Mavis Winkle’s Irish Pub

Went to Cleveland for a few days to explore. Nice, big, clean open space. Pleasant staff. Good service. It was in between lunch & dinner when we came in Happy hour prices were nice. Had rueben spring rolls which were very good& I would highly recommend. My husband had a corned beef sandwich, it was dry but not terrible. Lots of beers on draft to choose from. It’s nothing special but if you are just looking for somewhere to kill time & grab a beer and app this would be the place. I’m not disappointed. Oh yeah and the bathrooms are really big & nice & clean!!!

Stopped in for a drink and maybe a bar nibble before an appointment. Peak happy hour, hardly anyone in the place. OK, that was my signal. As you entered there was a sign that said $ 4 wine on Thurs, I thought perfect, keep it light before the appointment. Grabbed a seat at the bar, asked what reds they had, asked for the Malbec. No indication anywhere of other happy hour specials or bar food specials, until midway through I went to the mens room and saw a poster about happy hour specials. Well unless they are serving the specials in the men’s room, that was a bad place to place the sign. The wine was OK, i’ve had better Malbecs. The bar maid had an attitude, well not a bad bad attitude, but it was not one that made you feel welcome, or even that she enjoyed her job. With so few people at the place, maybe at least a bartender with a personality would keep or attract customers. Oh and as far as that $ 4 wine special, my check was $ 7. For $ 3 I was not going to squabble, I just won’t come back. Pull your act together Mavis, this is not working!

If Zero stars was a choice that’s what this place would have!
Short version
Horrible for large group. Staff hates their life. You will be there for hours. Food had bugs in it and very unorganized.
I called 6 days prior to make reservations for a large group. Person who answered was super friendly! The day of the event someone called to confirm was asked if it would be one check or separate. I said separate. I arrived and mentioned the reservation to the girl, and she said they were setting up. Then a man who I think was the manager asked who the party was under and how many people I told and he had a rude comment bc he didn’t think I had a reservation. Once he found the reservation his was a little more friendly. Once we were seated we had a girl who hates life. Service was slow, server was rude!!! The place was very short staffed. There was a bug in someone’s salad (they did replace it and didn’t charge for it). They also charged someone’s credit card twice. I could go on but I won’t!

I got a sandwich from here and it wasn’t even filled like normal sandwiches so I was not feeling it. The server was a sweetheart though!!!

Black and Tan with Guinness Onion soup, and Ruben spring rolls. Very good, good service, we would come back.

Came in with a group of about 20. We had a reservation and we were seated immediately, even though we were about 15 minutes early. Our waitress was very friendly and did a nice job taking care of such a large group. They have a nice beer selection. We had the Pierogi appetizer (it was OK) and I had the Italian Beef Sandwich, which was good but the beef was a little fatty. On par with your average Applebee’s in my opinion. Likely wouldn’t go back next time I’m in town.

Ordered the food as take-​away. The woman I spoke to was very accommodating and patient when she took my order. She even went to check on what types of beverages were available. When the ordered was delivered, I specifically asked if there was silverware in the bag and was told yes. There was no silverware or napkins provided. We were missing a drink as well as the extra tartar sauce I ordered.
The food was okay. Seemed a lot like prepackaged meals like Applebee’s. The Fish and Chips was the best part of the meal. The pasta dishes lacked a lot of flavor but I do understand it is hard to prepare take-​away food as it is not the same at if you are eating in. If we are back in the area, this is not some place I would go to again.

Come here once a year for annual luncheon, and each year I wonder why we continue to come back here. Food is not good, several people commented that the corned beef was terrible (pretty bad for an «Irish» pub). Service was good though for a large group though.

After 15 minutes of waiting we finally got a table. 5 minutes of being ignored. 5 minutes after they take our name and 5 minutes of 3 people talking to one dude about New Years Eve dinner. Had I known who the hell the actual hostess was I woulda asked whats up. Ordered a Chriatmas Ale (which the keg kicked) and then ordered at 12 Dogs instead. A nice touch was she brought me the half glass of GLBC goodness from the kicked keg instead of just throwing it out. Ordered a Greek salad and Greek pasta. not remotely Greek but both seemed somewhat healthier than all the fried, cheese covered stuff. First off, the salad was literally 1.25 worth of Sysco veg and feta in a dish. 9 bux… what a deal. The pasta was all Sysco, frozen shrimp and romas SWIMMING in butter and capers. The menu never stated capers. SOME PEOPLE DONT LIKE CAPERS. They are the dingleberry of cuisine. Should’nt that be a responsiblity of the kitchen manager and owners to go over what goes in the food and that its actually listed on the menu??? Some people have food alergies too. Said «fresh basil» as well. if there was «fresh basil» in there I will toss YOUR salad. Also, when big red showed up late she ordered a quesadilla (I know shes apparently 5 years old) with NO chicken… guess what… there was so much chicken on here Colonel Sanders had a boner. After we pointed all this to the server and sent half the butter caper monstrosity back we were STILL CHARGED for stuff that came out to us wrong. Wow. That takes balls. Nollaig Shona Duit, Mavis…

I did not expect to be wowed by this place but what a pleasant surprise. I picked up a to-​go order of their Guinness Onion soup and 6 Dry-​rub Cajun wings. The hostess, Linda (I believe) was extremely sweet and my wings were ready within 15 minutes during the lunch rush.
The soup was very good, although questionable if it is a true Guinness Onion soup because I couldn’t detect a hint of flavor different from the norm. A little salty, even for French Onion, but still very tasty. The wings though!!! Oh the wings are phenomenal.
The interior of the joint was cute enough and if you’re biggest gripe with this place is that they’re calling themselves an Irish pub but serving quesadillas, you probably need to loosen up. Who cares? The food is great.

I travel a lot and there are a few restaurant’s that give me the WOW experience and Mavis Winkle’s is one of those WOW experiences. I was in the mood for wings but didn’t want to go to the Winking Lizard. I figured an Irish Pub had to have wings. These were some of the best wings I have ever had! They were meaty and cooked to perfection. Too many restaurants over cook the wings or the wings are too small. Not at Mavis Winkle’s.
The other WOW factor is the number of regulars that were dining at the bar. I don’t just mean Clevelander’s but the number of out-​of-​town business people like myself. Erin is the bartender and she knew everyone and everyone knows her. I struck up a conversation with a guy next to me from Cincinnati who eats at Mavis’ Winkle’s every time he is in Cleveland on business and that is a least twice a month. That in itself says a lot.
I am looking forward to my next visit to Cleveland and my visit to Mavis Winkle’s. If you go in, ask for Erin if she is working the bar. If not, ask for the owners Bill and Mary Jo. Tell them you read this review on Unilocal and that Pete say hello!

Good beer and excellent food. I was not expecting the food to be as good as it is since it’s an Irish pub. The service was prompt but not annoying. Our drinks and beer stayed full. The inside is Classic Irish pub. I would come here again. The portions were good size and prices average. Enjoyable!

I had a less than satisfying experience during my last visit to their Twinsburg location about a year ago, but I was pleasantly surprised when I recently had dinner at the Independence location. I don’t know if there are differences between the two restaurants, or maybe just some changes happened over the last year to make it better. The space is enormous. I’ll have to keep it in mind for future group events. I also was pleased to notice many health-​conscious options on the menu. I love the idea of getting the salads in a wrap, too! The biggest negative I’d say is the cocktail I had. It wasn’t bad, but unremarkable.

It was ok. The fish was cooked really well. The burger was so-​so. The bartender/​server was very friendly though. And this place is pretty big and has a relaxed atmosphere. I’ll probably come again sometime and try something else.

I went to Mavis Winkles on an afternoon when the traffic on I-​77 was too congested to get to Akron in any appeciable time frame. I have eaten there on one occasion in the past but don’t have any «outstanding» memories of my meal.
The restaurant/​bar is reminiscent of Rocknes or On Tap. The wine list was what I’d expect from a chain-​type gimmick restaurant… over-​priced and under-​impressive. I opted for a glass of merlot and the corned beef deep fried roll appetizer (the roll was sensational and BIG!) So good in fact that I ordered one to go for my boyfriend! I settled on the Chicken Paprikash for my dinner because it’s peculiar to find on a menu (why is it on an Irish Pub menu??) It was served with spaetzle and was surprisingly good. The rye bread served with it was a bit greasy but the paprikash gravy cut the richness when I dipped it.
Overall it was a nice restaurant to go to while waiting for traffic to die down but I think it is «much ado about nothing».

Good food, average drinks.
They have party rooms meant to accommodate large groups but don’t have the staff to keep up with the larger groups.
9pm came and the place was a ghost town. Irish pub empty after 9pm seemed odd.

An Irish pub in the ground floor of an office tower in Independence, Ohio? I know what you’re thinking, there’s no way that could be good. Well, my friend, you are right. It’s not. Our visit, our second to a Mavis Winkles (our last was about 6 years ago at their Twinsburg location) and our first to this location (we were here last when it was a Cooker) was on a Thursday around 6pm.
The atmosphere, where to begin. There’s really nothing authentic about Mavis Winkles. It’s just another wannabe pseudo-​Irish bar/​restaurant that comes off more like a rundown Applebee’s than a neighborhood pub. The menu calls it a «gastrohouse» whatever the hell that means and, aside from some tchotchke hanging on the walls I’m more Irish than this place. The crowd was your typical after work groupies, clad in office apparel, drinking and commiserating. Not a bad vibe. We were greeted by the hostess when we entered and seated in the bar area. Great, we thought, bars tend to have better service. We were wrong.
We sat at our table (loose bench padding included) and after about 10 minutes the bartender came over. That’s when the excuses started flowing like a sermon from the mouth of a greasy televangelist. «I apologize for the wait», «Everything’s a mess tonight», «I came in tonight to a disaster», «It’s usually not like this» complete with rolling eyes and shaking head, as if this made what was about to happen somewhat excusable. She took our drink order and we put in our appetizer. It couldn’t possibly get worse, right?
We finished our salad and waited. And waited. And waited. The bar was buzzing at this point and we could clearly overhear the frustration spreading to the surrounding tables. Our server/​bartender had retreated behind the bar again and we sat, empty salad plate and empty drinks, for nearly 20 minutes. It would have been longer had my wife not literally stood up and flagged down a server as she was scurrying past. The bartender eventually returned, complete with more apologies and the promise of a comped salad and drinks.
Look, I’m not a complete asshole. I understand that shit happens, especially in the service industry. People quit, they call off, there are scheduling conflicts, I get it. I just don’t want to hear about it and I certainly don’t want my experience to suffer because of it. The manager is to blame here. I saw him behind the bar a few times but not once did he come over to any of the tables to take responsibility for the shitstorm swirling around him. Anyway, enough about the service. It was abhorrent. Enough said.
The menu here is all over the map. They call themselves an Irish pub, a gastrohouse (cough) and a family restaurant. They have the obligatory Shepherd’s Pie (made incorrectly with beef and not lamb like just about everyone else does) and fish and chips but tossed into the mix are things like fish tacos, pierogi, and chicken marsala. Saying this place has an identity crisis is like saying that Miley Cyrus has daddy issues. If you order chicken paprikash from this place you deserve what you get. We decided to keep it simple, soup and sandwiches:
Pear & Asiago Salad — The highlight of the meal and 90% of it was probably out of a bag. Mixed greens, sliced pear, raw walnuts, craisins, and shaved asiago cheese. The ingredients were decent enough, but the berry balsamic dressing was terrible — cloyingly sweet and overwhelming. It was like someone had mixed Smucker’s strawberry jelly with balsamic vinegar and dosed it with corn syrup. It’s only saving grace was that it was served on the side.
Potato Soup — Pretty basic offering that was forgettable and bland. Chunks of potato in a cream-​base. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that this wasn’t made in-​house that day. It also had a strange sweetness to it that was off-​putting.
Mad Reuben (turkey style) — The best part of this sandwich was the turkey. It was actually quite flavorful with a hint of smoke. The rest, including the greasy rye bread, sauerkraut with no personality and barely melted Swiss cheese, was just OK. The side of cole slaw was bland, lacking dressing and heavy-​handed with the carroway seeds.
Turkey Club — According to the menu the turkey is «herbed and roasted in house». I thought it was a bit on the dry side and the rubbery vein I had to pull out didn’t help matters. I did like the tomato chutney and the horseradish mustard was a nice spin but I couldn’t really taste the bacon. The bread and cheese suffered the same fate as the Reuben. The side of thick-​cut fries were greasy and unevenly cooked.
I don’t know what else to say other than this was the perfect storm — terrible service, a menu that all three faces of Eve could appreciate, cheesy theme and forgettable bar food. Yet another one-​night stand, I’m afraid.
BTW, remember the promise of the comped salad and drinks? I did get a free beer but we still got charged for the salad. I should have said something but I didn’t want to wait another 20 minutes.

Fun place. Classic Irish pub feel. Very good Reuben. Clean, well lit… cheesy irish canned music was a bit too loud. Service was fast and friendly.

This place is so much fun!
I went there for the Unilocal Elite event and glad I was introduced to it. I love Irish pubs in general and Mavis didn’t disappoint.
Very friendly staff. The owner came and chatted with us for a bit.
We tried some of the food choices on the menu and everything was delicious. I especially loved the buffalo chicken dip, which I was told is new to the menu and I believe is on the appetizer portion.
The corned beef on top of the potato pancake was fantastic as well!
Am definitely planning on coming back. Even considering going there with kids for a family dinner sometimes.

It was my first time being here. I dragged some of my friends with me and told them all about this Unilocal event. I couldnt find where to check in though lol.
We got seats right at the bar and were pretty stoked on the drink specials they had. 2 dollar bud lights and 2 dollar shots from the shot girls. The bartenders were super cool and were dressed in browns attire (whooo go browns). I didn’t get to try their food, but the food from the food trucks outside were awesome. Wasn’t a big fan of the taco truck though.
The bistro trucks were good. I got some awesome Chili-​mac n cheese, cupcakes, donuts, and a buffalo chicken sandwich. The tacos were my least favorite though. Super bland no flavor tacos with under seasoned meat.
My experience here at Mavis Winkles was great though. Atmosphere was mad fun along with a rowdy browns crowd. Screaming and wooting as we go in for the touchdown with bells being rung in the background. I would definitely consider coming back here for another browns game and would definitely give their food a whirl next time.