Nightlife in Elyria

Comedy has come a long way since Trog the Cavemedian and his side-splitting "murder the audience" act. See the progress for yourself with today's Groupon: $5 gets you admission to an improv show by comedy troupe Something Dada (a $10 value). There's nothing funny about free parking, but you get that, too.

Wonder Bar delights patrons with delicious drinks, delectable gastropub fare, and the promise of frequent live music. The comprehensive drink menu boasts a meaty assortment of 30 beers and 15 wines, including selections from the local Great Lakes Brewing Company. Palates craving a sip of something stronger can patrol a list of Wonder Bar's inventive cocktails, such as marriage of red rice sake and sparkling wine known as the Sake-Tini, or the debauched childhood favorite known as the Root Beer Float (Three Olives root-beer vodka, Bailey's, and Coke). Channel the romantic potential of a retired Pog designer while drinking absinthe La Louche —served traditionally with water and sugar cube—or pair the herbal elixir with sparkling wine for a Death in the Afternoon.

Over the years, Reddstone’s outdoor patio has earned it plenty of love. In 2011, CBS Cleveland named Reddstone among the best outdoor bars in the city, and Cleveland Scene magazine deemed it the top spot for patio drinking. Though the patio garners a lot of attention, especially during its weekly pig roasts over the summer, Reddstone slyly offers the Detroit Shoreway and Battery Park community a dining experience to match its patio’s growing legend. The chef keeps the kitchen open until midnight every night, whipping up signature burgers and small plates to accompany 20 craft beers on tap. Rather than playing the "Star Spangled Banner" on a squeaky chair, Reddstone’s management team keeps visitors thoroughly entertained by booking weekly live performances from acts that range from standup comedians to jazz musicians.

Few bars can boast a brunch menu as notable as their pours. But Around the Corner’s hot coconut cakes nabbed it a spot on _Cleveland Magazine_’s 30 Best Breakfast Dishes in 2012. Inspired by head chef Sonny Zarlis’s Indonesian upbringing, the light, crispy pancakes include coconut milk, a touch of Coco Lopez, and grated coconut on top—his mother’s recipe. But when morning fades to night and the sun becomes a mere puddle of butter in the sky, the eatery fills the brunch-shaped hole in customers’ bellies with a dinner menu of burgers, wings, and fajitas. Accompanied by local and craft beers, meals unfold amid live music and TV screens.

At Gillespie's Map Room, a glistening row of taps pours forth mouthwatering glassfuls of tasty suds while ovens roast cheesy discuses of thin-crust pizza to crispy perfection. Nestled in the Warehouse District, a stone's throw away from Quicken Loans Arena and Progressive Field, Gillespie's Map Room relishes in its location at the heart of Cleveland's bustling nightlife neighborhood, as well as the adrenaline gland of the city's boisterous sports center. A no-frills row-house façade decked in humming neon shamrocks and wood-lined glass panels exudes a heartwarming turn-of-the-century charm. Inside, an interior of rough brick walls, live acoustic music, and a roaring fireplace frames relaxing post-shift beers and hearty meals of chili-topped hot dogs or pollock-fillet fish 'n' chips with welcoming hominess.

When Herb and Bobbie Brugh opened Herb's Tavern in 1963, they couldn't have foreseen what an institution it would become. Over the course of the last half-century, the tavern has stayed true to its signature dish, the Herb burger, in which a 1/3-pound patty oozes with mushrooms and grilled onions as well as dozens of other topping options. The friendly, inviting ambiance hasn’t changed much either. The building, constructed in 1936, still maintains the same vintage feel it did in the ‘60s due to the bricks' regular use of anti-aging cream, and the restaurant still maintains a family-welcoming atmosphere. The menu’s hearty appetizers and entrees range from hot sandwiches to seafood dinners of perch and walleye, which can be enjoyed on the outdoor patio on warm days.