Walid Matar, a Lebanese immigrant, has made a significant impact through his restaurant, Wally's Cafe, located in Rocklin, California. Known for its authentic Lebanese cuisine, including pomegranate chicken and beef shawarma, the cafe recently achieved No. 6 on Yelp's top 100 places to eat in 2025. Matar's success is attributed to his legacy of traditional family recipes and his humble nature, as noted by his son, Roni Matar. This recognition builds on Wally's Cafe's previous accolades from Yelp in other years, showcasing Matar's enduring dedication to his culinary craft despite earlier restaurant closures in Europe.
"When I told him about it, he's like, 'OK. Good job,' as if I did it. I'm like, 'Dad, what do you mean? You did it, good job.'"
"He's very old school, so like, to get a smile out of him is a lot," said Roni.
"While living abroad in Europe in the '80s and early '90s, Walid Matar often grew homesick and missed the food of his homeland."
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