Whiskey Island Still & Eatery — Restaurant in Cleveland

This is the only Cleveland restaurant I know of that is right next to a marina on the lake (we have lots along the river). So I love to go at least a few times each spring/summer when I can. (The outdoor patio bar is closed starting mid or late October and doesn't reopen til about May.) Since the new owners took over, there are more and newer patio picnic tables, more table umbrellas for shade, special drink stands at least on certain weekends, a slightly better menu, and kids play areas in the back of the patio. So you sometimes see families here mixing right in with the friendly biker crowd and regulars, which is great. I was also impressed that recently they hired one or two gay bartenders (I recognized them from Twist bar...no idea if they are regular hires or temps), and overall the crowd is very accepting of all kinds of people...I've been meeting my straight and gay friends here for years. The interior restaurant-bar is still small and cramped and still just has two small restrooms, which is odd to me given the weekend crowds. (I've seen porta potties outside on some visits...don't remember if just holidays or all weekends.) This year haven't tried the food, but it doesn't look any better than it did when I tried it in the past. I like healthier menu choices, but for most people eating the Standard American Diet (SAD), the food is probably good enough. Anyway, people really come here for the weekend bands, the big tables perfect for meeting friends or making new ones, the marina views, and Wendy Park next door. So even if Whiskey Island still could be better, the view is fantastic , the summer band lineup is good and diverse, and there's beautiful Wendy Park right next door, which is where most people end up parking on busy weekends. Whiskey Island is still one of the best Cleveland spots for locals and to take friends from...

Went on opening night this year and it was a bit of a let down. The pictures are a bit deceiving as there’s no place to eat inside, and it’s also not “right on the water” as advertised, it’s set about 40-50 feet back from the shore. There’s a huge sidewalk and some lawn between a large mass of picnic tables and the water, so if you want that dining or dancing on the water experience you have to look elsewhere. It’s kind of a weird atmosphere, with much more of a laid back country vibe than modern nightlife or a date night place.

I’m not sure why they have “eatery” in the name because there are two bars and the indoor one only serves drinks. If you want food you have to order at the outdoor bar and stand around or sit at a picnic table or small high top counter. The menu is EXTREMELY limited (hot dogs, burgers, grilled cheese) and the drinks are of course very pricey. If you sit down first, it’s not guaranteed a waitress will come to your table or not. The indoor bar was far too loud to have any kind of conversation, the bar tenders were screaming and people still couldn’t hear them.

Service was pretty slow and chaotic, and some of the wait staff weren’t old enough to serve alcohol which made it frustrating since you had to be lucky to get someone’s attention in the first place.

The band was not anything exciting and though there were a few people in their 20s, most of the crowd was middle aged and up. Only a couple of older ladies were dancing while everyone else sat around. The owner has an interesting podcast and seems to be a real music lover who hand picks the bands though, so I might come back for some of the more promising bands later in the season. Not a bad place but nothing to write home...

We spent the day at Whiskey Island Still & Eatery. Which is a nice spot on the Lake Erie shore with great lake views. They are located next to Wendy Park, which also has great views of the lake. They have a great patio with picnic tables, an area near the outside bar with tables & chairs, and a grassy area to park your own chair. The inside bar area is small. But most people are outside.

Today, there was a great band (56 Daze) out of Toledo that played all afternoon. People were up and dancing, which helped the atmosphere to be very lively. The weather helped to make the day great. Usually, there are bands here on the weekends.

This is also a great place to bring a dog. On this day, there were quite a few dogs here. And they seemed to be having as good of a time as the people were. On most days you will find small children in the outside area here as well.

This is a boaters paradise all of the time, but you don't need a boat to have fun here. This is a great place to bring friends, meet friends, or make new friends. If you don't have a nice time, it's your own fault.

There is a very limited food menu, mostly burgers, fish, & wings. But the food is good and fresh. The food is not unique in any way, but it is good nonetheless. Everything I have eaten here has been good. But to be honest, you are coming here for the people, drink & atmosphere, not for an out of the world meal.

The staff and servers are always smiling, happy, and friendly. The service can be real fast, real slow, or anywhere in between. It really depends on how many patrons are there and the staff size that day. But don't be afraid to stop. They will do their best to get to you. Enjoy the vibe while you wait. Enjoy...