The Four Horsemen Tavern
Toledo, OH
UPDATE: Permanently Closed as of 2023
The Four Horsemen Tavern, 4452 Lewis Ave, Toledo, OH 43612
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Nestled into an unassuming strip along the fast-trafficked intersection of Lewis and Eleanor in west Toledo is one of the last remaining few genuine neighborhood bars in Toledo, The Four Horsemen Tavern.
Inside the small but mighty Four Horsemen Tavern
With its dark wood paneling and bar and walls filled with vintage Toledo trinkets and sports memorabilia, it’s a familiar and comforting sight upon entering. The staff and patrons seem to all know each other by name and at any given time of day, it seems to bustle with folks getting off or going to work, taking a reprieve from families at home, just catching up with pals for their daily stop in, or gathering to watch a game on the TVs.
It’s got that Cheers-type of vibe where the regulars will surely eye you up as you cross the threshold, but it’s not for much other than to just take in the site of a new face. Everyone is friendly here and they know exactly why you’re there - the burgers are the best-kept open secret in town.
Just a regular ol’ cheeseburger
The menu at the Horsemen is on the small side but is packed with barroom favorites including sandwiches, salads, chicken chunks, and all your favorite fried appetizers. The burgers are the star of the show though. Hand-pattied from fresh ground beef from Milo’s Meats just across the street — Toledo’s only true butcher shop that hand carves on site — this is the secret to their success, just super fresh quality beef.
The bun is nothing spectacular, but it’s sturdy enough to hold up to the sizable patty and its pile of fresh toppings. Beware, this is a messy burger and you're going to need your basket to serve as a drip tray! Add a side of fresh hand-cut fries and you’ve got a more than-you-can-eat meal in the $12 range. For the full experience, pair with a couple of cheap beers and a shot of whisky, pop some cash in the juke box, and be sure to visit the absurdly small but somehow charming bathrooms (in a “they don’t make ‘em like this anymore” way).
Mushroom Swiss Burger
This little corner of Lewis Ave. represents the last remaining of the best of an era passed. With Milo’s across the street, and the Horsemen tucked between it and the near museum-quality aesthetic of the West Toledo Barbershop next door, taking the time to walk on foot rather than fly past in your car reminisces of a day when a fella could stop for a shave and hair cut, pick up a fresh steak for dinner, and stop for a beer on his way home. There just won’t be another era that builds classic beauty into a storefront with the quality embraced here. Setting a big fat delicious burger on top of all those feelings is the perfect accent.
