After 18 great years as one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants on Cleveland's East Side, Falafel Café closed its doors on October 31, 2018, after losing its lease at its original location at 11365 Euclid Ave. The plan was to relocate to a larger space, but those plans were delayed following the death of founder Hani Elassal.
Thanks to the determination of wife and co-founder Mae Elassal, the restaurant is indeed ready to reopen in a new location, which it will do on May 4th at the former Simply Greek spot at Uptown (11454 Uptown Ave., 216-381-1591).
“We were in University Circle when nobody was there," says Elassal. "We’ve witnessed all this change there. That’s why I want to go back, because I love my customers.”
The Middle Eastern restaurant has signed a three-year lease with options to extend.
Falafel Café will feature many of the same Mediterranean soups, salads, pita sandwiches and vegan dishes, including desserts.
“We are pleased to provide Mae the opportunity to reopen her restaurant in Uptown,” said Kevin Slesh, the university’s director of real estate, who manages lease negotiations. “Falafel Café was a University Circle pioneer, a staple, and we’re thrilled to see its return.”
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