Michael Symon’s Mabel’s BBQ

Michael Symon’s Mabel’s BBQ, in Cleveland OH, is the place to go if you are a barbecue lover!

I’ve been a fan of Michael Symon for many years. I’m a Food Network junky. There. I said it. But I’m willing to bet you already knew that about me.

The other thing you must know, is that I’m a HUGE Bobby Flay fan. So once I learned that Bobby Flay and Michael Symon were best friends, I immediately started following Chef Symon. The two of them are so close that they go on vacations with each other and spend lots of time together with their families.

According to Wikipedia: “Michael D. Symon is an American chef, restaurateur, television personality, and author. He is seen regularly on Food Network on shows such as Iron Chef America, Burgers, Brew and ‘Que, Food Feuds, and The Best Thing I Ever Ate, as well as Cook Like an Iron Chef on the Cooking Channel and The Chew on ABC.” But in addition to being a great chef, he’s a fun personality.

I’m sure that Cleveland has a great food scene. But for us there was only one restaurant I was anxious to visit. And that restaurant was Michael Symon’s Mabel’s BBQ!

Mabel’s BBQ opened in April, 2016. It was inspired by the Eastern European heritage of Cleveland OH. Symon’s goal was to create a style that of BBQ that Clevelanders could call their own. He did that by incorporating Bertman’s Ballpark Mustard into the barbecue sauce as well as smoking meat over local fruitwood.

Mabel’s BBQ has a really cool vibe. Though it was July when we were there, it was a drizzly night, so we couldn’t eat on the patio. But if we had, we’d have missed the wonderful arched ceilings, industrial lighting and exposed brick are reminiscent of Cleveland landmark West Side Market inside. It felt like we were dining in a rustic smokehouse with a laid back attitude.

There’s a dark green bar that evoke visions of a Coleman cooler. A large neon sign shouting “EAT MORE MEAT” that is a focal point of the bi-level restaurant.

We were having dinner quite early, for us, since it was a bit a drive back to Medina and we were doing all of our Cleveland exploration in one day. So that timing did influence our menu selections a bit.

Steve ordered the Polish Girl, Spicy Kielbasa topped with Cleveland BBQ Sauce, Coleslaw, Pulled Pork on a Hoagie Roll. And I chose This Is Cleveland so I could taste a variety of Chef Symon’s food. This Is Cleveland is a huge plate of Classic Kielbasa, Pork Spare Ribs and Pulled Pork, all tossed in a Spicy Cabbage and topped with Chives, Parsley and Pop (soda) Smoked Mustard.

Though we really didn’t need anything else, our server informed us that we’d be missing something if we didn’t try the Fried Potatoes with Scallions and Sherry Vinegar. Since we certainly wouldn’t want to leave with FOMO (fear of missing out) we obeyed and we weren’t the least bit sorry. Those potatoes were da bomb!!!

Steve’s sandwich was everything you’d want in a kielbasa on a roll. The spicy sausage had that snap that you look for when you bite into it. It was mellowed slightly by the tender pulled pork and crunchy coleslaw heaped on top.

My medley was tasty beyond my expectations! Every single component was DEE  LICIOUS. The kielbasa was flavorful and snappy, the spare ribs tender and very meaty and the pulled pork was juicy and succulent. Plus the spicy cabbage was savory and all of it was enhanced by the additional accouterments.

We could not finish more than half of our meals, which left us plenty for dinner the next night. But we did devour every last crumb of those Fried Potatoes. We were only sorry we didn’t get an order of those crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, potatoes to go, so we could reheat them in our air fryer to eat with our reprise of our outstanding meal at Michael Symon’s Mabel’s BBQ.