Saturday Morning Fire Forces Aladdin to Temporarily Shutter in Montrose

Grid View

One of Montrose's favorite Mediterranean haunts has closed but thankfully, not for long. On Saturday morning, a fire broke out at Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine on the bustling corner of Westheimer and Montrose. According to CultureMap, fire trucks arrived around 8 a.m. to put the blaze out. No one was inside at the time but the incident is under investigation.

The blaze occurred in the kitchen near the cash register, shares owner Ali Nahhus, who spent the weekend with his brother and family cleaning up the restaurant. "I'm fortunate to have great neighbors who called for help," says Nahhus of nearby businesses that alerted the fire department in time. According to Nahhus, firefighters arrived on the scene shortly after a call went in to the station. It's the quick action of neighbors and onlookers that potentially saved the restaurant from sustaining damage beyond repair.

Aside from an oven and a few other restaurant equipment that took the biggest hit, the rest of the eatery endured smoke damage. Nahhus and family cleaned and sanitized the entire restaurant, allowing the eight-year-old business to air out from the smoke. After two full days of non-stop work, the restaurant is back to its original appearance. Unfortunately, diners will have to wait a little longer for the cafeteria-style restaurant to open, despite a sign stating Aladdin would reopen Wednesday, April 1 as noted by CultureMap.

"If I could open tomorrow, I would but I have to wait on approval from the city," Nahhus shares who adds the restaurant will be undergoing renovations inside as well as improvement on the outside soon. Thankfully, the Aladdin owners says the process is moving quickly and smoothly, noting the restaurant could reopen as early as Friday, April 3 or next week.