Authentic Iraqi cuisine is on the menu at this new State College restaurant
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mosul Grill, a new Iraqi restaurant, is opening in downtown State College.
- The restaurant is taking over the former Jimmy John’s at 434 E. College Ave.
- Its menu will feature authentic Iraqi dishes, fresh-grilled meats and more.
A new restaurant is set to bring authentic Middle Eastern cuisine to downtown State College.
Mosul Grill is expected to serve a wide-ranging menu of Iraqi dishes and specialties once it opens Friday at 434 E. College Ave. The new restaurant is preparing to open in the former home of Jimmy John’s, which quietly closed in early 2024.
According to the Downtown State College Improvement District, Mosul Grill is a dream come true for owner Mahmood Alshekhkder, who moved to State College with his family in 2011. Alshekhkder, who has worked in and helped run restaurants for more than 20 years, said the restaurant should help local diners experience new cuisines and flavors.
“We have a very good food culture that we want to share,” Alshekhkder told the DSCID. “We want the people of State College to experience a different flavor, classic tastes from the Middle East, and I know they will like it.”
Highlights of the restaurant’s halal menu will include lahmacun, a thin and crispy flatbread topped with egg, as well as fresh-grilled meats and vegetables. Other traditional platters are available alongside rice, salads and other sides.
Upgraded equipment in the former Jimmy John’s space is expected to help Mosul Grill serve meals grilled fresh to order without using frozen foods, the DSCID said.
“When people come in, they are going to feel welcome,” Alshekhkder told the nonprofit group. “They will smell the food on the grill, see it being made fresh and taste it right away. We think they will get hooked quickly.”
For now, Mosul Grill’s hours and days of operations are not immediately clear.
Mosul Grill may provide updates on its operations through its newly created Instagram page, though it has not yet made any posts.
Mosul Grill is the latest restaurant or shop to open in State College this summer, joining newcomers like Caramel Afternoon Pastry and Catering, Eden Valley Coffee Co., Fresh Bite Pizza and Benny Leone’s. Plans are already in the works for other restaurants in the area, including a spin-off of the Penn State-themed We Are Inn and a new diner coming to a beloved downtown property.
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