Downtown 140 — Restaurant in Hudson

Other reviews said the owner needs to get anger management and that the establishment may not appreciate cultural diversity, and I very much concur.

My partner and I came here for the first time looking for an upscale experience just for a nice date night. The only reason we chose here over One Red Door was because they had oysters. Not knowing what we would have for dinner, we decided to go with a cocktail for appetizers and then order wine with dinner once we decided.

We ordered two mixed drink "martinis" that sounded interesting, but honestly were just bad (vanilla stoli, pineapple, blueberry, maybe grapefruit?). Typically my partner and I enjoy cocktails at fine restaurants that encompass the character and ambience of the place; as this was supposedly fine dining, we expected that. Instead, the drinks would've been more appropriate at an 18+ club with a 19 year-old bartender.

But we didn't mind that; we let our server know we didn't like them, she took them away, we expected them to not be on the bill, and we continued with what was a very very tasty and otherwise romantic experience...

Until the bill came and I pointed out the two cocktails. The server said okay she had to get a manager. We're laughing, having a great time, put in coffee to end the night, and this bald red-faced guy storms up saying it's not his fault we didn't like the drinks because they were made properly, yelling and waving his hands, being very aggressive. I was shocked and stayed calm, but it seemed like he was particularly trying to get a rise out of me and was trying to embarrass us as if we didn't belong there.

I said the cocktails didn't pair well with the overall experience (being nice about it), he said "they're cocktails, they're not supposed to!" I said that if I knew I still had to pay for them, I would've just plugged my nose and drank them, but they should've at least told me that before taking the drinks off the table.

We had closed the $200+ bill before noticing the mistake but ordered the cappuccinos after, so he came back and said he would cover the coffee ($5 difference) and I accepted that just so we could leave. He ended up looking like a fool and beyond unprofessional for throwing that whole fit just to end up eating the cost anyway, and now he also has this review to commemorate it.

Beware of any service business owner that snaps on a whim at patrons who spend hundreds--I agree with another review that it was a scary experience. Our server even apologized to us multiple times on our way out, so I can only imagine what she has to go through...

We wanted a very special place to celebrate our 44th Wedding Anniversary. I researched the many options since I am not from Cleveland but was staying in the area as a weekend out of town. Downtown 140 looked like my best option from the pictures as well as the high level reviews others had posted. I called early in the day and had to leave a message. Andy the owner got my call, helped me set the right time and offered that he'd find a special table for us for this special night. I had a last minute change and called back and Andy was very nice and moved our reservation around in a very nice way. The physical space of Downtown 140 was even better than I expected, elegant and perfect for what I wanted. The design includes an open kitchen where you can see the Chef and his staff doing their thing. The menu options were excellent and the presentations of the food exceptional. We had the bread selection option with three different breads and three flavored butter spreads, it arrived warm and so perfect. Fresh oysters, several delicious appetizers, the house salad was absolutely exceptional, perfectly grilled Sea Bass, service was exceptional, a well managed, well appointed, high end luxurious look and feel and an obvious Covid-19 safe environment with greater than 6' spacing inside, available outdoor seating, masks by all servers, clean well lit restrooms etc. Lastly I want to point out something that clearly is the case with this truly special place. THE OWNERS ARE PRESENT AND ACTIVE- Andy and Bridgette are not just there, they are actively involved. Andy and Bridgette are well experienced professionals which I learned because both of them interfaced with us during or after our meal. These are customer oriented, caring and personable owners. Several times Bridgette came to our table to bring something while our waitress attended others, but you could see she personally oversaw every dish coming out, assuring they were right, served quickly etc. We had our special night at a very special place I will absolutely go out of my way to visit again when I am in this area. I wish we had Downtown 140 in our backyard, I'd be a frequent guest...it's a gem of a restaurant Hudson....but surely...

This was my first visit to Downtown 140, and I'm very excited to review this restaurant. First, the service was impeccable! It's apparent that their number one goal is to provide an excellent dining experience. Throughout the entire meal, we felt valued and like our enjoyment was essential to our server and management - which is rare these days.

The menu is so creative, interesting, and alluring that I could have easily tried every dish - not a common experience for me. The three dishes we chose were the octopus, scallops, and lobster gratin.

The octopus salad was one of best the salads I've ever had. I don't even know how to describe it... I felt like I was in Greece. The scallops could not have been cooked more perfectly & the flavor profile was well balanced & delicate enough to highlight the sweetness of the scallops. The lobster gratin had nice flavor, but lacked complexity after the octopus & scallops. It would have been a much better stand-alone dish.

Dessert is where they lost half a star. Considering the creative, chef-forward dinner menu, I expected far more interesting desserts than chocolate mouse, tiramusu, and red velvet cake. I got the red velvet cake, which was moist and tender, but nothing more than a traditional southern red velvet cake. Considering its simplicity and size, I found it to be greatly overpriced. Also, it tasted a bit like cooler, which is something I hate & always worked to avoid.

Overpriced cake aside, we had an INCREDIBLE dining experience! The best I've had in a long time. Between the peaceful ambiance, excellent service, creative menu, and perfectly prepared dishes, Downtown 140 could easily compete with the best restaurants I've been to in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. GREAT JOB 👏

*My next visit, I hope to see a new and inspired dessert on the menu! Call me if you...