Jawdi Grill in the former Papa Murphy’s storefront at Village Park Plaza in Westfield serves Mediterranean cuisine inspired by authentic Palestinian and Jordanian flavors, reflecting the owners’ heritage.
Chicken and beef are shown on a rotating spit at Jawdi Grill. (Photo courtesy of Jawdi Grill)
Jawdi Grill is named after co-owner Jawdi Abumayyaleh, who opened the restaurant in December 2025 with business partner Ahmed Abukhamsa. Menu items are made from traditional Palestinian family recipes from loved ones in Palestine. Abumayyaleh previously worked for Abukhamsa at his restaurant, Fayrouz Grill in Carmel.
“The menu, it comes from our country,” said Abumayyaleh. “We do a mix of Palestine and Jordan. I used to work in a lot of restaurants, and a lot of customers know who I am. When we opened this place, we just made a menu with what customers like. That’s how we made the menu, we took things that we’re really good at.”
Signature dishes are chicken shawarma and beef shawarma, which is meat that has been marinated and slowly roasted on a rotating spit. Slices of meat are then shaved off and served in various dishes. Other top dishes are hummus and falafel.
Other dishes include baklava, beef and chicken shawarma prepared Arabic style, and a Greek salad and gyro salad.
The owners say customer feedback, so far, has been overwhelmingly positive.
“We are really busy, and a lot of people like this food,” Abumayyaleh said. “I wasn’t expecting that. It’s doing great. The customers in this area are really great, too.
Jawdi Grill is at 1950 E. Greyhound Pass, Suite 19. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
Dining and Cooking