A Southern California falafel legend has endured tragedy and changing tastes to stay relevant
. Today, the 26-year-restaurant is surrounded by pan-Middle-Eastern restaurants, bakers, and retail stores along Brookhurst, part of what is affectionately and unofficially known as Orange County’s Little Arabia. It is possible to find food and goods from Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, Seria, and beyond here, but that was not the case 26 years ago.
Kareem’s Falafel, which is named after him, arrived as a small-ish strip mall cafe serving inexpensive falafel plates and fattoush salads, and by the early 2000s the restaurant had become a staple of the booming Little Arabia food scene. Then, in 2012, Mike Hawari died following a protracted battle with lung cancer, leaving the family and the restaurant in limbo.
The competition in Little Arabia can be fierce, but it can also be collaborative. “We all do something specific to our niche,” says Hawari. “We’ll have customers ask for certain foods and we recommend the next restaurant over, and they’ll do the same. It’s very welcoming, and I think a lot of people are starting to understand that. We want people to come in and try different foods.”
“We always had one type of hummus,” says Kareem of the earlier menu. While tinkering in the kitchen one day, he managed to turn out a bright green cilantro-lime hummus that kept the inspiration of the original but with more zip and a lot more color. “My inspiration came from growing up watching,” he says. “When he made the pretty patties. I was like, ‘Colors are fun!’ As long as it tastes good, people will be excited to try it.
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