Cleveland Food Culture

Cleveland's most iconic street food: a massive sandwich featuring kielbasa, french fries, coleslaw, and barbecue sauce piled on a bun. Despite the name, it's not Polish at all—it was created by a local African American restaurateur. The combination of smoky sausage, crispy fries, tangy slaw, and sweet sauce creates an addictive flavor profile.

Created in the 1940s by Virgil Whitmore at his Mt. Pleasant hot dog stand, the Polish Boy became a Cleveland institution. The name likely came from using Polish kielbasa, though the sandwich itself is a distinctly Cleveland-African American creation.

Pillowy dumplings filled with potato and cheese, sauerkraut, or meat, then boiled and pan-fried in butter with onions. Cleveland's large Polish and Eastern European population has made pierogi a local staple, available everywhere from church festivals to upscale restaurants. Traditionally served with sour cream and applesauce.

Brought by Polish, Ukrainian, and Slovak immigrants in the early 1900s, pierogi became so integral to Cleveland culture that the city hosts numerous pierogi festivals and the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) had a pierogi racing mascot tradition.

Fresh walleye from Lake Erie, typically beer-battered and fried or grilled, served with fries and coleslaw. The mild, flaky white fish is prized for its delicate flavor and is considered one of the best-tasting freshwater fish. Friday fish fries featuring walleye are a Cleveland tradition.

Lake Erie's walleye fishing industry has sustained Cleveland for generations. The tradition of Friday fish fries comes from the city's large Catholic population, and walleye became the premium choice over ocean fish due to its freshness and local availability.

Thick-sliced, hand-carved corned beef piled impossibly high on rye bread with spicy brown mustard. Cleveland's Jewish delis serve some of the best corned beef outside New York, with meat that's tender, peppery, and never dry. Often served with a pickle and coleslaw.

Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood was once the heart of the city's Jewish community, and the deli tradition remains strong. Local delis have been hand-cutting corned beef since the 1930s, maintaining old-world techniques and recipes.

Rich, filled donuts made with eggs, butter, and milk, then deep-fried and filled with fruit preserves, custard, or cream. Heavier and denser than regular donuts, paczki are traditionally eaten on Fat Tuesday (Paczki Day), when lines form around the block at Polish bakeries.

Polish tradition brought to Cleveland by immigrants, paczki were originally made to use up sugar, eggs, and lard before Lenten fasting. In Cleveland, Paczki Day is a major event with bakeries producing thousands of these treats.

While corned beef is listed above, Slyman's deserves special mention for its legendary sandwiches featuring nearly a pound of meat, hand-sliced and piled high. The meat is brined for weeks and cooked daily, resulting in incredibly tender, flavorful corned beef that's become a Cleveland pilgrimage site.

Slyman's Restaurant opened in 1963 and quickly became famous for refusing to compromise on portion size or quality. The sandwich has been featured on numerous food shows and is considered by many to be America's best corned beef sandwich.

A sweet yeast bread rolled with a walnut, honey, and butter filling, creating beautiful spiral layers when sliced. The dough is rolled paper-thin before filling, requiring skill and patience. Potica is dense, sweet, and perfect with coffee.

Brought by Slovenian immigrants who settled in Cleveland's St. Clair-Superior neighborhood, potica is traditionally made for holidays and special occasions. Cleveland has one of the largest Slovenian populations outside Slovenia, keeping this tradition alive.

A spicy, brown ballpark mustard with a distinctive tangy kick, originally served at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Bertman Stadium Mustard is the official condiment of Cleveland sports and is used on everything from hot dogs to pretzels to Polish Boys.

Created by Joe Bertman in 1932 and first served at Cleveland Stadium, this mustard became synonymous with Cleveland sports culture. Locals are fiercely loyal to it and consider yellow mustard an inferior substitute.

Tender chicken simmered in a rich, creamy paprika sauce, served over dumplings or egg noodles. The Hungarian dish features prominently in Cleveland's Eastern European food scene, with the sauce getting its distinctive flavor from generous amounts of sweet Hungarian paprika and sour cream.

Hungarian immigrants brought this comfort food to Cleveland in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The city's Hungarian community, particularly in the Buckeye-Woodland neighborhood, maintained authentic recipes through generations.

Despite its name, city chicken contains no chicken—it's cubes of pork and/or veal threaded on skewers, breaded, and baked or fried until golden. Served with mashed potatoes and gravy, it's a Depression-era dish that remains popular in Cleveland.

Created during the Great Depression when chicken was expensive and pork was cheap, city chicken allowed working-class families to have 'chicken on a stick.' The dish remained popular in Cleveland and other Rust Belt cities long after chicken became affordable.

A layered cake with strawberry and rum custard filling between vanilla and chocolate cake layers, covered in whipped cream frosting and decorated with fresh strawberries. Cleveland's version is distinct from the Sicilian original, adapted by local Italian bakeries.

Italian immigrants adapted the traditional Sicilian cassata cake to local tastes, creating a lighter, cream-based version. Cleveland's Italian bakeries, particularly on the east side, have been making this celebration cake for weddings and special occasions since the 1920s.

Peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate, leaving a circle of peanut butter exposed to resemble the nut of Ohio's state tree. These sweet, rich candies are a staple at Ohio gatherings and are especially popular during football season.

While eaten throughout Ohio, buckeyes are ubiquitous in Cleveland, especially during Ohio State football season. The candy became popular in the mid-20th century and is now considered essential at any Cleveland party or holiday gathering.