La Fogata, the authentic Mexican grill located at 790 N. High Street, will close its doors by April 2016.
The Eagle, a food and beer hall based in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, will rise from La Fogata’s ashes and occupy the Short North space, as they confirmed on Facebook and Twitter.
The Eagle is owned by the same team behind Bakersfield, Cincinnati-based Thunderdome Restaurant Group. Thunderdome owns 27 restaurants across the country, including Bakersfield, Currito, SoHi Grilled Sandwiches, Krueger’s Tavern, and The Eagle. Currito, their fast-casual burrito joint, is the largest operation, boasting 17 locations. This will be The Eagle’s second location.
John Lanni, who co-owns The Eagle alongside partners Joe Lanni and Alex Blust, signed the lease in the past few weeks.
“We’re very excited to put another addition in the Short North area,” said Lanni. “We’ve got Bakersfield there, and it does incredibly well – we figured The Eagle was a natural fit.”
The renovations on the 4,000 square foot space will be extensive. The interior will be redesigned to have a “warm, inviting feel,” according to Lanni. The spacious 2,000 square foot front patio will also undergo enhancements. The Eagle’s is slated to open around spring 2016, and will add 60 – 80 new jobs to the Short North. The restaurant will be very family friendly, and plans on attracting a diverse crowd of Columbus residents.
The Eagle serves American food, with focus honed on modern Southern cuisine. Their all-natural free range Amish chicken is brined for 24 hours, then fried fresh daily in a recipe that took six months of development to perfect.
“We take a lot of care every day making sure is’s a consistent, delicious product,” said Lanni. “We’re very proud of the recipe.”
The popular fried chicken is served alongside dishes like white cheddar grits, brown sugar bacon, stewed collards, and traditional maque choux. A chicken sandwich, blackened shrimp po’boy, and pork shoulder sandwich are other menu highlights. The bar will carry 100 different craft beers. Sixteen will be on tap, including a rotating local tap. There will also be a great American beer (PBR and Budweiser were two possibilities) served at 29 degrees in a chalice. A full bar will also be available.
La Fogata has plans to open elsewhere, though no new location has been confirmed.
For more updates and discussion on The Eagle, CLICK HERE to visit our Messageboard.
For more info on the Cincinnati location, visit www.theeagleotr.com.
