In old-school Vegas terms, the word “lounge” evokes a schmaltzy, musty setting where talentless performers stumble awkwardly through tired covers of tired hits. Luckily for patrons of the W. 117th Cleveland-Lakewood border, the owners of The Brothers Lounge have a decidedly different take. Their lounge is not a lounge at all. It’s a perfectly balanced assimilation of three unique settings: a classy wine bar, a comfortable neighborhood pub, and a spacious music hall.
The Wine Bar: The wine bar is Brothers most chic setting. The space features glossy mahogany tables spaced comfortably apart, complete with slick leather chairs for seating. A bar featuring a great selection of reds, whites, sparkling and champagne selections lines one wall, while a raised platform with a piano occupies another. Open at 5 p.m., it’s a perfect spot for a highbrow conversation with your peers after work or a romantic evening for two.
The Pub: For those who feel most at home in jeans and a tee, Brothers pub is your best option. Though the space doesn’t offer a lot of seating—a handful of tiny tables line the wall opposite the long bar—the pub is a great, open area to simply hang out and commiserate with friends. Grab a pint from a decent draft selection or mix it up with a cocktail from the bar. And don’t be discouraged by daylight ... unlike the wine bar and music hall, the pub opens daily at 11:30 a.m.
The Music Hall: The Music Hall is Brothers finest asset. The room is spacious without feeling empty. It offers plenty of seating to take a load off, but it’s got enough standing room around the mid-sized stage area if you’d rather get up close to the local, regional and national acts. Like Brothers Lounge itself, the mix of performers here is rather varied. You might find a classic blues trio on Thursday, an electric funk/rock mix on Friday and a rock band on Saturday. But with a 35-foot mahogany bar and roomy traffic flow, you should never have trouble finding your way to a drink.
The grub: For as delightfully varied as the Brothers interior may be, its menu is disappointingly consistent. You’ll find the same options in the Wine Bar, the Pub and the Music Hall. That’s not necessarily a bad thing—the options are all pretty good. But still, the food selections and ambiance don’t always click. (Try ordering a wine board of cheeses in the Pub or Bavarian pretzels in the Wine Bar without a slight ting of discomfort.) Options range from wings and calamari for starters, to a corned beef sandwich for lunch, to romaine wedge for a salad, to a grille ribeye with bleu cheese butter for dinner. For a final act, Brothers also features some decadent desert options, including crème brule cheesecake and mascarpone lemon berry cake.
Inside tip: Happy hour lasts from 3-6 p.m. and features $1 off beer, cocktails and wine by the glass. A long weekend ahead of you? The happy hour extends all day on Sundays.
Fun fact: If the food at Brother Lounge tastes familiar, that’s because the head chef is Kimo Javier of Kimo’s Sushi Shop in Ohio City. When he’s not rolling up fresh tuna rolls at his namesake restaurant, he spends his time overseeing the kitchen at Brothers.
Bottom line: The Brothers Lounge offers an option to match any mood or personality—and it does it all with style. Whether you’re in the Pub or Wine Bar, the recently renovated restaurant exudes a contemporary ambiance that’s both comfortable and chic, while the Music Hall offers an intimate venue for hardcore and casual music fans alike. |
