Credit: Falafel Cafe Cleveland
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.”

This article appears in Apr 29 – May 5, 2020.

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.

4 replies on “Falafel Café Set to Reopen on May 4th at Uptown in University Circle”

  2. Uptown Avenue is the actual name for that alley-like passageway that lies between Euclid and Mayfield, and runs from the MOCA building to the CIA facilities. Most people just think it’s a pedestrian walkway.

  3. There are zero people there. CIA and Case students are 95% of the customers, and they are all at home.

    Hopefully they can make it until next year when at least the students return,

    The entire uptown development was a taxpayer funded scam. Pretty much every shop that was there when it opened is gone. Taxes going up!

  4. I’m glad to see this. I worked at CWRU when they opened and got lunch there at least once a week. Went back occasionally when I left until they closed. The food was delicious and inexpensive and the owners were super friendly. Sad to hear that Hani died, I had no idea.

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