Jalili family to open downtown steakburger restaurant

A family-friendly restaurant selling steakburgers, fries and shakes is coming to the Walnut Street space formerly filled by Squeeze Play, Rebecca Grille and Bijan’s.

The new joint will be called Black Sheep, said restaurateur Cyrus “Billy” Jalili – who owns the 209 E. Walnut St. building and was a driving force behind Bijan’s.

He and his co-owners, wife Sara Jalili and brother Mike Jalili, chose the name because their other restaurants — Flame Steakhouse and Touch Restaurant — are high-end gourmet spots, while Black Sheep will be marketed to families.

“It’s not what we’ve done before,” Jalili said. “I’m not going to say it’s lower-end, but more everyday.”

Black Sheep will offer hamburgers made with aged meats, including filet, that come from the glassed-in aging room at Flame Steakhouse, down the street at 314 W. Walnut St.

Appetizers, fries, a kids’ menu and original-recipe shakes made with Andy’s frozen custard will also be available.

Details are still being worked out with Andy’s founder Andy Kuntz, Jalili said.

“Andy’s very particular with what we do with his custard, so we’ll make sure we approve it with Andy (in terms of) what goes in to his products.”

Jalili also said he plans to offer a full cocktail bar plus a range of local craft beers.

The upstairs space formerly occupied by cigar-and-martini bar Romeo y Juliet will be available for private parties, and perhaps reopen to the public. “We’ll see in a few months,” Jalili said.

He and his co-owners expect to open Black Sheep by mid-November, if not late October, he said. Currently the facade and infill is being remodeled.

“Everything will be different so people don’t think this is old Bijan’s turned into a hamburger place, no such thing, no,” Jalili said.

Jalili and his family operated Bijan’s restaurant and the upstairs Romeo y Julieta cocktail bar there through the mid-2000s.

In 2008, Bijan’s was sold to a pair of Jalili employees before closing. Not long after, Rebecca Grille opened in the space. It was followed by Squeeze Play.

Squeeze Play gained notoriety with a social media controversy that erupted within a few weeks of its opening in fall 2014.

It shut down Nov. 3, Jalili said.