Steve Younes once ran a successful restaurant...

Steve Younes once ran a successful restaurant in Beirut, Lebanon. In good times there, he averaged $1,000 a day net profit. Then the Lebanese civil war erupted and the restaurant was destroyed.

Younes and his wife, concerned about the future of their children’s education in the unruly city where all the schools were closed, and fearing that their youngest son, then 9, would soon be drawn into the fighting, moved their family to the United States in 1977.

After moving about the country, they settled in California and, in 1988, Younes opened Sahara, a small Redondo Beach restaurant that features Middle Eastern cuisine at reasonable prices. After years away from his Beirut restaurant, Chef Younes was finally back where he wanted to be, in the kitchen of his own restaurant.

The specialties of Sahara are long skewers of marinated meats served with a large portion of rice. A favorite choice is shish kebab ($5.99), tender pieces of leg of lamb that are marinated for 24 hours in a mixture of extra-virgin Lebanese olive oil, fresh garlic, onions, pomegranate syrup and a small stick of cinnamon, which adds an extra aromatic nuance. Another popular selection is the chicken kebab ($5.99), pieces of chicken breast marinated with lemon, garlic, onions, tomatoes and olive oil.

For something a little different, consider the kibbeh ($4.99), three small football-shaped treats made of bulgur wheat pounded with meat, stuffed with a mixture of lean ground beef and lamb, pine nuts, onions and sumac. Lulu kebab ($5.99) is a grilled skewer of ground lamb seasoned with garlic, paprika, cumin, parsley and onions.

Sahara is a rather health-conscious restaurant, which explains why much of the menu is devoted to vegetarian dishes. The Sahara combination ($6.55) includes three stuffed grape leaves, three falafel (handmade fresh daily), hummus (garbanzos puree flavored with sesame paste, lemon juice and garlic), and metabbal (mashed baked eggplant with the same flavoring). Tabbouleh ($2.99) is a refreshing salad of chopped parsley, mint, bulgur wheat, tomatoes, onions, lemon juice and olive oil.

Sahara is at 2401 Artesia Blvd., Redondo Beach ; (310) 371-1533 ; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days.