Music Clubs & Night Clubs

Babe’s Baby Grand Lounge

Babe’s Baby Grand Lounge at 5522 Euclid Avenue originally opened in 1959 as Babe’s Harlem Cafe. It was among the earliest Black-owned businesses on Euclid Avenue. Proprietor Babe Brondfield had previously operated Club Congo on Woodland Avenue until it burned in 1957. He then started operating the Harlem Cafe, located almost in the shadow of the elevated Pennsylvania Railroad trestle near the Pennsylvania Station at East 55th, before remodeling it to his own taste. The nightclub featured jazz, blues, and rock musicians and floor shows, including drag shows. Early in the club’s run, pioneering Cleveland rock ‘n’ roll artist Screamin’ Jay Hawkins played there for several consecutive weeks. The venue closed in 1961.

Additional information coming soon.

Baby Grand ad | Call & Post, Nov. 26, 1960
5522 Euclid Ave

Tell us about Babe’s Baby Grand Lounge

Many of the locations documented on Green Book Cleveland are not well-documented in the historical record. If you have additional information about Babe’s Baby Grand Lounge, please let us know by sharing a memory, correction, or suggestion using the comment form below.

Or send an email to info@greenbookcleveland.org.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *