Middies reached out to Taco Bout Crab owner and Middletown native, Deshanae Lewis, about a possible partnership last week. The two businesses will co-lease the space.
“We thought it would be the perfect opportunity because our Middletown customers have been asking for us to come back since we left,” Lewis said.
The restaurant had a location in Middletown on Tytus Avenue, which opened in 2021 but closed in 2024 due to health problems with Lewis’ daughter.
Some dedicated customers have driven to the restaurant’s other location in Cincinnati at 2330 Reading Road, which officially opened in April.
Credit: Bryn Dippold
Credit: Bryn Dippold
“We treat everybody like family, so we have a lot of people that are close knit to us...the ones that come regardless of the distance,” Lewis said.
Lewis was born and raised in Middletown, which is part of the reason she wants to bring her business back to the city: “It’s important for me to have a piece of me and my business here.”
She ventured into the restaurant business in 2020 after working as a nurse. Her father died of COVID, which made her “reroute her passion.”
Lewis began baking and selling desserts, which took off, and then she saw birria tacos trending online.
“Nowhere in the tri-state area sold birria tacos...at the time,” she said.
Though she had never tried a birria taco, she was determined to learn the recipe. Through feedback from customers, she tweaked the recipe “over and over” until she mastered it.
Birria tacos are now one of Taco Bout Crab’s most popular items, in addition to seafood boils and ramen of the birria and seafood variety.
Burritos, quesadillas and bowls with several protein options — shrimp, crab, steak, beef, chorizo, chicken, salmon and birria — are also available.
Its location at Middies Pub & Grub will include self-serve sit-down seating, rooftop outdoor seating and margaritas.
Taco Bout Crab’s Cincinnati location has seven employees, and its new spot is hoping to add 12 new employees.
Middies Pub & Grub will be closing temporarily to welcome Taco Bout Crab to its space.
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