Mendel’s KC BBQ

Food surprisingly good, no pork which is fine, beef brisket tender enough to cut with a butter knife, au jus for dipping was great, I didn't get the sides. Only 4 stars because the menu is very pricey for what you get, the wings were a tad over cooked and there was no bbq sauce. However, I will be going back for another try.

Preface: We are first time diners at this venue, first time in Cleveland. We were recommended by someone in Chicago to visit this restaurant. This was also the 4th of July and its very busy with only 5 staff and a line going down the hallway. Ambiance: Modern decor, pretty clean but the edge of the table wasn't cleaned off enough. Again, maybe in a regular day it wouldn't be an issue. New fixtures, small bar at the end, some light music which was nice and gave a nice atmosphere.Staff: Very overwhelmed. It seems there's no process for taking in walk-ins, no list or designated person to be a concierge and make sure the process of marking guests present in an organized way. The staff was very busy and clearing tables constantly. Ordering: The menu is out of date. Many items were unavailable or discontinued. It might be better to do an online menu and put a QR code at the tables so guests can see current offerings. Foods not available;Peach cobbler, hotdog, Meat balls, Peach summer drink, a couple meat dishes...Foods we ordered:Kansas City Burgers: Fries:Cole Claw:Burnt Tips:Sautéed mushrooms:All food is 5 stars. Absolutely amazing if you're willing to wait through the time it takes to do everything. After an hour of craziness, one waiter actually came by to ask us what we already received. James, you get 5 stars! Keep doing what you're doing! We appreciate you! Give this guy a raise.

I'm thrilled that there is now a kosher restaurant so close to me. If only Mendel's was open a year earlier when I literally lived two blocks away! But then again, maybe not, as the pricing and service left a bit to be desired. Granted, there were 20 of us yesterday afternoon, so we didn't expect perfect service, but we made the reservation ages ago, so management should have been prepared. Our lone waitress was fantastic, but she definitely needed another person to help. I'm not a fast eater at all, but half of our table only received their food long after I had finished mine. I suggest taking our food orders at the same time as our drink orders so there wouldn't have been such a long wait. The food was quite good, however! My KC burger, cooked medium rare, was delicious. My sweet potato fries were just okay. I was hoping they would have been crispier. This meal cost about $25 which is very high for the lunch hour pricing. I know very well kosher food has to be more expensive but if my burger and fries cost $25 for lunch, I can't even begin to comprehend how much it would cost during the dinner rush! I think that Mendel's has the capability to be popular and a great success, especially in this neighborhood. The interior is very classy and the food covers a niche needed for this area. But please, hire more waitstaff.

Am I grading on a curve b/c it is a kosher restaurant? Yes, but I legitimately dig Mendel's KC BBQ. Friendly and helpful wait staff, a pleasant vibe (including having the front open for a nice breeze this evening), and good barbecue. The brisket on my sandwich was rocking good and so was the bbq sauce. My green beans on the side were fine. The chicken does not seem to rock anyone's world, but the burgers sure make everyone happy. It is a little loud for my tastes, but it has a sports bar affect.

Thoroughly enjoyed our dinner tonight. Lots of the same items that we enjoyed in Florida but we also got to try some new offerings. Especially tasty were the Miami fries. The combo platter with sides of slaw and beans were, as expected, yummy. Unfortunately, I don't share everyone's enthusiasm for the pecan pie. Our server, James, was delightful in addition to being good at his job. He deserves a raise, Mendel. Parking lot in back. Clean and spacious dining room. Bar to dine at or drink from the liquid offerings. Non-gender specific bathrooms, if you care.

Incredible.We came from Pittsburgh, mostly to eat here, and we were not disappointed. Started with poutine brisket fries, and they were delicious. My son and I shared the bbq sampler for two: burnt ends, ribs, smoked brisket. All of it was excellent, although I think we personally like the burnt ends the most. This is the first time in my life that we couldn't finish a dish so we took leftovers home and three hours later had them for dessert.Service was *excellent* - I've been going to kosher restaurants my whole life, and usually the service is awful (because, I suppose the theory is, there are so few alternatives), so that was a welcome surprise.Dessert was only so so, but I didn't expect it to be great because making parve desserts is hard.We look forward to going back. Like, I'm thinking about it right now.

Our first time at Mendel's will likely be our last. They missed quite a few marks for us. A Tuesday evening dinner with our 2 year old. Pros; our server was extremely nice and handled our food safety issue immediately Con; no kids menu, astronomical prices for what you receive, overall food quality. I ordered the chicken and waffles appetizer ($20) for dinner, this dish is usually one of my favorites.. not the case. I sliced into the undercooked; pink and rubbery chicken breast and immediately knew I had to send it back. The cornbread waffle was undersized for the dish, very dense and lacked any flavor. The entire dish tasted heavily of soy sauce, which was not mentioned anywhere on the menu. Our server had this remade at proper temps for me, and even then I could not eat more than 2 bites and left it on the table. My husband had a brisket sandwich, at $30 which he said was "just ok, nothing great" We actually went across the street and got dinner after this $50 "dinner" that we did not get to enjoy.

For a kosher restaurant, especially one in the Cleveland area, Mendel's KC BBQ is good; if you are looking for outstanding BBQ, I would look elsewhere. As this is a kosher restaurant, expect to pay at least $4-6 more for an appetizer and $8-12 more for a main dish than you would at a similar non-kosher place. I recently went on a weeknight with several people and we were seated immediately. Mendel's has plenty of KC memorabilia on the walls, including sunflowers and Kansas City Chiefs players. Our service was fine, nothing distinctive in any direction. I tried a couple of macho nachos, jalapeno poppers, and shishito peppers, all of which were mediocre. In particular, the macho nachos had virtually no beef chili on them. For my appetizer, I got the soup of the day, which was chicken soup with BBQ beef kreplach (dumplings). The soup was flavorfulFor my main, I shared a combo platter with a friend and it was more than enough food to feed two people, especially with an appetizer. The burnt ends were my favorite part of the platter-flavorful, ample BBQ sauce, and perfectly done. The smoked brisket and ribs needed more flavor and were a bit overcooked. We got the rustic mash (delicious) and green beans (fine) for the sides.Our table shared a chocolate chip cookie for dessert, which was just OK. I would go to Mendel's KC BBQ over any other kosher restaurant in Cleveland but wouldn't go out of my way otherwise.

Mendel's is a terrific restaurant. The food is consistently delicious. They are efficient during busy and non-busy hours. The atmosphere is pleasant and professional whether I am bringing my wife or a business colleague.

Mendels does not disappoint. I've been here multiple times and while it's not cheap, it's worth every penny. The brisket truffle poutine fries are a meal on their own and they're just an appetizer. Service is decent, drinks are good and the meat is top notch, I would highly recommend.