For nearly three decades, Lemongrass Asian Bistro has been a fixture in the Short North. This weekend, the longtime neighborhood favorite will serve its final meals.
The restaurant announced that Sunday, June 28, will be its last day at 641 N. High St., bringing an end to a 28-year run that began in 1998. To celebrate, the team is planning one last weekend of festivities before closing its doors for good.
In a post shared on Instagram, Lemongrass thanked the generations of customers who helped make the restaurant a Columbus staple.
“To every guest who walked through our doors in 1998 or 2026, thank you,” the post reads. “Your loyalty, laughter, and memories have made this journey unforgettable.”
Owner Jesse Vitt told The Columbus Dispatch that while “everything comes to an end,” he’s proud of what his family built over the past 28 years.
“We appreciate all the patrons over the years. It’s our honor that we’ve touched other people’s lives who have been a part of Lemongrass,” Vitt told the Dispatch. “It’s nice to know our family built something that became a part of people’s lives that they’ve loved.”
Vitt’s father, Pete Vitt, opened Lemongrass in 1998, introducing an Asian fusion menu that became a longtime favorite in the Short North. Vitt also told the Dispatch that the restaurant industry has faced growing challenges in recent years, pointing to economic pressures and changing dining habits.
While Lemongrass is closing, it isn’t the end for the team behind it.
In the same announcement, the restaurant shared that its staff will move to Penthouse: Social Club, where a new concept is already in the works. Details haven’t been announced yet, but the owners say the space will eventually become a full-service restaurant paired with an upscale nightclub experience.
If you’ve been meaning to make one more visit, this weekend is your last chance. Lemongrass will be open beginning at 5 p.m. each evening through Sunday, June 28, when it closes out its nearly three-decade run in the Short North.
