Rood (Lakewood)

Rood has always been a great restaurant, but their current 7 course tasting menu is so excellent it would be a shame not to share! Chef Josh and the whole team are working to reduce food waste and are offering this tasting menu trying to use all parts of the fare they purchase to help do their part for the world. This doesn’t mean you end up with strange off-cuts or old produce, but instead are offered dishes incorporating sauces and purees made by them in-house, aging and preserving to stick to the mantra of the offering. I truly believe the ingenuity and expertise they show in the dishes are on par with Michelin-prospects in larger cities. Because they are mostly using ingredients on hand, the menu changes frequently, with dishes switching out or being altered as much as every week. On this occasion, I enjoyed delicious and inventive dishes such as an oyster with a house made citrus-kosho, squash 3 ways (squash served in a squash-miso sauce with squash vinegar), a “fish-stick” made from scallops, elk loin, and a beautiful stone axe wagyu with parsnip puree, potato mille-feuille, and smoked bourbon marinated oyster mushrooms (a smaller portion of the dish on their current menu). All of this and more made for a truly wonderful evening on a cold Cleveland night! The service at Rood feels truly welcoming, with wait staff, bartenders and chefs all feeling professional yet friendly and approachable: the kind of people that are busy working but happy to slow down for a moment to chat. The drink menu is excellent as well, with well-crafted cocktail options and solid beer and wine choices to pair with all of their dishes. Any review of Rood would not be complete without mentioning their desserts! One of only a few restaurants with a pastry chef not only on staff, but as a partner of the business. Honestly, there’s been more than one occasion where I’ve visited exclusively for cocktails and desserts. I wanted to leave this review to encourage others to go enjoy this tasting menu as I felt like it might not be getting the attention it deserves, but on this night I saw the chef and team bringing out many of the tasting dishes to tables in the dining room, so the secret might be out. Still, I hope my review encourages someone to splurge a bit on an evening with fun, delicious and inventive food from a passionate restaurant.

Rood made my list for a staycation restaurant tour of Cleveland because their pies intrigued me, and it ended up being one of my all time favorite places. Inventive flavors (from the cocktails, to the main courses, as well as desserts). Perfect portions. Unique dishes. Refined preparation. Nothing felt heavy. I truly enjoyed my meal. Loved the apricot mascarpone cheesecake with a creme brûlée style topping. Octopus was to die for. Definitely in my top 3 favorite places in Cleveland. Staff was outstanding and it’s such a cute place, too.

We liked the brunch so we came back for dinner. Glad we did! Hands down one of the best restaurants in Cleveland! Rood is not one of those wanna-be places that barely have anything good. Rood is actually a place you can enjoy amazing food! I would say we never got disappointed at any dishes we ordered. Love the Chinese themed plate lol. We enjoyed the food and the service. But not sure what the 3% dine-in fee is for.

hand's down one of the most amazing meals i have had in my entire life. every food item was plated beautifully, the details in all of the flavors combining were impeccable, and the service/atmosphere was definitely a vibe! we had a group of (4) for a friend's birthday. for apps, we ordered the koji bread plate, a crudite caesar, the lamb meatballs (amazing, so tender and juicy, comparable to the burst of flavor a soup dumpling provides!), the bbq'd heirloom carrots, the crispy pork belly (omg), and the potato mochi sticks for apps. for entrees we did the koji dry aged meatloaf, the ricotta gnocchi, and the chicken & dumpling. for dessert, we ordered the chocolate lover's layered cake, the raspberry pretzel pie (not too sweet, great sweet/salty vibes), the apricot mascarpone cheesecake pie, and the raspberry cookie butter pie. we also tried the cassata cake ice cream and the passionfruit/carrot/pineapple sorbet. i will never forget the perfect sear on the pork belly and the fattiness of the pork melting on my tastebuds. cooked to perfection! the carrots were a huge hit, they were so tender but still had a sturdiness in the mouthfeel and felt substantial. as a midwest girly, the meatloaf was my favorite of the entrees we ordered. the desserts - i was blown away! bailey, our server, was fabulous and kind. she completely supported our tapas-style meal. great vibes, great food, overall i will be back to try out the gems i didn't get to try and of course for pie!

My husband and I came here for my birthday today, and it was our first time here! We have been wanting to try it so bad and seriously SO glad we did. Best experience, such fun and creative food choices and the atmosphere and the staff is so so kind and knowledgeable about the dishes!! The food was amazing and completely worth every penny, whole time we were kicking our feet !! Haha, WILL be returning. 100/10! Pictures include: Vibes, charred octopus, Brussels sprouts, Kate’s steelhead trout, aged meatloaf, sticky toffee pudding