Moroccan Hospitality Restaurant in Somerville Has Closed

A family-owned restaurant in Somerville that featured North African cuisine has shut down, and COVID is to blame.

According to an article in Wicked Local, Moroccan Hospitality Restaurant on Somerville Avenue is no longer in business, with sisters Amina and Nouzha Ghallay initially starting off the year strong with their dining spot, but as Nouzha says, "In March, we had all these reservations, but as soon as COVID hit us, people started canceling them. After March, the business was going down, down, down – sinking little by little – and we never recovered from that." The restaurant started out in Malden in 2011, moving to Somerville three years later, with the menu including such dishes as lentil fritters, lamb tajine, chicken kebabs, and veggie couscous.

The address for the now-closed Moroccan Hospitality Restaurant was 585 Somerville Avenue, Somerville, MA, 02143.

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Baraka Cafe in Cambridge's Central Square to Move to Boca Grande Space Near Porter Square

A restaurant in the Central Square section of Cambridge is moving to another section of the city, and it will be taking over the space where a popular Mexican eatery had been.

According to a Twitter post, Baraka Cafe has a note in the window of the former Boca Grande space near Porter Square that says it is moving from its home on Pearl Street to the Mass. Ave. space. The note does not say when the move will take place, only saying that it will be open in the new location from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM Tuesday through Sunday.

Baraka Cafe first opened approximately 20 years ago, offering North African cuisine with a specific focus on Algerian and Tunisian fare; Boca Grande, which closed its Porter Square location earlier this summer, has also closed other shops and is now down to just one by the CambridgeSide Galleria in East Cambridge, though its new owner plans to open a new shop somewhere in the city later this year.

The new address for Baraka Cafe will be 1728 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, while its old address is 80 Pearl Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139. The restaurant's website can be found at http://www.barakacafe.com/

[September 26 update: Eater Boston states that Baraka Cafe shut down its Pearl Street location over the weekend, and that it will announce on social media when it plans to open in its new location on Mass. Ave.]

[November 16 update: A new post from Eater Boston says that Baraka Cafe could be opening in the next few days in its new space near Porter Square.]

[November 28 update: According to posts from its Facebook page, Baraka Cafe is now open in its new home.]

[Earlier Articles]
Boca Grande Changes Ownership, Will Open New Restaurant in Cambridge
Boca Grande Near Cambridge's Porter Square Has Closed

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Casbah Restaurant in Cambridge to Become the Fat Man Cafe

A restaurant in the Alewife/Fresh Pond section of Cambridge that features mostly North African and Middle Eastern cuisine is going to be changing its concept, with plans in the works to change it to a spot that focuses on BBQ.

The Boston Globe mentions that Casbah on New Street is going to change its name to the Fat Man Cafe and will center around more of a "barbecue concept." As reported earlier today, the owner of both Casbah and the upcoming Fat Man Cafe is Sari Abul-Jubein, who also runs the soon-to-close landmark restaurant Casablanca in the Harvard Square section of the city.

Casbah first opened last summer, replacing a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurant called Basha.

No other information has been given on the Fat Man Cafe at this point in time; as soon as we find out more about the place, we will post an update here.

The address for Casbah/Fat Man Cafe is 26 New Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138.

[Earlier Articles]
Casbah Restaurant Is Opening in Cambridge's Alewife/Fresh Pond Neighborhood
Casablanca in Cambridge's Harvard Square to Close


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Casbah Restaurant Is Opening in Cambridge's Alewife/Fresh Pond Neighborhood

It looks like a new restaurant is on its way to the Alewife/Fresh Pond section of Cambridge, and it may be featuring North African and Middle Eastern cuisine.

According to notes from a Cambridge License Commission Hearing, Casbah Restaurant is planning to open on New Street, which is behind the Fresh Pond Mall. The address also happens to be that of Basha, a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dining spot that has been open since early 2009. Based on information from the License Commission Hearing notes, it looks like the person behind the proposed Casbah Restaurant is also the owner of Casablanca Restaurant in Harvard Square. The notes also mention that Casbah is hoping to have a seating capacity of 150--including 50 outdoor patio seats--and that it might be open for both lunch and dinner.

Currently, there is little else on the planned opening of Casbah Restaurant (including whether it will take over Basha or share the building with that restaurant), so keep checking back for updates.

[October 31 update: According to a poster on Chowhound, Casbah Restaurant is now open, and it indeed appears to have replaced Basha.]

The address for this new eatery in Cambridge is: Casbah Restaurant, 26 New Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138.

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