At the far west end of Cleveland, where I-80 still hugs kinda close, you'll find Bearden's Burgers. Much better than typical corporate chain hamburgers, but not as good as the last burger place I sent you, Ridott Corners Tavern, Bearden's is a classic 1950's Burger Joint frozen in time. It's great fun with better than average food.
If you want something of a higher standard, Cleveland proper offers numerous choices. Slyman's has outstanding Corned Beef Sandwiches, and represents the quality level Manny's once had but let slip away.
At more than 100 years old, Flat Iron Cafe claims to be Cleveland's oldest Irish Pub, and possibly it's oldest restaurant overall. Very good Fried Lake Perch in a warm, authentic atmosphere. Good Clam Chowder too.
At the higher end is Balaton Restaurant serving some fantastic Hungarian eats. Sadly, their dining room is temporarily closed as they relocate. But they still have most of their menu available for carry out, if you have someplace to eat it...a local park perhaps.
The West Side Market will make you wonder why we don't have anything like it in Chicago. Open daily, it's a combination of stalls offering fresh produce, meats, baked goods, and freshly prepared, ready to eat foods.
But my favorite place in Cleveland is Mt. Pleasant BBQ. Not in the city's nicest neighborhood, but I've never had a problem there. They serve some excellent 'Que, Fried Chicken and Fish, and they make a supremely messy, but delicious, version of the Cleveland Polish Boy. Grill an all beef Polish Sausage, plop it on a bun, smother it in French Fries and Cole Slaw, then douse it in Barbecue Sauce. You can also order the Polish Boy Deluxe, which adds a pile of Pulled Pork to the mess. Nearly impossible to eat, but totally worth it. Great sides, too. Try the Collard Greens and Mac & Cheese. Fries come smothered in the house made BBQ sauce, ala Lem's.
Finally, about 30 minutes south of I-80, just outside Akron, is Belgrade Gardens in Barberton, OH. They're famous for their Fried Chicken Dinners. I'd put them in the same class with Stroud's in Kansas City.
It's also more convenient than you'd think. Even though you're taking a 30 mile detour off I-80 to get there, you can then hop on I-76 east outside of Akron that will hook back up with I-80 near Youngstown.
I've actually got a longer list, but those are the highlights worth detouring for. If you want to PM me with your email address, I'll send a Word attachment with the full itinerary from a three day crawl we did with a group of Roadfood friends.
Further west, in Toledo is the above mentioned Schmucker's Diner, and a Tony Packo's. Been to both and would recommend either.
Buddy
Bearden's Burgers
19985 Lake Rd., Rocky River, OH
(440) 331-7850
[url]yelp.com/biz/beardens-rocky-river[/url]
Slyman's
3106 St. Clair Ave. NE, Cleveland, OH
(216) 621-3760
[url]slymans.com/[/url]
Balaton
13133 Shaker Square, Shaker Heights, OH
(216) 921-9691
[url]balaton-restaurant.com[/url]
West Side Market
1979 West 25th Street
Cleveland, OH
[url]westsidemarket.org[/url]
Mt. Pleasant Bar-B-Q
12725 Kinsman Rd., Cleveland, OH
(216) 561-8722
[url]yelp.com/biz/mt-pleasant-bar-b-q-cleveland[/url]
Belgrade Gardens
401 E State St, Barberton, OH
(330) 745-0113
[url]belgradegardenschicken.com[/url]
Schmucker's Restaurant
2103 N Reynolds Rd, Toledo, OH
(419) 535-9116
[url]schmuckersrestaurant.com[/url]
Tony Packo's (Original Location)
1902 Front Street, Toledo, OH
(419) 691-6054
[url]tonypacko.com[/url]