Michael Symon's Favorite Dive Bar Is Nestled Outside An Ohio City

Chef, restaurateur, award-winning cookbook author, and Food Network regular Michael Symon has worked around the country quite a bit. His restaurants include Atlantic City's Angeline at Borgata and Mabel's BBQ in Las Vegas, and Bar Symon, an airport oasis with locations at Pittsburgh International Airport and Dulles. But Symon's hometown is Cleveland, Ohio — and he's still involved in the city's culinary scene. The Takeout spoke with him at Food Network's New York City Wine and Food Festival to learn about Cleveland haunts. Symon's top dive bar? "There's a place in Lakewood, Ohio, outside of Cleveland called Around the Corner, which has been there for a million years," he said.

A good dive needs something to keep you coming back — otherwise, it's just a scuzzy bar. So what's special about Around the Corner? "They actually have great chicken wings and a good beer list," Symon explained. But that's not the only reason he loves the bar: He also cites nostalgia. "I've been going there since I wasn't legal to drink, so I'm going to say Around the Corner," he added.

Let's get the legal liability out of the way: The Takeout does not condone underage drinking, and we're sure Symon doesn't, either! Around the Corner has plenty to offer the under-21 crowd, including a kid's menu, burgers, and buffalo wings. Supposedly, the bar's owner introduced the city to the beloved bar food not long after buffalo wings first hit the food scene.

While I couldn't fly to Cleveland to try Around the Corner myself, I did my best to check it out online — and the beloved Cleveland bar seems well worth the visit. Browse through Around the Corner's website, and you'll see a lively location with both indoor and outdoor seating and a range of rooms. The bar's front room, a wood-paneled space with an old-fashioned tin ceiling, is often decked with colorful lights and decorations for holidays. The location has expanded since it first opened in 1974 (or a "million" years ago, as Michael Symon joked above) to also include open industrial spaces. Most are available to rent for events.

The bar is open from 3:00 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday, and 11:00 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday. More of a morning person? Show up at 9:30 a.m. Sunday for brunch. Night owls can still celebrate on Sundays, though — the bar closes at 2 a.m. as it always does.

To learn about the bar's frequent parties and events, check out its Instagram account. Events include Halloween costume contests, Cleaveland Guardians watch parties, live music, and themed brunches. And who knows? Maybe you'll catch Symon there too.