I came here after someone told me how much they loved the food but I was not impressed. The food tasted okay and the menu was smaller than I expected. I ordered shrimp tacos and they only come with two tacos and it came with a small salad. My mom ordered calamari which is just an appetizer and our bill was $35. The food was not worth what we paid and my overall experience was not good. read more

I was last in this restaurant approximately two years ago and our intent was to go to the bar sit down have a couple appetizers and maybe decide to stay for dinner. After reviewing the menu at that time which seems difficult and confusing to digest we decided to leave. Flash Forward about two years and we went last weekend and what a surprise it was. Not only were the menu prices lower, but the menu was simple delicious and to the Delight of my gluten allergic friend, lots of gluten-free menu items were available. However I did learn that gluten-free doesn't necessarily mean gluten free when it's fried in the same oil as the glutens or fried in it. I don't understand any of that. We chose a few appetizers to start and we started with the octopus, the Mexican street corn, fried pickles. I can't comment on the seafood because I don't eat it however the other appetizers were killer and on point. My dinner I chose the fried chicken sandwich which I know isn't to create it or original on my part but it's something that you can either screw up really badly or get it perfect. This restaurant happened to get it perfectly. The fries portion was good however I found the chicken breast was a little on the thin side and did not seem over 6 ounces which in my opinion is a normal sized chicken breast for a fried chicken sandwich if you're comparing it to Chick-fil-A. The only real big turn-off for me is you cannot park anywhere near the restaurant unless you use their valet and having strangers drive my car kind of freaks me out so I don't do it which means I had to park across the street and it wasn't really a bad walk at all. My only real feedback is they only had one menu option for dessert. Well I can appreciate having a huge dessert menu isn't the best idea in the world most of them are refrigerated and do keep for some time so maybe expand your dessert selection? Anything peanut butter and chocolate will do fine. read more

Slooooowwwww - we've been here for an hour and half for breakfast food ..... And since we are still waiting for change I thought I'd write a review. Food was good enough, atmosphere was nice, service was awful. They messed up 3/5 of our orders and our bills. On our way to Wendy's ... read more

Went there for lunch on a Wednesday. It was pretty quiet, but the atmosphere was pretty cool. My husband and I shared tacos so I had the pineapple shrimp and the braised pork. They were both very yummy, but the portions were a little small. $12/13 for two tacos, although they didn't skimp on the ingredients. I think we will go back on Taco Tuesday for more bang for our buck. Service was good, waitress was pleasant. read more

Really great brunch -- got the eggs Benedict with brisket and it was phenomenal. The staff was very accommodating as well, and bottomless mimosas never hurt read more

Great atmosphere, but loud. Had the tacos with Shrimp and Pineapple and they were very good. The pulled pork taco was a bit mushy.

Stopped in for a late lunch. Andrea our server was extremely friendly and quick to go over menu and offer recommendations as this was our first time in here. We ordered the zucchini and squash tacos and the chips and salsa. I thought the food was very good. I liked the atmosphere. My only complaint which I did not share with them was it was too hot in the restaurant. The windows were all open but it was 89 degree day. We did do a take out order for our daughter who is a vegetarian. She loved the food. I was pleased to see many vegetarian and vegan items on the menu. I also liked they served local and Ohio beers. read more

Overall, my experience was average. DO NOT get the queso unless you like the taste of soured cheese. Also, this was over priced and not worth spending my hard earned money on. The fries were good. read more

My wife and I went here for New Year's Eve and we had a wonderful time. To start, the decor was fantastic. I've been to Gavi's numerous times when it was still in operation and I never thought that space would fit a Spanish theme, but they pulled it off nicely. It felt warm and inviting, and the large bar/lounge towards the entrance was terrific. Overall the feel of the restaurant isn't over the top but it's also not generic. It's hard to put my finger on it but that's maybe a good thing. Service: our waiter, Joe, was so professional. In an age of humor and sarcasm, which of course have their place, his polite demeanor and knowledge of the menu was refreshing. He was prompt, even on a very busy holiday evening, and has solid recommendations. Food: let me be clear, if you want authentic Spanish/Mexican food, go to those countries. Same thing goes for Italian/French. The fare at Sol was fresh, tasty and has as much Latin flair as was needed. I has the salmon, which was cooked to perfection with just enough crunch on the surface, which was served with Yukon potatoes and some kind of white winter vegetable that for the life of me I can't remember the name of as I write this review. My wife has the 1/2 chicken, which was a little dry for my tastes but she enjoyed it. Our friends both has the pork chops which looked out of sight. They have clearly addressed the portion issue as we did not leave hungry. I should also mention that we shared the shrimp and grits as an appetizer and enjoyed them immensely. I agree with a previous reviewer who said that the ginger on the shrimp was a little weak, but overall good dish. Price: the only issue I have with Sol is the price. It's on the higher end of normal. If we were grading price on a 1-10 scale, where 2 is, shall we say, Denny's with a coupon, and 10 is The Ritz Carlton, then I'd say Sol is somewhere around 6.5. I'm thinking the fair value is around 5. Dinner, two drinks and one appetizer set us back $80.00. That's expensive for many couples going on a first date but just about right for Valentine's Day, et al. Final comments: I was excited when something finally more into the vacant Gavi's Restaurant building and Sol is a welcome addition to Downtown Willoughby's already stunning lineup of dining choices, considering the city's size. I absolutely recommend it, but due to the price I would make it a quarterly visit, not weekly/monthly. read more

Nicest spot in Lake County. Foods great. Service is great. Patio is ridiculous. Brother in law is planning his "brunch" wedding here in May. Theyve really raised the bar high for the downtown Willoughby bar scene read more

Had the most wonderful meal at Sol. My wife and I had the Double Bone in Pork chops with polenta and wild mushrooms. They were to die for! I enjoyed the Pork chops so much (I know it is not socially acceptable) I actually picked up the bones and cleaned them at the table. Meal was prepared to perfection. Atmosphere, staff, and service are all top notch. Highly recommend to anyone wanting a first class experience. read more

A party of six of us visited Sol on a Friday night at 7:00. We had reservations, but it did not appear to be overly crowded. We had a drink at the bar before taking our table. The restaurant is nicely decorated with two bars, one on each side of the space with a large outside patio. It was quite warm that day so the patio did not seem like a good choice. Even in the restaurant it was a little warm as the air conditioning seemed to have trouble keeping up. Our waitress wad very friendly and helpful. She explained the menu and made recommendations. We decided to go for tapas and to split the paella special. This provided plenty of food. We tried some Portuguese and Spanish wines which were good. The food was good and came out relatively quickly. The prices are a little high, but not too bad. We all said we would come back and try the entrees next time. In general a very nice addition to the Willoughby restaurant scene, especially if you are looking for something a little bit different. read more

Worst. Food. Ever. I gave one star only because there weren't any cockroaches that I could see. The menus, however, were printed on regular cheap paper and were soiled and dirty. The venue itself is amazing. But it's totally wasted with the food -- or should I say lack of food. "Spanish" inspired? Seriously. Nothing on the very short menu is inspired. Is this a bar? Is this a restaurant? The menu doesn't even have enough on it for a bar. And the food we ordered was at best mediocre. Saturday night. No specials. Nothing appetizing on the menu. And not many customers. I dare you to find two dishes that you need to decide between. And the Spanish influence? Non-existent. We ended up ordering mariquitas and montados for appetizers. The mariquitas were soggy, tasteless chips with a small amount of guac and salsa. The montados were like bruschetta without the taste. Three of us ordered the paella and added either chicken, shrimp, or scallops. A tasteless mess. I left most of mine untouched. The fourth person ordered the ribs. Again, they were tasteless and overpriced for what he got. Finally, for dessert we ordered the deep-fried donuts which were touted as being "freshly made". When they arrived, they were so hard that it was difficult to stick a fork into them. I asked the server once again if they were freshly made and she again (lied and) said "Yes". There is no way that these were freshly made TODAY -- maybe I asked the question wrong. At any rate, we were visiting with friends from Rocky River. How embarrassing for Eastsiders. Run -- don't walk -- far away from this restaurant. We literally drove through Mickey D's after that terrible experience. P.S. And then there were the "valets". When we drove into the parking lot, we didn't see anyone. We drove around to in front of Willoughby Brewing and asked what we were supposed to do. He said that we needed to use the valet. However, he said, we could give him the $5 charge and park the car ourselves! Really? Same story when we left. We asked the valet to bring our car and he said, "You did such a good job parking it, you should just go ahead and get it yourself." Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. P.P.S. And as for the 5-star reviews you may see here? Clearly these are written by management or the owner's mother. No one else would dare put their names to such fraudulent reviews. P.P.S. #1: If the owner wants any hope of salvaging this mess, he should close for a few weeks, decide what he wants the venue to be: bar or restaurant. Totally revamp and expand the menu. And, most importantly, open under a new name. This name is trashed. read more

Came here for the first time tonight. It was an AMAZING experience. The menu offers so many tempting drink and food options you'll need to visit more than once to try them all. Crouquettes, Sol Fries, Flank Steak and Cubano were all delicious and the portions were generous. Sugary donuts with dipping sauces made for a tasty dessert. Service was perfect and the owner even came by to make sure everything was great. What an awesome spot, we are already planning our next trip. This place is worth a visit. read more

The food was very good but if your hungry skip it. Three people three salads, 3 shared plates didn't even get entree/ dinner and four beers bill was a 94 plus tip. Still friggin hungry. Guess they got to pay for the Gavai's building somehow. Maybe I don't fit into the new downtown Willoughby . read more

Can't say enough about this place. I was lucky enough to meet David and Tanja the owners on a recent visit. It is obvious the passion they have for this place and it can be seen in the way they run the place. The food was incredible and the drinks were delicious. I can't wait to have my next corporate event there. read more

First off, this place looks super trendy & fun! With that being said you automatically assume that the food will be a compliment to the aesthetics. Not the case at first reading the menu I was extremely unimpressed! I thought Mexican food yum no there isn't any! Usually I rate a menu based omg I can't decided what to order! Nope not the case! So I went ahead ordered a Brussels salad. First Impressions bland, boring, & hardly any ingredients it claims it had! The chicken portion was only 3 tiny pieces so I was disappointed! Btw it was a $17 dollar salad! Holly Molly! It's a very expensive restaurant for what? I get it you charge a premium for food but at least make up for it, not the case! I'm sorry but not worth the money!! read more

This place is phenomenal. The service is next level and the food taste amazing. You pay for quality. Its not just a run of the mill restaurant. This is the luxury car of fine dinning. Will definitely be back. Vince the manager is next to none. I felt like I was the only person there. read more

Our new favorite restaurant! THANK YOU Sol for helping to revive the area's stale restaurant scene. Cleveland's eastern suburbs have been in need of healthier, higher quality food options for a long time. Your concept and menu is a breath of fresh air. My family has eaten here multiple times and have yet to have a bad meal. As a so-called "blue collar" resident of Willoughby, I am proud to live here and embrace the changes coming to the city. Please do not listen to the negative reviews saying that this restaurant doesn't belong here. Those people have boring taste and fear change. I challenge them to step out of their comfort zones. Great job Sol and here's to continued success! read more

This place is so awesome! We came in today for dinner with our kids and found out that kids under 11 eat free on Wednesday's! They had a woman doing the most amazing balloon animals, crayons for the kids, great service and excellent food. The atmosphere was fun and relaxed. I would recommend the chips, salsa and guacamole, brussel sprouts and chorizo bolognese pasta. The kids had chicken fingers which were great. We had an excellent time and will be back next Wednesday for sure! read more

AWESOME Spanish-inspired brunch! Really impressed by the complex flavors and quality. I recognized all of the dishes, but it was refreshing to have a new take. For example, my egg and bacon tacos had a delicious aioli and slaw. Definitely recommend! read more

Food and atmosphere was perfect, really great place to get together. We celebrated a birthday there, food is impeccable, and different. Can't wait to go back read more

Quite possibly the worst food I have ever had. The chorizo tacos tasted like dog food and the jalapeño margarita had no hint of jalapeño. Our waitress was okay but didn't say anything when we ate none of our food. Overall, I wouldn't recommend. We ended up going to Fiona's afterwards and eating ice cream for dinner. read more

This is a great option in the downtown Willoughby area. Put back away from the downtown commotion, and has their own parking. I ordered a Chorizo Jack Burger, a great option, pretty big and should fill you up. Most entrees come with corn, but you can opt for fries. I'd recommend Sol for a nice date night or night out with your friends. The tables were a little sticky, but other than that a great option. read more

Just attended an event and the food and service was great! Awesome patio for the area especially, and completely renovated- definitely will return to check out the regular menu. Highly recommend for large parties as well! read more

It is well worth your effort if you are in the Cleveland area to make the trip to Willoughby for this gem of a spot. The brussel sprouts themselves are enough for me to return. The woodwork in the restaurant is immaculate...and it's a great place for a romantic dinner to a night out with great friends. read more

HOPE AND MELISSA ARE THE BEST. The outside dining area is divine. Get some drinks with the homies and enjoy!!!

I really wanted to like the place, but I gotta say the experience was less than good. Everyone was polite and the atmosphere is pretty good... tables aren't crowded, high ceilings, and the decor is really pretty great. Please take the following as intended- constructive criticism. The waitstaff were super friendly, but it seemed as though they all had very little experience. It was not busy at all, yet it felt awkward just getting seated... as if they weren't sure how to do it? Odd to say the least. It took a while to get our drink order... not stupid long or anything, but it was the host who ultimately did so, and I'm not sure he intended to or why he didn't when he seated us if he were the person to do it... Again, just awkward. We ordered the Mai Sol (a big fruity boat drink... or rather it should have been... ). It came in a mug (a mug???) so full of ice there couldn't have been more than 4oz of liquid in it. The drink itself was good, but for $8?? It just felt goofy drinking such a small drink from a mug. The menu needs serious tweaking. And by tweaking I mean a complete overhaul. Your options are skirt steak, pork a couple ways, buckets of chicken (???), scallops, shrimp skewers, scalloped potatoes, and a veggie concoction of which I can't remember the details. And three salads and a half-dozen appetizers. I understand it's 'small plates,' by the way. We ordered the shrimp skewers and scalloped potatoes. The shrimp was a bit overcooked. No major crime here, but it was served on a bed of pita (I think) with tomatoes, artichokes, and I think zucchini. Whatever the marinade was, it was awful. I mean AWFUL. The flavors did NOT mesh... It was as if the chef just threw stuff in a pot without looking at the labels on the spices. I left a lot on the plate. The scalloped potatos were better. But what an odd menu item... scalloped potatoes with peas and fava beans. And that is EXACTLY what it is. It may have well been Betty Crocker Scalloped Potatoes from a box with some peas and beans thrown in. There was nothing about it that couldn't have happened in my kitchen with ZERO effort. One of the most bizarre dishes I have ever ordered in a restaurant. In short, I don't think this place will survive long unless there are some serious upgrades to the experience. I will say the bar- the one facing the brewery- has got some pretty good ambiance going for it. read more

I gave Sol two stars out of pity to be honest. The food here was absolutely horrid in my opinion. Especially given the price, ridiculous. The brisket taco I ordered was heavy on mayonnaisey cole slaw and thick on bbq sauce, while truly low on anything resembling brisket. And the "fresh" Mexican street corn, straight from a can, blandly disgusting and an insult to the real deal. The lone bright spot was the people who worked there - very nice. But the food - wow - just not good. Sad considering how easy it would be to do something above and beyond. Would be shocking to think the owners don't realize this, but in case not check out Lorena Sanchez and Rick Bayless and maybe hire some line cook working in their kitchen - provide you could persuade them to move to Antarctica. If you find this food good, my advice is to stick to Taco Bell or learn a little something about gastronomy. read more

This place has always been disappointing. Usually about once or twice a year we give it another try and at best it is just ok. Typically the service and food/drinks are sub par at best for the prices you pay and what they would lead you to believe. But after our experience last sunday we are never going to give this place another dime, they finally sealed their fate with us. There were 2 young female hostess that were just rude, unhelpful and immature. It's completely fine that they didn't have any tables around peak brunch time and if they were actually doing reservations only I am completely understanding of this, but if someone politely inquires about getting a table and is unaware of a certain non standard policy and you treat them rudely then that is unacceptable. We went up to the bar to sit there after dealing with the first two inconsiderate people and there are 4 open seats so my fiancé and I grab the middle two and the bartender walks by and says "those seats are taken" and keeps on walking. There were no coats or purses on the chairs, no drinks or plates or anything on the bar there, nothing indicative of someone having been sitting there, but yet again another employee of this establishment was just completely rude to us despite us being clean, well dressed, polite, and ready to spend a lot of money and tip well. It's unbelievable. There's no excuse for that so I will not accept something about covid as an excuse for that either, and yes we were properly wearing masks as well. Anyways, that's our experience with this place, and we will definitely never return. We ended up going over to Barrio and got seated right away by someone who was friendly, and our waitress was so incredibly kind and attentive to us despite us not even mentioning our terrible experience just minutes ago, they were very efficient and the food and drinks were all delicious. We left her a very generous tip for saving the day and giving us such a great experience. read more

My wife and I dined there last night. Beautiful place and very comfortable. We love all of the local establishments,they are unique, quality driven and reasonable. The ghost of Gavis's took control of this establishment. 12 dollars for two tamales really El Mexicana in Painsville sells them for a buck and that is authentic. I am not Looking for the most bang for my buck, but I am also not looking forward to having an upset stomach for the rest of the evening either. There is tremendous resturant competition in Cleveland a little adjusting might keep them in the game. read more

Friday happy hour stopped in to have drinks and something to eat. It ended up there were 8 of us so we requested to move to a table off to the side of the main bar. This was around 4:45, happy hour is until 6:00. We were told it would not be a problem but there was a group coming in at 7:00 and we would have to leave the room we were in by that time. No problem. At about 5:15 our waitress starting asking us if we wanted to order food. We were not in a hurry but ordered anyway. Food arrived at about 5:30. At 5:40 we were told the group had arrived and wanted to decorate for their party. We were still eating. We attempted to move to the bar and were told that was booked for the party also. We had to move to the east bar where we could not interact. We were given a very weak apology, only after confronting the staff with the fact we were told we had our table until 7:00. Finished our drinks and went across the street to where our business was appreciated. More than enough restaurant/bars in downtown Willoughby to patronize and not have to put up with this type of service. Eight of us and anyone we socialize with will not be back. We wondered why there were only 4 people in the bar the 2 hours we were there, now we know. read more

Excellent wait staff and atmosphere. The tapas menu is slightly limited. Tried the mussels and they were fresh and full of flavor.

This place is wonderful. I have no idea what the bag reviews are talking about. Everything on the drink menu I tried was made extremely well and didn't skimp on the alcohol. The piri piri wings and meatballs on the tapas part of the menu are really spectacular. Everyone was very nice and accommodating. I'd easily recommend this place to anyone. The only caveat I have is in regards to the grilled octopus. I was unimpressed with the sauce and confused with the pairing of octopus and potatoes. Other than that, I can't speak highly enough of this place. read more

Great space and decor. Food was so good. Highly recommend the patio. Avocado margarita was unique and tasty. Pepper appetizer was quite good. Short ribs and mashed plantains was absolutely amazing. Probably the best short ribs I've ever had. Spice was really good. Staff was friendly. Overall, I would really recommend. Can't wait to go back! read more

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The menu contains some exotic dishes. Nice to see variety. The menu is basically all small plates. So yes portions are small. I have always felt tapas restaurants are great for an appetizer or two before you go someplace else for dinner. This place fits that bill. Cocktails were tasty. So I will be back for cocktails in the summer on the patio. read more

Amazing atmosphere. Totally renovated it and it looks absolutely sweet. Only tried a few things off menu, which were all delicious. Looking forward to a trip back soon! read more

Asked the waitress how the brisket tacos are and she said, "a little fatty." I ordered them and they were ALL fat. NOT ONE piece of meat on them. No kidding! I did not eat them and told her they were ALL fat with no meat. Charged us for them anyway. $12+ Not good for business to not take care of your customers. read more

The patio outside is the best around town! Great atmosphere! Had the avocado margarita, it was phenomenal. Only minus a star due to the drink was ten bucks and mostly ice, I finished it in about 5 sips. Would have stayed to drink on the patio but drinks were overpriced for the volume they delivered. Croquettas were delicious as well. Menu ha a variety. We were the only people on the patio but service was quick and efficient. Will go back for the patio at night but maybe they have a happy hour? read more

Food was fantastic, service could not have been better on a very busy night (Sat 2/13). The brussel sprouts were the best. My Valentine had the Mahi Mahi and raved about it. I had the Pork Chops and they were perfect. Chef Michael has put together a wonderful menu. Everyone we know will hear about Local Sol. read more