Latest reviews from Independence

“Visited late afternoon on a Sunday. The place is located in a strip mall type area. Plenty of free parking in the parking lot out front. They had some patio seating available, but we opted for inside. We had a larger group of 8 people and expected to have somewhat of a wait. That didn’t happen, so that was a nice surprise. Once seated we were handed our menus and told about the special sandwich of the month. The draft selection was on par with other Melt locations. Almost exclusively craft with an emphasis on Ohio and Cleveland specifically. The food was good. Huge proportions. I left with half my meal in a to go box. Prices on both food and drink were fair. My wife and I had sandwiches and she opted for soup for a small up charge. We kept things under $30 without too much trouble not counting drinks. I would come back to this location if in the area. Pretty relaxed for a Melt location, but otherwise very similar to the others.“

JStax 2893 days ago

“From the outside this looks like the regular small convenient store. On the inside it’s a Beer Mecca. The place is at least 80% beer. More beer than the 1 stop brew stop by us. No taps though. It was great for a out of towner like me. Chance to get some local stuff we don’t get back in NY. The worker did not seem to have any beer knowledge and it took him awhile to ring up my order. I found some good beers though!“

Ron 3254 days ago

“Yea, it’s still there. Last summer while visiting the park. Needed a couple bottles to bring back to NY. Found Hippie IPA and a few others. Small grocery store. A few bottles that I have not seen in NY.“

Ron 3379 days ago

“This is another location that I thought I had reviewed already but I must have confused it with one of the other Melt locations. Very similar to the new restaurant in Mentor, it lacks the vibe of the original Lakewood and east side locations. Fortunately there is absolutely no drop in the quality of the beer or food.

With a large draft list there should be something to choose from no matter your mood. A couple of handles will be reliable but most rotate depending on season and availability. In my experience the Melt locations serve the same beers so the choices should be similar to those elsewhere. Prices likewise range from $3.00 deals on kegs that are being cleared to $7.00 or $8.00 for higher gravity imperial stouts and barleywines.

The biggest benefit to this Rockside Road location is ample parking and east interstate access. While it likes the atmosphere of Lakewood or Cedar it makes up for it with the ability to vut your wait times in half. Come at any time other than peak hours and you should be able to easily get a seat at the bar while you wait for a table to open.

Given its location in a relatively barren part of the greater Cleveland area this should be on the radar of anybody who has business south of downtown. If you are looking to get that Melt experience as part of a longer trip I would recommend either the Lakewood spot (near Rozi’s, the 16 Bit Barcade, and not too far from Ohio City) or Mentor (close to Willoughby, 1899, and a small store to stock up for the drive home).“

Brigadier 3422 days ago

“Stopped in for dinner on a Wednesday evening. The place was crowded, we just happened to find a table near the windows for an awesome view. The beer list was awesome. Lots of taps and bottles. Was able to try a few beers not found in my area. Food was good, as was the service. Definitely worth the stop. Hope to visit again when in the area.“

jandd1983 3515 days ago

“Stopped in on the way back to the airport. Only had time to try one beer, and the food was awesome. Great service, great atmosphere and ambiance. Will definitely spend more time when back in the area. They had a decent list of beers, both on tap and bottled.“

jandd1983 3515 days ago

“Stopped in here 4 times last weekend as it was right next to my hotel and is a fun place to eat and drink at. I’ve had everything they had on tap, but I saw many bottles I’ve never had before. Since I was with my family, I did not drink large amounts. I did have a very nice selection each time. Great staff and decent prices. We had a great time at night on the outdoor patio.“

Ron 3586 days ago

“Last Friday afternoon my son and I stopped in for a couple beers. We did not have time to order any food. We sat at bar and had 2 bartenders asking us what we would like as we checked the beer list. I’ve had all the ones on tap already. Found a couple bottles I have not had yet. My son liked the young vibe in the room. Nice place.“

Ron 3586 days ago

“Excellent service, excellent beer selection, excellent food! This is my favorite of the 4 Melt locations. Try to squeeze in at the bar or a high top table as they are first come first served, otherwise you are probably going to have to wait anywhere from 20min to an hour. Definitely worth the wait if you have a large party.“

Rmill216 3972 days ago

“It’s a convenience store that has the occasional decent bottle--Belgians, microbrews, etc. but not a strong selection, and clearly caters to the macrobrew crowd. Still, if you need a six pack late at night after the grocery stores are closed, it’s there.“

pottygok 4104 days ago

“WInking Lizard“

stranglehold 4664 days ago

“Just a note: Google always likes to put this place on the north side of Rockside. It’s actually up Quarry Lane (the first right after the freeway) on the left of that street, south of Rockside. This is just the second Winking Lizard I’ve been to, and I would have to put it below the one on Coventry. That’s not saying it’s not a good place. In fact, I thought it was very good, but I thought the one on Coventry was great. Had a seat at the bar. The bar itself is not much, but it’s in a big room with plenty of long tables that look through a long window. And it’s obviously a very popular happy hour place. That happy hour knocks off $1 from 22oz drafts until 7pm, which puts them at about the same price as the 16oz versions. Beer menu was a little limited, but they picked pretty good stuff. Nothing too weird or interesting, but that may be more a factor of the neighborhood than anything. I had a Mojo IPA (Boulder) and a Brooklyn Sorachi. Service was very good. The bartender was on top of me with water refills and checking in periodically. I was never waiting around. I went on a Thursday, which is their burger special day. Something like $5.49 for most of their burgers, which usually around around $8. The burger was very good and was a lot of food. I didn’t end up finishing all of it. My advice for this place would be to get there early. When I left at about 6pm, there were roughly ten separate parties waiting for a table.“

ultrashuai 4670 days ago

“It’s a decent liquor store, but they focus mostly on alcohol and wine, with a lot of major beer six packs, some craft brewers and the occasional seasonal selection.“

pottygok 4856 days ago

“Arguably the best beer bar chain in Ohio, the Winking Lizard sponsors a yearly tour of 100 different beers with a prize jacket to all finishers. The Independence location is good, but not the best of the lot. It’s very dark, almost like a cave, with pretty lax and "too pretty to actually work" service, especially at the bar itself. With that in mind, they have over 20 beers on draft, including regular handles from Great Lakes, Stone Brewing, and others as well as "High Hops," "Belgian" and "High IPA" handles that change regularly, and 100+ beers in bottles, as well as a glass of month. If you’re in Independence Ohio, this is the bar for beer.“

pottygok 4868 days ago

“1 of my favorite places to stop when I go shopping in Mentor now....unbelievable selection in beer on tap and in bottles, Founders Porter on tap...are you freekin kidding me. Hard to find beers, great food....a bit pricey, but well worth it, say hi to the Iguana in the window as you come in....yes it winks.“

beergodd1 5160 days ago

“Situated in a pretty non-descript strip mall complex in a quiet ’burb. My boss and I headed there since our hotel was just a block or two away. Atmosphere is alright, if you like sport bars with plenty of widescreens and sports memorabillia. We sat in a booth near the bar section and looked over the menu. Plenty of local drafts to keep a guy like me interested, with a good mix of micros from all over the US, and decent import mix. Sure, they have a few macros, but not enough to keep you away. Prices were quite reasonable, especially the drafts. What caught my eye on the menu was a little caption saying "Orval embassador 2009". I’m pretty sure this was the first time I’ve seen this on this continent. I asked our waitress (she was really nice and helpful) what it took to actually get this accreditation, and she brought me John, one of the head Beer people for the chain who just happened to be there. Next thing you know, our booth was full of Beer guys, both pros and enthusiasts, and p“

Goldorak 5554 days ago

“Visited here in late July ’08. Yes - this is a drug store in a suburban strip mall - don’t let that deter you. Has a wider beer selection than most grocery stores. Found the local Ohio brands - Great Lakes, Buckeye and a good selections of West coast micros - Rogue, Stone, Breckenridge - a few in bombers but no single 12 oz bottles - my only complaint. Store also has a fully stocked grocery store. If in the area and looking for something local - worth a stop.“

PorterPounder 5769 days ago