Photo: Emma Friedman/WBZ NewsRadio
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Luxor Cafe in Harvard Square is staying open long after dark this month to cater to those celebrating Ramadan.
Muslims observing the Islamic holy month abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk. Mealtime comes after an evening prayer, so the cafe-deli is serving guests until 2 a.m. through the end of Ramadan on March 29.
“If you go to an Arab country or a Muslim country, you’ll see that after prayer, that’s when the cafes open up,” said Luxor Cafe owner Abdelrahman Hassan.
The spot on Mount Auburn Street opened just over a year ago. Hieroglyphics run along the walls, and the menu includes traditional Egyptian dishes like hawawshi, a pita stuffed with minced ground beef, and kibda, a liver sandwich.
“A lot of people living here, they kind of long for that thing they miss at home. We’re just trying to be that space for them,” Hassan said.
Different mosques have different prayer times during Ramadan, so Hassan said he gets waves of rushes late at night for post-prayer meals.
“For the most part, the same people stay, and it gets really, really lively,” Hassan said.
He wants the cafe to be a meeting space for the community during the late hours, enjoyed by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
“It kind of gives you an idea of what you would expect in a different country,” Hassan said. “You’ll meet people, you’ll hang out with people, it’ll be like a place to play card games. You just make friends there.”
WBZ's Emma Friedman (@EmmaFriedmanWBZ) reports.