This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

a family-run Mediterranean / Middle Eastern (Levantine) restaurant on West 39th Street in Midtown KCMO, owned by married couple Kari (a lifelong Midwesterner) and Fuad (a refugee from Palestine), serving original recipes carried from the family restaurant Abu Zarifeh’s in Irbid, Jordan; Tier 1 as immigrant owner-operators sharing family recipes from home.

Description

Kari’s on 39th is a family-run Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant at 1715 W 39th St. in the West 39th Street corridor of Midtown Kansas City, Missouri.12 The kitchen describes its food as “the authentic flavors of the Levant in a warm, family-run atmosphere,” with a menu built around chicken shawarma, gyro sandwiches, falafel, hummus, kebabs, and mixed grill platters made from traditional recipes.12 It also offers succulent grilled meats, fresh house-made lemonades, and a range of vegetarian and gluten-free options.13

The recipes are original to the owners’ family restaurant, Abu Zarifeh’s, established in 1958 in Irbid, Jordan, which specialized in Turkish-style BBQ and Middle Eastern cuisine for more than 60 years.23 Local food coverage describes a homey dine-in space — table flowers, fresh-brewed tea — with a small accompanying grocery selection of Mediterranean staples such as falafel mix and tahini, plus halal offerings.4 The restaurant offers dine-in and takeout and lists online ordering and delivery.15

Beyond the food, the room programs live entertainment: belly-dancing performances on Friday nights and live music on Saturday nights, reinforcing the restaurant’s stated mission to be “a safe, inclusive, and comfortable place for delicious food and drinks.”2

Ownership and history

Kari’s on 39th is owned by a married couple, Kari and Fuad.23 Kari is described as a lifelong Midwesterner; Fuad is a refugee from Palestine, and the two met “only blocks away from what eventually became their restaurant.”24 Their surnames were not confirmed in available sources.

The restaurant’s culinary lineage traces to Abu Zarifeh’s, the family’s restaurant founded in 1958 in Irbid, Jordan, from which the couple’s original recipes are drawn.23 The 39th Street location was operating by April 2023, when local outlet The Pitch covered it as a halal destination for end-of-Ramadan treats, noting that Kari often serves customers personally.4 Multiple restaurant directories list the business as opening in 2023.3

Sources

Disputes

(None active.)

Footnotes

  1. Kari’s on 39th — official website — https://karison39th.com/ — asserts: name, Mediterranean/Middle Eastern (Levant) concept, “warm, family-run atmosphere,” grilled meats, fresh lemonades, vegetarian/gluten-free options, dine-in/takeout/online ordering, phone (816) 621-0210, heritage from Abu Zarifeh’s. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  2. Order Kari’s on 39th — official ordering/about page — https://www.orderkarison39th.com/ — asserts: address 1715 W 39th St, KCMO 64111; owners Kari (lifelong Midwesterner) & Fuad (refugee from Palestine) who met blocks from the restaurant; recipes original to Abu Zarifeh’s (est. 1958, Irbid, Jordan; 60+ years Turkish-style BBQ & Middle Eastern); mission statement; live belly dancing Fri, live music Sat; menu items (shawarma, gyros, falafel, hummus, kebabs, mixed grill). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  3. Restaurant directory listings (NovaCircle / restaurant.com / restaurants-world) — e.g. https://www.restaurant.com/locations/kari-s-on-39th-kansas-city-1715-w-39th-st — asserts: Mediterranean/Middle Eastern cuisine, halal, opened 2023, Abu Zarifeh’s lineage (1958, Irbid, Jordan), address. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  4. The Pitch KC — “Dish & Drink KC: Halal treats to celebrate the end of Ramadan at Baba’s Pantry and Kari’s on 39th” (April 19, 2023) — https://www.thepitchkc.com/dish-drink-kc-halal-treats-to-celebrate-the-end-of-ramadan-at-babas-pantry-and-karis-on-39th/ — asserts: active operation as of April 2023, address 1715 W 39th St, halal Mediterranean food + small grocery (falafel mix, tahini), homey dine-in (table flowers, fresh tea), Kari often serves personally, Kari & Fuad met blocks away, Fuad refugee context. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  5. Joe Coffee / business listing — Kari’s on 39th, Kansas City — https://joe.coffee/locations/mo/kansas-city/karis-on-39th-kansas-city/ — asserts: hours (Mon 11–9, Tue closed, Wed–Sun 11–9), phone (816) 621-0210, address. ↩

See also

  • Registry
  • Owner-And-History-Research-Toolchain
Categories
  • Locally owned
  • Mediterranean
  • Middle Eastern
  • Midtown