Baba’s Is Opening a ‘Hummus House’ and Bakery in Uptown This Summer

Local hummus brand Baba’s announced today that it’s opening a hummus house, bakery, and market in Minneapolis’s Uptown neighborhood this summer. This is Baba’s first cafe — it’s thus far operated as a wholesale business, selling its creamy, Jerusalem-style hummus at grocery stores across the Midwest.

Palestinian American sibling duo Rana Kamal and Khalid Ansari founded Baba’s in 2018 in tribute to their own baba, or father, who immigrated to Minnesota from Jerusalem in the 1970s and opened Mediterranean Cruise Café. The brand quickly found success in grocery stores, and became the Minnesota State Fair’s first hummus stand in 2021. The cafe will open in the space at 2220 Lyndale Avenue S., not far from Bebe Zito and the Wedge Co-op.

Hummus, of course, will be at the heart of the menu. Baba’s bowls, a hit at the state fair, pair a generous hummus base with toppings like minced beef shwarma, sumac, and lemon sauce, or buffalo chicken and crumbled blue cheese. The bakery will churn out mana’eesh — a flatbread that’s baked in a dome oven and often topped with za’atar and halloumi, or served with labneh and tomatoes — plus Jerusalem-style bagels and sweet pastries like pistachio baklava croissants. Baba’s will serve Palestinian coffee and teas, too (think cardamon date lattes, etc.). Most dishes will range from $8 to $16.

The new space will have a market section stocked with Baba’s hummus, falafel, pita, and flatbread, plus specialty products and pantry ingredients from Arab-owned businesses. It’ll also include a 10,000-square-foot production facility dedicated to Baba’s wholesale business.

Baba’s is the latest in a slate of restaurants coming to Uptown, joining La Bodega Taco Bar, Pinoli, Mee-Ka Pop-Up, Arts + Rec, Northern Soul at Ties, and Boludo. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Look for a July opening.