Gordon Square has a new Puerto Rican destination, as El Kiosquito on Detroit opens with a full-service setup and a menu built around familiar island classics. The restaurant is the brick-and-mortar expansion of El Kiosquito Boricua, whose original CentroVilla25 stall will continue serving customers.
When the original Rincon Criollo space became available, owner Jose Pagan saw a chance to grow sooner than planned. According to Cleveland Scene, Pagan stepped into the Gordon Square location after Rincon Criollo closed its Detroit Avenue restaurant about two months earlier, while Rincon Criollo Take 2 remains open on Denison Avenue.
A CentroVilla25 Start That Led To A Bigger Room
El Kiosquito Boricua remains listed among the vendors at CentroVilla25, where its offerings include crispy empanadillas, mofongo and house-made sauces. The new Detroit Avenue restaurant gives the business a second format: a neighborhood dining room in Gordon Square alongside the original food-hall operation.
Pagan told Cleveland Scene that the CentroVilla25 location gave him a place to start, while customer response and online videos helped the business gain momentum. “I’m blessed,” he said, describing the expansion as the next step for a small business that had begun to catch on.
Chuletas Fritas And Piña Coladas Join The Menu
The new restaurant carries some of the Puerto Rican fare diners may remember from the former Rincon Criollo location, but it also brings its own additions. As reported by Cleveland Scene, one signature newcomer is chuletas fritas, or pan-fried pork chop, while a new liquor license makes piña coladas available as well.
A New Food Stop Along Detroit Avenue
The opening adds another dining option to Gordon Square, the Detroit Shoreway district known for its theaters, shopping and restaurants. The Gordon Square Arts District describes the area as an arts-and-dining hub in the heart of Cleveland’s west side.
For Pagan, the move also reflects the small-business pipeline CentroVilla25 was designed to support. A profile from Cleveland Neighborhood Progress says he previously operated a car lot, then connected with cooks whose food he admired and built El Kiosquito around Puerto Rican food, culture and community.
