Lion on Lorain

They closed the kitchen for a time but have now reopened and the owner is super responsive to customer comments! Give it a try! The tacos are amazing — we haven’t tried the ribs yet but we plan to soon!

This unassuming little bar serves delicious homemade BBQ and has a nice selection of craft beers. I had the Vanilla Porter which has notes of coffee and a subtle vanilla flavor. We also tried the Great Lakes Commodore Perry which was good. The real surprise was the Mac & Que-​even better than your imagine. The smoky bbq sauce and shredded pork take mac n cheese to amazing. Best part: this place is cheap. $ 5 for the Mac, football food specials $ 4 – 8. They don’t have diet coke today… but we are assuming this is not a normal thing;)

My first visit to Lion a few years ago was great. Delicious food, extremely awesome bartender, great atmosphere. Last night made me never want to go back, and I won’t. I was Meeting my friend for dinner around 7:30, I was there Earlier and was told I had to place my food order fast because the kitchen was closing. Facebook states their kitchen is open till midnight. What?
I order a drink from the most clueless bartender on the planet (to be fair I don’t even think she was a bartender, she had no idea about anything). She can’t even find the bottle to pour the bourbon into a glass. She even asked my friend who said she wanted a kettle one and soda water if she wanted coke?!?
Weird.

Today I had the Lion Burger… It was fresh made and tasted excellent. I ordered some wings to go and I had to eat a few because they looked delicious, ended up eating the whole dozen.

Okay, so my Wife and I wanted to get something affordable but different. After looking at a hardy cache of reviews, we settled on someplace we’d never been before… The Lion on Lorain.
The Lion used to be, from what I’d known, just a standard biker bar and grill with a friendly rep.
We went there expecting something simple… basic…
AND WERE BLOWN AWAY.
Firstly, the young lady at the (whose name escapes me, so I’ll apologize to her now cause it was a little loud and I couldn’t hear well when she told me,) was gracious and thoughtful. We ate at the bar, so firstly we got water and a libation and everything seemed nice… then… WE LOOKED AT THE MENU…
I was astounded; they serve Mexican/​Indian Fusion. The food is a hardy mix of locally grown stuff combined with spices and zest that blends into food that is… well…amazing.
I got an Indian chicken taco combination with, with home made chutney and a winning sauce, that had such taste that I was just astounded at every bite. Add to that corn chips with a MOLE’ SALSA that was the perfect compliment. I could have eaten myself silly. This stuff is just amazing, and it only made me want to come back for more!
Tino, the chef extraordinaire, is a culinary school grad and a wizard with sauces; I swear I saw him with a wand back in kitchen:) We also got to try a virgin drink (no alcohol,) with a simple syrup he made that tasted like a summer breeze on a sun kissed island. (Yeah, it was that good:) I give him and his kitchen staff a quadruple «thumbs up», let me tell ya.
On top of that, the menu includes a fair number of vegetarian/​vegan options for those who want their stuff raw or cooked. The diversity was very refreshing and unexpected for what, obstensibly, we thought was biker bar!
Now, one of the only drawbacks here is the fact that it’s only street parking, but I say if the food’s this good, I’LL WALK! We came on Sunday afternoon (with I suggest cause it’s not as busy,) and got a good spot.
The place is clean and well kept, there’s a pool table and music and more tables in the back to fill up with hungry patrons. The bar top is spacious and the atmosphere friendly. The place is also motorcycle friendly, and the folks there are great.
I have to say, besides the great service, I gave the place 5 stars for the FOOD. I have never had such a winning combo.
So, believe me cause I ain’t lyin when I say The Lion On Lorain is going to be on my «stop off and chow down» list for many seasons to come!
(BTW, as an additional note; Tino told me that he had only been there a short while [under two months] thus the newer, more radical menu. The stuff we got was original and amazing.)

Wow, this place has gone down. Been in the past and decided to take some friends there last Saturday night. 7 and only people in the place other than two dudes at the bar. Ordered a Labatt and Murphy’s stout on tap. Bartender comes back and says they don’t have Blatz! Spelled it for her, but she was so lost, I went over and got a Miller Lite for the wife. My draft took three people (two not working at the place) and 10 minutes! Asked about the menu and was shown the board on the wall with three things.
Figured without Blatz (!!!) and ten minutes to get a draft, probably should see the writing on the wall and get out! Too bad, been a few times, but I guess the fact the place was empty, unlike before, is a sign of the times.
Had a decent thing going, personally would pass. Oh yeah, playing the radio for music, seriously!

Disappointed when we showed up after 5pm and told that 1) dinner menu not available until 7pm, and 2) the menu changes so what we saw online wasn’t available.
Not from the neighborhood? Not three sheets to the wind on a Saturday evening? Be prepared to feel like an outsider.
With that said, the vegan sage chili dog and sweet potato tots were tasty (would like more tots though). Owner/​bartender/​food creator was friendly enough, you can tell he puts effort into his place and what he serves.

I saw the positive reviews on Unilocal and decided to give them a shot.
I honestly cannot see what is so great about this place. I think most of the reviews end up positive because of the cheap priced beer. Being cheap doesn’t make it good and my visit was not pleasant.
I immediately felt out of place as I walked in the door. This is a local dive/​biker bar. If you have a shirt that requires buttoning, this is not your place.
The tables are too tall for the barstools. It was very uncomfortable to sit and eat a meal. It felt like I was a little kid at the adult table.
The food itself was a disappointment. I ordered a couple tacos and a friend ordered a burger. The meat for the tacos are something that I would liken to dog food. Burned and chopped up into tiny pebbles. Very unappealing. Overall, combination of items and textures on the tacos did not equal a tasty package. Throwing a piece of salami on a taco doesn’t make it special.
My friend ordered a medium well burger. It came out completely charred. One small bite and it tasted like charcoal. The server asked if we wanted them to remake it.
I declined, because I didn’t want to spend another 25 minutes waiting for them to put out another burger. She then commented that next time we should order it medium.
She took the burger away and still charged us for it on the bill. It was inedible. Thanks, for the lame experience.

Another great experience and I didn’t totally screw over my diet!
I had a chili cheese dog, no bun and my man had a breakfast dog. Holy breakfast dog – get this thing, like now. A fried egg, bacon and cheese all on a dog? You bet your ass. The chili dog was great, even without the bun and the chili itself was very meaty with what I think were black beans. I also ordered a salad and skipped the fries.
The owner is awesome, the bartender was a peach and the drinks are cheap.
Love this place!

I just love Lion on Lorain. It’s kind of a dive but everyone there is super fun and there’s PLENTY of seating. The food is great and the drinks are cheap. I’ve gotten quite a few things off the menu and return on a regular basis for Taco Tuesdays. I wouldn’t say their taco’s are worth the regular price, but for $ 2, hell yeah!

I can’t believe it took us so long to check this place out! My friends and I chatted for a couple minutes with the owner, Jason (a really cool guy). He mentioned that more people from our West Park neighborhood are starting to come in, but that, for awhile, people seemed to be intimidated by the outside for some reason. My friend: «Maybe it’s the sign with the lion lapping up a pool of blood?»
In actuality, the bar could not be more welcoming. Big parking lot, tons of tables, awesome music, really friendly staff and OMG delicious food.
The tacos on Taco Tuesday are AWESOME! The taco menu changes each Tuesday somewhat, with really cool combinations. I LOVED the breakfast taco last week — hashbrowns with a runny fried egg, jack cheese and spicy aioli. It was one of the best breakfast-​for-​dinner foods I’ve ever had.
The biggest problem I can see most people having is that you’ll want to try every single taco (5 – 10 varieties), but they’re so large that you can probably only have two or three, tops. My husband regularly orders four, and that is way too much for him (and he can eat A LOT).
This is a place I can see making our regular place to eat, have a drink, and meet some of our neighbors.

Taps don’t work so no drafts… Ordered hot garlic wings with ff and got garlic butter wings instead with curly fries that were hard!!!
I’d say to the kitchen…
Go buy a ff cutter and do handcut ff cause those things you buy in a bag suck…
Oh and fix the taps…
And kill the fruit flies…
Then I’d prolly give you a 3…
Sorry LOL but you need to cross T’s and dot I’s

Jason is ALWAYS completely creative, and awesome!
Biker bar meets executive chef? And fabulous food of course :)

The Lion on Lorain is a blue collar bar with class and yes, they have an Elvis pinball machine. Unilocalers (myself included) can be some pretty tough critics so when I noticed that a bar in my neighborhood has 4.5 stars after 23 reviews I was intrigued. How can this be? What makes them so special? Well, my wife and I decided to end the speculation on a recent Tuesday evening and pay them a visit.
We decided upon a Tuesday for a couple of reasons; we don’t like crowds and it was taco Tuesday ($ 2 tacos!). We walked through the front door around 5:30 and there were only two other people at the bar. The juke was pumping out some Zeppelin and the biker-​friendly vibe was evident. Harley-​Davidson inspired colors grace the walls with plenty of tin signage to match. The rest of the space has a nice comfortable neighborhood bar vibe completely devoid of pretention and snobbery. Our server/​bartender was very friendly and accommodating, greeting us with a smile as soon as we sat down.
I’m a bit of a beer snob, a fact I wear proudly on my sleeve, so I’ve gotta hit the beer list, or lack thereof. The Lion on Lorain is not a beer bar. They have five taps, one of which was not working on the eve of our visit, and the other four included Shocktop Sunset Wheat, Guinness, Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs Christmas Ale (odd, I know), and Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. I’ve gotta give it to them for at least having some unique brews on tap. There were also some interesting craft bottles available but they keep them hidden behind the bar. Just a suggestion guys, print out a beer list. Your customers will thank you.
Now on to the food. The main reason for our visit was the Taco Tuesday promotion. Every Tuesday they have a taco-​only menu where you can choose from a handful of different varieties for $ 2 each. Not a bad deal if you ask me. For this particular TT they had 9 soft tacos from which to choose. Here’s what we sampled:
Cordon Bleu: pulled chicken topped with romaine lettuce, ham, Swiss cheese and the Lions’ own BBQ sauce. Nothing like combining a taco with a ham and Swiss sandwich to make you drool. The chicken was tender and seasoned perfectly.
Puerto Rican: rice and beans topped with pulled pork, fresh morcilla (Spanish black sausage), romaine lettuce and Lion BBQ sauce. This was my wife’s favorite. The combination of the spicy sausage, black beans and rice were amazing. I’ve never been to Puerto Rico and probably never will but I’d like to imagine if I did this is what their food would taste like.
The Hipster: seasoned ground beef topped with romaine lettuce, fried salami, mozzarella/​provolone cheese, and Cajun aioli. I think it was the fried salami that put this one over the top for me. It was salty, slightly crispy on the edges and the Cajun aioli added just the right amount of heat. This is one taco I would never eat ironically.
Shepherd’s Pie: seasoned ground beef topped with a slice of Shepherd’s pie, romaine lettuce, mozz/​provo cheese and BBQ sauce. Holy shit was this good. I’m pretty sure whoever came up with this one is a bit off, but I loved it. The slightly sweet sauce went perfectly with the spicy beef. It also made me wanna try the Shepherd’s pie on its own.
All in all these tacos were brilliant. They were stuffed to overflowing with fresh, flavorful ingredients and the combinations were unique and memorable. I was worried that I wouldn’t be sated with a mere two tacos — I had nothing to worry about. I also liked the side of chips and salsa. If the rest of their menu is this good I can’t wait to try it.
We had a pretty good time during our first visit to the Lion on Lorain. The staff is friendly (thanks to Jason, the owner, for coming by to introduce himself to us and tell us about the various specials they have during the week) the tacos were delicious and the location is comfortable. If I had to offer a few final words of suggestion I’d say up the ante with the draught beer offering and more chips with the tacos, please.

Can I give it 6 stars??? One of my favorite places to eat EVER. The staff, chefs and owner all are great. I have submitted several pictures from the menu… and that is my suggestion… to try EVERYTHING. I once had an orange cinnamon hotdog w jalapeño green beans and it was amazing (it was one of the daily specials). The daily specials are also great and daring to mix & match flavors but each one is better than the next. Support your local dining establishment… stop in for a beer or 5… say Hi to Jason Wagner (the owner) and enjoy your meal. I’m betting you will be back

For months Lion on Lorain has been my dinner pick, but I kept getting overruled by «it’s just a bar» or «I want to sit down at a restaurant» quips. Today I triumphed and it was magnificent. Happy Tuesday, my friends! Taco Tuesday at Lion on Lorain features $ 2 tacos with a changing menu from week to week.
This week’s creations included (cue heavenly harp-​strumming…) 1) seasoned ground beef, romaine, fried salami, provo-​mozz cheese with cajun mayo; 2) sauteed turkey pastrami, grilled potatoes, romaine and sweet onion slaw; and 3) cucumber, fresh green beans, romaine, avocado, fresh tomato wedges and bell pepper-​hummus spread.
I ordered one of each. Verdict: wow.
Solid, solid meal. Very well balanced flavors. The fresh vegetables were perfectly blended with sauteed and seasoned meats. Umm, fried salami? Yes, please. Best fresh green beans featured in a taco dish, ever. I felt satiated and just generally impressed. The plate also included a perfect smattering of chips and tasty salsa. «Just a bar» my ass. This is serious stuff!
(Taco Tuesday 5 – 10 p.m. or sell-​out. Also of note: $ 2 Coronas, $ 2 Domestic Beer after 7 p.m., $ 1.75 Domestic Beer from 3 – 7 p.m. and $ 2 Well Drinks.)
My better half gave his two beef tacos thumbs up, and regretted not getting one more! They’re very decently sized tacos (not at all the cheapy, throw-​down tacos you scarf someplace else) and three were perfect for this gal with a good appetite.
With about 28% tip for the fabulous service (we felt very welcomed and well-​attended, especially my BF’s picky ordering), five tacos and two drinks came to less than $ 20.
Lion on Lorain also serves weekend brunch, what appears to be bacony dishes, burgers and other specials throughout the week. I heard of build-​your-​mac-​n-​cheese once. Must check it out.

While I am still a huge LOL advocate, I must say we’ve found some disappointing changes recently.
First, what had remained the same: the deliciousness of everything they have and the great bartenders! The staff is fabulous and one of our (and I think everyone else’s) favorite bartenders works here. Shout out to Wayne! All of the food is still delicious (though that’s part of the change I will mention). I recently went for Taco Tuesday and everything I tried was SO GOOD. Even the weird specialty tacos that they featured weren’t just weird, they were tasty!
Now for the changes that are making me feel a little less in love. Maybe I’m just wary of change, I don’t know. But, the menu is different and the kitchen staff is new! First issue with the new menu: it’s printed on black background. I can’t read it! Then, once I caught just the right lighting to get rid of the glare and make out the letters, I found that some favorites have been banished. My popcorn. Why: raises arms to the heavens; pained: the popcorn!!! Next, the boy’s favorite burger, which had avocado and ciabatta bread as a bun, was gone. Then, I discovered that the fish sandwich I liked so much had disappeared as well! Also, no mention of the jojos anywhere!
Now, obviously this all seems pretty stubborn and «stuck-​in-​my-​ways» of me, but when we come to LOL, we have habits and regulars that we know and love here.
But, we’re not going to give up trying to find new favorites. Like I said, this bar is good at what it does and I love it.
But, Lion, please print your menus on something I can read.
The end.

Well… I’m so irritated with this place. Read all the reviews and thought it would be an enjoyable time. WOW, was I WRONG!!!
Got there about 6:15pm on a Friday, 1 table of 4 and 1 group of 2 at the bar. A couple other groups of 2 – 3 trickled in while we waited for beers and to place our food order. At 7:45pm we got our food and left at 7:55pm. So disappointed.
First, we noticed the GL Xmas ale still «on tap». We asked for 2 of them. Bartendar pours them for us and right away we noticed they werent the right color for xmas ale. My bf sipped his and said for sure that it wasnt and then we asked her if it really was xmas ale, she says it is but checks the keg to make sure… its dortmunder, duh!
Ok fine, we get conways in a bottle. Then I noticed that mussels were on the menu… perfect for a Friday in Lent. No such luck, they arent serving mussels anymore.
So, we ordered the Skinny Dego, Beef Tacos and the Jersey Shore burger. Lets just say we would rather eat food ofF the cast of the Jersey Shores asscracks. The tacos literally «peed» grease! It was incredibly disgusting. The Skinny Dego (ordered without onion) came out minus lettuce, which I didnt ask to be deleted from the sandwich. The jojos were horrible! Some were barely cooked, almost raw, the others werent burnt to a crisp! After of more than an hour of waiting to get food we were starving, but could barely eat of the food.
I really wanted to like this place and was so excited to try it. 45 minutes into the wait, I was still hoping something good would happen. It never did. The entire experience was so awful. The service was terrible, granted the bartendar was the only one who seemed to be working, except for the chef. She seemed way over her head and the chef actually came out to yell at her at one point. It was an uncomforable situation for patrons to witness and I did feel bad for her. But we should not have to flag her down for another beer when we are sitting at the bar. There was one other guy who seemed to switch between the kitchen and the bar, although it looked like he wasnt helping at either side. He just seemed to wander around and accomplish nothing.
I really wish we had the experience and the food that everyone who gave this place 5 stars did.

I found out about Lion on Lorain after a recent Unilocal event, and I was impressed enough to go back a few days later to try their «Sheen» burger.
The name of the burger may have drawn my eyes to it on the menu, but the fact that it’s a burger topped with Fritos, chili, and smoked onions was the motivating force to stop back up. It was everything I had hoped it would be and then some. They also have some amazing sweet potato tater tots… delish!
The bar staff is really friendly, the executive chef came over and gave me a great rundown on what their goal is for the menu, and the owner seems like he’s really dedicated to make Lion on Lorain a smashing success.
For a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere this place is top notch!

Pretty impressed!
Lion on Lorain is a new edition to… what neighborhood is that, even? Lorain neighborhood, I suppose? Either way, it’s surrounded by barber shops, Lebanese hookah bars and Latin convenience markets. It strangely sits amongst all of this and stands out as an upstanding sports bar.
Inside it’s clean and uncluttered. The menu is creative and yet simple. We ordered a single chicken taco because I wanted to try it and Paul didn’t see anything that said «Flaming/​habanero/​ghost pepper/​killer hot» on the menu so he didn’t want anything. On Tuesdays, Tacos are only $ 2 and it’s absolutely $ 2 worth. It’s a whole slice of juicy and flavorful chicken on a bed of lettuce, tomato, avocado and flavor. One of the best taco’s I’ve had in a while.
Their drought list is limited, but they have plenty of beer in the bottle. Also, I’ve noticed that the bar has quite a few characters. Looking beyond the scantily dressed bartender (are fishnets under leather jeans really necessary?), there was a lady who insisted someone at that bar decapitated her cats and there were a handful of otherwise normal looking bar goers and a couple of bikers. I like bar diversity so this place is great!
Overall, I think I may have to hit this place up for a game and try one of their burgers or famous pressed sandwiches. Just reading through the menu makes your mouth water plus they have a whole wall of high quality HD TV’s. Like!