Casablanca, Iconic Mediterranean in Harvard Square, Closes

Casablanca's interior and famous mural

“We are now officially closed forever,” says the outgoing voicemail at Casablanca. The iconic Mediterranean at 40 Brattle St. in Harvard Square recently shut its doors after a 57-year run, according to the Website, which states the restaurant opened in 1955.

As for its history, owner Sari Abul-Jubein started working at Casablanca as a waiter in 1971 and became the owner in 1976. “Owning a restaurant in Harvard Square is sort of like being a university professor, I’ve been working with younger people for all these years and loving it, but it’s also madness, and I am ready to move on,” Abul-Jubein states on the restaurant's site.

Abul-Jubein opened a casual Middle Eastern concept, the Casbah at 26 New St. in North Cambridge in 2011, which shuttered within a year.