Restaurants in Sandusky

In the 1930s, a glimpse inside the brick building at 2350 Cleveland Road might have revealed Al Capone and his associates sipping coffee in the midst of a tense conversation. These days, though, the atmosphere inside Red Gables Mesquite Grill is relaxed and intimate, with white tablecloths and the scent of a mesquite fire drifting through the air. Over that fire, chef Jamie Pribanic grills Certified Black Angus steaks that he claims are the finest in the world. The Plain Dealer writer Debbi Snook stopped by to taste them herself, and came away impressed: “The medium-cooked rib-eye instantly became one of my all-time favorites”, she wrote. “Hearty structure but tender chew, pepper-rubbed, vaguely charred and whispering of cowboy terrain.”

The seafood at this grill is no afterthought. Diners can slurp oysters flown in fresh from Cape Cod, dip steamed Alaskan King Crab legs into drawn butter, or slice into the crimson flesh of wild Chinook salmon. Pours of wine or beer and a slew of house-made desserts complete the dining experience.

Cooker Bar & Grille's staff brings hearty, beloved bar fare to its diners, rolling out a collection of burgers and sandwiches, along with regional specialties. In addition to a wide array of beer and wine, housemade cocktails complement otherwise liquorless meals as diners sip within the restaurant's welcoming café ambiance decked in twinkling lights and checkered tile flooring. When not bellied up to the gleaming black bar, guests can step outside to dine on the expansive patio, which seats up to 70 guests and is perfect for people-watching or telepathic cloud-controlling.

Inside the former mill that is now Mill Street Bistro Bar, servers deliver entrees of buffalo, beef, and elk sourced directly from the owner's farm. In addition to handcrafting locally sourced entrees that have included pan-fried Lake Erie perch and beer-brined, center-cut pork chops, the chefs also flambé cherries jubilee tableside for dessert. Post-dinner patrons may meander to the outdoor patio to smoke an imported cigar from the restaurant's humidor.