15 of the best new restaurants in Greater Cleveland that opened in 2024 so far (2024)

CLEVELAND, Ohio — 2024 has been a big year for new foodie wins in Northeast Ohio. From pop-up restaurants to newly-opened brick-and-mortar concepts, several new dining spots have been added to Greater Cleveland’s “must-try” list.

While the list of new restaurants that have opened so far in 2024 is expansive, a few have particularly made a splash in the Cleveland culinary scene. Here are 15 of the best new restaurants in Greater Cleveland.

Stories by Alex Darus

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Never Say Dive

4497 Broadview Rd., Cleveland

Never Say Dive is an unassuming dive bar in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood that’s serving some of the most interesting food and drinks and in the city. The high-low bar has it all – from pickled eggs and $3 Narragansett to caviar service and espresso martinis on tap. A few can’t-miss menu items include the fried Amish chicken quarter, caviar-topped Dive Dog and the octopus with duck chorizo and gnocchi. READ MORE

YYTime

3004 Payne Ave., Cleveland

YYTime is one of the newest additions to Cleveland’s AsiaTown neighborhood. Cleveland’s AsiaTown neighborhood. The food hall-style eatery offers an extensive menu meant for sharing. Spicy soups, fried buns, barbecue skewers, roasted fish and more are extremely customizable thanks to the menu layout. Plus, you can’t go wrong with YYTime’s huge boba tea options. READ MORE

Oddfellows

16 N. Main St., Chagrin Falls

Oddfellows opened in Chagrin Falls, in the space that formerly housed Aurelia Honest Food and Drink. Restauranteurs Brad Friedlander and Michael DuBois made a reinvented version of Friedlander’s former Moxie restaurant in Beachwood. The menu features excellent expressions of familiar steakhouse staples, including chopped salad, shrimp bucatini, rack of lamb and beyond. Make sure to save room for baked hot chocolate. READ MORE

Steak

2179 W. 11th St., Cleveland

Steak in Tremont got a ton of buzz when it opened its doors officially this summer. The trendy steakhouse is over-the-top in both decor and cuisine. The pre-fixe steak menu makes it easy to customize your main meal to your liking, with staple options like bottomless waffle fries and choice of salad. Then, it’s up to the diner to select their cut of meat and additional accouterments like sauces, rubs, mushrooms and even a 24K gold edible steak wrap. Other notable menu items include carnival crab cakes, the PB&J Smash burger, Mouse Trap Mac and Cheese and beyond. Don’t forget to check out Steak’s killer co*cktail menu or celebration-worthy desserts. READ MORE

Oliva Steakhouse

408 W. St. Clair Ave., Cleveland

Oliva is a downtown Italian steakhouse that’s the latest project from Lola Jacaj, who also runs Casa La Luna and Acqua di Dea. The restaurant prioritizes a “nose-to-tail” concept in nearly every section of its menu, with dishes like Polpette di Guancia, beef neck meatballs or braised beef cheek ravioli. The USDA Prime Certified Angus Beef steaks got from classic ribeye to Chateubriand center-cut filet mignon, with additions like Chianti butter, foie gras and more available. Pasta, salads, seafood and more round out Oliva’s menu. READ MORE

Boom’s Pizza Van Aken

3427 Tuttle Rd., Shaker Heights

Boom’s Pizza expanded out of its flagship Lakewood location this year, adding a second pizza shop in Shaker Height’s Van Aken District in the space that formerly housed Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink. Created during the pandemic slowdown, the restaurant is from well-known Cleveland chefs Ben Bebenroth and Jonathan Bennett. Aside from Boom’s mouth-watering specialty pies, the shop offers a robust vegan menu, and all its pizzas can be made on gluten-free crust. READ MORE

Julia’s 1902

37819 Euclid Ave., Willoughby

After 20 months of historical preservation interior design, Julia’s 1902 opened in April. The restaurant is the entire first floor of the lovingly restored Willoughby House (Van Gorder Mansion). The restaurant’s menu, which was named in honor of the first owner of the estate Julia French Boyce, is helmed by Chef Jose Coronado, formerly of Felice Urban Café in Larchmere. Its upscale environment and menu are prime for date night, with stand-out entrees like Bouillabaisse, bucatini with clams and ribs with guajillo BBQ sauce. Plus, classic co*cktails and premiere wines make any meal at Julia’s 1902 celebration worthy. READ MORE

Good Company (Akron)

60 S. Maple St., Akron

Buildings & Food, the owners of Good Company, expanded the brand into Akron this year. Good Company, with its original location in Cleveland’s Battery Park neighborhood, and opened up its new spot in the former Akron Spotted Owl location. Dinner and brunch are available at both locations, with signature items like 72-hour wings, The Good One smash burger and the cowboy steak supper. Creative co*cktails, local beers and homemade milkshakes also have a strong presence on the menu. READ MORE

Proof Barbecue

4116 Lorain Ave., Cleveland

Proof Barbeque made the jump from its previous home in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood to a new one in Ohio City. The barbecue joint opened in the former Nick’s Diner, keeping its Central Texas-style focus on barbecue. Sharables, sandwiches and tacos make up the menu alongside loaded dinner plates with a choice of meat, such as 14-hour smoked brisket or Carolina pulled pork. Stand-out sides include BBQ pinto beans and Smokehouse mac and cheese. READ MORE

Wine Dive Cle

16918 Detroit Ave., Lakewood

Lakewood lost a culinary gem when El Carnicero closed its doors after Cinco de Mayo this year. Luckily, the space didn’t stay closed for long, as Dan Deagan, owner of Lakewood and Beachwood truck parks, Humble Wine Bar and Dive Bar Cleveland, opened Wine Dive in its place. Wine Dive is an affordable wine bar and restaurant with a robust drink menu to accommodate any price point. Its food menu standouts include buttermilk-fried chicken skins, loaded grilled cheese and a Hot Italian sandwich. READ MORE

Loiter Cafe and Marketplace

12250 Euclid Ave., Cleveland

The road to Loiter Cafe and Marketplace opening its doors in East Cleveland was long and full of roadblocks. Finally, the cafe and marketplace was able to open its doors. Not only is Loiter a community gathering place, but it aims to be an engine for the local economy of East Cleveland while providing much-needed access to healthy food in the neighborhood. Its small, but mighty, menu includes healthy dishes like bowls, salads and pressed sandwiches. Before you leave, you can’t miss the sweet potato Brulé. READ MORE

RH Rooftop Restaurant

4009 Orange Pl., Orange

RH Cleveland, The Gallery at Pinecrest – the brand that started as Restoration Hardware – opened a 55,000-square-foot store and rooftop restaurant earlier this year. Above the sprawling furniture store, the picturesque rooftop restaurant offers an elevated brunch, lunch and dinner menu. Standout menu items include a grilled avocado with caviar, house lobster roll and truffle fries. READ MORE

Hotel Cleveland – Maker and Mowry

24 Public Square, Cleveland

The newly-renovated Hotel Cleveland, formerly the Renaissance Hotel, brought two new dining concepts to downtown. Maker is the main restaurant that offers an approachable, yet elegant dining experience. The menu here offers artisan co*cktails and Cleveland-inspired dishes, like walleye cakes, chicken schnitzel skewers and heirloom corn-crusted cheese curds. Mowrey’s is a second casual breakfast and lunch space in the hotel in the former Sans Souci space. READ MORE

Tricky Tortoise Brewing Co.

4057 Erie St., Willoughby

After several years of sitting empty, Tricky Tortoise Brewing Co. took over the former space of Willoughby Brewing Co. Alongside its strong selection of debut brews, Tricky Tortoise offers handcrafted co*cktails, sharables, pizzas and sandwiches on its menu. The 16-inch Handmade Bavarian Pretzel is a crowd favorite, especially when paired with a brew like the Hey Bobby lager, which Tricky Tortoise specifically made to pair with pizza. READ MORE

Westiders

19880 Detroit Rd., Rocky River

Westsiders opened its doors in the space formerly occupied by Bomba Tacos and Rum, with a goal of bringing the downtown vibe to the suburbs. An upscale menu meets an upbeat attitude in the art deco-inspired space. Its menu, alongside a Sunday brunch service, features delicious bites like stuffed pepper and romesco, sticky pork belly and tuna crudo. Westsiders takes its co*cktails seriously, such as the Caprese, featuring whiskey, basil, tomato, lime, grapefruit and whey, or its Smoked Banana Sazerac. READ MORE

Alex Darus writes about food, dining and drinking for Cleveland.com, check out her latest posts here. You can reach her with story ideas at adarus@cleveland.com. Follow her on Instagram @alex_darus.

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