Nov. 29—WAHA — The Waha Grill continued its tradition of cooking good food and offering Thanksgiving dinners to the community on Thursday.
This is the restaurant’s fifth year of giving out free holiday meals, and co-owner Wendy Hayward said it won’t be their last.
“Family is everything to us,” she says. “And that includes the community…We’re just happy that people are coming together for a meal and that our family is here.”
Tucked away at the base of Craig Mountain in south Lewiston, the grill started offering Thanksgiving spreads long before the Haywards took over.
Waha Grill was founded in 2019 by then-owner Cory James. The restaurant was passed on in 2022 to Wendy and Adam Hayward, who relocated from Northern California.
The family business is run by three generations, including Wendy’s four daughters, two sons-in-law and grandchildren. She said her in-laws, David Reyes, are the masterminds behind the amazing Thanksgiving food made from scratch.
Wendy said the main reason they organize the free meals is how well the community takes care of them.
“It’s our way of giving back,” she said. “If it weren’t for these people, we wouldn’t be doing this here.”
She also understands how difficult the holidays can be and wants everyone to enjoy a holiday dinner.
“We know there are people there for whatever reason,” she said. “Maybe their family isn’t here, maybe they’ve lost their home… but they’re here with us.”
Kathleen Steinwand of Lewiston said Thanksgiving used to mean the whole family getting together, but things changed when her mother died.
“She was the glue,” Steinwand said. “It feels like the family is too busy these days.”
