“Cusbah, the Indian-Pakistani cocktail bar and curry house will be closing on November 15th”

1128 H Street, NE

From a press release:

“In 2012 we opened Cusbah, a bright eyed and bushy tailed restaurant coming onto H St NE looking to change the scene of Indian/Pakistani cuisine by nixing the white tablecloths, playing Prince, shaking up craft cocktails, and serving some damn good curries and kebabs. Likewise, I was a bright eyed and bushy tailed 22 yr old working as a food runner, fascinated by the industry I was entering on behalf of this restaurant opened by my cousin Sarosh Hussain and my father Tariq Hussain.

As the years passed, Cusbah went through its ups and downs and continued to mature just as I progressed through my 20s. We built relationships with some wonderful business owners on the diverse H St Corridor and eventually became part of a network that worked to help each other succeed in an industry that always kept us on our toes. I ended up becoming the sole owner and worked to redefine our identity and push our heritage as a Pakistani restaurant run by a Pakistani American woman. The restaurant grew into itself and I was continuously humbled by the love and passion for our cuisine that our clientele relayed to us. Not to mention the appreciation and heartfelt connections my staff have made with so many of our regulars. I am so grateful for all of my staff that have come through our doors and worked to make this restaurant better. They have made this restaurant what it is and are what has gotten us this far and I cannot state my appreciation for them enough.

Unfortunately, 2020 presented circumstances that we could never have predicted and while we have fought to keep our doors open we are unable to continue. Cusbah has been a major part of my life for almost a decade. I think it is a part of me as much as I am a part of it. While I am saddened by this being the end, I will smile through the tears and remember all that we accomplished here and I invite all of our wonderful patrons, friends and family to join us in celebrating these last weeks as we say goodbye on November 15th.

Thank you for being a part of our little village,
Soophia Hussian
Cusbah Owner”

Previously home to Naby’s photo from 2011