Beloved Mediterranean Restaurant Fadi’s Makes a Triumphant Return to Westheimer

One of Houston’s pioneering Mediterranean restaurants is returning to its roots with a new location just blocks away from the Galleria-area site where it was founded 24 years ago.

Fadi’s Mediterrenean Grill, which now has eight restaurants scattered throughout Houston and Dallas, officially opened its newest location yesterday, August 23, at 6365 Westheimer Road. That’s just a few blocks away from the original Westheimer and Dunvale Road address where the beloved restaurant chain was founded.

Chef and founder Fadi Dimassi, who was born and raised in Saida, Lebanon, began working at his family’s restaurant at the age of 19. After moving to Houston, he opened a restaurant of his own in 1997, serving Lebanese and Mediterranean food to Houstonians at a time when that cuisine was not well-known in the city.

Over the years, the Fadi’s empire has grown to include a banquet hall, a fast-casual spinoff called Fadi’s Eatery near the Museum District, plus locations in Katy, near CITYCENTRE, Sugar Land, and Dallas. However, in 2017, the original location at 8383 Westheimer closed when Dimassi and his staff were locked out of the business by their landlord. At the time, Swamplot reported that Dimassi owed $71,000 in back rent on the location.

A return to Westheimer Avenue means Houstonians no longer have to travel outside the Beltway for Fadi’s dishes like shawarma Arabia, Jordanian lamb cooked in dried fermented yogurt, kousa and grape leaves, and fish curry. The new Westheimer location is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Original Fadi’s Mediterranean Grill Locked Out After 20 Years on Westheimer [Swamplot]