The Barking Spider Tavern

Tradition has been passed. 21 YO daughter has officially been introduced to the Barking Spider. Best people, pub and pups in Cleveland.

I LOVE this place. It’s tucked away, it almost has a cabin and woods feel, but it’s not. They have great outdoor space in both the front and back of the place (under boysenberry trees, no less!) and have live music nearly every day of the year. I don’t believe they serve food, but they have an alright beer selection; nothing special or microbrews. They might switch out the Great Lakes for seasonals, but the rest are going to be consistent.
It’s a great crowd of all ages and I find the atmosphere particularly welcoming.
They do pass a jar around for tips for the band; there is no cover and the beer is cheap. I’ll pony up for the hardworking entertainers.

Great little venue for a drink and some music.

Awesome bar, great acoustics, went to listen to Blues Chronicles great as always.
If you want to experience a venue that brings summer inside check this joint out.

This place was really cool. It’s super hidden so parking is tough but the building is awesome. They have a huge patio and keep the patio doors opened so the whole place has a great, open feel. We went on a night that had a live band and it was packed! Packed, but manageable.
The only downside is they are cash only, which really isn’t advertised anywhere so you only know when you get your bill.
It’s near Clevrland State University but to our great surprise, wasn’t climbing with college students.
I’d definitely go back!

We were excited to have a short walk from dinner to the Barking Spider for a drink.
At first, it really caught our eye how quaint this little bar/​tavern was and thought we would stick around for a few beers.
Turns out, this place has an extreme rude staff, who gave a tongue lashing to us for not wanting to contribute to the fund for the band (not an entertaining band in the least).
It was an embarrassment for the blonde server with glasses, and the establishment more so than for us. It is safe to say I would never take anyone to this shithole wannabe hip bar. There are too many other places that would appreciate business from its patrons and would welcome and appreciate new business.
Do.Not.Give.Them.Your.Money.
I would have rather thrown money away them give it to those wannabe losers.

Lovely place for live music on a weeknight. Great sound and friendly company for an out-​of-​towner. It’s hard to find (nestled among university buildings), but keep looking and you’ll be glad you did. Note: this is NOT a student bar at all.

Nice enough place … limited options for drinks … nice lady who operates it.

This place was amazing! Went on a quiet night but the patrons and owner couldn’t have been more welcome to this out of towner. Just beer here. Cash only. Ask around if you are in the area because I think it may be difficult to spot.

This place has great personality! Live music almost every night. No cover bands here. Only talented musicians playing the best jazz and blues. It’s a great little bohemian hide away in university circle.

Looking for a small bar with outdoor seating, live music, and a cozy atmosphere? The Barking Spider is the place for you.
The bar isn’t very large and isn’t really easy to find. Nestled behind the Coffeehouse on Juniper and next to L’Albatros in the middle of Case’s campus, it’s a place most people hear about through word of mouth. But, it’s one of the best places on campus to go and relax. If you go early in the day during the spring in the summer, you’ll be able to enjoy a beer or two in a place that will make you forget you’re in the middle of Cleveland.
There isn’t a huge draft selection. Food is limited to snacks, such as pretzels and potato chips. But in terms of the atmosphere, it’s hard to find anything else like it in the middle of Cleveland.

I frequent the barking spider for the crowd and relaxed vibe for the most part. Great place to stop on a warm summer night in CLE.

This is strictly a bar! Alcohol and drinks only! If you get hungry, go anywhere else on the street. They only have a few bags of chips here!
But if you’re not hungry, they have some great selection of drinks! The atmosphere is great! They have live music sometimes and book readings. No matter what you may be into, they’ll probably have one night of entertainment for you!

As someone who both went to school for four years at Case and now works at the university, I’ll confess that I’ve developed something of a love-​hate relationship with this place, and have really struggled with how to rate it.
I love the rustic atmosphere and sitting around the warm wood-​burning stove with friends on a cold winter night, and the outdoor patio seating is great fun for the few months a year when the Cleveland weather cooperates. Barking Spider also has great live music (lots of folk bands and singer-​songwriters come through) in an intimate environment and, best of all, no cover. I’ve got lots of good memories from nights here. So five stars for atmosphere and music.
On the other hand, the draught selection is, to put it mildly, lacking. There’s a couple standard domestics on tap, plus Edmund Fitzgerald, Commodore Perry, and Newcastle Brown Ale. The selection never really changes and could really do with some more variety and a larger number of options from some local craft brewers. There’s no liquor, but that’s fine.
Finally, there’s really, really no excuse for not taking credit cards these days given that anybody with a smartphone can now process them through Square for next to nothing. That old cash register behind the bar that appears to date from the era before electricity yet is still in use is a fun to see, but seriously, it’s time to move on…
Still, I grudgingly give this place four stars for the music and atmosphere. Just remember to bring cash.

I came here on a mild August evening and it was well… empty. That said, there was a girl singing live, and they had a huge selection of beer. The beers were excellent, but since they were cash only, I was a little bit bummed.
This place is cute, and I can imagine it attracts the college crowd quite a bit. Now that I’m a little bit older than they are (a LITTLE bit), I think I tend to like places with a higher end vibe. Nevertheless, I see the charm, and I would give it another chance especially if there was an artist someone wanted to see.
Charming. Very charming.

A bastion for good music, smack in the middle of CWRU. A crossroads. The owner will often keep loud talkers /​blatherers on the down low so everyone else can hear the music. The building, layout, and décor is great. I’ve taken just about every family member and friend who has visited me in Cleveland to the Barking Spider, truly an integral part of the city. I hope it’s around forever.

The diverse regulars are a big part of the appeal here, for me. But it’s overall a fun atmosphere and a good place to play darts or a board game in the back room, or to hear some music in the main room. Summer nights in the patio area are truly charming. I wish my cat were calm enough to come to the Barking Spider in a backpack.
This is pretty much the only bar I like.

A cat, 3 dogs, and me and 3 of my friends walk into a bar… Well, the part about me is true. But a guy with a cat in a backpack and two different people with dogs did walk in while I was there. Odd.
Decided to stop by The Barking Spider after having dinner nearby. I’d never been there, so I had no idea what to expect. I discovered a cute little venue with a cash only bar featuring wine and beer only and some great local musicians. And a not so funny comedy group. Oh, and a big water jug (think orange sports jug) for patrons that the aforementioned dogs seemed to like a little too much. Slurpity slurp slurp. I didn’t have the heart to tell people about the dogs licking the jug, but every time someone got a glass of water, I died a little on the inside. And got a little skeeved out.
Overall, had a very nice evening enjoying some bluegrass. I’m not even a big bluegrass fan, but it was nice to sit back, enjoy some tunes, and sip on some white wine. As others have mentioned, talking while a band/​artist is performing is discouraged, so if you want to catch up with a long lost friend, this isn’t the venue for you.
I definitely plan on going back. I’d love to check out the patio in the summertime. And see what other members of the animal kingdom stroll on in.

Health Code Violations — Owner’s dogs defecating in establishment!
Came here to enjoy some good music; however, when Martin owned this joint it was superior to what it is now.
There were two dogs IN the restaurant/​bar area, looked like German Shepherds. They both defecated in the carriage house, which is where we were seated. Horrible stench – why are these dogs here? The new owner was cleaning up after them-​AND it was raining = wet dog smell. NICE.
It made the night truly disgusting-​my friend seemed embarrassed for having played there.

So perfect!
I love the outdoor atmosphere, with animals and people mingling and friendly. I was really shocked to have found this place as enjoyable as I did.
Now, I always get super excited for pitchers with the ladies here. We always have a good time with good laughs, and the music is always entertaining. I grew up with live music EVERYWHERE, so this really makes me feel at home.
Just remember to bring your dollar bills! (Cash only, and for donations to the live music!)