LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Behind every good restaurant is a purpose— and this week we visited Maryam's Grill in downtown Little Rock, where their mission is to connect people from all walks of life through food.
Maryam's serves the most authentic Mediterranean cuisine you’ll find in Arkansas without catching a flight overseas!
“Maryam's Grill is a place where we like to connect people with food from back home,” explained co-owner Ebrahim Abusarah. “It’s named after my grandmother, Maryam, who lived in Jordan.”
The story of Maryam's Grill is traced back to the Middle East where Maryam was known for bringing people together through her authentic, homemade recipes. Whether in celebration or even disagreement, Maryam’s mission was to bring people to her table one way or another.
During the Gulf War, Ebrahim and his family fled Kuwait and ended up in Arkansas. They fell in love with the area and never left. In fact, their extended family eventually moved here, too, and now help run the restaurant— another example of food bringing people together!
Maryam’s family aims to honor her legacy while also connecting different cultures. The majority of dishes you’ll find on the menu are common in Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon, and some staples include their freshly made hummus, kabobs, shawarma, and baba ghanoush.
There’s no doubt the menu is full of authentic recipes you’d find served in the Middle East, but you’ll also find some American fusion as well. For example, the kabob waffles are AMAZING.
The very nature of Mediterranean cuisine is made up of mostly clean vegetables, which makes it welcoming to those with vegan or gluten-free dietary requirements.
Recently Maryam’s began serving a special brunch menu on the weekends that has become very popular.
They are located at 323 Center Street in downtown Little Rock. You can find their menu and hours on Facebook.
