Bearden’s Restaurant

So disappointed with to go service. They put the fries and onion rings in a bag instead of a box and the grease from the food soaked through and when we got home the bags ripped and the food was all over the floor. What a waste of $ 24.00.

I took my 3 year old grandson for his first milkshake on Saturday at 6PM. After waiting in line to place our order they stopped taking orders «to catch up». About 15 minutes later they started taking orders again. The process was very slow. By 7 PM when we still didn’t have our food, I asked when it would be ready. Nobody seemed to have a clue. The dining room was half empty. Not sure what the issue was and no explanation was given. I asked for my money back. And the person never even bothered to apologize. Very poor customer service!!! I won’t go back.

Just had dinner here and we were really disappointed. We waited an hour for our food. The milkshakes came out 45 minutes before our food. I still don’t see why it took an hour to get fast food. Now to the good part, the only hot dish we ordered came out cold. The rest of us had BLT’s. When we brought it to their attention they offered nothing but a refund which showed no regard to the fact that we waited an hour for food that came out cold and we were starving.

This is going to be different, as I used to work for Bearden’s so many moons ago. I was one of a couple of managers who had the privilege of getting in on the ground floor during Bearden’s reopening. We learned from Joe Orange how to make the burgers exactly like they were done over the past decades, and we helped the new owner (Jim Griffiths) with structuring the menu, S.O.Ps, ordering and getting the restaurant underway. One thing nobody really realized about Bearden’s (and now that I’m gone, I can reply to the lady who talked about our food quality while I worked there-​) we were very consciousness of the food we ordered. Our meat supplier wasn’t the #1 supplier of beef in the area, they were the #1 supplier of what Clevelanders love– Corned Beef. The #1 beef supplier supplied over 95% of the nation’s beef. Since we couldn’t track down where it wasn’t coming from– we went local. And from there, we knew everything about what we were serving. It was all cooked fresh, prepared fresh. It was literally the healthiest of the greasy spoons. I’ve worked in several kitchens (and now across the country) and Bearden’s was one of the best run machines. (Absolutely tooting my own horn.)
This season, I returned to Cleveland, and having nostalgic tendencies, asked two of my old coworkers to meet me here so that we can revisit old times and catch up. One was my co-​worker who was quality control and headmaster of cleaning regimes, and the other was my whip-​cracker who made sure the employees were having fun but still worked their tails off.
Bearden’s is as good as it ever was. The food items were cooked perfectly. The headmaster thought his fries were over-​portioned, but what regular customer is going to argue that? They took away my Build-​a-​Salad menu item, which was good thinking, as that was one of my more flop-​pish ideas. We sat at a booth for three hours, trying various things, listening to juke box music and treasuring memories. I finally got that feeling I believe so many Rocky River alumni do when they come back to satisfy a Bearden’s craving.
Now, one star had to be deducted as we watched the staff eating on the line. From our seat at the front window I watched one girl eat her dinner back by the microwave. Two other employees made shakes and cheers’d each other, drinking them down. The manager on duty didn’t care. Tables weren’t bussed promptly, and we were never table-​touched. A kid wanted the train on (as they do) and the one employee turned it on, but when the train didn’t move (because a wheel was off the track) the employee turned it off, shrugged at the kid and went– «It’s broken. It does that.» and went back to work. The whip cracker shouted over his shoulder: «Good effort!» *sigh* Gone are the days of Molly, Marisa, Elise, Liz, Valerie and Hannah, I guess.
So– the service was sub-​par. But, the food was great. I will definitely come back the next time I’m in town, and make Conor and Eric join me. I hope they do get a manager in there that makes sure the employees eat over in the prep room, the back hallway, or just somewhere else guests can’t see them, and always be mindful of the dining room’s cleanliness and paying customers.
(The christmas tree? Had absolutely, honest-​to-​God nothing to do with it. Don’t even have an idea of who would do that. It’s unfathomable. Did we employ such scum? Loved and miss my time at Bearden’s, and wish nothing but the best!)

Have read about Bearden’s in the past. Today I decided to visit Bearden’s for the first time. Thought I would get a discounted price being Wednesday. Actually, the price specials are discounted only on Wednesdays during Spring months. OK! Still wanted to try this 1948 rather famous restaurant. The workers were very friendly which is the what I like restaurants to be… I felt very welcome!
The décor is 50’s. Rather interesting as I grew up in the 50’s…
Being a 73 year old white haired senior citizen I was happy receiving a
discount! Ordered a double steak burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, and
mayo with the beef done medium. Also, ordered an order of fries.
Was pleased that the double steak burger was hot and tasty… the way I love my food. The fries were hot and tasty as well!
The portions were a good size! I was not hungry leaving this place! Will be back at another time for another great eating experience!
Thank you Bearden’s. George P. Cleveland

I love this place and LOVED coming here as a kid and watching the train move around on the ceiling tracks. I travelled here many times with my grandparents who are local to the area and really had a lot of fun times here. Unfortunately, my grandfather has passed on, but that’s beside the point.
After a recent remodel, and having a meeting in the area, I decided I would revisit my old «stomping ground.» It really has changed and for the better. It looks old timey inside, almost like you’re in a 60s restaurant. There is even a Mustang BUILT into the side of the establishment. How cool!
Customer service as always was great and the food was superb. A+ I would recommend this place to everyone! If you want a good burger at a place that is the best around, come here!

I’ve been eating so many burgers this past month that I am going to start looking like a round burger patty myself if I don’t include a salad now and then, but there are just too many places to try! This time around I stopped in at Bearden’s for a double cheeseburger and the chili cheese fries.
Firstly, this place has really pulled off their 1950’s diner theme without coming across too kitschy. I like the atmosphere and think it’s perfect for what they serve up, which is basically just burgers, shakes, and some fried sides like french fries and tater tots. The staff of teenagers also seems appropriate and reminds me of my summer jobs in high school. Speaking on the staff, they were all pleasant, patient, and helpful when I asked questions about the menu.
Now for the food! Make sure you come in on a Wednesday because that is half price burger night even if you get the burger to-​go. I started off with a basic double hamburger for $ 2.98 ($ 5.96 full price) and added cheddar cheese .55¢, lettuce .15¢, and since condiments are free my double burger came to $ 3.68. The burger is a pretty nice size so this is definitely a good deal. My small side of chili cheese fries came in at $ 5.05, but there was nothing small about this; could definitely feed two people unless you like putting yourself in a food coma. The chili is mildly spicy with chunks of meat (hamburger patties?), onions and green peppers. The cheese is your standard melted nacho cheese. So my bill in total was $ 8.73, very affordable!
This place is definitely a solid 3 stars and I would recommend it over a chain fast food joint (support local!). The food was good, but I did not think it was something mouth watering that I would crave to have again. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the burger was not overly greasy, but it did not seem seasoned and I only got one slice of cheese for my two patties. The fries are thin frozen ones which I feel meh about no matter what, but they did the job. All in all I think Bearden’s does well for what they are and you can’t compare them to places with gourmet burgers or even a fast food chain because you’re coming here for a taste of simple old school diner food and memories of yesteryear.
I’d come back for another burger, just maybe mix up the toppings and condiments. I’d also go for the homemade onion rings and a milkshake, yeah… that sounds good.

Wow Bearden’s. I’m granting two stars because my kids loved their meals. The staff is responsible for the rest of the stars being docked.
Saturday, 515pm. One other table of two along with us. There were four of us. We walked in and the employees were talking amongst themselves. Pet peeve: no greeting. It’s a simple, fast food counter type ordering system. Take my order and I will be out of your business. We had to wait for the employees to finish, ordered, and took our seats.
Food arrives. Milk shakes are tasty, we got chocolate and vanilla. We were short a burger. Four people, three meals. Weird. Why would we do that? Unfortunately for them, they forgot the burger of the Unilocaler.
Fries are different. It’s been a while since I’ve been in, but the old ones were dinery. These are those frozen fries with lots of breading. Not bad, but not what I was expecting.
I may try it again, but it will be a while. It’s too pricy to have such poor service.

This place is my kid’s favorite restaurant. Food is consistent and it’s great that you can mostly get in and out on your own time-​a big plus with little ones. You can walk up to the counter, order and pay. Food comes out to your table quickly, then you can eat and leave at your own pace. Quaint inside and the food is decent. Kids eat free on Tuesday. It’s a charmer…

First thing to note: Wednesday after 4 pm is half priced burgers, wish I had known that before I came here! I’m always searching for a deal
I ordered a double with cheddar, bacon, and bbq sauce, along with onion rings and a chocolate shake. The burger was great. The bacon is nice and thick and the barbeque sauce was a nice mix of sweet and tangy. The order of onion rings gives you three large rings which were good.
I didn’t stay long, but the inside of the diner is nice. It definitely has that old school feel with the colors and the décor. They have a toy train running along the tracks of the ceiling and the jukebox is free, which is a nice touch.

Used to be my favorite burger in Ohio. They renovated and it looks like a cute 50’s diner but took away the waitresses. And changed the food. Doubt I’ll come back to spend $ 28 on two burgers and drinks. Food was ok. Place looked clean as we were the only customers at 5:30pm.

The onion rings here are Devine and fresh but the burgers are over cooked. They are well done and large but not juicy or flavorful. The skinny fries are good and so are the shakes. The 50s atmosphere is also cute. It’s a nice place to take kids but I wish they didn’t cook the burgers for so long.

I haven’t been here since I was a kid — but I’m sure glad I came back! The experience was better than I remembered! The inside has been remodeled and looks fantastic. Done in a diner style I thought it was really clean and cute inside. I swear the food is better than I remembered too. It was a great cheap & quick place to grab dinner with my toddler son and grandma. Also, the young gentlemen that helped me at the counter was so kind and helpful. I really appreciated his amazing service! Single burger was enough food with some fries. Perfect easy meal!

Vegie burger and beef burger are good and big. Their web site is not up to date, no avocado! The toppings add up & don’t add too much to the burger, they’re great w/​out all the extras. The blue cheese topping was barley there, the cheddar was a good amount. The French fries & onion rings (which they’re «known for») weren’t necessary. Shake was good. 3 burgers, 1 shake, 1 French fry/​onion ring split = $ 20 +. Next time I’m going on kids eat free night, getting a vegie burger w/​lettuce, tomato, extra dill pickles, maybe sauté onions & that’s it. Free 60’s Juke box, Toy train circles the ceiling. The vegie burger was even excellent the next day re-​heated in a toaster oven.

The hamburgers are awesome! This place is great. They give you plenty of food, the food is tasty. The atmosphere is nice, and they don’t charge you an arm & a leg like every other burger joint in River!

I’ve been hesitant to try because of some of the reviews. First of all, I’m not certain how other reviewers didn’t understand «what to do» here. It was pretty obvious when we walked in. Ahem. I digress.
I had the Beardenburger and a side of clam strips. Both were tasty and attractive to the eye. My fiancé had a salad that looked fresh. He seemed happy with it. (He can’t eat starchy things, so salad is his thing when we do actually eat out.) My buddy had a burger and vanilla shake. He was happy with both items.
Décor reminded me of Chicago burger joints from when I was a kid. Fun. Well lit, clean, pleasant atmosphere.
We will return. (Apparently, I’m channeling Patton tonight.) :-)

Delicious hamburgers — Super filling, with almost any topping you could imagine.

Before I even start this review, 5 GUYS, BROWN BAG BURGER, OR EVEN MCDONALD’S IS BETTER THEN BEARDEN’S!
SIDE NOTE: MY PICTURES MAKE THIS PLACE LOOK WAAAAAY BETTER THEN IT REALLY IS! I WAS SO EXCITED AS SOON AS I SAW MY FOOD, THEN THE FIRST BITE, ALL DOWNHILL FROM THERE! LOOKS GOOD, TASTES BAD!
Okay, it’s time for an honest review of this place. I’m really puzzled by the 4 and 5 star reviews this place has. Lets start with walking in the door, shall we? Your expected to know that you grab a menu off the left hand wall (as soon as you walk undecided what you want and place your order 20 feet ahead. I grabbed a menu, and of course had to ask what next? There’s no signs posted or anything explaining this strange process. My first impression since the place is full of tables and booths was, sit and order. Anyway, we sat down, decided what we wanted, walked back up to the register, placed the order, got our drinks, sat back down and waited. The girl at the register was less then helpful. Since it was my first time at Bearden’s, I had no clue what any of their sauces were and god forbid I ask!
Our order consisted of a triple burger with bacon, mushroom, onion, American cheese, egg and mayo, a double burger with the same toppings, except they forgot the egg. For our sides we tried the onion rings and regular fries, not the skinny ones. He had a PB milk shake and I hate a fountain drink. $ 30 later, I could have cried over how horrible it was. I’m not just saying it was horrible because I’m a food snob and can’t handle a greasy burger, I have been known to eat White Castle on occasion! My burger was 100% tasteless, no joke. I tasted nothing that resembled a burger or any of the toppings I ordered. I know it sounds weird, but honest, it had no taste. The fries were the best part of the meal and those were just OK. Onion rings, blah! Super thick breading with no taste other then beer batter. If you blind folded me I’d have no idea there was onion in it. The milkshake was nothing fantastic and I could have made it at home, probably would have tasted better. Fountain pop was, whatever it’s fountain pop. While we were eating my bf asked «what do you think?» I said «I honestly can’t even tell you, it doesn’t taste like anything» So how can something that tastes like nothing be horrible, right? Well, if your in the mood for grease all over your face, hands, clothes and anything else around you then you’d love Bearden’s. If you like thick battered onion rings with no onion flavor, you’d love Bearden’s. If you like a burger with no flavor and don’t mind spending $ 30, then you’d love Bearden’s. I was super bummed after finishing less then ½ of my overpriced meal. I really wanted this place to be good, considering I spent an hour reading reviews.
As far as the décor, boring! I guess the train is neat, but I wouldn’t go there just to watch a train go around a ceiling. There’s absolutely nothing for kids to do, except watch a train, and if you have little girls like I do, then forget about them being amused by a train. I’m not sure what everyone thinks is so «neat» about this place? It’s pretty boring, I think.
So at the end of the Bearden’s adventure, I wasted $ 30 and ended up throwing ½ of the food away. If your in the mood for tasteless burgers, go for it! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!!!

We tried out Bearden’s lunch/​dinner options yesterday and their breakfast this morning. We’ve lived in Rocky River almost a year now, and only just discovered this wonderful little diner. The atmosphere is great, the staff is wonderful and kind, and the food… SO YUMMY!
Here’s what we tried:
Peanut Burger– we had this without the pickles (although I want to try it with the pickes next time) and it was yummy! I was shocked at how good a peanut butter burger could be.
Bearden Triple-​this is your classic triple burger, but so much yummier. something about the meat they use makes this thing even better with every bite you take.
Clamtastic Basket-​SO had this, and he loved the clams. The fries were cooked so well, crunchy on the outside and so soft on the inside and SO MUCH yummier than any fast food fries out there! Coleslaw was good too.
Onion Rings-​SO GOOD! and huge! they don’t disappoint with the size of these puppies and they are amazing.
Breakfast:
We went simple and got a couple of breakfast burgers and hash-​browns. My fiancé got a Reese’s puffs milkshake and it was SO GOOD i regretted not getting one myself.
Breakfast burgers are SO filling and yummy. you get eggs, bacon, cheese on the steak-​burger and it’s spectacular.
Hash browns were perfect and cheap! We’re talking McDonald’s dollar menu cheap, only you’re putting your money back into your community!
Bearden’s will officially become a regular place for us. It’s just so close and so yummy with no corporation-​guilt. Cheap and delicious.

I tried Bearden’s at the beginning of March because I was really curious about the remodel after reading an article about them in the Cleveland Magazine. Now I was a big fan of the old Bearden’s, but this was just awesome! I loved coming here at a kid and I can’t wait to go back!
I love the blue-​ish/​turquiose theme. I feel like there is more seating and the windows make it much more open. Such a cute theme and ambiance.
I like going up to the counter to order, but that’s me. I had the amazing Bearden burger which my mouth is watering as I type this. Just absolutely great. Nothing comes close, not even Five Guys. Bearden’s is by far the best burger joint around!
I love the slim jim fries, and of course their famous milkshakes. I can’t even have milk but I gave in for a Bearden’s shake.
I also went when they opened around 11am but they still can people coming in even that early.
Beware: it is a family restaurant, if you are like me, and prefer the not to enjoy the presence of little devils, this is not the place to hangout on a regular basis. The choo choo train could play a major role in that, but even I liked watching it go around as a kid.
Overall I am SO happy to see Bearden’s is BACK and better than ever!