RESTAURANT: Fufuโs Mideast Grill is a sensational new restaurant that will have you drooling over the food and always coming back for more.
By Dyala Harb, Staff Writer
This spectacular restaurant opened in late December, 2015 and has been serving heavenly food since then. Fufuโs is located at 195 E Alessandro Blvd, Riverside, CA 92508 (formerly Pineapple Joeโs). โI have always been interested in creating a restaurant that serves Lebanese food, and my dream to do so has finally become a reality,โ the owner, Mark Berry revealed. Next door to the restaurant is a unique hookah lounge with televisions, cards and games. The hookah lounge is part of the establishment open to those 18 years or older.
The food at Fufuโs is simply fantastic. The restaurant serves nearly every Middle Eastern dish. The food ranges from the well-known dishes of tabouleh, shawarma and hummus to others that arenโt as familiar, such as zaatar pies, delicious flatbread covered with zaatarโ a Middle Eastern herb, and shish tawookโ a marinated chicken kebab. Their mouthwatering pita bread is warm and fresh. My personal favorite is the falafel plate. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, Fufuโs falafel is satisfying and scrumptious. To top it all off after a delicious meal, Fufuโs serves fried Oreos. Yes, fried Oreos. While this may not be a Middle Eastern dish, it is quite the treat. โWe are looking forward to adding more desserts to our menu very soon,โ Berry disclosed, mentioning that baklavaโalways a crowd-pleaserโ will soon be on the menu.
The establishment was developed by the Berry familyโ a family of former, current and future Poly students. Allie Berry, Markโs son and an employee at Fufuโs, attended Poly from 2007 to 2011. Allie was a coach for the Poly Freshman Basketball Team for two years. Another Poly alumna, Sarah Berry, graduated in 2012. Sarah now works at and manages the hookah lounge next door to the restaurant. โCreating the restaurant and hookah lounge was much harder than we expected. It was a lot of planning and hard work,โ Sarah asserted, adding that they were constantly trying to perfect their new building.
Another one of Markโs sons, Hassan Berry (12), is a current Poly student and plays on the basketball team. Markโs youngest, Sam Berry, is looking forward to attending the school in a few years. Markโs wife, Iman Berry, helps make the savory entrรฉes being served at Fufuโs. โThe amount of Lebanese restaurants in Riverside is very limited,โ Iman Berry declared, explaining that they sought to โcreate a restaurant that serves homemade, fresh, different and unique Lebanese food.โ This restaurant has finally become a reality. Fufuโs Mideast Grill is the Mediterranean-food-loverโs paradise.
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