Northstar Café in Shaker Heights

We went for dinner and the food was so good, we returned the following morning to try out the brunch menu. Everything is excellent and worth the price. Great atmosphere, great experience, great food. This will be on our regular rotation from now on.

Went with my son for lunch. Thai burrito and classic cheeseburger were ordered. This place has been open for years but has a unique style of service for Shaker/ Cleveland. Walk in, grab a paper menu, wait in line to order your selection, pay for your food/tip, find your own table with your handheld sensor, grab your own pop/water, specialty drinks are brought to your selected table/both/bar/patio, thank the person who drops your food off, refill your own pop/water, eat/drink/enjoy the decor and atmosphere, tip again if you like, leave with a smile. My son requested modifications to his burger, took longer than management liked to arrive at our table, was given two entrees for our next visit.

It's not cheap, but the food is good. It's a cafe style so you order at the front but they bring food to your table. Service was fast, heard the homemade ginger ale is amazing. I really enjoyed the thin Margherita pizza, and the fish sandwich was delicious. Patio is cozy, and I would have been comfortable sitting inside as well, I liked their high booths by the bar. The place was really clean and people who work there are friendly. There's nothing bad to say, I'd eat there again.

Last week and we checked out this place for breakfast in Shaker heights. Legit definitely legit. Little bit confusing when I went into the place. I didn't know that you order your food first and then go and sit down. In the picture today it was a single ricotta pancake along with an egg with smoked gouda thick bacon arugula salad on toasted bread.

Huge portions, fantastic quality, and tons of house made features like sauces and beverages. The breakfast burrito was great and the burger very high quality. Definitely recommend coming back!

This was our first time here. The scrambled eggs were perfect. I don’t like any brown on my eggs and these had none. The sausage is amazing. I got a homemade ginger ale to go. Amazing! Hot chocolate is rich and creamy. Husband had an English muffin with over hard egg. He liked it. We will definitely be back.

I am currently (at the time of writing this) in Cleveland, visiting some family. When you first walk in the style it reminds me of a pub of the sort but with a more aesthetic and modern style. The service was great, but you have to get your drinks a pro is that you seat yourself so you get more options of seats. The food was good I got the classic cheeseburger, and the fries are AMAZING 🤩 the mix of garlic and salt mixes and pairs perfectly with the slightly crispy fries that have a soft inside. My cheeseburger was average. So if you are around in Cleveland I very much recommend going to Northstar Café in shaker heights....

My mushroom fritatta was a little salty but everything else was good. Very kind service.

I absolutely love this place. On Friday’s and Saturdays they have a live jazz band and it’s a whole vibe. The drinks were amazing as was the food. But let me tell you about those FRIESSSSSSSS to die for highly recommend. Those who get it get it those who don’t don’t. If you like brassicas fries they’re owned by the same people so you’ll love them.

December 2022: This restaurant has been on my radar for a while, and I never had time to visit until today. It was always busy, and I was always deterred, thinking that there would be lengthy wait times. I also thought that such an upscale establishment would not be welcoming to children. My preconceived ideas could not be any farther from the truth.

The way things work at Northstar is that people queue in a line, then they order and pay for their food. The patrons have the option to takeout or dine in taking any available table. If dining in, then the patrons are given a badge with a number on it so that the wait staff can deliver food to your table. The fountain drinks are self-serve while alcohol is delivered.

My family ordered the Margherita pizza with prosciutto, the Pad Thai, french fries, a chocolate truffle brownie cookie, an oatmeal raising cookie, and 3 fountain drinks. Everything was delicious. The Pad Thai was tasty, but a bit different from what I am used to--it had green beans in it.

Pros:
* Friendly wait staff and cashiers
* The decor is amazing. Our corner booth offered front row seats to the visiting jazz band and to see the entire restaurant in a panoramic view.
* The restaurant has a clean appearance and passes my quick visual inspection.
* Good food with portions that are just right.
* Prices are fair.
* The whole prepaid option is great and allows for people to exit whenever they are ready without having to wait for the bill.
* Their fountain drinks are pretty good with a limited variety of pop flavors such as blackberry, root beer, creme soda, and cola.

Cons:
* The whole prepaid thing comes with a tip request. I typically do not like to tip until after the meal. And when I tip, I usually give cash to thwart the taxation on it.

Conclusion: We will be back to try out a few other items. It is a very cool hangout spot and could easily be a date night place.

My husband and I had dinner at Northstar Cafe during an Elite event night. We've been wanting to go here, but it's always busy. A Monday night, seems like a more unsuspecting day to try it out.

It's an order up front, find a table, they find you kind of deal. We ordered drinks and with my Elite status, we received 2 free meals, a bakery item and a card for another meal free. What a deal!

I had vegetarian enchiladas. They were wonderful. The texture and flavors blended well, you didn't feel like you were missing anything having a vegetarian meal. The seeds on top of the dish were a bit off-putting, but I was wrong, they created a unique flavor and texture that really suited the dish.

My meat-eater husband got the cheeseburger. They cook the burger to a pre-determined temperature which is well-done, so don't be surprised. He said it was very good. The fries were in a cast iron looking dish, but it wasn't warm to keep the fries warm, so they cooled off very quickly.

I was so full I could only pick at my cookie before we left. I took that monster home with me though!

It's a fun atmosphere. The service was very efficient. I heard the managers complimenting their staff which always makes me happy.

We will absolutely be back!

This restaurant has a wonderful buzz to it. The servers are friendly and the food is perfect. Every time. Recently they forgot my order when we were in a group. When I mentioned it they immediately rectified it by bringing my food out quickly and giving me a complementary meal card. They have lots of vegetarian options. Their burger is North Star burger delicious. Thankfully they haven’t capitulated to the new trend of using the heavily processed impossible/beyond Patties. Their burger is fresh and tasty. They have salads and lots of egg dishes as well. This place is a very successful restaurant and I’ll be coming here often.

Wonderful spot, sophisticated, but with a welcoming community vibe. All kinds of people here, families, couples, groups, old and young. The food is fresh and the menu is unique (the ample vegetarian offerings are much appreciated!). Friendly, attentive service. My wife and I waited too long to try this place. Now it's a favorite.

The Northstar Cafe offers as lovely atmosphere and delicious food. They have high quality food with a healthy lean. The cafe is decked out with unique light fixtures, natural wood, copper, and plants. This is one of my favorite restaurants and it's recommend it to anyone ^_^

Amazing food and even better service. We’ve been three times since it opened and we are always pleased with our experience. The food is fresh and delicious (get the dark chocolate cookie!). There’s something on the menu for everyone. We had a slight issue with a delayed side coming out and the service team took care of it quickly and sufficiently. We can’t wait to visit again.

This is the best food I’ve had in Cleveland! I had the NorthStar for Dinner today and I am astounded by how GREAT the service was and how delicious the food was. I came in with my 3 younger children and I didn’t know if they would be accommodating to us but they exceeded my expectations 10 fold by being patient and kind and serving my children respectfully. I ordered the NorthStar burger and it was picture perfect and it tasted as fresh as it looked! I am extremely satisfied with this experience and I plan on coming back often! The atmosphere was extremely clean and one of the management team members, Mitchell went above and beyond to show genuine kindness and consideration for our meal. Every member of the staff was neat, professional, stylish and friendly! I couldn’t recommend this place enough! Thank you NorthStar for giving me a new favorite local restaurant.

Delicious food, comfortable and stylish interior! I ordered the Buddha Bowl with tofu and it was beautifully presented and tasted AMAZING--very flavorful, such a yummy blend of peanut sauce, fresh veggies, crunchy toppings, and warm perfectly cooked brown rice and tofu. They also have a fun selection of sodas in their fountain including birch beer, creme soda, and black cherry.

Keep in mind the restaurant is set up so you order at the counter, seat yourself, and then they bring the food to your table. (I did not notice any signage describing this on their website or at the storefront, which would have been helpful for first time guests. Maybe I just missed it, not sure.) Anyway, I didn't mind this, but it did cause an issue for our group because we walked right in and ordered our food when the line was short around 5:15pm, and then our other friend arrived 10 minutes later and the line to order was out the door, so she waited a good 30-40 minutes for her dish after our food arrived. No big deal and the food service was actually quite speedy either way, but I would just recommend grabbing a table and then ordering as a group when everyone arrives if you want to avoid the issue.

Also, even without a designated waiter, it's definitely more upscale than say Panera, with wrapped silverware at the tables and glassware instead of plastic, all details which I appreciated.

First thing, these are hands down the BEST Pancakes, I've had! I rarely ever order the same thing but whenever we go back I know what I'm getting. The coffee was a perfect compliment with the pancakes. Loved the atmosphere, acoustics and service was great and our food came out fast.

Great fit at Van Aken! I love the setup. View the menu as you enter, order and pay, get a table and have your food brought out. Self serve soft drinks and water.

It's a perfect spot when you are short on time, because once you're done, you just go!

The Mexicali is one of the tastiest salads I have had in a while. Super fresh, perfectly seasoned, not overdressed. Everything ordered at our table was a hit. Cannot wait to return for the breakfast menu!

Came back for breakfast!! Cloud 9 Pancakes , my husband said we're the best he's had in a restaurant. The Deluxe Egg sandwich was fluffy, savory, the bacon was meaty and the bread was perfectly soft I side while crunchy outside and the smoked Gouda was an awesome addition.

I forgot about Northstar Cafe for a while. Used to go there quite often in Columbus. So glad I found one in cleveland. Bring back good memories. Came here 3 times for dinner. The food and atmosphere are excellent.