Ali Baba Mediterranean Cuisine of Escondido

★★★★☆ 4.4 (1051) • $$

"I have ordered the dinner/party platter #1 for 2, #2 for 5-6 and #3 for 7-8. They serve much more. The platter number 1 serves 6 ppl and the platter #3 as a snack for party had so much left over. Platter #3 can easily serve 12 people. All the food was good. I love the halal meat and the rice. All platters come with a salad and hummus plus a huge naan bread. I'm not a fan of the hummus. There is plenty of parking and Tesla charging in the parking lot."

Mediterranean Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.1 (742) • $$

"I loved the chicken on skewer and the gyro meat. The rice was ok. Love the humus and I did like the salad. I placed my order through the website for pick up."

Ishtar Restaurant and Banquet Hall

★★★★☆ 3.6 (20)

"Excellent Food and the service was both warm and friendly, I will definitely return to this truly wonderful restaurant. The prices are kind to the wallet and the portions generous and extremely tasty. Perfect everything."

Shawarma Guys

★★★★★ 4.8 (461) • $$

"I'm sorry to say my husband and I were extremely underwhelmed. I've gone to the South Park location off and on for a few years and I found what I ordered tasty. However today I got the blandest falafel wrap I've ever had. There was no flavor at all and the falafel on their own were greasy and lacking any flavor other than maybe a boiled potato.I don't eat meat so can't speak to the other items. Unfortunately I don't think I'd return, which I think is pretty tragic given my support in the past."

Falafel Heights

★★★★★ 4.7 (124) • $$

"FALAFEL'ING(3.8 stars)Taking falafels to new heights and setting the standards. Welcome to NP! - FOOD: good- SERVICE: good- PRICE: fair- AMBIANCE: cute little box I admit, I don't recall ever eating a falafel in my lifetime OR I might have but they weren't memorable. Resetting the unsure experience with a fresh slate and letting Falafel Heights set my standards! This place was perfect for a healthy bite to kill time between after my gym session and before my tennis games. Healthy bites!:: ORDER ::MINT LEMONADE ($8) - SO refreshing. Very minty and lemony. I am a lemonade lover and a fan of this one. The lemonade wasn't thin and clear (not watered down) but more clouded and flavorful. Mint offset the tart with a refreshing herbal element. Great thirst quencher but also feel the price is a bit high for what you get. Not sure how I can justify $8 for lemonade because I can't. The drink itself was more than the side of falafels. HIGHLY RECOMMENDSIDE OF FALAFELS ($7) - deep fried balls, gluten free! Made from scratch, the falafel is composed of dry garbanzo beans hydrated overnight then blended with spices and fresh ingredients what did it taste like to me? If you are craving something crunchy but light, a falafel would suffice the craving! The outer layer had a nice crunch and inside was soft and mildly 'savory' from the herbs and spices. I was surprised how light and tasty they were, kind of reminded me of an 'herbal donut hole'. Even better when dipped in sauce. HIGHLY RECOMMENDSIDE SAUCE ($2.00) - Pricy for a small dabble of sauce. Actually kind of pricy for sauce in general. There were about 8 different sauces to chose from and I wish I got to sample or know more about the sauces before I chose but I played it safe and went with what I know is familiar and ordered TAHINI. Nothing special about it just regular Tahini. I'll need to comeback and try another. But I can't get over the $2 for any (1) sauce which should be included and they should only charge if asking for extra. Will have to come back and try another item on the menu but not in a rush. Until the next review..."

Mystic Grill & Bakery

★★★★☆ 3.9 (404)

"This place has been rock solid in all my visits. Although they have been wildly spaced apart, nothing has changed a bit. Consistency is totally important, and they get this. It sure has been nice to see a worthy Mediterranean spot thriving after all these years. It all started a decade? ago with the pizza, at the time the new spot nearby with the great value. I felt it was a healthier style of pizza, with and thinner crust, less cheese and heavy toppings. However, I do remember if you order pepperoni on your pizza, it is beef pepperoni. This will be different tasting of course, and have ordered mostly veggie options since. I believe a large 2- topping pizza is an ongoing deal for only 7.99.Over the years, we moved on to falafel, hummus and the shawarma platter which have all been tasty and prepared well, my favorite being the hummus. For sure, I'm no hummus guru, but among the many(10 at least)I've tried, it is the best I've had! Amazingly smooth and creamy, with a slight nutty flavor that's unparalleled. I make sure I have extra pita bread at the ready to finish it off the following day..Next up, the desserts and baklava. You will finish whatever you bite.. so tasty good. For some reason, I never posted pics of any of these it appears and I can only guess it was a dessert- first kind of day. Are you with me?A good incentive now is it's within walking distance for me- a plus too, since this is a new, fresh way to burn a few calories and save gas with the ridiculous prices we are experiencing."

Al Azayem Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (200) • $$

"Amazing Iraqi restaurant that makes food fresh to order. One of my meals there felt like it took 30-40 minutes just for breakfast. But normally I do DoorDash and not bother with the wait.Food is always so delicious and I love to be the only Caucasian whenever I frequent. I am a regular even though I don't post all pictures."

Panini Kabob Grill

★★★★☆ 4.4 (58)

"So far I have to say Panini kabob Grill has been pretty solid on their wraps. I've had their chicken, beef and salmon wrap. The salmon wrap is my favorite so far. If you get the Cesar salad, add the cesar dressing to the salmon wrap and a little spicy hummus and thank me later. Salmon is cooked to perfection and nice fresh vegetables inside. I ordered from Uber eats and they package everything nice and neat as well as seal the bag. They're a good healthy option if that's what you're looking for."

Sahara Taste of the Middle East

★★★★☆ 4.4 (1127) • $$

"Picked up some to go food for dinner. Been here to this restaurant many times. This visit I noticed something I never have tried. It looked like spinach/ cheese bread. Picked up a few to enjoy later. I enjoyed the food as usual and tried the spinach/cheese bread. Oh it was delicious! I would definitely pick up some again!! Thank you !"

Micheline's Pita House - La Jolla

★★★★☆ 4.4 (842) • $$

"Wow! Salad is so refreshing. The seasonings in the chicken shawarma is on point! Everything was perfect! I had to steal my hubby's Pesto dressing, it was great with the greek salad. Price was reasonable and service was excellent.The only thing was we paid for parking inside the plaza. Nonetheless, this will be a go-to when we are in the area."

Mystic Grill - San Diego

★★★★☆ 4.2 (201) • $$

"Mystic Grill replaced a longtime Italian eatery, Giovanni's, at this location in Clairemont. The refurbished interior was very clean and brightly lit. I did not go upstairs to check out the environment there so I can't comment on how it appeared. The menu screens displayed all the classic Middle Eastern dishes as one would expect. There were some pasta entrees too which I thought were unique because you normally don't see such items at this type of restaurant.I started with an appetizer of Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves). I also wanted to try the Stuffed Salmon, but it was unavailable so my alternative was the salmon with four jumbo shrimp. The plate was supposed to be served with feta cheese salad, hummus, basmati rice, and pita bread. For some reason, the kitchen made it with penne pasta slathered in alfredo sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, black olives, and mushrooms. I guess the cook may have been confused because such a pasta style with salmon and shrimp didn't even exist on the menu.Tastewise, the fish was cooked fine, but the shrimp was dry from being on the grill too long. The creamy pasta was too much for me to finish in one sitting so I took the leftovers home. Other than the faux pas with the preparation, the rest of my dining experience at Mystic Grill was positive."

Valley Foods

★★★★☆ 3.8 (185) • $

"Placed a catering order here based off my brother in laws recommendation and they did not disappoint! The order in total was around $300 since it was like a 15-20 person event. I went to the counter and the lady was super helpful. She found my order and got it all together. The whole process took about 10-15 minutes. The store itself was pretty busy and there isn't the biggest parking lot but definitely worth the drive to have some delicious food!"

Saray Charcoal & Grill

★★★★☆ 3.9 (98)

"I live close by and pass by here all the time, I finally got to try this place out and it's now on my go to list for middle eastern food.The prices are super cheap and you get a lot of food. The lady at the front helping was super nice and helped us through the menu and gave us suggestions. We got the Kebob and shawarma combo platters which comes with rice and a mix salad. We also ordered individual skewers such as the lamb ribs. Everything was so good and flavorful."

Gyrogrill

★★★★★ 4.5 (165) • $$

"Stopped by for lunch and ordered their gyro plate, which comes with your choice of one ($15) or two ($19) sides. For my one side, I ordered half veggies and half fries. It also came with Taziki and pita. The gyro was very flavorful. The pita was soft. The veggies had a nice char and flavorful as well. Service was friendly and the employee was very kind and patient with my questions. There are tables outside and seats along the wall inside for dine in. The food was tasty. However, I would have liked to see more side options that were not an additional cost added on. Even though I ordered half and half of two sides, I still got charged the full price for them. Had I known that would be the case, I would have ordered them as full sides. Portion size was okay, I would have liked the small size sides to be bigger. Overall, the food was tasty and I will certainly be back to try other items and sides."

S.D. Kabob Shack

★★★★★ 4.6 (64) • $$

"Yes 1st time here and loved the food Food was very tasty and all made to order Def my new spot for kabob here in CV Service was friendly and accommodating Ambiance is nice and clean space"

Micheline's Pita House - Solana Beach

★★★★★ 4.5 (292) • $$

"Frequent once a week for the past 2 years and it's my favorite lunch and casual dinner place in North County. Everything is well prepared, ingredients are fresh and high quality. Love the Greek salad with chicken, their pita sandwiches and their spicy hummus. This is a real gem that provides great healthy food at a reasonable price."

Micheline's Pita House

★★★★☆ 4.3 (139) • $$

"Yummy wraps, the chicken shawarma is good, the pitas r not my fav, sauces and veggies r fresh && good, the fries r pretty good, all in all its good place"

Opa! Greek Restaurant & Grill

★★★★☆ 3.6 (150) • $

"Found this spot when my GF recommended it. The food was pretty good. Big cuts of meat. I had the gyro combo with fries and a soda. It was what I expected and I enjoyed it."

Aladdin Hillcrest

★★★★☆ 4.1 (556) • $$

"I'm angry that I paid $9.50 for two small fingers of baklava. That wasn't worth it at all. Whatever, I just won't get it again. Everything else was excellent. Love their drinks - we tried the apricot one and the tamarind one. They also have a date one I want to try next time. We shared the mesa platter during our most recent experience. It was the perfect amount for two people + a little left over for lunch the next day. Everything was flavorful and I love the variety. I'll be back!"

Finjan Coffee

★★★★★ 4.8 (312) • $

"Finjan is a really neat coffee shop. They have seating both indoor and outdoor. Parking is plentiful in the private small parking lot. It was nice that they offered food as well. The latte I got came with two espresso shots, which was nice and strong. I can see myself coming back. I really enjoyed my honey cinnamon latte with oat milk and the labne toast!"

Falafel California

★★★★☆ 4.3 (64)

"I keep coming back. Maybe not so many reviews because I have already left so many. But I just love the food here is all and I get carried away. Mahmoud is a good man, a hard working man and the cuisine he prepares for all of us is a demonstration of his love, he does it for the sheer joy of it all, and he doesn't really care about the money. If you are broke and hungry he'll happily turn you on to a sandwich; thats just the kind of guy this man is.God bless Mahmoud and his Falafel."

PITA 22

★★★★★ 4.7 (414) • $$

"Super nice staff and incredibly delicious food!Came here in the last hour before closing and we had about 6 people in our group. We were able to quickly order and grab their large table for all of us to sit at. The food didnt take long at all to start coming out and you get a good size meal for the price. Majority of us finished our meals with two that had leftovers. My food was hot and well seasoned. The rice was moist and not dry and the meat had the great flavor for chicken shawarma! I like mine plain and simple and they gladly accommodated me in that. If you have the time give them a try for some amazing food and they have so many options you'll likely find something to try!"

S.D. Kabob Shack

★★★★★ 4.5 (253) • $$

"Yum this place was delicious. Meat is so flavorful. Love that the fries are seasoned and crispy. The wrap is huge. I got the steak and guacamole one. It comes with fries, lettuce, fries and steak and some kind of sauce. There is 3 types of sauces you can get on the side. Two smokey hot sauces one is chipotle and the other one is mango. The other one is a cream sauce. I loved the wrap and want to come back and try some of the other food options. Great service. Great new spot. They have a guava soda that was good. Lots of parking available."

Gyros House

★★★★☆ 4.4 (68) • $$

"Delicious and super fresh! I ordered a chicken salad that was a very generous portion and packed with flavor. I've had their chicken dish too wish rice! The gentleman who helped me was very lovely also!"

Kabob House

★★★★☆ 4.3 (341) • $$

"When I tell you I'm still dreaming about this food I'm not lying it was so good and so fresh it's going to be my go to spot 2x times a month. The lady working was super nice and helped with recommendations on what to get. My family and I came for Easter and yall Need to come here and support. They didn't have many customers during the time we ate there and with how big the portions are they need that. It's a perfect spot for Mediterranean food."

Wagyu Shawarma Grill Mission Valley

★★★★★ 4.5 (207) • $$

"Great Mediterranean food! Best thing we had was the shawarma chicken wrap (my favorite--chicken with pickle and garlic sauce). We would definitely order this again! It was way better than the chop wrap (fried chicken with chipotle sauce and lettuce). This came with a bunch of sauces--my favorite being the garlic sauce and then tzatzik sauce. We had the salmon kabob plate. Salmon was juicy and charbroiled just right, served over a bed of rice with lemon wedge, and side of salad and side of hummus w/toasted pita cut into four pieces. Hummus was creamy, tasty, and had just the right amount of garlic and lemon juice.We also ordered a big greek salad, which was more expensive than a wrap. Alexandria (cashier and server) was really nice, helpful, and made the experience wonderful. We will be back and this time, we will try beef and re-order chicken wrap."

Happy Time Mediterranean Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.4 (342) • $$

"I've been back to this place several times now. Recently, I have tried the Angus cheeseburger combo special for $10.95 which comes with fries and a fountain drink: a good deal. Also, the Iraqi Hammurabi Burger which also came with fries at $10.95.The Angus cheese burger was tasty but it over temped for my taste. What happen was that the cook forgot to put the cheese on the burger, so instead of firing up a new one, they place the burger on the griddle again to help melt the cheese, which over cooked it from medium rare to medium well. I was a little dumbfounded when they did that. The Hammurabi burger was interesting. I liked the grilled tomato, pickles, caramelized onions and the house sauce , but the beef for some reason or another had a gamey flavor to it. I was not very fond of that. I am not saying there was lamb mixed in with the beef, but it sure tasted like it. This burger was temped correctly at medium rare.One thing that I did not like about both burgers were the sesame bun. First, each time the buns had a dry texture to them. They need to be moister, and they are to large for the size of the beef patties they are using. You can barely see the beef patty from the outside. A good burger should have the patty flushed with the bun or the patty should slightly over lapping the bun. On my second burger, I was hoping they would correct the issue with the fries I had the first time. They are seasoned nicely but under cooked and were to soft on both occasions. They use frozen precut fries, so the inside of the fries retain more water from the freezing. As a result, the inside of the fries are to soft with almost mashed potato consistency. Also, the outside of the fries should be on the verge of acquiring that nice gold brown color and have a good crunch about them. These did not on both occasion. I mentioned it to them on an earlier visit to no avail. one minute more in the flavor would probably do the trick. Oh yes, I also had a fattoush salad with Romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, mint, and toasted pita chips. I loved all the ingredients, but the salad was under dressed. It need more olive oil for sure.Service was friendly enough."

Tahini

★★★★☆ 4.4 (30)

"Located on the UC San Diego campus, Tahini is a casual place to grab a bite. They had items such as Pitas and bowls. I decided to get one of the set menu items instead of a build your own meals.Pros:-good food-they accept triton cash-you can place an order with their staff or place your order on one of their self serve digital stationsCons:-no seating indoors-inside is very narrow, so it can be difficult to get your beverage when a bunch of people are waiting for their order"

Safi Mediterranean Grill

★★★★☆ 4.4 (135)

"A solid choice. Don't be put off by the slightly rough exterior, this is great mediterranean food for a cheap price. One star off for the slightly dry baklava. Otherwise, great!"

Pamir Kabob House

★★★★★ 4.7 (390) • $$

"I have had Afghanistan food in Salt Lake City, UT Berkeley, Lake Forest, CA and as of today, La Jolla. The one in Salt Lake I liked the least and this place falls in second place but still excellent. With influences from India, Mongolia and the Middle East, Afghani cuisine straddles on these influences. The Mantu looks like a dumpling from Xin Jiang or Momos from Nepal, but there is a topping of yogurt, which is an Indian influence. The chalow daal is more akin to Indian and the kebabs has a middle eastern leaning. Looks like it has adopted the best of each region. Great food, authentic and delicious. Will definitely return to try other dishes."

Sagmani's Restaurant

★★★★★ 4.6 (182) • $

"Sagmani's Restaurant is a small Iraqi restaurant in an industrial area serving up some pretty good HALAL foods. This is a CASH only place as they don't accept credit cards. There are only a handful of tables inside and the ambiance inside is like some offices from the 70's. But that's not important, because it's all about the food here! My group ordered chicken kabob plates, beef kabob plates, and hummus.Chicken Kabob Plate ($8) - At lunch time this plate is only $8 on Monday and Tuesdays, normally it's $10. It comes with salad, basmati seasoned rice, pita bread and a skewer of boneless chicken kabobs (about 8 or 9 pieces). The chicken kabobs here are so flavorful and juicy and I loved how they were seasoned and prepared. This was an exceptional value. The salad was great as well, consisting of fresh onions, cucmbers, lettuce, and some pickled veggies.Beef Kabob Plate ($8) - Just like the chicken kabob plate, except it comes with 2 skewers of seasoned ground beef skewers. I was stuffed by the time I finished. I didn't care for the seasoning used with the beef kabobs here, taste wise it was disappointing. The meat however was tender and juicy. Next time I will stick to the chicken kabob plate.Hummus ($5) - This was one of the best hummus that I tried. The consistency and taste were perfect! It was so rich and creamy and delicious! The only negative to the hummus was that it was served with store bought pita bread. I wish they baked their own pita bread and served it here with the hummus.TO GO SPECIALS:================These items are to go only, and such an incredible deal. I highly recommend getting the chicken kabob skewers.$1.25 for a skewer of beef kabob$4 for a skewer of boneless chicken kabob pieces (8 or 9)Overall, the food here is EXCEPTIONALLY priced! You will not find a better deal ANYWHERE! The highlights of the meal here are the hummus and chicken kabobs. Complimentary tea is served and it's a great way to enjoy one's meal. Parking is available in a private lot that they share with other businesses."

Nahrain Fish & Chicken Grill

★★★★☆ 4.2 (183) • $$

"Nahrain Fish & Chicken Grill is a small Iraqi restaurant specializing in fish, chicken, and grilled meat plates. The restaurant has only 3 tables for inside seating, and they allow for inside dining since the COV-19 pandemic started as well as offer takeout. I was eager to try Masgoof (the national dish of Iraq) and some hummus here.Masgoof is seasoned grilled fish. One selects from one of the 7 kinds of fish available in the display case. Pricing for the 7 kinds of fish are as follows:Tilapia $7/lbCatfish $7/lbStriped Bass $12/lbCarp $7/lbRed Snapper $8/lbWhite Fish $9/lbHamor Fish $12/lbAfter selecting one's fish, the chef weighs it, and then goes back to the kitchen and prepares it. My group selected a 2.5lb striped bass ($30). The fish was flavorful, meaty and had a slightly sweet taste. It was delicious and made for an extremely healthy meal! The fish was accompanied with a massive piece of freshly prepared flatbread provided with the fish. Some pickled vegetables and tahini accompanied the fish. There was a tangy mango pickled sauce as well that was a little too sour for my taste buds called amba that came with the dish. However, after tasting it I passed on it and stuck to the tahini.Hummus ($5) - The hummus here was a little thin in terms of consistency but tasted pretty good and paired nicely with the flatbread.Overall I really enjoyed my meal here and was impressed with the masgoof and delicious flat bread. All the food here is HALAL and service was on point as well. This place shares a parking lot with other businesses in a small strip mall. I'll definitely be back when I'm in the area and looking for some delicious grilled fish!"

Petrino's Greek Restaurant

★★★★★ 4.5 (594) • $$

"I stopped in for a late dinner at Petrino's Greek Restaurant. They were one of the only spots near my nieces house that were open past 9 PM on a Monday. I ordered the gyro salad with lamb, tomato, cucumber and feta cheese. It came with a side of tzatziki and vinaigrette. I loved the homemade tzatziki and had to ask for more. I watched them shave the lamb meat, but I wish the meat had been warm. But I still enjoyed the salad I was excited they sold Pepsi! And they sold several homemade sauces you could take home and enjoy. My niece was happy I found this spot on Yelp as she'd never been. Service was friendly. I would recommend this spot if you're looking for some fresh Greek food."

Pita's Mediterranean Grill

★★★★☆ 4 (502) • $$

"So there I was, a desperate in need of a bathroom, and fate led me to Pita Mesiteraninam at 10:30 AM. I burst through the door like a caffeinated gazelle, only to be greeted by the staff with a stern warning: "The bathroom is for clients only!" I thought, "Sure, I'm a client! Just let me in!" I emerged, a little relieved and a lot confused. Turns out, the place was not even open yet! Who knew a bathroom break could come with an unexpected comedy routine?The staff was kind enough to let me know that I might have missed the memo about the lights being off and that, apparently, I was breaking some sacred pre-opening rule. I mean, come on! The door was open--what was I supposed to think? "Hey, let's throw caution to the wind and risk a bathroom emergency!" As I left, I could sense the owner's playful insanity in the air. I half-expected them to hand me a pita as I exited. Sorry I couldn't buy anything--I would've loved to try your food if you weren't playing hard to get!In conclusion, if you need a bathroom in a pinch, this is the place (just maybe check if the lights are on first)! I hope my surprise visit didn't throw off your morning too much. Here's to wild bathroom adventures and slightly crazy owners! Thanks for the unexpected comedy and the clean facilities! To the owner - I'm sorry for my misunderstanding - I thought if I bought something it would have been okay not realizing you were not open yet."

Al Rafidain

★★★★☆ 3.8 (68)

"I always go to Al Rafidain for kebabs and I and my family like it, thank you Al Rafidain"