5786 Columbus Square (near intersection of SR 161/East Dublin-Granville Road Cleveland Avenue)
614.899.8800
Open 7 days a week lunch and dinner.
614.899.8800
Open 7 days a week lunch and dinner.
Solay Bistro had amassed a cult following among adventurous eaters, and its recent disappearance left many perplexed – it shut down for Ramadan and just never opened back up.
It’s open now, under the name of Hoyo’s Kitchen, and the explanation for what transpired is as follows: upon closing for Ramadan, a change of ownership took place. The new owner wanted to do some work on the place, including dining room refurbishments, rebranding, and menu adjustments, which always takes longer than one might expect.
What they wisely did not change, however, is the kitchen staff. The food is of the same quality as before, which is to say very good. A cook who we knew from the first days of Solay’s opening was eager to freely convey her confidence in the new ownership. Pictured below is the vegetarian sampler with canjeero.
In our discussions with the new owner and his family, we felt similarly optimistic. Friendly, capable, and eager to please, they made it abundantly clear that Hoyo’s mission was to create an environment that was welcoming to all, and that maintaining the quality food standards set by Solay were a top priority. And, more to the point, they proved it with how we were served and what we were served.
So, in summation – if you were a fan of Solay, or are simply interested in trying Somali food, we strongly recommend that you try Hoyo. Most of the same dishes are available with some additions. One new appetizer is bajiya which are like a Somali falafel. You’ll also find a coffee shop menu with hot drinks and sweets and there are plans to add breakfast in a few months when the restaurant is more established.
alt.eats.columbus 
Just visited Hoyo tonight with two friends. It was my first time eating Somalian food and will definitely not be my last. The service was awesome and the somalian chai tea after dinner was a great addition. Loved the food – thanks for the suggestion.
Note : today i took my group of Ethnic Lunch people to a Somali restaurant in Columbus that is touted as serving Pan African food named Hoyo…………………………… we are used to being greeted warmly and with open arms at every Somali restaurant we have visited ………………………. Unfortunately we were treated differently than other customers who were Africans, we were of various backgrounds and nationalities with only one African American in our group and looking over at the table of others , it was quite clear that we were not served equally.
for those of us who ordered the vegetarian meal we were disappointed by the stingy portions and in general the lack of hospitality and aloofness from the waitress………………..who seemed to have a grudge……………….. and wanted to charge extra for a piece of injeera bread, which is unthinkable, and her excuse was amazing that it had to do with needing the money for meat etc,……………………….. a visit previously with a male server ( her brother) was quite different…………………warm open and graciously giving two of us tastes of other things…………………and ample portions one vegetarian plate shared with two people. . on our third visit the vegetarian plate for ten dollars contained small scoops of vegetables that would hardly fill an empty tooth! . However we were very happy to be meeting again after the long winter and with a list of interesting places to explore our enthusiasm was not dampened. thanks to All Eats for the inspirations!
to be fair the food that was served was well done and tasty although one of the people had to wait till the end of the meal to get their somali style samosa. There are so many very good Somali restaurants in Columbus that we are treated so well at , this is one we will skip…………….
I’m Somali,I think its very uncommon your experience,Somalis treat every one equal,& they treat people like when some one visits their home,very hospitable..but humans are not perfect,sometime they can have bad day,but normally people leave Somali restaurant smiling..very sorry your experience
Excellent buffet on the weekends that you should not miss! Lamb, chicken drumsticks, lentil & cabbage soup, spring greens salad with plenty of veggies, a couple pasta dishes, and chai equals $15 of YUM!