Butcher & The Brewer

Expensive and service with attitude. Just didn’t work for me. I wanted a good beer and some descent food choices. The menu is pretty pricey and very suitable to they Ritz Carlton crowd. Yet the severs wear blue jeans and hang with each other. Very confusing place. Don’t think this place will be in business for very long.

Excellent food and atmosphere. The eggs with pork belly plate was amazing. Nice thick and full of flavor. I highly recommend it! Make sure to call ahead cause place does get very busy but certainly worth the wait.

The best Christmas beer I’ve had. Great selection of beers period, something for everyone. The food was very good and exceptionally fast service. I got the wings and she got the brussel sprouts. First time the wings have arrived before anything else.

Delicious brown ale beer, we ended up getting a growler to take home. The meat and cheese plate is very good, very fresh. I also got the steak tartar which was fabulous. Seasoned perfectly. Cute vibe, definitely gets busy after Cavs games.

Omg!
Food orgasm … A must, culinary experience. We were lucky to arrive before the high traffic time. Good thing cause it was ridiculously crowded when we left. We ordered the patatas bravas, Brussels sprouts, beets and smoked lamb. A beer lovers paradise and not too shabby spirits. I had the Midwest mules. So delicious hands down.

Great food and amazing food. Came across this place by accident, but it will be my go to place when I go to cleveland.
Top notch beers, you can tell they have a great brew team.
Had the Roasted Chicken, was delicious.
Staff was very friendly and attentive.

It was nothing that impressed me out of all the great restaurants in Cleveland. Plus the service was pretty bad. The bar staff stood around bitching about other staff and took forever to get drinks (was not busy at all) anyway… Got the roasted bone marrow! Was so pumped about it. Some was good I guess. Very gelatinous.

Had the pleasure of visiting Downtown Cleveland at the Butcher & The Brewer on 10/02/2015…didn’t know what to expect but that in itself was a treat… the drinks and food were AWESOME! Our bartender Kristen suggested some really good ones and each one you thought it couldn’t get any better but it did… I love my libations the food is just a bonus but the put the 2 together and OMG… I recommend this laid back atmosphere if your looking for something to do on Friday night… I’ll be back!

I finally got to eat here, and I was pretty impressed with the food! I was here for an early dinner on a Saturday night (around 5:30 is when it started filling up, and yeah… it got loud!).
My friend got the albino stout, and LOVED it.
Our server was really nice and explained the concept well.
Breakfast flatbread: really tasty. the bacon was delicious. Not the most amazing flatbread I’ve ever had, but solid.
Divers Scallops: I thought they were perfectly cooked with a nice crispy sear, and I liked the purée that they came with.
Crispy pork shank: holy bbq, batman. This was delicious. The pork fell right off the bone, and it had a really amazing crisp on the outside (it seemed lightly breaded and fried) — and you carve the pork and put it on little flatbreads with coleslaw, bbq sauce, and beans. I was just in TX this week, and this was better than the bbq i had there. Seriously.
Steak Tartare: my friend liked it, and ate it all… honestly, this is not really my thing. ;)
Like others have said, this place does seem a bit pricey, especially considering they are going for tapas sizes (though I thought the portions were more generous than tapas). But, considering the quality of ingredients, I think it’s worth a splurge once in a while!
The place looks really cool– definitely a hip atmosphere. I just wish it were a little quieter… but overall, we had a pretty great experience.

Really enjoyed this bar. Atmosphere was large and dark and fun. The bathroom is in the basement and very interesting. Place was packed and our service was amazing. Justin really knew his stuff and kept us entertained and well stocked the whole time we were there.
I got a sampler of 4 beers and ¾ were amazing. I highly recommend the Albino Stout and the Spice Spice Baby. They were both unlike any beer I have ever tried. Stout was very oaty with amazing hints of coffee and chocolate. Spice tasted like Christmas but without being overwhelming or having a sharp finish.
We ordered a meat and cheese plate. I loved the smoked duck ham and the Gouda with some blueberry jam and honey mustard. The pheasant was really good too. Would love to go back and try more of their menu. It all sounded delicious!

Had dinner with my wife and toddler here. Our waiter was great, and very accommodating to the circus that is us getting settled with our 2 yr old.
He made some recommendations for us and we ended up ordering the Brussel sprouts, chorizo tacos, bone marrow, and the bacon and eggs.
The bone marrow was good, but probably not worth the price. I would of gone with something else. Everything else we ordered was delicious. I especially liked the goat cheese on the tacos. It made it unique and tasty. They did bring the Brussel sprouts out last, which I thought was an odd order to serve it in.
I also had a flight of beers and decided the Hasselhefe was my favorite.

Thanks for your late night menu… I live on the street and wanted to get late night eats. Your kitchen «was closed»
However, after I posted this, Butcher reached out to me to find out the problem. I give them a lot of credit for doing so.
Although we could not get food our group did enjoy a few beers. The atmosphere is great for E. 4^th. I wish them luck.

Brewery Pub! I was so excited to have some beers at Butcher & The Brewer.
Walked in and the hostess advice me that all their terminals are down and they not sure when it would be back up running. I just want some beers and can pay cash for them. But apparently they cannot take even drink orders when the terminals are not working.
She suggested I come back tomorrow… and it was just 6 pm in the evening?!

I’m loving this place more and more every time I go. The first time I came I was a little unsure about the community seating as I didn’t want to sit next to randos… but turns out it’s really not that bad and if you’re lucky, you could get seated next to some pretty awesome people.
The drinks are delish! Love the different cocktails and beer on tap. The service is usually on top of refills and clearing plates which is really nice too.
My favorite dish on their menu (and the menu changes seasonally I guess) is the pierogi flatbread. GET IT! You won’t regret it.

Let me start by saying this place is a 4 star restaurant, but I saw so many poor reviews for terrible reasons I had to give them a 5 to help bring up the average.
I do not live in Cleveland, so this is from the perspective of an out of towner.
The beer: I am a cicerone and the beers did not blow me away by any means, but the albino stout was unique enough to make me want to write this review so I have to give it a stout out. The chocolate and coffee overtones danced across my tongue so gracefully. I also tried the hefeweizen and the framboyzee, which neither struck me as a great beer.
The food: started with the peppers which had a great flavor and the perfect amount of salt. Next was the bacon wrapped dates, their version of a devil on horseback stuffed with chorizo. THESE WERE PHENOMENAL. Next up was the shrimp and grits (bacon on the side). Again, they did not disappoint with 5 large shrimp and a good portion of tasty grits. Next out was the mushroom flatbread. The taste was great for a vegetarian option, but did not resemble most flatbreads I’ve had in the past. Finally our wings have arrived! Sadly, the wings were the biggest let down. 4 wings that were not very meaty and were wayyyy too salty. Last but not least was the pork shank. This was such a great dish. It includes the shank, beans, slaw, pickled onions, and some chalupa flats. The were great combined or eaten separately.
The service: Our visit was pre Indians game and it was busy. However our waitress did a good job and was attentive.
The atmosphere: Love the lighting the the sound level. Edison style lighting helps set the mood and the acoustics could make even a small group feel like a crowd. I could see how some people wouldn’t like either of these, but frankly they aren’t fun people anyways. The bathrooms are communal in a sense. You walk into a large room with hand washing tubs deprecating the mans side from the woman. It’s private and not weird at all. Nicely done.

I’ve been to this restaurant twice-​once with a group and once solo. Between both visits, I’ve tried the loaded kennebec fries (disappointing), bacon wrapped date (too much cheese, but that is probably a personal preference), roasted chicken (YUM), the breakfast flatbread (never had an egg on a pizza before but it was surprisingly good) and the crispy brussels sprouts (my favorite dish by far). On Thursday night I tried the special flatbread, which was house smoked pulled pork, red onion, arugula, and mozzarella cheese. By far the best meal I’ve had in Cleveland in a while.
I would highly recommend the crispy brussels sprouts and the flatbreads to anyone looking to eat here.
The only negative attribute is the noise level. There isn’t any fabric around to absorb the noise, so it just echoes off all the walls. It creates a fun, loud atmosphere but it can be hard to have a conversation.
Regardless, I will definitely dine here again!

I decided to wait to write a review for this place after I had been here a few times, since my first experience was less than stellar. Now that I’ve been here for dinner and drinks a few times, I can write a more thorough review.
PROS
*Beer, beer, and more beer. And good beer! I would suggest getting the sampler so you can taste them all. I got an albino stout the last time I went — very unique and tasty!
*Casual dining on East 4^th Street. No need to get fancy for this restaurant. Everything is very chill here. Perfect place for pre/​post game drinks. They also have some giant TVs if you want front row for local sporting events.
*Brussel Sprouts. I make a mean brussel sprout dish, but this was one of the best creations yet!
CONS
*Food descriptions and pricing. The food here is advertised as tapas style, but most of the items we ordered (burger, chicken) was not shareable. They could improve this by, for instance, serving sliders versus a regular burger. They could also lower the prices because they are absurdly high for the amount of food you get.
*Noise level. Because it is a casual atmosphere and geared towards the sports fan crowd, it can be hard to hear conversations at your table.
BOTTOM LINE
If you are looking for a good brew before a sporting event downtown, this would be high up on the list. But go somewhere else to eat!

I met up here with fellow Unilocaler, Sheena W for an early Saturday dinner. This place is right downtown on E. 4^th, where all the hip folks gather for a good time in the CLE.
The inside of the restaurant is nicely decorated and inviting. It’s long… the bar is on the left with huge thin-​bezel LED TVs above it, followed by the open kitchen and the brewery straight in the back. Downstairs they have some cool bathrooms where there’s a communal hand washing area. (check out the pics)
It was Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week and they had a special 3 course menu, but we decided on some beers, apps, and burgers. The hostess and server were very nice and attentive. I had a pint of the Bravo Company IPA and although IPAs aren’t my favorite, this was pretty good… very hoppy. Sheena had a 4-​beer flight sampler and I think she enjoyed it. For an appetizer, I had the Crispy Brussel Sprouts and she had the loaded fries. Both were very tasty and seasoned well. The burgers came out and mine was cooked a perfect medium. The meat was juicy and flavorful and the brioche bun was nicely toasted.
Prices were about average for a downtown establishment and as many others have mentioned, it is very LOUD inside. This place does participate in the Balance and Brews events as well and we did noticed a few people inside with their yoga mats. Overall, I did enjoy my dinner and I’d come back.
Cheers!

I read every single review that came in at 3-​stars or under and aside from the usual «I feel like being a douchebag and this is my only review and have zero friends» one-​star reviews, there appears to be a common thread running through all of them. If you feel like reading all of them for yourself, by all means, please do. If you want to save those minutes of your life for something more meaningful, please allow me to summarize:
1. This Place is Loud
Indeed, Butcher and Brewer is pretty damn loud. From what I gathered, most of the noise complaints came when people visited on game days. We didn’t visit on the eve of any particular sporting event that happened to be occurring downtown so it was more a loud din than a blasting cacophony. Still, I do agree, it’s up there decibel-​wise.
2. It’s Expensive
Agreed, but compared to what? I love when people complain about price for a restaurant that makes everything from scratch, in-​house to-​order. Butcher & Brewer is expensive, but you’re downtown, you’re on E 4^th Street. What the hell isn’t expensive down there? I was a bit taken aback with the $ 10 price tag on a 4-​beer flight (if you add additional beers to the flight they’re $ 3 a piece) but everything else is in line with others in the vicinity and the old adage «you get what you pay for» is apropos.
3. Customer Service Is Lacking
This one I didn’t personally experience. Sure, the hostess wasn’t exactly beaming with delight but our server was pretty friendly and attentive. Our waters were always filled, our food came out quickly and was well-​paced and she stopped by a few times to check in. I don’t know what most people are expecting, but I found the service to be pretty damn good.
Our Experience:
So the atmosphere, let’s start there. It’s definitely got that «I’m downtown so I gotta be extra hip and sexy» vibe to it. The lighting is dim, there are gads of giant flat screen televisions above the bar (probably where most of the light is coming from) and the brewery is clearly visible at the very back of the restaurant. Long bar to the left, communal tables up front, more traditional chair & table set up toward the rear. We were seated up front.
We were there on a Tuesday around 6ish and the place was pretty deserted. A few souls at the bar, a few scattered at tables and us. For as empty as it was, it did take our server some time to come back to take our drink orders. Speaking of drinks, if you come here you’ve gotta try their beer. Brewed under the Cleveland Brewery name, their beers are really good. Not mindblowing, per se, just really solid.
Overall, the food was pretty tasty. We started with some crusty French bread served with three different spreads. We followed that with a couple of small plates including a flatbread and the house-​smoked corndogs. The flatbread was tasty, gooey cheese, fried egg and garlic oil on crispy/​chewy crust — but the corndogs were delicious. Just the right amount of smoke flavor and the cornbread was perfectly seasoned.
One we got through noshing on the starters we opted to share the hand-​ground burger ($ 12). The locally-​sourced grass-​fed beef was moist, tender and flavorful. Cooked a perfect medium, the port salut cheese made the perfect compliment to the juicy, beefy goodness. My only criticism would be on the presentation. The burger was plopped u ceremoniously onto the center of a large, round plate. It just seems sparse and lonely, is all. Some fries would have kept it company.
I’d say our trip was a good one. The food was good, service was good and the beer was good. Definitely a solid 4-​star experience. While I personally would avoid this place during any downtown sporting event or concert as I have a feeling it would be busting at the seems, others may find the crowds just their thing.
Be warned, parking may be a bit of a challenge when visiting this area. We managed to find a meter right out front (talk about your luck) but I have a feeling if you can’t snag one of those during your visit you’ll be forking over $ 10 to park somewhere else. Just be prepared.

When we first got there the hostess was very friendly and the bartender came out to offer us drink menus while we waited. The atmosphere was very pleasing but from there it took a bit of a turn. It took almost 10 minutes before someone came over to our table. We eventually we got some water and a round of drinks. Our waiter was not the most attentive and drink were coming out very slowly that we started ordering them preemptively expecting slow service. The Albino Stout was delicious once it eventually came out but drinks were very slow getting to us.
I had ordered the Bread plate, brussel sprouts and burger. While the brussel spouts and spread were decent I was unimpressed with the burger. While I understand the small plates concept I thought that for the portion size it was a little pricey.
The brewery had some great beer and think that this establishment has great atmosphere. I plan to return soon in hopes of better service.