Lexington Middle Eastern restaurant sold and there’s big news on the buffet.
A tiny but popular Middle Eastern restaurant in Lexington has been sold.
But before The Oasis changed hands, the new owner had to make a deal: Keep the food the same.
That’s what Ahmad Saleh said he will do. He has had help: For about four months, longtime owner Mahmoud Ahmad taught Saleh how to make the food that has kept fans coming back (in some cases every day) for more than 20 years. So, yes, it will stay authentic Mediterranean favorites.
“I’ve known the family forever, they are friends and they made me promise,” Saleh said.
The restaurant in Chevy Chase Plaza officially changed hands this month after Saleh purchased it from Ahmad, who purchased The Oasis with partners in 2002.
The Ahmad family posted a farewell message on the restaurant’s Facebook page saying, “I would like to inform our dear customers that we have sold The Oasis Restaurant. We have been the sole owners for 20 years, but it’s time for new adventures! I would like to thank everyone for all the memories we have created and shared throughout the years. Thank you for the support you all have giving us since day one and for showing up and sticking with us during the pandemic! We hope that you show the same love that you all showed us to the new owners!”
Ali Ahmad, Mahmoud Ahmad’s son, said that his father, who was a native of Lebanon, came to Lexington from Detroit to work in another restaurant, called Aladdin. Then he and two partners decided to buy The Oasis from a Syrian family who had opened a Middle Eastern grocery with a small buffet under that name years before.
Ahmad expanded the buffet, adding more dishes including Lebanese salads and specialties, Ali Ahmad said. Over the years, Mahmoud Ahmad bought out the partners and now his father is ready to retire and move back to Michigan where the family still lives, Ali Ahmad said.
So he worked with Saleh. “We’ve been training with him for the past four months, gave him all our recipes and all the secrets of our ingredients,” Ahmad said.
So the shakshuka, foul moudammas, moujadara, shawarma and garlic sauce and all the other dishes are still available for lunch or dinner, a big comfort for many customers.
Ali Ahmad said that many of the regulars come daily for lunch. “We just tell the kitchen their name and they know what to make,” he said.
But Saleh does plan a few changes: He’s bringing back the lunch buffet. “Very soon,” he said.
And he plans to add more vegetarian dishes, something he said customers have requested.
As for the regular menu, “if there’s room for an upgrade we’ll do that,” he said.
The Oasis
What: Mediterranean restaurant
Where: 837 Chevy Chase Place
Hours: 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday
Call: 859-269-6440
Online: Oasisrestaurant.org
