Linden eats: Columbus neighborhood home to excellent ethnic cuisine and more
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Linden may not be best known for its restaurant scene, but the Columbus neighborhood still has some of the best places to eat and grab a cup of coffee in the city.
Just ask Guy Fieri, who filmed an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" at Ena's Caribbean Kitchen in 2017.
If you're looking for other ethnic cuisine, try Addis, 3750 Cleveland Ave., which serves classic Ethiopian fare, or Hamdi Grill, 1784 Huy Road, which serves authentic Somali food.
For something a little more fun, there's Clown Cones & Confections, 3431 Cleveland Ave., in the Northern Lights Shopping Center. The shop has served ice cream, candy and other sweets to the Northeast Side for more than 40 years.
Another favorite, Martha's Fusion Kitchen, 3331 Maize Road, temporarily closed in April for renovations to turn the carryout spot into a sit-down restaurant. Neighbors are patiently awaiting the return of the North Linden restaurant's popular birria tacos and other Mexican dishes.
In the meantime, there are plenty of places to check out, from classics like Ena's renowned Jamaican restaurant to the newest tenant in the old Linden Cafe space and some fairly new spots for pizza and coffee.
Zack's Kitchen & Deli
Zack's Kitchen & Deli, at 1170 E. Weber Road, was opened in 2020 by the owners of Zack's Corner Stop, also on Weber Road in North Linden. The restaurant serves pizza, wings, cheesesteaks, subs, salads, mozzarella sticks, garlic knots, onion rings and desserts, including cake, ice cream and milkshakes.
Hours are noon to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Florin Coffee
Started in 2017 as an online subscription, Florin Coffee opened its first standalone cafe at 874 Oakland Park Ave. in 2020, just two months before the coronavirus pandemic.
More:Florin Coffee Brings Cafe to North Linden
Today, the cafe serves coffee, espressos, cappuccinos, cortados, lattes, iced coffee, chai and teas. It also offers other drinks, including kombucha from Lapp It Up, and baked goods from Happy Little Treats and Destination Donuts on weekends.
Cafe hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Ena's Caribbean Kitchen
Neighborhood favorite Ena's Caribbean Kitchen, at 2444 Cleveland Ave., is a mainstay and pillar in the Linden community. In addition to the famous food served there, the restaurant also offers catering and has two food trucks, one each in Columbus and Cincinnati.
Ena's menu includes jerk, curry and barbecue jerk chicken dinners; goat, oxtail, lamb, steak and shrimp dinners; fried fish dinners; plus sides and add-ons, including rice and beans, collard greens, cabbage, fried plantain and cornbread. The restaurant also serves brunch on Sundays.
Hours are noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Island Vibes
Jamaican carryout restaurant Island Vibes, 1558 Cleveland Ave., opened in South Linden in 2009 and has continued serving traditional Caribbean food in an assuming storefront on the corner of Cleveland and Windsor avenues.
Entrees include curry chicken, goat and shrimp; fried chicken and tilapia; jerk chicken; oxtail; pepper steak; and chicken wings. For sides, options include mac and cheese, curried potatoes, rice, cabbage and cornbread.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Big Mal's Linden Cafe
Big Mal's Linden Cafe is brand new to the Linden restaurant scene, opening this past May.
The soul food restaurant at 1393 Cleveland Ave. is located in the former longtime home of the Linden Cafe, which also was the site of J Hot Fish for two years. Big Mal's serves southern-style ribs, fish, chicken and smothered pork chops, with mac and cheese, greens, yams and potato salad as sides and a few desserts.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
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tmoorman@dispatch.com
@TaijuanNichole
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Restaurants to try in the Linden neighborhood of Columbus
