Kush by Saba Will Bring Modern Mediterranean to Somerville’s Union Square

Kush by Saba’s coffee-braised lamb shank with potato parsnip puree and wilted radicchio salad, a seasonal special. / Photo by Saba Wahid Duffy

A small garage in Somerville’s Union Square will soon be home to the latest food-truck-turned-restaurant. Kush by Saba—serving modern Mediterranean cuisine by chef Saba Wahid Duffy, a Framingham native—will open early next year in the former Wade BBQ and Littleburg space.

Duffy, a Chopped champion and Ciao House alum, has had a multifaceted culinary and food media career, including catering, teaching at New England Culinary Arts Training, hosting a Dubai-based lifestyle television show, working in kitchen appliance education, and more. In the 2021 Chopped season run by Martha Stewart, Duffy took home the $50,000 grand prize, which she invested into launching the Boston food truck Kush by Saba with her sister, Sara Wahid. (She also took home some high praise from Stewart, who told her she’s “a really damn good chef.”)

Kush by Saba’s beet and quinoa tabbouleh with whipped feta. / Photo by Saba Wahid Duffy

Now, the Kush by Saba team is putting down roots on Union Square’s Sanborn Court, transforming the garage that’s only housed takeout-only restaurants into an actual dining room with daytime counter service and evening waiter service. (Local architecture firm RODE, behind beautiful restaurants like Baleia and Bar Volpe, is working on the build.) The halal restaurant will serve some of the food truck’s popular items as well as other “more refined” dishes, says Duffy.

Customers will find dishes such as beet hummus with za’atar pita chips; sweet potato and feta croquettes with smoked paprika aioli (“wildly popular on our catering menu,” says Duffy); oven-roasted salmon with fennel seed, tomato ragu, and pistachio olive salsa; and a seasonal special coffee-braised lamb shank with potato parsnip puree and wilted radicchio salad. The curry spiced falafel with maple tahini drizzle and pickled shallots “is addictive and checks all the boxes of a modern Mediterranean concept with a touch of my South Asian heritage,” says Duffy, who recommends ordering it with the beet and quinoa tabbouleh with whipped feta.

Kush by Saba’s oven-roasted salmon with fennel seed, tomato ragu, and pistachio olive salsa. / Photo by Saba Wahid Duffy

Duffy is also excited to bring back a couple bestsellers from the truck: a version of spicy mac and cheese with lamb merguez; and harissa brown sugar braised beef, which is “inspired by many stewed Pakistani meat dishes my sister and I grew up eating,” says Duffy.

Dips and spreads, plus a light dessert menu, will also be available. And if you caught Duffy’s appearance on season 1 of Food Network’s Ciao House, her glazed carrots—which impressed judges Alex Guarnaschelli and Gabe Bertaccini—will be on the menu as a side.

Kush by Saba’s beet hummus with za’atar pita chips. / Photo by Saba Wahid Duffy

Kush by Saba has a fundraising campaign running through the end of August to help with the buildout, which Duffy expects will begin in September and take a few months. In the meantime, the restaurant will open for takeout sooner, pending finalization of permitting. And the truck is coming off the road; reach out if you’re interested in buying it.

Duffy is enthusiastic about opening in Somerville. “It’s such a food-centric hub, and the residents are adventurous about trying new things,” she says, adding that the space feels like it was meant to be. “The opportunity came to me the day after my mom’s funeral,” she says. “I wasn’t mentally prepared to process it, but I feel like my mom was helping me realize my dreams. I dedicate this restaurant to her. She’s the first person who taught me how to cook, and she was naturally a wonderful cook herself. It’s only been a few months since she passed, but I’ve been thinking about her every step of the way.”

Opening around January 2025, with takeout service starting sooner. 5 Sanborn Ct., Union Square, Somerville, kushbysaba.com.