The Borgata Bar: Cleveland Restaurant Guide

“We had a couple hours to while away before our flight, and fortunately our Airbnb was just down the street from the Borgata Bar. Jackie was behind the bar & he was an absolute delight! He was a wealth of local knowledge & incredibly welcoming. We had a couple of Peroni each and spilt the cheese steak for an early lunch. Everything hit the spot! Highly recommend this local bar, full of local flavor and hospitality!”

“Updated review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ again! Brought the wife and a couple of fiends here for my birthday. I had been raving about the food at Borgata and they were curious, so what better place to go on a Friday night? So many great restaurants in Little Italy that it’s hard to walk in to a random establishment and not have a great meal. But this little bar tucked away at the corner right before heading up Mayfield hill is a hidden gem. It’s not a big place. It’s not fancy. It’s a “bar”. But I promise you… they have GREAT food here! There’s always a crowd at the actual bar during the few times I’ve gone, but for as small as the dining area with tables is, I’m a bit surprised as to why it isn’t full of diners more often. Perhaps because they’ve labeled themselves a “bar” and maybe most passerby’s think you can only drink there. So this is my one little way of getting the word out: EAT @ BORGATA!!! You won’t be disappointed… Especially if you try the blackened chicken Alfredo! Perfectly seasoned, super tender chicken, creamy Alfredo sauce, with the 3 pieces of the most perfect garlic toast - it’s carb heaven on a plate!!! DO IT!! One of the greater things about this establishment is that if you savor and enjoy your meal and drinks patiently enough and not rush out, you’ll likely meet the chef as he goes from table to table asking how you are enjoying your meal. Twice I’ve had a nice conversation with Chef Armun, this time a little extended as we got to know more about each other. One of my friends happen to mention that it was my birthday. Jerk! 😅 (something I don’t really like to announce). Then something happened when we were done with our meal and were on our way out. Chef Armun stopped us and said “Can you give me 5 minutes? You can’t leave yet.” I’m confused, but said “oooohkay, sure.” A few minutes passes by and comes out with a slice of the most decadent cake with a candle on it and the whole place started singing happy birthday! For sure an occasion I will always remember. And it’s things like this that endear places and people near your heart… where and when you truly feel treated as friend or family by a small, local business. To Chef Armun and Borgata… thanks for the impactful experience!! To everyone reading this: EAT & DRINK @ BORGATA! You won’t be disappointed! ORIGINAL REVIEW: I have a group of friends who get together for food and drinks monthly. We try to go to different places each time and in February, one suggested Borgata. I was skeptical at first due to the parking situation in Little Italy, but she insisted that their food is *superb* and that it would be worth the hassle! I thought… superb food? At a bar?? Whatever… ok. So 8 of us show up and I ask my friend what she recommended. Without hesitation, she said the blackened chicken Alfredo. Sure. Turns out that half the table took her advice and ordered it. The rest got burgers. When they brought our plates, I had a couple of quick reactions: 1. They serve it with spaghetti instead of the usual fettuccine. 2. Compared to the others who ordered the same dish, my piece of chicken was very small, which actually made me privately upset that I wanted to point it out to our server, but decided not to. I bit my tongue, then a slice of the chicken after. OMG!!! Anger gone! So tender. So flavorful. Perfect charring! And, OMG!! The 3 pieces of garlic toast that comes with it is no toast that I’ve ever had before! If the dish didn’t come with chicken, I swear that toast could’ve been the feature! It’s seriously that good! The Alfredo was rich and creamy and the spaghetti actually worked well. If I had to be picky, it’s that they don’t have a great beer selection. But I like food better than beer anyway, so I didn’t mind. Borgata, I shall return!!”

“Historic restaurant with great food and atmosphere. Great place for date night! I had the eggplant parmesan, and it was delicious”