Meet Joseph Kahwach, the heart and soul of Basil’s Restaurant for 34 years.
It’s Wednesday night, and Basil’s Restaurant & Tapas Bar in Buckhead is booming. Owner Joseph Kahwach is in his element, greeting patrons—90% of whom are regulars—with a hug and a smile. Thirty-four years in, the long-standing Mediterranean restaurant is still drawing crowds both for its succulent cuisine and friendly service.
A sniper in the Lebanon Civil War, Kahwach followed his brother, Sam, to Atlanta, arriving on his 21st birthday. He studied restaurant and hotel management at Georgia State University and worked in various restaurants around the South, including the John Portman-designed Midnight Sun. In 1989, he settled in Buckhead, working for Heinz Schwab at Hedgerose Heights Inn on East Paces Ferry. About a year later, the brothers opened Basil’s around the corner, named for one of their mother’s favorite herbs. For Basil’s, they drew on their Mediterranean roots and put together a menu that was “a little Spanish, Italian, Moroccan, Middle Eastern and Lebanese,” Kahwach says. When Hedgerose shuttered not long after, Basil’s inherited much of its staff, some of whom still work there today.
Though his brother left the business decades ago, he still visits frequently. At 65, Kahwach is at the top of his game, buying fresh produce for the restaurant, checking on the kitchen staff and chatting with customers. “This is my home away from home,” he says. “I’m here day and night.”
How did your mother impact Basil’s?
Without her, the restaurant wouldn’t be here. My mother would come for long periods and cook. We had to build her a step stool so she could reach the top of the fridge because she was only 5 feet tall. Customers loved her. One time we had a fleet of 20 cars come because they heard on the radio that she was here, and they wanted to eat her homestyle cooking. She passed away in 2008. We used to drink Turkish coffee together every morning. Now I put coffee by her picture on the bar, and we drink together.
How has the restaurant changed over the years?
We update the menu as Buckhead changes. A few signature items have been on it since the beginning: the mezze platter, shrimp Santorini (used to be called Greek shrimp) and kabobs.
In 2014, the building caught on fire from lightning. We closed, renovated and reopened in August 2015. The restaurant was once a house. It had an attic and three small rooms, and the bathroom was in the center facing the bar. Now it has a 14-foot cathedral ceiling and one huge room. We display new art from Atlanta Artists Center next door and sell it from the walls. The bar is twice the original size. We used to just have basic drinks; now we have signature cocktails and mocktails.
I hear you’re a big Braves fan.
I probably watch 150 out of 162 games. We added TVs to the patio, and sometimes it gets a little rowdy here when the Braves play.
What else do you do for fun?
I used to shoot pool six days a week. During the early stages of the restaurant, I would go to bars and pass out business cards. Sometimes I’d stay out late and come straight to work. Those were the good old days! I live 500 feet from the restaurant. There’s a pool table upstairs. If I have energy at the end of the night, I’ll go upstairs, turn on my Lebanese music or Nora Jones, and shoot.
BASIL’S RESTAURANT & TAPAS BAR
404.233.9755
basils.net
@basils.restaurant
