Buckeye Beer Engine

Buckeye Beer EngineBuckeye Beer Engine
Buckeye Beer EngineBuckeye Beer Engine
Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

15315 Madison Ave
Lakewood, Ohio, 44107-4020
United States

(216) 226-2337 | map
buckeyebeerengine.com

Beers brewed by Buckeye Brewing: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1837
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.34
Reviews:
46
Ratings:
66
pDev:
7.37%
View: Place Reviews
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Ratings by squaremile:
Photo of squaremile
Reviewed by squaremile from Oregon

4.03/5  rDev -7.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
The is one of the better beer places in Cleveland, if not the best. What it lacks in atmosphere it makes up in selection and quality. The room feels like any other west side bar, and it leaves a lot to be desired. But take a look at the taplist and all of that quickly changes. Servers were attentive but not annoying and overall it was a nice place to have an evening of drinking. Cleveland has an emerging beer scene and this place really seems like a cornerstone of that. I'd like to check it out next time they have a special event tasting as well.
May 31, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of Tabithaw21
Reviewed by Tabithaw21

4.9/5  rDev +12.9%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Phenomenal beer selection. This guy really knows what he's doing. The service from the bartender Mike. He had knowledge of the beers on draft and helped us find some we ended up loving! The food was great!
Oct 01, 2023
 
Rated: 4.28 by Blogjackets from Ohio

Mar 18, 2020
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

3.94/5  rDev -9.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4
This here is your classic beer bar with a half circle wooden bar and a very respectable number of taps, as well as bottles. There are some seated areas around the bar as well as in a smaller seated section, with some TVs playing sports, as well as a Bloody Mary station, but the focus here is the bar and the beer, and they do a good job of bringing in some rare or good beers.

However, the food does a good job of competing and/or pairing with the beer, as the list is pretty expansive with some twists on some classics, as well as the basics, and all seems to be very well made and tasty. There are some formidable dishes, but not too large.
Oct 24, 2016
 
Rated: 4.34 by whitenads from Michigan

May 24, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by orangesol from Pennsylvania

Dec 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4.61 by PhillipHKairis78 from Ohio

Sep 25, 2015
 
Rated: 5 by mikepcarney from Ohio

Jun 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4.04 by slasich from Pennsylvania

Feb 27, 2015
 
Rated: 4.54 by imdabuzzard from Ohio

Feb 17, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by Ohiovania from Ohio

Feb 07, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by Nuggetz from Texas

Nov 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.6 by FaradayUncaged from Michigan

Oct 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by t2grogan from Arizona

Oct 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by StoneJackBaller311 from Ohio

Oct 06, 2014
Photo of Mxsluis
Reviewed by Mxsluis from Michigan

4.23/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
Cuban wrap was awesome. Beer selection was very good making the decision delightfully hard. I look forward to returning, in spite of the "buckeye" in the name; GO BLUE.
Sep 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.68 by Kels0418

Sep 04, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Beerpiggie from Illinois

Sep 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by MaxPowers from Michigan

Jul 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by DrBier from Pennsylvania

Jul 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by spointon from Illinois

Jul 10, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by austina3214 from Ohio

Mar 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by throwback from Ohio

Feb 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by rcjennings from Ohio

Dec 16, 2013
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

4.04/5  rDev -6.9%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25
I have been here several times - where oh where did my review go. Last night’s visit proves this as a long time premiere destination, arguably the best in cleveland. Sizable friendly bar, astute service, reasonable bottles to have or bring home. Good sized patio. Very decent brews of their own. Good sometimes great guest taps
Aug 02, 2013
Photo of mhaugo
Reviewed by mhaugo from California

3.73/5  rDev -14.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.25
This place is built like an old Jack-in-the-Box converted into a brewpub. The interior is maroon with wood stained highlights. It is decorated with various bottles and tap handles, beer flags, tin advertisements, and neon signs. In the center is a half-moon tarnished wooden bar, supported by a few wooden tables, and ample patio seating. Classic rock that pre-dates all the staff plays on the overhead. The scene is completed by a few televisions, a juke box, and an ATM machine.

Behind the bar is an island that holds most of the bar’s glassware. There are a few tulips available, but it’s mostly shakers. This landmark is flanked by a couple dozen draft handles. Above the facets are televisions that give a live update of everything on draft. There are two casks and an impressive bottle list. The draft list includes Goose Island, Dogfish Head, Flying Dog, Southern Tier, Rogue, Victory, Lagunitas, and Epic. They also have six of their own “Buckeye” beers (they do no brew on-site).

I asked the friendly bartender for a local recommendation and all they had were their beers and one from Columbus Brewing. I had the Buckeye IPA and it was awful. That was kind of disappointing, but overall this is a pretty good beer bar. The certainly had enough handles to be respectable, and a decent bottle menu. I’d come again, but I’d think twice before I ordered another house beer.
Jun 22, 2013
Photo of cratez
Reviewed by cratez from Canada (ON)

4.58/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5
When I visited: May 2012.

What I had: Stoudts Pils (draught), North Coast Ruedrich’s Red Seal Ale (draught), Creamy Cheddar & Ale Soup, Garden Salad and cocktails for the lady.

What I liked: mind-blowing tap list, two cask engines, many hard-to-find draughts and bottles, large comfortable bar, Stanley Cup Playoffs on the flatscreen, good crowd, capable servers, awesome breweriana throughout the interior.

What I disliked: food was average.

Would I go back? Definitely.

Overall Rating: 92
Jul 22, 2012
Photo of codyhaskell
Reviewed by codyhaskell from Texas

5/5  rDev +15.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
I don't have a bad thing to say about Buckeye Beer Engine and highly recommend it to anyone looking for some great beers.

I landed in Cleveland and remembered reading about a couple of bars near the airport and decided to check one out before heading down the road for the week. I opened Google Maps on my phone and simply searched "beeradvocate" to discover Buckeye Beer Engine just a few miles north of CLE.

Madison Street wasn't looking too promising and upon seeing the bar I had my doubts, but they all left my mind upon opening the door and seeing the giant U-shaped bar.

It was just after 5 o’clock and I took a seat at the bar; I was immediately greeted and given both draft and bottle lists in addition to the food menu. The draft list was a more detailed list of their beer board and offered ABV, style, serving vessel, and cost of 4 ounce samples. The bottle list was eight pages long and was separated by style. Both lists included local, national, and international craft beers in all styles.

I ordered the “Hippie Burger” with shoestring fries, both of which I recommend. The burger came with a “breaded pickle” (a fried pickle) which was a bonus and made me think of my Texas home.

By the time I left the bar had started to fill up with all walks of life, both old and young, eating and drinking their fill in a fantastic bar with friendly staff, excellent food, and fantastic beer.
Mar 14, 2012
Photo of wingedeel
Reviewed by wingedeel from Indiana

4.58/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Have been to Buckeye Beer Engine many times,including three times on my recent visit to the Cleveland area.

First off,I have never encountered the short pours the previous reviewer was complaining of.Never.As a matter of fact one of the days we went was my anniversary,and when the bartender heard us toast each other,she gave us both a free beer.And we arent locals.Pretty classy.

The beer selection is great,and prices are pretty reasonable.They always have had a fantastic selection,and a few things I have not tried,which is not easy in my case.

Service is friendly,food is fantastic.

Highly recommended.
Dec 14, 2011
Photo of alebird
Reviewed by alebird from Ohio

3.8/5  rDev -12.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
SHORT POURS. Need I say more? I'll say it again: SHORT POURS. I sat at the bar recently and watched pint after pint after pint be filled with at least an inch of foam, which effectively made each glass about a 12 oz serving. I even continued to watch the glasses around the bar to see how low the foam settled, just to be sure of what I was seeing. (I was drinking out of snifters.) SHORT POURS on top of prices already on the pricey side don't leave a good taste in one's mouth. SHORT POURS suck. I've been here a half dozen times and the beer selection is above average, the burgers are great, but the beers are a tad on the pricey side. SHORT POURS are the reason Alebird wont be back anytime soon. There are too many alternatives out there for drinking fine beer and not getting a SHORT POUR. Not slamming this place out of malice. Many good things about this place, but if you're going to charge me for a pint of beer, I better get a pint of beer. Without actually measuring one, I suspect the snifters were SHORT, too. If your money is tight and you're looking for a couple of pints of beer, all you'll get here are SHORT POURS, so be warned.
Dec 09, 2011
Photo of brew4health
Reviewed by brew4health from Ohio

4.14/5  rDev -4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
The atmosphere is good, a large room defined by a large half-circle shaped bar. They have raised tables with stools in an area adjacent to the bar. There is also a separate area with tables and I think a few booths.

The beer selection is very good. They have about 30 beers on tap, with 3 or 4 Buckeye beers available at and a very large selection of bottled beer. A beer engine was also running. Most beers are served in pint glasses with the ”big beers” offered in 12 ounce brandy snifters. Prices are reasonable, mostly $4 to $6 per glass. I particularly appreciate the fact that they had a large variety of beer styles both on tap and in bottles.

The staff are knowledgeable about their beers and are happy to discuss and recommend their favorites. Four ounce beer samples are available on a sliding scale price which varies from $1.25 to around $3.50 per sample.

Burgers, sandwiches and dogs were on the menu but we didn’t sample the food. Bartender was very attentive.

I like this place and stop there whenever I am in the neighborhood.

Beers sampled: Buckeye Red Head Irish Ale, Victory Hop Devil, Bell’s Expedition Stout, Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA, Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye
Apr 15, 2011
Photo of MbpBugeye
Reviewed by MbpBugeye from Ohio

3.79/5  rDev -12.7%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5
Stopped here after Fat Head's on my random trip to Cleveland. It was a sleepy, windy Monday afternoon.

This place is tough to spot. Its very unassuming and barely has any signage. Luckily it has its own parking lot.

The interior is nothing to write home about. Kinda dim, full of dark wood and corny, old chairs and bar stools. The beer menu is one of those black dry erase boards. The place is small-ish. I really did get envious over the beer related decorations that adorned the walls. The outer walls display empty bottles and tap handles. Being the nerd that I am I enjoyed looking at them all. There are awesome, and probably very rare, posters and signs all over the place from breweries from all over the world.

Again, it was a Monday afternoon so there were only a handful of other people and one bartender. We had no problem being helped though.

When we sat down we were given the beer list. And what a list it is! I've heard that this place has the best bottle list in the state. That's no undersatement! The bottle list was 9 pages! There's so much beer on that list that I could almost never come to a decision. The prices on this list seemed all over the place. Looking at the to go prices, some bottles were very cheap. Often times around $2-$3 less than what I'm used to paying. But other times a bottle is around $4 MORE than what I'm used to seeing. Its pretty strange, but might have to do with turn over and specifics that pertain to each certain beer.

Either way, that bottle list blew me away. Some things were there that I've never once seen on shelves in Columbus.

The tap list was good too. Mostly house brews but they had a lot of guest taps, many of which I was unfamiliar with. They seem to enjoy bringing in very obscure beers, and they do a good job of it. They had many Buckeye beers that are not bottled. Prices for the tap stuff was very low, especially for house beers.

I had the only selection from their cask that was pumping that day. It was Buckeye Engine Mild and it was the single best mild I've ever had. Down right stellar.

This is another one that I'll never again miss when I'm up on the lake. The atmosphere is pretty dive-ish but these people know beer.
Mar 18, 2011
Photo of Kolsch
Reviewed by Kolsch from Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5
Friday evening, not that busy as you might expect. Arrived around 6pm and got 4 seats at the bar. Hurray!

Atmosphere: U-shaped bar with tables surrounding for drinking/dining pleasure. Small gathering of tables to left of bar for additional seating. Comfortable atmosphere and looks like most people are there for good beer.

Selection: I have been here before so I know the tap selection is stellar but this weekend they were promoting Xmas in July with 10 to 12 taps devoted to Xmas beers. Sorry, but I was not in the mood for high alcohol beers when the temp outside was 97 that day. Bottle selection was pretty outstanding though and that is what I stuck with mostly. I particularly liked thier own Buckeye Brewing Hippie IPA, so much so that I got some to go.

Service was good, no complaints. They did give us samples to try before buying which is a plus.

Food: was good as I remember from my first visit but did not rate on this visit.

Overall: I really like this place and highly recommend for beer geeks. I was disappointed with my visit that coinincided with Xmas in July event but that will not stop me from returning again.
Jul 26, 2010
Photo of OWSLEY069
Reviewed by OWSLEY069 from Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +10.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Got there early Sunday evening and it was a bit busy, walked right in and sat outside. Went inside later and sat at the bar. Signs everywhere (I loved the old Blatz sign by the front door), tap markers on the wall. Kind of small, but loved it. I knew that they had a great beer list, but it had to take me 20 minutes to read over all the bottles. The menu was up to date. The server and bar manager knew tons. They had to love and/or hate me, I kept ordering rarer big bottles that they had to find downstairs. The food, my my, chips and dip, a good starter. Then a Fatty Melt, chicken and bacon sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches. Bleu cheese slaw on the side. This might have been the closest to heaven I have ever been. Prices were good, I can't complain on a big bar tab, I knew what I was ordering and if it was in Pittsburgh, it would have been double. I can't wait to go back!!
Jul 23, 2010
Photo of Avagadro
Reviewed by Avagadro from New Jersey

4.9/5  rDev +12.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
A: I dropped in as a pit stop on my way from Rochester, NY to Grand Rapids, MI. The place is decorated with tap handles, beer tins, and rare bottles. The music was awesome, with jazz ringing through the air.

Q: I hate this category, do I comment on the quality of the food? the selection? Oh well, I guess I will just tell you that this place strives for quality.

S: My server was very helpful, and knew the Buckeye beers well.

S: 27 taps, 2 casks, and a great bottle selection including several hard-to-find brews. Not only is their tap count impressive, but it is eclectic; there seems to be at least one example of every major style. My brother asked for a bud light, and was politely told that it wasn't on the list. They also have a handful of their own brews, which are delightful.

F: I had the Hot Italian, which was a tad salty, but still enjoyable overall. Their food is interesting, but don't expect anything that is on the light side.

V: 8-9$ for a sandwhich or burger, 4-6$ for a normal draft. Very reasonable I would say. I definitely suggest stopping by this place for a good brew.
Jun 17, 2010
Photo of BurnBlueSky
Reviewed by BurnBlueSky from Ohio

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Hands down one of my favorite places to go. I live in Akron, OH, but try to make the forty minute drive at least once every couple weeks.

Although it might involve a wait I tend to sit right at the bar(keep an open eye they go fast). The bartenders knowledge is impressive and are always willing to answer any questions. The owners themselves are readily available and generally fun to talk beer with.

The food is great. Nothing fancy, but I have enjoyed everything I've tried. I recommend the deep fried sausage bites, onion rings, and any burger.

The ever changing beer selection is still primarily the reason I return again and again. With over twenty taps and two beers on cask at all times and an extensive bottle list, finding a beer that fits your taste is easy. Be sure to try one of the "House Brews"(Buckeye Brewing Co.). I suggest the "Buckeye Hippie IPA".

And for all you beer geeks out there this is the place to meet fellow geeks. I have turned to the stranger next to me at the bar many times and had long talks about everything beer. People come here to drink good craft beer!
May 27, 2010
Photo of jampics2
Reviewed by jampics2 from Ohio

4.33/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
To cut to the chase - for anyone from out of town, the Beer Engine is the best place to visit in Cleveland.

The atmostphere is all about beer. Not a sports bar or english pub atmosphere - beer signs, taps and bottles are the decoration. Always a number of people trying new beers, and their special events are fun and full of cool people.

Quality is wonderful. I'm as beer geeky as they come and I can always find a few things on the list I'm super psyched to try.
Service is good. All the servers are Ciccerone certified beer servers, so they know their stuff. But sometimes they're understaffed.

Selection is awesome. With 25 taps and about 500 bottles, it's easy to find something great.

Food is awesome too. Nothing too gourmet, but great burgers (everything can be subbed with a veggie burger too!), and I LOVE the Italian Torpedo and the Fatty Melt!

This place can get pricey. For me and the Mrs. it can run about $60-$100 depending on how many beers we have. About $6 for a good beer on tap and $10 for a burger.

The Wrights have created one of the best beer joints around. If you're checking this to find where to visit in Cleveland, this is the best place hands down!!
May 18, 2010
Photo of DaPeculierDane
Reviewed by DaPeculierDane from Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +2.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
While trapped in Akron under very depressing circumstances I saw a program on local PBS about the Beer Engine and was intrigued. I had to go through Cleveland on the way out of town so I made the short detour off of HWY 90 to visit. From the outside the place looked more like an abandoned pizza hut than a brewery but the patio filled with smiling patrons hoisting pints assured me that I had found my destination.

Inside we were greeted by a friendly and knowledgeable bartender who quickly sat us and took a drink order. Service was excellent throughout our experience. Although the small interior didn't stand out as particularly interesting, we greatly enjoyed the large patio out front.

The draft list consisted of some 25 tapped beers and 2 casks. Three house brews started out the menu and were followed by a well chosen, wide variety of local and national crafts, and several imports including a few Belgian and German gems. The bottle list really stood out. I would count it in the top 5 bottle lists I've seen in America. It only contained 100-150 beers but they were very well chosen and geared toward my tastes - lost of geuze, lambics, farm house ales, and funky stuff. Still, if you want a great IPA, Buckeye's bottle list probably contains 9 of the 10 best available in Ohio. The same goes for any other style one might prefer. The list was clearly chosen by people that love to drink great beer and are as geeky about it as any hardcore Beer Advocate. All bottles are available to go at very reasonable prices.

The food menu consisted of a number of salads and appetizers, several interesting sandwiches, and tons of burger options. Buckeye is clearly a burger joint. Though I found the burger patties themselves to be a touch on the bland side (in need of some serious seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper, anything...), the toppings were fantastic. My burger, the Tuscan, came with well caramelized onions, rep peppers, and rosemary goat cheese on a toasted bun. I really enjoyed it as well as the pub chips and complementary fried pickle that accompanied it. The Caesar salad I started with was just average. The appetizers I saw served at other tables all looked amazing.

I will return to the Beer Engine on all of my future trips to the Cleveland area and highly recommend it. As much as I love visiting GLBC, I have to say that the waits are just out of control there and I am happy to find a quieter spot with even better beer at reasonable prices.

Also worth noting is the sample system. All tap beers are available in sample sizes for between $1 and $2.50, or something like that. It mirrors the system that I was very impressed with at the BOP that shares some connection to the Beer Engine.
Apr 07, 2010
Photo of rwdkosak
Reviewed by rwdkosak from Missouri

4.4/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Did some searching before a trip to Cleveland and this place seemed like it had the best tap selection and good food as well.

Much better than I could have imagined. A fantastic draft selection, the burger I had (Cajun) was great and service was spot-on for a busy place. They've got an impressive number of bottles to sample or take home and I ended up with a great haul of beer I can't get in MO. If this were in my hometown, I'd frequent it often.

The worst part about the place is that I may not ever get back to that area again...quite a shame because there were a number of other items on the menu that I would have loved to sample...
Mar 05, 2010
Photo of sitarist
Reviewed by sitarist from Ohio

4.72/5  rDev +8.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Today was my first visit to the Buckeye Beer Engine. After enjoying their beers which I bought at local retailers; I thoght Id give this place a try. Let me tell you I'm glad that I did.

The atmosphere is inviting. More like a neighborhood bar than a high end beer pub. They have a horseshoe bar with tables along the walls, and an dining area off to the side. The back wall behind the bar has around 30 taps and a price list for what they have on tap.

The quality and selection were both outstanding. The day I went they had 27 beers on tap, two being cask conditioned. Besides having their own beers on tap they had selections from Bells, Bear Republic, Brew Dog, Dark Horse, Dogfish Head, Grimbergen, Ithaca, Lagunitas, Left Hand, North Coast, Ommegang, and others I cant remember. Besides a great selection of draft beers they also had around 200 different bottled beers from around the world. Only two were macros, Pabst and Schlitz.

The service and food were also very good. I would go just for the burgers.

As for the value, I had a glass of beer, a plate of sliders with fries and breaded pickle, a couple samples, and took home a 64 oz growler for under $30 with tip.

I highly recommend this place.

Update:

Ive been back several times and all I can say is this place is dedicated to beer. They have beer dinners, beer breakfasts, Ive had vintage/aged beers there, not to mention 420 Hop Fest is coming up. This really is a great place.
Feb 15, 2010
Buckeye Beer Engine in Lakewood, OH
Place rating: 4.34 out of 5 with 66 ratings