I have been visiting the Peninsula Lizard for 16 years and have enjoyed until the new management team. Since Gary (GM) left the management team and service has gone down hill. The cellar has been a great addition and is a great place to get away from the crowds but with the new management team that's now completely gone down hill also. Bring Gary Back Please! read more

I like this Winking Lizard mostly because of Location! Location! Location! In the fall, their is nothing better than a hike/walk/ride through Peninsula. read more

Enjoyed lunch on the patio. Service was great. Need to really provide better protection from the sun. Minimal tables in the shade and the umbrellas on the other tables provided no relief from the sun. Maybe some updated umbrellas that tilt would solve the problem. read more

First a rant re: a goofy dumbass cheap corporate policy: as of July 27th: in addition to charging you $0.50 for each two-ounce cup of extra salsa for their Mexican dishes, $0.40 for extra wing sauce, etc, the cheapskates at the Lizard are now charging $0.80 for each extra 2-3 oz of salad dressing. SUpposedly have "always been doing it" but never encountered it until this week in Peninsula--maybe the wait staff, being customer-oriented, have been evading this ridiculous policy. How many other restaurants do this? It is illogical; dressing for salads is like ketchup for fries, and some people use more while others use less, but no one is charged by the oz. Salsa is like ketchup for chips and mexican dishes. Their policy is not even internally consistent: hog up the ketchup and BBQ sauce for free if you want, but get out your checkbook if you actually want to see sauce on your buffalo wings. Suggest that others annoyed by this also rant, and better still, complain to the managers. As for me, I'm cutting back on my usual weekly visits and boycotting their salads. The rest of the review: One of a local chain, this branch is located in the scenic Cuyahoga Valley in a cute & tiny town. Lots of atmosphere in its old roadhouse setting. Occasional live music. Bar is active and loud--not a good place for conversation (or families unless they like lots of stimulation). Come between lunch and dinner hours if you want a quieter environment (though hostesses tend then to push guests to sit in the bar whether one wants that or not; assert yourself to get the eating ambiance you prefer). Nice little patio but not a particularly scenic one given it's right on the parking lot. Lines can get long in the summer on weekends (Fishers across the street is a good alternative if you don't want to wait). SItting in the front window area is best if you are interested in scenery and local color. Food is consistent and of good quality, but not always a good value in terms of pricing. Lunch and dinner specials are the best values. Much of the food I'd describe as basic bar food, although there are some excellent (if perhaps overpriced) salads. Their BBQ sauce is popular hereabouts and superior to national chains, but not really authentic pit-style BBQ. Excellent beer selection--a strength. Burgers are basic, flavorful and large but lacking the extra touches like toasted buns. Nice menu variety--something for everyone (although not so much for vegans). Staff are friendly and helpful but service can sometimes be variable. Note: To be fair, however, I would consider some of the reviews posted here to be overly critical and not representative of my typical experience here. I am a fussy regular and not an enamored fan who lacks objectivity, but I easily find enough to like here to come 2-3 times a month, or did until they went cheapo on the sauces (see introductory rant). read more

Winking Lizard, no matter what location, is a solid place you can always go to for a good burger or sandwich. Nothing fancy, nothing crazy. You find a spot, sit down, order a drink and some good food and you're always full when you leave. I've always had good service. Peninsula is a nice little spot, very cute little town. Very dependable place to eat. read more

I get wings and drinks here most Mondays with my dad. The atmosphere is great, the staff is always personable, and the food is amazing. If I could complain about anything, parking can be an issue on their busier nights. As long as you're semi-familiar with the area and okay with potentially having to walk to get some great food, there's no reason this establishment and everyone who works there isn't worth 5 stars. read more

This was my first visit to Winking Lizard. It was not a pleasant experience. The ambiance outside was ok, nothing great. The service was lacking, the food was even more lacking than the service. Chicken was somehow rubbery and dry. I will not go back, and I highly recommend anywhere but this place. read more

Basically like all the other Winking Lizards (check my review of the other WL for more detail), but this one is probably my favorite. Great location, right off the towpath. Nice outdoor patio with great scenery. They also have a cool little cellar bar that is usually open, but can also be reserved for private parties. read more

Love this place. Great food. Always a great drink selection. Very good seasonal menus. This is my go to place. Eat here normally once or twice a week read more

So I have been a long standing customer of the winking lizard. Especially the one in peninsula. Whilst dining on a Saturday night I had an experience that just wasn't up to my expectations. Not only did I get burnt over cooked food, but so did 2 other people in my group of 6. The other three were children. The staff was pleasant and quick as normal. But the food was not up to my normal winking lizard standards. I'm hoping it was an off night because every other time I have been has been amazing. Yet again. All the servers and hostesses were extremely nice and very timely. But the food for some reason this time was not up to par. read more

All time favorite place to go! The atmosphere is phenomenal. Service is consistent and great! Food always comes out quick and tastes good. I've been going there for over 10 years and I have never had a problem. read more

Very good meal at a reasonable price. Big salad. It's a sports bar so it is hard to have a conversation

Service was great till they lost my card...not sure if another customer's hand because they could not "find it". They charged my friend's card when mine was also on the glass read more

Standard Lizard fare- that is to say, something for everyone- in a nice setting. The location of this one, directly off of the Towpath, makes it a nice post-bike ride (or post-run, if you're into that sort of thing) stop for a refreshing quaff. Like other locations, they have an insanely large and well-curated beer list. Check out the cool cellar for a more unique drinking or dining experience. read more

We had a great server. I can tell you the food is good, but not fabulous, go out of our way good. The flight of beer option allowed us to try odd named beers (with a Halloween theme). I do like the barbeque sauce, we brought some home. This is a good place to go if you don't know what you want - many options. I had the barbeque ribs - which i have to say was good and my husband had the steak. The steak lacked flavor even after we had sent the food back to the chef. We did enjoy the loaded fries and roasted veges. read more

Excellent! It's kid friendly before 7 o clock ish and the food is good enough for a real meal. They have a very good selection of beers, I'm guessing 40 plus kinds? Definitely a must stop if you're staying in the Akron/Fairlawn/Peninsula area. From what the people around here say it's the best of the local Winking Lizard chain. (In reply to the person who said it's loud: Seriously??? This is a bar. If you want quiet, then go to some place other than... I don't know... a bar? read more

Ok. I eat at a winking lizard once a week or so because I do there World tour of beers. You sign up, drink different beers and get a gift at milestones like 50 and 100. It does get expensive but if you're like me and want to try all the different beers anyway this is kind of cool. The food is good, burgers, sandwiches, salads, pizza and wings for the most part. Service is pretty good at this location but I have no knowledge about the rest of them as I usually eat at this one. As mentioned in other reviews parking can be a bear. They have outdoor seating but you can't smoke there. Just a heads up. Oh, FREE popcorn. read more

The Caribbean spice wings are the best thing on the menu, fried pickles are great as well as the burgers

My daughter and I had a wonderful experience at the Winking Lizard last week. We were in from out of town and when my daughter heard the name of this place we just had to go, and it did not disappoint. Even though we were told the wait would be 30 minutes (really good for a Saturday evening!), we ended up waiting only about 10 or so. Our server, Angela, was awesome. I informed her of my daughter's food allergies and she was super attentive and helpful, as was the kitchen manager working that evening (I wish I had gotten his name). I got their brisket sandwich, my daughter got their grilled cheese, and we split a chicken quesadilla. All were excellent! Of course, you can't forget the popcorn and game room. Overall, a great experience for us out of towners. I'll definitely go back when I find myself in town again. Don't forget to say hi to Heisman the giant iguana too! read more

This is a great place! Love the atmosphere and the food is very good! The waitstaff is awesome! It's located in the very old Peninsula Nightclub and still has all of the original character..... their wings are excellent and make sure to try the Greek Salad! Bowman Burgers are excellent! read more

I love this place. Loads of choices the tour of beers is aweaome, it can be pricey but trying new beers is fun and i dont have to buy a 6 pack or more. And the cellar bar is great! Justin, the barkeep knows how to make preprohibition cocktails! read more

As I sat at the bar with a beer my friend bought for me, a waitress came up and grabbed it out of my hand, saying "gimme that." She didn't even bother checking my ID... I'm 22. I got her attention and showed her my ID, but she refused to pour a new one. The wings are passable but the service was awful and ruined my night. He's issuing a charge back on his credit card now. read more

Worst. Experience. Ever. While waiting for our food (it was a first date), our server was bumped into and a number of draft beers were spilled onto me. My top and jeans were not just wet, they were drenched. Additionally, my cell phone was in my back pocket so it was also soaked in beer. I'm still hoping that by drying it out, it will begin working appropriately. Another server then stepped on one of the fallen glasses and the glass flew across the floor at my legs. What occurred after this incident is why I am truly dissatisfied with the service and response from management. The manager came over after the floor was cleaned up. He offered to buy me a beer to remedy the situation. That was not nearly enough in my opinion and I had no intention of even having a second beer that night anyway and I think a $3 beer was a highly inappropriate offer, given what had transpired. Then he offered dessert but I had no intentions of getting that either. I then had to tell him to comp my meal. This whole situation truly soured our evening out. I found it insulting that I had to ask the manager to comp my meal. He should have taken care of the expense of me and my date for the night give that it was extremely disruptive to our night. I'm a fan of Winking Lizard's typically, but this experience was simply horrible... read more

If you want a bar with great food, Winking Lizard is the place for it. There are several of these in the greater Cleveland area but the Wink in Peninsula is by far my favorite. Cute town and good atmosphere with the Wink's always impressive beer selection. read more

Awesome dinner experience for our family. Delicious food, attentive service, fun atmosphere. We'll be back.

This is my favorite place to grab a bite to eat. The Winking Lizard serves a variety of different food, based around American bar food. The wings are what they're known for. They have a great atmosphere and are family friendly. They have a game room full of video games. There are several TV's scattered throughout and a happening bar sits as the center of attention. Every couple of months, they have a different specials menu with food only found on the specials menu. There is a patio overlooking the greenery of the Cuyahoga Valley. You would be able to see the river if it wasn't for the trees. This place is highly recommended for families and those wanting a quick bite to eat after a day of recreation in the Cuyahoga Valley. read more

If I could give less than one star I would. There are about 9 different bar tenders. One who wears glasses and looks like Clark Kent is too focused on flirting with coworkers than he is with making sure paying customers are taken care of. We came in and sat down and he didn't even look at us for 10 minutes. Finally ordered and it took me another 10 minutes to get my drink. His partner was no better. She poured a drink we ordered then left it on the other side of the bar and never gave it to us. This is normal for this crew. I have never had good service at the bar at this establishment. 0 stars. read more

Absolutely love Winking Lizard. Everything about it is great, the food, the atmosphere, the workers. You cant go wrong here. I highly recommend their pizza or wings. read more

Bar food but great location. Always busy. Really unfortunate that their servers told me their skinny wings didnt have gluten , especially with me having celiacs. Thankfully I caught the issue when the food came out because I would have been deathly I'll. My husband ate the chicken and I ordered ribs which were awesome read more

Great little dive bar in downtown Cleveland! If you like craft beers, this place is for you---sporting over a hundred different beers that I rarely find in my home town. The bartenders were friendly and they seemed to have a relatively extensive bar food menu though we didn't eat. Highly recommended for beer lovers!! read more

Great one to catch a good bite of food! This Lizard is large compared to others I've been to. The parking is horrendous, but worth it on a nice day. They have a wonderful outdoor area. Many TVs on the inside and decent food portions. Tasty. read more

This is such a fun place to hang out and grab some beers and food!! The only bad thing is that there can occasionally be a wait. I was thrilled when they stopped letting people smoke on the patio!! I love to sit outside here in the summer but I hate being around smoke. Win! read more

The service was slow and we couldn't get water refills. The waitress asked how everything was and before I had a chance to swallow what was in my mouth to tell her she was gone. We both had our cards out to pay and instead of picking them up to charge them she dropped off the ck and took off before I could say to please take our cards. I started to say it but she was gone and never came back. I had to take the ck to the bar and request them to ck me out. Beside that, my friend's meal was very dry and they didn't even apologize. She had to take her glass to the bar to get a water refill since her meat was so dry. Overall it was a lousy experience. read more

After living in Arizona for 4 years, I still think about this place! Miss it so much. They have the best cheese fries here. Plus who doesn't love getting to see the lizard every time you visit!? Awesome atmosphere. I hope to come back here soon this place is the best! read more

It was quite busy on a Saturday but service was friendly and fast...our server was very accommodating. We enjoyed the atmosphere and our meals were very good. The only downside was their weak Wi-Fi signal. I would definitely return. read more

I live close to this place, and it's the only decent place around. But it's an inconvenience when I try coming here after a work day with friends under 21. The place is pretty dirty, and the service is awful-such a rude staff and rude people in general. Honestly hate going here. read more

I was in the area for business when I went here with some coworkers for dinner and a few drinks. There was a laid back atmosphere and the staff was friendly. Great wings and huge selection of beer. While not being too touristy or gimmicky, this place maintains the smaller chain family owned feel which is nice. Overall, good experience here. read more

Wife and I stopped for lunch. Excellent beer selection. I had the steak and cheese, and she had the large order of loaded fries. Both were delicious. Friendly service too. read more

The oasis in a national park! Too many beers to list. Too many menu items to mention. More than a feel good atmosphere. This. Was. Perfect. Especially after hiking... read more

Great food and atmosphere. Wait staff is excellent. Would recommend this place to all