Food Court Adds a Mediterranean Twist

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – As world travel increases so do the cuisines from those exotic destinations. 

Balila Kitchen is a Mediterranean food restaurant that celebrated its grand opening in the Colony Square Mall with a ribbon cutting ceremony performed by the Zanesville Muskingum County Chamber of Commerce.

“We are offering some Mediterranean foods. We make most of it from scratch. Like hummus, falafel, pita bread, Shawarma, chicken and beef. And we’re making kibbeh… I hope I’m not missing anything. I have the manakish, which is a flatbread topped with either zaatar, which is a thyme seasoning or white cheese,” Balila Kitchen Owner Ahmad Abubakr said.

Abubakr’s family migrated to Ohio from Jordan. His resume includes working for Honda and Boeing but his membership in the Ohio National Guard led him to Zanesville, where he was able to share his tastes in food with Muskingum County residents through selling his homemade products at the local farmers market.

“People here in Zanesville are awesome. They are helpful, supportive. They always share their kind words with us when they try the food. Their honest opinions, that is a lot of help from them to be honest. If they want to try something new, different, delicious, we’ll try to make it affordable too. Not because it’s authentic, we overcharge. We try to make it affordable for everybody. I think they should come and support a local business here in Zanesville,” Abubakr said.

Balil’s Kitchen menu offers a limited number of options that have made the list by sheer preference over ordinary options. If you would like to learn more about Balila Kitchen and see their complete menu, you can visit them online.