April 2010 – A few of my co-workers and I were in Cleveland for a trade show, and we were definitely in the mood for some good authentic Italian food. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives featured Geraci’s Restaurant in Cleveland last year and it looked excellent, so we decided to check it out. It’s a small place in a strip mall across the street from a bigger mall. (Double check your directions before going. My GPS sent us through a really “unsavory” part of town to get there, when there were easier ways.) No worries though. We made it.
The food was pretty straightforward: classic Italian dishes mostly made in house. (I say mostly, as we asked if the gnocchi was made in house. It was not.) There was stuff ranging from pizza and subs to pasta and veal. I ordered a meatball sub and small pepperoni pizza. Stacie ordered a plate of pasta. Dave ordered chicken parmesan, and the other guy ordered some sort of veal and artichoke thing. (Note: There’s no photo of the veal and artichoke thing, as it looked like barf. He said it tasted good though.)
The meatballs on the sub were pretty tasty, but the sub was on the small side for $8 with no side dishes. The pizza was very good, but even better after an hour had passed. (I ate the leftover pizza in my hotel room, and it was WAY better at room temperature, as most pizza is.) Dave said that his chicken parm was good, but was a too thin for the $18 price tag. The spaghetti was served on the side, which seemed odd, as it’s usually under the chicken. Stacie had no complaints about her pasta, and the veal and artichoke thing was good.
The food was a little pricey at this place. A table of four meals with no appetizers, two soft drinks, one beer and three cannolis was about $112 with tip. This is a cash only establishment, so you’d better bring lots of it. Our waitress was pretty slow and unattentive, but the food was decent. Would I eat there again? Sure, but I’d stick to the pizza, and steer clear of the overpriced $18 pasta dishes.
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Show: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives — Episode: Legacies (713)
Restaurant Info: Geraci’s Restaurant — 2266 Warrensville Center Rd, University Heights, OH 44118 — (216) 371-5643