sarita a restaurant — Restaurant in Lakewood

We frequent Sarita's quite often( at least 2 times a month). So for our 43rd anniversary I made a reservation requesting outdoor seating (fully understanding if weather permits). Upon entering the restaurant we were told there was at least a 45 minute wait for patio. Since we didn't want to wait that long we decided to dine in where we were shuffled off to a table right outside the kitchen. Mind you the inside restaurant was wide open. Disappointed but what can you do so we ordered two drinks. I then decided to check outside just to see if there were any tables available. To my surprise, I counted 4 open tables. I politely went back to the hostess desk and asked why we were not seated outside. We were told the waiters were so busy outside and at this time did not feel they could give us good service outside. They needed to let the outside empty out a bit. I appreciated the honesty and fully understood they could be short on help etc. So I went back to the kitchen, I mean our table. Within minutes we now watch as not less than 3 new groups are escorted outside. I guess the patio suddenly had tables. If we had been told it would be a 15-20 minute wait for outside seating we would of gladly sat at the bar and ordered our drinks and waited. My mild mannered wife who never gets upset was fuming. She insisted we leave so we asked for the bill for the drinks. The owner never asked what was the problem but instead said something like" I'll get your bill". To his credit he did cover the hardly touched drinks. As we left I explained to him what had just transpired. Instead of realizing how a staffer screwed up and apologizing, his answer to me was that I didn't like their earlier explanation. Apparently within minutes the patio suddenly had cleared out and they were able to give good service...

I'm telling you, it's been a while since a Cleveland restaurant has blown me away with their creations... Another fabulous dinner at SARITA in Lakewood. We enjoyed a bottle of Cline Viognier to start which paired well with our first course of rstd blue point oysters topped with a dollop of Calabrian ppr Hollandaise with perfectly crisped bacon shards and fried spinach.... omg, so incredibly good! You have to try this!!! We followed that with the tuna tartare with a Sriracha aioli and deep fried plantain chips, a perfect execution laced with fresh clean flavors of sweet citrus and cucumber, complimented by the Sriracha aioli was just enough to burn the lips after consumption. We then followed the tartare with the special of the day ; Day Boat Sea Scallops seared perfectly and set in a pool of lemon Beurre Blanc with Fava beans, mushrooms, leeks, and fingerling potatoes. There were 6 scallops each the size of a half dollar or better, fresh and sweet such a good price for 6 gorgeous scallops i might add... We shared dessert Which was the signature dessert of Sarita; a dark chocolate torte consisting of layers of dark chocolate cookie crust, a center layer of what seemed to be a chewy dark chocolate Ganache topped with a dense chocolate mousse and whipped cream drizzle on the plate of a raspberry coulis... Enjoyed with two Gran Mariniers. Best dinner in Cleveland in a long time. What a truly delectable dining experience. If you haven't been, I highly recommend Get to Sarita, you'll be blown away. Sorry I didn't have shots of all these dishes...I was totally hypnotized by the food and...

There absolutely aren't enough stars to give this place. The atmosphere is positively beautiful, sleek, clean and the patio will make you feel you're on a well-deserved vacation in Italy or on the Riviera. They have such an extensive menu with a lot of offerings for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten free needs. And the wine and beer lists are beyond belief. I can't imagine anybody walking in this restaurant and not finding something to tempt and tantalize their palate. The staff is very friendly, courteous and well-informed and if you should need an adjustment on any of your orders they are happy to make it for you. This particular evening our table had an outstanding pizza made fresh, rock lobster tail, and assorted cheese tray with crostini to go with it along with sides of olives and roasted peppers and tomatoes. But there's so much more that their menu offers from top to bottom and it's definitely worth your time to visit, stay, savor, and enjoy. In a way it reminds me of an Old Time treasure chest that you read about in a story long ago. From the outside it seems like just a dark brick corner store, but once you open that door and walk in the treasure chest just sparkles and beckons. You definitely won't be disappointed! And one more thing, as you look at the wall decor through the dining and bar areas, what you really are seeing are sound absorbers so that your ears aren't ringing at the end of the night from too much clatter or chatter since the ceiling is an old-fashioned tin ceiling. They thought of everything to make an evening sumptuous...