Fourth-generation chef takes over Beirut falafel shop operating since 1914
The Tabbara family has kept a small shop in the Hamra district open through four decades of conflict, now transferring the recipe to a son who spent six years learning the trade.
By Lauren Foster ·
The shop has been open for more than a century.
It serves small, doughnut-shaped patties of deep-fried ground fava beans wrapped in flat bread. The menu includes pickled cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, thick tahini sauce, and a homemade dark red hot pepper paste. A standard sandwich costs $3.
Mohammed Tabbara, 82, has run the business mostly since 1950. He began working at the counter with his father at age 6. The shop moved to its current location on a narrow street in the Hamra district in 1979. That neighborhood is dense with cafes, clothing stores, and two major universities. Mohammed said he has survived 40 wars. He cited two civil wars, Israel’s 1982 invasion, multiple Israel-Hezbollah conflicts, and several clashes involving Palestinian groups and the Syrian army.
The family history traces back to 1914. Kamel Tabbara opened the first shop in the Bab Idriss district. Beirut was still part of the Ottoman Empire at the time. Greater Lebanon did not become a state until six years later. Kamel passed the business to his son Ahmad. The current shop displays two photos of Mohammed. One is black and white from 1966. The other is from two years ago and shows him wearing a skull cap.
Mohammed is handing the business to his 40-year-old son, Ziad. Ziad is a former accountant who has worked full time with his father for six years. He helped in the shop during summer vacations as a child. Ziad has no children. This is a concern for Mohammed, who wants to see his son married with offspring. Ziad said the flavor is a heritage passed down through generations.
The recipe uses Australian fava beans soaked in water the night before. They are ground and mixed with salt and spices including coriander. Mohammed said chickpeas are heavier and take longer to digest. He claimed he was the first in Lebanon to introduce a falafel patty with a hole in the middle and covered in sesame seeds. This design ensures the inside cooks fully while the outside stays crunchy. The shop changes its cooking oil daily and washes vegetables with vinegar and salt.
Jean Matta, 60, works in the neighborhood and has eaten at the shop since 1992. She described the food as crunchy, tasty, and clean. Ziad stands beside his father, dropping patties into a large frying pot. Ziad said he will continue to offer the same flavor.
