Cleveland Ohio: The Rowley Inn

Quick….. close your eyes and picture your favorite Christmas movie. Do you see a leg lamp? Or bright pink bunny suit? Now picture yourself standing in front of the iconic yellow house with green trim. Snow is falling and you hear the faint bark of the Bumpus’ dog next door.

Can you guess where you are? That’s right, you are in the Christmas Story movie. But, the coolest thing about this day dream, is that it doesn’t have to be a dream. You can actually visit the Christmas Story house in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland.

If you are lucky enough to find yourself standing in front of Ralphie’s house at 3159 W 11th Street, like we were last month, all you have to do is turn 90 degrees to your left to find one of the city’s coolest and most authentic dive bars. The Rowley Inn is a true neighborhood bar where you you can drink at 7a.m. and not be judged. Its the kind of place you’d imagine Ralphie’s old man hanging out at. But its more than just a dive bar.

The menu is creative, putting a “Cleveland twist” on classic dishes. You know what that means: plenty of pierogi on the menu.

To beat the crowds that we knew would come in hoards to see the Christmas Story house, we decided to head over for breakfast and try their Pierogi Omelet. We didn’t know what to expect when we ordered it. Would it be a Frankensteined mash-up of a pierogi and omelet? Or a traditional omelet filled with mini pierogi?

It was neither of those. It is a pierogi shell stuffed with scrambled eggs, kielbasa, cheddar cheese, home fries, roasted garlic mashed potatoes. The shell isn’t “pinched” shut like a pierogi, but rather “folded over” to resemble an omelet. It comes with a side of sauerkraut and sour cream.

It’s a delicious and hardy breakfast. Goes great with a beer or Bloody Mary!

The rest of their menu is just as intriguing. I am dying to try their poutine (with pierogi substituting for the fries). The Loco Moski is a twist on the traditional Hawaiian comfort food: Loco Moco. It’s three pierogi topped with a burger patty, fried onions, eggs and peppered gravy. The Polish-ish Boy is sandwich with Kielbasa, kraut, peach 15 bourbon bbq, stadium mustard, sautéed onions & peppers, served on a pierogi bun. You can get some more traditional items, like the Pierogi Dinner.

Details:

Address:

1104 Rowley Ave, Cleveland, OH 44109

Dine in and take out

Kitchen Hours:

Monday to Thursday 7am - 10pm
Friday and Saturday  7am - 11pm
Sunday 7am-9pm
Happy Hour Monday all day, Tuesday-Friday 3-6