Houlihan's

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  The stuffed mushrooms are the reason why I keep returning here.  They are fantastic.  We didn't finish them all and our server kindly boxed them and put a fresh side sauce in the container - small things like that matter in service.
  
  I had the TAOS CHIPOTLE TURKEY WRAP smoked turkey, guacamole, pepper jack cheese, cilantro, lettuce, tomato & chipotle dressing $9.95.  I couldn't taste the guacamole or the cilantro.  The wrap was just OK and I probably wouldn't order it again.  My friend got the SOUTHWEST GRILLED CHICKEN WRAP  spicy pecans, red peppers, bacon, tortilla straws, pepper jack cheese, garlic ranch, house salsa $9.95, and again it was just O.K.  Nothing special and no real outstanding flavors.
  
  This might just be a cocktail and appetizer place for me.  
  
  Food was a 3 STAR, service was a 4 STAR

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  Posted on 11.05.12 Jess F.

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  A good place to take a break from shopping! Nice upscale decor and very good service. The stuffed mushroom are very good. I had the buffalo chicken salad and it was really good! A glass of wine comes in a carafe so it's more like a glass and a half, okay by this girl! Seems kinda pricey for what you get, but eh, I guess you pay for not having to eat at the food court.

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  Posted on 11.23.11 Annie G.

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  Yeah, I'm surprised, too.  We used to go to Houli's all the time until about 3-4 years ago when it started to seriously go downhill.  After it was rehabbed (and, man, was it rehabbed!), somebody mentioned it had really been upgraded in every respect, so we gave it a try.
  
  And, man, are we glad we did. While we haven't tried a large percentage of what's on their menu (which would take us eating there 5x a week for twenty-seven years), what we have tried was excellent.
  
  LOVED the burger sliders app, the seared rare tuna wrap, the bruchetta, their chicken quesadilla damn near achieves legendary status (I'm sorry I cheated on you, Mi Pueblo, but she is SOOOO delectable and yummy!!), their Tuscan salad is so unique it deserves special mention, and on and on.
  
  NO, I don't work there. NO, I don't prefer chains and would much rather visit locally owned places, NO, I haven't lost my mind, but, YES, I'm damn well going back there next week. GOOD IS GOOD, FOLKS, regardless of the name on the front!! This place deserves your attention.

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  Posted on 03.03.11 Alan S.

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  For a chain, it's off the chain.  I have always been partial to Houlihans, but unfortunatly, the only one I know of in Columbus closed several years ago, and I haven't been back to one til this visit.  I was pretty blown away by the menu.  Ordered a strawberry basil lemonade(with gin), and it was pretty good, but the food was just perfect.  I don't like mushrooms, but the stuffed shrooms got rave reviews.  The only thing that was so-so was the spinach dip, but I think thats only because I wanted the tuna app that looked really amazing, and I was bitter.  Guess I'll just thave to go back to try the tuna.  I have always stuck by the stuffed chicken which was perfect.  As a bonus, the server dropped the two bites that I couldn't finish, and made me another one to go, and it was just as good.  Friends had the pot roast which was "just amazing" and the enchiladas were better than any of the mexican restaurants that I have had since moving to Cleveland.
  Service started off a bit slow, as we were indecisive, and she didn't want to keep coming back to the table to bother us, but as soon as we started actually making up our minds, she was quite attentive, and very nice.  Atmosphere was semi upscale, but very relaxed, and being part of a mall, you could show up in a suit or sweats and not feel too out of place, though I wouldn't personally do the latter, you could if you really wanted to.
  Believe me, I usually save five stars for independent restaurants, and really cool experiences, but so far as being corporate, I would recommend this for a safe consistent meal.  Whatever they are doing, they have made some good decisions, and wish there was one a little closer to where I live.

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  Posted on 11.27.10 Tim J.

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  Average dining experience.  
  
  Went with a party of 8 and reserved a private room on a busy Friday night.  The service was average, not too friendly but got the job done in a timely manner.  Drinks took a long time to get to you but we were a little demanding all ordering different specialty drinks.
  
  A lot  of (maybe too many) options on the menu as we all had a hard time choosing what to order.  
  We began sharing an order of their 'shrooms, which are always great.  They seem to keep getting smaller and smaller though.  
  For our main course, my sister and I split the southwest chicken wrap and the Prime Steak and Iceberg salad.  The salad was very good but the cut of meat wasn't nearly as big as the image shows above.  It was served with beets, a slice gorgonzola cheese and grilled asparagus.  It was a nice variety of flavors.  The wrap was nothing too exciting.  
  All desserts are 'bite size' for $2.99.  Kind of an interesting idea, as you can choose a set of 3 or 5 too and sample everything.  We ordered a few desserts which I didn't have room for.  We also got a complimentary cappuccino cake for my sister's birthday which is delicious therefore I did make room for.  
  
  Between the 8 of us we sampled a lot of beverages.  Many drinks to choose from and prices are listed on the menu which was nice. Had some new drinks with the whipped vodka which were sweet and good, like candy.  Also got a1L pitcher of long islands (which they had about 7 varieties of) for only $10.  Mojitos always a safe bet here; one of the better ones I've had at a chain restaurant.
  
  Accommodating to our large party and no complaints, this place is a safe bet for an average dinner.

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  Posted on 10.17.10 Carl A.

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  Worst managed restaurant in Northeast Ohio.. It is a beautiful joint and the bar opens to the outside. If they fired the Management and brought in a staff that knew how to run it, it would be a fantastic place to go. Just go when its real slow and you should be fine.

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  Posted on 05.31.10 Richard H.

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  Houlihan's consistently serves above average food.  In the eight or so times I've eaten here in my life, I've always been pleased with the excellent food quality and taste.  The service is always very good too.
  
  My favorite menu items are the fish tacos and the hamburgers.  The fish tacos are delicious, I have ordered them on my last two visits.
  
  My wife ordered a burger with the usual toppings, but she could only eat half of it.  Now, you know I'm not going to let the other half go to waste.  Surprisingly, this is one of the best burgers I've had - ever!  This burger beat Swenson's 1/2 pounder, in my opinion, taking the number one spot for BEST BURGER IN CLEVELAND.  
  
  I've only tried it once, however, so I'll need to go back again and eat another one just to be sure.  Previously, Swenson's held my personal title for BEST BURGER IN CLEVELAND.
  
  The atmosphere of the Strongsville Houlihan's is more modern than at other Houlihan's locations I've eaten at, including the downtown Cleveland location and the Parmatown Mall location (now closed).  There is a full bar and lots of people sitting around it watching a Cavs playoff game.  There are several TVs, but if you want a more quiet seating arrangement, there is a section in the back that offers serenity away from the crowd.
  
  Overall, Houlihan's puts forth some of the tastiest food around for a decent price.  Highly recommend!
  
  <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.houlihans.com&s=8e5bf2a5946b6dbc69f4ba881d022ae609ddda2c42d96229c1c06c4f1dcd6bc9" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.houlihans.com</a>

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  Posted on 05.09.10 Rodney W.

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  Yesterday we had an early dinner  here with friends. Three of us ordered the Barbecue Salmon Salad and it was fantastic! A generous, perfectly cooked piece of salmon with a light barbecue sauce was served to the side of the salad. The salad was a nice mixture of greens, mandarin oranges, spiced pecans, corn tortilla straws, served with a sweet citrus vinaigrette dressing. I would go back just to have this again.

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  Posted on 01.02.10 Barb S.

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