CLEVELAND — Prohibition may long be over, but speakeasy-style spots are hotter than ever, so WKYC's Alexa Lee checked out a few of Cleveland's coolest under-the-radar cocktail bars and restaurants.
Her first stop? Tremont's The Spotted Owl. Known for an extensive cocktail menu (offering more than 500 total libations), The Spotted Owl has been a popular destination for cocktail aficionados since opening five years ago. But if you're not in the know, it's very easy to walk right past the understated signage on Jefferson Ave.
Because of the endless variety of options, Beverage Director Jacob Bender explained that they created their signature wheel menu as a language tool designed to help craft a drink to your specific mood and tastes. Alexa was lucky enough to try the "verdant and fresh" Sweet Pea cocktail. The verdict? Amazing!
After a drink, it was time for a bite - so Alexa headed to another of Tremont's hidden gems - Ginko.
Ginko is an intimate sushi bar located directly under the ever-popular Dante restaurant. Known for ultra-fresh fish flown in directly from Japan, you can order traditional rolls, omakase or even shabu-shabu - a Japanese hotpot dish.
Like The Spotted Owl, Ginko isn't exactly a speakeasy per se, but, as General Manager Quintin Kohe told Alexa, it's easy to miss from street-level, and many longtime patrons of Dante still have no idea it's right underneath the restaurant!
Our final stop took us to Cleveland Heights - where you'll find a true hidden gem of a cocktail bar called, what else, The Speakeasy - located on the second floor of a bustling barber shop. In fact, Quintana's Barber & Dream Spa has won plenty of accolades for barbershop and salon services in neighboring buildings on S. Taylor Road. But when they expanded next door, owners Alex Quintana and Dawn Mongelluzzi Quintana decided to add the secret second floor bar space to rave reviews.
If you're interested in checking it out for yourself - just remember, if the barber pole is spinning, that means The Speakeasy is open for business!