This is by far my favorite location of this local franchise. The food is always consistent, lots of beer to choose from, and the bbq sauce is fantastic! The staff is friendly even when it's busy, and Janet always make every visit unique. read more

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To say I love this chain restaurant would be an understatement. I absolutely love their dirty martinis, and I have never had a bad experience while dining in at this location. However, I am sad that they removed the iguanas that used to live here. Their ribs are always delicious and I always get a side of baked beans with mac & cheese. They're deep-fried pickles and mac & cheese bites are also a fan favorite in my house. My husband always gets their wings and enjoys them thoroughly, however, one time, we got them a bit burned. But it was no problem exchanging them. I would also like to say that wow this location is normally pretty busy services is always exceptional. I particularly enjoy that they offer complimentary popcorn and the prices are affordable while the quality is not compromised. Even though they are a chain restaurant I do enjoy the winking lizard thoroughly and you should check it out for yourself. Sidenote, every time I go I inform the server of my allergies and have never had an allergic reaction here due to cross-contamination so that's always a plus. read more

Great selections on the menu!! We got the specials both nights that we were in town. Fair prices as well. read more

While visiting Ohio I stopped to eat here twice. Both times I was greeted by friendly staff and fast service. Inside the bar there are various TVs for entertainment. There is also a nice outdoor area. I recommend the spinach dip! read more

Came here for lunch and got the burger sliders and a side salad. Cool view and good selection of everything. My burgers were pretty fry and a lack of flavor. The salad was just okay and ranch wasn't anything great. The service was quick and they were friendly! read more

We cleaned our plates at this joint. In fact, it was so good that we went two days in a row while we were in town. Also, they have a great selection of brews. Great service as well. Highly recommend! read more

Winking Lizard - We cleaned our plates at this joint. In fact, it was so good that we went two days in a row. Also, they have a great selection of brews. - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

I've been eating here 13 years Excellent like always. GREAT SERVICE GREAT PRICES,AND GREAT FOOD. They have a nice patio ,and decor inside is great . They have one of the largest beer collections around,along a ith stouts etc. read more

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We were impressed with this spot. Nice outdoor seating. Fire pit Huge beer selection And soda (pop) selection The menu is very big and maybe a little overwhelming The sliders and fries were good The Korean bbq boneless wings were excellent The chicken skinny dippers were good but a little dry could have used a little more sauce. Overall a good experience read more

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Sadly I want to love this restaurant and was super excited about all the reviews. However this was a very disappointing experience overall. Went on Mother's Day whole on a staycation in Cleveland. We are here our last night before returning home due to the overwhelming recommendations. Our appetizer (potato skins) came out with a pre packaged unflavorful and unappealing ranch. The skins were small and very very overcooked. The waitress did immediately bring out the "house made ranch," which was better but we ate one and were done. Second my patty melt came out without the added mushrooms and missing my side salad and side of mayo. I asked about the mushrooms and salad. They then brought me a house salad with Caesar dressing when I ordered Caesar salad dressing on the side. The sandwich was very dry as there was no dressing or sauce and the rye was very over crisped. Honestly it was hard to eat. I ate about half the sandwich and couldn't stomach more. He ordered the bone in wings with teriyaki and extra celery. They charged for his celery which I get but didn't include his dipping sauce that was meant to come with. The wings were very dry and barely had an sauce. We had to again request more sauce to eat the wings. He ate a 4 wings and called it a meal. Very very disappointing and all around us every table was sending back food. I was sad to see they didn't have a manager come out to explain this was very unusual and almost accepted this as the normal for the establishment. I will not be returning to this location and I am unsure if I want to even give the chain another try. It was just a very cute decor with substandard and lackluster service and food. read more

Winking Lizard - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

Went at a busy time, OSU and MI game. They found us a seat and the service was really good. Order nachos as an app and they were awesome. Beer chili was good but definitely get a sample as it has a unique taste. Meal was the buffalo burger with fries. It was really good. Only issue it seemed like so many depressed people eating. Prolly because MI destroyed OSU. read more

First time visiting g this location, but not my last. Food was good, served up hot and fresh. Great menu with a lot of options, was jealous looking at other orders coming out of the kitchen. Bartenders were amazing, kept my beer filled and were more than accommodating. Lots of nice folks sitting at the bar, met some nice folks, hi Amanda and Mike! Looking forward to my next trip here so I can pop in and see that lizard wink! read more

Fun atmosphere, good service, good quality food and drink. I recommend if you're looking for a sports bar that has a varied menu of quality food and a very down home local bar feel. read more

This place can do no wrong in my eyes. My office is right next door so i am here frequently and i haven't had a bad experience yet. The food is always out of this world and there is a huge variety of alcohol. Every waitress that i get is very kind and knowledgeable about the huge menu. It is a great place to watch sports and get a little rowdy. read more

Winking Lizard - Baja Fish Tacos - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

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This was my first time at this Winking Lizard location. It is conveniently located right off I-77. My family and I stopped on a Saturday afternoon and were promptly seated. Covid19 precautions were still being taken which was good. Free popcorn is always a good started. Bagged this time to limit touch points. I ordered a BBQ burger and fries. Very juicy and cooked just the way I like. My wife got a steak wrap and enjoyed it. My oldest son had a pizza which he liked and my youngest had chicken fingers and fries. All of us enjoyed our meals. Our server was friendly and pleasant. This would be a great bar to visit on a warmer day. They have a large patio and garage doors that open in the bar area. Great draft selection. You can't really go wrong with the Winking Lizard. You will get a dece meal at a fair price. read more

Great food. Great service. Nice place to go and relax. A lot of food options to choose from. read more

Winking Lizard - Lemon Drop Martini - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

Food was really good! Huge selection of good beers. Elena was our server. She was awesome. We also bought a couple bottles of their wing sauces to go. read more

Winking Lizard - Nachos and Baja tacos - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

Was in the area with a hankering for a greasy burger and picked this place based on the goofy name alone. The Winking Lizard is situated off the interstate on a steep hill, wedged between a chain hotel and a steakhouse. From the outside, it looks like a small, nondescript warehouse save for the patio seating visible from the road. Upon entering, you're greeted by a host station & very large iguana in his/her glass enclosed habitat. Nice touch! There are television screens EVERYWHERE. Over the bar, in the dining room, everywhere. If you want to see a sporting event, you could do way worse than The Winking Lizard. We arrived with the after work crowd. The place is loud, and the menu is typical American pub fare. The good: The vibe. The place shares a parking lot with a hotel, yet it seemed like we were seated in a dining room full of regulars. Very happy, welcoming, positive chi in this joint. Our server Janet. She was a doll! Friendly and attentive without being smothering. She even made sure to put our order in before a large party in our section so we'd get our food in a reasonable amount of time. This is extra mile stuff that should be common but isn't. Thank you, Janet! The food. Ok, it was a burger & fries. But how many times do you order your burger medium rare and it's torched? Or medium well and it's still mooing. Both our burgers were cooked to our specifications. Another small touch which should be common in this world but isn't. Fries were perfect as well. Pop and beer tasted SQUEAKY CLEAN. I've worked in a bar, and if you've worked in a bar you know the flavor of dirty beverage lines and unfiltered ice machines. Sadly, it's the rule and not the exception. You won't have to endure that nonsense here. POPCORN MACHINE! They have free self-serve popcorn to munch while you wait. This should be required by law in the restaurant industry. The bad: Not much. There was a hint of a stale, spilled beer whiff where we were sitting. It was only slight and it didn't ruin the experience, but it was noticeable. (Hey, it's a bar, and we were seated close to the bar.) The burger, although cooked perfectly and very juicy, possibly could've used a little more pre-grill seasoning. Salt makes the sear that much more delicious. (It was still a much better than average burger; I can't hate.) All in all, a really good spot. The kind of place I wish was in my neighborhood. Check 'em out, and tell the iguana I said hi. read more

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Great menu, great service, great food and drinks. Large parking lot. Nice outdoor patio. Can never go wrong at a winking lizard.

The menu is massive so it will take some time to look over it. It was a party of three and we placed our order within ten minutes before it got busy but it still took 35 minutes for us to get 3 salads; 2 were chicken and one had steak. One thing that made it unpleasant was that we each asked for dressing on the side but weirdly, we all had dressing at the bottom of the bowls so after we added our own amounts and noticed what they added, the salad was drowned in dressing. It's a nice family style sports bar with many TVs, lots of space between tables, a lizard for the kids to look at and free hot popcorn. read more

Winking Lizard - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

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Beer nerds take note!! Don't let the generic sports bar vibe put you off, this place has one of the deepest beer lists I've seen anywhere. Worldwide representation in 30-40 beers on tap and close to a hundred more in cans and bottles, priced for what you'd pay at BevMo in CA. Crazy food specials as well, I ordered a full rack of ribs and two sides for $19 on a Wednesday night special. Crazy. Friendly knowledgeable staff. The bartender that served me had worked there for 11 years. That's says a lot. 90 second walk from LaQuinta, I lucked out tonight. read more

Fantastic wings on 75¢ wing night! and really great bourbon selection. Love Guinness on tap as well! read more

Winking Lizard - 75¢ wing night - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

I got the Bo-Man buffalo sandwich. Fried chicken dipped in buffalo sauce, lettuce, tomato on a toasted garlic bread. With the sandwich came French fries. My favorite thing to do is dip the fries in the BBQ sauce. It's the best BBQ sauce that I have had. This is a good place to check out if you want bar food. I am I different with my rating and could not decide between a 3/5 or a 4/5. read more

Winking Lizard - Bo-Man's Buffalo - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

This place was super cool! Great atmosphere, it was airy and cool, and Super Busy! Lots of indoor seating as well as patio choices. The beer was cold and dishes where hot and tasty. Not sure if this is a chain (kinda felt like one), but the management did everything right here. Will definitely visit next time I'm in town. read more

We didn't plan post long bike ride along the towpath lunch so we did a quick search and found the Winking Lizard. Starving and exhausted we quickly ordered our food which was satisfying. I had the Cajun Chicken Spinach Salad which was a generous portion of spinach, bacon, tomato, chopped egg, and mushrooms. A very satisfying protein rich salad. Hubby had a burger which I had a bite, of course, and it was very satisfying and so were the fries. We typically don't dine in chain restaurants but this one is local and has a unique ambiance to fit the theme which they played up on with lots of themed merch which we are never going to purchase but know others might like. A great meal and decent service after a long bike ride. read more

Stinking Lizard. Every time I've been here their food stinks!! Soup n salad was overpriced and not tasty. Got chili cup.. super tiny. Chicken n Spinach salad had 1 cherry tomato, 1 olive, and the bacon bits was at least a day old - dry n hard. Of course I didn't want mushrooms and there was a ton. Raspberry dressing was gross as the server warned, but only lite option. Least server was good, and lotsa TVs. read more

A group of friend and I went to this restaurant after an event. We called in advance and asked whether or not the kitchen would ve open. They told us until 1am, and we got there around 10:45. Well, unfortunately, by the time we were seated 10:50 - they had closed the kitchen. We said ok and ordered one round of drinks, but asked whether the had any popcorn or any food as none of us had eaten at the event. They said no. So we asked whether we could even order pizza or something and have it sent since they weren't able to accommodate us. They said no. So, finally one of my friends went to talk to the kitchen staff. Popcorn is supposed to always be available, we were told 1pm, and everyone else in the restaurant was still getting food, so it's not like the kitchens had actually closed down yet. She asked whether she could talk to the cooks. They still said no. So she said "Look, let's problem-solve. We ordered a round of drinks and we'd love to start, but we can't keep drinking on an empty stomach. You went let me do x, x, X, and X, what do you suggest we do?" She ended up getting the popcorn brought out About hald an hour later they literally brought out the entire container. Unfortunately by that time we had decided to go somewher else that was actually legit about their hours of operation. Lost business on their end. But, what's the point? Just update your business hours, don't give the wrong times, follow through on what you said you would do, and just don't have nad customer service! The popcorn was not worth it TO YOU, for getting this bad review. read more

My dinner was very good. But the wait seemed excessive for a party of six. And once we were seated it took 20 minutes to get our drinks. And over an hour to get our food. And then one of the kids got the wrong food. My sister has had better experiences here so maybe it was an off night read more

Winking Lizard - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

I ordered from this place when we arrived in town hadn't ate all day. Ordered 40 wings fries and side salad for the family. It's now 6am and I haven't stopped toilet running since eating it. Something was foul either the fries or chicken I gave the salad back cause I don't eat bacon and they put bacon on a side salad wtf??? Called it a cob salad but I asked for a side salad then the manager says oh this is how our side salad comes. Like you gonna lie and insult my intelligence im not even gonna get in your way of lies. Took off the bill but I'm still in a meeting with the toilet I'm to the point that every one working in kitchens need strict certification in sanitation with cameras on their every angle. Cause most ppl don't care to know what it means to be clean while preparing food and that will not ever be acceptable. If your nasty go back where you came from. Who raised you? read more

Great Friday night dinner at the Lizard. Spin ace artichoke dip was fresh and served hot. Pepperoni pizza was cooked well and tasty. The flavor of the buffalo chicken sandwich was delicious. Highly recommended. Fries served hot and fresh. The strip steak wrap could use a little more flavor. As always, great range of beers. read more

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Poor service, attitudes and food is honestly garbage just go across the street to Dennys

Nice refreshing late lunch. Lots of great beers on tap, including local selections. Lots of variety on the menu. Fresh crispy salads with really good dressing. Friendly service. Lots of great outdoor patio seating with tons of tvs and lovely views of the Cleveland skyline. read more

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Okay, the food is like every other Winking Lizard, standard and good enough bar food. The problem with this one is the management! I had a problem with this location years ago, and vowed to never go back after that (I'm sure it was different management) , but we had a group of about 15 of us and they could accommodate us on short notice (like 5 minutes) so there stands the one star. I was treating everyone, so I ordered 3 spinach and artichoke dips for the table. After everyone had been eating them, and they were pretty much done, someone next to me found a piece of plastic (hard plastic) in the dip. I called the waitress over and she picked it up and said, "Oh, I know exactly what this is." Which she didn't share with us, but said she'd notify the manager. I assumed the one dip would be taken off the bill. When the $300 check came I noticed there were 3 dips on it. I called the waitress over and told her I was a bit surprised that they charged me for the dip that had the plastic in it! Her answer was, " yeah, I asked the manager and she said, well they ate it so leave it on the bill." We ate it because it wasn't found until the last bite! But I didn't want to bicker in front of my guests so I let it go. But I am back to saying, I will never darken the doorstep of the Independence Winking Lizard ever again! The problem is, it's a very busy location so they never care when there's a problem. My old complaint was it was filthy in the kitchen and the burger bun had grease on the top like it was dropped in a pot of grease and served anyway. Final straw. Never again. Diners beware at this location!!! There's another one in Macedonia, I'd go there instead!! read more

Quickly seated on a Friday night with 10 people. Server was on her game- friendly and checking in often. Food was delish! Everyone loved it!

A go to sports bar in Cleveland. Highly recommend wings or Burgers here. Also get to know your neighborhood lizard.

Really solid place. I stay in the hotels near there when I'm in town for work or friends. I've been 3 times. There has been a pretty long wait every single time. The wings are okay, I'm from WNY so I'm spoiled and really know my wings. Mac'n'cheese bites were great the time before last. I avoided them due to my diet this visit. Quesadilla I ordered extra cheese and it was really good. Waitress asked if something was wrong when I just ate the insides out of half of it. Great waitress there! I explained I'm cutting carbs and she said she wishes she had the will power haha. My coworker loved the burger i had a bite of the meat, juicy and flavorful. Great beer selection always and they have a real lizard there :) read more

It's fish fry season! I love trying different restaurants during this time for their fish fries. This one is a solid option for anyone looking to add a stop to their list. The portion is amazing. Prepare to have enough for lunch the next day. The taste is great too. The breading is not overwhelming like some places or soggy like others. The coleslaw is average but the garlic cheesy bread is a great touch to the dish. Check it out for yourself. read more

Winking Lizard - Fish fry! - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

I loved the vibes here! Very warm and welcoming, with great service and delicious food. I really appreciated the wide variety of menu options, in addition to the free popcorn. Prices were also really reasonable, especially for the portions. I can't wait to come back! read more

My second time here at this winking lizard location and never disappointed. Came for some drinks after topgolf. Was accommodated at the bar and ordered the Belgium Lambic Frambois which I was so excited to see on tap! Enjoyed the free popcorn too while we mingled at the bar with friends. Great spot for groups, wings, to watch a game and soak up the mighty spirit of Cleveland. read more

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Wow. If I could give this place zero stars I would. I don't post a lot of reviews on here because I consider myself to be a really nice person. With that being said, let me paint a picture for you all. I arrived at winking lizard with a group of friends, around 4 or 5 people. Upon entering, we were "greeted" by two women at the hosting desk. They immediately gave us terrible looks and asked me if my "parents or guardians where with me." All of my friends and I are 21+. I understand if we looked young but a simple request for our IDs would have worked. Then there was a blonde host who had the most sour expression while asking for my name for the table after we asked about why we had to be IDed not knowing the rules. Then they told us the wait was 2+ hours even though the place was basically empty. We said that was ok and waited outside. Not even ten minutes later we were seated. The blonde host waiting for us, she greeted us with an eye roll and then sat us at our table. After waiting for about thirty minutes our waiter came and immediately asked for our IDs again. We waited another thirty for some beers and then another 40 mins the food which was burnt and unsatisfactory. If you're thinking about getting food here cut your loses and go to the dennys right across the street. 0/10. read more

Winking Lizard - American Near Me - Independence, Ohio

I ordered a pizza and wings online, to Take Out. Upon arrival, at the restaurant I was surprised that I didn't see any visible Handicap Parking Spaces. However, I did see a few designated Take Out Parking Spaces, crammed closely together--barely leaving enough room for someone to open their car door, when others park next to them. Being short staffed, there was only one long line (which extended outside the door) inside the restaurant for both dine in guests (waiting to be seated) and guests picking up Take Out. I checked the order, and every thing was there. However, I was very disappointed with the quality and taste of the food when I arrived home.The wings were Ok, not as good as they were in the past. But the pizza was Absolutely HORRIBLE!!! The crust was soggy and undercooked. And the toppings were not as good as they were in the past. read more