Crop Sticks

I love Crop Kitchen and Crop Bistro, but this was a very weak attempt at Asian Fusion.
— Crab cake appetizer: This was the highlight of the meal. It had good flavor and a good mix of the crab meat and the breading. Not really Asian, but whatever.
— Chicken egg rolls: These were not very crispy, but tasted all right.
— Ramen: Did not resemble Asian ramen in any way, but rather a so-​so tasting bowl of noodle soup with an egg on top. The meat was not the meat you expect in ramen, but more like pulled pork. And it was too salty.
— Udon: Actually thought that they had switched the ramen and udon, because this soup looked more like ramen than udon. But the noodles were a giveaway. There was far too much dashi in this soup and it tasted even more salty.
Prices were steep for Asian — $ 15 for the crab cakes, $ 9 for two egg rolls, $ 18 for a bowl of noodles and $ 20+ for regular main dishes.
The service was sluggish and our waiter was standing at the bar watching a sports game on the big screen while we were waiting for our check.

Easiest way to get your check quickly is to let them know their miso soup tastes like dead people. Their phở is aight.

This was my fiancé and my first time trying out Crop Sticks. We booked a table with Open Table as we were unsure how busy it would be on a Saturday. We arrived for our 7 pm reservation, there were only about 5 other tables inside at the time. Crowd definitely arrives around ⁸⁄₈₃₀ on a Saturday.
Service was amazing, very attentive and everyone was helping each other out. The bartender even came out to our table a couple of times to bring drinks.
Our server recommended some dishes based on what he likes and what seems to be popular. We went with the crab rangoons, which I could definitely had gone without. The Pad Thai, which was amazing, very sweet but shrimp was cooked to perfection. My fiancé ordered the Beef Udon, which he was pleasantly surprised with. Beef was cooked perfectly and was full of flavors, he stated he would definitely order that again.
Half way through our appetizer, the manager brought over complimentary wasabi deviled eggs for us, we were celebrating our engagement! Major points to them for that!
Atmosphere was amazing, noise level was perfect, aside from one loud man next to us, other than that, a very nice atmosphere for a night out.
Prices are a bit high, I would return for a special occasion.
Service was a 5 star, food, I give a 4 due to the slight disappoint with the crab Rangoon.

So… I usually take the time to leave a lengthy and worthy review… I’m not going to waste my time on this one. Overpriced and less than mediocre American Asian bistro. They are in no sense authentic (not that I think they were aiming for authenticity)…typical restaurant at the flats… maybe if you’re drunk enough you’ll be able to down this food…
Avoid this wanna be…

Wow. Pretty disappinting. Started with a couple of appetizers — crab Rangoon and pot stickers. No better than the take out around the corner in our neighborhood. Crop rock was great so had high expectations for here. Failed to impress. Would not have dinner here. Staff was nice. Atmosphere was ok… but it could not cover for the mediocre food.

Among all the new, frenetic restaurants now enjoying the Flats East Bank development, Crop Sticks is a very refreshing experience. The crowd is lively, but urbane. The food is sophisticated, but completely accessible. And the bartender, Dan, couldn’t be better. He’s welcoming, attentive, offers reliable guidance on the menu, and he really knows his cocktails.
If you’re looking for a memorable meal instead of just the usual scene, go to Crop Sticks.

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by this place. Had a delicious drink with my yummy dinner, despite the somewhat stark atmosphere.
PROS
–Service. I have to call this out first because our server was phenomenal. He made great recommendations for drinks and food and was very attentive to our table. He was even cracking a few jokes with us, which we had us all laughing.
–Pork Ramen. I typically don’t get ramen, unless I am buying it in bulk from the grocery store. But I said, what the heck, I’ll try it. What a great decision! Not too salty and plenty of pork and Ohio City noodles. Check out the pic.
–All the cocktails. I got the Maharajah Cooler; a mix of gin, tequila and citrus-​y flavors. Again, not something I would typically order (I’m a vodka girl) but the drink was very refreshing. Malacca Mule & Cherry Blossom were also tasty, though the Cherry Blossom was a little too sweet for me. The Japanese Cocktail was strong!
–Patio space. Though we couldn’t use the patio space, it is worth mentioning that they have one!
CONS
–Weird atmosphere. The restaurant was really well lit and not intimate at all. The tall ceilings did not really help that vibe — I felt like our conversation at our table was with the entire restaurant because of it.
–The spicy tuna sushi was TOO spicy for me!
BOTTOM LINE
–Come here for dinner, try a cocktail, and get one of the noodle dishes! I will definitely be coming back after the weather warms up to dine on the patio!

This is for a lunch review on a Saturday afternoon. I didn’t get any drinks, but the bar looked fully stocked and the bartender seemed like the type who really knows his stuff. Also, it was very clean, quick, and the service was great. Sadly the food left me feeling a bit meh. I’d give 2.5 stars if possible, but i’ll go with 2 so I don’t devalue my 5 star reviews.
I had the lunch special, which came with soup, side salad, and a half of a sandwich. I took the miso soup and the pork steam bun as a sandwich. The soup had tofu, mushrooms, and scallions — not bad, but nothing unique either.
The salad was the best part of the meal, and included a variety of lettuce, scallions (I think?), some other vegetables, and some kind of Asian-​tasting dressing. They used great vegetables and everything was fresh. The dressing was fine. One thing they absolutely nailed was the proportion of dressing to salad. Few things in life enrage me more than improperly dressed salads. Too much and it’s a soggy salty mess, and too little makes me feel like a rabbit.
Finally, the steam bun. It had pulled pork, some kind of sesame something or other, and… again with the chopped scallions. Very scallion heavy, this place. This was as meh as you can get. It was fine — what else can I say?
Tying it all together, I guess this is what I expected. East Bank places are very hyped right now, and any kind of Asian fusion restaurant is bound to disappoint those who prefer true Asian food (*cough* Wonton Gourmet). The price was high as expected — $ 20 incl. tip. I would definitely come back here for a drink sometime, and will possibly give it one more shot for food.

Came here with high expectations but left somewhat disappointed.
Started off with the spicy tuna — very bland, they forgot the spice?
Followed this with the pad Thai– fair but tasted very generic.
I know hot sake is lower quality but on a cold and windy night, I enjoy a drink that can warm me up– since they didn’t Serve the hot variety the bartender quickly suggested an alternative which was still pretty good.
I hope they can do something different with the food menu, otherwise I don’t think I’ll be visiting again. It would still be a good place for cocktails at the very least.

As a fan of Crop, I was pretty excited to try this new addition to the line in the Flats!
I’ve been here twice– and I’m probably more a fan of their happy hour than the entrees.
Each time I’ve been here (given it’s been a weekday), it hasn’t been too full– I think maybe because it’s just too new and not advertised enough? Either way, it’s fine, as the servers at Crop Sticks are really friendly and I’ve had some good conversations with the waitstaff.
Entrees are pretty pricey, so I would just stick with the happy hour menu (the entrees are good, I’m sure, but I still prefer my phở and curries in Asiatown, please).
My faves off their happy hour menu:
— The Chinese Five Spice Ribs– mmmm, that’s well worth the 6 bucks and the meat is super tender!
–Shishito peppers– I like this– it’s not really spicy, and it’s essentially stir fried peppers that you can dip in some tasty salt.
— Wasabi deviled eggs– it definitely has a kick of wasabi in it, and was pretty good.
Also, if you’re thirsty, they serve hitachino! I thought that was pretty cool– you can’t really find that many places (I’ve only really seen it at La Cave Du Vin in CLE).
Things i would avoid off the menu:
— Veggie sushi– ummm, it’s not sushi. It’s definitely healthy, don’t get me wrong, but the rice isn’t sweetened and it just doesn’t taste like sushi.
— Pork steamed buns– I had thought this was like the Momofuku steamed buns, but the buns were soggy with too much sauce and the pork slaw was sliding out of it. It’s no momofuku pork belly bun, but just… like a taco in a white bun. I mean, it was good, but not what I was expecting (and thus, disappointment seeps in).
I think the location is cool and the restaurant is nice. There are some nice items on the list. Perhaps give it some more time, and i’m sure this place will gain popularity.
For now, definitely hit up the happy hour (only at the bar) for those ribs…

Came for lunch yesterday during the Maize festival in the flats. Pork ramen was really good and I’m eating it now as a leftover. The only thing I didn’t love was the price. $ 16 for ramen is a bit on the pricey side. Would go back to try the phở as well.

Sat down and waited for over 15 minutes without a single server coming to wait on us. They looked confused and incapable of figuring out who serves what table. Have no desire to go there again regardless of how good the food was.

We waited an hour for a table with a 9pm reservation. The bar tenders almost made up for it but we waited an hour for a table.
When we arrived at 8:50pm for a 9pm the hostess said it would be 10 minutes as a table was just closing their tab and they would clean up the table and have it ready for us in time for our reservation. Then I saw her give the table to someone else.
When we asked her, she lied to us and said they also had a reservation but then there was not another table available for an hour. If you make a mistake just apologize and give us the option to dine with you another time or dine at the bar.
The food is pretty good but not worth waiting that long.
They also ran out of Sapporo in all sizes.

I have to say I was disappointed in our experience on 10÷17÷15. Three of us ordered pad thai. I was suprised that at 7:30pm on a Saturday evening, I was told there were only two orders available and would one of us have ramen noodles instead. The food was so salty. All four of our entrees were doused in soy (or some other salty sauce). A manager did not visit our table, therefore we did not voice our concerns. I’ve been to Crop and Crop Kitchen and was expecting more from Crop Sticks. To make matters worse, I decided to email Crop directly and did not get a response from them.

I enjoy the food at the original Crop Bistro but was admittedly tentative at trying Crop’s take on Asian food. I came out pleasantly surprised, but not without an equally surprising hit to the wallet.
For a drink, I started with the Mai Tai’d ($ 13) – more intrigued than anything else at the two-​drink limit posted on the menu. Indeed, it is pretty boozy as forewarned and potentially dangerous in its drinkability. My second drink was water.
For appetizers, we split an order of Oyster Steamed Buns ($ 14). The two folded-​over buns are each pretty sizeable – bigger than the steamed buns at Noodlecat, for example, but at double the price. The oysters were crispy throughout and overcooked, which was disappointing. I liked the two pork dumplings in the cup of Wonton Soup ($ 8), a good change of pace from the thicker dumplings at most Chinese restaurants. The thinner dumplings better highlight the pork interior (though perhaps a little bit more seasoning on that pork would help). I did not like, however, the saltiness of broth – either due to the duck stock or pre-​added soy sauce.
The main course was one of the signature plates: the Crispy Basil Duck ($ 29) – two large pieces of duck over a plate of black rice slathered in sauce with grilled bok choy. I liked the black rice in sauce as well as the grilled bok choy. The duck itself occupies an odd space between roasted duck and a truly-​crispy Peking duck preparation. If you were hoping for the latter, I would advise moving on to another menu item. To put it in the most negative light, you could say it was overcooked, but I suppose some license is warranted given the title.
For dessert (yes, I suffer in order to write comprehensive Unilocal reviews), I had the Coconut Milk Loaf ($ 6). The frozen coconut milk mousse is on the bland side with the flavor instead driven by the accompanying slices of tropical fruits. Not particularly a highlight, I would likely pass on any dessert in a future visit.
All in all, the food was decent with some blemishes. Do not set your expectations to the quality of the flagship Crop restaurant or you will be disappointed. For those keeping track at home, the items above total $ 70. Of course, this is a lot of food – having split the steamed buns and one could arguably even split the duck if there were appetizers beforehand (no idea if there is a surcharge for this). Also, to be sure, the menu offers some noodle and rice options in the $ 16 to $ 18 range. Just based on what I had, though, I do not find myself keen to do a return visit at those price points, but also just shy of a two-​star (i.e., bad) experience.

Were wanted to check out the East Bank as we hadn’t been there since it’s heyday. We immediately noticed it to be much more upscale than the old Fagan’s and The Basement. We parked easily with reasonable $ 10 valet. From the minute we walked in we were impressed. It smelled great and the seating was intimate. We didn’t have a reservation and it was Sweetest Day but they immediately sat us at a high top table by the bar, but it was still nice. The service was fantastic, he was prompt and knowledgeable and answered all our questions. I had the special roll of the day, tempura shrimp and beef tar tare and it was amazing. The plating was impressive as well. My wife had the crispy basil duck and it was delicious. This little spot is located adjacent to Crop Rocks and you can access it through a hallway marked «restroom» which was a little strange. But this is a great place in a great location. Almost forgot to mention the wasabi deviled eggs the waiter recommended. I’m glad he did because otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten them. The balsamic drizzle really balanced out the spiciness of the wasabi. Great texture, this is place where you want to eat slow and savor every bite.

The food is smothered in a spicy, unimaginative, unattractive, and very heavy sauce. It is so overpowering — in quantity and taste — that you cannot distinguish what you are eating other than by knowing what you ordered off the menu. Even the plain white jasmine rice came out smothered in a spicy peanut based sauce. When I questioned the waiter on this, he said that it turns that color when it is cooked and that is how they serve their side of Jasmine rice! Stay away unless you want to indulge in a bowl of spicy sauce with a few other mysterious ingredients mixed in. Service was adequate. Food was sub-​par. Drinks were average.

Aesthetically beautiful, great service, beautiful presentation on the food, although a little salty on the miso soup and also the chicken pad Thai and the spareribs. The music did not match the mood of the restaurant and could not have a conversation due to volume. The location of this restaurant is beautiful, esp. On a warm summer night. I’ll give it another shot soon.

Went here a few weeks ago and was very impressed. They have a good cocktail list and a decent beer list. The husband had a tasty tiki cocktail which was delicious and strong. We started out with the crispy oyster steamed buns which were very good. For dinner I had the pad thai based on the servers recommendation. I normally don’t order pad thai but he recommended it, and I’m glad he did. It was excellent! The sauce was nice and tangy (tamarind?) and it was cooked perfectly. Service was very good even though the restaurant was fairly busy. We will definitely be back.