The Friars Table

Came in one a Saturday afternoon after seeing a show at Playhouse Square. Had the opportunity to sit up front by the windows and the fountain. Loved the ambiance and the style of the place, not your traditional Cleveland eatery. I can't figure out if this place is trying to be Italian or German. I'm sure if I were more internationally cultured, I would know the history of the Friars, but my expertise is mostly relegated to the United States. Bring your phone so you can Google the words on the menu to figure out what it is you want to order. The opener was their fresh bread, rolled like a jelly roll with herbs and spices wrapped on the inside and served with a side of olive oil. Wife and I each started with small salads. Both were very good and perfectly sized. Had the pretzel as an appetizer. This was the least impressive part of the meal and I'm not going to let it affect my rating. I'm not sure if this was made from scratch, but I've had better at the ballpark. The accompanying mustard was interesting. Tasty, yes, with an odd fluorescent yellow/green hue to it with a guacamole look and a mustard taste. Still good, just not great.Now let me tell you about great. We both ordered the 2 different pasta entrees on the menu. Had to use Google to sort out all the odd words on the menu, but settled on a fettuccini sized noodle with pesto and a penne pasta with sausage and mushrooms in an Alfredo style of sauce. I love red sauces, but these were both crazy good. The cream sauce was rich and delicious, the pesto light and tasty. The service was fast and friendly. Manager and head chef both visited to ensure all was well. Will have to spend some time studying the menu to figure out what to try next time!

Opening night at this restaurant. A joint project from the Capuchin Ministries and Edwin's, headed up by Brandon Chrostowski. Great space in the nicely remodeled Cowell and Hubbard location in Playhouse Square. Oh, and the food! I had the lamb shoulder and my wife had the Sea bream. Both perfectly cooked!Highly recommend!!!

Wow! What a great experience! The food here is delicious and unique. The service is outstanding. Everything about our experience was enjoyable. I can't wait to bring all my friends here.

I attended a private birthday celebration for 40 people at the newly opened Friars' Table. I was anxious to check the restaurant out as I had heard about its mission following that of Edwin's-to train and employ formerly incarcerated individuals in high-end restaurant service.The evening was wonderful! The food was excellent! I had the salmon. It was perfectly done. Considering the size of the group, the service was exceptional.The servers were very knowledgeable and attentive. I can't wait to return!

Our group of 5 had dinner before a show. We were impressed with the quality and flavor of the food. We had the pea soup, borscht, and mushroom tart. All were excellent. The entrees were very satisfying. I had the lamb shoulder, which was cooked to a perfect tenderness. The sauce and accompanying vegetables made it a perfect plate. Highly recommended. The service was spot on. We plan on visiting again.

Great food and excellent service! My salmon was delicious and prepared exactly how I requested.