Inn On Coventry — Restaurant in Cleveland Heights

Don’t you just hate when you hype up a restaurant to a friend, insist they give it a try, just for the place to let you down and embarrass you?

Inn on Coventry has been awesome in the past, and I feel bad even writing this review, but it needs to be said. The last several times I’ve been there, the food hasn’t been up to its usual standards, but today was so bad, I probably won’t be back for a long time, if ever. Now, I completely get that Covid has screwed up a lot of restaurants. But up until the past few weeks, this place was still pretty darn good. Inn on Coventry used to have amazing buttermilk pancakes, with the crispy edges. And I loved that you can order one, two, or three, because some days, I just can’t eat more than one pancake. I was starting to come in weekly for these great pancakes. Also, the wait staff was so friendly, making this place an all-around pleasure. Then I noticed the service was getting lax — and I was usually going during the week, at times when the place wasn’t busy. But whatever, still good pancakes, right? Not so much the last several times. No more crispy edges, which was bumming me out, but at least they still had a great flavor. And while I wasn’t getting refills on my coffee, I wrote it off as mistakes happen.

But today, when a friend decided he wanted to try the place with me, it all came crashing down. By this point, I’d accepted those crispy edges were just a fond memory, but these pancakes were actually burned. One part of my friend’s order never arrived (luckily, he wasn’t charged for said item, so I guess it was never written down in the first place). We seldom saw our server, but the place was packed, so we forgave that and the burnt pancakes. But then we made our fatal mistake of asking for separate checks cue scary music. The waitress became irate, saying it would take a while to make that happen. No biggie, we didn’t complain. When she came back about 10 minutes later, she huffily handed us the bill, wrote out the exact amounts we each spent, and said we could use that at the cash register. We were also berated for not asking for separate checks at the beginning of the meal, saying they figure most people are either paying together or using Venmo to send each other the money. Our mistake, we admitted, and profusely apologized. Tucking our proverbial tails between our legs, we then took this bill to the cashier. There was much confusion amongst several employees as to whether taxes had been applied to that bill. That was never cleared up, and my friend pointed out he was being overcharged. The cashier actually smirked at him, not offering to fix the issue. He went through the bill, going over each item, and sure enough, he was correct. The cashier angrily gave him his change and refused to say another word. I guess the customer ISN’T always right anymore. I think I might have been charged incorrectly too, but I’m non-confrontational to a fault, and by this point, I was just over the whole situation.

Again, the pandemic has made everything crazy. I get it. But judging by the stress I’ve been observing recently in this previously pleasant staff and the drop in food quality, I believe something has gone seriously wrong with this place. It’s still drawing in plenty of customers, possibly due to the lack of other similar options nearby — but they lost two customers today. I’m sad to see this place...

I recently had the unfortunate experience at Inn on Coventry and I must say, it was one of the worst. It was clear that this restaurant was not up to par. I placed a fairly simple order but several items from their menu, totaling close to $100.00.

First and foremost, the food was absolutely appalling. Not only was it evident that the dishes were not prepared properly, but to make matters worse, we found hair and even paper in our food! One of the items ordered was crab cakes and I must say, it was a truly revolting experience. The moment I opened the carry out container with the crab cakes, an overwhelming stench hit my nostrils. The crab cakes smelled so bad that I couldn't even bring myself to take a bite.

It is common knowledge that seafood, especially crab, needs to be handled and prepared with utmost care to avoid any potential health risks. However, it was evident that the kitchen staff at this restaurant had completely disregarded this crucial aspect. The foul odor emanating from the crab cakes was a clear indication that they were not properly handled. I strongly advise against ordering the crab cakes. It was absolutely disgusting and completely unacceptable. I cannot fathom how a restaurant could allow such blatant negligence in their kitchen.

To add insult to injury, a significant number of items on the menu were unavailable. It was as if they couldn't be bothered to properly stock their ingredients. How can a restaurant expect to attract customers when they can't even provide a decent selection of dishes?

The customer service was equally abysmal. The staff seemed completely disinterested in their jobs and lacked any semblance of professionalism. They were rude, inattentive, and seemed annoyed.

Furthermore, the wait time was unbelievably long just to pick up the order. Once the order was placed, it took an absurd amount of time for our orders to be fulfilled. It was clear that the restaurant was severely understaffed and poorly managed.

Overall, I would strongly advise against dining at Inn on Coventry.The lack of proper food preparation, the presence of foreign objects in our meals, the unavailability of menu items, the horrendous customer service, and the excruciatingly long wait time all contribute to an utterly disappointing experience. Save yourself the trouble and find a different restaurant that actually values its customers and takes pride in its food...

I'm surprised it's taken me this long to write a review of the Inn. This is my favorite breakfast/ brunch place in town. Taste and friendliness of staff are the two areas is like to focus on today. This isn't a swanky brunch place. Rather, it's a mix between a diner and mom and pop shop. The food, however, is tasty. I've had 6 of their egg dishes (the Pan de Mais and Avocado, Mushroom & Jack omelet are my standbys) and never have to use salt or pepper, just a little hot sauce for kick. Everyone knows they're lemon ricotta pancakes are delicious, so I'll just say I really like that you can order them by piece. I ALWAYS order just ONE as my dessert. Their home fries always approaches that line of being too oily, but never crosses it. They're tender with lots of crispy bits and and perfectly seasoned. I sometimes opt for the grits (when I want to feel "healthier"). While they're pretty plain, they're perfectly cooked and delicious with some butter and shredded cheddar, which they'll gladly give you. Oh, they also offer egg whites for those who want to sub. One last thing, if you want a hot sauce (that isn't from a jar), ask for their chipotle sauce for their Pan de Mais. It's smoky, a little creamy and delightfully spicy. It goes so well on any of their egg dishes! The staff here is just the nicest. They're typically very busy on the weekends (get there before 11a to decrease your wait time), so their staff hustles, but I never feel rushed. Rather, I always feel welcomed and cared for. Across the board, the management, the servers and the bussers are nice people. They joke, they're patient and will help you out. I once asked the busser to please get our server because we needed more sweetener and instead, he went back and got it himself. The busser still let our server know and she came by a minute later and apologized for not doing it herself. Another good example is whenever they're busy, they all help each other out with running food, refilling coffee and checking in on folks. It's a tight space in there, but they make it work and do it well. I love this place and as long as they remain consistent, they'll have a happy customer out of me, my friends, my colleagues, my students, my out-of-town guests and anyone else who asks me where to go for brunch. Lastly, if you're looking for two more reasons to come, know that they're local and...