TOLEDO – A new Mediterranean restaurant has opened in downtown Toledo, so the Toledo Free Press team went to lunch at the 4U Diner – and left absolutely stuffed.
4U Diner is a restaurant that specializes in American and Mediterranean cuisine. On the American side, it offers classic dishes, like scrambled eggs with turkey bacon, fried egg bacon cheeseburgers and fish and chicken. As for the Mediterranean fare, there’s everything from Baba Ganouj and falafel to Arayes Kafta and Lebanese burgers.
Because the restaurant is owned by a Lebanese family, expect a Mediterranean flavor to every meal.
Hassan El Khechen is the owner of the new family-owned establishment. His dad, Mohammad, his wife, Maryam, and brother, Ali, play a big role in the diner.
Through the first few weeks they’ve been open, the cheese rolls made by Hassan’s wife, Maryam, have been one of the most popular items on the menu.
Hassan says he does most of the cooking, with contributions from his wife, who makes the cheese rolls and rice, but eventually they would like to add to the staff.
“Rice, salads, everything is homemade,” Hassan El Khechen said.
When talking about the future of 4U diner, Hassan says he would love to grow the business as it gets more popular.
“I would open another location,” El Khechen said. “I’d keep this restaurant and open another with the same name.”
I had never had Mediterranean food before this, so I tried my best to branch out of my comfort zone and not order American food.
In our experience at the diner, a small and old-school eatery on N. Erie St., we tried to sample as much as we could.
The TFP team ordered an array of food. We got the mixed platter, which included grape leaves, falafels, kibble, cheese pie, spinach pie, hummus and tabbouleh – all for $16.99.
I ordered the gyro omelet with tomato, onion and feta cheese and it was fantastic. I’m from Cincinnati, and there are not many Mediterranean restaurants like there are in Toledo, so this was my first time trying gyro meat. When I looked at it, I thought it would be a hard texture, like steak or chicken, but it was surprisingly softer than it looked, and the flavor was … unique. It was good. Personally, it was a new experience for me because I hadn’t tried anything like it.
I also liked the tabbouleh (a salad made with bulgur wheat, tomatoes, parsley, mint, green onion, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil), and was surprised by the mint. I also enjoyed the cheese pie and falafel.
Even though I was full, of course I found room for dessert. We ordered baklava, a Greek flaky, layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. As I was eating it, I described it as the greatest dessert ever.
“Everything is fresh, made in a professional way,” El Khechen said when asked what stands out about his restaurant compared to others. The meat is halal style (prepared in accordance with Islamic law); it is prayed over before they cut it and the meat is also considered ‘permissible or lawful.’
Sitting on a stool next to large windows that face an alley were two men on their lunch break.
“You never know it if you don’t try it,” said Chico Rodriguez, a new customer. “The prices are pretty good, food is definitely good … I’d come back again.”
4U Diner is located on N. Erie St in downtown Toledo.
