Mario's Bar and Grill

This is going to be a short review, but I had a gift certificate for Mario's (formerly Mario's Fish Bowl) at 3962 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Hts, OH, 44121 (map is here) near the intersection with Warrensville Road and I finally stopped in. Mario's is a cheery neighborhood bar with a large bar with HiDef tvs on one side and a smaller room with a fireplace and some lounging space on the other. The menu is fairly basic, with some nods towards some interesting items. I was impressed with the Mussels, which was a large serving with a spicy broth with onions and jalapenos. The peppers had given up most of their spice to the broth which made for a nice contrast to the meaty mussels. I also tried the clams, which while small, were tender and just the right amount of salty goodness. The Friday soup was Manhatten Clam Chowder, which was good and loaded with clams and vegetables, however I was less then happy to find that it was also loaded with sausage. I understand the flavor advantage of pork products, but a heads up would be nice when ordering what I thought would be a seafood soup. I was less impressed with some of the other items such as the pizza, which was ok, but nothing special. Mario's is a nice place to stop in and get a drink and pick up some decent food; nothing worth a special trip, but certainly worth considering if in the area.