Truly Mediterranean
Category: Greek and Mediterranean [Edit]
Neighborhood: Mission3109 16th St
(at Valencia St)
San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 252-7482
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m.
Sun 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: None
38 reviews
Neighborhood: Financial District
"One of the best Gyros I have ever had, and amazing hummus that comes in a quarter pint with a lid, so you can take the left overs to go! If…" read more »
326 Reviews for Truly Mediterranean
A pretty damn good shawarma, even though I can't pronounce it when I order it. I prefer the chicken to the lamb, but both are great. This is my girlfriend's favorite middle eastern place in the city, so I come here often. Pretty much EVERYTHING is good AND filling, so you can't knock it! Plus the prices are pretty right-on too.
I love Mediterranean food: crispy falafel, tangy feta, and hummus that begs for the pita to be dipped in it.
In the last two months, I've come here with my gf a handful of times. We share the combination plate and a falafel deluxe. The combo plate has everything you'd like in a standard Med meal: hummus, cucumber salad, tabouleh (light on bulgar wheat), feta, dolma, falafel, and warm pita. Grilling the lavash makes all the difference in making the falafel sandwich not collapse from the weight of ingredients.
It'd be great if we could find a third person to share the excess because this is all too much for just the two of us. Where else can you get so much for so little?
This place is beyond small. There are maybe half a dozen counter seats and half a dozen seats outside. 99% of their business appears to be takeout. This means that they are extremely nice to those who choose to stay.
Maybe this place has a goofy name. Or maybe they describe just as it is...Truly Mediterranean because it truly is what it is says it is. We will return again and again.
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My attempt to write a review about here has made me realize that I know how to spell neither "Truly" or "Mediterranean". So much for being from the country which invented our fair language :(
Anyways, on to the review :)
I eat here far too much. "Far too much" because I'm in a weightloss bet at the moment and the food here is both appetizing, and filling and unhealthy (in a good good way!).
I've had, and recommend, the falafel shawarma and the lamb shawarma. Both are delicious. Price wise its adequate - its about $8. It completely fills you up. I guess the only issues I have with it are that the chilly isn't hot enough and the garlic yoghurt sauce is too garlicy. Then again, im less of a garlic aficiendo (another word I cannot spell!!!) than most of you californian's!
Greatest thing is it is open late, so great for drunken food :)
We love this place! It was my first shawerma and it definitely won't be my last. Great selection, fresh, and fast. It is a small place with counter/stools inside and a couple of patio tables outside.
It is really good for take out. I have tried the lamb and chicken shawerma and also the falafel wrap. Very good indeed!
Always say Yes for the hot sauce. It actually isn't that spicy.
Sharif R. has hit the nail on the head, a perfect Saturday, or any nice day in the city:
Eat the falafel deluxe and walk to Delores Park
Consistently delicious! This is absolutely my go-to place when I'm ravenous and in no mood to wait more than a couple minutes. I always get the falafel regular, extra spicy, because it's not really that hot. They wrap it in lavash and then grill it which makes their falafel wrap superior to others.
Kabobs take a while because they grill them fresh to order. I always see people in there waiting for kebabs. The shawerma always looks and smells awesome, whether its chicken or lamb (it depends on the day.) I tried the garlic, yogurt & mint drink last time I was there. It was great, not salty (I just don't dig the salty ones) but it was pretty garlicy. Seriously, you would not want to have an important meeting or date later in the day, but it was tasty.
Consistently delicious! This is absolutely my go-to place when I'm ravenous and in no mood to wait more than a couple minutes. I always get the falafel regular, extra spicy, because it's not really that hot. They wrap it in lavash and then grill it which, in my opinion, is the mark of a quality wrap.
Kabobs take a while because they grill them fresh to order. I always see people in there waiting for kebabs. The shawerma always looks and smells awesome, whether its chicken or lamb (it depends on the day.) I tried the garlic, yogurt & mint drink last time I was there. It was great, not salty (I just don't dig the salty ones) but it was pretty garlicy. Seriously, you would not want to have an important meeting or date later in the day, but it was tasty.
One of the few top Falafel places in the city....
grab a falafel deluxe and walk or ride to delores...
well worth it!!!
Their falafel is great for vegetarians... I usually get it light on tahini and heavy on spicy sauce. I used to eat here almost every night (kind of sad) when I first moved to the Mish, and I never got tired of it. The place is small but that's part of the Truly Med experience :-)
I strolled into this tiny eatery with its five stools (and outdoor seating), feeling lucky after finding parking nearby (and no line!) and continued my shawerma quest by ordering the chicken shawerma wrap ($7.50).
They know what they're doing. He asked me if I wanted it spicy or not. No one's ever asked me that before when ordering shawerma though some places have given me hot sauce. Wow, good sign. They're very quick too - they spread the hot sauce on the lavash, shave off the chicken from the spit, throw on some yogurt sauce, tomatoes and onions, roll and then throw it on the grill. My wrap was ready in minutes, which gave me some time to look over their press clippings and awards.
The wrap did not disappoint. There's just the right amount of delicious garlic yogurt sauce, so that wrap doesn't fall apart and sauce doesn't squirt everywhere. They give you plenty of chicken which is thinly shaved and seasoned well. The crunchy seasoned onions, juicy broiled tomatoes and taste of fresh parsley all enhance the taste of the wrap. As for the hot sauce, I wish it were spicier.
The menu is limited to various wraps and some dips and salads but I like limited menu hole in the wall spots. It's a shame that you can only get the chicken shawerma on Tuesdays and Fridays though - wish they could squeeze in one more spit. They have some drinks and some fresh desserts (baklava and some others) too.
Credit cards accepted.
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It's the freakin best Mediterranean food I've ever had. I get the veggie combo plate and it's wonderful. The hummus is amazing.
Only draw back it that it is the tiniest shop with few places to sit.
$7 bucks for a wrap might sound expensive, but it's money well spent at this spot. Their shwarma's are motherfucking delicious and I don't use the word motherfucking to describe something often. They got meat drippings falling off their spindles onto grilled tomatoes!! Tastes like God's vagina.
I came across this ethnic conundrum on my way to the Roxie theater next door. Why is it that most places like this get labeled (or even label themselves) as Mediterranean, while the food is actually Middle Eastern? Is the average American falafel craver slightly uncomfortable that there may be an IED in your wrap? Not to mention that your order is served up by a bunch of energetic Latin-Americans, adding to the Babylonian confusion.
Either way, if you're looking for a quick and filling meal at the buzzing corner of Valencia and 16th, the stuff in this ethnic melting pot looks fresh, is served with a smile, and is quite delicious.
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I had bookmarked this place a while ago after reading my friend Jenny K's review, but it took me a while to go there. After my meal last night, I immediately regretted not going much sooner -- and I can't wait until my next visit!
We split a combination platter and a falafel pita. The combination platter was so delicious - pita, hummus, cucumber salad, tabouleh, feta, dolmas, falafel, some more sauces. After we polished that off we were almost full, but we still had a big falafel pita waiting for us (good thing we didn't order two!). As good as it was, we could only finish half - the portions are huge here! At just under $20 for two and a half meals (I took the rest of the falafel home - no way was I letting something so good go to waste), this place is quite a good deal.
The guys working there are nice, too. They wiped down the counter for us without our asking, and when I got a bottle of water from their fridge, they gave me a colder one.
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I have been going to this place since my college years in the '90s. They are really as good as it gets for falafel. I always have the Falafel Deluxe and my husband the Lamb Shawerma and it just tasty and delicious. There are only maybe 6 seats inside the place but we still enjoy eating it there while still fresh from the grill. But with the foil wrap, they stay warm and toasty still when we take it to Ocean Beach, Marina or the Golden Gate Park. This place has never failed.
I'd pass through a Hezbollah road block to get to one of their chicken shwarmas. There have been days that I've gone and not been able to get a chicken shwarma for some reason not explained to me. On those days I've resorted to the falafel. I usually tell myself "I got to remember the chicken shwarma days" but have forgotten to do so for the past 13 years. I guess the falafel is so good that I never remember the chicken shwarma days, and when I DO get a shwarma it's like those fu@kin guys gave me a gift. Walkin in from 16th St. with all the hipsters, or any of the "sters" or "istas" then into here is a nice trip. It's small, not the cleanest, but not rank, with dope music out the a.m. radio type sh!t. You might think you found yourself in Lebanon somehow, until you hear Spanish in the kitchen and remember you're in the good ol' U.S.A.!
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If there was six stars I would give it to this place. Since there is now only one location left (WTF?!?!) I'm always on the hunt for another falafel spot that can even come close to Truly Med, and frankly no one has. Don't get me wrong, a place like Le Mediterranean in Rockridge is great but that is more for dolmas, quiches, and for sitting down.
And ever since I figured I can make a phone order, pick it up, and ditch the 30 minute wait to find parking, which by the way is worth it, I've been making sure to pick one up whenever I can. Shoot, sometimes when I have a gig in that neighborhood I even come a few hour(s) early to grab a falafel; it is that good.
And in typical YELP fashion there's dudes and dudettes on here acting all butt-hurt and opening up their "YELP" review with some "HEY! I REALLY DON'T LIKE MEDITERRANEAN FOOD BUT I WENT TO THIS PLACE ANYWAY" or "THE BEST PLACE EVER......HERE IS 2 STARS BECAUSE THERE THE PLACE IS 'GHETTO/DIRTY' THEY DON'T HAVE A VALET" or something. GTFOOHWTBS!
I really miss you Truly Med.
I really miss your Feta Sandwich w/ hot sauce and a nice can of diet coke to wash all that feta goodness down. I'm sure you remember me.. that crazy brown girl who ALWAYS orders the same thing.
I will be back.. oh yes, I will be back soon.
Definitely the best shawerma I've had in SF. I love the toasty flatbread wrapping. Ask for extra hot sauce. It's not that spicy, but really tasty! One of these days I'll try the yogurt garlic drink....
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Honestly the best Shwarma's and Falafel's!!! My mouth is watering just thinking about them....mmmmmm!!! Awesome place...i just wish they had a llittle more room to sit...
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I needed some sustenance after I got my ears pierced at Body Manipulations so my friend said that we had to go here to try their famous falafel.
Okay, so I wasn't a huge fan of falafel before this because I always got burnt falafel in the past. We got Mediterranean Combo Plate that includes: Falafel, hummus, baba, tabouleh, cucumber salad, dolmas, feta cheese, seasoned onions, tahini sauce, and pita bread. It's too much for one person, best for two to share, but worked for my group of three. Seriously, I don't know what I ate, but it was all SO GOOD. Because of this place, I day dream about falafel at least once a week.
I like that this place keeps busy (at least when I went on the weekend) because the falafel is really fresh and hasn't been sitting for the entire morning. The falafel is kind of expensive.... $.50 a pop, but it's worth it because it really is the best I've ever had.
LOVE IT! So good. I think I go there maybe once a week? Maybe more? I even eat there sometimes... Yes, in that tiny space where you have to watch yourself eat -- there's a mirror placed right above the counter there to either make that place look bigger or so you can make sure you don't have dried tahini on your face when you leave... Their food is so good, and it's a plus that they got a perfect score on their health/cleanliness code check thing (whatever it's called).
Sometimes the guys working there give me funny looks, but whatever... Keep making me the best falafel deluxe with extra hot sauce I've ever had (no, I haven't traveled to the middle east and had TRULY authentic Mediterranean food, but who cares?). Everything I get there is always well spiced, perfectly crisp/cooked, and just yumalicious! I'll keep coming back for as long as you're there, Truly Mediterranean...
Maybe I'll go back right now! Yum...
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I love the chicken shawerma so much that it's the only thing I've ever ordered. The chicken is juicy, hint of citrus, and the sauce is incredible. I could eat it a pig's foot if it had that hot sauce on it! ......
I should backspace that comment right?
hmmm........
I really don't think the chicken shawerma could disappoint, it's consistently great so don't hesitate to stop by. Lamb is not my thing but I bet you'll like it LOL
1 star off because I know rent is high, but DAMN they need some more square feet. I am still salty because ever since the Haight St. location closed, they haven't served Waarbat. I'm MAD about that. I overeat and I need my dessert!
I ordered the Lamb skewers here and they gave me a lamb shwarma. The guy at the counter mentioned something like, the lamb skewers will take 10 minutes. I told him that's fine.
Eventually the group behind the counter decided that the shwarma would be best in my situation. -2 for not getting me what I ordered. Otherwise 3.5-4 stars. Taste was good, but I've had better.
Truly Mediterranean? What a relief! Heaven only knows how many places fuse Mediterranean food with Mexican or, heaven forbid, Irish food. Come on, San Francisco, you can only have Corned Beef & Hummus so many times.
Not.
Aside from their silly name, this place is the bomb. Oh no, can I make bomb jokes? (I get so caught up being P.C. that I'm never sure if I have offended someone).
"Obama is like so popular and my friend likes him, jump on the bandwagon and vote for him, you narrow-minded fools!" Sorry, had to buy a few friends back.
Their "special" was the chicken schwarma, my friend ordered one and she devoured the entire thing. My sampler a.k.a. variety plate a.k.a. "you'll take whatever I throw in front of you and like it" was really good. Aside from a healthy serving of feta, dolma(s?), hummus & pita bread, it contained the best falafel I have ever had. Of course, that isn't saying much, but it sure beats the stuff my mom used to cook from a box when she was pretending to be domestic.
Very limited seating, I wouldn't recommend sitting along the counter inside... instead, I would head outside, wipe down one of the plastic lawn chairs, and keep one hand on your food and the other on your pepper spray.
This is the only place that a homeless guy has offered me money. He approached and asked me if I wanted a quarter. So I took it. Okay, I didn't really take it, but I wanted to. I like shiny things... it's a curse. If I wouldn't have been 50% sure that he was going to rip off my ear with his teeth, I would have been all over that coin. Plus, I didn't want to hurt his feelings..
I treated my friend to dinner here, like the loaded little lady I am, and after 2 entrees, 2 drinks, and dessert I still didn't break a twenty.
Truly Mediterranean reminds me of what my mother used to say, "It doesn't matter what they look like on the outside, it's what's inside that counts."
Then again, she also used to say, "remember, you can change Fat, but you can't change Ugly."
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the best falafel. i loved falafel before and i really liked spicy falafel but falafel with french fries inside the wrap and spicey....sooooooooooo dreamy.
One of the better falafels I've had in SF. Nicely spiced and crisp without being greasy, and I love the cucumber salad they throw in there. Very friendly service and super affordable prices, too!
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Awesome!
This is a great place to get your mediterranean fixins to go.
Everything is solid here...
To the other posters that say that this food doesn't stand up to food they've had while traveling in the middle east. Been there and done that...this food compares just fine, and even better because you don't have to worry about getting intestinal infestion or worry about where the meat came from...
This place is great for food to go...another mission staple right there on 16th.
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Best Shwarma and falafel in town - hands down. All others are immitations, don't believe the hype
The others get zero stars, Ze-Ro, nada, the big doughnut
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I'm carrying around half a shawerma while i'm out drinking and hanging out a Gestalt Haus and Casanova. I think to myself I am glad this purse was inexpensive because the old leather is likely to hold on to the scent of lamb though it might counter out the initial smell of thrift store.
Truly Mediterranean's shawerma was tasty enough that I didn't want to leave behind my uneaten portion. The place is tiny but there are a few spots along the wall to eat at. Saw a couple come in for some baklava and that sounded good. As I gazed at the Baba Ganoush sign on the wall I thought out loud that Baba Ganoush would be a good name for a cat but only if it was long hair and a little ugly.
The cashier stared at me longingly I don't know if it was endearing or scary. But as I ate my food on the stool in front of the mirror wall I felt a little exposed.
Good food and prices and a welcome yet handy diversion from the ubiquitous Mission burrito.
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Love this place. I walk a long way just to get their dolma sandwich. [I went to ali baba recently (was desperate for some falafel and don't recommend them) and there they said they couldn't put dolmas on my sandwich...even though they have them right there...?!!). Love the tiny space. Folks are always nice. Food is always great!
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Smack my ass and call me a cab as i am certainly walking home after eating here! I was sooo stuffed i felt like a porn tar after a weekend Vegas "Adult Entertainment" conference.
I know we all can eat a lot, but seriously folks, split the Swarama, but this allows you to have a couple of Dalmas and at least one pasticcio Baklava. Oh, I am drooling just writing about it. The sauce is smooth with a bit of lime mixed in so it does not taste like the usual pasty spunk you find at other falafel places.
There is a line table in the place, but for your sake take it to the park and have a picnic with a tall beer. Oh ya, and don't skimp on the beer, myfriend. Step up and have a bit of taste and subtle culture and pitch in for a Tiger beer or an Indian beer which was made for such a spicy feast.
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This lil gem really gets a 3.5, being in the heart of the Mission it's a regular spot for my girlfriend and I, we often get the combo platter but you can order their falafels by the piece which are fresh moist and steamy on the inside yet crispy on the outside. Each time we go she insists we get half a dozen drizzled with their hot sauce, tahini and a pile of parsley sprigs. On Tuesdays and Fridays they have the chicken and lamb shawarmas available Tues/Fri straight off that vertical rotating grill (that i'm sure has a proper name). I like the fact that they use the thinner pita wraps and pop them on the grill for a light toasting after the wrap is made. Fresh squeezed carrot juice and their signature garlic yogurt drinks are great in the summer! I have yet to try their desserts (baklava assortments) but for $1-2 it's hard to go wrong. Great value and a quick stop option when you're in a hurry or even suffering that late night snack attack after a few drinks at the bar. The staff are super friendly and they always have the best 80's and dance beats blasting in their hardly 120 square ft establishment. In/Outside seating for 6-10, great for take out! Caution, the wraps tend to be loaded with tahini watch for the spill.
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Good shawarma and fast service. Price a little on the steep side.
The best for what it is. Staff is cool, service is as quick as it can be (not unusual for a line out the door). My favorite is the chicken shwarma (only available on Tuesdays and Fridays).
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The best falafel in SF. These guys are always patient and willing to customize.
Tip: the difference between the regular falafel and the deluxe is that the deluxe has potato wedges and eggplant (15+ years, but still no sign). Love eggplant, but the regular is better. Keep it simple.
Critical: No onions! I love onions, but these are nuclear. By the end you'll wish you hadn't.
Interesting: Why do they alternate chicken days and lamb days? Not enough space for two rotisseries.
I don't particularly like Mediterranean food. I find it dry, acidic and often quite bland.
I thought I didn't like *any* Mediterranean food until I visited L'As du Falafel in Paris and had, for the first time ever, an incredibly enjoyable falafel.
So I decided that there must be a good falafel in San Francisco. Truly Mediterranean isn't quite it. The ingredients were good, but I just didn't really taste anything. Eventually the spicy sauce they put on it hit my tongue, but it just seemed... bland. Maybe the flavor is too subtle for me to pick up. Still I couldn't help thinking the whole time that a bit of salt would really bring out the flavor.
Now mind you that I finished the huge falafel off, but it just wasn't quite what I was looking for.
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Well as if I needed any more convincing that food without meat just kinda sucks, yesterday was the final reminder. I'm sorry to any and all vegetarians or vegans or what have you, but I LOVE meat. I would eat it three times a day (and usually do) and if there isn't some kind of meat, poultry or fish in my dish, then it just doesn't feel like a complete meal.
This was definitely the case yesterday when we came here for a quick bite. I was all excited to order something meaty or lamby, only to be shot down when i asked the cinnamon of death question and was told the only thing they had without cinnamon was a falafel. It then occurred to me that I had never actually had a falafel, so why not try it? I saw the little balls and was hoping they were yummy little fried meatballs, but newp, they were veggie balls. Veggie balls, really, who wants those anywhere near their mouth?
I then found myself getting really sad as I watched the guy make my falafel sammich. I then gazed at my friend's lamb shawarma and got even more sad, knowing her meal was going to kick ass and mine wasn't. I then paid for my meal and went outside with my sammich and took a bite and was kinda surprised. This wasn't half bad...until the second bite when my mind confirmed that there was no meat in this thing and I only got through another few bites without putting it aside and calling it a Truly sad day.
I'm a meat eater, what can I say. I love it and did not love this as a result.
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There are just some times when you feel like shwarma. Every now and then my friend will text me with, "mmmm shwarma..." And for a split second, I am green with envy. And when ever I am in the Mission, I try to stop at Truly Mediterranean for some good ol' fashion lamb shwarma. On Tuesday and Fridays, they have chicken chwarma too, but I think the lamb is the best. There are huge pieces of lamb, onions, tomatoes, hummas, and tahini sauce all wrapped up in flatbread heaven. There is also a few options for sweet desserts too. MMMM Shwarma...
Great cheap Greek street food.
In homage to Greek street vendors in places like Mykonos, this place serves a small taste of that flavor. This place is always there for all of the lovely Mission dwellers. A great grab-and-go spot. The Gyros have so much flavor, and can get a bit on the messy side. I usually would get their Lamb Shawrma; which I impulsively would gravitate toward whenever here. I do love their Hummus too: rich, creamy, and fresh. The place offers great and quick street food that's worth stopping by for.
An array of tasty dishes, for cheap prices, all in one place.
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