Shah’s Halal in downtown Cleveland Credit: Mark Oprea
A little more than one year after opening, the Deshaun Watson-backed cheesesteak restaurant Lefty’s in University Heights has closed. The Detroit-based fast-food chain is in the midst of a major contraction, shuttering two dozen locations in multiple states. The University Heights shop was the only Ohio restaurant.

But the east-side property already has been spoken for. Shah’s Halal, a halal-certified Middle Eastern restaurant with more than 110 locations, will soon be opening. That new location will be joining a pair of existing ones downtown near Public Square (2013 Ontario St.), which opened a few weeks ago, and in Strongsville (14228 Pearl Rd.).

Often billed as “the McDonald’s of halal,” Shah’s continues to proliferate since launching in 2005 with a single Queens, NY-based foot cart. The menu features fresh, flavorful food with many vegan and vegetarian options. Popular items include build-your-own salads, meat-and-rice platters, pitas stuffed with lamb gyro, chicken, fish or falafel, burgers, chicken sandwiches and chicken or beef cheesesteaks.

We’ll update this story as opening day in University Heights approaches.

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This article appears in Cleveland SCENE 7/16/25.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.