Yelp Cleveland’s Badge Celebration at Balance Grille

This January, Yelp Elites celebrated earning 2019 Elite badges in style with an evening of bubble tea and savory cuisine at Balance Pan-Asian Grille. With the opening of their first Cleveland restaurant, real food is at the center of Balance’s culture, with a focus on hearty, guilt-free meals that don’t require too much of your time. This Pan-Asian restaurant is fast-casual and tech-centric, and the owners are committed to enhancing downtown Cleveland with their colorful dishes. Angelo C. commented on Balance Grille’s culture best, writing, “The conceptual design on which the menu is based blurs the lines of Asian flair, from Japan to Thailand, and everywhere in between, the flavors are unique and the prices are fair.”Upon arrival, Elites enjoyed passion fruit, raspberry or apple kiwi bubble tea – Balance Grille’s signature drink. This fresh, light beverage is refreshing and not too sweet. As Yelp Elite Catherine P. wrote, “My tea had a green tea base and blueberry bubbles. When the bubble bursts in your mouth, it’s a delightful little explosion of juice. So fun!” Elites were also welcomed with an assortment of appetizers placed at every seat, from colorful swiss beets to sweet potato salad, citrus brussels and creamy wontons, too. These delicious bites were crowd pleasers and a wonderful preview for dinner!

Co-owners CJ and Prakash kicked off the event with a welcoming introduction. They spoke about how they chose Cleveland for their fifth location after opening their first four locations in Toledo and how Cleveland was not only a new region for their business, but that their concept was fully unique here. Beyond that, the Balance team is passionate about downtown Cleveland.After receiving a warm welcome, Elites ordered anything of their choosing from the menu. Elites chose from build-your-own bowls or tacos with flavors ranging from peanut sauce to wok-fired steak and Indian butter sauce. When building a bowl, you first choose the flavor you want, from Thai to General Tso’s or even Buddha bowl, followed by a protein of lentils, steak, chicken, or tofu. Next, you select a starch of brown rice, fresh greens, wheat noodles, fried rice, or white rice. The star of the show? Balance Grille’s unique, flavor-packed sauces. These sweet, spicy and savory toppings are the perfect complement to the steamed veggies and fresh protein.As Yelp Elite Joshua R. said, “Everything from the fresh veggies to the marinated grilled chicken and even down to the tasty wheat noodles and rice was fantastic. I also like how they put the main sauces for each bowl in a side cup for you to distribute onto your meal as you see fit.”Although we enjoyed our meals in the restaurant, you can also place your order from the Balance Grille app for takeout or delivery. If you have a big group and it doesn’t make sense to do individual orders, they will also cater for groups over 10. Don’t worry about dietary needs either, because Balance offers gluten free, soy free, vegan and vegetarian options, too.

With full bellies, Elites asked for lids on their bowls to take home for lunch the next day! The yummy eats and fruity tea were the perfect cap on everyone’s long work day and Balance Grille’s hospitality was the real treat.

Check out the outstanding reviews and photos here. For more information about the Yelp Cleveland Elite Squad, visit yelp.com/elite.

Special thanks to our sponsors:
Balance Pan-Asian Grille • Elizabeth Sturm Photography