cleveland restaurant guide : jaja.
a gorgeous latin-inspired jungle atrium hidden away in the heart of ohio city offering a unique menu and meticulously crafted cocktails
$$$$ | fancy-casual, trendy | 2050 Gehring Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113 | jump to summary
front entrance to jaja, located on gehring ave
the overview
Jaja is a fun, unique fusion concept with a stylish aesthetic and bold ambitions. As someone who loves Latin and Mediterranean culture and cuisine, this was home to me. The decor is a fusion of art deco-Miami-retro-fun, with tropically printed wallpaper and velvet-cushioned seating. I’m also a sucker for throw pillows on long booth seats, so that Mediterranean detail is an effortless win in my book.
Besides the aesthetics — which I could talk about for hours — the food and drinks are also well worth mentioning. I’d heard critical rumblings about the food before going and went in with little to no expectations (preferred, I think). After trying quite a bit of the menu, my inkling is that the prices are what’s causing any negative reviews. The food is well seasoned and daring, with many rare and uncommon ingredients used across the menu. The prices are that of a high-end steakhouse, which can be hard to navigate for a customer set on enjoying tapas-style portions.
Or the reviewers simply don’t like dry-aged steaks. That’s fine too.
The truth is, Jaja has some of the most unique food in the area and strives to differentiate itself from what the city already has to offer. The retro-Latin vibe is perfect for this, and the Argentinian-style grilling is worth paying for. If you’re still not sure, keep reading.
jaja’s dining room, an intimate space with city views
expat in peru, a fruit brandy sour with a creamy yogurt finish
where to start
Drinks, of course. Evan ordered the mezcal-heavy Wide Saragasso Sea and I the creamy-dreamy Expat in Peru. He loved the smokey flavor of his, I loved the strong yogurt flavor of mine. Both good apertifs, as the menu is designed. The top half was explained to us as being lighter and acidic starters, while the bottom portion more apt for after-dinner, like the old fashioned riff at the bottom titled “Old Dog | New Tricks”.
Non-alcoholic options
Interestingly, the menu doesn’t have a written NA section but offers it in the form of customized spirit-free drinks. This would freak my shy spirit-free sister out, but is a fun concept to try if you have a flavor profile in mind. Give the bartender your favorite flavors, fruits, or vibes, and they can craft you something on the spot, spirit-free.
The wine!
You should try a cocktail then switch to wine. The wine list is thoughtful and thorough and worth trying a glass or splitting a bottle of. We were told their specialty was sparkling wine, which I excitedly obliged and ordered a glass of. Any of the wines will suit their food menu well.
Post-dinner
I’m not sure if this is always offered, but their dessert menu the night we visited included a cocktail. Our offering was a riff on an espresso martini, pictured below. It was creamy (a theme for me) and decadent enough for dessert without being too sweet. I’m looking at you, 5’oclock steakhouse.
the dessert cocktail special, a filling riff on an espresso martini
the food we loved
We tried to order a little bit of everything, choosing mostly things we already knew we loved and one outlier in the bone marrow. I love kale, so I ordered the light-hearted salad to begin (and to get some veggies in before a meat-heavy meal). Delicious and refreshing, and definitely leaves room for other dishes to be had. Citrusy, light, healthy.
The waitress, Madelyn, arranged for the oysters we ordered to arrive next (The servers can expertly arrange your food in the best serving order for you). We love oysters, so it’s hard to do us wrong here. It’s $20 for 6 that come with a tomato mignonette on a bed of salt and charred woodchips. The aroma is part of the experience; the smokey smell is tantalizing.
Our favorite dish
The bone marrow. That’s all, and I’m not sure we’ll beat it by going back and ordering everything else. It’s buttery, decadent, delicious, and the bread you spread it on is tasty as well. It’s likely we’d get that every time and feels very different than a lot of menus in the area, so well worth going for. Use it as an appetizer for steaks.
The mains
We had the strip steak and the halibut, favorites of both of ours. We were offered disclaimers on both, interestingly: “The steaks are dry aged”, and “The halibut is cooked medium rare, like Chilean sea bass”. These felt like positives to us, which made us wonder what feedback they’d been getting.
The steak is seasoned generously and differs greatly from a classic steakhouse, but is fairly straightforward and should be well loved by steak lovers of all kinds. The halibut is, indeed, buttery like a Chilean sea bass, and must be eaten with a forkful of the spicy salsa verde. Both dishes are completed by their accompanying sauces, strengths of the cuisine not to be overlooked.
the retro, Miami-esque bar, with a view that overlooks the skyline downtown
the best way to jaja
Jaja is definitely the place you take your parents, friends, or business partners for a fun and impressive night. Like Amba, Zhug, or il Rione, it transports you to another place, forcing you to admit that you forgot you were in Cleveland for an hour (in the best way). It is, though, an expensive night, so here’s the best way to make the most of it.
A party of four
The menu is really designed for 2 hungry people or 4 snackers. With a party of 4, you can order the parillada, platters of either seafood or steaks. It’s a platter involving samples of essentially the entire list of proteins and will satisfy 2 people fully and 4 people as a light meal. They’re also only $115 or $140, respectively, which is the same cost as two proteins and a veggie — likely less than 4 people would order anyways. It’s not the best choice for everyone, but lends best to the concept of the restaurant and gives the most full experience of the menu. If you have 3 friends to share samples with, you’ll have a good, inexpensive night.
A casual night
They do have a bar, as pictured above, and the aforementioned cocktails are worth going for alone. There aren’t a lot of snackable plates on the menu; but if you were looking for something to tide you over during happy hour, the crudo or bone marrow would be delicious with cocktails, if not lighter fare like the olives and bread.
a few final tips
The entrance to Jaja is on Gehring, which is only confusing if you’re not using Google maps and instead trying to guess where Jaja is based on the simple fact that it’s “somewhere in the Intro”. It’s on the second floor, technically, so the somewhat hidden entrance is made further concealed by also being the waiting room. I liked it, it felt exclusive and gave the dining room upstairs a much more private feel.
Parking is not hard and valet is offered for a low $10. You don’t need to valet (sorry valets), but if you’re running late it’s a great option. Ohio City has ample parking if you have ample patience. We parked on Lorain easily at 8:30pm, the empty West Side Market being our second choice. If you go at prime time, the West Side Market will still be plenty easy and likely less than valet since the Market closes before dinner rush, anyway.
The dining room was hardly full at 8:30 on a Wednesday, though I still recommend a reservation. I think summertime will be very popular here as a sorta-kinda-rooftop situation. We stayed until 11:00, closing, and by then the dining room was empty (I mean, obviously).
They also offer brunch, which I’m excited to go back for if only for seeing the atrium in the daylight. The menu is concise with a good sense of humor, something we could all use for brunch, really.
Would I go back?
Definitely. The service was kind and attentive, the vibe casual but trendy, with a relaxed feel that I can only imagine gets better in the summertime. Every detail of Jaja is clearly meticulously thought through, making for a full experience and a dazzling night out. The brains behind Jaja know what they’re doing — and it shines.
the skyline view reflecting in the windows below jaja
tl;dr
the good: it’s a gorgeous space, day or night. a retractable glass roof and dozens of plants offer a retro-organic atmosphere. the food, drinks, and wine are thoughtfully crafted and curated for a full experience. the staff is enthusiastic, professional, and attentive.
the good to know: it’s impossible to have an inexpensive night here, so be prepared to spend big on a nice night out. consider ordering the parillada.
favorites: bone marrow with bread, sparkling wine
dairy free options | gluten free options | spirit free options | vegetarian options
evan walking to the front entrance