Top-ranked Blue Habanero Mexican Restaurant to open second location in Brecksville

BRECKSVILLE, Ohio – A Cleveland restaurant named best Mexican eatery in Cleveland two years ago by cleveland.com is opening a second restaurant in Brecksville.

Blue Habanero Mexican Restaurant is moving into a space last occupied by Waterfalls Brewhouse & Restaurant in the heart of Brecksville’s downtown, on the west side of Brecksville Road, just south of Ohio 82 and north of Arlington Street.

On June 24, the Brecksville Planning Commission approved a rear outdoor seating addition for Blue Habanero and a remodeling of the front facade.

A Blue Habanero official told the commission that the Brecksville restaurant would open “sometime in August.”

Blue Habanero opened its first restaurant in 2018 on Detroit Avenue in Cleveland’s Gordon Square. The owner is Rafael Ayala, whose family operates Tres Potrillos Mexican Restaurants in Fairlawn, Medina and Beachwood. Ayala could not be reached for comment.

Cleveland.com, in naming Blue Habanero best Mexican restaurant in 2019, reported that the restaurant uses as many locally sourced ingredients as possible daily to create its entrees. Blue Habanero also makes its own corn tortillas each morning by hand.

According to its website, Blue Habanero specializes in street-style tacos and handcrafted margaritas. The restaurant also offers a large selection of on-tap Mexican beer and tequilas.

Mark Ruby, an Amherst architect who is helping Blue Habanero renovate the former Waterfalls space in Brecksville, told the commission that the outdoor patio will seat more than 35. It wasn’t clear how many seats would be inside. Ruby didn’t return calls.