Eastland Inn Restaurant & Bar combines friendly
atmosphere with quality pub fare in Berea Ohio
 Cathy
Phillips, Sun News
Published:
Wednesday, June 02, 2010, 4:14 PM
Dave
Peterkoski and bartender Peg Palmer with a strip steak, left, and
fish fry. (LANZER/SUN
NEWS)
Dave and Elizabeth Peterkoski
have owned and operated The Eastland Inn Restaurant
& Bar in Berea
for the last dozen years or so, but growing up in Berea, Dave says
he’s heard all sorts of rumors regarding the inn’s early years.
According to one of those rumors, the inn got its start as a
speakeasy, before moving to its present location after Prohibition
ended.
Whatever its past, it’s likely that the inn served as a
well-liked community gathering space, if its present casual
cheeriness is any indication. Maybe it’s because the inn is located
in a college town (Berea is home to Baldwin-Wallace College), but it
seems to attract a nicely mixed clientele that makes it welcoming to
all. Everyone from professors and BW college students, to retirees, to
families with small children, to high school kids seems to enjoy the
Tuesday burger special (buy one, get one for $1.50).
The Peterkoskis actively nurture this variety of customers,
making the cozy inn feel more like a family-friendly, old-style
British pub or European cafe', rather than a mere watering hole. Of
his variety of customers, Dave says, “They all seem to mesh really
well.”
Dave and his wife, who grew up in North Olmsted, met on a blind
date. In a whirlwind romance, they married a year later and bought
The Eastland Inn Restaurant & Bar just two weeks after that.
Elizabeth keeps busy doing the scheduling and the books for the
inn, as well as holding down a separate “day job.” Dave, who
attended culinary school in Rhode Island, does much of the cooking
for the restaurant,
including all of the soups. He counts clam chowder, chili, cream of
mushroom, and Italian wedding soup among his specialties.
In addition to its friendly service, The Eastland Inn Restaurant
and Bar appeals to
customers with its budget-friendly daily specials.
On a recent Wednesday night visit, featured specials included
crab legs ($14.95) and tender strip steak ($8.95). The generous
portion of perfectly steamed Alaskan king crab legs arrived cleverly
presented in a metal bucket, with a special tool for making short
work of the shells. Skin-on French fries sprinkled with malt vinegar
made a delicious accompaniment, as did some of Dave’s thick and
creamy beer-cheese soup (although a tad salty). Washed down with a
smooth Rolling Rock beer, it made for a most pleasant, all-American
supper.
The inns’ excellent fish fries ($12.95), made with fresh Lake
Erie perch, are another customer favorite. Dave wants everyone to
know that they’re available every day for lunch or dinner, not just
on Fridays or during Lent. Seafood lovers can also look forward to a
month-long lobster event beginning in mid-June.
In addition to super specials, The Eastland Inn Restaurant & Bar offers a great
variety of chicken, veal, and pasta dishes, such as a sweet
Cincinnati chili ($8.95), as well as salads, sandwiches and lighter
fare, such as its New Orleans-inspired muffaletta on focaccia
($6.95).
Looking for just a bite to go with a drink? Try Dave’s “Dirty
Nachos” ($6.95), featuring a tasty combination of artichokes,
spinach, melted cheeses, tomato, scallions, and black olives topping
a mound of crunchy pita chips.
The Eastland Inn Restaurant & Bar is at 33 Eastland Road in Berea. The inn is open
from 11 a.m. until 2:30 a.m. daily. Call
(440) 234-7260
Phillips is a freelance food writer in Avon Lake.
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GETTING HERE
-
Cross Streets:
-
Eastland Road and Fowles
Road
(see: Map)
Just minutes from Cleveland Hopkins
Airport, Baldwin Wallace College, Finnie Stadium, Cuyahoga County
Fairgrounds, Cleveland Browns Berea Training Camp Complex and
Southwest General Hospital.
-
Parking:
-
On Site (or behind
Inn on Adams St.)
THE BASICS
-
Hours:
-
11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.
daily
-
Cuisine:
-
American and
American Traditional and Classic
-
Meals Served:
-
Dinner and Lunch
served in Restaurant
-
Reservations:
-
Not Required in
Restaurant or Bar
-
Dress Code:
-
Anything Goes
-
Alcohol:
-
Full Bar and wine
list
-
Smoking:
-
Outdoors Only
-
Restaurant Style:
-
Bistro
-
Bar Style:
-
Neighborhood and Pub-style
Bar
-
Catering:
-
Event Caterer for
Business or Private Parties
FEATURES
-
Atmosphere and Personality:
-
Bar Scene, Fun And
Flirty, and Laid Back Casual
-
Live Music & Entertainment:
-
Yes (mostly
weekends)
-
Noise Level:
-
Bustling
-
Features:
-
Entertainment, Free
Admission, Happy Hour, Jukebox, Karaoke, Live Performances,
People Watching, and Signature Dishes
-
Average Drink Price:
-
$3-$4
-
Payment Methods:
-
Cash and Major
Credit Cards
Berea's popular Eastland Inn is back
and better than ever
Rich Heileman, Sun News
Published: Saturday,
September 18, 2010, 8:43 AM
The Eastland Inn, 33 Eastland Road, is a favorite dining spot for
many of us in Berea and environs.
A
friend from town who dines there frequently told me he finds the
inn to be a cozy place
that serves comfort food home style and commented that its
cabin-like atmosphere puts him in mind of a place more likely to
be found in Adirondack mountain resort areas of upstate New York.
The inn, which sits among trees and adjacent to the lushness of
the nearby Metroparks, at the juncture of Eastland Road and Adams
Street, reopened for business this week after a short shutdown for
some interior and exterior renovation and repairs.
Owners Dave and Liz Peterkoski
said members of the community pitched in to help restaurant staff
paint, replace restroom floors and fixtures and reupholster dining
room chairs.
The exterior of the 78-year-old inn got a fresh look with the
installation of new siding of a color Liz describes as “Irish
thistle.”
The menu’s been revamped, too, with additions including stuffed
duck and eggplant roulette.
"Great Restaurant and
a Fun Bar in Berea Ohio"
Have us Caterer your next Business Luncheon,
Party or Fundraiser
The Eastland Inn
Restaurant & Bar in Berea Ohio is a favorite stop for Baldwin
Wallace (BW) students between studies.
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