Ali Karawan – Abu Hassan is one of the oldest and most famous hummus restaurants in Israel. Its original branch is on HaDolphin Street in Jaffa and there are two more branches located on Shivtei Israel Street. It has been rated as the best hummus restaurant in Israel in many lists. The restaurant is famous for its loyal clientele of Arabs and Jews, laborers and tourists, sitting side by side and crammed to the same tables, and the long line that waits at its entrance every day at noon. The hummus restaurant was founded by Ali Karawan, known as Abu Hassan.
History
Karawan began by selling hummus from a cart in the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa. In 1959 he opened his first restaurant on 60th Street, now Yefet Street, a business that did not last long. In the early 1970s, he opened a restaurant on Dolphin Street, at the corner of Yehuda HaYamit. This restaurant is still active today.
After decades of refusal to open additional branches, a larger hummus restaurant was opened on Shivtei Yisrael Street, not far from the original restaurant. The success of this branch, which despite its larger size is also characterized by a long line of diners at the entrance, led to the opening of a third restaurant, Pearl of Jaffa - Brothers Karawan that also sells fries, falafel, and salad. In October 2007 Karawan died after years of minor involvement in the management of the network during which his son Ibrahim served as the director.[1] In December 2022, Hassan, the eldest son of Karawan, died.