About Grill House Bar
Fourteen years on Oakwood Drive — same grill, same neighborhood
How This Place Started
Mike Torrance spent twenty years on the line at steakhouses around Cleveland — Lola, Hyde Park, a few others. By 2010 he was tired of $45 entrees and dress codes. He wanted a spot where his neighbors in Lakewood could grab a decent steak on a Tuesday without planning a occasion.
March 2011: signed a lease on a former dry cleaner at 1847 Oakwood. The grill came from a closed place in Parma. Total build-out took four months and most of his savings. Opening night had twelve customers. Three of them are still regulars.
We didn't grow fast. We grew steady. A good review in the Plain Dealer helped. So did word of mouth from the bartenders at nearby spots who came in on their days off.
The Crew
Mike Torrance — Owner
Still on the line most Fri/Sat nights. Handles vendor relationships and refuses to let anyone else pick the steak supplier. Known to comp a drink if your wait was too long — don't abuse it.
Dana Reyes — Bar Manager
Here since 2013. Runs trivia on Tuesdays, books acoustic acts, manages private event bar packages. If the tap list has something weird on it, she probably picked it.
Carlos Mendez — Head Cook
Oversees grill and smoker. Rib dry rub is his recipe — he won't share it and neither will we. Previously at a BBQ joint in Elyria for eight years.
Where the Food Comes From
Beef: Westlake Meats — same butcher since year two. We get whole loins in, break them down ourselves.
Produce: West Side Market, twice weekly. Whatever's in season drives the side dishes.
Bread: Detroit Avenue Bakery — brioche buns, cornbread mix.
Beer: Rotating locals plus staples (Great Lakes, Bud Light, Miller Lite). List changes every few weeks — chalkboard at the bar is current.
We're not farm-to-table Instagram about it. These are just the people we've worked with long enough to trust.