Lebanese immigrants Joe and Jackie Abi-Ad have been fixtures in the Tucson restaurant scene for decades.
The couple owns the Lebanese spot El Saage Restaurant as well as Joe's Pancake House, an East Side institution that's been open for 24 years. They've also found some success in the movie business, landing parts in "Three Kings" and "The Kingdom," films shot in Arizona that needed Arabic speakers.
Food is their passion, however. And both Joe, 55, and Jackie, 43, pride themselves on friendly, hands-on customer service and dishes made with care.
El Saage, the North Side eatery they opened a little more than a year ago, serves Lebanese dishes such as falafel, stuffed grape leaves and chicken shawarma. Most plates are under $10, and the sandwiches hover near $5.
"A lot of nice people come to Tucson. I didn't speak any English when I came here," Joe said. "There is opportunity in the United States the rest of the world doesn't have."
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Joe was born outside Beirut and first visited Tucson in 1976 to see a cousin. He said he fell in love with the place.
It took him six months to get a green card and three years to become a citizen.
He was already a restaurateur by then. With only a few hundred dollars to his name, he had persuaded the landlord of a storefront at 1115 S. Plumer Ave. to let him open the Lebanese Bakery, his first eatery.
Abi-Ad moved his operation Downtown a year later, changing its name to Middle Eastern Deli.
Abi-Ad said he tended to move his restaurants every year or so, looking for better lease terms or nicer locations, until he opened his bistro, Le Mediterranean, at 4955 N. Sabino Canyon Road in 1993. He closed it in 2001. He met Jackie during a visit back to his homeland, and they married in Tucson in 1987. They have three grown children.
He says little in Tucson reminds him of his native country.
"Lebanon is all mountains. The Mediterranean is all mountains," he said. "There is no desert."
Abi-Ad attributes his success to his work ethic and attention to detail.
"I want to keep customers happy," Abi-Ad said. "I want to see a customer come in and see the place and see us cooking. There is honor in the service and the food we make. I want to make them happy and come back."
• 1800 E. Fort Lowell Road. 319-5554.
• Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
