Authenticity
Traditional Iraqi recipes — from char-grilled kebab to slow-cooked classics — prepared the way they always have been.
Our Story
Rooted in Iraqi Tradition
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Our story begins in the early 1970s with our founder, Kaka Samad, who started out as a young worker in a popular restaurant in the city of Kirkuk, in northern Iraq. Through his love of the craft and his dedication, he soon became a master kebab chef, known for the standout kebab dishes he served his guests.
As his reputation grew, Kaka Samad moved to Baghdad, where he worked in a restaurant in the Alawi district before buying it outright — the well-known Kabab Arbil restaurant. He worked tirelessly to make it a success, and at the start of the 1980s returned to his home city of Kirkuk to open the very first branch of Samad Restaurant.
From those roots, the Samad family grew into a group of restaurants. New branches followed in Baghdad’s Al Mansur district — one of them named after the founder’s son, Bestoon Samad — and the family brought the same kitchen and hospitality to Erbil, carrying on the Samad name.
Today the Samad family also serve guests in Baghdad and Dubai. Across every branch, our principle stays the same: to serve food that is special and delicious, and to earn our guests’ satisfaction with every plate.