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Cleats is Back!
Tim and Tracie Higdon, founders of the original Cleats in North Royalton, are thrilled to bring the Strongsville location into the fold. “We’re tied to this community,” they say.
The menu features a variety of burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, and, of course, Cleats’ special wings, served with 22 unique sauces that range from mild to “red death.
One of Strongsville’s favorite neighborhood eateries has re-opened its doors.
By: Ken McEnteeDate: 12/09/2009
The hometown girl now owns the hometown grille.
Tracie Higdon, the new owner of Cleats Club Seat Grille, in Strongsville, never went away, yet she feels like she’s coming home.
“When we realized that we were going to be taking over the Strongsville Cleats, I was so excited,” Tracie beams, while perusing her newly refurbished restaurant and sports bar. “My roots are here. I grew up here, went to school here and raised my own kids here. My father (Don Wolfcale) was a councilman and past president of the Rotary. This is an opportunity to get even more involved in my community.”
It’s also an opportunity to get more involved with the business her husband, Tim, started 13 years ago with the launch of the first Cleats, in North Royalton. Since that time, the company has expanded into 13 additional locations throughout Northeast Ohio and has become well known for its trademark wings—the official wings of the Cleveland Indians.
The Strongsville location, like some of the others, was licensed to an independent owner. When it recently became available after nine years in business, Tim and Tracie jumped at the opportunity to bring it into the family.
“The previous owner did a nice job of making Cleats one of Strongsville’s great places to eat and hang out,” Tracie says. “After nine years, some updating was needed and I think people are going to love what we’ve done to the place.”
After a complete renovation, a brand new Cleats Strongsville reopened on the day before Thanksgiving.
The first order in the remake was a Reaganesque, “Tear down that wall.”
The removal of a wall that separated a secluded party room from the rest of the restaurant has given the place a fresh, open atmosphere, not to mention double the seating it had before.
“I always felt that the people in the party room felt like they were out of the loop,” Tracie admits. “The wall also made it tight for people sitting at that side of the bar. Now we have a lot more room for people to move and be comfortable.”
New booths and high-top tables have been added to complete the experience.
“We brought in some games, like basketball, air hockey and claw games to give the kids something to do so their parents can relax,” Tracie says. “I always remember going to the old Ground Round when my kids were little. They had games, so you could give the kids a couple of dollars and they were happily occupied and we got to sit quietly for a while. We have the same, family-friendly environment here. I think of Cleats not as a bar, but a restaurant with a bar.”
The menu features a variety of burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, and, of course, Cleats’ special wings, served with 22 unique sauces that range from mild to “red death.” The Lime Pepper sauce offers a touch of the Caribbean, while the Erie Island Smoke was dreamt up after a weekend on Put-in-Bay.
The wings themselves are available as traditional wings, boneless wings and “sinless tenders.” Combos team wings up with a loaded spud, pretzel sticks or onion rings—each for less than $10.
Cleats’ wings hit a home run with the Cleveland Indians. As the team’s official wing, they are sold during games at a Cleats kiosk at Progressive Field. On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, you can get them at Cleats for 39-cents apiece.
Cleats’ roster of burger, chicken and sausage sliders has been a favorite for years. Three sliders, served with seasoned waffle fries, are just $7.99. The sliders complement a full lineup of sandwiches and burgers, including the half-pound Garbage Burger topped with “lots of stuff,” like fries, Cole slaw, Swiss and American cheese, grilled mushrooms, onions, and bacon. This one is served with extra napkins, for $9.99.
“The food is good and we serve you plenty of it,” Tracie promises. “An order of our Nachos Grande is easily enough for two.”
Piled high with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos, sour cream and salsa, with a choice of chili, chicken or barbecue pork, the nachos are a favorite in the starting lineup, at $9.99.
“We’ve sometimes heard people complain that we serve too much food,” Tracie insists. “So we’ve added a few pub sandwiches that are served on a smaller pretzel bun.”
The pubs, including a pub burger, roast beef and Gouda, and BBQ pork, are served with lightly seasoned waffle fries, for $7.99
And, if you are a rib lover, Tracie promises that Cleats’ ribs are the best.
“They are amazing and they fall right off the bone,” she says. On Thursday nights, you can enjoy a full slab, with Cole slaw, for just $10.99.
While you eat, you can enjoy all the great sports action on Cleats’ flat screen TVs.
For the holiday season, Cleats features Great Lakes Brewery’s popular Christmas Ale on tap.
To celebrate the reopening of the Strongsville Cleats, Tracie invites you to a grand opening party on Saturday, December 19.
“It will be a fun day,” she says. “We’ll have food and drink specials, and games and entertainment. It’ll be fun for people to come in and see our new look.”
Cleats is located at 15147 Pearl Road, in Strongsville. You can call them at 440-572-4772, or visit them online at www.cleatswings.com. Cleats is open 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. every day of the week.
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