Owners of The Vine and Taste of Lebanon will open new spot in Edwardsville next year

The owners of The Vine Mediterranean Cafe and Taste of Lebanon have come together to create Cedar Mediterranean Grill in Edwardsville, Illinois. The restaurant is aiming to open in March or April 2021 at the Trace on the Parkway mixed-use development at 6150 Trace Pkwy Drive.  

These joint venture partners wanted to offer Mediterranean cuisine a little closer to their homes. 

“All four partners have a lot of experience in the restaurant business,” said Emma Jaber, co-owner at Taste of Lebanon. “We’ve been in business [at Taste of Lebanon] for 10 years; they’ve been in business for 11 years. We both wanted to open one in Edwardsville, in the Glen Carbon area, because all of us live out there.” 

Along with the familiarity Edwardsville presents, the owners believe that Cedar Mediterranean Grill is just what the area needs.  

“The Edwardsville-Glen Carbon area has a broad array of dining options, yet there has not been a true Mediterranean restaurant offering the unique flavors and dishes of the Middle East,” said Issam El-Khatib, co-owner at The Vine. “By many experts, the Mediterranean diet is considered among the healthiest, and our passion is to be able to bring [that] taste and inspire health-based diet to this active and diverse community.” 

Much of the menu will be directly from The Vine Mediterranean Cafe and Taste of Lebanon – beloved Mediterranean fare like falafel sandwiches, kebabs and chicken shawarma, as well as vegan options like a vegan Lebanese sausage and other meatless dishes. 

“Much of our menu will be recognized staples of the best offerings from each restaurant from the St. Louis area,” El-Khatib said. “We do plan to offer some unique dishes that neither restaurant currently offers, but these will be in addition to what has been successfully offered in Missouri.” 

Upon opening, Cedar Mediterranean Grill plans to operate on a carryout basis. Eventually, outdoor seating will also be available accompanied by limited interior seating. The dining room will be roughly 2,700 square feet and will have custom Middle Eastern décor, and the patio will be about 800 square feet. All dine-in options will depend on the most up-to-date pandemic guidelines.  

“We are also fortunate to have an exceptional outdoor seating patio we intend to fully optimize,” El-Khatib said. “We expect early on the bulk of our business will be pick-up/takeout and delivery complemented by the limited interior seating.”