The bustling streets of Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee, have become a premier travel destination for Ohioans. From birthday to bachelorette parties, Music City has taken travelers by storm with the country music charm and ice-cold beers.

Luckily, you don’t have to pay Nashville prices for that Broadway feel. Enter: Jolene’s Honky Tonk on E 4th Street.

This Dolly Parton-inspired joint has brought southern charm to the streets of Cleveland, complete with pink cowboy hats and bright white boots.

Behind the Brand

Jolene’s is one of several concepts beneath the iconic “Hangry Brands” group, along with popular spots like Geraci’s Slice Shop, The Yard on 3rd, STEAK, and SUSHI.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Julia Licastro, Vice President and Partner of Hangry Brands, and she let us in on a bit of history behind Hangry Brands.

^{Julia Licastro (Credit: Hangry Brands / Instagram @hangrybrands)}

“Jason Beudert is our president, and he’s got a lot of restaurateur experience. He’s been all over the food and beverage industry,” says Licastro. “When Hangry first started, he wanted to create a restaurant group that was a bunch of one-off concepts.”

Beudert had actually been one of the original owners of Barrio in Tremont, which, as we know, has become such a powerhouse across Ohio.

Licastro mentions how Beudert had a knack for creativity and wanted a portfolio of, in her words, “All hits, no skips.”

“(Beudert) acquired the building for The Yard (on 3rd), and when he opened it up, he loved the feeling of creating a fun space that people of all ages could come to, truly.”

If you’ve ever been to The Yard of 3rd, you know it doubles as family-friendly and a bit more of an adult getaway later at night. The creativity behind the concept and space allows it to be flexible to different crowds throughout the day.

It’s safe to say The Yard on 3rd sparked a fire within Beudert, as he soon teamed up with the Chief Operating Partner, Chelsea Rice, to take on Geraci’s Slice Shop.

Geraci’s Slice Shop once began as a pizza window at The Yard, but Beudert and Rice knew the brand had the potential to grow. Well, when the building the current slice shop stands in was going up for sale, they made their move.

The two were nothing but busy, as their next venture became saving the coffee shop they frequented nearly every day. StoneFruit Coffee, which was located inside The Arcade at the time, was closing down.

“When they heard that it was going under, they didn’t want all of those employees to lose their jobs, and they didn’t want to lose their favorite coffee shop,” says Licastro. “So, they acquired StoneFruit and turned it into Lionheart Coffee.”

And before the story could slow down, Beudert and Rice were introduced to Julia Licastro herself. The two had already been plotting for a new, full-service concept to add to the Hangry Brands portfolio, and Licastro was the next piece in the puzzle.

The idea was simple: a steakhouse in Tremont unlike any steakhouse that anybody’s ever seen before.

Everyone was in, including Executive Chef Jason Simon. In August of 2024, STEAK was born.

Now, while excitement and praise poured in for STEAK, the Hangry Brands team wasn’t done. Right around the opening of STEAK, the team signed the lease for what is now Jolene’s and began spending a lot of time on E 4th.

In the summer of this year, Jolene’s opened its Honky Tonk doors to the people of Cleveland.

“To see people getting dressed up in their Nashville to go down to East 4th… You know, that Gateway District is so event-driven that everybody down there will tell you to base your week around what’s going on downtown,” says Licastro. “We were pleasantly surprised that there were so many people coming down for Jolene’s on a non-event-driven day, so it’s kind of like we are the event.”

^{Now that's a flight of shots if we've ever seen one! (Credit: Jolene's Honky Tonk / Google)}

Stand By Your Bar

“Jolene’s is loud, it’s sparkly and bright, and we serve almost everything in red solo cups,” Licastro laughs.

Jolene’s Honky Tonk brings a fun, eclectic take on some of Nashville’s best-selling and well-loved attractions. Within these wood-paneled walls and kitschy wallpaper choices that would make any Southern mama proud is a proper homage to “Nashvegas” culture.

From neon signage referencing some of the most iconic lines in country music to a tractor perfect for photo ops, and, of course, a mural of the patron saint of country music herself, Dolly Parton. The bar, famously named after “Jolene”, the notorious redhead that Dolly has crooned and pleaded against her taking Dolly’s man.

“This is a little ‘if you know, you know’ type of thing, but occasionally there’s a long line outside of Jolene’s… cowboy boots always skip the line.”

Saddle up for some proper country fun, with the floors of fun. We’ll start top-down, with a rooftop primed and ready to transform with the seasons. On top of the bar, you’ll find truck beds, faux axe-throwing (don’t worry, they’re toys!), giant tic-tac-toe, and plenty of tractors.

Not in the mood to sit or stand? No problem, you can hop on one of the six swings available for your leisure while you listen to live music and sip on a solo cup.

On the third level, you’ll find the aptly named “Rodeo Room”. This is on your way up to the rooftop and can be rented out by half to full mezzanine for any country-themed bachelorette party you'd like to keep closer to home.

Oh, and, of course, there’s a working mechanical horse named “Popcorn”. For a shy fee of 50 cents, Popcorn will take you on a spin, and all of the proceeds are donated to A Special Wish Foundation in Southwest Ohio.

The main floor, where you enter the bar, is the Honky Tonk itself. The elevated stage pays homage to the original Grand Ole Opry setup, with barn doors serving as a backdrop for the nightly entertainment.

Finally, head down into the basement, known as the “Chicken Strip Club”. This is where guests come to either place or pick up their food orders, lounge at the picnic tables, or play a couple of rounds of ski-ball. Additionally, all bathrooms are located on this level.

Chicken Fried & Cold Beer

“We ate chicken tenders in every shape and form, like twice a week for three months,” says Licastro. “We tried every iteration of chicken tender that you could ever imagine, and we found one that we felt fit our concept really well.”

Licastro mentioned that Hangry Brands had been looking to focus on chicken for a concept, given that STEAK didn’t serve any. In attempting all different sorts of brines and flavors, they settled on their current recipe as some

The grub is simple and served meal-style. You have a choice between chicken strips or nuggets, which are served with a side of coleslaw, a slice of white bread, waffle fries, and a dipping sauce of your choice.

Our favorite part of the meal might have to go to the sauces, but that’s mainly because Jolene’s features an exceptional pink ranch to match the aesthetic of the place.

“The ranch is dyed with organic beet powder to make it hot pink,” says Licastro. “I’ve overheard people having conversations asking what makes it pink, but it’s just beet powder. It never tastes like it either.”

Jolene’s is also serving up a buffalo ranch, straight-up buffalo, Nashville hot honey, BBQ, and honey mustard.

But what is fried chicken without a good ol’ drink to go with it?

While most of the clientele is probably holding a Miller Lite or Suncruiser, Jolene’s also offers a pretty inventive cocktail menu that’ll make you chuckle.

Our personal favorite is “Paula’s Not Working 9 to 5,” in honor of the wife of one of their investors, Paula, who has just retired.

Or, take your friends out and become the favorite of the group by ordering everyone shots that come served on an actual guitar!

A Bar For Everyone

“When we created STEAK, we wanted it to be fun for everyone. I do feel the same way about Jolene’s.”

And, while Jolene’s has a prominent theme that some may shy away from, we promise that the trip is worth it.

“I challenge anyone to come into Jolene’s and be annoyed with the country music. It’s just too fun,” jokes Licastro. “It’s good drinking music. It’s just fun background music, and you don’t have to be into country to enjoy Jolene’s.”

Truly, the bar is for everyone. As much as country tends to get a bad rap, you’ll hear that Carrie Underwood or Post Malone song that’ll get your feet tapping and your hips moving.

“We are a women-owned and operated brand that is building bars and restaurants and spaces for women,” says Licastro. “The idea is that we want to make spaces where women feel comfortable and included. Every country bar I’ve been to is so male-coded, very Texas, and boys and whiskey. We are more the rhinestone and “the higher the hair, the closer to God” version of country.”

So, grab your girls, tease that hair, throw on some boots, and make your way down to Jolene’s for some good ol’ country fun. It’s new, it’s vibrant, and it’s one hell of a good time.

 

 

 

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2038 E 4th St, Cleveland

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