Ate a burger that was mediocre at best, tasted like frozen beef, unseasoned I do recommend the wings, perfectly cooked and sauced with a wide variety of flavors. The barbecue sauce is likely the best part of the place with a Smokey taste. The atmosphere is great, the workers are nice and friendly. There was a weird table next to us that was feeding a toy rat which I thought was slightly creepy but I digress read more

No more Bowman's steak and cheese sandwich? What a disappointment. Lots of my favorite menu items removed through the pandemic. No reason for me to go here again. Sadly. read more

Really the best location. Always consistent. A classic for a reason, located just off the Towpath trail in Peninsula, which is charming town situated in Ohio's only national park. I really like the cheese wedges as appetizer. Burgers are delicious; if you ask for medium, you'll get a perfectly seared patty with a pink middle. The Jerk chicken sandwich is another favorite. Their wings are pretty much always well cooked--crispy on the outside but not dry (and not overly sauced either). Even the pizzas are great if you like a thinner crust. Oh, and their barbecue sauce is seriously addictive. My only small gripe would be that I'd like to see more off-the-beaten path Ohio draft beers on the menu. read more

We had promoted this Winking Lizard location for years including videos. No more ... Saturday June 5, 2021 ... 2:00 PM your head of house and two other young female employees had us waiting for 15 minutes. We told her that there were several open tables by the front. She refused to look and had us waiting for over 20 minutes. We decided to leave at around 2:20 when a another female waitress approached them and summed it up really well: "three of you at the front"? The older of the three became a bit belligerent to her. We turned in our pager and as we walked around the front ... sure enough ... 3 open tables. She had lied to us that those were for others waiting. There was no one else waiting, She just decided to pick on these 3 seniors ... enjoy your Yelp review. read more

Their wings are the best around and the cocktail hour is great. Love the atmosphere and location in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

I come back to my roots in the Cleveland area nearly every July/August, and visit my buddy Ed Svec. He is a regular patron customer of The Winking Lizard in Peninsula, and so am I on my visits, after our biking workouts. On my most recent trip, I can count six trips to "The Lizard." Exceptionally friendly service from Justin the bartender (he makes a killer diet coke and rum), as well a long time employee Michelle. Kara also provided great service. The drinks and food are good, but you just can't beat service that makes you feel like you are at home, and most appreciated as VIP customers. I highly recommend The Winking Lizard in Peninsula - a great spot to enjoy friendship and camaraderie !!! read more

I love the Winking Lizard. I have been coming here with my family ever since my parents thought my brother and I were old enough to behave ourselves in a restaurant. As a child, getting to go to the place with the live, awesome-looking lizard in the terrarium was a big deal! The Winking Lizard is such a nice place for food and beverages with any fun-loving, chill group of people. You can come looking casual fancy; you can come looking sweaty in athletic wear after a walk or bike ride on the Towpath. I've even been on a first date here, after my Tinder match and I ran 10 miles! The restaurant looks great no matter where you sit: the bar, the tables around the main room with the bar, the room to the right of the doorway, the tables on the glass-windowed porch. You should also head down to the whiskey cave in the basement to check it out. The servers are always friendly and competent. The food is well-made pub fare, with a great selection of salads that are both healthy and fun to eat. There are TVs with sports in the main rooms. Prices are extremely reasonable but not too cheap that you have suspicions about the quality. What's the best part of the Lizard? THE BEER MENU. It is insanely large and awesome. Whatever style you like, you can find it here. If I lived in the area, I would totally do their beer club, the Tour of Beers. There are a ton of Winking Lizards around Northeast Ohio, including one quite close to the house in which I grew up. But we always go to the one in the Valley, so that's the one that I like best. The original Winking Lizard is in Bedford Heights. If you are a visitor to the CLE, you def need to get slizzard at the Lizard. read more

We went to The Winking Lizard today for lunch. We were promptly sat in the Bar area at a table in front of five televisions to catch the latest sport games. Our waitress, Katelyn was very sweet and attentive. I ordered a beer from the World Tour of Beers. Maui Brewing Company Pineapple Mana Wheat Ale. We ordered several wings: mild and spicy sesame sauces. They were crispy and meaty. Both came with creamy blue cheese dressing and celery. Right after the wings were served, our sandwiches arrived. There was no spacing between the appetizer and our entreès. I ordered a Turkey Burger. A juicy ground turkey burger served on a multi-grain roll with melted Muenster cheese, lettuce and tomato. Served with a roasted red pepper sauce on top to complement it. However, after a couple bites, I realized I had received a hamburger with swiss cheese on top. The rice pilaf was delicious. My (incorrect) burger was cooked perfect. Katelyn offered to replace it and the manager took it off our bill. They were very welcoming. The kitchen and runners need to pace the food courses and double-check the table orders. read more

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I've been to the Lizard quite a few times over the years. Today, I was brave enough to try the turkey burger. Some days it sounded good but when I'd go in, I went straight for the beef. I finally ordered the turkey burger but with a regular bun. Holy moly have I been missing out. That burger was juicy, flavorful and a new favorite. I even considered going back to get one for dinner! Everyone was happy with their food. Unfortunately, my picture sucks and I was too hungry to get a second one, soooo I guess I'm going to have to go back! Burger night is Thursday and then it'll be $6.99. We'll see if I make it that long. read more

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I wouldn't take my dog to this place our meals sucked one person in our party ordered the haddock fish dinner it was very dry onion rings burned on menu was one price got bill different price waitress told us the sides but didn't say there was an up charge for onion rings.Waitress also said all burgers were $9.00 on Sunday charged us $13.00 when we asked why charged $13.00 she said $9.00 was only good till 3:00 Thanks for ripping us off . Talk to manager he said that's the way it is.Wouldn't back up bad information from waitress.Also that meals were very dry and came out on cold side. And beware if you park on the street if you don't pay for parking online you will get a ticket $25.00 we will not be traveling to peninsula Ohio again read more

Awesome stop after some short hikes. Food is crazy affordable and good, and the tap list is unending. For an even better deal I got the glass of the month, for $8. Beer plus the glass? Great. I got their steak and asparagus salad which at medium rare was the perfect temp. It hit the spot along with the suggested dressing matching perfectly. It's a large place but it seems like they have plenty of room. The downstairs is seat yourself first come first serve, along with an "upstairs" (didn't quite find that). The rest of the restaurant you can put your name in and wait. I want to do some of the longer hikes in the surrounding National Park, and I fully intend on refueling afterwards here! read more

This is a good place for wings. What makes this place so great is it's right next to the bike trails and the Cuyahoga Valley train. Otherwise it's mostly processed food that's been reheated in the kitchen nothing special here as far as food goes. They do offer free popcorn unlimited. They have a Lot of TV's for watching sports. read more

Please note, this rating is for hamburger only! The service (bartender) was excellent. Ordered the shroom burger to go.. . comes with mushrooms, blue cheese, bacon. Bacon was fine, but see in my pic.. a drop of blue cheese and what appears to be 1 sliced mushroom???? read more

Winking Lizard - Shroom Burger - American Near Me - Peninsula, Ohio

Super service and great grub! Plenty of options too. Catch a game here. Highly recommend!

They definitely have a wide selection of beer! Hostess and staff were courteous, friendly, and helpful. The restaurant had a sports bar atmosphere to it, bunch of tv's, bar section, jukebox, and with a family friendly side to it. The food I ordered was a BBQ pulled pork sandwich and steak fries along with a smooth Sullivan's Irish Gold (Golden Ale). Steak fries were ok but the meat on the sandwich was flavorless, without the BBQ added to it, the sandwich would've been a complete flop. Not a good food place but it gets the job done.. I'd come back for the wide selection of beer, not the food read more

Rolled in for lunch. Conveniently located next to the OTET. Place was pretty busy but we were able to get a seat outside however, it was a bit sunny at our table. Some tables had umbrellas for cover. Burgers were good. Recommend read more

Winking Lizard - Mushroom & swiss burger w/fries and turkey burger w/cheese(w/o bun) & veggies - American Near Me - Peninsula, Ohio

I highly recommend Winking Lizard. The service, food and atmosphere were awesome. When I am back in Cleveland, I will definitely go back.

Came in with our 2 children and had to wait for 45 minutes to get our food when it was not busy. we asked our server where our food was and she said she would check. Then low and behold our food magically appeared and everything was cold and soggy. Used to be a regular at this place but would not recommend to anyone. It has gone down hill read more

Always a favorite location when in the Peninsula area. Always busy so expect a short wait. Great selection of drafts. We usually hit the wings as love the sauces but the steak special was outstanding and great value. read more

I wrote my longest review ever of this restaurant a few years ago. This restaurant is part of Peninsula's charm. It is THE gathering spot. In the Summer it is always crowded and the food is good. Those who love bike riding in Cuyahoga National Park, stop here for lunch or dinner. Catch it for lunch in the Fall, and you will enjoy the beauty of the Fall leaves and the meal. As a Vegetarian, there are always a few choices for me. But the Grilled Cheese is my favorite. This used to be the Peninsula Nite Club, back in the day. But now it is a busy Lunch and Dinner spot. Better than Friday's, and has more charm than Friday's too. read more

I never complain, like ever. Terrible service on Sat. They won't split sauces 5/5 for my 10 wings, "company policy" to charge you an extra $3 for 5&5 wings. Ok, fine. Then the 10 wings come out way over cooked with barely any sauce. I told the waitress and she said she'd get me more sauce. Then charged me for the "extra" sauce! When I tried to politely help her understand their mistake, she said "the kitchen won't let anything out without charging". But they let wings out that are dry and hard? For a chain that is desperately trying to compete with BW3s, they need a serious staff meeting and a few policy changes to put the customer first. read more

Wings were subpar as usual compared to other area eateries. This location also doesn't have burger night like some of the others which is sad. Still love the beer selection though and it's fairly priced comparatively. You can also buy a bottle or can to take home! Service was great, but other times I have had to wait quite a long time for a table at this location. I'm still a loyal Winking Lizard customer. read more

Food quality is not like it used to be. Very average bar food. Service was OK restaurant was very busy. Soup bit salty. Not enough sauce on the wings. I asked for draft beer but got in the bottle. read more

Other locations are better run with more parking and would rate higher. Staff is friendly but hard to get. Huge props for bringing Vedett beer to America- only place you can get it!!! Wings are standard - prob here for beer and ambiance (its roadhouse-esque) I was sat near a bunch of families while other more adult tables were available at 5:45 on a Friday night. Go to another Lizard and order a Vedett Extra White!! read more

Winking Lizard - Vedett extra white - American Near Me - Peninsula, Ohio

Stopped for lunch prior to hit the trail. We ordered de Bo'mans burger and the Cajun chicken sandwich. Both come with steak fries so we replaced it with onion rings that are $2.29 extra. Thought that was a little steep but they were cooked to perfection and not greasy. The list of beers and drinks is impressive but we didn't tried any as we dont drink and bike. We ate outside and it was nice and clean with enough space for social distancing. Bathrooms were very clean and service was good. Highly recommended read more

Winking Lizard is a chain - I've only been to this one, so I can't compare it to other outlets. This one is a big-ass sports bar, well-lit, not as noisy as one might expect. There's an outdoor seating area available. The menu is standard sports bar fare, with wings, Mexican items, burgers and finger foods. I had fried cheese wedges and a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings. Everything tasted very good - I was a bit surprised that the burger had only a pickle garnish and no sauce of any kind, but even as Spartan as it was, it was cooked properly and very satisfying. There's a substantial beer list. It should be enough to keep enthusiasts busy over several visits. read more

Even with outdoor seating, they don't allow dogs. I have small 15 lb dog that doesn't bark and most people and places don't even know i have with me. Yet we were denied service. This post is to let others know. read more

We went to Winking Lizard with friends and we loved it. Decor is pretty cool, like a summer camp in Louisiana and they do beer bike rides in the summer and you can take a train ride back. The beer selection is outrageous in size and the cost per draft was pretty cheap. We are from Pittsburgh, so we were really excited to try new beers and they have a lot of local breweries on tap. We got wings, which were spot on and we really enjoyed their Mexican chicken salad. Our server was extremely helpful and she was also attentive the entire time. Overall this place was a blast, food and service were great and it didn't break the bank. We will definitely be visiting this place again this summer. read more

Winking Lizard - Awesome decor, huge beer selection and jumbo wings...friggin awesome. - American Near Me - Peninsula, Ohio

Lunch Review I didn't have my phone with me during my solo errand day to capture this place almost empty... The floor is actually in good shape... never could notice it before :-) I have been coming here for many many years... newsflash to out of county folk... this isn't a new location... by any means! The service is always friendly and when it isn't fast they warn you... did I mention that it gets PACKED in there many nights? I don't know what bars other reviewers go to... but the fact that they fill the back of the paper place mat with the listing of all the beers (another reason to take a camera at all times!) makes it not the average bar to me. The soups of the day were Chicken Dumpling and Italian Wedding. I seem to be attracting IW these days so I decided to give the weekly salad special and a cup of soup a try. So the hubby didn't feel left out I took a slice of Key Lime Cheesecake home. Italian Wedding Soup - good chicken flavor to the broth, carrot celery chunks as big as the meatballs... which tasted and felt like Spaghetti O's meatballs of my youth... it made me giggle. Layered Chicken Salad - Fresh cold peas, chopped hard boiled egg, baby spinach, iceberg and some sort of shredded Colby that didn't taste natural. The dressing was sour cream, mayo and a small bit of sugar... it was like a summer pasta salad with lettuce instead. I couldn't even finish half. The waitress asked if I wanted a to go serving of dressing when I asked for a box... nice touch! Key Lime Cheesecake - Tangy New York style with a graham crust. It was covered in a thin layer of whipped cream and some toasted coconut that seemed out of place, but we would order it again. We will be back to give the hamburger menu a go :-) read more

Winking Lizard - Key Lime Cheesecake and Sherbet - American Near Me - Peninsula, Ohio

Second time eating at this location, left disappointed again. The best thing they offer is free popcorn and nice selection of drinks. Don't come here for the food, you will be disappointed. We stopped in for lunch after spending several hours biking the nearby trails. We were seated at a table very quickly. That was the only quick thing. Food was mediocre and service was very slow. After ordering water with our beers, we have to ask multiple times to get our water. It is one of the only places to eat in the area, worth your time to drive somewhere else. read more

My wife and I stumbled on this place en route to Cleveland. Alec, our server, was very polite, attentive and gracious. The Cajun Chicken Salad was fantastic, just the right balance between the greens, chicken and other ingredients. My wife had the Bayou Burger of which she had ate everything and that's says enough. The beer, Dortmunder, was nice and cold and a great bargain at $6.50 for a 32 oz glass. Definitely would come back. read more

It is very nice that it is a stop right off of the train. So if you are bored on the train then this is the place to come. It's pretty much just like all the other winking Lizards. It has a good beer selection but the food is not so good. We got the po-boys in honor of Mardi Gras and they were not so good. Every time I have been to one of these the food is off. read more

Winking Lizard - Po-boy - American Near Me - Peninsula, Ohio

The Winking Lizard in Peninsula is one of our favorite stops in the country. I know it sounds extreme but we have had so many good memories here. First visited in 2012 before a concert at Blossom (which is right down the road - also recommend) and we had the greatest time. Then in 2014 after a long bike ride on the trail (also across the street). Great food, endless beer selection, and the best atmosphere. We have been here only a half dozen times but it's always a good time. Our 10 year old son loves coming here . Anytime we come up from Sarasota, FL we have to stop in Peninsula for a beer. read more

During our recent trip on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, my family and I stopped at the Peninsula station to explore and get some lunch. As for as lunch goes, there isn't a whole lot in this historic village. Fortunately there is a Winking Lizard Tavern there, one of the eighteen locations of this northeastern Ohio based chain. The restaurant was pretty full for it being mid-afternoon on a Sunday. The restaurant is spacious enough that there was no wait, in fact we had our choice to be close to the game area or on the quieter side of the restaurant. I ordered the pulled BBQ chicken melt topped with smoked Gouda along with Applewood bacon and served between grilled sourdough with steak fries and a pickle spear ($8.79). The sandwich was large and tasty. The BBQ sauce was especially good. My wife enjoyed the Maui Maui grilled chicken sandwich, which is marinated in teriyaki and topped with grilled pineapple ($8.49). My kids devoured the mini corn dogs from the kids menu. From sandwiches and burgers to pizza and BBQ, there is something from everyone at the Winking Lizard. Plus the beer list is very good and constantly changing. Even if there were other places in Peninsula, this would still be the place to go. read more

Wow. Had to leave. There was no regard for social distancing. Staff had no idea what to do with people all piled up to put name in for tables. This restaurant needs serious training from health department on how to abide by covid19 policies. Don't go if you have concerns with immunity. read more

Great service! Food was barely slow and they gave us a discount. Would love to return. Thanks!

The Winking Lizard is a MUST while in Ohio! Staff was great, food is solid as always. The tables outside were cute. There is something for everyone here! I love the buffalo chicken salad! read more

Always my favorite stop when I'm in town. Peninsula location is my fave. Best atmosphere, beer selections and pub grub around...even the salads are extreme!! Always order several appetizers to share and start with then we move on to the real menu items. We have fun ordering different things then sharing them together. The rings and wings are a must and the HANGOVER burger is amazing with the spicy mayo. Oh, dont forget the fried pickles either. They are thicker cut with perfect pickle/batter ratio and always served hot! They pair well with most beers too!! Stop in and stay a while. The wait is worth it and hope to get another round of the WINK before heading back to Texas! read more

Winking Lizard - The HANGOVER burgers name says it all and will not disappoint. The bomb!! #food_gypsy - American Near Me - Peninsula, Ohio

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I live right by a Winking Lizard in downtown Cleveland, but I've only ever visited the one in Peninsula, Ohio, after a day of hiking in Cuyahoga National Park. My other half ordered wings, because it's a must. The spicy garlic flavor is by far my favorite of the 3 different kinds I tried (Spicy BBQ, Spicy Garlic, and Cajun). I ordered the buffalo chicken wrap with fries, and it totally hit the spot. The menu is so big though. I never even got through the full menu before ordering. I felt a bit overwhelmed with the abundance of menu items. It's like a book! The food is decent though, and the vibe is super chill. Go for the wings, you won't be disappointed. read more

This place is great at all times of the year, but especially SUMMER/SPRING!!! The outside seating area is nice. The beer selection is HUGE!!! The pizzas are GREAT! I love this place!!! read more