There were few restaurants that braved the 2020 pandemic and launched their business anyway. We have covered a few of them but a few, unfortunately, slipped off our radar.
Maryam’s Grill was one such spot, and it turned out to be an absolute gem of Middle Eastern cuisine.
Maryam’s Grill opened in August 2020 in the Tower building in the spot on the corner of 4th and Louisiana, replacing another Middle Eastern restaurant, Arbela, that spent the previous few years in that location. Opening up in the pandemic brought expected challenges for the family owned spot.
“I believed we opened with around 10% capacity and it was just the family members working to keep costs down,” co-owner Ebrahim Abunasrah explains. “Since then we have slowly grown into what the original vision for what this location could become.”
What it became is simply one of the best Middle Eastern experiences in this area of the country. They wanted to start with fresh, house made ingredients wherever possible. So everything from their sauces to falafels are made in house. They also carefully source seasoning and spices to provide the most authentic flavor experience possible.
While most people are inclined to go straight for the gyro at a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean restaurant, Maryam’s is a great spot to explore. The shawarma fries will absolutely make an appearance again on our annual best bites list, they are loaded with flavor and one of the most unexpectedly amazing things I’ve had in town. The falafels are simply the best I’ve had outside of a few spots on the east coast, they also have an entire Arabic pastry section set up with various delectable pastries that I can’t wait to try all of.
Maryam’s Grill offers breakfast (with several unique options including the pastries) and lunch seven days a week. They are now also expanding to offer dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. As a downtowner myself, it is a perfect spot to stop off as it offers a completely unique flavor to the area, plus has plenty of nighttime parking thanks to an arrangement with the lot directly across 4th street. They also offer delivery through most of the major services.
