Restaurant was SLO County staple for 2 decades. It just reopened with new owner — and menu
Classic Mediterranean food is the focus at the recently reopened Cambria Café, which has a new owner, crew and cuisine.
The restaurant, located at 2282 Main St. in Cambria, started serving food again on Sept. 25. It’s tucked between Bob & Jan’s Bottle Shop liquor shop and Among Friends gift store, across the street from Linn’s Restaurant.
Nanyeli Mendoza served up American and Mexican cuisine to a loyal customer base at Cambria Café for about two decades, closing her doors in July after she lost her lease and decided to retire.
Now the restaurant is under the management of owner Rafaeel Manja.
Manja, 33, is from Syria, where he managed a restaurant for eight years. He worked in grocery delivery in Los Angeles before coming to Cambria to help the building’s owner, cousin George Ghazaly, who is from Lebanon.
The new Cambria Café is mostly a family operation. Manja’s in-laws and nieces, who also live in Cambria, handle everything from chef duties and prep to serving customers.
Manja and his wife, Christeen Toma, are expecting their third daughter, Serenah, this month, joining her sisters, Christella, who turns 3 on Oct. 19, and Haleighnna, who’s 2 years old.
The menu at Cambria Café hearkens back to Manja’s childhood, with classic Middle Eastern dishes such as grilled kebabs, falafels, fattoush, tabbouleh and chicken or beef shawarma, as well as babba ghanuj, a smoked eggplant dip, and kafta, a skewered log of seasoned, ground meat.
Entrées cost $15 to $24, and come with turmeric-scented basmati rice.
The pita bread is delivered from Los Angeles. And Manja said he imports his spices from overseas.
The restaurant is decorated with posters depicting classic images such as a fez, dancers, playing cards and the aud musical instrument that Manja plays at home.
Mediterranean food not new to North Coast
What many consider to be Mediterranean cuisine is not new to the North Coast.
For decades, Nick and Debbie Kaperonis served up popular Greek dishes at Brambles Dinner House in Cambria, inspired by Nick’s childhood.
Robin’s Restaurant in Cambria includes some Middle Eastern-inspired dishes, such as a meze plate, on its eclectic international menu.
Various North Coast restaurants serve Italian dishes. But for many purists, true Mediterranean food hails from Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia and Spain.
Cambria Café is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For details, call 805-927-8519 or go to facebook.com/Cambria-Cafe-100855546626215.
