Gril Craft BBQ Review: Restaurant’s Fast-Casual Approach Works

If you’re of a certain age, you may remember a time when there wasn’t a Subway restaurant in every neighborhood. There was a time when “creating your own restaurant” was a completely new concept for fast-casual dining in Northeast Ohio.

Since the sandwich franchise came into existence, there have been many attempts to replicate the fast food model using different types of cuisines. Burritos and pizza immediately come to mind. Gril Craft BBQ in Willoughby is the first place that comes to mind that came up with the idea of ​​barbecue.

Gril Craft BBQ Owner Offers Custom BBQ Cooking in Willoughby

Gril is the brainchild of Willoughby Hills resident Zee Achkar, and opened in late winter 2023 in what was once a frozen yogurt shop on Euclid Avenue. The renovated space is on the small side, with seating for about 30, and an assembly-line counter serves as an anchor. It’s clean and modern with a takeout vibe and a few window-facing tables and bar seats for dining in.

Stainless steel, wood tones and a Western vibe with a contemporary twist are everywhere. The front door reads “Don’t be a coward, come on in,” and it’s impossible to miss the floor-to-ceiling mural of Daniel Day Lewis’s character Bill the Butcher in the movie “Gangs of New York.”

You can’t miss the floor-to-ceiling mural of Bill the Butcher, Daniel Day Lewis’ character from “Gangs of New York,” at Gril Craft BBQ. (Mark Koestner – For the News-Herald)

If you’re selling barbecue meat, you might as well pay homage to a famous fictional butcher, right?

My son and I came for lunch and were able to go right up to the counter and order from a lone employee who was friendly and helpful to us newbies. Our meals were served in to-go containers on plastic trays that looked like wood slabs with live edges, a fun touch. We were seated within minutes.

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