Nevada has lost another trio of independent favorites, adding to the local restaurant closures already felt across the state. All three of these Reno dining rooms are now gone, but their unusually long runs show how deeply they became part of the community.
Their stories stretch from an intimate fine-dining destination to Northern Nevada’s only Ethiopian restaurant and a downtown gastropub in a historic building. Together, they leave behind decades of memorable meals.
LuLou’s Restaurant in Reno
LuLou’s closed at the end of 2025 after more than 26 years in Midtown Reno. Chef Troy Cannan and his wife, Coleen, built the intimate restaurant around creative fine dining, artful presentation and the kind of attentive service that made an evening there feel like an occasion.
The menu changed with the chef’s ideas, blending familiar ingredients with international influences and polished presentation. Longtime diners particularly remembered dishes such as lobster spaghetti and baked Maine lobster, along with the restaurant’s warm, big-city atmosphere.
The Cannans closed LuLou’s to focus on their two neighboring businesses, Kauboi Izakaya and Willie’s Pasta Shop. Those restaurants continue, but the original dining room that welcomed dates and loyal regulars for more than a quarter-century is gone.
Zagol Ethiopian Cuisine in Reno
Zagol closed in January 2026 after nearly 20 years, ending the run of Northern Nevada’s only Ethiopian restaurant. Chef-owner Shita handled the cooking, serving and hospitality herself for much of that time, creating a personal experience that customers could not find elsewhere in the region.
Meals arrived with injera for sharing, whether guests chose spicy beef key wat, vegetarian combinations or kitfo. Zilzil tibs—marinated strips of beef grilled with onions—was the restaurant’s most popular dish.
Shita retired after years of trying unsuccessfully to find a successor. A farewell feast gave customers one last chance to thank the chef who had introduced many of them to Ethiopian food and made the small dining room feel like a visit to her home.
Old Granite Street Eatery in Reno
Old Granite Street Eatery closed permanently in early April 2026, just short of its 16th anniversary. It opened in July 2010 inside a 1940s building on South Sierra Street, reviving the old name of the downtown street and returning the historic property to restaurant use.
The kitchen described its cooking as “neo-farm” fare, with favorites including the Revision beer cheese burger, the OG veggie burger, fish and chips and pulled pork. During the pandemic, the restaurant even adapted into a community market before returning to its familiar identity.
The farewell was abrupt, but the owners thanked Reno for years of support and shared memories. LuLou’s, Zagol and Old Granite Street were very different restaurants, yet each gave local diners a place that felt distinctly their own.
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