Pier W | 12700 Lake Avenue | Lakewood, OH

Setting
Imagine this … a lakefront restaurant in Northeast Ohio—welcome to Pier W. A Lakewood staple housed in Winton Place condos, the restaurant is set within a cliff that overlooks Lake Erie, offering sweeping views of the Cleveland skyline. Even more unique is that the building’s architecture was designed to mirror the frame of a cruise ship.

Food and Drink
Happy hour is a wonderful way to affordably experience all that Pier W offers—beautiful views, upscale settings and award-winning food. Let’s start with the food. There are 14 selections on the menu, including lobster bisque, clam chowder, margherita pizza, Caesar salad, burgers (angus reserve, salmon and black bean) tempura fried shrimp, a tempura blue cod sandwich and beef short rib pierogis. Prices vary from $4 to $12. My personal favorite is the cod sandwich. My mom raves about the lobster bisque, pierogis and pizza. I’ve tried those too—I second her opinion. The variety of the happy hour menu is unparalleled.

It’s easy to stay hydrated at Pier W. The menu features 12 $6 specialty drinks and nine $6 wines. Cocktails include a grapefruit martini, sangria, a cherry Manhattan and a rum orange swizzle. Available wines include Caposaldo pinot grigio, Oak Grove Reserve chardonnay, Bovin cabernet sauvignon and Angeline pinot noir.

Notes
Pier W offers happy hour seven days a week: 4 – 7 p.m. Monday – Friday, 4 – 6 p.m. Saturday and 4:30 – 6 p.m. Sunday. Seating is limited, as happy hour is only served in the bar; it fills up quickly, so get there early! The restaurant’s staff has been professional on all my visits.

One other important point—Pier W is located in Winton Place, a high-rise condominium complex. Fortunately, there is signage on Lake Avenue as well as when you turn in, so the restaurant is easy to find. Ample parking is available and it’s free.

Rating Scale & Verdict
🍷🍷=Average 🍷🍷🍷=Good 🍷🍷🍷🍷=Excellent

🍷🍷🍷🍷 The quality, not to mention variety, of the food and drink is unrivaled. Pier W deserves four wine glasses alone for being one of the relatively few (shockingly) areas in Northeast Ohio that utilizes the water. Beyond that, this is about as good as it gets for happy hour. Breathtaking views, delicious food and outstanding drinks—Pier W’s happy hour lets you live large without the hefty price tag. Is it 4 o’clock yet? Cheers!