Al-Saedi Mediterranean Cuisine

Hadi Al-Saedi runs the kitchen with his brother and his eldest son. His wife, Layla, manages the dining room and bakes the samoon bread, a diamond-shaped Iraqi flatbread that arrives at every table fresh from the oven. The family learned to cook from Hadi's mother, who ran a small catering operation in Baghdad before the war. When they arrived in Rolla they brought her handwritten recipe notebooks; you can see them, in Arabic, in a glass case near the register.

The Al-Saedis are quick to credit the Rolla community for embracing the restaurant in its first uncertain year. The S&T international students provided a steady customer base, but the breakthrough came when the local Methodist church organized a Sunday lunch outing in 2015. Word spread, the Rolla Daily News wrote a feature, and within a year the dinner waiting list stretched out the door on Friday and Saturday nights.

Today the restaurant is firmly established and the family has begun thinking about a second location, possibly in Lebanon or Springfield. For now, the Rolla store remains the only place to taste Layla's bread and Hadi's qoozi. The family attends most Route 66 festivals in town and caters the annual S&T international food fair.

Start with the samoon bread and a trio of dips: hummus, baba ghanoush, and labneh (a thick strained yogurt drizzled with olive oil and za'atar). The bread comes out of the wood-fired oven still pillow-soft and faintly charred on the bottom, perfect for scooping. If you want to add one more starter, go for the falafel, which is fried to order with a crisp shell and a tender, herb-flecked interior. Avoid pre-made falafel forever after.

For mains, the qoozi is the must-order if you are at all curious about Iraqi cooking. The lamb shank falls off the bone, the yellow rice carries saffron and cardamom, and the toasted almonds and raisins balance the richness. If lamb is not your style, the chicken shish kebab is exceptionally moist, marinated overnight in lemon, garlic, and Aleppo pepper. The mixed grill platter is a good choice for two people sharing.

Save room for a small dessert. The baklava is house-made and lighter than most American versions, less syrup and more honey. The cardamom tea, served in small clear glasses with a cube of sugar on the side, is the right finish. Adventurous diners should try the kanafeh, a warm cheese pastry topped with rose-water syrup and crushed pistachios. The Al-Saedis make it only on Friday and Saturday nights; it is worth planning your visit around.

Al-Saedi is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and closed Sunday for family rest day. Lunch service runs through 2 p.m.; dinner starts at 5 p.m. Reservations are recommended for Friday and Saturday evenings and can be made by phone. Walk-ins on weekdays are usually accommodated within fifteen minutes. The dining room is small, so large groups should call at least a day ahead.

All meat is halal, sourced from a Lebanese supplier in St. Louis. Vegetarian and vegan diners are well taken care of: at least eight menu items are fully vegan, and the family is happy to modify others. The kitchen can handle most gluten allergies but is not a dedicated gluten-free facility; ask before ordering. Beer and wine are not served, but the cardamom tea, fresh lemonade, and rose-water drinks more than compensate.

Parking is in a shared lot in front of the building, with overflow on side streets. The restaurant is fully accessible at ground level. Takeout is available and travels well; the samoon bread is best eaten on-site but the kebabs and rice dishes hold up beautifully for an hour. Pair the meal with a walk through the S&T campus and the Stonehenge replica for a Rolla evening you'll remember.