Spicing Up North America: Our Favorite Arab Food Businesses Thriving In The West
Arabs living in their home country get the privilege of indulging in delicious classics like hummus, manoushe, and falafel.
When it comes to Arabs in the diaspora, the same cannot be said. That special taste of home is often missed. That is why Arab families across the US and Canada decided to introduce and celebrate the delectable cuisines of their nation by opening their own food businesses.
Baba’s Hummus
Starting off from humble beginnings, Palestinian siblings Rana Kamal and Khalid Ansari began selling Baba’s hummus from their food truck during the Minnesota State Fair all the way back In 2021. The siblings are all about recreating family recipes with a modern twist.
Back in the late 1970s, their baba Jamal created bold and creamy hummus in the kitchen of his restaurant, The Mediterranean Cruise Café.
Hummus became the most requested item, and so four decades later, by 2018, the siblings continued their father’s legacy by opening Baba’s. Today, they serve up funky hummus flavors like dilly dill pickle and garlicky caramelized onion hummus. The siblings also serve falafel and pita bread.
Z&Z Manouche Bakery
A particular family wanted to truly celebrate their heritage, so they decided to introduce mice to the people of Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. That family goes by the name Z&Z, which stands for za’atar and zeit, the core topping of any mouse.
Their journey began when they started selling their own zaatar manouche at the Foggy Bottom Market in Washington, D.C. Over the years, they developed a community of supporters, which led them to open up their first-ever store back in 2021.
It was a special moment because they took over the location of their grandfather’s first restaurant when he came to the U.S. in 1982. Beyond their restaurant, their manoushe is also sold in supermarkets across the US.
Hamido Seafood
Eating at any fish restaurant across the US usually involves merely getting seated and ordering your food off a menu. That, however, is not the case with Egyptian seafood restaurants.
NYC’s family-owned Hamido Seafood recreates the unique dining experience of Egyptian seafood restaurants. It was brought to life by Alexandria’s Rudy Mansy and his cousin Mohamed Abuker, who opened Hamido back in 2019.
On entering, diners get taken to a fish counter where fresh seafood is showcased from behind a glass display case. From jumbo shrimp and clams to red snapper and striped bass, you get to first pick your fish.
The next step is picking how it gets cooked, whether grilled, fried, baked with olive oil and garlic, or cooked Bengali style (oven-baked). That entire experience is exactly how Alexandrian seafood restaurants operate, the exact ones Mansy and Abuker grew up on.
Princess Market & Deli
Princess Market and Deli is a Mesa grocery store and restaurant founded by the Alsadi family in 2002 in Arizona. The store has aisles of international foods, including spices, grains, and legumes, packaged sweets, dates, and beverages. Cold cases house cheeses, halal meats, and prepared foods.
By 2023, they also decided to open another restaurant called Princess Pita Mediterranean Restaurant. This eatery is all about introducing high-protein Arab food to the masses, made by the hands of Alsadis’ mother, Sana Shalabi.
You can expect everything from their halal beef and lamb gyro served with hummus and rice to their juicy lamb shank. They also serve up gyro wraps and falafel.
Layla’s Falafel
Layla’s Falafel came to life by accident. It all happened at the family’s chain sandwich shop in downtown Bridgeport, CT, where one of the customers asked Layla, the family’s matriarch, to make tabbouleh after learning that she recently immigrated from Lebanon.
This ended up becoming a regular occurrence, and from there, Layla even introduced falafel to the menu.
Slowly, over time, the restaurant started getting immensely popular, with lines queuing up around the block and the smell of fried falafel overtaking the store.
That is when the family knew it was time to open the first Layla’s Falafel in Fairfield, CT, in 2000. For 24 years, the family served up chicken shawarma platters, their signature falafel, and much more to the masses.
Mezza Lebanese Group
Sibling duo Peter and Tony Nahas brought to life a thriving Lebanese restaurant that brought a slice of home all the way to Canada. They’ve been serving up family recipes since 1990 and have opened 20 locations throughout Atlantic Canada.
Their dishes fit in with Canadian culture. For example, their Shawarma Deep Bowl is made up of layers, including shawarma, rice, and more. They also serve up their very own fun Canadian twist, their Chicken Shawarma Poutine and Donair Poutine. It is the ultimate hybrid and celebration of Canadian and Lebanese culture.
Nablus Sweets
Serving up authentic Arab desserts since 1991 is the Palestinian family-owned bakery known as Nablus Sweets.
Taking over Chicago’s Bridgeview, the bakery has been serving up the finest Middle Eastern sweets in all of Chicago. From their signature knafeh where warm cheese oozes out from under a crisp layer of golden shredded phyllo pastry to their signature baklava.
Three generations of Palestinian-Americans are behind this special dessert shop, which was brought to life by the family’s father and uncle and continues to blossom today.
Shawarma & Co.
For many years, two brothers, Mohammad and Odai Abuobead, had big dreams of opening their own restaurant, one that boasts authentic Mediterranean cuisine while also offering something new and fresh to the Oklahoma City area.
That is when they came up with Shawarma & Co, a street food eatery that serves up a taste of the Mediterranean while keeping things delicious and healthy.
They bring street food and healthy culture together through their unique dishes, including customized Byo Bowls. Customers fill them up with their choice of protein, including beef or chicken shawarma, falafel, and more.
Then, they pick the toppings, sauce, and finally, the sides, which include everything from tabouli salad to baba ganouj.
TOOM
Taking over the aisles of Costco, the famous American supermarket chain, is TOOM, a viral garlic dip adored by many. This brand was brought to life by a Lebanese American family whose founder and CEO, known as Matt Joyce, has been working for years to perfect his family’s garlic dip recipe.
This family business likes to go all out, and that is why they make four varieties of toum: Original, Pesto, Buffalo, and Chipotle Honey. Can you imagine that this beloved Arab dip grew in popularity to the point that today, it is easy to find it in the aisles of American top-chain supermarkets?
Prince Lebanese Grill
Family-owned and operated since 1989, Prince Lebanese Grill took over the state of Texas. A family that puts their heart out on a plate every day, from their crispy light falafels to their spicy shawarma plates, when you visit Prince, you’ll get to dine on a taste of home.
This dining spot grew to wide acclaim, especially after appearing on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on Food Network.
If we were to think of the US and Canada all the way back before the 1970s, we’d never picture or envision all these Arab restaurants not only opening up but also creating such a mass following. We hope that the Arab world continues to take over the food and beverage industry all across North America.
