Robin Godwin: Tabrizi’s Reopens its Restaurant at HarborView

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Tabrizi’s Reopens its Restaurant at HarborView

Tabrizi’s has reopened its restaurant at 500 HarborView Dr. in the HarborView development of Federal Hill. Tabrizi’s, which first opened as a restaurant in 2007, became so popular for weddings and corporate events over the years that it couldn’t consistently operate its dining room for walk-in business. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down its events business, Tabrizi’s has returned back to its roots.

Owner Michael Tabrizi said he was encouraged by the residents of HarborView to reopen the restaurant. Between having the support of the community and looking for a way to pay the rent and keep his employees busy, Tabrizi decided it was a good time to reopen the restaurant. It first opened a few weeks ago and is now open every Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm to 10pm and Sunday from 5pm to 830pm. Food is available for carryout as well as dine-in. It currently has a seating capacity of 25 people indoors and 25 people on the outdoor patio. Delivery will be available soon as well.

Tabrizi’s is not taking reservations at this time.

Restaurants in Baltimore City are currently limited to 25 percent capacity, but Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young announced today the City will likely move to 50 percent capacity sometime next week. Tabrizi said the increased capacity would help a lot.

Tabrizi said the team is doing a lot of extra sanitizing and hand washing, and applying social distancing measures within the restaurant. He said the new routine has changed things for the better.

Tabrizi’s has a Mediterranean menu influenced by cuisine from Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, and Northern African countries. The menu features small plates, salads, fresh fish, crab cakes, pasta dishes, pizza, kebabs, lamb dishes, chicken dishes, desserts, and more. The menu will change seasonally.

While the pandemic has really hurt his business, Tabrizi said he’s fortunate to be in a good location in an appreciative neighborhood. He said everyday in the HarborView setting feels like a vacation. He anticipates a busy 2021 with weddings that he thinks could be double the business of a typical year. He hopes to keep the outdoor patio and restaurant open in the future with a limited menu when weddings restart. He said the restaurant will likely be open after wedding cocktail hours, which typically end at 630pm.

Tabrizi first got his start in Federal Hill when he opened his restaurant in 1990 at 1026 S. Charles St. He later sold the business and took a few years off before reopening Tabrizi’s at HarborView in 2007. He expanded Tabrizi’s to the second floor of its current space in 2010.