This article is the inaugural piece of the Hard Truths and Colfax series. Every two weeks we will be highlighting a restaurant that could use a little extra love after experiencing losses during the Bus Rapid Transit construction project.
This will become part of a growing roundup of Colfax businesses that we at The Dive believe to be the heart of Denver dining.
Obeid Kaifo and his brothers Zeid and Juneid have seen it all. They’ve watched their front window become a canvas, as folks repeatedly scrawl their names or affiliations as if no one is looking from the other side. They’ve watched off-the-clock politicians toast their adversaries and besmirch their allies. They’ve watched, with astounding patience, an endless stream of axe grinders show up to deliver whatever racist tirade is in vogue that month.
None of that has stopped them from making the best hummus in the city.
The three siblings own and operate Shish Kabob Grill, where they serve heaping kabob plates, sturdy shawarma sandwiches and top-tier dips like baba ghanouj and itzaziki. A true family business, Shish Kabob Grill has been largely the same since their parents, Omar and Mariam, opened the restaurant on the corner of Colfax and Grant in 2004.
These days, the Kaifo brothers pretty much run the show in their parents’ stead. All three learned the ropes early. Each says he started manning the cash register right about the time he could first see over it. In the process, they’ve learned to navigate Colfax’s constant inconsistencies and wacky rhythms.
Obeid, the eldest of the three, says the restaurant’s location has been both a boon and a blight. Its proximity to the Capitol has made it a magnet for a rotating door of lawmakers, aides and every kind of political hanger-on. The eatery is about as central as it gets, and has regulars who flock from every corner of the city. The intersection is also a central hub for all the activities that contribute to Colfax’s fabled wickedness. “I get weirdos all day. I’m used to that,” said Obeid. “But the restaurant lets me feel the pulse of the city.”
Even with the food not being particularly accented by regional nuance, the brothers aren’t shy about repping their Syrian heritage. Obeid, who runs the restaurant with all the hand-shaking, baby-kissing jollity of a seasoned public servant, spent plenty of time on the board of the Syrian American Council and is still an active community leader. He says that the dishes, which have hardly been changed in Shish Kabob Grill’s 22 years in business, were initially made through trial and error. Items like the cheese and spinach pie and the grilled chicken breast plate are more a reflection of the family’s exquisite personal taste than they are of Omar and Mariam’s connection to Aleppo.
Lots of guests find that they come for the hummus and wind up staying for the kindness and hospitality that they inevitably receive. There’s a unique warmth to the place, formed out of a compassion that Obeid says comes from years of practice. “As a Muslim, I’ve had to give people a lot of grace,” he said, adding that he’s unfortunately grown used to being harassed by folks regurgitating anti-Islamic talking points.
Seven days a week, the Kaifo brothers are at the restaurant, lending coherence and harmony to a world gone mad. “People aren’t always coming here because they need food,” said Obeid. “They come here to live their life.”
There’s not a bad dish on the menu, but the ones that prominently feature the hummus tend to be the stars. The mightiest of all of these is the hummus and meat plate, which finds either chicken or gyro swimming in a sea of the place’s tahini-rich chickpea spread. Don’t leave without getting the toum, a truly terrific garlic dip that should be avoided on first dates.
Obeid says that even though construction has ended in front of the restaurant, it’s still going to take a long time to get things back to the way they were. “The City knew this was going to hurt business,” he said. “It ended up being way worse than they thought,” he continued, adding that the relief provided by the City and County of Denver through its Business Impact Opportunity Fund amounted to little more than “a wet Band-Aid.”
Even so, Obeid says he’s optimistic. “It’s been a trickle. But it’s starting to remind me of the good old days,” he said.
The restaurant will participate in the Colfax GrubHop on October 13th, where it will be serving $1 falafel dishes anytime after 6 p.m.
Shish Kabob Grill is located at 1503 North Grant Street, Denver. It is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m,, and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Photos courtesy of Nosferatune.
