From fan favorites like El Carnicero in Lakewood to celebrated destinations like Salt, from low-key diners to neighborhood bistros, 2024 saw plenty of departures from the dining scene. Here are two dozen-plus places Cleveland said goodbye to last year.

Cafe Avalaun Citing personal health issues and other obstacles, chef Brian Doyle earlier this year announced that he would be closing Cafe Avalaun in Warrensville Heights in March. Doyle opened the shop in 2015 to serve as a haven for diners dealing with celiac disease. The cafe offers great food that just so happens to be gluten free. Credit: Google Maps
Toast 1365 West 65th., Cleveland Gordon Square’s Toast is one of the most fun and unique dining experiences in town. Farmhouse themed, with a highly curated wine list from owner Jillian Davis, an ever changing menu based on what’s fresh at the local farms, and a choice of one of three dining areas, this place is definitely worth checking out. It’s also the perfect spot if you like to try a bunch of different items. Their double sausage breakfast sandwich and cinnamon french toast are the stars of the show. Credit: Scene Archives
Pearl Street Market and Cafe 2523 Market Ave., Cleveland Following months of interior renovations at the former Flying Fig, partners Karen Small and Jill Davis recently opened its replacement, which is described as a retail wine shop and casual eatery. The wines are joined by local beer, ciders and classic cocktails. To eat, there will be meat and cheese boards served with housemade and local breads, seasonal vegetables and tinned fish. The star of the market is bound to be the sliced-to-order country hams, including those from famous makers like Benton’s, Col. Bill Newsom’s and Tripp. Also in stock will be local and regional cheeses from producers like Marchant Manor in Cleveland Hts., Kokoboreggo in Mt.Gilead and Sequatchie Cove Creamery in Tennessee. Down the road, a menu of salads, pastas, craft sandwiches and entrées will be rolled out for lunch and dinner. For those looking to stay home, the market will stock a selection of grab-and-go foods like sliced-to-order deli meats, cheeses, snacks, condiments and tinned fish. Credit: Douglas Trattner
Melt, Avon and Independence Locations It’s been a brutal 13 months for Melt Bar & Grilled. In early 2023, owner Matt Fish and his team made the difficult decision to close the Canton and Dayton locations, stating that as the newest and farthest shops, the move made the most sense as the chain sought to cut costs amid troubling financial headwinds. And earlier this year, it was the Avon store that got the pink slip, closing after seven years. Then, the company announced the closure of the Independence location, which was store number three when it opened nearly 15 years ago. This most recent closure brings the total number of full-service restaurants down to four, which join quick-serve and seasonal satellites at Progressive Field and Cedar Point. Credit: Photo via MeltBarGrilled/Instagram
Steve’s Diner 2024 will mark the ninth anniversary of the demise of Steve’s Lunch, the (in)famous hot dog diner on the western edge of Ohio City. That local landmark burst into flames on St. Patrick’s Day 2015, with the building being razed the following day. Now, unfortunately, the Steve’s Diner offshoot opened by Ed Salzgerber after purchasing the business from founder Steve Spanakis in 2022 has also said goodbye after he couldn’t secure a lease extension. With the closure, Cleveland also lost one of the precious few remaining 24-hour restaurants around town. Fans of the original chili recipe that dates back to 1953 can still enjoy it at Steve’s Doghouse (3850 Pearl Rd., 216-398-1446). Credit: Steve's Diner Facebook
BD’s Mongolian Grill 1854 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Heights When BD’s Mongolian Grill opened its doors in 1997 on Coventry, the restaurant offered a unique and interactive dining experience akin to hibachi, but without all the splatter. Diners took pleasure in piling ingredients and sauces into a bowl and then handing them off to a grill cook, who would stir-fry them up in plain view. Although the thrill may have vanished many moons ago, the restaurant chugged along, seemingly immune from the economic ups and downs of the street as well as the wider hospitality industry around it. Along with Coventry stalwarts like Tommy’s, Grum’s and Inn on Coventry, BD’s Mongolian was a constant presence on the street for nearly 30 years. That all ended this year as it shut its doors. The closure leaves four remaining locations in Ohio, two of which are in the Greater Columbus area. Credit: Scene archives
Gabriel’s Southern Table It’s been a challenging two years for Gabriel Zeller’s East 4th Street residency. Zeller and his former partner opened Indie in late 2021, taking over the former Greenhouse Tavern space and turning it into a music-themed eatery that never gained traction. A little over a year later, Zeller pulled the plug on that concept. “We felt that after the first year, people either loved Indie or they just didn’t get it,” Zeller told us at the time. “I think that a different atmosphere and a slightly more elevated menu is what people are looking for on Fourth.” The “different atmosphere” arrived in the form of Gabriel’s Southern Table, which opened last spring. That restaurant quietly closed its doors in January. Credit: Douglas Trattner
Mojo World Eats 2196 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights If there’s a silver lining to the pandemic, it can be found in the form of updated outdoor dining spaces all over town. Mojo (and Lopez before it) has always been the place on Lee Road to enjoy an alfresco meal in a large streetside patio. But recent updates have left the space shinier than ever, giving fans of chef Michael Herschman’s brash world cuisine a refreshed reason to visit. Credit: Scene Archives
Berea Depot The Berea Depot, a longtime institution in the southern suburb, closed as we welcomed 2024. The restaurant, opened by Lynn McLaughlin in 2017, announced on social media that it would not reopen following a holiday break. The historic property, which includes a 150-year-old train depot and refurbished Pullman car, was long home to the Pufferbelly restaurant. After that, the property was home to the Station and Union Depot Taverne. Credit: Google Maps
Salt After 20 years of cooking professionally for other owners (at top-flight places like Lola, Flying Fig, Rockefeller’s and Black Pig), Jill Vedaa finally struck out on her own with Salt. She and Jessica Parkison forged a different and challenging path by going exclusively with small plates. What’s more, the menus would almost completely change multiple times per year. More than three dozen menus later, it was time for a change as the pair announced Salt would close at the end of August. “This business is changing a lot; it’s something we’ve noticed the past couple years,” Vedaa said. “It’s pretty incredible, even during Covid people were more about supporting local and getting out there. The landscape – how people are eating and drinking – has completely changed.” Credit: Courtesy Photo
Ohio City Pizzeria The near west side is about as blessed with pizza as any neighborhood in Cleveland, from higher-end options such as Cent’s and Il Rione to fast-casual outposts like City Slice. For the past five years, Ohio City Pizzeria (version 2.0) operated somewhere in the middle, slinging hearty pie in a cozy dining room alongside a robust takeout business, all with a side of a positive impact in the community. Unfortunately, the shop, owned by the West Side Catholic Center, closed over the summer citing a lack of business post-pandemic. Credit: Scene Archives
Sauce the City at Re:bar The one constant in life, they say, is change, and that’s certainly been the case recently at Re:Bar in downtown Cleveland. After taking over an adjacent property and converting it into a restaurant space — complete with kitchen and seating — Re:Bar owner Rachel Ulloa partnered with La Plaza’s Adrian Ortega to open a up a satellite taco shop in the space. Less than a year into the residency, however, the partnership ended. Waiting in the wings was Victor Searcy Jr., who stepped in with his popular Sauce the City satellite. That union, which began in January of this year, also has ended. Now, The Kitchen at Re:Bar is open for all your dining needs. Credit: Scene Archives
Bistro on the Falls In April, Marcelo Fadul closed Bistro on the Falls, which opened in September 2021 in Olmsted Falls (8134 Columbia Rd.). He says that health issues forced his hand. But the property wasn’t empty long as Gunselman’s opened a new steakhouse and bar in the spot this fall. Credit: Google Maps
Citizen Pie Roman Cafe After operating Citizen Pie pizzeria in Collinwood since 2015 and Citizen Pie in Ohio City since 2017, chef Vytauras Sasnauskas opened Citizen Pie Roman Café on East 4th Street in April of 2020. Unlike the Neapolitan-style pies crafted at the first two shops, the downtown restaurant specialized in grab-and-go Roman-style pizza. While the slices were great, the location didn’t catch on and landlord MRN and the shop decided to call it a day in June. Credit: Scene Archives
Cha Pizza Susan Walters in May announced that she would be closing her pizza restaurant, Cha at Tinnerman Lofts. The Ohio City restaurant, which is located in a beautifully restored century home, opened in early 2023 as the third iteration of the concept. But the unique restaurant property at 2054 Fulton Road already has been claimed by another operator. Johanes Jonathan, who runs Issho Ni Ramen and Sushi in Willoughby, has ambitious plans for the place. He’s already at work at reworking the spot for an izakaya-style bar on the first floor and an omakase-tasting room upstairs. Credit: Scene Archives
Café Lola, Chagrin Falls This past winter, Rick Doody took over Bell & Flower in Chagrin Falls and operated it until spring. That’s when he shuttered the joint to make way for an ambitious renovation project that is slated to wrap up later this year. When the 150-year-old property reopens as Café Lola, it will feature classic bistro fare and décor, boasting tin ceilings, wood floors, exposed brick walls and a long bar along one side. Doody also operates JoJo’s Bar and 17 River Grille in the Falls as well as Bar Italia, Cedar Creek Grille and Lindey’s Lake House. Credit: Google Maps
El Carnicero Opened 11 years ago by Momocho chef/owner Eric Wiliams, El Carnicero carved out its own niche in Lakewood as far more than a dupe of its Ohio City sister. But after a decade, Wiliams pulled the plug in May. “It’s time to say adios,” he said. “It’s been an honor being a small part of the Lakewood community, and for a restaurant to survive and thrive for 11 years is an accomplishment for whie we can all be proud. But it’s time for a change.” Change happens quick, and after Dan Deagan and Jackie Ramey grabbed the spot, they quickly reworked the space and opened Wine Dive there this summer. Credit: Scene Archives
Aurelia After nearly six years in business, Aurelia (16 North Main St.) in Chagrin Falls closed its doors at the end of April. Owners Diane and John C. Moore — along with chef-partner James Balchak — transformed the former North Main Diner (and Dink’s) into a gracious, unpretentious farm-to-table restaurant that stood out in a very challenging market. The space didn’t sit vacant for long, however, as they sold the business to Michael DuBois and Brad Friedlander who are working to bring Moxie, the once notable Beachwood restaurant, out of retirement sometime this year. Credit: Scene Archives
Mabel’s BBQ at Eton Chagrin Mabel’s BBQ (28699 Chagrin Blvd.) at Eton Chagrin Boulevard had been “temporarily closed” since last Thanksgiving before owner Doug Petkovic officially announced it was permanently closed in April. Initially, Petkovic assumed that the closure would be a shortly lived one, a period of time when he could dedicate all of his attention, effort and staff to the opening of Heritage Steak and Whiskey in the same shopping plaza. But in the end, that’s not how it worked out. “I closed it with the intention of reopening it or doing something else, but with the success of Heritage Steak and Whiskey, I decided to focus on that and on Mabel’s downtown,” he said. Credit: Scene Archives
J. Pistone Market and Gathering Place This past February, Joan and John Pistone announced that they would be closing their beloved business, J. Pistone Market and Gathering Place (3245 Warrensville Ctr. Rd., 216-283-3663) in Shaker Heights, at the end of June. To many in the community, the departure felt like a loss in the family. That’s not surprising given that the brother-and-sister owners have been feeding the neighborhood for nearly 25 years. The good news? Jay Leitson and partner Izzy Schachner took possession of the property. The duo, who run two 56 Kitchen locations, Elle, and Birdigo, will open 56 Social sometime soon. Credit: Google Maps
Nighttown After two years of construction delays, complications and improvements, Nighttown reopened late last year under the ownership of the Red Restaurant Group. The historic Cleveland Heights jazz club and restaurant had closed in March of 2020 after 60 years. But sadly, it didn’t last long, closing this summer. “While we enjoyed the journey of preserving the spirit of Nighttown and greatly improving and enhancing the underlying infrastructure and facilities, while attempting to usher in the new era of patrons, the challenges brought upon by delays, construction difficulties and unforeseen circumstances made it clear to us that it was time to pass the baton to a new stewardship,” ownership announced. John Barr opened the legendary club back in 1965. The torch was passed to longtime owner Brendan Ring 20-plus years ago. In 2021, he sold the property and the business. The property sat idle for two years until the Red Group took over and began renovations. Credit: Doug Trattner
Solstice Solstice, which opened last fall in the former Deagan’s Kitchen space in Lakewood, closed its doors this summer. The restaurant was opened by Annabella Andricks, Bradley Kaczmarski, Cory Miess, Ben Lebovic, Andrea Tsiros, Rachel Rosen and Eric Ho. Earlier this summer there was restructuring of the ownership group, resulting in the departure of Kaczmarski, Miess, Ho and Lebovic. Following the transition, the current owners made some tweaks to the menu in an attempt to gain a wider following. Unfortunately, it appears that those adjustments did not have the desired effects. Credit: Doug Trattner
Green Kitchen Chef John Hagerty closed his vegan restaurant Green Kitchen in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood in October just shy of its first anniversary. Hagerty, who is a partner in Never Say Dive in Old Brooklyn, says that it wasn’t a lack of business that forced his hand; it was a lack of reliable staffing. “I couldn’t rely on anyone,” he explains. “I was forced to close for days or even weeks at a time. I can’t be in two places at once. It was taking a toll on me and I just decided to get out. I just want to cook food and hang out with my friends at Dive.” Hagerty says that vegan food fans haven’t seen the last of Green Kitchen. The chef promises to host pop-ups at Never Say Dive and other events around town. After all, he adds, Green Kitchen is what set so many great things in motion. Credit: Doug Trattner
Pulpo Beer Co. and the Kraken Room in Willoughby Pulpo Beer Co. ceased operations at its Willoughby location along with the Kraken Room in October. Pulpo began as a sort of side project to Hola Tacos and Barroco Arepa Bar after owner Juan Vergara and his team moved into the former Brim Kitchen and Brewery in Willoughby. In early 2021, they fired up the brew kettles and began producing beers such as Blonde Mamacita, Medusa Hazy Pale Ale and Pulpo Libre Mexican-Style Lager. At first, those beers and others were available only at Hola and Barroco locations, but before long, the company expanded distribution. Then, in late 2022, the brewery opened a taproom and kitchen in Westlake – in the former B Spot space at Crocker Park. While that brewpub remains open, Pulpo itself isn’t brewing beer. Credit: Courtesy Photo
Jade Among the many changes in the Flats this year was the closure of Jade, Zdenko Zovkic’s steak and sushi joint that opened in 2022. The multi-floor restaurant and bar struggled to find an audience over its two years in business despite its owners nearly two-decades of success at XO Prime Steaks in the Warehouse District. Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner
Griffin Cider House Buildings and Food, the hospitality group led by Will Hollingsworth, bought Griffin Cider House and Gin Bar in Lakewood in January 2024. The British-themed pub was opened by Richard Read in 2015 and shuttered at the end of January in advance of a new concept, which is still in the works. “We’re excited to become a part of the Birdtown community as it grows, and we think we have a concept that will fit really well into the fabric of the neighborhood,” Hollingsworth said at the tie. “I want to do something pretty insane there — unlike anything anyone’s seen. More than anything though, my whole team and I are excited to be next-door neighbors to our dear friends and colleagues at LBM, who have always treated us with so much kindness and generosity of spirit.” Credit: Heidi Rolf

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.