Credit: Sittoo's
Fady and Sally Chamoun opened their first Aladdin’s Eatery in 1994. Since then, they’ve grown the operation to 40 locations in four states.

The restaurant group also offers a higher-end Middle Eastern dining experience at two Taza locations in Woodmere (28601 Chagrin Blvd., 216-464-4000) and downtown (1400 W. 6th St., 216-274-1170).

And they unveiled a quicker-paced fast-casual Lebanese option called Sittoo’s, with locations in Parma (5870 Ridge Rd., 440-885-2525) and North Olmsted (24930 Lorain Rd., 440-716-8755).

For Sittoo’s third location, Chamoun has chosen downtown Cleveland.

“Sittoo’s is similar to Aladdin’s, but the food is lighter with smaller portions, but also lower priced, with an average of $4-5,” Chamoun explains.

Despite the fast-casual setup, the menu size and food quality are consistent with what diners have come to expect from Aladdin’s.

All the classics are here, from hummus, baba and tabbouleh starters, to fattoush, shawarma and shish tawook salads. Rolled pita sandwiches are stuffed with falafel, chicken shawarma, spicy kafta and grilled beef tenderloin. Entrees starring those same items along with rice, salad and pita are also available.

The new downtown location (1350 Euclid Ave.), which should open its doors sometime in February, is in Playhouse Square, in the former home of Raving Med.

“We turned the whole place around,” Chamoun notes. “It’s going to be really cute, like going into somebody’s living room or kitchen.”

The relaxed, casual eatery will have couches and communal seating.

“I think Playhouse Square and Cleveland State needed us in there,” says Chamoun. “They needed some good food.”

This article appears in Jan 9-15, 2019.

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.

8 replies on “Sittoo’s, the Fast-Casual Version of Aladdin’s, to Open in Playhouse Square”

  1. There is something to be said for variety. So many things owned by the same people and/or versions of other places. sigh

  3. Please enighten the ignorant serfs and peasants by explaining the difference between fast-casual and fast-food. Does it simply mean one step above Taco Hell and the the burger-and-fries of Mickey D’s? How does fast-casual differ from your typical BBQ joint?

  4. Fast casual on playhouse. How pathetic. What a fancy night out on the town after spending $120 for a theater ticket.

  5. You have food and dishes. Get a waiter and make a real restaurant out of yourself. Not everyone is a self serve peasant these days. Or are they?

  8. Boy… Some genuine idiots commenting on here. If you want a sit down meal, go get a sit down meal. No one is making you eat there. Additionally, fast casual is NOT fast food. Everything is made from scratch and prepared using classic cooking techniques.

    Not everyone who goes to a play is looking for fine dining, and not everyone in playhouse square is going to a play.

    If you dont like the idea, dont go. No sense ripping a restaurant before it even opens. It’s hard enough to survive in this climate and arena, let alone with morons who know nothing about restaurants or food slamming you before you even open the doors.

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