the pizza so I won't review that place. Overall, a 7.1 out of 10 with everything included.

Photos
The Highlander
The Highlander
The Highlander

See all

Black Forest - View of bar from other room.

Black Forest

4.2(18 reviews)
1.7 mi

This is on the list because of the best burger win a few years ago. It did not disappoint. Ordered…read morea burger and the onion rings. These are aka carte and not an automatic come with. You can order fries too. Got the BF Boy. It was good. Meat seasoned well. Sauce was good. No complaints. Onion rings are beer battered and good as well. Fries are OK. No complaints. Plenty of seating. Walk in and the bar is on the left. Some tables and in the next room tables and booths. The also have a front and back patio. Next time maybe eat out there. Also heard the wings are good. Service was good. We didn't wait long to be served and drinks were good too. I got the skinny margarita and enjoyed that! Food came out fast. Everything was good. I'd go back!

I've lived in South Euclid for a looooonnnng time. How did I never venture into Black Forest Tavern…read moreuntil recently? This is my new fave place for friendly, informal dining and/or a beer or cocktail. I introduced my friends and family to this neighborhood place with the extensive menu, large screens for sports watching, and a hangout that always has a full parking lot. One visit is never enough! Try it out! Tonight's fare included a perfectly prepared Classic Burger and a side of fries, expertly cooked by chef Joe and served by LiLi. Thanks for another great visit. See you soon!

Photos
Black Forest - BF Burger and onion rings I ate 1 onion ring.

BF Burger and onion rings I ate 1 onion ring.

Black Forest - Expresso Martini

Expresso Martini

Black Forest - Western burger with a delicious pickle

See all

Western burger with a delicious pickle

O'Rielly's Pub - Burger

O'Rielly's Pub

3.3(31 reviews)
2.8 mi
•$$

We went on a Saturday evening around 5pm and ordered…read more cocktails and wings. I've seen other reviews about the wings being too crispy but I thought they were great! I want them to be crispy on the outside with a mouthful of chicken in each bite and they were just that. The lemon pepper sauce was very salty, but I love salt and vinegar chips so I was prepared. This is your typical Irish bar - long bar with 8-10 rectangle tables. We sat at the bar and our bartender/server was very friendly and helpful.

The first warning before the actual review is don't even attempt to come to this bar on a Thursday…read morenight after 7pm. Every John Carroll University student attends this bar at this time. You won't even be able to stand. As for my other visit, it was on a Friday night. A nice sized crowd, full bar. Sports game on the television. A nice atmosphere for a neighborhood bar. A great touch is the 1 pinball machine in the corner. Older game but it does take up something to do with friends. As with service we were told that the bar is extremely behind by a rude bartender named Meg. You can tell she was overwhelmed and just seemed to be having a rough day. A few minutes later we were told by staff that the kitchen was now closed. Pretty strange as the menu is mainly all bar served fried food or burgers etc. The bartender also announced that they were out of fish as well. I continued to order drinks, they were cold and tasted as advertised. About an hour or so later , the kitchen was then re opened when the bar was less crowded. I order a dozen wings, garlic Parmesan with ranch. The wings were real solid. Nice and crispy and the garlic and parm combo was just enough. The basket of fries we got were average fries. Not crispy, nor salty but atleast they were hot. The prices were about average, no complaints about that. Overall, the bar does not seem to handle stress or large crowds very well. My wings were good, fries were average like I said. My friends attend this bar often and did tell me that this bar is not like this usually. May have been a rough day. I assume I will be back again, I wouldn't pick this place to go to but the location is close enough to the area we hang out. Not so much of any certain type of theme at the bar but I did notice the staff recognize many patrons by name so it will continue to be the neighborhood bar for many. Overall a 6.7 out of 10.

Photos
O'Rielly's Pub - Taps

Taps

O'Rielly's Pub - "Wee Bite"

"Wee Bite"

O'Rielly's Pub

See all

Crowley's - Burger had stale chips on it.

Crowley's

3.7(28 reviews)
3.3 mi

I've been to a few Crowley's locations before, but this was my first time visiting the JCU spot. As…read morean alumnus, it's awesome to see a proper dive bar open right next to campus--honestly, I'm a little jealous this place wasn't around back when I was a student! My wife and I met up with a college friend here, and it ended up being the ideal spot to catch up. The prices are super reasonable for a college budget, and having a cool hangout within walking distance of campus is a huge plus. The food hit the spot across the board: JCU Nachos: Our friend ordered these, and I stole a few bites--absolutely perfect. Bologna Sandwich: Good overall flavor, though our friend mentioned she wished the bologna slices were cut a bit thicker. Smash Burger & Garlic Parm Wings: My wife and I got these for our meals, and both were amazing. The burger was cooked to perfection, and the garlic parm wings were packed with flavor. Great vibes, great prices, and a fantastic addition for JCU students and alumni alike. We'll definitely be back!

The place was empty when we arrived. One other person did come while we were there…read more The chips on my burger were stale, so my first bite wasn't good. My mom ordered tomato with her burger and they did forget it, but brought it when we asked. The waitress did take off a little for the stale tortilla chips. No specials on Fridays or during the day. Overall the food was okay, but I highly doubt I'd go back.

Photos
Crowley's
Crowley's - Smash Burger

Smash Burger

Crowley's

See all

The Capital Grille - Filet Mignon – hand-cut classic perfection.

The Capital Grille

4.3(317 reviews)
1.4 mi
•$$$$

Every single time we go here every single time it is a perfect experience. Without fail their…read moreservers are professional and seemingly trained very well. We like to sit in the bar unless we're going to go for a super duper fancy dinner. The bar is very upscale and the servers attention to detail to the uniforms also is unmatched. While we normally go there for fancy dinner tonight we just wanted a cheeseburger which is on the bar menu which they don't really tell you about. They do bring a selection of fresh baked bread and flatbread with the most beautiful salted butter you've ever had. Both my wife and myself went for the burger and it came out cooked just as we had ordered. It comes with some truffle fries and just the right amount. My son ordered the 14 oz strip steak cooked medium and I swear whoever they have back there cooking the meat knows exactly what they're doing. My son also got some veg and an order of truffle fries and then proceeded to finish the other half of my wife's Burger as well true to form. We had a $50 gift card that we were supposed to use by February but the manager on duty was very cool and honored it anyway. Overall The Capital grille is not some place that you should ever not consider if you're in the area!

My family and I had the most wonderful time at The Capital Grille celebrating my parents' 50th…read morewedding anniversary. I made our reservation through OpenTable and included a few special requests. Every one of them was honored, including providing mocktails for the celebratory toast since my parents don't drink alcohol. The staff truly helped make their evening extra special. Our waitress, Sara, was exceptional! She was personable, warm, knowledgeable, and attentive. She went above and beyond effortlessly, making us feel genuinely cared for throughout the evening. She is truly a gem at The Capital Grille. The food was absolutely delicious! We enjoyed everything we ordered, and everyone had wonderful things to say about their meal. Even the mocktail was fantastic. I usually order an alcoholic drink when I dine out, but I would happily order that mocktail again. To top off the evening, they surprised us with celebratory desserts, which made the night even more special. If you're looking for the perfect restaurant to celebrate a special occasion, choose The Capital Grille. From the outstanding service to the delicious food and thoughtful attention to detail, they helped create an unforgettable evening for my parents' milestone celebration. You'll be glad you did!

Photos
The Capital Grille - Lobster Mac 'N' Cheese – Made with freshly poached lobster and topped with a Grana Padano crust.

Lobster Mac 'N' Cheese – Made with freshly poached lobster and topped with a Grana Padano crust.

The Capital Grille - Jumbo Lump Crab Cocktail served with housemade mustard sauce.

Jumbo Lump Crab Cocktail served with housemade mustard sauce.

The Capital Grille - 14 oz Dry Aged NY Strip au Poivre finished with our housemade Courvoisier Cream for a decadent finish.

See all

14 oz Dry Aged NY Strip au Poivre finished with our housemade Courvoisier Cream for a decadent finish.

Ava's Alley - divebars - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...