Foodies in northeast Ohio have been hearing a lot of seemingly sad news recently about popular Cleveland grilled cheese emporium Melt Bar and Grilled. Launched in Lakewood in 2006 by musician/chef Matt Fish as a sort of hipster bar that served sandwiches reminiscent of childhood comfort foods, it soon expanded with multiple locations as far away as Columbus. Recently those locations began closing one by one, until, by this summer, only the original Lakewood location remained open.
But now there’s some GOOD news. Last week, Fish announced that the Lakewood location would be closing for a week (September 2-8) for a radical retooling prior to its grand reopening Monday September 9. Fish posted, “We are pleased to reintroduce ourselves as Melt Bar and Grilled — the grown-up version. We invite you to step inside and experience our updated atmosphere and thoughtfully curated, chef-driven menu, filled with an exciting mix of fresh flavors, reimagined fan favorites, and sophisticated new offerings. Exploring our menu will bring a renewed enjoyment of culinary excellence that combines an abundance of creativity and passion with the approachability of your favorite neighborhood restaurant. Welcome to a new era of awesome.”
Hype aside, 18 years is a good, long run for a restaurant, and in that time, eating preferences have changed. Melt itself has responded to some of those, for instance, creating an all-vegan menu. We look forward to seeing — and tasting — the makeover.