Tucked into the corner of 20th and Reed streets, a spot better known for its corner stores than cozy restaurants, sits Two Eagles Cafe — a family-run operation that’s holding down the Point Breeze brunch scene.
“The place is really the best,” said Charlene Wilson-Doffoney, a loyal customer, who was eating home fries on the restaurant’s back patio. “I’m a french fry person, so I come over here for that.”
“It’s crowded on Sundays,” she added. “You can’t get in on Sundays.”
Married couple Rudi and Nadire Karaj immigrated to the United States in 2001 from Albania, after winning a green card lottery. The pair became U.S. citizens in 2005, opened Two Eagles in 2018 — and it has since turned into a neighborhood staple.
Nadire is the chef. She got her start at Wawa, working there for 13 years. Rudi works in construction, and built the restaurant from the ground up after the two decided to purchase an empty lot.
The menu is a mix of American diner staples — think omelets, waffles and montecristo sandwiches — as well as some more traditional Albanian options like Qfote (Albanian-style meatballs) and Fergese (a creamy vegetable-feta-yogurt stew).
“It’s Albanian-American food,” Nadire explained. “Everything [in Albania] is organic, homemade food. And that’s what I was trying to bring here. It’s our old tradition.”
Two Eagles also serves up fresh smoothies, lattes and drinks like an “Albanian cappuccino” or an “Albanian golden eagle energy drink.”
The Karaj’s three kids — all in their twenties — also play a part in the restaurant. Ina, their youngest, recommends ordering the Fergese, calling it the “perfect comfort meal.”
“We get homemade goat cheese from a farm of a friend of ours,” she said. “So everything is very homemade, and it tastes very fresh.”
“Me and all my siblings definitely had a major hand in setting it up, making sure everything runs smoothly,” Ina added.
The 21-year-old recently graduated with her bachelor’s in fashion design. They all play a role in the business, but have their specialities. Ina helps with the marketing, design and photography, while her sister is a great waitress, and her older brother manages the IT side of things.
The Karaj’s are tight knit and they live right above the restaurant. In Albania, Nadire explained, family is “priority number one.”
The name, Two Eagles, is not only in homage to our reigning Super Bowl champions, but also to their home country. A double-headed eagle is prominently featured on Albania’s national flag. Thus, Two Eagles is a perfect blend of Philly, the United States and Albania.
“It tastes so good!”
In many ways, Nadire is the beating heart of Two Eagles. If you happen to have her as your server, she will likely chat you up.
“My mom is a really, really social person,” Ina said. “She will talk to anyone. She likes to get to know them, and I think she’s really grateful that they’re coming to support her.”
The close-knit mentally also extends to Two Eagles customers — especially the regulars, who Nadire has grown attached to.
“They are like our family at this point, since we see them every day,” Ina explained. “We always want to make sure everyone’s experiencing the best time.”
Adisha Jones, who lives two blocks away, so enjoyed the first sip from her caramel vanilla latte that she actually yelled with joy in the middle of the restaurant.
“It tastes so good!” she exclaimed, before offering a quick apology to the room for her volume.
“I just like being around positivity,” Jones told Billy Penn. “It’s always positive vibes when I come in here. They’re very sweet, cool people. They look after people. They cook good, and I appreciate the small things.”
Jones also plugged the avocado toast. “You have to try it. It is amazing.”
Two Eagles is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. However, just because the restaurant closes doesn’t mean the cooking is done.
Nadire said she leaves the restaurant kitchen and then heads to her personal kitchen to cook for the family at night. Her response when customers ask her why she isn’t open longer:
“My dinner table is so important for me in my life, more than business and more than money,” she said. “I want every night to have that dinner table with my kids and my husband.”
Still, she might go the extra mile for customers that she feels need her.
“If you see someone who needs food, you have to feed them, no matter what,” she said.
“I have an old [customer], 92 years. He has no one at home,” she explained. “Sometimes me and all my kids deliver food to him … I cook dinner for him. I send him dinner because it’s neighborly.”
A “safe space” in the neighborhood
When the Karaj’s first opened up Two Eagles, there was no guarantee that their business was going to be a success.
The family made the big decision to move to Point Breeze from Northeast Philly about six years ago. The neighborhood, Nadire said, even then wasn’t what it is today.
“There were some old houses, trash everywhere. Those houses weren’t up,” she said, pointing to some new construction. “Nothing.” Occasionally, she would see drug deals happening on the corner.
“I said to my husband, I’m not bringing my girls here, because I was scared,” she said. “I had two teenage girls, and I was scared.”
But then, slowly, the community made her feel welcome. People like Wilson-Doffoney, who runs the funeral home across the street and whose friendship Nadire credits with convincing her to stay.
“It’s neighbors helping neighbors [in Point Breeze],” Wilson-Doffoney said. “People want to eat peacefully without anybody bothering them. This is a peaceful place. This is a safe space. And all the leaders know it’s a safe space.”
Occasionally, she said, she’s had a heckler who comes in yelling at her to go “back to her country.” But at this point, she can brush them off – knowing she belongs.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “I am here, and I’m doing nothing wrong. I’m just working and supporting.”
The inside of Two Eagles is warm and welcoming. The brick front has booths, tables and decorations honoring the restaurant’s Albanian heritage. The back patio, which Rudi built during the pandemic, is open, airy and especially cute, with local artwork on the walls and florals hanging from the ceiling.
“When I opened this space, I never thought I would go so far,” Nadire said. “I never knew those customers would support me. I like being around people. I like to take care of people. I’m always working. It’s not in my [nature] to sit. I just love it.”
Right now, however, Nadire is taking a rare and well-deserved break. The family is in Albania for two weeks to visit family. Still, Philadelphia, she said, is her forever home.
“When I go to Albania now, it’s like I cannot fit there anymore,” she said. “I belong here. My heart is here.”
