HOUSTON, Tx. – Everyone with a nine to five has that place where they eat because it’s close to work. At NewsFix, we really lucked out, cause for us, that`s Abdallah`s Lebanese Restaurant & Bakery.
“We`re very proud of our food, it`s very authentic. We don`t take any shortcuts. It`s not fancy but it`s some darn good Lebanese food,” says Rita Joubran. She`s daughter to one of the brothers that started Abdallah`s in 1976, and handles their catering.
Abdallah`s got its start as a backyard Lebanese bakery, the first in all of Texas. From a couple of acres and a warehouse, they moved to the Hilcroft and Westpark location in 1990, when they opened the restaurant as a bonus.
“Our Shwarmas are great here, our kabobs are great here, our hummus, tabouli, anything you could want in Lebanese food I think you can find here, and if you don`t have it and they ask for it mom will usually make it the special the next day,” boasts Joubran.
Mom is Latifeh Abdallah, and she`s here before dawn seven days a week! She still makes her popular hummus from scratch, a two-day process.
As good as the food is, it`s the sense of family that makes you feel like a guest in their home, not just their business.
Regular customer Keith Kneale says, “They`re really friendly, they`re really nice people, and it`s good to just come down and socialize with them.”
All the Abdallah`s are represented in the restaurant, from mom Latifeh`s generation, to Rita`s own children. ‘It`s pretty nice to see all the generations come together and still keep the dream that my father, and his brother, had about 40 years ago,’ Joubron shares.
And Chew on This Houston, every September Latifeh travels back to Lebanon, harvests the olives from their groves there, and brings back their own special brand of olive oil. Old Country Extra Virgin Olive Oil had a wait list this year, but they`re a limited edition item. When they run out that season, it`s gone for the year.
Abdallah`s really proves the American dream is alive and well, mixing the tastes of Lebanon with the most important ingredient – the love of a strong family.
