So last week the kids were invited to King Caleb’s 6th birthday party. It was an impromptu gathering for the kids that started at Skyzone then ended at a place I had never been. Well… let me take that back, I had gone before when it was a Panini’s.
So this is a place everyone probably drives by all the time. I know I do, but I never think to stop to grab food or drinks here. When I heard we were going for pizza I was a little weary. I was like ahhhh are you sure this will be family friendly? We had 6 wild boys and of course Codi was tagging along- not to mention it was 8pm on a Wednesday. We get in the parking lot and I can immediately see a patio-that looks like a lot fun when you don’t have your kids LOL to enjoy drinks. I can also see adults playing outside on a court of some sort and a bar through the open patio doors.
We park and I ask once again, are you sureeeeeee this will be okay for the kids… my friend Jazzy assured me we will be fine because they come here all the time- and we walk in. Before we are fully in the doors the boys run to a basketball hoop on the far left side. I stop and look around and I’m like WOW! This is nice and newly renovated. There are TV’s around a U shaped bar on the left and there are tables on a platform behind it. We wait for our table to be ready and we are eventually seated on the platform. It has a few arcade like games for the kids to play and there’s a family sitting close by that made me say oh okay— the kids will be fine.
Once we are situated and Codi is in her highchair, I get up to take a quick tour and see what exactly is going on outside. I walk to the right side of the restaurant and there’s a second U- shaped bar with hanging TV’s all around. The patio doors which are open, overlook bocce courts! Which is why there are so many adults outside. I don’t know how to play but it looks like they were definitely having a good time.
As I walk back to my table, I say to myself this is really cool. This is both family friendly – and adult only- because it seems like two worlds in one. The left side, although there’s a bar- is perfect for families to sit and eat while the kids play or… in 2019 sit and watch there tablets and scream. The right side, is a bar and beyond- so you can’t hear any kids and you can enjoy the bar and patio— oh and bocce! The restaurant area seems so far apart from the outdoor space that it’s the perfect divide.
The food was also really good!!!! We had just missed the happy hour specials, but the alcoholic drinks were more than reasonable priced! My friend and I enjoyed Lemon Drops as we watched the boys spend almost all of their time there at the basketball hoop. We had to spend about $60 just letting them play over and over again. While they played we browsed the menu. I ordered the potato skins as my appetizer because I was already cheating on my diet and those are my favorite! I will say there’s had a little twist because they came with jalapeno’s on top but I love all things spicy and these were great! Jazz and her husband Chris ordered pizza and wings for the table. So we all enjoyed pepperoni, sausage and cheese pizzas – with BBQ wings. The kids beat me to the wings, but I loved the pizza! It was fresh and right out the oven. Let me just say… there was also a good sauce to cheese ratio lol so it wasn’t too messy for the kids. I hate when there’s too much sauce lol and not enough cheese!
Anywho– I would recommend this for families looking to take a break from shopping and grab lunch or dinner or for a casual night out where you want to grab a few drinks and enjoy good food. I’m looking forward to going back with my husband because I think he would enjoy it. Sometimes he just wants to grab a drink without doing “too much” and this is a great place for us to sit on the patio in the summer and enjoy a cold brew. There’s a lot going on in the area and it’s right off a main street, so it’s easy to get to and has ample parking. I was pleased to find out that this is owned and operated by father and son. So I felt good knowing we were supporting a local business! They are definitely as they say “family friendly while also being your go-to sports bar and restaurant” so if you’re ever in the Mayfield Area and looking for a place to stop…. visit Dito’s Bar and Grill (previously Panini’s) and tell them you read about them on Courtney Covers Cleveland!
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