BROOK PARK, Ohio — Growing up in Pakistan, Fasih Syed quickly developed a love of food, something he said his home country is known for. He especially grew fond of the spices and street foods characteristic of Pakistani cuisine.
"None of the foods that Pakistanis make [are] bland," he says. "It's not bland at all, so spice is one of the main ingredients."
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Syed recalls streets lined with restaurants, brimming with staple Pakistani dishes like biryani or chicken tikka. So when he and his family moved to Ohio about 10 years ago, he was frustrated to find a lack of Pakistani—and importantly halal—food options.
"We started thinking about opening a store," he told us, "because when we moved here, there was a lack of halal options."
Halal food meets certain requirements to be permissible for consumption under Islamic law and practice. For example, there are certain ways meat must be raised and slaughtered.
"It is a prescribed act in our religion that you must only eat what is permissible for you to eat," Syed explained. "For example, goats, cows, sheep, any cattle animals are permissible for us to eat and poultry is permissible for us to eat. Pork is not permissible."
Without easily accessible options for halal meats in the area, Syed says people were traveling as far as Michigan or Chicago to find the products they were looking for. With no prior experience in the food industry but a desire to help serve the community, Syed, with the help of his family, opened CleaveLand Grocers & Grill in 2021 off of Snow Road in Brook Park.
"They grew up eating those snacks and now they're able to get that here in Cleveland without having to drive to Chicago," he said of customer feedback he's received, "so that was one of the things that people really appreciated, you know?"
Syed is meticulous when it comes to sourcing his meats, and says he is the only shop in the state certified with the Halal Food Standards Alliance of America. However, the business—which serves as a grocery store and grill—sells more than just Pakistani products and halal meats. They provide products from all over the world, from ramen to special Bengali fish to fresh produce in an effort to cater to more customers.
"It's not just one community we're targeting; we want to be diverse," Syed stated. "We want to target all the communities. I want everyone to come here, I want them to feel welcomed, so whatever they need, they're able to get.”
While global fares line the shelves in the market section of the store, one of the things Syed's business may be best known for is the grill top, and the dishes he and his family members cook up fresh every day. Chicken tikka and biryani highlight special occasions, but when it comes to daily fare, Syed is whipping up burgers, fries, and grilled chicken.
"I only wanted to keep on my menu the stuff that I really liked and we could perfect," he said. "Burgers are one of my favorite foods, and wings, obviously. Who doesn't like wings?"
Specifically, CleaveLand Grocers & Grill is know for its double patty smash burgers, made of fresh ground chicken, beef, or lamb patties and pressed on a hot grill until seared to create crisp edges. The burgers are served up with cheese, onions, and their house sauce, and seasoned with a top secret spice mix.
"We grind our own meats daily; we make our own sauces daily," Syed remarked. "We use healthier ingredients; we only use olive oil in our cooking. We slow-cook our meat, so there's little things that go into making food, making the food taste to perfection."
In addition to burgers, customers can also find chicken wings, chicken breast sandwiches, leg quarters, and cut up whole chickens. To top it off are fries or loaded fries, which included chopped up beef patty with cheese, spices, sauces, and jalapenos.
Looking forward, Syed is hoping to expand, with dreams up finishing up the front exterior portion of the storefront to create a more established outdoor dining area. In the meantime, he's encouraging other businesses to join him in providing more halal options.
"We don't want to be the only ones," he said. "I would appreciate if somebody else would join me in this cause."
