The Story Behind Babylon Kabob: A Father's 25-Year Dream

Every restaurant has a story. But not every story spans a quarter of a century of patience, sacrifice, and unwavering belief in a dream.

Babylon Kabob, the authentic Iraqi restaurant on Lilley Road in Canton, Michigan, didn't appear overnight. It was born from a promise made decades ago - and a family that never forgot it.

Where It All Began

Our father, Mohammed Alshara, has always been a man of two passions: food and people. Long before Babylon Kabob existed, he ran The Baghdad Restaurant in Dearborn, Michigan - a place where the aromas of charcoal-grilled meat and freshly baked bread drew in families from across the metro Detroit area.

The restaurant was his pride. Every kabob was hand-seasoned, every piece of bread freshly baked, every customer treated like family. Mohammed wasn't just cooking food - he was sharing a piece of his Iraqi heritage with everyone who walked through the door.

But business partnerships don't always last. After a painful falling out with his partner, Mohammed was forced to close the restaurant. The grills went cold. The dream was shelved.

25 Years of Keeping the Flame Alive

What could have been the end of the story was really just a pause. For 25 years, that dream lived on in our family - in the stories our father told, in the meals he cooked for us at home, in the way his eyes lit up whenever he talked about food.

As Mohammed's four sons grew older, we began to understand not just the food and the culture behind it, but the depth of sacrifice, passion, and vision our father had carried all those years. We saw a man who had given everything to a dream, lost it through no fault of his own, and still believed it would one day come back.

A Son's Promise Fulfilled

As boys, Mohammed's four sons all remembered the same thing - watching their dad cook, hearing his stories about the restaurant, and making a quiet promise that one day they would help him get it back.

When the time was right, the four brothers came together with one shared mission: bring their father's dream back to life. They put their careers and plans aside to honor a promise they had carried since childhood.

The four brothers came together with one shared mission: bring their father's dream back to life.

Opening Day - April 7, 2025

When Babylon Kabob opened its doors on April 7, 2025, it was more than a business launch. It was the fulfillment of a 25-year-old dream.

The pre-opening tasting party drew close to 300 friends, family, and community members - all eager to taste what Mohammed had been perfecting for decades. The response was overwhelming. People who hadn't tasted authentic Iraqi kabobs since Mohammed's original restaurant couldn't believe the flavors were back.

"People tell us all the time since we opened that they used to have to drive to Sterling Heights to get authentic kabobs like the ones my dad makes," the family shared. "Now they have it right here in Canton."

A Legacy of Generosity

Mohammed Alshara isn't just known for his cooking - he's known for his heart. Every year, he cooks and donates thousands of kabobs to local mosques in Dearborn, feeding hundreds of families during community events and Ramadan gatherings.

That spirit of generosity is woven into everything we do at Babylon Kabob. Every meal we serve represents more than food on a plate. It represents perseverance, family legacy, and the joy of finally seeing a long-held dream become reality.

Come Taste the Dream

Today, Mohammed stands at the charcoal grill at Babylon Kabob - exactly where he was always meant to be. His wife Dhamya and youngest son Haidar work alongside him, making every dish with the same love and care that defined his original restaurant.

We invite you to visit us at 3100 N Lilley Road in Canton, Michigan. Taste the food that a family spent 25 years dreaming about. And when you take that first bite of a perfectly charcoal-grilled kabob, know that you're not just eating a meal - you're sharing in a family's dream come true.