Just months after Brooklyn’s Down South transformed from old Buda favorite Cleveland’s, owner Brooklyn Robertson said he is ecstatic about the progress the restaurant has made.

Cleveland’s opened in 2013 featuring a menu of Cajun, Creole and seafood dishes, but Robertson said he felt that by calling the restaurant Cajun, they had “pigeonholed” themselves and didn’t have room to try out new foods or get creative with the menu.

“We wanted to reinvent the place and we wanted to reinvent the menu,” Robertson said. “What we’ve learned through the past [few] years in business is our customers wanted a variety.”

Robertson did a remodel over six days in early 2017 and reopened as Brooklyn’s Down South. 

Despite the makeover, new furniture, a new interior and updated bathroom, the space still features the original 104-year-old floors and tin-colored ceiling tiles.

Brooklyn’s held their official grand opening in March. As the name would suggest, the restaurant serves southern-style food, including interior Mexican and Cajun dishes.

“We still have the southern side, we still have the Cajun side, but they can bring in that true interior Mexican and design foods you couldn’t find anywhere else,” he said. “We want to be eclectically different, in all aspects.”

Patrons have embraced the changes so far, Robertson said.

“[Customers] love [Brooklyn’s],” he said. “They love the new menu, they love the new look. We’ve been very fortunate. A lot of our locals support us, which is great.”

One of the most popular items on the menu is the Huevos Divorciados ($9.99), which is served during brunch. The dish is made with two corn tortilla tostadas, one covered in salsa verde and the other with salsa roja, topped by two eggs and queso fresco, fresh cilantro and pickled onions. The 967 Burger ($11.99) consists of a half-pound patty topped with American cheese, jalapeno bacon jam, crispy onion rings and an egg.

“We’ve basically taken four years of input and made [the restaurant] exactly how [the customers] want it,” Robertson said. “The response has been amazing.”