For nearly 20 years, Lemon Grass Thai Cuisine has been a pre- and post-movie tradition on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. Just steps from the Cedar Lee Theatre, the restaurant has served as an anchor for the robust dining scene along the well-traveled avenue. That tradition ended abruptly this week when the operators packed up, moved out and locked the doors behind them.
And while this might sound like another bit of bad news in a string of bad news for the neighborhood, the opposite appears to be true. Following a bankruptcy proceeding in Federal Court, the building that housed Lemon Grass (2177 Lee Rd.) recently was purchased by local business owner Yashar Yildirim, who owns the nearby Anatolia Café (2270 Lee Rd.) and the building it resides in. He purchased and renovated that building back in 2008 when he was pushed out of Cedar Center.
The truth is that Lemon Grass has struggled for years, changing ownership and drawing weak crowds. At 5,700 square feet, the main floor property is too big for a middling Thai restaurant. Yildirim sees that space as a wonderful opportunity to propel the neighborhood forward. But not by his own hands, and, he hopes, not at the hands of a chain operator.
Instead, Yildirim is seeking proposals from local chefs who think they can bring something special to the street.
“I just bought the building; I have no specific plans for it,” he says. “I just want to invest in the neighborhood. I want one of our local chefs to come up with a good proposal. I will work with anyone.”
The commercial property is the third in the neighborhood that Yildirim owns. Surrounded by 47,000 residents who passionately support local establishments, that parcel should be in high demand, he believes.
“I love this street. I made my life here,” he says. “I think we have a great community that just needs a little polish.”
This article appears in Mar 11-17, 2015.
this is the best news i’ve heard for lee road in a long time. that’s corner, adjacent to the courtyard, has the potential to be a cleveland hotspots. the problem with lemongrass, other than unremarkable food, was that it all but closed itself off to the street and courtyard.
NO fucking way. That neighborhood is too dangerous to visit. I know so because I read it on a daily basis in the Plain Dealer. Death. Mayhem. Destruction. I might consider it if they could promise my safety with armed escorts and a reinforced safe room. Otherwise, NO fucking way.
Sweetie Fry closed because its owner said he needed a bigger place but couldn’t find one. Maybe he should look at this space.
Something with a more diverse menu than ice cream and French fries needs to go there.
This space is phenomenal, but was never utilized well by Lemongrass. It has such a unique outdoor seating area, but I never saw it used. As a CH resident I hope that they can attract something fun and lively for this space because it truly is a gem on Lee Road.
Hopefully this will lead to something moving into that space that better takes advantage of its location to Cedar-Lee Theater. It has a courtyard/patio that was never utilized and closed itself off like a fortress to those passing by on the way to/from the theater. It’d also be nice to have something open late so that those attending later shows and can still grab food/drinks. The theater generates a lot of pedestrian traffic, so this space just needs something that can grab the attention of the moviegoers before they head somewhere else.
Hey Scared West Sider, your comments sound like someone who only reads certain Plain Dealer and only chooses to spread negativity. I think I speak for a lot of CH residents when I say why don’t you stay on the West Side.
I live right near here and remember when it was a McDonalds… however do we really need a new restaurant on the strip? What we need is retail so that patrons can shop at multiple stores and then go to lunch or dinner. People are not going to eat at more than one location when they come to visit, they go to one and then leave. If the business owners want to encourage visitors to the area there has to be more for them to do in order to stay longer thus wanting to come back.
Hey scared west sider, shut the fuck up.
Oh, come on, am I the only one who saw the Swiftian in Scared West Siders hyperbole and handle?
I worked at sweetie fry and that wasn’t the case. We closed for other reasons, certainly not space.
To the scared Westside resident..good, stay there you pussy. Your mouthful of bullshit is horribly hypocritical considering the amount of mayhem that occurs in direct vicinity of all the west side foodie hotspots I’m sure you frequent. How far was Ariel Castro’s spot from tremont? Ohhh that’s right right there! I realize considering your most likely one of those emo girls complaining goes hand in hand but take your shit elsewhere, as much as it may sadden you, pretty sure you aren’t one of the 47k in the direct area they’re targeting sooo again, I say this as politely as possible. Please STFU!!
northcoastservicesofcleveland, mighty hospitable of you to say so. Way to to represent the Heights. That aside, see my comment above, you dunce.
I am appalled by the foul language being used on this string. Such language makes any comment sound like a child’s potty mouth ranting. Not to be taken seriously.
That so many here have no appreciation of satire is the second-most disturbing thing about this thread, the first being that – surprise – those same folks have limited and violent vocabularies.
I think I’d much prefer the company of Scared West Sider to that of the verbal thugs who are apparently my “neighbors.”
Let me know if you’d like me & my dog to escort you any time, SWS <3 😉
Well, Cedar Lee Theater just became THE movie spot in the Heights cause Regal at Severance is closed.
So, yes, let’s have a great chef or a good brewer (with food) in that old McDonald’s location. It’s huge! Something Market Gardeny might be apropos. And mos def open the patio! A stay up late spot and maybe even some edm dance-hallishness would be good.
SWS: Don’t be afraid of Cleveland Heights. It’s pretty nice over here. The PeeDee does concentrate on CH cause they get clicks from their scandals-sell-news approach. I live right by Cedar Lee with no problems in a quarter century. If you’re down, I’ll join you and Judith and my dog will come, too. 🙂
Holeecrap – 103 people DON’T understand satire. How do you enjoy Stephen Colbert????
A solidarity of dunces : THERE goes the neighborhood.
I’ve heard floated the idea of a live music venue. I like this, it melds well with neighboring Heights Arts and is something other than yet another bar/restaurant.
It should become like the theater for dining. A guest chef rotates through every other month or so. Solid staff, management, etc, but a guest chef. Maybe a craft brewery and bourbon place alongside it. That’s my suggestion.
Never knew that place was a McDonalds. Man, that’s depressing.
Bring back Earth by April
this spot would be PERFECT for a brewery! we need a strong anchor on that corner to attract people back to the heights to hang.
What folks need to keep in mind is that the unruly and disrespectful nature of todays youth takes away from enjoying areas like the Cedar Lee District. I can say this first hand as someone who grew up and lived in the Cleveland Hts. Although I still frequent places like Mitchel’s and The Stone Oven, I certainly can’t blame those who feel threatened or unsafe. This is reality, and this is why people and businesses ultimately move out and away.
I would love to see a Micro brewery with good food. Burgers, steaks, chicken, pasta, etc. US CH’ers like our food and drink and a place like Granite City in Lyndhurst I think would be great right there by the movie theater. I don’t want to hear about the rough youths and how unsafe it is. Our police are doing a great job of keeping the Lee rd. district safe. There is crime in every city, look at what just happened in Tremont, it didn’t stop any one from going there.
What about an asian grocery store? That would fit the space beautifully. Maybe a small restaurant with the patio included…
Boss Dog opens today. By the way, doesn’t anybody else see the sarcasm in “Scared West Siders” hyperbole? I’m pretty sure he’s parodying the people he’s imitating.