This actually isn’t the first time that I’ve mentioned Scooter’s in this space, but since it’s been almost three years, I figured I’d give them another shout out.

Here’s 3 reasons why I love Scooter’s:

• Awesome Food
• It’s Cheap
• You Feel Like Family

The menu isn’t anything crazy, it’s basically hot dogs, fries and ice cream, but that’s all three food groups so how can you complain? The dogs are deep fried (hells yes!) and you can get them topped with just about anything you want.  French Fries, including sweet potato, are hand cut when ordered and served in mountainous portions.  Don’t believe me? The small fry, it fills up an entire brown paper bag like your kid would take to lunch.  Plus they’ve got soft serve and hard scooped ice cream, so there really is no reason to eat anywhere else.

And you can’t be the prices at Scooter’s.  Applebee’s and Outback can advertise their awesome dinner deals all they want, but for $5 you can get a huge hotdog, fries and a drink at Scooter’s. 

I always hate going to places where you feel like you don’t belong, like everyone else is a regular, but you’re just some random hippie off the street.  At Scooter’s, you always feel like you below.  The owner, I believe his name his Scott, might just be the nicest damn guy I have ever met.  He greets you as you come in, takes your order and makes sure to say goodbye and thank you when you leave.  When’s the last time you were thanked for buying a hot dog?  Huh?

When you go, because I know you will, make sure you tell him Mark from Eating Cleveland sent you.

Scooter’s Dawg House
9600 Blackbrook Rd.
Mentor, Ohio 44060
440-354-8480

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Melt’s expansion hasn’t taken place as of yet, so we had to wait the usual hour.  It was so worth it though.  That expansion should be coming very soon though from what I read in Cleveland magazine this past month.

I had the Summer Chicken sandwich ($8.50) and within two bites it became my favorite.  Grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, and a roasted garlic dressing all covered with gooey Havarti cheese.  Really a good sandwich with the fresh taste of quality ingredients.  Oh, and those fries!  No one in Cleveland does fries better than Melt.

If you haven’t tried Melt yet, consider yourself deprived of one of the good things in life.  No matter how long you have to drive, or how long you have to wait, you’ll be amazed.

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14718 Detroit Ave
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
216-226-3699

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I was actually more tired than hungry so I ordered a cup of chili and an order of Fred’s Preferred Fries which are essentially fries covered in a multitude of cheese.  I’m down with that sort of thing.  I must say though those were two poor choices on my part.

I harken back to a prior time, the good ol’ days if you will, you know, when chili used to have meat in it.  The chili contained nothing easily recognizable as meat, it was almost entirely kidney beans.  I hereby recommend that the Winking Lizard change the name of their chili to “bean soup”.

Already depressed by the lackluster chili, having to eat my Fred’s Preferred Fries had me feeling like Heath Ledger on a lonely Monday night (What?  Too soon?).  I don’t know who Fred is exactly, but if what I received were his “Preferred Fries”, I question his judgement. 

These fries easily made the list of Top 10 worst things I have ever eaten.  Just so you know what kind of special company that is in, number one on that list is a live caterpillar (Dick Goddard would be so pissed).

I can sum this visit to the Winking Lizard up in 5 words: Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad and Bad.

Image: KM

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