Middle Ground

Mohamed Judeh likes seeing how food unites people at his restaurant, Shawarma Bros.

“Food is one of the major keys — it’s an icebreaker. When people come in here, you can just communicate about anything,” says the co-owner about opening up dialogue over Middle Eastern food with his clientele who span different ages and nationalities.

Judeh describes Shawarma Bros. as a healthy “fast food spot where east meets west.” Opened in 2017, this carryout eatery lets you build your own pita wrap or rice bowl with choices like falafel, gyro beef, chicken or roasted beef and lamb, plus garnishes and house-made sauces for tailored options to satisfy all types of diners.

“If the household is divided between people who eat meat and people who don’t, we have a menu that has food for both,” Judeh says.

For the meat lovers, classic gyro goes well with tzatziki sauce. For the vegetarians, falafel tastes great with tahini sauce and sides of baba ghanoush (grilled eggplant) or stuffed grape leaves.

Shawarma Bros. is best known for its scratch-made falafel and hummus, both of which are family recipes.

“My sister learned from our mom, and she learned from hers, and it just goes back to family where we are originally from, Palestine,” Judeh says.

Family is important for Judeh. When he was growing up, his immigrant father worked seven days a week to provide for his wife and seven children. The only time Judeh was able to spend with him was at Sunday night dinner, which often consisted of these family recipes.

“That was the time where we got to sit down and see our mom and dad and talk about what was going on that week or in school,” he says. “That was it for us — food was the connection.”