A new cocktail lounge built around herbalism, house-made spirits, and a cathedral-like Norse drinking-hall design is set to open its doors at 3314 Broadview Rd. in Old Brooklyn on September 2, 2026. The Witch Doctor, a botanically themed bar with a 75-guest capacity, will operate Wednesday through Saturday evenings once it launches, offering cocktails built from hand-formulated tinctures, infusions, syrups, cordials, bitters, and even house-made spirits.
According to City of Cleveland Planning Commission records, the Near West Design Review committee granted final signage approval with a variance for the project in December 2025, listing co-owner Charlie Eby as the project representative. As reported by Cleveland Scene, the space includes a cavernous, cathedral-like main room styled after a Norse drinking hall, along with a separate room featuring stained-glass windows and rococo-style furniture. White oak floors and live-edge timber tables round out the look.
Co-owner Matt Luebert, a member of the U.S. Bartenders' Guild who previously served as bar manager at Rood in Lakewood, purchases botanicals from local apothecaries to stock an apothecary cupboard filled with dried plants, herbs, roots, and spices. The bar's menu will include a section the outlet calls a “medicine cabinet,” listing out cocktail components so guests can watch for allergies and understand where flavors come from. Luebert told the publication he wants guests to try new things, and cocktails on the menu — including drinks named Blood Oath, Anna Felactic, Imhotep, Brimstone, and Baba Yaga — are described in the report as potentially helping reduce stress, boost immunity, aid digestion, or fight inflammation.
Two Years of Buildout on Broadview Road
Luebert first floated the concept publicly in late 2022, originally aiming for a spring 2025 opening before the project stretched into nearly two years of custom buildout and interior restoration, according to a Reddit post from the ownership group. Luebert purchased the Broadview Road building himself, and both Michael Eby and Charlie Eby have worked on the space for two years alongside him. Charlie Eby said the time spent on the buildout was worthwhile, and he expects the food menu eventually served at the bar to include eclectic American fare.
When Luebert first outlined the bar's philosophy in late 2024, he described the vision as “a witch doctor in the forest,” aiming to combine herbalism and functional botanicals to “put a little bit of health back into the unhealthy,” he told Cleveland Scene. He has also described the finished venue as mystical, with a cabin-in-the-woods feel crossed with medieval tavern vibes. Cleveland Scene notes the building previously housed Sticks & Stones Social Lounge, which had celebrated its own opening in summer 2021, per the Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation.
A House-Made Spirits Program
The Witch Doctor's bar program will feature house versions of gin, rum, tequila, and vodka, alongside house-made curacao, sweet vermouth, grenadine made from fresh pomegranate, orgeat syrup, and a herring-style cherry cordial. The lounge plans to list the botanicals used throughout its beverage program on the menu itself. A November 2024 filing shows a transfer application for a D1, D2, D3, and D3A liquor license under Witch Doctor LLC was submitted to Cleveland City Council under File #: 1268-2024.
Chef John Hagerty, who formerly worked at Green Kitchen and Never Say Dive, is opening a new spot immediately next door to The Witch Doctor, and the two businesses will collaborate on a food menu served inside the bar. Hagerty closed the standalone Green Kitchen, an all-vegan restaurant in Clark-Fulton, in October 2024 due to staffing challenges, shifting his focus toward pop-ups and Old Brooklyn ventures, as Cleveland Scene has previously reported. He is also a partner at Never Say Dive, the high-low cocktail bar and restaurant that opened at 4497 Broadview Road in January 2024, per Axios.
Part of a Broader Broadview Road Boom
The Witch Doctor's arrival adds to a wave of new openings that have reshaped the Broadview Road corridor in recent years, following Never Say Dive in 2024, Dahlia Coffee Co. in early 2026, and both Melted Wings Winery and FrankieLynn Hotdogs in May 2026. The corridor sits within Cleveland's Ward 12, where commercial revitalization has been backed by Councilwoman Rebecca Maurer and the Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation, including a $275,000 storefront grant cluster aimed at lowering entry barriers for local storefront operators along Broadview Road.
Once open, The Witch Doctor will require reservations for all parties of eight or more guests, with requests needing to come in at least 24 hours in advance, according to the business's official website. With its cathedral-scaled main room, botanical apothecary displays, and a food partnership already lined up next door, the lounge is positioned to become one of the corridor's more distinctive additions when its doors open on September 2.
