RESTAURANT: Fufu’s Mideast Grill is a sensational new restaurant that will have you drooling over the food and always coming back for more.
By Dyala Harb, Staff Writer
This spectacular restaurant opened in late December, 2015 and has been serving heavenly food since then. Fufu’s is located at 195 E Alessandro Blvd, Riverside, CA 92508 (formerly Pineapple Joe’s). “I have always been interested in creating a restaurant that serves Lebanese food, and my dream to do so has finally become a reality,” the owner, Mark Berry revealed. Next door to the restaurant is a unique hookah lounge with televisions, cards and games. The hookah lounge is part of the establishment open to those 18 years or older.
The food at Fufu’s is simply fantastic. The restaurant serves nearly every Middle Eastern dish. The food ranges from the well-known dishes of tabouleh, shawarma and hummus to others that aren’t as familiar, such as zaatar pies, delicious flatbread covered with zaatar— a Middle Eastern herb, and shish tawook— a marinated chicken kebab. Their mouthwatering pita bread is warm and fresh. My personal favorite is the falafel plate. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, Fufu’s falafel is satisfying and scrumptious. To top it all off after a delicious meal, Fufu’s serves fried Oreos. Yes, fried Oreos. While this may not be a Middle Eastern dish, it is quite the treat. “We are looking forward to adding more desserts to our menu very soon,” Berry disclosed, mentioning that baklava—always a crowd-pleaser— will soon be on the menu.
The establishment was developed by the Berry family— a family of former, current and future Poly students. Allie Berry, Mark’s son and an employee at Fufu’s, attended Poly from 2007 to 2011. Allie was a coach for the Poly Freshman Basketball Team for two years. Another Poly alumna, Sarah Berry, graduated in 2012. Sarah now works at and manages the hookah lounge next door to the restaurant. “Creating the restaurant and hookah lounge was much harder than we expected. It was a lot of planning and hard work,” Sarah asserted, adding that they were constantly trying to perfect their new building.
Another one of Mark’s sons, Hassan Berry (12), is a current Poly student and plays on the basketball team. Mark’s youngest, Sam Berry, is looking forward to attending the school in a few years. Mark’s wife, Iman Berry, helps make the savory entrées being served at Fufu’s. “The amount of Lebanese restaurants in Riverside is very limited,” Iman Berry declared, explaining that they sought to “create a restaurant that serves homemade, fresh, different and unique Lebanese food.” This restaurant has finally become a reality. Fufu’s Mideast Grill is the Mediterranean-food-lover’s paradise.