The Woods Restaurant and Lounge — Restaurant in Rocky River

Well, usually this is a great place to go with very good food, but Saturday was atypical. The lasagna was delicious and the eggplant was excellent on the Salvatore platter. The chicken parmigiana was slightly hard and somewhat thin lending the chicken to a more chewy consistency and not cuttable with a fork. The worst part of the food we ordered was the full rack of ribs, however. I may be spoiled by my wife’s cooking because she makes ribs that fall off the bone and can be scooped up with a spoon. The Woods had a rack that was stiff, like you could pick half up by the last rib and the whole thing would just be straight… like there was no give at any joint, no bending, no separation of meat, hard. The meat was actually crunchy and something that you had to forcefully rip from the bone. In fact, the shrimp was also crunchy in the appetizer. The atmosphere was awesome and the service was divine but the meatball in my daughter’s spaghetti was dense and hard and, ultimately, chewy. Unfortunately, we sent the ribs back, and went with lobster ravioli and stuffed mushrooms, which...

One might described the venue as constricted as the dining spaces can be a bit tight. I found it cozy enough navigating the stairs to one of the dining areas on the upper level and sliding into a pew. Yes, a pew. Some of the booth seating has been repurposed from churches. Our server, Anna, who has been recognized from other reviews for her speedy service, was again on point with cheerful and expedient form. Our selections of chicken florentine and eggplant siciliano along with smooth Malbec and Moscato wines were tremendous. The accompanying pasta was perfectly al dente, which is often very hard to find in even the most traditional Italian eateries (mainly because it is precooked to mushiness). Great job and I recommend one gets there early because the place fills up and I can understand why. Would surely make a...

We hosted a birthday dinner on a Saturday evening and it was very nice. Setting up a reservation was easy, working with Chad was great. Our server Anna was absolutely amazing. She handled 15+ people with ease and was a joy to have. She was very attentive and our evening was so nice because she did such a great job. Good was good across the board & lots of options to pick from. Portions are generous, you won't leave hungry. This is a small restaurant with cozy seating, be prepared to be close to one another. It worked perfect for our group but something that may be helpful knowing ahead of time. Overall, great...