Hallie’s Guide To Chagrin Falls: Where to Shop, Eat, and Wander
Jump to: Coffee · Where to shop · Where to eat · For your home · The falls · When to visit · FAQ
I'm Hallie Abrams, sometimes known as The Wardrobe Consultant, but first and always a Northeast Ohio girl. And when someone comes to visit, there is one place I bring them every single time: Chagrin Falls.
It works on everyone! They walk down Main Street, look at the falls, pop into a few shops, and say some version of "oh my gosh, this is the best place ever." It's quaint, it's Americana, it has wonderful stores and wonderful restaurants, and it actually has falls!! Right in the middle of town.
I did a two-part walk through the village on Instagram and you guys asked for the full list, so here it is. This is my personal guide: the places I go, what I order, and the little stories that make this town mine. It's not everything in Chagrin Falls (there's more, I promise), but it's a really good place to start.
Start with coffee
Heartwood Coffee Roasters
20 N Main St
Heartwood is a true Ohio story. Jim and Jacinda Sanders started it around 2014 with Jim, a former plumber, roasting beans on the family’s front porch in Hudson. Now there are three cafés (Hudson, Chagrin Falls, and Pinecrest), and the beans are still roasted right here in Chagrin Falls and delivered fresh to each one. They bake their own pastries and bread too, through Heartwood Baking Co.
The inside is so cute and quaint. You walk in and it just smells like coffee, in the best way. The cappuccino made with Hartzler whole milk is the one to order. This is my go-to spot to meet a friend before we wander the shops.
Where to shop in Chagrin Falls
This is the part where my out-of-town friends always say, “this isn’t what I thought shopping in Ohio would be like.” The stores here have been here forever, because the community supports them and because they’re really, really good. And here’s a secret: almost all of them are on one block of North Franklin Street, so you can do the whole thing in one go.
Haven
13 N Franklin St
Haven started as one rack of clothes on the sidewalk. In 2012, Cleveland native Cori Imbrigiotta sold pieces from a single rack at the Chagrin Falls Sidewalk Sale, and by March 2013 she’d opened a real shop on West Orange Street with her high-school best friend. No investors, no employees, just two friends with great taste. It has since moved to its bigger home on North Franklin.
I’ve been devoted for years. They buy all the brands in small quantities, so it never feels like a mall, and the team truly helps you find the right thing (they offer personal styling too). If you’re only going into one store, make it this one.
Hedges Designs
21 N Franklin St
Hedges is one of those village institutions that has moved up and down the same block over the years and just keeps getting better. It’s a lifestyle boutique in the truest sense: jewelry, candles, stationery, tabletop, home accents, and a well-chosen rack of clothing with a few hard-to-find designers mixed in. Their gift wrapping is a whole thing.
One of my favorite gift stores, though calling it a gift store isn’t quite fair. It’s the kind of place where you go in for a hostess gift and leave with three things for yourself.
Remnants Bag Company
7 N Franklin St
This one has a story, and I love a store with a story. Virginia Gonzales grew up the daughter of an interior designer, hanging around her mom’s studio and watching fabric reps unzip suitcases full of the newest textiles from mills around the world. Christmas morning, basically. Years later, in the summer of 2017, she finished reupholstering a set of chairs and couldn’t bring herself to throw away the leftover fabric. So she pulled out her sewing machine, made a simple fold-over clutch, posted it online, and it sold in minutes. Remnants was born.
Every bag is made from fabric that would otherwise end up in a landfill: discontinued designer samples, the ends of drapery and upholstery projects, the gorgeous scraps nobody else was saving. Which means every single one is a true one-of-a-kind. Clutches, midis, and now apparel too. Virginia’s whole philosophy is that how you carry your stuff matters, and so does how you carry yourself. I could not agree more. You’ll find them at 7 North Franklin Street, a few doors from Hedges and SHED, so do the whole street in one go.
SHED Boutique and Wellness
27 N Franklin St
SHED was dreamed up by two Chagrin Falls moms and longtime friends, Michelle Adams and Halle Bargar, over a conversation in 2016. The name comes from an actual shed behind M Italian they almost opened in before choosing this big, open space on Franklin. Michelle’s background is in wellness, so the fixtures were designed to roll aside for yoga and barre classes, and even now you’ll find wellness goodies next to the clothing, which Halle buys in New York and Atlanta.
Their tagline is “a little bit of everything,” and that’s exactly right: gifts, accessories, cozy knits, readers, fun sunglasses. The women who work there are so kind, and it’s an easy stop for a “just because” present.
Cuffs Clothing Co.
18 E Orange St
An if-you-know-you-know store. Patty and Roger Kowall have run Cuffs out of a brick Italianate townhouse since 1981. It started as a men’s clothier (think Brioni, Kiton, Barbour, made-to-measure suiting) with some women’s pieces, but here’s the thing: in 1985 they started carrying Hermès silk ties, and by 1993 there was a full Hermès boutique inside the store.
Hermès’s own store locator lists it as “Hermès Chagrin Falls at Cuff’s,” and Axios has called it the only independently operated Hermès location in North America. Last year the New York Times named it one of the 50 best clothing stores in the country.
Authentic, first-edition Hermès, in a little village in Ohio. Insane in the best way.
Past Meets Present
46 N Main St
Owner Preston Beck hand-picks everything in this shop, and it shows. Vintage and modern bags, jewelry, and clothing, with a few antiques and collectibles mixed in. You might find a fur coat, a Chanel bag, or a light fixture you didn’t know you needed, and the ladies who work there are lovely.
You know I love a good vintage find, and this is a very well-edited vintage store. Every visit is a treasure hunt, and I never know what I’m walking out with.
Brides by the Falls
100 N Main St, Suite 210
Upstairs on Main Street, Brides by the Falls has been dressing Northeast Ohio brides for nearly 50 years. Owner Jennifer Esposito-Hatina bought the boutique in 2007 and still does consultations herself, which tells you everything about how this place runs. The dresses are classic and timeless (Anne Barge, Martina Liana, Lea-Ann Belter, Caroline Castigliano), there’s an in-house seamstress for alterations, and they carry evening wear and accessories too, so the mothers are covered.
And this one is personal, and recent. I went wedding dress shopping here with my future daughter-in-law, which was so special! If you have a bride in your life, bring her here (and bring tissues…trust me).
Fireside Book Shop
29 N Franklin St
A real bookstore, not a chain, established in 1963 and still independently owned. Three creaky floors: gifts, cards, puzzles, and used books on the ground floor; mystery, travel, and cooking upstairs next to the fireplace that gives the shop its name; and a children’s corner at the top. The stair risers are painted like book spines. They also take your gently used books for store credit, which is dangerous.
Kids’ books, grown-up books, and the simple joy of holding an actual book in your hands. Bring a coffee from Heartwood and take your time.
Where to eat in Chagrin Falls
Yours Truly
30 N Main St
If you grew up around Cleveland, you grew up with Yours Truly. Four Shibley siblings opened the first one in Beachwood in 1981, and Chagrin Falls came next in December 1982. They’re still family-owned, still make everything to order, and still have that “if we have it, we’ll make it” attitude that makes it so easy to bring picky eaters, kids, and your mother-in-law all at once.
My sandwich of choice is The Envelope: baby spinach, Muenster cheese, and egg in a toasted pita (the name is a wink at the “Yours Truly” letter theme, which I love). I swear by it. Their Notso Fries are the other thing people drive across town for.
Lemon Falls Café Marketplace
95 N Main St
Lemon Falls opened in 2012 on the corner of Main and West Orange, and it’s been the village’s lunch spot ever since. Everything is made from scratch: gourmet sandwiches, seasonal salads, homemade soups, and a pastry case that makes decisions hard. It’s now run by a longtime staff member who kept all the original recipes, which is exactly what you want to hear.
The best place to meet a friend for lunch. Salads, soups, wraps, and (this is important) the best chocolate chip cookies around.
Lola's Bistro
86 N Main St
Lola’s is the newest thing on this list, and it already feels like it’s been here forever. Restaurateur Rick Doody (he grew up in Chagrin Falls and co-founded Bravo and Brio) spent a year and a half turning a 150-year-old building, the longtime home of Rick’s Café, into a relaxed French bistro in the spirit of Pastis and Balthazar in New York. It opened in fall 2025, and yes, it’s named after his Bernedoodle.
A really great little French bistro that works for lunch or dinner. The French onion soup is delicious, and the salade niçoise is the real deal. The tuna is poached in-house, not out of a can. They greet you with a tiny martini on a tray. It’s fun, it’s delicious, and it’s a little bit girly, which I love.
Batuqui on the Falls
17 E Orange St
Batuqui (it means “rhythm”) is owned by Carla Batista and Gustavo Nogueira, a Brazilian couple from Bahia and Minas Gerais. The original opened on Larchmere near Shaker Square in 2015 in an old Victorian, and in 2021 they bought this cute brick Victorian in Chagrin Falls, spent over a year renovating it, and opened a second location with its own bar and private dining room.
It’s really authentic Brazilian food: feijoada, moqueca (the coconut seafood stew), picanha, and the pão de queijo cheese bread you’ll want to take home. The food is wonderful and so are the drinks. Order a caipirinha and settle in.
M Italian
22 W Orange St
M Italian comes from Bret Adams, the founder of Burntwood Tavern, and it’s named after his wife. It opened in 2014 in the old Ski and Sport Haus building with exposed brick, rustic beams, an open kitchen, and a patio with a fire pit. From-scratch pastas and wood-fired pizzas, done well.
Always buzzing. It’s the kind of place where you can bring a big group and everyone finds something they love. The lobster and shrimp pasta is the one people talk about.
Dave's Cosmic Subs
9 River St
This is the original of the original Dave’s. Dave Lombardy, a Chagrin Falls resident and former rock band frontman who’d spent a dozen years in California, opened it in this little red house on River Street in 1997. The subs came from the late-night sandwiches he used to make with his dad as a Beachwood High kid, and the psychedelic rock and roll decor came from his band days. There are now Dave’s all over Ohio, but this is where it started.
I remember coming here in high school, so eating here is part sub, part time travel. Get the Original and don’t skip the Cosmic Sauce.
17 River Grille
17 River St
This spot has worn a lot of names. It’s been a string of restaurants over the years (most recently Blake’s Seafood and Jekyll’s Kitchen), and in 2020 Rick Doody gutted it and turned the whole thing toward the water, with three terraces stacked over the falls. The Heavenly Biscuits with honey butter are famous for a reason.
And this is a personal one. Thirty-one years ago, when it was called Leonetti’s, Greg and I had our first date right there, overlooking the falls. It’s been a handful of different restaurants since, but it’s always been the same idea: sit, eat, look at the water. I remember thinking, huh, I might like this guy! Spoiler alert: I did.
JoJo’s Bar and the Inn of Chagrin
87 West St
If you’ve lived here a while, you remember this corner as Gamekeeper’s Taverne, which served elk and venison on that famous patio for 40 years. Today it’s JoJo’s Bar, an Italian-American steakhouse (prime steaks, Wagyu carpaccio, spicy vodka rigatoni) that still shares the block with the Inn, the way the tavern and inn always did.
And yes, the rumors are true. In July 2025, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce walked in for a surprise lunch and sat in the back for an hour and a half. The staff wouldn’t say what she ordered, which is exactly the kind of place JoJo’s is.
The Inn itself has the best backstory in town. It started as an 1860s cottage that Clarence Crane, the man who invented Life Savers, turned into Crane’s Canary Cottage restaurant in 1927. Will Rogers, Charles Lindbergh, and John D. Rockefeller (who had his own table) all ate there. And in 2022, Christian Siriano of Project Runway fame redesigned all 15 rooms. There’s a Siriano Suite. In Chagrin Falls. I mean.
The sweet stop: The Popcorn Shop
The Popcorn Shop
53 N Main St
If Chagrin Falls has an essence, this is it. The building has stood at the edge of the falls since 1875, when it was the shop for the flour mill next door, and it’s been the Popcorn Shop since 1949. Bill Watterson drew it into the back cover of The Essential Calvin and Hobbes. President Bush stopped in for ice cream in 2004. And every New Year’s Eve, the village drops a giant popcorn ball off the roof at midnight. Of course it does.
It’s old school, it sits right at the falls, and it smells like childhood. They serve Euclid Beach frozen custard, which is soft serve at its most delicious and, I think, unique to Northeast Ohio. The popcorn is Ohio-grown and popped in small batches, about two dozen flavors.
My popcorn order: Sweets Lovers, caramel and kettle mixed together. Trust me. My runner-up is the Hometown Orange & Brown, a double cheese and real caramel mix, which is obviously very on brand for a Cleveland girl.
The place with a purpose: Two & Company
Two & Company
177 E Washington St
This one is special, and I mean that in the real way. Shari Hunter opened Two Café in 2013 as what she calls an integrated workplace, where people with disabilities and people without work side by side, learn the job, and get paid a real wage for it. It was inspired by her son Derek, who was born with Down syndrome. She promised to raise him without labels or limits, and then she built a business on that promise. Derek helped train the first staff. Today the Two Foundation has placed dozens of graduates in jobs at businesses all over Cleveland, and the café has been featured on the TODAY show.
It’s also just a lovely place to be. A warm little café (the egg scramble has fans), a gift shop full of things you’ll actually want to give, catering if you need it, and the kind of welcome that makes you slow down. Every purchase supports the mission. If you want your coffee and your gift to mean something, this is the stop.
For your home
Because sometimes the best souvenir from a day in the village isn't something to wear.
Chestnut Hill Home
25 N Franklin St
Right between Hedges and SHED, Janna Lutz’s 4,500-square-foot showroom is styled in vignettes, with original hardwood floors and exposed brick. Furniture, lighting, rugs, accessories, and fabric, all rooted in classic design with mixed materials, plus a full interior design team if you’re ready to do a whole room (or a whole house).
Also a great spot for a hostess gift that feels a little more special.
W Home Collection
82 West St
W Home Collection is the retail side of W Design, the interior design firm Wendy Berry started from her home office in 2002 and grew into one of the biggest in the region. The shop opened in 2020 when the firm moved into this renovated West Street building, and it’s full of things Wendy finds on her travels: Belgian candles, Florentine sculpture, original art, fine dinnerware. There’s even a bridal registry.
Candles, glassware, and the kind of pieces that make a room feel finished. Worth a wander even if you’re not redecorating. Spoiler alert: you might redecorate.
Don't miss: the falls and the bandstand
You can't come to Chagrin Falls and skip the falls. They're right in the center of town, steps from The Popcorn Shop, and they're the reason every visitor falls in love.
And then there’s the bandstand in Triangle Park, the little green where Main, Franklin, and Washington meet. It’s the old-fashioned centerpiece of this iconic little town, and I personally like to pretend I’m in The Sound of Music and twirl around it singing “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.” That might not be everybody’s jam. But it’s mine.
When to visit Chagrin Falls
Honestly? Any day the shops are open. But this village loves a tradition, and a few weekends a year it goes all out.
Blossom Time (Memorial Day weekend). The big one. The Chagrin Valley Jaycees have run it for over 60 years: a parade down Main Street, hot air balloon races over the village, rides, and the whole town out on the sidewalks. If you only come once, come for this. More About Blossom Time →
Art by the Falls (second weekend in June). A juried arts and crafts festival in Riverside Park with 100+ artists, right at the water. Great for finding something for your walls that nobody else has. More About Art by the Falls →
The Sidewalk Sale (summer). The shops put their best stuff on the street. Fun fact: this is how Haven started, with one rack of clothes on the sidewalk. Go early. More About The Sidewalk Sale →
Deck the Falls (early December). Main Street gets lit, the shops stay open late, and it looks like a snow globe. The best time to bring an out-of-towner and watch them fall in love. More About Deck The Falls →
The Popcorn Ball Drop (New Year’s Eve). At midnight the village drops a giant popcorn ball off the roof of the Popcorn Shop. Yes, really. It’s been happening since 2012 and it is peak Chagrin Falls. More About The Popcorn Ball Drop →
Chagrin Falls FAQ
Where is Chagrin Falls?
About 30 minutes east of downtown Cleveland in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Take 422 or 87 and follow the signs. It’s an easy day trip from anywhere in Northeast Ohio and a very worthwhile detour if you’re passing through.
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Completely. Every place in this guide is within a few blocks of the falls. Park once and walk. Wear comfortable shoes, because there are hills and I am going to make you go into every store.
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There’s metered street parking on Main Street and the side streets, plus public lots behind the shops. On festival weekends, arrive early or expect a short walk in.
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Yes!! The falls are right in the middle of the village, next to the Popcorn Shop. There’s a viewing platform and stairs down to the river. No ticket, no hike, just a waterfall in the middle of Main Street.
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Chagrin Falls is the best girls’ day in Northeast Ohio. Coffee at Heartwood, the North Franklin shopping loop, lunch at Lola’s or Lemon Falls, custard at the Popcorn Shop. Trust me.
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Late spring through fall is prettiest, and the week after Thanksgiving through Christmas is pure magic. See the “When to visit” section above for the big weekends.
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Very. You’ll see dogs everywhere, several restaurants have dog-friendly patios (Yours Truly puts out water bowls), and the walk along the river is a dog’s dream.
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The village is named for the Chagrin River, which runs right through it and drops over the falls in the center of town. Nobody is chagrined. Everyone is delighted.
Make a day of it
My ideal Chagrin Falls day:
coffee at Heartwood
the full North Franklin loop (Haven, Hedges Designs, Remnants, SHED)
a treasure hunt at Past Meets Present
lunch at Lemon Falls or Lola’s
ustard at The Popcorn Shop
a stop at the falls
dinner at Batuqui or M Italian
Bring a friend, bring a visitor, bring your dog, or bring yourself. This town does the rest.
If you go, tell me what you found! And if you spotted something in the shops and aren't sure how to wear it, you know where to find me.
This is not an exhaustive list, and I will continue to add to this Chagrin Falls Guide as I discover more great places! Know a spot that you’d recommend that isn’t on the list? Let me know in the comments!
xo, Hallie