Came here this past weekend before a Cleveland Play House show. The space is very tight and the atmosphere was buzzing. Make sure you have plenty of time baked into your schedule as service timeliness can be hit or miss. Our served was quite pleasant, but there seemed to be backups somewhere in the chain of operations. After drink orders were placed, a platter of fresh, warm rolls were brought along with a butter and oil sampler dish for dipping, applying. The seasoned butter was delicious! I started with a bowl of Cleveland onion soup (there version of French onion soup) which came in a more traditional bowl instead of a crock with a smallish amount of onions in a rich broth topped with a crouton and some melted provolone cheese. It was on the salty side but still tasted pretty good. My wife ordered the scallops meal which came with a pea risotto and I chose the beef short ribs atop pureed potatoes and topped with a demi glaze sauce. Each dish was very filling, but nothing came bursting with flavor. For an upscale option right across the street from the theatres, this is a very decent option. read more

See all

We came to this restaurant with only an hour to spare before a show. I will start with the really fantastic news that they seated us, figured out how to make dinner for us in time before that show, and got us on our merry way. Very little good to say other than that! To start with the decor is drab. I go to a broadway show every week in NYC and I've never seen a restaurant that felt so drab in the theater district in NYC. It feels like they're trying to be like a theater district dinner spot, but the decor and ambiance do not live up to it. The service is not pre-theater. Our waitress was also our bartender. She did neither very well. While she was polite she didn't really create an enjoyable experience for our dinner and there was no fun commentary. Her drinks were really bad except for the shots we ended up doing. The old fashioned was the best of all the drinks, others were just too sweet or too strong or too sour. The food I thought was downright horrid. Apparently the short rib was the best, but everything tasted like airplane food. The fried burrata was interesting and I almost liked it. The calamari tasted like it had been popped in a microwave after coming out of a freezer. The steak was the most mid steak i've ever had. There was no crust, it wasn't seared in any way, it was very weird...but it didn't have horrible taste and it was still cooked as ordered. But who cooks a steak without searing it?!? They really tried with the caesar salad, but didn't execute quite right. We were told this food would be "exquisite" as a recommendation - it wasn't. I wouldn't go back, but it was nice that we got in and out in time. read more

District - steak without a sear - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

I really wanted this place to be great. It is in a prime location if you're going to the theater or a number of other event venues in the area. The space is a bit dark but nice. And we had no issue with service. Unfortunately, the food left a lot to be desired. The portion size for the scallops was very small considering the menu price. The sides weren't good. And the crab cakes came out cold, were dry and FULL of filling and barely any crab. If I was in the area, I would go somewhere else. read more

District - Crab Cakes - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

See all

Service was good and staff was very kind. Food came out hot but turned lukewarm pretty fast. Overall decor could use some work. read more

District - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

My girlfriend and i dined at this restaurant before a show at the playhouse and had a good time, the service was quick, and our server was very attentive to us as customers. i got the duck confit, my girlfriend the halibut. the duck was practically falling off the bone when it came out, extremely tender. the halibut has a perfect crisp on the bottom while remaining tender. the bread was fresh out the oven. we also got the opera cake for desert which was extremely rich but not overwhelming. my only complaints would be the inside of the restaurant felt a little cramped while at the same time appeared to have a very limited amount of seating. that however does not affect the delicious food and how i felt like the staff wanted to give us a good experience read more

District - Duck Confit - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Lovey upscale Urban vibe. We were almost turned away as they staff for reservations only. We came after CIFF and sat at the bar. Bartender/waitress/hostess was working her tail off and was very pleasant to us. I started with "Down the Yellow Brick Road". Basically a fancy lemon drop martini. Tasty and refreshing but not too sweet. Nicely done! Dinner was the Halibut. A huge plank of delicate white fish served over a risotto with Edamame. Excellent risotto! The fish was tender and flaky, crisp on the edges but perfectly done center. Excellent. This was the one place open by Playhouse Square on a Sunday night. Clean and Efficient. Love the leather placemats. Colorful artwork and clean, crisp decor. Nothing too fussy or frilly give it an edgy modern appeal. read more

See all

Another fabulous meal at District! The halibut was beyond amazing, the short ribs were fantastic and the calamari and district salad were fresh and wonderful! It never disappoints! Owner Eric is always wonderful and service was everything you would expect. Such a great place! read more

District - Halibut - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Food was all way undercooked- I had the cod and my mom had the duck breast. We were never brought any bread even though there was a bread board and butters/ dip on the table. I ordered a second cocktail which took 20 min to come out and the waiter said "oh sorry I forgot to go pick it up". Obviously downtown prices for dinner but very subpar and I was excited to try this place. Very disappointing and I won't go back read more

See all

I was served bad duck. It smelled like feces. I stupidly ate some--until I got a bite that tasted like it. I was so scared, I actually went in the bathroom & made myself vomit it all back up. The waitress's reaction: "I don't smell it," followed by "do you want something else to fill your belly?" The manager's reaction: nothing. Neither of them seemed particularly concerned. They took it off my bill (cool since there was still a lot of food on my plate), but no one seemed very terribly concerned that I'd forced myself to vomit in place of eating a meal in this restaurant read more

Cute place, never had been there before. However, things did not go great. First of all, since they serve a theatre crowd, they should have been better staffed. Got there on time for a 5:15pm reservation. Waitress was slow getting to our table but she was also acting as the bartender, so not her fault. We got our salads and drinks in a timely fashion, but got our entrees at 6:15. We were served after two other couples, who both came in after us. We asked about our food and was assured it was coming right out. It came out about 10 minutes later. No apology for the delay. My Statler chicken was dry, and my friend's halibut was flavorless. We spent $130+ for a below average meal and very slow service. Again, our server was overwhelmed, but she also didn't offer to take anything off of our bill due to the long wait. We won't be back. read more

Quick service. The food was perfectly cooked and great value for what you got. The atmosphere was clean and cute! read more

See all

Seafood risotto was delicious! Nice place to have dinner before a show. Service was fantastic!!! read more

District - Cocktails - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

They have a great menu -- well conceived dishes, a great cocktail menu, and a convenient location. But on a busy night, they cave on executional issues. Their risotto is amazing if they follow the recipe, but if they get too busy, they forget to season it. I don't mean that my risotto was under seasoned. I mean... they forgot to season it at all. Not one gram of salt. The dinner roles may be great on an average night. But when they get an unexpected rush, you'll get rolls trust were put into the oven before they finished rising. This is never a good idea. I'd rather you tell me that you don't have dinner rolls than for it to serve me inedible dinner roles. Cocktails here were great. Desserts were great. Wait staff was transparent and honest, which scored points with me. The ambiance is great in the main dining room, but the annex seems like eating dinner in a lobby or waiting area. Where was the background music? Did they completely forget to turn it on? Honestly.... this place is completely salvageable. But only if they really try. Otherwise it's doomed. read more

We made a reservation before going to see Hamilton on Friday, June 20th. We ordered two apps to share which were just ok. Burrata and gnocchi... Dinner came out for two of us, but I waited for my dinner at least 10 minutes. One guest ordered medium rare twin filet and a lobster tail. The filet was medium and no drawn butter was given or offered for the lobster tail. Another guest ordered the grilled octopus...it was cold, as was the polenta it was served on. My Statler chicken with orzo and green beans were served cold 10 minutes after my guests were served.... awful!! Never going back...we didn't send our dinners back to the chef as we were going to the theatre. Best part of the dinner....warm rolls and butter. Everything went down after that.... Don't bother spending your hard earned money here. We should have gone to Yours Truly up the street and had a burger and fries. read more

I really don't get the bad reviews here. My husband and I had reservations at a different restaurant before going to Playhouse Square on a Saturday night. When we went to the other restaurant we walked out, but then ended up at District (it was our first time here). We walked in with every intent of sitting at the bar. The hostess asked us if we wanted a table as they had a last minute cancellation. We jumped on it! Our server was very attentive - our cocktails were absolutely DELICIOUS! I ordered the filet and my husband ordered the flat iron. We had told the server that we were going to a show and she made sure our food came out quickly. Both plates of food were excellent, although mine was better than his (lol). Honestly, I've been to lots of steakhouses and restaurants and order filet often and I think my dinner at District was THE BEST filet I have ever had - EVER! I can't believe I have never been here but I would definitely recommend and definitely be back!!! read more

See all

We stopped off for drinks and dessert before a show at Playhouse Square. We sat at the bar and the bartender was cheerful and attentive. I ordered a mocktail, the Sweet Caroline. It was not sweet as the name would suggest, but it was delicious. A nice balance of sweet and tart combine with a finish of heat from the ginger syrup. We ordered the flourless chocolate cake and the semifredo creme brulee. The cake was so smooth that it was like eating a chocolate bar. Their take on the creme brulee was to serve it cold, and it was delicious as well. I was skeptical, but it worked. We plan on stopping for dinner in the future due to our experience. Give it a try. read more

My cousins and I came here for dinner before going to see The Wiz (great play, by the way). District is conveniently located near the playhouse, making it a good "before the show" option. Reservations are highly recommended. The service was a little slow, but our server was still good. If you're an appetizer person, the Brussels sprouts are very good. Son's the calamari, but I recommend getting the sauce on the side. I didn't try the fried green tomatoes, but my cousins liked them. Neither cared for the tomato chutney on the top, though. "Too much tomato with my tomatoes"...lol The entrees were good, but most dishes could've used just a touch of salt. Our server said I made a great choice by picking the halibut, and I must say, when compared to the other dishes, I agree. I tasted everything except the seafood risotto, which is how I know a little bit of salt would've helped. Do I recommend District? Yes, just don't be in a hurry. If you're downtown for a show or a concert, give yourself a couple of hours. read more

Went here last Sunday before a play. We had a reservation and were seated right away. We got there at 5:30 and the play wasn't until 7pm as we should have had plenty of time. The waitress was nice, but a bit frazzled. We ordered our food and got some bread while we waited. I ordered the flat iron and my mom ordered the brisket. After about 25 minutes we were told they were out of the brisket. Not sure why they waited so long to let us know. By the time we finally got our food and ate it was 6:45. The flat iron was good but not great. Didn't have a ton of flavor and salt was needed. My mom's short rib was better. We barely had time to rush to the theater before the show started, and my mom is 81 years old. Very difficult for her to walk that fast. Probably won't return. It was $80 for two people and I just don't think it was worth that much. read more

District - Flat iron, lukewarm potatoes and squash. - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Great service and fun vibe at the bar here on a Friday evening before we headed to Playhouse square for a comedy show. The food is average, that's why the 3 star review. I would give 5 stars for service, from the host to the bartender suggesting wine for us that was off the menu to ensure we got what we were looking for, just superb. The apple butter to spread on the dinner rolls was delicious but that's unfortunately where the good tasting food started and ended. The mussels lacked flavor and were subpar quality, the steak was (for lack of a better word) just weird tasting...would not order again. My husband and I spent a solid five minutes trying to figure out the mystery ingredient in the mashed potatoes...they were fine but again, odd. Cesar salad was solid - can't give too much credit there as I do feel it's difficult to mess up a Cesar. I'd come back for a drink but likely wouldn't spend my money dining here again. read more

See all

District has an excellent drinks and food menu. We were a little pressed for time so we have a couple of appetizers and a salad along with signature drinks. The ahi tuna was fantastic as was the lobster risotto. Literally everything is good so you can't go wrong. The staff is super nice, helpful and attentive. We had a great time and enjoyed an excellent meal. read more

Every time my mom & I have been our food as well as the service has been amazing. We love the rotating drink menu which is themed to the shows at the playhouse. The scallops are the best I've ever had & my mom had the filet & she said it was amazing. As someone who is an avid crème brûlée lover this semi frozen crème brûlée is absolutely phenomenal. *chefs kiss* to everything read more

See all

Food was very good and everyone at the table agreed. Service was good and I have no complaints. The menu covers a lot of territory, so something for everyone. Will enjoy returning. read more

Some food was great (avo toast), slamon bennie....but avoid the apple and beat salad. Apple and beat salad: Literally 1/2 of a small apple, sliced with small pieces of canned beats on top. A bit of white sauce and about 20 pieces of raw spinach.....not worth it. Please either make this better or remove from the menu.. read more

Nice dinner option before a show or for any reason in the theater district. They also have many gluten-free options and can do modifications to suit your needs. I have celiac disease and have been coming here for years. read more

Overall, my husband and I had a great experience! We ate here before the show "Six" at Playhouse Square. It took an hour for our food to arrive but we found out they had been closed for a month and it was their first night back. So we understood it takes a little while to get back into the swing of things. We had fried calamari with their special glaze on top which was good. My husband ordered the special of the night which he loved. I had the Statler chicken with a delicious white wine cream sauce. read more

Came here with family before going to see The Office at the Hanna theater. Chris our server was very helpful - explaining the timing to get us to the show in plenty of time. 8 pm show - our reservations were at 6. Party of 10. Very doable !!! Everyone enjoyed their meals. The fried green tomatoes as an appetizer was very good. The onion soup was a hit as was the bread and variety of butter, salsa or oil and balsamic. The only dish that wasn't fresh was the sweet potatoe casserole side dish. It was tooooo sweet and the consistency was like baby food. The seafood risotto was good. The filet was nice and the favorite of the table was the barramundi fish dish. As for cocktails - highly recommend the "My Favorite Things" - Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon / Cherry Bitters / Candied Bacon The best !! Plenty of time to enjoy and get to the show !! read more

This is my absolute favorite place to stop for a drink or bite before or after a show! The service has always been absolutely top notch and the cocktails are my favorite in Playhouse Square. They do an awesome job of being aware of show times and making sure everyone is served and on their way! read more

Had dinner here before our first Playhouse series. Sat at the bar for a pre-dinner drink and our bartender (Stephanie) was amazing. We asked her opinion of the menu and she was honest and very knowledgeable. We were tempted to have dinner at the bar, but went with our original reservations. We started with the ahi tuna appetizer. Believe me when I say we order this everywhere we can... And this was definitely one of the largest portions and such a nice variety of sides. We would definitely return just for the appetizer! F I ordered the Seafood Risotto and again ... such a great portion size for the price. Full lobster tail (out of the shell), a few large scallops, shrimp and great flavor! I did need to add salt, but better under than over-salted. My husband ordered the Beef Brisket and it was to die for. The portion size was huge and it was SO flavorful. It was a little fatty, but our waitress (Stephanie) gave us the heads up. If you're a "steak and potato" person - this is it. Overall a definite little gem that's conveniently located minutes from Playhouse. We would definitely return. read more

District - Ahi Tuna - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

See all

We went here before seeing Les Mis last weekend. We loved that the cocktails were named after musicals, and they were delicious! The bread with butter and oil was warm and a great way to start the meal. I had the Statler chicken, which was very buttery but was great. We tried the lemon cake for dessert, which had good flavor but was a bit dry. One other thing we didn't like was how closely seated we were to other guests. Overall though, the service was great and friendly, and I would definitely eat here again! read more

This is fabulous. Fantastic staff, artistic menu, consistently delicious. Quick service ideal for before a show. Innovative cocktails. read more

See all

Wonderful food! My table ordered the pork chop, the seafood risotto, and the short rib. The best plate was the short rib...fall off the bone goodness...like butter. The pork chop was wonderfully moist. The risotto was just okay...rice soft and overlooked...a little bland. Not worth 30 bucks. We loved the calamari appetizer....bright and zesty. The tuna appetizer was wonderful too. Our server was so sweet and attentive...she understood we had a show to attend and got us out perfectly on time. She never gave us bread though... oh well...it would've been too much with all the food we ate...but still, it was an oversight. We ended up trying the molten lava cake and the lemon tart for dessert.... both delicious! We'd come back for sure...but only for special occasions. Pricey! read more

See all

There are options other than 1star or 5 stars, folks. Several reviews I read had 1 star, but they sited several things they enjoyed. Last night was the 4th time we have eaten there and we had 4 friends join us, and none of those had been there before. We would never have invited friends if we had any concern about the quality of the food or service. We have found District to be a great pre-show (Playhouse Square) place to dine. Because of that they can go from 0-90 in a very short time depending on how close it's getting to show time. Presentation of all meals was appealing. At our table the orders were the brisket, blackened salmon, Osso Bucco, strip steak, filet mignon. Everyone was pleased with their choices. I will continue to patronize this restaurant, but I'd like to explain the 4 stars, for the benefit of management. I noticed a lot of staff standing and watching the tv by the bar trying to catch the end of the Browns game. When I see this it gives the impression that they're more concerned with the games than the diners. Also, during your peak periods you may need to have a second bartender. The reason? I heard the waitress serving the newly seated table behind me tell the diners that it would be faster to order wine than to order a mixed drink. Just some simple enhancements that would bring the 4 stars up to 5 stars. read more

Went to District before seeing Hadestown at Playhouse Square. Our food orders, for a party of six, took exceptionally too long. We arrived at 5:40 and started to get concerned about getting to the theater by 7:30. There were other tables that arrived after us, and were done eating and paying their check before our dinner arrived. I had the pork chop, which was overdone. My husband complained that the grilled octopus was subpar. A restaurant that serves the theater crowd should move things faster. Quite disappointed. read more

Food was ok, steak was overcooked and salad while unique was 12.00. Way too expensive. Service was great though. Wouldn't go back since main courses were not up to par. read more

We visited district for mothers day lunch. Everything was amazing. Our server was super sweet and had high energy. The drinks were all fabulous. We got a lot of mimosas, dirty martinis, my Grammy got their version of a lemon drop and loved it. We tried the ahi tuna and fried green tomatoes as starters. Both were delicious. My family ordered the salmon entree, a salad, the French onion soup, the eggs Benedict. The 2 men in our party ordered the brisket but they were out so they offered to prepare the short rib the same way. The guys loved it. It's was all so great. I highly recommend. read more

This place survives based on its location catering to those attending a Playhouse show. The food quality is well below average, especially given its relatively high price point. Our server was pleasant but what appeared to be the manager was helping bring out food was dressed in a Nike like quarter zip, doesn't fit the price point or atmosphere. Do yourself a favor and walk by this place on your way to a world class theater. read more

My husband and I were excited by District's menu and made a reservation before a show at Playhouse Square. Unfortunately, we will not be coming back. First off, the waiter told me they may be out of the appetizer I ordered - which is fine - but she never actually came back to tell me they were actually out of it, so we sat there waiting. I ordered the scallops (asked for no pancetta) and my husband got the duck confit paprikash. My dish had 3 small scallops (for $36) and the grits had the pancetta on top of them . The waiter, after checking on us about 15 minutes after dropping off the food, didn't ask anything about the grits I hadn't touched. The scallops were cooked well and delicious but for $12 each, it was ridiculous. My husband's spatzel was cold and the flavor was off. Overall, we were pretty unimpressed. It felt like we were just eating in a room that was sparsely decorated to look like a restaurant. There were nail holes in the wall and even random screws sticking out in places. Maybe it was an off night tonight, but it was an overpriced and disappointing experience. read more

This place doesn't even deserve 1 star . The restaurant itself looked like a warehouse inside - unfinished , bare nails on the wall, poor quality dining tables , presentation , and atmosphere. The food was terrible ! Do not eat here . Very bland , tasteless , overcooked and extremely overpriced . I felt robbed when I left . My husband sent his dish back and they offered to make him something else that took over a half hour to come out of the kitchen. The only nice thing I can way is the waitress was nice but that is all. We asked to speak to the manager and he did not come speak to us. We were going to playhouse so we didn't want to miss our show - but he would have received our feedback in person. I don't think I've been this disappointed at a restaurant in Cleveland and it truly ruined my evening and celebration read more

This place is terrible. First, the place looks only half finished it almost looks like a fake restaurant. The food was anemic, barley seasoned and did not look appetizing. I sent my Carbonara back and it took 30 minutes to receive another dish with the restaurant only half full. I asked to see the manager but twice I was told he was busy, by that time the place was empty. This place is overpriced and I would not only not come back, but would never recommend to anyone. read more

The only reason this restaurant is getting two stars is because the service/staff was perfect. We got the "Cleveland onion" and "carbonara" which were both butchered... ESPECIALLY for how much they are charging. The Cleveland French onion was so greasy I had to spoon off oil into our butter pan so I could eat it. The carbonara noodles were so under cooked they stuck to our teeth, and the portion was ridiculously small. Both dishes were overly salty and underwhelming all at the same time. Not worth the money, but the people were great. read more