Very confused re: mushroom tart. Ordered it based off Yelp reviews but it is literally a round biscuit made of flaky phyllo type dough covered in mushrooms. Not a mushroom filled tart. Just a totally unseasoned plain flaky dough with mushroom topping. Super plain. Very monastery lol. The osso buco was wonderfully tender and juicy. Plenty of fatty meat stop flavorful polenta. This place is cheap compared to anywhere else downtown! read more

Food was great but the service was truly amazing. Tons of options for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. Highly recommend Courtney as your waitress, made us feel like royalty. Left feeling full and happy! read more

The Friars Table - Beignets - Desserts Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

This was a cool looking spot with a relaxed atmosphere and cool décor. The menu had an elevated Medieval type feel to it. The service was friendly, and the food came out quickly. A basket of bread came out to start the meal. There were herbs in the middle that were pleasant. It was very soft in the middle. For starters, the borsch ($6 for a cup) and bulgur salad ($7 for small) was ordered. The borsch was good and came out very hot. This was a simple soup done right. The salad contained eggplant, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes. It had a nice blend of flavors and was a good size for a small too. For an entrée, the rigatoni de norcina ($24) was ordered. It contained house made sausage, and mushrooms in a cream sauce. This was very heavy, but again, a perfect amount of pasta and fillings. I liked the mushrooms were cut small as well as the sausage. It was a good dish. I also tried the lamb shoulder that came with fennel, sage, and stewed beans. This was alright. The beans were a little inconsistent as some were hard. The lamb was not too bad. I was expecting a little more flavor with it. Will I go back? I believe so. read more

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I wasn't expecting to like Friar's Table as much as I did, but here we are! The food hit, the portions didn't play games, and the service was genuinely kind. It's comfort food done right. Definitely earned a repeat visit. read more

The Friars Table - Cod - pleasantly surprised in how much I liked it - Desserts Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Excellent addition to the Playhouse Square complex. This spot serving New American food including interesting appetizers and many roasted meat options makes for a great stop before or after a show...which is precisely what we did! There are kinda four different seating areas including a long thin bar with TVs, a cute "patio style" seating arrangement with large glass windows and a working fountain, a more traditional seating area and finally a large room with big tables right in front of the open-air kitchen. Servers here were extremely personable and friendly, albeit a bit on the slow side. Any accommodations we needed they handled with ease. A small basket of complimentary herbed ring bread was brought out shortly after we were seated, along with some olive oil for dipping...a nice start. We then placed our multi-course meal choices including a couple of appetizers, then salads, then mains. For appetizers we chose the wild mushroom tart and the spinach and goat cheese pancake. Both were great choices, but that pancake may have been the star of the entire meal! It was tart, creamy, warm and comforting all at the same time. Next were the St. Casilda's salad topped with red onion, chopped egg and a light dressing. Was a sizeable portion for a side salad but also be warned as the red onions were a bit overpowering to the plate. For a main dish we decided to split the braised lamb shoulder as it came highly recommended. The meat was truly slow stewed and so tender it basically fell apart. It was served atop stewed beans in a sage and fennel braising liquid with cabbage on the side. It was not my wife's favorite dish (just her own taste preferences), but I really enjoyed it and it made for great lunch leftovers a few days later. Next time, I may try there beef stew in a bread bowl, which I was coveting at another nearby table. Definitely a spot I want to get back to before another show, to explore their menu further. read more

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The food was interesting and delicious! Our sever was incredible, offered great suggestions on what options we might enjoy. The decor was like being in a monastery, there was a beautiful long live edge table in the back room. It would be great if you had a very large party. Well done! The mushroom tarts were amazing! read more

I came here not sure what to expect! Overall, it was a good experience - great location near playhouse square, extremely unique restaurant concept and menu, neat ambiance. The food was good, but a bit hit-or-miss. The immaculata salad didn't have a ton of flavor, but the cod, on the other hand, was delicious. The mushroom tart was nice and flaky but also lacking depth of flavor. Same with the St. Michael's Cake - bit dry. Our service was prompt and friendly, but lacking depth of knowledge about the dishes. The drinks were amazing, especially the Monastery (which is N/A, but I added gin and it was great!) Would definitely come back again and try some other items. read more

Came in one a Saturday afternoon after seeing a show at Playhouse Square. Had the opportunity to sit up front by the windows and the fountain. Loved the ambiance and the style of the place, not your traditional Cleveland eatery. I can't figure out if this place is trying to be Italian or German. I'm sure if I were more internationally cultured, I would know the history of the Friars, but my expertise is mostly relegated to the United States. Bring your phone so you can Google the words on the menu to figure out what it is you want to order. The opener was their fresh bread, rolled like a jelly roll with herbs and spices wrapped on the inside and served with a side of olive oil. Wife and I each started with small salads. Both were very good and perfectly sized. Had the pretzel as an appetizer. This was the least impressive part of the meal and I'm not going to let it affect my rating. I'm not sure if this was made from scratch, but I've had better at the ballpark. The accompanying mustard was interesting. Tasty, yes, with an odd fluorescent yellow/green hue to it with a guacamole look and a mustard taste. Still good, just not great. Now let me tell you about great. We both ordered the 2 different pasta entrees on the menu. Had to use Google to sort out all the odd words on the menu, but settled on a fettuccini sized noodle with pesto and a penne pasta with sausage and mushrooms in an Alfredo style of sauce. I love red sauces, but these were both crazy good. The cream sauce was rich and delicious, the pesto light and tasty. The service was fast and friendly. Manager and head chef both visited to ensure all was well. Will have to spend some time studying the menu to figure out what to try next time! read more

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This is a great place to go before a show at playhouse square. You could make a meal from all the unique appetizers. But the entrees are great as well. The service was really good despite how busy it was, and the atmosphere was elegant and bright. read more

Have been eyeing this place for a bit because I thought the concept to be super interesting. It didn't disappoint! The service was wonderful and attentive and the food way tasty. I thought the restaurant concept was creative. I certainly will recommend it again! read more

The Friars Table - White fish appetizer. - Desserts Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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My friend and I had dinner before a show at Playhouse Square. We had a reservation and arrived about 10 minutes early. It looked like all of the single tables were occupied. We were seated at a communal long table so privacy was minimal. Couple seated next to us chimed in on our conversation about GLP1 drug costs and again when we were talking about menu items. Very odd. Anyway, our server was a delight. She was friendly and attentive to our needs. My friend had a small salad and a bread bowl with beef stew. Stew was very meaty. I had roast chicken with a sauce and fingerling potatoes. Chicken was flavorful but not hot enough. If I had not been on a time crunch I'd have sent it back. Potatoes were delicious. We received our checks quickly when we asked and had plenty of time to get to the show. Nice option for a night out. read more

We tried The Friars Table tonight, it looked interesting and it was close to playhouse square. The service was extremely friendly but it was very under staffed so we waited a while between visits from our server. Our drinks were good but after that, we were a bit disappointed, the butternut squash soup was fairly good, but our meals were underwhelming. I ordered a salad as my entree and it came on a tiny plate, had to ask for a bigger plate so I could cut the lettuce without it falling all over the table. I asked for medium salmon on my salad, it was rare. The ambiance was good and I think this place has potential but they need to do better if they want to survive downtown. read more

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Food okay. Service... slow and poor. I had high hopes for this place but it won't last with this menu and service. read more

Opening night at this restaurant. A joint project from the Capuchin Ministries and Edwin's, headed up by Brandon Chrostowski. Great space in the nicely remodeled Cowell and Hubbard location in Playhouse Square. Oh, and the food! I had the lamb shoulder and my wife had the Sea bream. Both perfectly cooked! Highly recommend!!! read more

Service was good. Food different and tasty. The restaurant was clean and had good vibe. Went before a playhouse show and everything was timed perfectly. read more

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The staff is incredibly nice and the food is so so good 5 stars. Cheers to Chef Brandon for welcoming the Sound of Music!

Wonderful dinner after they play. Very friendly service. Spacious and comfortable surroundings. The portions were huge and delicious. read more

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When we walked it it felt peaceful with the water fountain, and they didn't make us wait or hunt for them to seat us. The food was all flavorful, well textured, and well presented, also filling. You won't go away hungry. The only thing we thought lacked was the flavor of the rose beignets. Besides our main meals, borsch and Clafloutis St Abraham were also tasty. The waiter was appropriately attentive, and cooking staff are very professional, though I wanted to give them all high-fives as I came back from a very clean restroom! We felt we chose well for an anniversary dinner. We definitely will come back. read more

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Great atmosphere and the wait time was short despite a full house. The lamb was tremendous and not sure what type of beans they were but they were DELICIOUS! read more

Food was good but not impressive. I had the mushroom tart. It was cooked mushrooms on top a thin piece of puff pastry. Mushrooms were not seasoned very well. A theme that carried through most of our meal. The salad I got was swimming in dressing. You couldn't taste anything else. I got the roasted chicken and my wife got the lamb. The lamb was very tender. The chicken was cooked very well. Crispy outside and moist inside. Unfortunately they both were not seasoned. The sauce that was on the chicken had good flavor but lacked something. Salt helped immensely. The fingerling potatoes were bland. We were expecting a nice relaxing dinner and got underwhelming food and rushed service. read more

So good! In town from DC, and the reviews convinced me to stop by. The food and service were 10/10. I can't wait to come

It was unique! Food was lovely and atmosphere and theme were very neat. They were very busy as it is located right next to Playhouse Square and many we're on their way to a show. read more

First time here this past Friday night and I'm not even being dramatic when I say this is the best food I've had in my life. We had the fried shrimp that comes with fries, coleslaw and Mac and cheese and everything was more than exceptional I have no words. They only serve it during lent but this is my way of saying keep it on the menu full time!!!! Also our server Veroniqua (AKA bella) made the experience even better. Such a kind soul. If you find yourself in downtown Cle I highly highly recommend coming here read more

My party of four went to the restaurant before the Seinfeld show. We were seated promptly, and our server, Bella, was quick and efficient. After a round of drinkers- my hubby and I ordered the lamb and the pizza. The lamb was delicious, plenty and the sauce was really, really good. The pizza was terrible. When Bella came by and asked if we liked our food- I told her how delicious the lamb was but that the pizza was terrible. It barely had any sauce or toppings. The crust was good, but that was the only positive thing I could say. If I wasn't in such a time crunch, I would have asked for it to be returned. I am not sure why she asked- because she did nothing about it, but brought our bill. I then asked for a cup of coffee. She snatched up the bill and added the coffee. Perhaps, she should have just brought the coffee without charge? Whatever. We will likely try the other places next time. read more

Very friendly staff. Welcoming establishment. We will be back for sure. It's very convenient for patrons of Playhouse. read more

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My husband and I went here for dinner before Cleveland Ballet's Romeo and Juliet this May. The servers were lovely, the ambience was practical and comfortable. The food was AMAZING!!! The salmon was the best salmon ive had, the beans...oh thebbeans were my favorite and I just want a huge pot of them. The mushroom tart was so unique and deeeeelicious...every thing was wonderful. I can't wait to ho back and order more foooood! LOVED THIS PLACE!!! read more

I'm not sure if everyone else leaving good reviews just has lower standards than me but this place was an overall disappointing eating experience. The menu is weird and hard to read. I decided against getting an entree after seeing other patron's entrees and thinking the food didn't look worth the price. However, I ended up just getting a plate of spring mix with a couple apples and almonds thrown on there, the lemon rice which just tasted weird and off, and the asparagus soup which was flavorful but didn't make everything else worth it. we got the pretzel as an appetizer which was very hard and definitely just a frozen box pretzel. Pizza we got was also mushy and tasted (and looked) like frozen pizzas. Not to mention the food came out scarily fast which just makes me think my premade/frozen theory is accurate. I ordered a dirty martini which I thought was good at first but the more I drank it the more gross it got, then I tried the olives... let me tell you that was the problem. They tasted awful and potentially rancid. my friend got an elixir which was just syrups and juice and didn't taste anything like how it was described. Our waitress was very kind and attentive. So I would say that's the only reason I'm giving 2 stars. Worst part of it all, it was $100.... There are so many better places in Cleveland you could go for $100 and even cheaper. Do not let the location and proximity to playhouse sway you - it's not worth your time, tummy, or money. I hate to be like this but the reviews are far too positive for the experience I had tonight :/ read more

Stale / hard pretzel. Forgotten drink order. Incorrect food delivered quickly with very slow follow up. The only positive was the bread was good and decor looked interesting Suprised for a newer place read more

Excellent service by a kind and attentive staff for our party of 4, prior to our evening show at Playhouse Swuare. Tasty food. One person in our party ordered the vegetable lasagna, which was delicious, but an unusually small portion given the $24 price and the fact that nothing else accompanied it. Other dishes enjoyed were the appetizers (spinach and cheese pancake ; hot pretzel); green bean salad, chicken w/ nicely seasoned fingerling potatoes; and salad with Alpine cheese, egg etc , in an herbed dressing. Appreciate the mission of this place and will return. read more

Good food and service. Salads were fresh and the food was well priced for eclectic ingredients and good portions.

Surprisingly fine meal, great drinks, excellent service and a very pleasant atmosphere, all at a reasonable price.

I attended a private birthday celebration for 40 people at the newly opened Friars' Table. I was anxious to check the restaurant out as I had heard about its mission following that of Edwin's-to train and employ formerly incarcerated individuals in high-end restaurant service. The evening was wonderful! The food was excellent! I had the salmon. It was perfectly done. Considering the size of the group, the service was exceptional.The servers were very knowledgeable and attentive. I can't wait to return! read more

What a great surprise to walk in and see Proprietor Bro. Phil Bernier and his fellow friars enjoying dinner. Turns out they were for real and so was the food. Delicious. I had the Braised Lamb on a bed of butter beans and a buld of cooked fennel on the side. The wild mushroom tart for an appetizer was also very unique and tasty. All in all I would highly recommend this place. read more

We've heard so much about the Friars Table that we decided to head to Playhouse Square and check it out. As with most of the other reviews, our Sunday late afternoon visit was exceptional. Our server (Akia) was present and pleasant. We had a variety of options, from the Clafoutis St Abaham (so good) to the Rigatoni De Norcina (was told it was wonderful) to the variety of salads. Finally, we had desserts of Fruit Cake (good) and the Walnut, Caramel & Chocolate Tart (loved) to my personal favorite, Rose Beignets. Who doesn't like fried dough? And there was enough to share. Even better. Keep up the good work. Highly recommended. read more

Very attentive waitress. Cool atmosphere and dishes. Salad. Beets. Beans. Stew. And the mascarpone dessert - all very yummy!

Our group of 5 had dinner before a show. We were impressed with the quality and flavor of the food. We had the pea soup, borscht, and mushroom tart. All were excellent. The entrees were very satisfying. I had the lamb shoulder, which was cooked to a perfect tenderness. The sauce and accompanying vegetables made it a perfect plate. Highly recommended. The service was spot on. We plan on visiting again. read more

Wow! What a great experience! The food here is delicious and unique. The service is outstanding. Everything about our experience was enjoyable. I can't wait to bring all my friends here. read more

Great food and excellent service! My salmon was delicious and prepared exactly how I requested.

The first thing we noticed is the lack of lighting which made it difficult to read the menu. But, we managed with the phone flashlight. The next thing we noticed was the lack of decent wine selections. That's okay, we'll drink vodka...but they ran out of our favorite. Still, no problem, things happen. We absolutely loved our server/bartender named (forgive me if the spelling is off) Chiante. She was informative and attentive. We had the fish dip and the pretzel as apps. They were both delicious. Pork for entree was good but cold. Bream was hot and wonderful. Now, about those desserts. We were warned. We just had to know what that fruit cake was all about. Big mistake. It was awful. Beignets were delicious and hot. We also had a visit from the chef, which is also a nice touch. We'll try it again in the future. read more