Shawarma and falafel will live on at the intersection of 19th and Valencia streets.
SF Grill, a new Mediterranean restaurant, is set to open later this month at the space left empty by Yasmin last year.
The corner site has been serving Mediterranean dishes for the last 42 years. Ali Baba’s Cave operated there for 36 years before closing in 2019. Yasmin then took over and closed last year. Now, it’s SF Grill’s turn to carry the shawarma torch.
Co-owner Diaa Askandafi was raised in Syria with a Lebanese mother and a Syrian father. He said he wants to serve dishes just like the ones he remembers from his childhood.
“If you go to Lebanon in the future and you taste the food there, it will be the same exact thing [as in the restaurant],” said Askandafi. “We will be doing everything that we sell there handmade, all fresh ingredients.”
The restaurant’s menu includes shawarmas and kebabs in a wrap, or in a plate, grilled salmon, Mediterranean salads, gyros, hummus, baba ghanouj and a couple of American options with burgers and cheesesteaks.
Askandafi said freshness and high-quality ingredients are a priority for the restaurant.
“We’re going to be using homemade spices that come from back home … that are handpicked by farmers,” he added.
The restaurant is a partnership between Askandafi and Mohamed Ismail, both chefs for the last 25 years. The two have also owned Ted’s Market in SoMa for the last three years. It is a corner store with more than 50 years of history of selling sandwiches and groceries.
Askandafi said the corner store became too small to expand their menu, as some of their customers have requested. Instead, the two decided to bet on Valencia Street, given the most recent efforts to draw crowds to the corridor.
“Valencia has always been a place to go, have fun, enjoy your time and eat authentic, delicious food,” said Askandafi. “We saw an opportunity right now that they’re doing so many activities and drawing crowds there to party and have fun.”
The investment also comes with fear. Askandafi said an increase in prices is affecting his business at Ted’s Market, because it becomes difficult to pass costs onto the customer.
“I’m terrified of what’s going to happen, but in owning a business you have to take a risk, try and see what’s going to happen,” said Askandafi, who used credit cards, a loan and his savings to open the restaurant.
Askandafi hopes, however, to hook the Mission District community on his authentic Arabic seasoning.
“We rely on our customers’ support, so if they really want to taste the authentic Syrian, Lebanese food, we’re the place to go,” said Askandafi, before explaining why the Mission felt like the right fit.
“We named it SF Grill to reflect the unity of the immigrant people who come, work hard and try to prove themselves … that’s why we’re in the Mission.”
SF Grill is expected to open on Aug. 15 at 799 Valencia St. at 19th Street.
Dining and Cooking