22 New Restaurants That Opened in the Cleveland Area This Year

Collision Bend Euclid

1261 Babbitt Road
After a few years of planning, Collision Bend opened its new production facility in Euclid to take some pressure off the Flats brewpub, allowing smaller runs to be made there. That task has been completed and the new facility boasts a taproom and kitchen, with the menu handled by Collision Bend (and Alley Cat) chef Andy Dombrowski. Guests can expect starters like clam chowder, chili with cornbread, Swedish meatballs, and jerk-seasoned fish fingers. Larger plates include taco salads, pizzas, burgers, wraps and subs. All paired with on-site brewed Collision Bend beer.

Boss ChickNBeer

1791 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls
Heather Doeberling and partner Emily Moes opened the first shop in Berea back in 2018. They have since added locations in Bay Village and Seven Hills and, this year, Cuyahoga Falls. The menu offers the same wealth of wings, including the increasingly popular vegan items.

Gogi En

6025 Kruse Dr., Solon
Last summer, the team behind Sushi En restaurants in Cleveland, Columbus and Twinsburg took over the Solon property long home to Akira Sushi and Hibachi. The former hibachi restaurant was the ideal starting point for their next project — a Korean BBQ concept — because of the existing hood systems installed throughout the dining room. The menu offers a pretty typical lineup of meats bound for the grills. There's galbi (marinated beef short rib), bulgogi (marinated ribeye), spicy pork bulgogi and marinated pork rib. An a la carte section of the menu lets diners select from more than a dozen beef, pork, poultry and seafood items ranging from thin-sliced pork belly to marinated shrimp. A handful of combos merge three different proteins. Gogi En also offers a lengthy and creative assortment of gimbap, the Korean rice rolls that resemble sushi rolls but without the raw fish.

Parilya

8155 Columbia Rd.
Roger San Juan launched Parilya food truck in 2019. Dubbed “A Taste of the Philippines,” the truck has earned a large following by offering dishes like lumpia, pancit, chicken tocino, BBQ chicken and rice, grilled chicken skewers and other delicious items. And in the last stretch of 2023, they opened a brick and mortar spot in Olmsted Falls. The menu at the restaurant offers many of the same foods typically available from the food truck, along with some weekly or bi-weekly specials such as kare-kare and dinuguan.

Salted Dough Bistro

12308 Mayfield Rd.
Chef Jeff Fisher says that he’s been approached numerous times to expand, but no opportunity was as appealing as the one in Little Italy. The Salted Dough owner used the turn-key space located in the newly constructed La Collina mixed-use property, for Salted Dough Bistro, which offers more of a fine-dining experience than the original down south, with a broader focus on hand-made pastas, seafood and meat dishes. Fisher will still be making his quality pizzas, but he hopes they take a back seat to dishes like sweet pea gnocchi, pappardelle Bolognese, braised short rib, and pan-seared filet.

CleaveLand Grill

17024 Pearl Rd.
On October 19 of last year, Cleveland lost one of its best resources for Halal ingredients when a fire broke out at CleaveLand Grocers in Brook Park. But it wasn't just those who follow that strict dietary law that suffered a blow, the mourners also included fans of great burgers, chicken sandwiches and cheesesteaks. While owners continue to focus on getting the grocery and grill in Brook Park back up and running, they decided to branch out with a second location in Strongsville offering many of the same tasty meals dished up at the original.

Danny’s on Professor

2258 Professor Ave.
In advance of a move to the former Nick’s Diner property in Ohio City, Proof Bar-BQ in Tremont was put to bed last year. With newfound space on their hands, partners Michael Griffin and Dave Ferrante began considering options for lower-level space, which sits beneath Crust and Visible Voice Books. The team contemplated opening a speakeasy, wine bar, even yet another taco spot, but in the end, they settled upon a late-night watering hole helmed by longtime bartender Danny Grim. The new spot runs late night, from 8 p.m. when Crust winds down to 2 a.m. with a small but tasty menu of snacks and “giant slices” from Crust alongside chips and dips, loaded nachos and more.

Proof BBQ

4116 Lorain Ave.
Proof opened in Tremont a month before Covid landed. It closed in December 2022, after owners Michael Griffin and Dave Ferrante announced that they had purchased the Nick’s Diner property in Ohio City. After a year and a half of work, the space bears little resemblance to its former occupant. The menu is largely the same, with burnt ends, smoked wings, fried green tomatoes and “Mile High Nachos” topped with pulled pork, cheese and salsa. Barbecue items like brisket, pulled pork, ribs and chicken thighs are smoked out back in a Southern Pride pit and served with a variety of sauces and sides. Those meats can also be enjoyed as tacos.

Choolah

2207 Crocker Rd.
In the waning weeks of December 2023, Choolah added to its roster when it opened the doors to its newest location in Westlake. While some of the art on the walls has changed, Choolaah’s commitment to preparing fresh, contemporary Indian food onsite has not. Wholesome ingredients like chicken, lamb, salmon and paneer are seasoned with proprietary spice blends and cooked in tandoor ovens in open kitchens. Fresh-baked naan wraps are filled with tandoori chicken, roast lamb, paneer, or vegan chickpea masala. The menu also offers bowls and street food like samosa chaat and pav bhaji.

Brassica

30070 Detroit Rd.
With its sixth location and second in Northeast Ohio, Brassica’s Westlake outpost debuted in the last weeks of 2023. The fast-casual Middle Eastern concept born in Columbus lets diners build bowls with a base of hummus, greens or a fresh-baked pita. Those are topped or filled with a choice of falafel, braised Niman Ranch brisket or roasted chicken and a large selection of vegetables and sauces. To drink, there’s a short but high-quality list of wines by the glass and bottle, regional craft beers, cold-pressed juices and cold-brewed coffee.