Graffiti: A Social Kitchen

The food is excellent but the customer service is better. My mom got the salmon and thought it was a little undercooked so the chef came out to personally apologize and offered a dessert on the house. I recommend the Monte Cristo

This place has made a good change from the previous Red Stone. Happy hour is only at the bar, so we sat there. Each day of the week, they have a special-​Friday was $ 8 for endless Chili, and I saw Wednesday was meatballs, but I forget what the other specials were. It is a pricey restaurant, but that’s the type of crowd they are trying to draw in.
I got the chicken and waffles off the menu, which was smaller than I expected, and nothing really out of the ordinary. I also got an order of the potato skins-​you get two for $ 9. They are pretty big though, and dang they were good. They had Gruyère cheese on them, and they dat on some guacamole, which I typically do not like, but that really, really pulled the dish together. If I ever go back, I will definitely get those again.
The bartender working there was so nice. He was very attentive, checked with us to see if we had any questions about the menu, etc. He engaged us in conversation, asking if it was or first time there, and we talked about what Redstone was like as he worked there too. He talked about how involved the new owners are and seemed very excited about the place-​and we even talked about other new great restaurants, like Banter. It really was a nice experience, just a little pricey for me.

I haven’t been here for a few months, but I did go on quite a bit of a dining bender here over the summer. First off their patio is absolutely beautiful, and oh so relaxing. You will always feel so welcomed when you walk in, everyone is so friendly and courteous. My biggest problem here is deciding on my meal, for it all looks so delicious and so far has blown me away. The chicken Parmesan is so perfectly done, you could applaud after you first bite. My favorite employee there, I believe his name is Giuseppe, is oh so thorough and passionate about the food and product here. And truly has made our dining experience above exceptional many different times. So whether you re going for brunch or dinner I promise you will be completely satisfied. I can not wait to be back.

i had brunch here with my girlfriend and two other friends, who had suggested this place. i knew it wasn’t like reddstone, which i had frequented and enjoyed.
our server was nice, very helpful, but way too chatty for my liking. we started with appetizers of wings, which were good, and then crab cake… which was possibly the worst crab cake ive ever had. i mentioned to my friends that it smelled like mothballs. im not sure what they used to make it but it was a huge disappointment.
our entrees came, and we waited almost 5 minutes for silverware until we asked the server for some more, which was another put-​off for me. whether the busser forgot or not, just a bad look. i had the burrito, which was really good… except it had black beans which were really hard and it took away from the overall consistency of the rest of the plate. this bothered my friend so much that the server actually switched that out for another choice. my girlfriend had the meatloaf which was very good on her end.
i was just so bothered by the food and the lack of attention of the busser that upon paying, i told my server how i felt. to his credit he took care of my bill, but kind of went overboard with explaining how the transaction would be voided… and i got 8 notifications that my card was declined, which i found odd and unsettling. i provided another card to use to pay for my girlfriend’s part, and he came back saying that was declined as well; this i found strange because there was plenty of money there. as a result i didn’t pay for anything, but i didn’t feel right being told «my card was declined» when the funds were there.
overall, im glad they took care of me, but the food really wasn’t that great. can’t really recommend it to others.

Graffiti did a great job of reinventing the space from a mediocre wing joint to a slightly upscale but still casual restaurant. We came on a Saturday night around 8 and were seated immediately.
Anywhere that serves food before I order that isn’t traditional bread is an immediate winner in my book; so when we sat down and were delivered a bag of spicy pickled popcorn (super tasty!) I was hooked.
To start we ordered the chorizo potato skins and I thought they were good, crispy and flavorful, but I’m allergic to guac so I can’t truly review them. My friend ordered the short rib burrito and while it was really great, it didn’t even come close to my shepherds pie. It’s been days and I’m still dreaming about that dish. The bottom is a layer of crispy breading, topped with a lamb steak, carrots, peas and a gravy. I was absolutely stuffed by the time we finished, so I unfortunately couldn’t even think about dessert.
I seriously can’t believe it took me so long to try this place because I’m pretty sure I need that shepherds pie at least once every other week now.

Thanksgiving is a tough act to follow, and Graffiti did a great job!
Located at the end of a residential street, Graffiti had a great vibe. Bold art on the wall, funky building materials and multiple floors, our party of six was tucked what seemed like the best seat in the house on the top floor in the corner at a round table.
We sampled the chips and dip — chef’s whim was — amazing — pesto and Parmesan w crostini. More crostini please, because I damn near licked the dip bowl! (So sophisticated!) My husband and I shared the beet salad: beets, pears and blue cheese. It was ok — my least favorite part of the meal. It wasn’t as fresh as I would have liked. I had an excellent burrito with short rib: moist, tender and full of flavor. Ryan had the shepherd’s pie and raved about the taste. We also split the Fat Kid 2.0, and if you’re a fan of fried cookie dough, ice cream, whip cream and candy-​covered chocolates, then you’ll find a winner. As a whole it was delicious.
The service was outstanding, and I appreciate something as simple as taking and replacing the used silverware. Truly enjoyable and attentive service.
Ambience, service and a mostly delicious experience equaled a ⁴⁄₅. Well done!

Graffiti was my restaurant of choice for my birthday dinner. It met all the criteria: 1. I’d never been there. 2. Some of my friends (and fellow Unilocalers) said nothing but good things about it 3. Reasonably priced & whimsical menu. Graffiti was an obvious choice.
We had a reservation for Friday night at 8 and the place was not as crowded as I expected. This spot (formally Red Stone) is famous for a beautiful patio, but it was a chilly fall Cleveland day– so no patio for us! Luckily, the upstairs is also beautiful and artistically decorated, it even had stain glass windows. They start you off with complimentary «popcorn du jour,» which was a savory pumpkin spice that day. We also had the appetizer platter with chorizo potato skins, wings (with seasonal sauce), and the pork belly. Dear lord. Thank you for gracing my taste buds with those potato skins and tender pork belly. Wings were tasty but personally, wings in general don’t blow my mind.
I had the Monte Cristo for dinner and this is one of the BEST dishes I’ve ever had. Graffiti deconstructed the classic sandwich with juicy pork, French toast, berry perseveres and some cheese sauce that I wanted to lick off the plate. To be honest, this dish was the deciding factor when I saw it on the menu before choosing to go to Graffiti. I was too full for dessert, but next time my sweet tooth is aching, I know where I will go!
Plus, our server was also amazing. She was more than willing to take pictures of our group and even tried to get the best lighting.
Thank you Graffiti for helping to make my birthday fantastic!

I was initially just looking for a good «first-​date» restaurant, and the menu really intrigued me, so I decided to try it. I was so glad I did!
Atmosphere — Relaxed, dim lighting. It wasn’t very crowded, and we were able to catch the Cavs game during dinner.
Service — Great! The server was extremely kind and friendly. He also helped us decide on both our dinner and drinks with a great deal of knowledge. When he noticed my fascination with the menu, he even brought the head chef out to tell me more!
Food — Spectacular! I had the monte cristo, which was beautifully portrayed, but tasted even better. It was a wonderful spin on a classic dish. My date had the chicken parmesan, which was surprisingly spicy, but that only added to the deliciousness!
Overall, I plan on visiting this hidden gem more often, and give it great praise to all of my foodie friends!

OK, at this point some may be thinking «this guy has to be a paid shill…» Can’t blame you, but in all seriousness Graffiti is just that excellent. Third visit here, third wonderful experience.
Decided to try the Battery Park Breakfast: Pork Belly Hash, 45 Minute Eggs, Rye Toast Panzanella, Ketchup Vinaigrette. Learned this dish was the creation of co-​owner Adam Bostwick and he deserves kudos for coming with up with something truly unique – not to mention delicious. Those two words, «unique» and «delicious» are pretty appropriate for everything we’ve tried so far. .
I will be returning to Graffiti soon and can’t wait. If you haven’t tried it yet do yourself a favor and go enjoy a wonderful, creative meal in a great environment served by professional and personable staff,

Friends of ours go here all the time… to the point where they’re on a first name basis with most employees. So, we met them for brunch yesterday to see what all the excitement is about. It was a super cute patio. Spacious enough for many tables but not cluttered either. Our server was fantastic. I drink a LOT of coffee at brunch but my cup was rarely dry. We got the pop tart to share. Delicious! I loved the heaping pile of guacamole. I ordered the burrito and my husband got a special they were having that day, cheddar buiscuit or something? He felt his portion was a little on the small side but still very tasty. I got the burrito which was full of flavor. I’d love to return for happy hour or dinner sometime.

The service was really slow. Yes I was part of a group of 12, but it still seemed to really drag. While it’d be gracious to give the service a 4, the food deserves 6+ so I’ll average my rating out to 5 stars.
I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of sorts when it comes to Shepherd’s Pies. I love a good traditional SP, but have lately been discovering really modern new takes on the dish. I recently said Butcher and the Rye in Pittsburgh deserved the title for most creative SP with their liquid potato foam, but Graffiti has stolen their title.
The SP at Graffiti first of all visually resembles nothing like SP. My first thought was that I was served the wrong dish because it looked like a filet of salmon on my plate at fast glance. That salmon turned out to be a brick of braised lamb. That was set on top a Parsnip Potato pancake and then the traditional inclusions of peas and carrots were strewn about the dish. I loved it! I love when chef’s are brave and creative enough to totally deconstruct a dish and bring it back as something new and the chef here has gone above and beyond doing that.
Do note however that if you don’t like the menu you might be out of luck. One person in my party wanted to add a simple chicken breast to a salad and the kitchen was not able to accommodate that.

A fan of everythibg plus the service was fantastic. The perfect meal I would say… We sat in the patio and had a wonderful time, the drinks were Delish the mule I got was refreshing and the kick of lime i wanted.
The appetizer was fabu the WINGS people soooo good !!! We got the trio and it was worth it.
I had the stuff peppers and pasta and man it was heaven… My boyfriend had the Monte cristo and perfect pork PERFECT! We were beyond satisfied with the service and the meal along with the patio Ambiance. So I say try it right meow!

I loved the patio at this place when it was still Reddstone, so I was excited to see what the new owners did with the place. Well, it’s still beautiful as ever outside. Shaded by trees, you can enjoy a nice breezy meal surrounded by plants and a cobblestone patio. It’s very charming, and of course, there’s a wall of «graffiti» in the back that looks nice.
The menu is definitely «funky.» You don’t have too many options, and we were kind of surprised at the lack of vegetable options. But that didn’t stop us from having a delicious meal. We came on Taco Tuesday, so we tried a couple veggie tacos for an appetizer (meh) and the Grainfitti Salad, which is a mix of lettuce and grains that was delicious and light. And oh, the polenta croutons, oh my! So good.
I got the Walleye for dinner, and it was light and mild, with corn and hush puppies underneath. It was pretty good, not mind blowing. And Adam got the Monte Cristo, which is definitely an interesting, delicious spin on the traditional sandwich. There’s a thick piece of french toast, topped by pork.
Dessert took the cake. Not literally… it wasn’t cake. But it was AMAZING. We got the S’mores. It was basically this amazingly smooth chocolate (ganache? mousse?) on top of a brownie and topped with marshmallow topping. Even if you only come for one thing, come for this dessert.

Graffiti has never disappointed me and continues to surprise me! The chefs here are talented and really have some unique takes on classic dishes. This time we went for brunch, and it’s now my go to brunch place in Cleveland.
Chorizo Pop Tarts? Yum. They’re soft and crumble in your mouth. Served with guacamole.
The Breakfast Board (charcuterie) has one cured egg yolk. Holy cow. That little egg yolk might have been my favorite part of the meal. It was soft and salty and so good! I could easily eat a whole bowl full of those things.
Breakfast Meatloaf. Fantastic. Served with gravy and cheddar grits. I’m not a huge fan of gravy, and I hate grits, and this dish made me love both.
Monte Cristo. Pork tenderloin on top of french toast with a raspberry sauce and some type of cream. Very similar to chicken and waffles, but better! The pork tenderloin was cooked to perfection and was tender as can be.
I was super sad to find out they took the Snickers Bread Pudding off the menu… WHY?! It was soooo good and one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. They replaced it with some smores thing. Lame.
Also, they can’t serve alcohol before 1pm – only beer and wine.
Still haven’t been here for dinner, but will make it there eventually.

This location has the best patio in the Cleveland area. It feels like each seating area is secluded and there is an ample amount of shade provided by the 2 giant tress inside of the area. I can’t get enough time outside during the short Cleveland summers, so that’s why I chose this place to meet up with friends I haven’t seen in a year.
My main reason for choosing this place was solely for the patio, but I will definitely go back rain or shine, or snow and wind. The food is that freaking good! Oh wait, we had drinks first so I should talk about them. There are plenty of local and craft beers on tap and there is a decent variety. I started off with Revolution’s Anti Hero. As I perused the cocktail section, I knew I would be switching. Beer before liquor, never sicker! I ordered the Tommy’s Tree which had tequila, rosemary syrup, and lime juice. Yum. Someone at our table ordered a gin drink (I don’t remember the name) and it had muddled basil and blueberries. I’m not a gin drinker, but this is what I’m ordering the next time I go. I guess that makes me a gin drinker?
Enough shenanigans, I want to talk about the food. I had some of the best food I’ve eaten in a long time. We started out with the crispy chicken livers with apple liver pâté. Holy frijoles, I couldn’t get enough of that pâté. It is super creamy and flavorful and paired perfectly with the crispy liver. Oh we also ordered the Graffiti Artist, which allows you to pick smaller portions of 3 different appetizers. We ordered the wings, based on the waiters suggestion, French onion egg rolls, and chorizo and guacamole potato skins. The wings were my favorite.
As for our dinner selections, we ordered the shepherds pie, monte christo, chicken parmesan, and 4 side plates for sharing. I want to talk about the monte christo. This is not a sandwich. It isn’t laden with powdered sugar as one might think. It is just some of the best sliced pork tenderloin on top of french toast that you’ll ever eat! My mouth is watering just thinking about. Every plate we had was delicious. I love the creative ways each dish was presented.
And yes… we saved room for dessert. Not realizing it, we had actually been there for 3 hours already! Not because of the service, but because of the awesome time we were having. We split the cereal dessert. I loved it because it wasn’t too sweet. It’s actually quite refreshing. And who doesn’t love fruity pebbles!

Mmmm tasty and different.
Although not to the caliber of Cork N Cleaver, Graffiti was indeed very different and interesting.
— small interior– but we were seated right away, in a shared long table.
–appetizers: ordered the graffiti artist– whew, big portions!
–Bologna fried rice: Bologna was good, however being Chinese, I wasn’t a fan of the soy sauce laden rice. But I’m sure people like it.
–fried chicken wings: whew that was real tasty! Meaty and good, especially with the sauce.
–potato skins: man, they were loaded potato skins! Super flavorful, tasty, and pretty heavy– loved the chorizo in it!
— dinner: graffiti burger– a tasty delicious burger. Sadly, the banana ketchup didn’t really taste like banana, but overall, the burger was flavorful and tasty.
— drinks: tried their version of their vanilla dark n stormy, but it was strong. Prob would go with something else next time.
The desserts looked great, but we were way too full! Next time…
I give Graffiti a thumbs up though!

The culinary minds behind the amazing Cork & Cleaver (
) have done it once again. They’ve managed to transform a ho-​hum, sub-​par restaurant/​bar into something guaranteed not to bore you or your palate.
I won’t go into the actual restaurant too much, as I feel my fellow Unilocalers have already done a more than adequate job. Suffice it to say that if you want a loud bar thing there’s one downstairs and if you want a more intimate restaurant dining thing that’s upstairs. Oh, and the stained glass in the upstairs windows is a brilliant touch.
Graffiti, which also sports the tag «a social kitchen» takes after its big brother with a hip but not too hip atmosphere and creative menu that’s world’s away from the rest of the pack. Now, I don’t really understand what a social kitchen is supposed to be, probably just marketing schtick. I wasn’t finding myself being any more/​less social than usual within their confines and the staff sure wasn’t all that talkative. Enough on that. You get my point.
Speaking of the staff, I wasn’t terribly blown away by the service and hospitality. We were greeted immediately upon entering and escorted upstairs, but our hostess and our waitress were more your strong silent types. Kinda serious. Believe me, I don’t need a hug or sloppy, wet kiss when I go to a restaurant, but a smile and some recommendations would have been nice.
The beer and cocktail list is short but sweet with 20 taps of craft beer averaging about $ 6.50 each (a handful of «don’t bother» bottled selections) and a half dozen fancy-​schmancy $ 10 cocktails with names like Take a Chance on Me and She’s a Woman. Kudos for carrying some locals from the likes of Platform Beer Co., GLBC and Fat Head’s. My inner beer geek was satisfied.
The food, now this is where Graffiti shines. Like I said earlier, Graffiti is not yo mama’s restaurant. Taking their cue from the unique creations at Cork & Cleaver, the chefs at Graffiti have really put together a great menu. It’s full of the unexpected like bologna pâté, fried chicken livers and bologna fried rice (they’ve got a thing for bologna) as well as some familiar favorites like wings and potato skins, neither of which will remind you of the local bar up the street.
Here’s something different (and better for you). Rather than bread, you get a little bag of seasoned popcorn to munch on while you wait for your food. Nice touch. For starters, we opted for the French onion egg rolls and Graffiti salad. Yeah, French onion egg rolls. Damn. They made my mouth their bitch and I loved it. Crispy wonton wrappers packed with caramelized onions and Gruyère cheese. It was better than its namesake and would make awesome drunk grub.
The Graffiti salad was one of the most unique salads I’ve ever had. Whoda thought that shaved Brussels sprouts, brown rice and bulgar would get along so well and the house-​made polenta croutons? Shyea. My only complaint, not enough of the champagne vinaigrette. It was a bit on the dry side. Perfect size for sharing, though, so keep that in mind.
My wife did the appetizer/​salad/​pick from my husband’s plate dealy and she went with the ribs and egg salad. Done corned beef style on top of some slaw and dollops of stadium mustard, the ribs were fall off the bone good. Another small gripe, they arrived at the table lukewarm. Not sure if this was their intention, but it just seemed like they should have been hot. The egg salad was comprised of Frisse, a split soft boiled egg, pickled onion, and celery. The touch of smoke from the paprika ailoi paired well with the acidic bite of the dill vinaigrette.
For my entrée I went with what has to be one of the greatest menu creations I’ve had in a very, very long time. Listed as simply «Omelette» on the menu, the name does nothing to prepare your face for what you’re about to put into it. One of the fluffiest, perfectly cooked omelette’s ever — this thing had to be 5″ thick — covered with short rib chili and paired with a side of potato pancakes. Just. Damn. Good. Get it for lunch, get it for brunch, get it for dinner. Just get it.
Graffiti is definitely a marked improvement over the previous tenant and a great addition to the Westside enclave of Battery Park. Their unique takes on classics and innovative new dishes are a welcome reprieve from the same-​old-​same-​old that’s being copycatted all over Cleveland. Locally-​sourced ingredients, artfully constructed plates, delicious food. Sure, some slight hiccups along the way, but they didn’t mar an otherwise delightful experience.

What a fantastic restaurant! For those of you who have never been to the area your GPS is not misleading you. This place is in the middle of a neighborhood.
Now don’t get me wrong I really liked Reddstone but I really like this new take on the place! The owners made the inside of the restaurant much more inviting! I was so happy to see that they changed the windows upstairs to bring in natural light. The most surprising thing about this new restaurant is that it wasn’t more crowded on a Friday night!
My friends and I were seated upstairs near the fireplace (because yes last week it snowed again)! We were the only ones dining upstairs for the first hour and that was quite alright because we were able to be our loud noisy selves. Our waiter has tried pretty much everything on the menu and was able to recommend some dishes to us. He also informed us that they will start having specials in the next week or two (sorry, no happy hour though).
Free Popcorn to start you out with your drinks. The flavor of the day when I went was tomato cheddar. Our group of four started out with the Graffiti Artist in which you get to pick 3 items. We tried the PB&J Wings, French Onion Rolls and the Potato Skins. The French Onion Egg Rolls taste exactly how you think they would, like french onion soup and delicious! The PB&J Wings were interesting. The wings have a great crunchy skin and are moist on the inside but we wanted the peanut butter sauce to have a little more umph! The potato skins were good but I can’t review these as well since I do not like goat cheese. The potato was cooked perfectly and the chorizo tasted great but this is not something I would normally order.
For our entrees we ordered the Monte Cristo, Graffiti Burger and Omelette. All were fantastic. The omelette looks better than any other omelette I have ever seen. It was extremely fluffy and not browned on the outside. Just a note for those ordering the Monte Cristo, it is a deconstructed Monte Cristo not an actually sandwich. Eat all the ingredients together and Yowza! is it fabulous!
We of course also got 2 desserts to share: the Fat Kid and Snickers Bread Pudding. The Fat Kid was a little underwhelming but the bread pudding I would definitely order again!
Make sure to check this place out! The food is great, the mixed drinks are delectable and the service is wonderful. I can’t wait until patio season!

Couldn’t wait to check out this place. I’ve heard only fabulous things about their original restaurant Cork & Cleaver but unfortunately haven’t been. Since Graffiti is close to me I had to see what it was about! Absolutely loved everything — the food, staff, and atmosphere. I had been to Reddstone several times before and they definitely updated the inside a decent amount. Turned the upstairs into dining with a nice lil fireplace. The bar area looks pretty much the same but with a few updates. Love the ‘graffiti’ artwork and bright accent colors they use. Can’t wait for the patio to open.
The food was on another level. We got the ribs to share and they were fall off the bone so good. For entrees we got the burger and the Monte Cristo– both of them were not ordinary at all. The burger had so many different flavors that all complimented so well and was done to perfection. The Monte Cristo by reading the description you would think would be very sweet but no no everything went perfectly together and the pork was so tender. For dessert we got the snickers bread pudding which was just yum. Really wanted to splurge and get ‘the fat kid’ but for two people seemed a bit too much — when I come back with 4 or more people it’s going down!
The staff was so wonderful and friendly and knowledgable. Seriously great experience and I will be back so many times — have a feeling this place will be hard to get a table on weekends in the coming months.

Great new restaurant owned by same people as Cork & Cleaver in Broadview Heights. They have a limited menu buy everything I tried was delicious.
The chicken parmesan is a small portion but very different than your typical chicken parm– it is shredded dark meat chicken confit that is slowly baked over a bed of home made spatzel & marinara sauce. The chicken was tender, juicy and delicious.
The snickers bread pudding was amazing– has chunks of snickers and peanuts in it served with vanilla ice cream.
I also tried the moscow mule which was good– as expected. Service was excellent, fast and friendly.