XYZ Tavern- First Impression

Randy and Linda Kelley's newest venture, XYZ Tavern, has been open in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood for a couple of months now and it continues to please most of its patrons. The duo is also behind Ohio City's ABC Tavern, which some will claim that XYZ will never measure up to. It's a matter of opinion, and I enjoyed my first experience at XYZ.

I headed there after work one Wednesday to meet up with three friends. We settled into a table and ordered drinks before perusing the menu. With dozens of craft beers, loads of bourbon and whiskey options, and a few other cocktails there is something for everyone.

Thanks to the Twitterverse, I had heard that the Broccoli Tempura was quite good and it reminded me of Flying Fig's tempura green beans that I love so much. So that menu item was a must, and I also ordered the fish taco special.The broccoli was a hit, with its sweet and spicy sauces and light batter. I would order this again for sure, and "R" even enjoyed the pieces that I brought home with me.

The fish taco was a little disappointing. As you can see below, the taco was large and loosely folded. There were so many ingredients in there that there was no way I could try and pick it up to eat it like a standard taco. So I ended up using my knife and fork. While the components were fresh and the fish prepared and seasoned well, eating it with utensil just lost some of the experience of a taco. A couple of smaller tacos instead of one giant taco would have been more appreciated and appropriate.Overall, we liked the atmosphere and food/drink menu and we'll be back for more. It also looked like garage doors will open up for some outside seating once the warmer weather settles in. Now that's my kind of restaurant!
XYZ Tavern
6419 Detroit Road
Cleveland, OH 44102
(216) 651-5520

*Note: "R" went there several weeks later, and wasn't too thrilled with what he ordered. Looks like it is time for Round #2 to see for myself!