31 of the Best New Restaurants That Opened in Cleveland in 2020

Amba

1975 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights

Along with Chimi, the restaurant Amba shares its kitchen with, from popular Chef Doug Katz (Fire, Zhug), is one of the first in Cleveland to have no public access, otherwise known as a ghost kitchen. While Chimi is Katz’s take on South American food, Amba is a modern fusion of Indian flavors. As is the case with Chimi, this ghost kitchen roll-out gives Katz the opportunity to test out a concept in hopes of developing it into a full-service brick-and-mortar restaurant.

Photo via Scene Archives

Home Bistro

12022 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland

The restaurant is a revival, of sorts, of a Chicago spot of the same name that Chef Victor Morenz and his wife Emily Gilbert owned for five years but worked at for nearly 10. They closed the restaurant to return to Cleveland, Morenz’ hometown. Since January, they have been working to ready the restaurant’s new home, the former Gusto and Porcelli’s space on Mayfield Road. The food is New American, with seasonal, ingredient-driven fare with roots in American, Italian and even Dutch cooking. The restaurant made its grand opening in late August.

Photo via HB Home Bistro/Facebook

Twisted Taino Latin Eatery

1400 West 25th St., Cleveland

Chef Jose Miguel Melendez applied for one of the original kitchen spots at the Ohio City Galley, making it all the way to the final round before losing out. Two years later, he’s preparing to open a restaurant there after all, one that builds upon his experience as a catering chef with Latin roots. The business, Twisted Taino, is the first to join Victor Searcy Jr. at what is now referred to as “Sauce the City Galley”. Twisted Taino is a quick-serve eatery that takes influence from various Latin cuisines, according to the chef. The menu ranges from smaller items like empanadas, gourmet tacos and Cuban sandwiches to “heavy hitters” like the mofongo bowl, a combination of mashed yucca and plantain stuffed with “Puerto Rican fried rice” and a choice of roast pork, chicken, steak or shrimp. The Bandeja Criolla is a hunger-slaying platter loaded with roast pork, chicharron, tostones and yucca fries.

Photo courtesy Scene Archives

Allure Bistro

38040 Third Street, Willoughby

More than two decades after opening the pioneering seafood restaurant Lure Bistro, a mainstay in downtown Willoughby for years, Nick Kustala is back in the cockpit. In a wild turn of events, the chef has taken back possession of the property and will open Allure Bistro sometime soon. Allure clearly plays off the original name – and the menu, too, will embody the personality of the prior business. The sushi bar will feature a 12-item menu that swaps a lengthy roster and wild creativity for clean Hawaiian-style seafood dishes like poke with various sauces. The main menu will be flush with seafood, as always, with items like scallop chowder, coconut shrimp, cedar-roasted salmon, frutti di mare and “Lure staples” like potato-crusted halibut and crab-crusted grouper.

Photo via Scene Archives

Betts Restaurant

2000 East Ninth St., Cleveland

In March, the Kimpton Schofield Hotel in downtown Cleveland shuttered its restaurant Parker’s. “Betts will offer something for everyone – at all times of the day,” according to a press release. It opened back up on August 6th as Betts Restauarnt. The new eatery is open for weekday breakfast, lunch and dinner, and weekend brunch. The menu features “elevated, health-conscious fare that caters to all diets, including vegan, gluten-free, keto, dairy-free and vegetarian.”

Photo via Kimpton Schofield Hotel

UJerk Caribbean Eatery

850 Euclid Ave., Cleveland

A little taste of Jamaica recently made its way downtown thanks to UJerk Caribbean Eatery, which opened in the former Cleveland Pickle/Hatfield's Goode Grub space in the City Club Building. The fast-casual restaurant specializes in jerk chicken in various forms and is a fresh new concept with nothing like it around.

Photo courtesy Scene Archives

Cleveland Breakfast Club and Cleveland Vegan Club

13228 Shaker Square, Cleveland

In July, Yours Truly closed its Shaker Square location after 30 years. Fear not, because Akin Affrica of the Angie’s Soul Cafe empire took over the space with two new concepts: Cleveland Breakfast Club and Cleveland Vegan Club. The focuses on breakfast, brunch and lunch service seven days a week, while the latter is offering vegan food for carryout and delivery only during the evening hours.

Photo via Scene Archives

Yemen Gate

11901 Lorain Ave., Cleveland

Yemeni food has been a very welcome arrival to the Cleveland food scene. The fahsah, saltah and rashoush are all wonderful dishes but you really can’t go wrong with what you order here.

Photo by Douglas Trattner

Pupuseria y Antojitos Guanaquitas

2998 W. 25th St., Cleveland

Pupusa fans have a delicious new option in town thanks to Pupuseria y Antojitos Guanaquitas. The brightly colored El Salvadoran eatery opened quietly a few months ago but has slowly built a following of devoted customers thanks not only to those pupusas, but also well-crafted tacos, tortas, burritos and combination plates.

Photo via Scene Archives

LouieQ and Eugene

2050 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights and 13368 Madison Ave., Lakewood

Chef Michael Schoen recently opened two different restaurants inside the East and Westside outputs of Bottlehouse Brewery. The Cleveland Heights location features “Tex-Mex barbecue” starring chicken and vegan chorizo tacos, tamales and smoked duck hot dogs. The Lakewood kitchen is called Eugene, aka “home of the Tinman burger.” That crave-worthy double cheeseburger, which made a splash at the Ohio City Galley, joins simple “backyard barbecue” style foods like three-cheese mac and cheese, french bread pizzas, vegan sloppy joe and sides.

Photo via Scene Archives