This new Middle Eastern restaurant offers cuisine 'that's not tapped into' in Peoria

Cassidy Waigand, Journal Star
·4 min read
Co-owners Mohammed Zeid and Samira Zeid stand outside of Yusuf's Cuisine on June 22, 2023. The restaurant opened for dining in early May.
Co-owners Mohammed Zeid and Samira Zeid stand outside of Yusuf's Cuisine on June 22, 2023. The restaurant opened for dining in early May.

In Peoria, a mother-son team is aiming to bring traditional Palestinian meals to the Peoria area.

Samira Zeid and Mohammed Zeid opened Yusuf's Cuisine for dine-in on May 1. Mohammed said dishes such as imsakhan and maqluba are not commonly found outside of the Chicago area in Illinois.

“You really don't find that here,” Mohammed said. “You find the more chicken shawarma, beef shawarma, hummus, falafel, baba ghanoush. But there's so much more to Middle Eastern food. And that’s not tapped into here.”

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Behind the family business

Mohammed Zeid and Samira Zeid, a mother and son team, co-own Yusuf's Cuisine. The restaurant opened for dine-in on May 1.
Mohammed Zeid and Samira Zeid, a mother and son team, co-own Yusuf's Cuisine. The restaurant opened for dine-in on May 1.

Each co-owner brings different experiences with them when it comes to opening a restaurant.

His mother is the longtime cook who has been immersed in Middle Eastern cuisine, Mohammed said.

Samira left Kuwait during the Gulf War. The family moved to Peoria from Jordan in 1999, when Mohammed was around 7 years old.

Since being here, Mohammed said his mother has become known for her cooking in the community. He said she commonly makes meals for their mosque.

“She’s been cooking all her life, and it’s kind of been a passion for her,” Mohammed said. “So, I said, ‘Hey, why not open a restaurant and see where it goes?’ So, that’s kind of how it all started.”

For Mohammed, his experience lies in the more technical side of restaurant ownership. He and a partner co-own a restaurant in Springfield.

While cooking has been a longtime passion for Samira, Mohammed said preparing food for a restaurant is a different experience. So, he said he has worked to acclimate her to the industry over the first few months in business.

“It is kind of a transition,” he said. “You're working with your mom. So, I love every second of it, but she does tell me what to do sometimes.”

A third generation of the Zeid family is also involved in a small way. The restaurant, as well as a staple dish, are named after Mohammed’s 6-year-old son, Yusuf.

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What is on the menu?

Co-owner Mohammed Zeid cuts an Imsakhan Pizza at Yusuf's Cuisine. The business opened for in-person dining in early May.
Co-owner Mohammed Zeid cuts an Imsakhan Pizza at Yusuf's Cuisine. The business opened for in-person dining in early May.

While the restaurant does offer falafel and hummus, entrees are inspired by traditional Palestinian meals, primarily from the Levant region. Mohammed said other Middle Eastern dishes already found in the area, such as shawarma, are similar to street food.

“Home meals that we have in the Middle East are much more complex,” he said.

On the menu, customers will find items including:

  • Yusuf’s bowl – $11.99

  • Maqluba bowl – $11.99

  • Gyro sandwich or bowl – $12.99

  • Imsakhan pizza – $14.99

The maqluba bowl features chicken, rice, potatoes, eggplants, roasted almonds and other vegetables. The pizza is topped with chicken, roasted almonds, onions, samac and olive oil. Customers can also find a mint lemonade.

"We like to sprinkle mint (and almonds) on everything,” Mohammed said with a laugh.

The Maqluba Bowl at Yusuf's Cuisine comes with rice, roasted almonds, a variety of vegetables and chicken. The restaurant opened for dining in early May.
The Maqluba Bowl at Yusuf's Cuisine comes with rice, roasted almonds, a variety of vegetables and chicken. The restaurant opened for dining in early May.

Many of the entrees currently feature chicken as their main source of protein. Mohammed said he and his mother are looking to expand the menu in the future with fish, lamb and beef options.

However, he said the meat they use will come from halal certified distributors. Halal means the food is handled and prepared according to Islamic law.

Yusuf’s began by offering catering. So far, Mohammed said the restaurant has primarily catered to the area’s Muslim community for holidays and events.

“Middle Eastern food is generally served in a big setting, so catering is perfect for that,” he said. “When you do a maqluba, you can't just do a maqluba for one person.”

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Connect with Yusuf’s Cuisine

Yusuf's Cuisine opened for dine-in eating in early May. The business is situated near Bradley University.
Yusuf's Cuisine opened for dine-in eating in early May. The business is situated near Bradley University.

So far, Mohammed said the restaurant has received a positive response from people who have stopped by. The restaurant has a five-star rating on Google with 15 reviews and a 4.9 star rating on DoorDash with 21 votes.

The biggest challenge now, Mohammed said, is encouraging community members to try something new.

“You're not serving something people know,” Mohammed said. “So, it does require that person actually take that leap and say, ‘OK, I'm gonna try something new today.”

Address: 841 W. Main St., Suite E, Peoria

Phone: (309) 361-4046

Hours: noon until 6 p.m. Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, closed Monday

Website: https://www.yusufscuisine.com/

Connect with Cassidy Waigand by emailing her at CWaigand@gannett.com or by following her on Twitter at @justxaxwriter.

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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Middle Eastern restaurant opens in Peoria near Bradley University