From Family Recipe to Restaurant Favorite

Every restaurant has a story. But not every restaurant's story starts with a grandmother's handwritten recipe card, faded with age and stained with decades of use. This is the story of how traditional family recipes became the heart of Eatarra's menu.

The Beginning: A Kitchen Table Dream

It started with a simple question: "Why isn't there a place that serves real American breakfast and authentic shawarma under one roof?"

The founders of Eatarra—Maria and David—came from very different culinary backgrounds. Maria grew up in an Armenian household where the smell of grilling meat and fresh bread was a constant. David was raised on classic American comfort food—pancakes on Sunday mornings, bacon and eggs before school.

When they met, they discovered they shared the same passion: authentic, home-cooked food that brings people together. They also realized that LA was missing something—a place that could honor both traditions equally.

Grandma's Shawarma Marinade

The shawarma recipe that defines our lunch menu comes directly from Maria's grandmother. It was passed down through three generations, each adding their own subtle touches while keeping the core flavors intact.

"The first time I made it for David, he couldn't believe it," Maria recalls. "He said it was better than anything he'd had at any Middle Eastern restaurant. I told him, 'That's because most restaurants use shortcuts. This recipe takes time, but it's worth it.'"

David's Diner-Style Breakfast

On the American side, David brought recipes he learned from years of working in his uncle's diner in the Midwest. The pancake batter, the way the eggs are cooked, even the technique for getting hash browns crispy on the outside and fluffy inside—all learned in that small-town diner.

"My uncle taught me that breakfast is about consistency," David explains. "People want their eggs the same way every time. They want their pancakes to be exactly as they remember. That reliability is what builds trust with customers."

The Testing Phase

Before opening Eatarra, Maria and David spent six months perfecting every recipe. They invited friends and family for "test dinners," serving dish after dish and taking notes on every comment.

"We must have made breakfast burritos a hundred different ways," Maria laughs. "Different tortillas, different cheese, scrambled vs. fried eggs. We tested everything until we found the perfect combination."

Keeping It Authentic

As Eatarra has grown, we've been careful not to lose what made these recipes special in the first place. Yes, we've scaled them up. Yes, we've adapted them for a professional kitchen. But the heart of each recipe—the techniques, the proportions, the care—remains unchanged.

We still marinate our shawarma overnight. We still crack eggs to order. We still hand-roll our soujouk. Because shortcuts might save time, but they cost something more valuable: authenticity.

Your Stories Become Ours

Now, years later, we hear from customers who have made Eatarra part of their family traditions. The couple who has breakfast here every Sunday. The office that orders shawarma for every team lunch. The family that gets whole chickens for their Friday dinners.

These new traditions—built around food that started as family recipes—remind us why we started this restaurant in the first place. Good food brings people together. It creates memories. It becomes part of your story.

And that's the most rewarding part: knowing that recipes passed down through our families are now creating new memories for yours.