Shooters on the Water

Shooters on the Water opened in June of 1987. I celebrated my 21st birthday there back then, but don’t remember much about that night. I don’t know if it was because it was so long ago or because I enjoyed finally being legal. Shooters is located on the Cuyahoga River in on the West Bank of the Cleveland Flats and was one of the forerunners of the Flats. Back in the late 1980s/early 1990s the Flats were the place to be and I mourn what it used to be – not what it turned into. Although the Flats are essentially no more, Shooters is still around. I had not been back since I turned 21, and I hadn’t gone there for the food that night. I was curious as to how it would be.

When the weather is nice I love dining outside and especially on the water, so I thought it would be an interesting place for my Dining Out group to meet. Unfortunately seating on the water is first come, first served and because we were a big group we were seated inside the restaurant. The service was pretty attentive, all things considered, and despite putting everything on one check they were willing to break it down and allow us to pay for our meals separately. We just had to tell them how much our share was.

My friend Lenore and I could not decide what to order, so we ordered two entrees and split them. We chose the chopped salad (crisp greens, vine-ripe tomatoes, diced turkey breast, chopped egg, cucumbers, red onion, applewood smoked bacon, shredded provolone cheese and choice of dressing on the side) and the Philly Steak and Cheese (shaved prime rib, caramelized onions and mushrooms, stuffed in a toasted hoagie roll with melted mozzarella and a side of au jus). We both really enjoyed the salad, but Lenore was not impressed with the sandwich. She found it too dry. I figure you can’t expect too much from a Philly cheese steak in Cleveland. Plus, she’s from New York and is used to good bread, which this hoagie bun was not. One of our other friends ordered the Philly Steak sandwich with onion rings, which were quite delicious. Next time I’m going to order some seafood though.

Everyone seemed pleased with their meals, from the Chicken Quesadilla and Calamari Dibattista (lightly breaded, sautéed with extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, banana peppers and roasted red peppers) to the Rasta Pasta (roasted garlic-asiago Alfredo, spinach, fresh diced tomatoes, mushrooms, linguini pasta and shaved parmesan) and Rajun Cajun chicken breast sandwich.

As has become a tradition, several of us ordered dessert and shared it by passing it around the table. The New York Style Cheesecake and Death by Chocolate were enjoyed by all.

Contact info:

1148 Main Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 861-6900