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Aug 16, 2023

These Columbus restaurants opened, reopened or closed in May

In Columbus, May brought a wave of new restaurant openings and closures and even

In Columbus, May brought a wave of new restaurant openings and closures and even a couple of long-awaited reopenings.

Cilantro Latin Fusion made the leap from a food truck to its first brick-and-mortar location and event space The Kee debuted its Middle Eastern-infused menu late last month. Meanwhile, Homestead Beer Co. took over Barrel & Boar's spot in Canal Winchester, Sexton's Pizza expanded its reach and Local Cantina opened its 15th location in the Trolley District. Plus, Galla Park and Legacy Smokehouse made triumphant returns.

On the other end, Old Bag of Nails in Clintonville, Shirley's Gourmet Popcorn in Westerville, Great Harvest Bread Co. in Hilliard, and Rice Bowl on the South Side bid farewell.

Here's more on what's new and what's back in Columbus this month.

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In late April, The Kee, at 225 Neilston St., opened in a 33,000-square-foot former warehouse on the northern edge of Downtown featuring a restaurant, lounge and cafe. The lounge and full-service restaurant and bar's menu is wide-ranging with a Middle Eastern touch, including nachos, walking tacos, a Middle Eastern Caesar salad, arctic char, and a short rib pot roast. The cafe serves breakfast, brunch and coffee, and doubles as a performance space and bar in the evening.

Restaurant hours are 4:30 p.m. to midnight, Wednesday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Cafe hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.

Cilantro Latin Fusion, which has a popular Latin American food truck, has ventured into a new realm with the opening of its first brick-and-mortar in late April at 4852 Sawmill Road. The restaurant now occupies the former space of Chile Verde Café, which has relocated to Polaris.

Cilantro features cachapas, pabellón criollo and barbecue bowls, patacones (also known as tostones) a wide variety of arepas and other options on its menu. Cilantro's food truck can also still be found at 993 King Ave.

Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9:30 a.m. 6:30 p.m. Sundays.

Homestead Beer Co., the largest brewery in Licking County, has replaced Barrel & Boar with Homestead Taproom & Kitchen at 10 S. High St. in Canal Winchester. The brewery operates three additional locations in Heath, Newark and Marysville. The newly opened Canal Winchester location offers entertainment options like pinball, shuffleboard and board games and a diverse menu featuring burgers, pizzas and other bar eats.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

In early May, Sexton's Pizza opened its third location at 360 W. 3rd Ave. in Harrison West. The takeout-only restaurant joins locations at Hilliard and Gahanna.

Last month, Sexton's received an 8.1 from Barstool Sports' One Bite review, tying for the highest-rated pizza in Ohio with Stubborn Brother Pizza Bar in Toledo.

Hours are 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday.

More:Square meal: Detroit-style pizza gaining popularity in Columbus

Local Cantina's 15th location opened at 1644 Oak St. in the Trolley District near East Market in early May. As part of the $25 million development in Franklin Park, the Mexican restaurant features a vibrant interior and spacious patio, complete with repurposed art, garage doors and a skylight providing natural light, and a trolley parked on the patio for additional seating. The restaurant also debuted a new menu, adding a barbacoa burrito, taquitos and the return of brunch, which hasn't been on the menu since before the pandemic.

Hours are Monday through Thursday, 3:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., Friday, 3:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Galla Park reopened at 900 N. High St. in the Short North on May 5 after a car accident forced its closure in November 2022. The restaurant and bar has since been renovated and rebranded as Galla Park Social. A new menu offers diverse options like sushi bowls, short rib Bao buns and teriyaki salmon, in addition to a wide selection of cocktails, beer and wine, including champagne. The bar now also features brunch, a live DJ and bottle service on weekends.

Hours are 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 4 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday.

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May also brought the long-awaited arrival of Athens-based brewery Jackie O's in Columbus. Jackie O's On Fourth opened in downtown Columbus, at 171 N. Fourth St., on May 5. The taproom features an indoor concrete bar with 30 draft lines, a two-story patio complete with a bar on each floor, two fire pits and a sweeping view of the Columbus skyline. The outdoor space is also accentuated with a variety of plants, vines and trees, and a food cart by Athens-based Bagel Street Deli.

Hours are 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Fast casual Middle Eastern eatery Saba opened at East Market on May 8. The menu features diverse options, including starters like Moroccan beef cigars and yemenites soup, build-your-own pita and plates, choose salads and dressings, or entrees like hummus plates, sabich and chicken poppers and sides like fries. The restaurant will not serve meat on Mondays and Fridays, however.

Hours are 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday The restaurant is also closed from 3-4 p.m. daily.

Twin Peaks, the Texas-based restaurant and bar known for its rustic lodge atmosphere and Twin Peak girls, opened its first location in Columbus on May 8. The new spot at 1611 Polaris Parkway offers a wide variety of made-from-scratch dishes such as New York Strip Steak and hand-smashed burgers. The beverage menu features rare bourbon, whiskey, tequila, and hand-crafted cocktails. It is positioned as a great place for sports enthusiasts.

Hours are 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

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Indian food truck Two Fatt Indians has opened a new carryout concept, called Two Fatt Indians Fusion, at 177 S. Cypress Ave. in Franklinton, inside the new ghost kitchen Cypress Kitchen. The eatery continues to offer Indian cuisine, including lamb, chicken, vegetarian and vegan dishes, in addition to fusion items like pizzas, Lamb Faye Faye, a Chinese fusion dish, and chicken samosas.

Hours are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner Tuesday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday.

After nearly a year and a half, Legacy Smokehouse has reopened. The restaurant, which temporarily closed in 2021 due to a fire, reopened in late May at 3987 Main St. in Hilliard. Extensive renovations and improvements have been made to the building since the fire, including the addition of Rickhouse 41, a brand-new bourbon bar located on the restaurant's second floor.

Summer hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Kyushu Ramen Bar held its soft opening on May 31, while it will celebrate its grand opening on June 1 at 6418 Pullman Drive in Lewis Center. The authentic Japanese ramen spot offers Tonkotsu ramen, miso ramen, plus Japanese spring rolls, gyoza or pan-fried chicken dumplings, edamame, tea and much more.

This is Kyushu Ramen's second location, following its first debut on the Northwest Side.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

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Old Bag of Nails closed its Clintonville location, at 4416 N. High St., on May 8. The Columbus restaurant chain announced the closure on Facebook but did not provide additional details. Old Bag of Nails has 10 remaining Columbus area locations of the 15 locations the restaurant has across Ohio and Michigan.

Shirley's Gourmet Popcorn closed its Westerville location at 15 N. State St. on May 17. The popcorn eatery thanked its customers on Facebook and encouraged them to visit its flagship location in Bluffton. Shirley's also has locations in Maumee and Goshen, Indiana, and sells its gourmet popcorn online.

Great Harvest Bread Co. announced on Facebook that it would close its doors on May 31 at 5311 Westpointe Plaza Drive in Hilliard. The bakery and cafe chain's remaining Columbus area locations are in Upper Arlington and Westerville.

Longtime South Side Columbus restaurant Rice Bowl closed its doors in late May, the restaurant first announced earlier this month. The family-run Chinese restaurant at 2300 S. High St. has been in business since 1959.

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