Kareem’s Lebanese Kitchen has begun a soft opening at Rio in Gaithersburg ahead of its official opening next week. An employee confirmed the soft opening to The MoCoShow during a phone call on Monday afternoon. L
Kareem’s is located at 212 Boardwalk Place, in the space previously occupied by a music school. The restaurant’s Gaithersburg location is its first in the Washington metropolitan area, joining its original location in Naples, Florida.
The menu features a wide selection of authentic Lebanese dishes, including hummus, baba ghanoush, grape leaves, falafel, kibbeh, shawarma wraps, grilled kabobs, kafta, lamb shank and stuffed vegetables. Entrées include Chicken Farrouj, Salmon Harra, Mixed Grilled Mashawi, Shish Taouk, Chef’s Lamb Mouzat and Ovzi with Grape Leaves. Desserts include baklava, Beirut qatayef and chocolate lava cake.
Kareem’s is led by Chef Rachid, whose culinary roots trace back generations in Beirut, Lebanon. He attended the Culinary School of Beirut and began his career at the InterContinental Hotel in Beirut before moving to the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, DC.
The restaurant says Kareem’s was created to honor Chef Rachid’s family heritage while sharing the flavors and hospitality of Lebanon.
