Mars Bar and Café is a well-known neighborhood bar and restaurant located in Lakewood, Ohio, on the corner of Mars and Madison Avenue.

​The bar opened in 1940, making it one of the city’s older restaurants. Don’t let this fool you: Mars Bar and Café is known for its fun, cool atmosphere and good dive-bar food and drinks.

​At first glance, you might not think much about Mars Bar and Café. Being in a prime spot, Lakewood locals might drive past it at least once a day. However, this place is packed with Lakewood history.

​Owner George Gount has been involved in the business since he was 12. His older brother, Sean, owned a computer shop and started it when he was 18, in the current location of Mars Bar and Cafe.

“He eventually sold that building, and he’s still running from his Detroit shop,” Gount said.

​He then explains that he started the build-out at Mars Bar and Cafe in his brother’s previous space. Not only was this a new sight for people, but it also added a full restaurant area for dining and enjoyment, appealing to late-night bar crowds and dinner guests.

​From 2017 to 2019, the business expanded. Gount bought the neighboring property and connected it to the bar, which turned Mars Bar into Mars Bar and Café.

“It was funny because March 11, 2019, we opened, and then March 15, 2020, they closed us down for about a year,” Gount said.

​During the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant pivoted to takeout.

“People still didn’t know we had food. So actually, it was a little bit of a blessing in disguise,” Gount said.

People figured out pretty quickly that they had a full menu, which helped them in many ways. They did lose some cash along the way, but if it weren’t for COVID, people wouldn’t have known about the expansion of the restaurant.

​Mars Bar and Café wants its customers to feel at home when they come in.

“This is a family business,” server Estella Giomini said. “George takes really good care of everyone here. We want you to feel like you’re at home and family is serving you.”

​Driving this home, Mars Bar and Café has a goal to make a connection with every customer that comes in and, over time, build relationships, even friendships, that leave lasting impacts on the people of the Lakewood community.

​The atmosphere inside Mars Bar and Café is super welcoming and interactive with families. When you step into the vestibule, you see a fake NASA astronaut against a fun Mars background, so that when kids see it, they truly feel like they’re in another universe. The business is also very involved in the community and even has kids trick-or-treating on Halloween.

“It’s a very family-friendly place,” customer Monica Butsch said. “We love the owner, George. He’s the best.”

​​Mars Bar and Café not only has friendly staff but also offers delicious food, with a wide-ranging menu of burgers, chicken wings, gyros, and more. They have the perfect late-night comfort food. Mars Bar and Café offers big portions, so no matter what you order, you will get plenty of food to fill you up.

​“I would say our most popular item is the French burger,” Giomini said. “I think it just gives a bunch of different flavors. With the brie cheese and the onion, it really is just the perfect burger.”

Mars Bar and Café has many unique food items on its menu, offering creative twists on classics like their loaded burgers and different sandwiches.

​More than just a neighborhood bar, Mars Bar and Café has become a staple of Lakewood’s bar and restaurant scene. Having a long, rich history in Lakewood, Mars Bar and Café has not only seen Lakewood grow, but it has grown with Lakewood, bringing expansions and delicious food to the Lakewood community for decades.