NewBo veteran brings ‘Middle Eastern food with a twist’ to Coral Ridge Mall

When Albert Habhab was growing up, his father ran a pool hall with a small cafe in Fort Dodge.

He still thinks about a hamburger that was on the café's menu.

'It was the best burger I've eaten in my entire life up until this day,” he said. 'I can still taste that burger.”

Habhab said the memory of that hamburger is one of the things that led him to a career in the food service industry. After many years selling meat for a food company, he opened his first restaurant, Zaytoon Mediterranean Grill, in NewBo City Market in October 2012.

He later sold his share of that restaurant to his business partner.

In July, Habhab became a restaurant owner for the second time when he took possession of Safari Middle Eastern Cuisine in Coral Ridge Mall. After a brief closure during which he tweaked the menu, Habhab reopened the food court eatery on Sept. 20.

Habhab, who is of Lebanese descent, describes Safari's menu as 'Middle Eastern food with a twist.” In a nod to his father's pool hall cafe, he added burgers and beef hot dogs to the menu, along with traditional Middle Eastern favorites like gyros and chicken kebabs.

Wife and co-owner Ruwaida Al Qaisi contributes fresh falafel and hummus she makes using her Jordanian family's secret recipes.

With his background in meat sales, it is no surprise that Habhab pays close attention to the quality of the meat he serves. He said he uses locally sourced, antibiotic-free chicken and beef and grinds fresh ground beef on site.

'It's something the health conscious people can appreciate,” he said. 'I also use oil that is GMO-free, trans fat-free and cholesterol-free.”

Safari also has gluten-free and dairy-free options.

Habhab said it has been somewhat of a challenge competing with the more familiar chain restaurants in the mall food court, but he has been pleasantly surprised with his customers' willingness to try new foods.

'I hear comments like ‘man, that's the best food I've ever had' or ‘that falafel is the best sandwich I've ever eaten,' and it means a lot to me,” he said. 'Satisfying my customers is what's important to me.”