Discover shawarma and other Mediterranean cuisine at the new restaurant in Palmetto
With the opening last week of Jerry’s Grill and Bowl, 1210 Eighth Ave. W., Palmetto gained a new restaurant featuring Mediterranean cuisine, along with a bit of downtown redevelopment as well.
Getting the property ready, a former Kentucky Fried Chicken and Mexican restaurant that had been damaged by fire, took a good five months, manager Jehad Husein said.
“There was no roof and just four walls. It was a very hard job,” Husein said.
Although the dining room is open for 50 percent occupancy, most customers have opted to use the drive through, out of caution over the coronavirus pandemic, he said.
The bowl menu includes grilled chicken, grilled beef steak, shawarma, Greek gyro, grilled mixed veggies, falafel, fish, kabob and grilled lamb bowls. Bowl dishes start at $9.99.
Also offered are platters of chicken shawarma, starting at $10.99, along with beef, Greek gyro, falafel, lamb kabob, beef kabob, chicken kabob, and fried fish platters.
Sandwiches start at $5.99. Greek and Arabic salads are offered, starting at $4.99. The menu also has baklava, as well as traditional American desserts.
One customer who came into the restaurant to order Monday was Kirk Morey, who has been watching the renovation of the property from a nearby business.
Morey, a Marvel comics fan, was eager to try the chicken shawarma, after hearing the characters in an “Iron Man” movie talk about going to a shawarma restaurant.
“I don’t know what shawarma is, so I wanted to try it. Everything looks delicious. This is something different than taco Tuesday,” Morey said.
Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish made of thinly sliced meat cut from a slowly-turning vertical rotisserie. Shawarma may be made of lamb, chicken, turkey, or beef.
Jehad and his wife, Suhad, are long-time veterans of the restaurant business and are very hands-on. Monday, Jehad was welcoming customers, taking orders and tending to the drive-through window, while Suhad put together dishes from the hot line.
“We make everything fresh. Everything is cut and chopped fresh every morning,” Suhad said. “there is nothing canned.”
In addition to the individual meals, Jerry’s also offers family deals. A whole roast chicken with beef kakobs, fries, salsa, and one side sells for $28.99. A whole roast chicken, fries, salsa, and garlic sauce sells for $14.99.
The restaurant is open 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. seven days a week. Eventually, the owners plan to hire more staff and keep the restaurant open until 9 p.m. daily.
For more information, call 941-479-7381, visit Jerry’s Grill & Bowl Facebook page, or visit https://www.jerrysgrillandbowl.com/
This story was originally published August 11, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
