First Look: La Casa de Luchita's, Opening on Shaker Square Friday, August 1st

La Casa de Luchita’s on Shaker Square, opening on Aug. 1st. Credit: Douglas Trattner

This Friday, August 1st, Luchita’s will make its triumphant return to Northeast Ohio. The Mexican restaurant closed in 2022 after a remarkable 40-year run. Family matriarch Maria de la Luz “Luchita” Galindo opened the restaurant in 1982, making it one of the first Mexican restaurants on Cleveland’s west side.

Now, Reynaldo Galindo — the founder’s son and longtime Luchita’s chef — is preparing to revive the storied brand. He is calling the new restaurant La Casa de Luchita’s (the House of Luchita’s) in honor of his mother.

The restaurant is connected to Coyoacan Taqueria & Brew, a fast-casual eatery offering tacos, burritos, tortas, empanadas and bowls. Those items can be enjoyed anywhere in the space or to go. A brewery component will come online later this year.

Luchita’s next door is a 50-seat, full-service restaurant and bar. (The liquor license should be approved by the middle of August, says management.) Fans of the iconic local eatery can look forward to classic dishes like chiles rellenos, tamales, queso fundido, flautas, enchiladas and burritos mojado.

Those items join a shifting cast of regional features. For the next three months, the foods of Oaxaca will be showcased. On deck will be Puebla.

“I started with Oaxaca because of the moles,” says Galindo. “They are unique from any other state and they are very traditional.”

Example dishes from the Oaxacan menu include wood-grilled octopus in tomatillo sauce, chicken in green mole sauce, braised beef cheeks in pasilla mole, and pork shanks in manchamanteles mole.

To start, Luchita’s will be dinner only.

Plans also are in process to create a large sidewalk patio.