Cleveland a Food Desert? After Trying 14 Places

Every time I visit my brother here, struggling to find good food drives me crazy 🙃 So I’m putting this together for future reference—all spots are within Uber Eats or delivery distance from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Also… please send me your hidden gems! 🍽️ P.S. My standards here are lower than usual… I come from a state with amazing food, so take that into account 😉 👍 YES 👍 📍 L‘Albatros French spot near campus. Labeled fine dining but feels more like a cozy bistro. Solid food—great for dates 💑 📍 Cordelia Voted Cleveland Magazine’s Best Restaurant 2023! 🏆 One of the few places where the finesse actually met my expectations… though flavors still lean slightly American. 📍 Batuqui Brazilian Restaurant Went for the iconic hanging skewers of grilled meat 🍖… left impressed! Moqueca Baiana is a must-try—a rich, coconut-palm oil seafood stew 🥘 that’s super fragrant and pairs perfectly with rice. Tropical yet weirdly comforting 🤤 📍 The Roaming Biscuit / The Bake Shop & Café Warm scone burger early in the morning? Yes please! 🍔 ✔️ OK – WORTH A TRY ✔️ 📍 Juicy Seafood Cleveland Their signature bag seafood is decent. But the fried chicken wings? Seriously addictive! The owner is a super friendly Chinese uncle 👨🍳 📍 Martha On the Fly It’s a burger joint, but with creative twists 🍟 Cornmeal Fries with Sunshine Sauce and Potato Crispie (choose salmon/sausage etc.) are fun! 📍 Presti’s In Little Italy Tiramisu is good. Everything else… too sweet 🍰 📍 Mia Bella I thought it was just okay… but my brother (a Cleveland local) and his roommate swear it’s one of the best here 🤣 ☕️ COFFEE ☕️ 📍 Rising Star Coffee Roasters 📍 City Roast Coffee And Tea 📍 Euro Cafe 👎 MEH / SKIP 👎 📍 M Italian – Just average 📍 Mitchell‘s Ice Cream – Too sweet 🍦 📍 Dang Good Foods – Marketed as Singaporean… but tastes like generic American Chinese 🥡 📍 Vera’s bakery – Hype from other vendors at the market… but not good. #Cleveland #FoodGuide #CWRU #InternationalStudents #EatLikeALocal #OhioEats #FoodieFinds