Jolly Scholar Brewing is located on Euclid Ave in Cleveland’s University Circle neighborhood. It is a brewery restaurant located on the Case Western Reserve campus in the Thwing Building. You will find often whenever I’m in the University Circle neighborhood I stop at the Jolly Scholar. I know there are plenty of wonderful choices in this area or within 5 mins but I just don’t get Jolly Scholar enough so it’s a must stop.
Jolly Scholar was established in 2005 where they had 4 options of beer. In the last 10 years they have grown so much, adding a lot more options. In the past Jolly Scholar was part of the Cleveland Brewery Passport and how we learned of this hidden gem. I would have never guessed a building on Case University’s campus had a brewery located in it.
Atmosphere
Jolly Scholar is toward the back of the Thwing building. Some of their fermenters are right there when you walk in. They have booths, tables, tall bar tables and a long u shaped bar with TVs. Most of the time we have been here it’s a good mix of people. College students and older clientele so if your worried it will be all college students do not be.
Food and drinks
Their beers do change with the season and they do have a couple main stays. They have a wide array of types of beer from lagers to stouts. I have tried a bunch of their beer and I have really like a lot of what I have tried. I really like their fruity beers but have had a stout or two that I have also really liked.
They have a lot of options for food and I feel like they have something for everyone. The menu consists of apps, sandwiches, pizza, quesadillas, burgers, wings, salads and bowls, wraps and milkshakes.
The last time I was there we tried the Falafel Nuggets of Greatness for our app. These are a mixture of chickpeas, fresh herbs, jalapeño bites and garlic. Served with tzatziki sauce. We also tried two sandwiches. The Jolly Hot Chicken Sandwich and the Classic Cheeseburger. We could smell the heat from the chicken sandwich. We were shocked because it wasn’t as hot as it smelled but it was flavorful. Besides the creamy hot sauce it also had lettuce and pickles on it, the chicken is fried and is served with fries. The Classic Cheeseburger consisted of a double smash burger, American cheese burger sauce, and pickles and was served with fries. I really like smash burgers and this lived up to my expectations. They do have other options for sides but their fries are really good.
In the past I’ve also tried the Mac and Cheese burger, the Hangover Burger and the BBQ Bacon burger. All are kind of messy but so good. Another one of my favorites is the Southwest Chicken wrap. Which you can choose between a couple different types of wraps. I’ve also gotten their quesadillas and salads. I like getting a salad for my side depending on what sandwich or wrap I get.
Something else I really like about Jolly Scholar is their food and drinks are very reasonably priced. I highly suggest Jolly Scholar if your in the University Circle area visiting the museums this is a great option for lunch or dinner. It’s a quick couple min walk from the museums and has options for everyone.
Have you been to Jolly Scholar? What are your favorites.