A food truck that once parked on weekends in a 28th Street lot has turned into a full sit-down kitchen at 2222 44th Street SE in Grand Rapids. Rumi's Garden, founded by Ali Akbar Mohsini, now serves Afghan dishes like kebabs, Qabili Palou, Mantu and Bolani out of a space it shares with an Indian restaurant on the city's southeast side.
From a Parking Lot to a Permanent Kitchen
Mohsini's food truck began operating in December 2025, running on weekends in a 28th Street parking lot before expanding operations in spring 2026, according to MLive. The restaurant has since opened its first brick-and-mortar kitchen near 44th Street SE and Breton Road SE, as Michigan Foodie Adventures reported. Rumi's Garden also lists catering and food-truck services among its ongoing offerings, per its own website.
He now works a corporate engineering job in Muskegon during the week and staffs Rumi's Garden's kitchen on weekends alongside his brother and mother. He said he feels responsible to give back to the community, per the same account, and noted that he and his family traveled through different countries before arriving in the United States, whether by choice or as refugees.
A Shared Space on 44th Street
Rumi's Garden operates inside the same building as Rasa Indian Cuisine, a restaurant formerly known as Curry Leaf that reopened under its new name, according to WOOD TV8. The station notes that Rasa shares its interior with the Afghan eatery, and MLive describes Rumi's Garden as positioned on the right side after entering the shared premises. The arrangement means two distinct cuisines operate under one roof in the Grand Rapids and Kentwood border area.
Inside, the restaurant offers Afghan-style takht seating alongside modern tabletops for diners who prefer a classic setup. Mohsini built raised tables for comfort and safety, the outlet notes. Rumi's Garden describes its goal as uniting the local community through rich flavors and shared experiences, and its website states it uses authentic Afghan recipes passed down through generations.
Named for a Sufi Poet, Built for Sharing
The restaurant's name honors the poet Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, a Sufi mystic influential in Persian literature, according to MLive. Mohsini has said Rumi's Garden aims to connect cultures through shared meals and conversation. The outlet cites a line from Rumi himself: “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there.”
The restaurant's menu includes an Afghan Duo Platter for $49.99, with chicken tikka, chicken koobideh, chapli kabob, lamb tikka, seasoned rice, naan and salad, the outlet reports. The kitchen also serves chicken soup, a Koubidah Wrap and meat-filled mantu, alongside the Afghan tea, kebabs, Qabili Palou, Mantu and Bolani listed by FOX 17.
Part of a Broader West Michigan Food Truck Presence
Rumi's Garden has already built a public profile beyond its storefront. The business was listed among the food trucks for Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.'s Relax at Rosa summer concert series, alongside PizzaMI, Pressed In Time and Pilar's Empanadas, according to Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. The restaurant also maintains an Instagram presence under the handle @rumis.garden, describing itself as serving “Authentic Afghan Halal Food in Michigan.”
The Grand Rapids opening echoes a similar trajectory in Dearborn, where Ariana Afghan Restaurant developed from a food truck parked outside the family's Afghan market in Detroit into what Michigan Foodie Adventures calls the city's first-ever Afghan eatery. That restaurant, located near Michigan Avenue and Roemer Avenue, is likewise run by an Afghan family and serves dishes including Mantu, Chicken Kabob and Sambosa or Pakora. Both businesses reflect a pattern of Afghan food trucks across Michigan growing into permanent dining rooms, each built around family labor and recipes carried from one generation to the next.
