Middle Eastern eatery provides cultural cuisine, contemporary atmosphere

Opening its doors in Fowler eight years ago, Kabab City has been successfully growing and expanding to other locations, recently opening a new restaurant in Fresno, Aug. 2019. The eatery draws inspiration from authentic Middle Eastern cuisine mixed with Arabic, Armenian and Greek food.

According to the Kabab City website, the ingredients used come from “farm fresh, never frozen & halal chicken.” Halal meat refers to food that is prepared according to the Koran, Islamic Law.

The restaurant theme is modern with a Middle Eastern vibe, enhancing the cultural food experience. The outdoor seating is cozy and the live wall of plants attracts customers to the contemporary atmosphere.

While at the restaurant, I ordered the Combo Kabab that consists of kafta, chicken and beef created halal style. The kabab is topped with onions, bell pepper and garlic sauce, also accompanied by rice pilaf, salad and pita bread as a side dish.

The rice pilaf came warm and had a strong taste with a delicate texture; one of the best I have eaten before. While the chicken kebab tasted seared and crispy on the outside, the inside was juicy. The kafta and the beef kebab had a rich and saporous flavor alongside the pita bread’s aroma which reached my nose before I tasted it.

In the following video, Kabab City promotes their cultural cuisine and unique menu items.

For dessert, I ordered a Baklava cheesecake. The rich, sweet pastry consists of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup. At the moment the baklava entered my mouth I tasted a sweet and sour flavor at the same time. I highly recommend this desert because is something different but is a very unique flavor.

The presentation of the food wasn’t anything fancy or new, but the decoration of the plate was delightful.

The service caught my attention by the way that the waitresses were extremely polite, attentive and helpful.

The assortment of the dishes vary by the times. Lunch is served from 11 a.m-4 p.m and dinner begins from 4 p.m until the restaurant closes at 8 p.m. The menu offers many varieties of meat but there are also vegetarian options including a highly recommended pizza and a few other menu items. They do not serve alcoholic beverages. 

While eating, I was able to see the owner preparing the dishes. I admired that these owners were involved in the process rather than just contracting people to do the work for them.

Abdallah Qawadr, the owner of Kabab City, shares the reason why he expanded his restaurant to Fresno and some of his obscure recipes.

“I opened in Fresno because the market needs more of this type of food. “Qawadri said. “We are specialized in things nobody has it, like fresh pita bread and Mediterranean pizzas.”

A new Kabab City location is coming soon to northwest Fresno. Make sure to stop by and check out this local eatery!

Kabab City Fresno location: 682 E Nees Ave #101, Fresno, CA 93720.

Fowler location: 106 E Merced St, Fowler, CA 93625.

For another restaurant review, read Hangar excites visitors, introduces new concept. For another article, read Improve community goodwill, health, personal value on World Kindness Day, Nov. 13.

Laura Rauscher can be reached via email.