22 of the Hottest Restaurants In Cleveland Right Now

Lulo Kitchen and Lulo Cafe

1273 West 9th St., and 1300 East 9th St., Cleveland

Lulo Kitchen has the unmistakable feel of a boho-chic juice bar on Tulum’s famous beach road, a breezy sun-drenched space where art and culture and food collide. At Lulo, the flavors of Colombia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil make appearances in the form of empanadas, tostones, Cubanos, carne asada and other satisfying items. Earlier in 2022, the husband-and-wife team behind Lulo Kitchen opened Lulo Café, a spin-off, of sorts, from their original Pan-Latin eatery. Customers can expect a similar line-up of coffees, teas, juices, smoothies, salads, soups, sandwiches, bowls and plates. There is also a heightened emphasis on breakfast items like overnight oatmeal, acai bowls with tropical fruit and grab-and-go Latin pastries like pan de queso, buñuelos and empanadas.

Terrestrial Brewing Co.

2537 Lorain Ave., Cleveland

Since it opened in 2017, Terrestrial has managed to get by with pop-up taco shops and weekend brunches. But in the coming year the Battery Park brewery will unveil a 70-seat full-service restaurant in an adjacent space, where chef Micahel Lavano, formerly of Summer House and Lola will prepare California-inspired farm-to-table fare. An early draft of the menu includes starters like duck poutine with raclette cheese and waffle fries, seasonal pierogi with shifting fillings, pretzel bites with beer cheese dip and a Wagyu corn dog. For mains, there might be short rib grilled cheese, smash burger, gnocchi with basil, mint and pea pesto and a grilled hanger steak with fingerlings.

Martha on The Fly

2173 Professor Ave, Cleveland

This weekend-only breakfast concept took their pop-up concept and turned it into a brick and mortar spot that opened in Tremont in April. At this micro-diner, patrons can look forward to breakfast sandwiches perfected during the pop-up run, items like the Betty, Shirley and Doris egg sandwiches, Martha on the Fly will showcase new menu items like their potato crispies as well.

Le Petit Triangle

1881 Fulton Ave., Cleveland

A little cramped, occasionally noisy, and quite possibly the city's smallest restaurant, this quaint French bistro still manages to turn out superlative crepes, earthy pâtés, and one of the best Croque Monsieur sandwiches this side of the Seine. You’ll be transported to Paris for a couple hours here. Over the years, owners Tom and Joy Harlor have made incremental improvements to the space, food and vibe, but the Triangle has always stayed true to its original mission to serve the neighborhood.

Banter

3441 Tuttle Rd., Shaker Heights

Banter is the antidote to serious food in somber settings. It's county fair food with a bowtie, where fries, sausages, and hotdogs are spruced up for a clever crowd in the form of poutine, po’ boys and more deliciousness. When they closed their original Gordon Square location in 2020, leaving their Van Aken food hall stand as their only location, it was with the intention of re-opening at some future point. Luckily, for food lovers, that time has come, with the recent announcement that Banter will open its new west side location in the former home of the recently dearly departed Minh Anh (5428 Detroit Ave.).

Merwin’s Wharf

1785 Merwin Ave., Cleveland

Unparalleled atmosphere paired with discounted wine, cocktails, and appetizers. Everyone raves about the sights, the sounds and the ambiance. Everything from couches in front of a roaring fireplace and cocktail tables beneath strings of fairy lights, to giant Jenga and corn hole, it’s enough to make you want to move into this Metroparks run establishment. One of the best ways to experience Merwin Wharf is by checking out the new Summer Happy Hour series. Beginning May 17, and running from 4 to 8 p.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the happy hours will feature food trucks, live music and lawn games.

The Spot on Lakeshore

7272 Lakeshore Blvd., Mentor

Veteran chef Zachary Bond opened this spot in Mentor in 2021 and quickly turned it into one of the better breakfast and lunch spots in town. You might call The Spot a “gastro-diner,” a place that melds the come-as-you-are comforts of the neighborhood hash house with a gently elevated menu grounded by local ingredients and solid technique. In addition to all the classics, The Spot serves up items like breakfast sandwiches, eggs Benedict, biscuits and gravy, three-egg omelets and platters containing eggs, meat, home fries and toast – Bond also whips up avocado toast, eggs in purgatory and a half dozen skillets starring redskin potatoes with various toppings. Those are joined by specialties like steak and eggs and country-fried chicken and waffles with black pepper gravy, creme brulee french toast and tiramisu pancakes.

Tommy’s Restaurant

1824 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Heights

Known for their vegetarian and healthy options, this Coventry Road staple has been serving Clevelanders since 1972. While they had vegetarian and vegan options before those became popular, they have more than just healthy options. The thick-cut french fries are some of the best in town and their milkshakes, especially black cherry, is a must try.

Boss ChicknBeer

120 Front St., Berea, 7305 Broadview Rd., Seven Hills and 27321 Wolf Rd., Bay Village

Heather Doeberling and Emily Moes made such a splash with their popular food truck Boca Loca that they opened a Berea-based brick-and-mortar operation of the same name a couple years later. They parlayed those early successes into Boss ChicknBeer, a fried chicken and beer joint which they opened in 2018, also in Berea. Just four years later, they already have three locations, adding Seven Hills and Bay Village to their repertoire and don’t be surprised to see more open in the coming years. It’s that good.

Collision Bend Brewing Company

1250 Old River Rd., Cleveland

Collision Bend Brewing in the Flats has been dabbling in off-premises retail sales of its beers for a few years now, but the pandemic accelerated that side of the business, explains Luke Purcell, brewmaster-partner. This April, Collision Bend will celebrate its fifth anniversary, which seems like hard-fought win given the pandemic. By opening a separate production brewery, Collision Bend can bifurcate the on- and off-premises brewing. The plan is to convert an industrial building at 1261 Babbitt Road in Euclid into a brewery and, ideally, a taproom. The goal is to open the doors sometime this summer.