Editor’s Note: This is one in a series that examines how immigrants and immigrant children settled in Northeast Ohio and brought with them their local cuisine and cooking styles.
For nearly 40 years, the Dubrovnik Garden Restaurant in Eastlake has been a favorite destination for diners who enjoy the cuisine of Eastern European countries such as Croatia, Austria and Hungary.
Dubrovnik Garden’s Facebook page describes the restaurant as “a fusion of Eastern European and American cuisine.” But for most regulars, Dubrovnik Garden’s international menu items (names such as cevapcici, raznjici, and palacinke) are likely to be the main draw.
Located at 34900 Lake Shore Boulevard, the Dubrovnik Garden Restaurant is part of the building that houses the two banquet halls of the American Croatian Lodge.
The restaurant, main ballroom, and West End Hall are all owned by American-Croatian Lodge Inc., a for-profit, shareholder-owned entity.
The lodge was incorporated in 1982, and two years later construction was completed on the main building in Eastlake. The building now contains a restaurant and banquet hall.
“The idea of building this building was to create a gathering place for Croatians on the east side of Cleveland,” said Tina Skolin, Dubrovnik Garden Restaurant Manager. ”
The American Croatian Lodge still serves a large population of Croatian ancestry today, but both the banquet hall and restaurant are open to the public.
The restaurant takes its name from Dubrovnik, a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea.
The restaurant not only boasts high-quality food, but also a comfortable atmosphere, notes Skolin.
“We want everyone to feel welcome and at home,” she said.
We have prepared a variety of delicious European dishes to satisfy those who grew up eating ethnic food or those who ate main dishes for the first time.
Skolin says the restaurant’s best-selling product is the Wiener schnitzel. Viennese schnitzel is known as a popular national dish in Austria. Pork schnitzel is also served.
In addition, Dubrovnik Garden serves cevapcic, a type of sausage popular in South-Eastern European countries.
“(Cevapcici) is a mix of pork, beef, veal, and lots of garlic,” Skolin said.
Other European-style meals on the Dubrovnik Garden menu include:
• Slovenian sausages and kraut.
• Raznjici — the name of a popular pork kebab in southeastern Europe.
• Beef goulash — Dubrovnik goulash is a blend of sautéed onions, carrots, celery and beef in a gravy served over noodles.
• Chicken Paprikash — A popular dish that originated in Hungary.
When it comes to side dishes, Skolin says Dubrovnik Garden specializes in home fries. He also serves homemade soups with beans and chicken, dumplings, and more.
In the dessert category, the Dubrovnik Garden Restaurant offers strudel and palatinque, the South-Eastern European names for crepes.
The restaurant offers a variety of popular dishes from all over Europe, but the business never loses sight of its Croatian roots.
For example, Dubrovnik Garden sponsored several watch parties to cheer on the Croatian football team as it advanced to the 2022 World Cup tournament.
Croatian Christmas carols also played in the restaurant this holiday season.
And if a native Croat visits the US for the first time and dine at Eastlake’s Dubrovnik Garden Restaurant, the language barrier won’t stop them.
“Almost all of our employees speak Croatian,” Skolin said.
For more information on the Dubrovnik Garden Restaurant, please visit dubrovnikgardens.croatianlodge.com. Visit its Facebook page. Or call us at 440-946-3366.