Karim Alrubaii, co-owner of Al Chef restaurant in Clarkston, has decades of industry experience and feeding people in droves. His humility and kindness, as well as his family’s role within the Clarkston community and in uplifting local talent, keep customers coming back to the small, counter-service restaurant at Clarkston Market.
Alrubaii grew up in Basra, Iraq. His mother ran a cooking school from inside their home, where Alrubaii was also a regular student. He often served as his mother’s cooking assistant.
“When I came in [to my mother’s cooking school], I sat all day,” he said.
From Iraq to Lebanon to Clarkston
In 1977, Alrubaii joined the Iraqi army as a chef. The military even sent him to school. He remained at the post for 12 years, finally departing the army to open his own restaurant on a former supply ship. (Photographs of Alrubaii’s first restaurant in Iraq now adorn the walls at Al Chef, hanging above one of the Clarkston restaurant’s only dining tables.)
Alrubaii fled Iraq for Lebanon as a war refugee in 1988, landing a restaurant job to make ends meet. He stayed in Lebanon for more than a decade, where he met future wife, Siham Suleiman. Tens years later, the couple married and had their first son, Sharbel. When the family moved to the United States in 2000, Alrubaii continued working in restaurants, becoming a chef at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Alrubaii and a partner from Hyatt Regency briefly opened a restaurant in Scottdale that attracted a visit from former President Jimmy Carter.
Alrubaii began working for Georgia Fugees Academy Charter School in 2013, preparing lunches for students. His menu primarily consisted of vegetarian dishes, like eggplant or okra stew over pasta or rice. Once a month, Alrubaii served a halal meat-based meal. Referred to as Georgia’s most diverse square mile, Clarkston features a rich immigrant community. The majority of the children Alrubaii fed at the school came from Middle Eastern backgrounds and were familiar with many of the dishes he served.
The couple’s three children attended Georgia Fugees Academy. After a decade there, however, Alrubaii left and started a catering service, which quickly became a go-to for area schools and private events held in and around Clarkston.
Finding success with the catering business, Suleiman and the couple’s daughter, Miriam, started laying the foundation for opening a restaurant. They launched a limited liability company during Miriam’s tenure at Oglethorpe University, and with Clarkston International Bible Church providing space at Clarkston Market, the family opened Al Chef in 2024.
Alrubaii still operates the catering business, including preparing lunches for nearby schools before Al Chef opens in the morning.
From catering to Al Chef
A small cafeteria set-up, similar to a Southern meat-and-three, greets people as they walk in the door at Al Chef. The restaurant boasts a simple, cozy atmosphere. Photos of the family and Alrubaii’s former restaurant in Iraq serve as decoration. Seating includes one table inside and an indoor-outdoor counter with windows opening onto the courtyard at Clarkston Market. The couple’s son, Sharbel, works the counter.
While at the Hyatt Regency, Alrubaii became known for his falafel. Its savory interior boasts a soft, moist texture, with the outer shell fried just enough to be crispy. Most local restaurants, Sharbel said, use pre-made falafel mix and water, resulting in a harder texture.
Alrubaii makes his falafel dough from scratch, soaking dried garbanzo beans for 24 hours every Saturday, before grinding them and adding aromatics to the mix. Baking powder provides the crispiness for the exterior when fried.
The menu at Al Chef primarily consists of combination plates at reasonable prices. Expect mains like Alrubaii’s tender falafel, chicken shawarma, and Iraqi lamb kebabs, along with kofta. Most of the sides are vegetarian.
Ingredients are simple, many devoid of oil and possessing reasonable levels of salt. Everything is made from scratch. Only a handful of dishes, including the falafel, are fried and use oil. Vegetables come steamed, and desserts aren’t overwhelmingly sweet.
Suleiman handles the desserts at Al Chef, including baklava, cookies, and a fragrant orange cake, which she also offers as a tres leches-inspired variant.
Alrubaii said the majority of Al Chef’s customers come from the bicycle shop across the courtyard at Clarkston Market and from neighboring churches. Catering continues to be the bedrock of the business. But Alrubaii is just thrilled to be running a restaurant again.
“This is my dream,” he said.
Al Chef, Clarkston Market, 980 Rowland St., Clarkston. Open Tuesday-Saturday, starting at 11:30 a.m. On Sept. 19, Al Chef will close for a two-week kitchen renovation. Catering will remain operational.
