“Funky Freaky Fried” — Cleveland’s Rally Inn Turns Tots Into Something Extraordinary
“This was a very very divey bar at the time — a punch palace,” owner John Oberman tells Guy Fieri about what the Rally Inn used to be. No windows. Ripped up vinyl floors. Guy’s reaction? “A punch palace — that is one of the funniest lines I’ve ever heard.”
But this Cleveland joint has transformed into something far more interesting than its rough past suggests. Now they’re serving up what regulars describe as a “hidden gem” experience, with comfort food that catches people completely off guard. As one customer put it: “You would really be surprised by just how good the food is here.”
The Bacon-Wrapped Tots That Stole the Show
Chef Eric Latiri has created something that defies expectations at this former dive bar. His bacon-wrapped tots aren’t your typical bar snack — they’re baseball-sized creations that Guy couldn’t help but call out. “That’s not a tot, that’s a baseball,” he observed while watching Eric form them. The chef’s response? “You gotta give the people what they want.”
Don't lose this list! Drop your email and we'll send it to you, so you've got it handy next time you're hungry or planning a trip.
The process starts with boiled Yukon potatoes — skins on — that get mashed with white pepper, salt, roasted garlic, brown butter, curry, and heavy cream. That mixture then gets combined with shredded hash before adding more salt and black pepper. Each massive tot gets wrapped in a whole piece of bacon before frying.
The finishing touch is a chipotle ranch sauce that Chef Eric builds from scratch: ranch dressing base, chipotle peppers, and Worcestershire — or as he calls it, “woo-woo, cause not everybody knows how to say it or spell it.”
Guy’s Verdict
When Guy bit into these oversized tots, he was impressed by the contrasts. “You get crispy, you get creamy, you get crunchy,” he noted. The chipotle sauce earned particular praise: “So needed because it adds a little bit of heat, it adds another little dimension — the creaminess of the ranch cooling it down a touch.”
His final assessment landed on a phrase that perfectly captured the dish: “Funky freaky fried.” He elaborated further, saying the tots are “crunchy on the outside and as soon as I bite in it’s moist and steamy and yummy. This is exceptional exceptional food.”
A Menu That Never Quits
Guy couldn’t help but ask about the scope of operations at Rally Inn. “How many items are on the menu here?” The answer revealed multiple menus — breakfast, dinner, tacos, plus prime rib on Saturdays. When Guy pressed about whether the owner makes Chef Eric do all this, he got what Guy called “the best answer I’ve ever heard”: a simple “yes” that told the whole story.
The transformation hasn’t gone unnoticed by locals. One customer summed it up perfectly: “John when he took it over definitely took things up a notch.” Guy disagreed with that assessment — but only in degree. “I think more than a notch,” he said. “What appears to be just a simple little funky bar, you go next level. Really impressed.”
Similar to how Braised Short Rib French Dip elevates a classic sandwich or how Balkan-Style Stuffed Pizza reimagines familiar comfort food, Rally Inn proves that the best Triple D discoveries often happen in the most unexpected places.
Cleveland’s comfort food scene clearly runs deep, and Rally Inn has carved out its own lane. Ready to find more hidden gems? Check out our restaurant directory to discover Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives locations near you.