Mabel's BBQ is the flagship Cleveland restaurant of celebrity chef Michael Symon, opened in 2016 on the East 4th Street restaurant row. Symon's premise — a "Cleveland style" of barbecue defined by spicy Hungarian paprika rubs, eastern-European pickles, and a heavier rye-and-yellow-mustard sauce — has become genuinely popular and influenced barbecue cooks across the Rust Belt.
The brisket and the kielbasa are both worth ordering; the sides (pickled cabbage, spaetzle, mac and cheese with kielbasa) are stronger than the typical American barbecue lineup. The bar makes serious cocktails and pours a good Ohio bourbon list.
Open daily for lunch and dinner; reservations recommended on weekends.