Love this place. Just got a huge strip steak cooked perfectly with green beans and home fries. Two home made sauces. For $22. Vibe is awesome. Only drawback is checks can be a bit slow. Still will always visit read more

Came to Lava Lounge to meet up with some friends for dinner. We arrived around 8PM on a Thursday evening. 1st off, i absolutely love the vibe at Lava Lounge. Although we didn't order a drink, the cocktails looked interesting! My bf and I ordered food to share. I ordered a burger (medium well), Dozen Wings and Sweet Potato Tacos. The burger was overcooked, but the side of potatoes were delicious. The sweet potato taco's were surprisingly delicious. I wasn't sure how these would taste but I liked them more than I had anticipated! The wings were a little disappointing. There were some parts o the wing that looks like a bite was taken out of it, but it was sauced pretty well. I wish it was a bit more crispy but we did come towards closing time so maybe that's why? Service was quick and the server was nice. We were the only ones in the bar/restaurant so maybe that's why. read more

See all

Haven't eaten here in literally 10 years since I moved out of the neighborhood but we were back for an Indians game and wanted to come back to the old stomping grounds. We had the fried chicken sandwich with kimchi slaw, the sweet potato tacos, wings, and burger. it was happy hour so there was a special price with a beer included With our fried chicken sandwich and tacos. It wasn't too busy around 4 PM and our server bartender made us a couple non-alcoholic mocktails for my son and his girlfriend. Atmosphere was cool. Service was excellent food was on point. I need to get back here more often. read more

See all

Best wings I've had in Cleveland. Crispy and the exact amount of buffalo sauce they need. Ok, let me back up. We were in the area and stopped for happy hour. It was early. We were alone. Perfect. We each had a cocktail off of the happy hour menu. While looking at the menu, the eyes kept going back to the wings. They are NOT on the happy hour menu, but I had a craving. We also got 2 items from the happy hour menu: guac and chips and lumpia. All of the food is really good. Again, we were the first patrons this afternoon, so everything was fresh. Mellow electronic music switched on at 5. A few other people started to come in. We didn't stay long enough to see it get crowded, but Brandon gave great service the entire time. Now back to those wings, truly the best I've had in quite some time. Even though we came for happy hour they were the star of the show. read more

See all

Wonderful place for alone or with friends! Enjoy the caps music flowing constantly. Good music is good music and they have great DJs who play Good Music! read more

Lava Lounge - a woman sitting at a bar - Lounges Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

per the grapevine this place has the best burger in Cleveland....hmmm I gave it a whirl, Service was great, and more so was the other guest we chit chatted with. I love Clevelander's and there colorful personalities. Come on yes I am biased I came from this bloodline Midwesterner's Rock. The burger was ok fries pretty good, But being that I spent 2 years traveling abroad trying a shit load of meat pattys I think this one was an average bear. (yes I can say I am a burger connoisseur my curves prove it) Beer was cold and so was the weather "Welcome to Cleveland" read more

See all

Back for my Pulled Pork sandwich listening to NWAs F*** the Police. Love the dark atmosphere here and PAXn up. This place has earned its right to this short review. Nuff said. read more

Lava Lounge - Pulled Pork at its best! - Lounges Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

See all

I love Lava lounge. Dare I say it? I think this may be my favorite bar anywhere.And now since the last review I've made friends with most of the bartenders. Everyone is so friendly and the atmosphere, drinks, and food... Wonderful! read more

Omg loved the place. Masthead Coffee stout perhaps the best stout I've ever had. Another happy Happy happy hour for my hubby and I. We ordered pasta fagioli and a burger from the happy hour menu and roasted Brussels sprouts from specials menu. Food was awesome. Cool intimate place. We will definitely go back. read more

Gosh I love this place, the are super chill and the food is freshly made. Great selection of local wines, beers, cidars! It's kinda dark inside great for a date! Parking is a bit of a pain but that's everywhere in Tremont. read more

See all

The Lava Lounge is a fun destination -- hipster lounge meets corner dive. Our party of four arrived during happy hour and enjoyed some yummy, offbeat $5.00 martinis, like pineapple bomb and rocket pop. We also ordered apps and burgers; they were all delish -- this place would rate four stars except for the piece of paper embedded in our apple cobbler dessert. read more

I went here with my sister for Happy Hour and there are specials for martinis, beer, and appetizers. We tried their asian wings, hummus w/pita bread, and calamari. The wings had lots of zing to it but the hummus was just ok. I wasn't wowed on it. The calamari was alrite as well but again nothing to crazy to rave about. The drinks on the other hand were strong but definitely worth it for the price $5.50. I had the pineapple bomber and my sis got their tequila something. Both were fairly made well. This is a nice place to just chill with some friends, located right across from Grumpy's. The staff is friendly and they even got free WIFI, which is always a plus. They say they have DJs on the weekends so I'm gonna have to come back for that some day. read more

Lava Lounge - Pineapple Bomber $5.50 - Lounges Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Been going for years, love it, but last night was a HUGE disappointment. Walked in, staff ignored us, we were seated for for about 20 minutes with not so much as a greeting from the staff, so we walked out. I decided to call and leave some feedback, the person on the phone didn't give a shit. I May never return. read more

Lava Lounge is one of the best kept secrets of Tremont. At first glance it's a small, dark, dive bar. But then you realize that they have an amazing menu as Lava Lounge often serves as a test kitchen for Fat Cats restaurant. Fair drink and food prices. Good service always. read more

So I'll be honest and say I completely forgot this place even existed. My knowledge of it from years ago was that it was more of a trendy weekend spot for hipsters in Tremont. Found myself here around 5pm on a Wednesday in search of a good happy hour. While I wanted a good happy hour, what I got in fact was a GREAT happy hour. Before I get into the happy hour though let me describe the decor and set-up a bit first before I get into the good stuff. The bar is u-shaped, seats about 10-15 and is separated in half by a weird pillar. There are about 10 tables or so surrounding the bar and a small stand (for what looks like a DJ). There's one tv and not many frills in the design of the bar/restaurant. The star of the show here is the food and prices. Happy hour is from 4-8 and features both food and drink specials. $2 beers (rolling rock included), $6 cocktails and food from $4-6. I got a cocktail and it was absolutely one of the most refreshing drinks I've ever tasted. My girlfriend and I got a pizza ($6) chili fries ($4) and a spicy fried chicken sandwich ($6). The pizza wasn't all that special but was highlighted by very good cauliflower. The fries and sandwich though were absolutely amazing. The quality was top notch and presentation was done very well. Our total bill was $21 and we left full and happy! Highly recommend the happy hour. read more

I love Lava! The Lava Lounge is always my go-to place. Great food, drinks, music and people. I love their food (although I feel it has slipped slightly over the years). I miss the oysters on the half and the stuffed mozzarella they used to offer. I'm also not big on the shoestring fries. They used to be huge and battered. Definitely not typical "bar food". The owners also have Fat Cats. It seems like the offerings at Lava are almost Fat Cats quality, but for a much lower price. Most of the time, there's a DJ. Once in a while, they will have a live band playing salsa or something. Always good music. Always a fun time. read more

Props to Lava Lounge for offering up the upstairs to a group of drunk Yelpers on Saturday night. I think I may have almost passed out on the comfy couch. And definitely had a hard time making it up / down the stairs. If you helped me, thank you! read more

Welcome to my Friday nights. My friends and I enjoy the Tremont scene on Friday's. Wind down from the work week or studying with a drink or 2 or more...and in our case this mostly turns into an all night dance party upstairs... But anyways. On to what you should not miss. The food. My virgin experience I had tried the Fried Calamari, Wings and Arugula Salad. This was one of my first attempts at calamari and I loved it!. 2nd time around...out with my girls for a bite to eat and martinis before heading dt later. I love hot dogs. I know. But this one with the peanut sauce and other special treats on top was divine. Best ever. Usually on the "specials" sheet. 3rd...and beyond...Pulled Pork=delicious! But my GO TO's are the Cheeseburger=I die. And the Veg Tacos=Love! Now on to drinks. Check out the Perfect Pear. Yum! But do explore the Tini list. The specialty beer choices are also awesome! David (my fav!) is usually working upstairs on a Friday night has a beer cracked open for me as my foot touches the top step. You can't go wrong with Lava...to start with or to finish your night off right or before heading home for more fun. And if your lucky-for date night. Cheers! read more

The Girl and I were in this very beautiful commercial enclave to look at some property, and it started to pour.. heavy Midwestern rain. We ducked into Lava for a much needed beer! Introduced to Oberon summer ale, and a very very fine burger. The menu was very eclectic and rather ambitious for such a small place. The staff: incredible service, I mean the best in a very very long time. The crowd: Angsty hipsters quiet and polite....nothing we could not deal with..lol..no problems Decor was all candle and dark and dramatic...I kinda liked it ( not my type ...but hey!) Great experience but pricey read more

Well, let's start with the complaints since only three things stood out to me. 1. The food is a bit pricey for what you get (except fries) 2. The Decor seems gridlocked from a 90's MTV Jams color scheme set as if Picasso threw up on the walls 3. pretentious hipster towny vibe... Other than that the food is good you just don't get enough of it. The beer list is decent and the prices are on par for most bars. The Bartender was pretty F'n cool he was spot on with our orders and drinks. Overall nothing stands out about this bar but if you live in tremont you should probably dink here. lol... read more

+1 for the dark, angsty, red lighting +1 for the beers that were on tap (I got Pyramid something-or-other) -1 for the bartender mistaking my order for Pyramid beer for bourbon, neat (?!?) so I guess that's a -1 for noise as well +1 for their food, fried and ready as a preventative measure for your next-day hangover +1 for lack of crowds during certain off-times (where we still had a great time) -1 for the clingy server who guilted us into ordering food as we were just lounging on a couch upstairs at 1 am, not really wanting to eat +1 for the people-watching opportunities +1 for feeling great about yourself for not being a hipster like most of these guys and gals. A fun place! read more

I just have to update this to 5 stars because anywhere that I can get drunk during Happy Hour for less than $16 deserves 5 stars in my book. Oh yeah. Yelping while enjoying said Happy Hour is probably not appropriate but I really need to share this news! read more

I'm so happy that a friend took me here for happy hour. It's such a chill environment. And it's not showy. Come to think of it, I don't think this place is on a lot of people's radar. It's been around for at least 6 years now. Perhaps the fact that the newness has worn off is actually why I like it so much. They have a great happy hour selection. It's extremely well priced. The snacks/appetizers/tapas plates are well portioned and taste great. I recommend the fried cauliflower or hummus and pita. I've only been here twice, but both times, it wasn't an issue at all to find a seat at the bar, which is fully stocked. The wine selection is decent and they mix the cocktails strong. I definitely plan on coming back! read more

Lava lounge is such a gem in the Tremont neighborhood. It's laid back, has good food and beers on tap, and is a perfect spot for a chill evening. I love all of the vegetarian options that they have in the menu, my favorites being the fried cauliflower and the portobello mushroom taco! (I don't even like portobellos but that thing is delicious!) The service is kind of hit or miss. Some of the bartenders are so apathetic and others are spunky and fun! read more

My first experience in Tremont; I need to get out more. The Lava Lounge is not hidden, but it's not exactly tucked away either. Approaches very much like a small hole in the wall restaurant you might run into in San Francisco, and the food is on the same level (excellent.) I was called into work a few minutes before hand and I had just tossed a t-shirt and jeans on, and I was lucky to find there was an eclectic mix of people inside so no worries on the dress code. There is a small bar area with tables seating about 20 or so on the main floor. Apparently, there is an upstairs with pool tables and a more relaxed vibe, I'll have to look for this next time. First thing aside from the layout that hit me was the smiles coming from the kitchen. Those guys were clearly loving their job and/or the kitchen company; either way, happy kitchen staff typically makes for good food. I grabbed one of the specials, skirt steak tacos (as did my companion) and we grabbed sweet potato fries. Allow me to say...I have had sweet potato fries at The Penguin in North Carolina (regarded as some of the best in the country) and these were easily able to hold their own. The fries are served in a thicker cut somewhere between "steak fries" and "traditional cut" fries, but they were crispy and the portion size was enough for two to split. The skirt steak tacos were classicly paired with chimichurri, and both were executed flawlessly. I did get one tough piece of steak, but that did not ruin anything for me. I'm not much of a drinker, but my companion had a beer (not my thing) with some apple notes that was decently paired with what we were having. All in all, the food was great, the service was great, and I got out for two people under 30 bucks including tip. The ONLY gripe I have is that when we sat afterwards to have a conversation the music got a little loud and I was using a raised voice to have a conversation. However, I knew going into it that there was a DJ, and so I chalk that up to something expected. read more

This place is such a hidden gem... but I sort of hope it stays relatively hidden! It's a small little bar in Tremont, easily walkable from the main area of Tremont but slightly off the beaten path. They have a surprisingly robust menu with lots of quirky options; our first time, I ordered the cauliflower banh mi, which was easily one of the tastiest & most creative sandwiches I've ever had, & their fries taste more like tempura potatoes than regular fries (which is just as amazing as it sounds). The servers/bartenders aren't necessarily the friendliest, so it can feel a little but like you've stepped into a neighborhood joint full of "regulars" where newbies aren't welcome, but overall, it's got an enjoyable enough ambiance, good enough food, & inexpensive enough prices to be totally worth a little bit of discomfort. read more

Lava Lounge is a great low key bar in Tremont. I was expecting a little bit more before I went for a night out. We sat at the bar and the bartenders were great! They were playing a rockin' playlist too, which was very enjoyable. The food was great too. It is nice to be able to out in Tremont and not spend a ton of money. They were very reasonably priced! read more

This update has been a long time coming, but I am happy to finally get a moment to reiterate my praise for Lava Lounge. This is one of the best late night food places in all of Cleveland. And the cocktails (which I've been drinking more of due to the great cocktails emerging in The Cleve) are pretty top-notch. They had a peach/lavender sangria last summer that was incredible. I am hoping and praying they bring it back for another tour in 2013. And guess what else? NO TV's! Having no TV's pretty much ensures a night of minimal Woo and a very small sampling of Bros out hogging or getting wasted or whatever they are doing nowadays. The mac & cheese is great, the white bean soup is very good, and most everything else I've had there is well above average. To top it all off, there are very nice people that work there. And you can rent out the upstairs for parties. read more

Lava Lounge is a fun place to grab drinks and chill. Located in the Tremont area, usually fun and poppin on the weekends. Definitely a stop when you're in the neighborhood. They have a pretty awesome happy hour, plenty of seats, good drink selection, always friendly service, and a DJ on the weekends. read more

Love the Lava... THE UP-SIDE: This place is hip and cool and full of great music, good food and fun people. It's got great atmosphere (try the upstairs when open) and a friendly staff. THE DOWN-SIDE: At times, this place can suffer from an abundance of those awful Tremont-hipster-posers. Can be loud; not great for a first date. THE SUM-IT-UP: You've gotta try this place. It's everything a hip, neighborhood bar should be! read more

We had a surprise b-day party in their upstairs room on a Saturday night. We had around 30 guests. The decor was great- there was a mini-fire place that had candles in it that was a nice touch. Comfy couches, chairs some high tops and a few little tabels. There was plenty of seating and we had our own bar and bartender. We had plenty of appetizers that were delicious (sliders, wings, spring rolls). I would highly recommend this cool room for any type of get together (b-day, bachelorette). They have a patio that looks like it would be fun in the summer. read more

I wanted to grab something small before heading downtown to meet friends. The music was great, although too loud to have a conversation with the person next to you, most customers are treated like regulars. The crowd is kind of trendy - read hipster- which should be no surprise in Tremont. Prices are reasonable lots of options under $10 and drafts are fairly priced with a good seasonal rotation. There was some sort of cyclist meet up going on the night I came here got crab cakes and a ruby red martini made a few friends and will definitely return when I just want to pop in for a drink and a bar bite. read more

The vibe is the best part of Lava Lounge: good design and well-chosen music in both the upstairs bar and the larger downstairs. Lava used to be too smoky for me, in the bad old days, but as a post-smoking-ban bar, it is a happy place for me. The drinks are the next-best part: I've never had a bad cocktail at Lava Lounge. Service, though, runs hot and cold. I have had much better experiences sitting at the bar than getting table service, but that could be just the luck of the draw. Added bonus: parking in the lot across the street in the evenings is now legit. Hoorah! read more

Always been here on an 'off-night' (Sun-Tue) and stayed for a beer or two while waiting for food. This has only been a handful of times, however it has never been a favorite place of mine to go. The staff never seem very friendly or welcoming like most places in Tremont. Kind of like you're interrupting something better that's going on in there. Food-wise, It's not hard to please a happy, semi-drunk girl, so that's never been the problem (yet, has never been amazing, either). Usually a last resort, change-of-scenery, don't wanna talk to anyone else sort of place to go. Oh, and within walking distance. So, there's that. read more

I love this place! It's so overly hipster that It makes me laugh, so I relax and enjoy it. The food is pretty tasty, the martinis and delicious, the beer selection is good, and the bartenders are incredibly friendly! One night I wanted a hot buttered rum. . . The bartender didn't know how to make it, which usually doesn't bode well, but I wanted one and was willing to let them take a shot provided that they had everything. So I pulled it up on my blackberry, showed it to her and she disappeared into the kitchen only to re-emerge with a pretty decent hot buttered rum! Fuck yeah! read more

Salmon tacos were so good I wanted to take my panties off and throw them to the chef with my number lol ... Instead I gave him a big hug. I've never had a taco that I didn't have to put sour cream or salt or some kind of sauce on to make it taste good... This Salmon Taco needs none of that. by far the best taco I ever had! read more

One of my favorite places for an impulsive dinner out. The BEST calamari in town! The pulled pork sandwich with blue cheese slaw is fantastic with a cool draught of Magic Hat No. 9. I have always had friendly, attentive service. The prices are reasonable for the quality of the food. Give this place a try! read more

Lava Lounge - Ahhhh, number 9! - Lounges Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Excellent experience! We stopped by during happy hour and ordered a bunch of excellent small plates to share. Everything was delicious. My favorite was the goat cheese and zucchini pizza. The happy hour prices were great ($4-$6) per small plate and we loved sitting on the back patio. Will definitely be coming back to Lava Lounge soon! read more

I love the downstairs of Lava. It's always chill with great food. I also love the upstairs. It's the perfect place for a birthday sort of party. It's private, with it's own bar, plenty of seating and tables plus its just kinda cool. (-: I especially like the strange fireplace and all the Sign Guy art hanging up on the wall. If nothing else, it's a great conversation starter! The bartender staff is always friendly and if you do buy plates to share, they're delicious! The minimal cost to rent out the upstairs is more than worth it. read more

I've been to the Lava Lounge a few times in the past and have always had a good time, so I decided to start my birthday bar crawl off here last weekend. They have great happy hour specials until 8 pm - even on a Friday! And my most favorite drink - the Moscow Mule - is even featured on their happy hour menu! Score! I tried to prevent epic drunkenness later in the evening by trying out some of the vegetarian options on the happy hour and regular menus. That didn't work out so well for me, but my food was pretty tasty. The $5 hummus from the happy hour menu was definitely fresh and garlicky and the pita it was served with was warm. Considering that it was a happy hour special, I expected the portion size to be small, but it was actually a good size. I also tried a vegetarian bean soup on their specials menu that was just ok but the vegetable tacos I had were amazing. I dare say some of the best vegetarian tacos I've ever had in Cleveland! The only bad part about my evening at Lava Lounge was how crowded it was. I rolled in with a fairly large party and we weren't able to sit together to eat, and most of us had to stand around the bar. But we worked it out. For the specials, it was worth it. I'd definitely go back to the Lava Lounge for happy hour once my liver recovers. read more