Anthony Bourdain Visited 8 Ohio Spots On No Reservations, But Only 1 Is Still Open

The late celebrity chef, author, and renowned adventure travel TV host Anthony Bourdain opinionatedly sampled a variety of regional cuisine from around the world on his show, "No Reservations." But he also tried the best food in underestimated locations, like Ohio. From quintessentially American food to shops owned by the Polish, German, and Japanese immigrants that shaped the Buckeye state's food scene, Bourdain visited eight spots across Cleveland and Columbus on the show back in 2005 and 2009, respectively. However, only one is still open: the West Side Market in Cleveland.

The fallen restaurants have disappeared for a variety of reasons — from financial pressures to the pandemic. For instance, the Cleveland location of the Bourdain-approved Cincinnati staple, Skyline Chili, shut down in December 2023 due to underperformance. The pan pizza joint, Clever Crow Pizza, closed in 2012 after only two years open. Classics crumbled during the pandemic, including Sokolowki's University Inn, a family-owned, James Beard award-winning Polish restaurant serving up pierogi, sausage, and kraut in Tremont for 92 years. Lola, Chef Michael Symon's fine-dining meat-prominent restaurant, closed in 2020 after sales plummeted.  

Then there are Bourdain-featured spots whose doors closed due to retirement, signaling a transfer of the culinary scene to a new generation. 80-year-old German butcher shop, Sausage Shoppe, and long-standing sushi restaurant Kihachi, closed at the end of 2018. So did Hot Sauce Williams, who closed shop after 40 years of serving up Southern staples, as well as Ohio classics like the Polish Boy, a kielbasa sandwich.  

Though it's a shame to have had to say farewell to so many staples across Cleveland and Columbus, the good news is that the one still-standing spot where Bourdain visited, West Side Market, has long hosted a variety of the state's best culinary offerings. Though Ohio's best and oldest Polish restaurants like Sokolowki's have closed shop, at Cleveland's public market, you can still find pierogi and potato pancakes from the family-owned Pierogi Palace, which has been operating within the market since 1995. There's also the cash-only shop, Frank's II, which has been slinging its bratwurst sandwiches at the food hall since the '70s. 

At the market, you'll find a variety of cuisines and regional influences, which are sure to satisfy your desire to travel through food after watching Bourdain's best episodes. A walk through West Side Market presents food from all over the world, from fresh produce to Budapest's best baked goods to Italian pizza and stromboli. Though vintage butcher shops like Sausage Shoppe (featured by the travel expert) are gone, you can still visit traditional meat places like J&J's Meats, in business since the '50s. Or for a taste of Ohio's evolving modern culinary scene, go on your own Bourdain-inspired tour of the top foodie spots in Columbus or visit the best restaurants in Cleveland.