Longtime Dilworth restaurant will close Feb. 28

Long before falafel and shawarma were available all around town, East Boulevard’s Kabob Grill in Kenilworth Commons was the place to go for lamb, pitas and baba ganoush.

After dishing up Omar Salad in the location near Kenilworth and East Boulevard since 2001, the restaurant will close Feb. 28, according to manager Helen Becali. Becali says its lease wasn’t renewed by the property management company Edens, which owns several retail developments in Charlotte, including Park Road Shopping Center.

Kabob Grill is owned by Omar Kweider, who also owns Levant Meditarranean Cuisine uptown, 135 Levine Avenue of the Arts. Becali says that restaurant will remain open with a similar menu, although prices are slightly higher because of higher uptown rent costs.

“Omar is very sad” about Kabob Grill closing, Becali said. “It’s emotional. When he opened, nobody knew this kind of food in Charlotte.”

This story was originally published January 31, 2018 at 4:02 PM with the headline "Longtime Dilworth restaurant will close Feb. 28."