There’s something so warm and welcoming about decades-old family businesses. Here in Cleveland, there are quite a few notable old-school businesses — Guarino’s may be the oldest eatery in Cleveland (having opened in 1918), but we’re going to take a look at another long-standing watering hole in the area. Hotz Cafe has been around since circa 1919, and it’s truly unforgettable. As one of the oldest bars in Cleveland, it has a vibe that just can’t be beat. Check it out:

At first glance, Hotz Cafe feels like an old-school Cleveland bar. And it is. Having opened in 1919, it’s full of history.

Kamila M./Google Images This Tremont tavern was designed to feel like a home away from home. Warm and dim, it’s easy to envision blue-collar patrons puffing cigars and playing cards here just a century ago.

Almost as soon as Hotz Cafe began, so did Prohibition. Obviously, everything worked out!

Hotz Cafe Inc./Google Images While Prohibition spelled the end for many local watering holes, Hotz Cafe continued to operate as a speakeasy. Over time, its hospitality became famous, attracting the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and even Cleveland’s own infamous safety director Eliot Ness.

More than a century after its founding, Hotz Cafe continues to offer libations in a warm, neighborhood-focused environment.

g k/Google Images While closed on Sundays and Mondays, you can swing by Hotz Cafe any other day of the week beginning at 4 p.m. Just as during Prohibition and the Great Depression, you’ll find low-priced drinks and a welcoming environment where you can kick back for a while.

And, if you know where to look, you’ll see remnants of the tavern’s history scatted throughout the venue.

Barbara Gifford/Google Images From historic pictures to little elements like this Odorite plaque, history takes center stage at this welcoming neighborhood bar.

One of the most obvious historic elements is the old shuffleboard table, which dates back to 1936.

Kenneth Minto/Google Images Just think… when this table was unveiled, Gone with the Wind was newly published. Clevelander Jesse Owens won the 100-meter dash in Berlin and achieved national fame. The Hoover Dam had just been built. Strides were being made across the country, and many Clevelanders discussed unfolding history over a game of shuffleboard on this table.

Nearly a century later, playing games here is still a coveted pastime.

Barbara Gifford/Google Images Hotz Cafe is open until 1 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday and until 2:30 a.m. every Friday and Saturday, so there’s plenty of time to get competitive!

Of course, it’s also a cozy place to sit back and relax.

Hotz Cafe Inc./Google Images Once upon a time, Cleveland politicians cozied up in this milieu to have private conversations over drinks. Eliot Ness may have sat here pondering how to catch the Cleveland Torso Killer, a feat he would regrettably never accomplish. Today, you can sit where history was once made.

And, of course, there’s no shortage of beverages to keep you refreshed.

J S/Google Images You’ll be saying “cheers!” all night long. And that’s an appropriate addition to this atmosphere, as it feels like this is one bar where everyone knows your name.

Hotz Cafe is one of the most welcoming neighborhood bars in Cleveland.

J S/Google Images Find it at 2529 W 10th St, Cleveland, OH 44113.

When you’re getting to know the oldest bars in Cleveland, you’ll find that a local neighborhood vibe is central to each business’ personality. Hotz Cafe is no different… even if you’ve never visited, you might find that it feels like a home away from home. So sit back, relax, and treat yourself to a nice drink at Hotz Cafe.

Kamila M./Google Images

This Tremont tavern was designed to feel like a home away from home. Warm and dim, it’s easy to envision blue-collar patrons puffing cigars and playing cards here just a century ago.

Hotz Cafe Inc./Google Images

While Prohibition spelled the end for many local watering holes, Hotz Cafe continued to operate as a speakeasy. Over time, its hospitality became famous, attracting the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and even Cleveland’s own infamous safety director Eliot Ness.

g k/Google Images

While closed on Sundays and Mondays, you can swing by Hotz Cafe any other day of the week beginning at 4 p.m. Just as during Prohibition and the Great Depression, you’ll find low-priced drinks and a welcoming environment where you can kick back for a while.

Barbara Gifford/Google Images

From historic pictures to little elements like this Odorite plaque, history takes center stage at this welcoming neighborhood bar.

Kenneth Minto/Google Images

Just think… when this table was unveiled, Gone with the Wind was newly published. Clevelander Jesse Owens won the 100-meter dash in Berlin and achieved national fame. The Hoover Dam had just been built. Strides were being made across the country, and many Clevelanders discussed unfolding history over a game of shuffleboard on this table.

Hotz Cafe is open until 1 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday and until 2:30 a.m. every Friday and Saturday, so there’s plenty of time to get competitive!

Once upon a time, Cleveland politicians cozied up in this milieu to have private conversations over drinks. Eliot Ness may have sat here pondering how to catch the Cleveland Torso Killer, a feat he would regrettably never accomplish. Today, you can sit where history was once made.

J S/Google Images

You’ll be saying “cheers!” all night long. And that’s an appropriate addition to this atmosphere, as it feels like this is one bar where everyone knows your name.

Find it at 2529 W 10th St, Cleveland, OH 44113.

Want to check out another historic bar in Cleveland? Visit Harbor Inn in the Flats for history dating back to 1895.

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Address: Hotz Cafe Inc., 2529 W 10th St, Cleveland, OH 44113, USA