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Aladdin Mediterranean Cafe
Categories: Restaurants Mediterranean Restaurants Middle Eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern [Edit]
1220 Cleveland AveSte 101
(between Vermont St & Richmond St)
San Diego, CA 92103
Neighborhood: Hillcrest
(619) 574-1111
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 9:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
We incorporate Greek, Italian and the Lebanese styles of cooking. All of the food served is prepared in our kitchen using our own recipes. We make Gyros… read more »
181 reviews for Aladdin Mediterranean Cafe
Review Highlights
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"Chicken and Lamb Shawerma was pretty good." In 6 reviews -
"Pita bread was homemade and superb." In 15 reviews -
"Get the chicken shawarma." In 8 reviews
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181 reviews in English
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Review from Rafid A.
Malibu, CA
4/19/2012
I will visit San Diego just to eat there :P
A small warning before you leave to there. It is little pricey ;)
good food, do not miss it :) -
Review from Ramy D.
5/7/2012
Yup! this is it... This is the middle Eastern "SPOT" to come, visit and eat eat lots of food.
i've been and ate at few dozen "Arabic, arab" places some are bad some are horrible and some are So good that you'd dream of it..from time to time!
This place is one of them! great food awesome crew just the pricing is a little annoying is high! and i really think its bc of the "area" like if this joint is in "El cajon" i think the owner and customer would save "huge" but thats just my view!
Everything is made when ORDERED! thats a huge plus for me and my wife! Their appetizers are amazing from A-Z. even the Hot ones! their main course dish's are A+ especially the "CHICKEN" omg! am starting to get hungry writing this review ...
and please ask for XXXX-Garlic sauce u'll thank me later! ENJOY ! -
Review from Natasha C.
San Diego, CA
4/20/2012
Aladdin is a great place for Mediterranean food.
I normally order the Lamb Shawerma or Koufta Kabob sandwich. It comes with a delicious salad and pita bread. I also order the Kebeh often and I am always satisfied.
I would recommend expecting any to-go orders to take at least 15 minutes longer than the time they quote you. The food is always well worth the wait. -
Review from Kristen S.
San Diego, CA
5/25/2012
This place is so so yummy! I agree with what others have said about the service being a little slow but it is always well worth it.
I dream about their chicken salad and their Meza platter. I never ate Mediterranean before Aladdin's and now it is in my top 5 restaurants in San Diego. Love this place for sure! -
Review from barbara d.
San Diego, CA
5/25/2012
I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant!
Such great food and such great service! I used to work in the area, so I would go here quite a bit. The owner was always there and always made sure that the food was to your liking. I recently went back and realized nothing has changed- the owner was still there and the food was still great!
Your drink will never be empty (or nearly empty). I LOVE the chicken Mediterranean salad and all the sampler platters. Delicious! -
Review from Ben G.
San Diego, CA
2/24/2012
Kunafas are deliciious! This dessert has floral hues that are awesome.
Now that I got that out of my chest...
The Aladdin's Pizza was also delcious.
Seasoned with a blend of more than 12 herbs, thyme, sesame seeds, oregano & extra vigin oil. Topped with roma tomatoes & french feta.
Very herby. But that french feta is some cheese craziness. Thin crust cooked perfectly on the wood-fired oven. Crispy, tasty, deliciousness.
Besides that parking in that are being kind of a challenge at times, it's worth the grub. -
Review from Jill H.
Updated - 3/11/2012
Still one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego! Great food, good portion sizes, great service. Came here again yesterday.
What we ordered:
Me: Lamb Bryani with Roasted Nuts (my favorite!!), Apricot Iced tea
Others: Koufta Kabob, Vegetarian Meza Platter (great for sharing), Chicken Kabob
Lots of variety on the menu and everything tastes fresh and delicious.
Only issue was the beverage gal refilling my friend's Diet Coke with Iced Tea, but no biggie. :)Listed in: A Healthy Skew
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/18/2011
Have been here many times over the years and absolutely love the food. However, it is a tiny bit… Read more »
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Review from Sean W.
3/11/2012
I've been here quite a few times over the years because this used to be a good restaurant. But in the last few months they've gone downhill; the main problem is that their meat is dry and tough now. I'm pretty sure it's because they have new cooks - you can see them cooking while you're seated and the pale vaguely Eastern European looking guy I used to always see has been replaced by two less-vaguely Mexican looking women.
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Review from Jennie O.
San Diego, CA
3/29/2012
Went here for my husband's birthday, great food, completed the night with a Happy Birthday song and candles. Been here before and will definitely go again. :)
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Review from M. V.
San Diego, CA
3/26/2012
Really good food! A bit pricey but delicious!
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Review from Brian P.
San Diego, CA
4/11/2012
I love this place! Food is very consistent and the marinated chicken-breast kabob wrap with garlic sauce is so TASTY!! I can eat that every other day!! just kiddding but it really is amazing! the lentil soup also tasty, the salad is good too... lemony with herbs and spices. I recommend for lunch! Good prices!
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Review from Cafe H.
San Diego, CA
3/31/2012
I had the Baba Ghanouj, tzatziki dip, Lamb Tika Kabob, Jallab drink topped with pine nuts, and Lebanese ice cream (mango scoop, and another one that i don't remember the name to that is made of rosemary water)
Everything was delicious. I really enjoyed the Jallab drink, that was very new to me. I always love Tzatziki sauce. I really liked how the salad was very herby, and the entree was very herby.
If I had to nit pick, I'd say the lamb kebab was a bit dry or tough, but it was still good, and not enough to even dock any points/stars. I did see staff put a serving tray on top of a trash can lid many of times. That bothered me a bit since I've worked for food establishments and you don't ever want to cross contaminate.
The staff was all very friendly. I will definitely return. -
Review from Janette H.
Bonita, CA
3/25/2012
If you like Lebanese food and you're really hungry, prepare yourself for a feast! We just ate there Friday night. We ordered two Mezas and a chicken kabob dinner. The food is so much like the food my mother-in-law used to prepare! If I didn't know better, I'd think she was cooking in the kitchen. We had lots of leftovers to snack on. This is the real deal, folks! Enjoy!
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Review from Kate N.
San Diego, CA
4/1/2012
Being a long time lover of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food, I had been advised to check this place out by a foodie friend. It did NOT disappoint.
We ordered a 1/2 order of the dolma and of the felafel to start. The dolma were not the best that I've ever had, but they weren't terrible. Had a great lemon sauce, just needed a little more filling for texture. The felafel were fabulous. LIght and fluffy and not dry, with a great crispy fried outside. The tahini was so good we asked for some to go.
For meals I had the chicken shawarma with hummus, garlic spread, and basmati rice. DELICIOUS. The hummus was so smooth and creamy, and the basmati rice was nice and light. The chicken was also great. I'm one for strong flavors, but the garlic dip was something I might need to learn to like. Super garlic and lemony. I'm sure with a few more trips it'll be my favorite thing on the menu.
The boyfriend had the lamb kebab. He's new to the cuisine, so he stayed on the safe side. Said everything was delicious though!
Cannot wait to go back! And apparently they do take out, which is even better! -
Review from Arlene P.
Updated - 11/23/2011
Catering did not disappoint! I loved it and so did all the doctors! Leftovers were divine!
Here is what I got and I suggest that you do too!
1) Hummus - can't go wrong, and they do it right!
2) Baba Ghanouj - just got it because it's a staple, but THIS baba ghanouj I wanted to eat the whole container! It was a amazing! After years of trying it and being all 'eh'... this changed my mind. I LOVE Aladdin's Baba Ghanouj!
3) Bryani tray - 1/3 lamb, 1/3 shrimp, 1/3 chicken hummuna hummuna, so good!
4) Greek Salad - good greek salad
5) Tabouleh salad- super fresh and they put the olive oil on the side
6) Koufta kabob - MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!
7) Spinach, meat, and cheese fatayers... I usually don't like real food in my pasteries, but now I know why it is done... this stuff is amazing!
8) Falafel- I'm not a huge falafel fan and these were dry as always, but the crisp outside and flavorful dip made this one of the best I've tried.
Love this place and will have them cater again for sure!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/17/2011
I had to head over here for lunch today to a little of my own recon work.
You see, I'm putting… Read more »
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Review from food d.
San Diego, CA
1/10/2012
I love this place!
Everything is so incredibly fresh. Their Meza platter is awesome - a taste of everything. The lentil soup is delish and comforting. Whole, fresh, clean cooking.
Their Garlic Sauce is phenomenal. Seriously amazing. -
Review from Meagan D.
9/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
During the Great Blackout 2011, my BF became super paranoid. We had sandwich fixings in the fridge, but he wanted to save those for the next day. He stopped at three grocery stores on the way home, but did not find one open. Fortunately, he happened past Aladdin, and instead of a crappy sandwich on wheat bread, I got a delicious salad with grilled chicken. It was seriously delicious.
Yay for have a gas grill and for allowing customers to order food, pay with cash, and chill out on the patio!Listed in: Home Sweet Home - Hillcrest
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Review from Hatim A.
Carlsbad, San Diego, CA
2/8/2012
Being Arabic I am all about Mediterranean food and very picky about it. Most of the Mediterranean food in the states isn't quite like the way it should be. Aladdin cafe is by far the closest thing you can get to real Arabic food. The hummus is sooo good and not garlicy at all; just real smooth and creamy. You can tell their tabouli is fresh and zesty, pita bread is hot and tasty,, I could go on and on. I've been coming here for a few months now between classes and it is usually quiet, but gets loud on busy days. The staff is super friendly , especially mike he is awesome and makes sure you have everything u need. I haven't gotten to any of the pizzas, cause I'm still not over the tabouli, hummus, falafel, kebabs and grape leaves. It's just so good and does justice to the Mediterranean cuisine!
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Review from Ferdi E.
12/22/2011
holy shwarma!
thats good. -
Review from Sumi B.
San Diego, CA
9/25/2011
I love this place! Such friendly, hospitable staff. The food is divine and the tables are so pretty!
It's hard for me to narrow down what to recommend when eating here but here are my favorites: The Lamb Shawerma (comes with a huge delicious salad), Hommos with Shawerma (so good!!), Baba Ghanouj (so fluffy and yummy), Chicken Shawerma, Aladdin Mediterranean Salad (fresh dressing tossed in), Lamb Borak (Esfiha) (great yogurt sauce to dip in), leave room for dessert! The Knafeh is supperb, with a sweet rose/honey water syrup drizzled over=heaven on a plate!! -
Review from Lee S.
La Jolla, CA
My first experience with Aladdin's was during the Taste of Hillcrest and ultimately what brought us back.
After spending all day at the Pride festival we were extremely drained and hungry! No mood to eat all the fried goodies and expand my waistline we remembered how good their food was.
We walked in on a Saturday night and were sat immediately. The restaurant was not that busy so we had the option to select where we sat. After selecting the table close to the kitchen (keep close to the wonderful cooking smell). I ordered the Greek salad with chicken, my guest ordered lamb biryani (sp) and lamb borak (sp). Everything came out relatively quickly and portions were pretty big.
I am a big salad connoisseur and Aladdin's did not fail me. I was not able to try their other items or to put a claim out on authenticity but I would definitely be going back. -
Review from Jason G.
San Diego, CA
2/20/2012
Went mid-afternoon on a weekday, completely dead time. Got a fresh, hot, moist shishkabob sampler plate that was fantastic. Nice decor, will come back during a peak time to check out the ambiance but was quite impressed. Good stuff.
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Review from iris a.
Westminster, CA
6/27/2011
Authenticity? Ehh not really but 1/2 star because they make their own kanafe (although they also messed up here by having WAY too much lemon in the syrup, it overpowered the cheese & all you tasted was sour syrup).....other 1/2 star is because their dawalis (aka dolmas aka stuffed grape leaves) ($11 for 12 pieces) and their lentil soup ($5??) was tasty. Had the lamb plate and wow did they really toss in mixed veggies (seriously the frozen kind peas corn and carrot) in the rice? I felt like it was more Mexican?? The lamb was also dry ($14?) & kibbeh (3 pieces for almost $10 too!!) along with their tiny cheese, lamb & spinach pies ($10 for that, really?) ....
Overall, WAYYYY TOO PRICEY for bland middle eastern/Mediterranean food. 3 people and $65... Pretty steep for a place I'd never go back to. The search continues for a REAL authentic middle eastern restaurant in San Diego. -
Review from Java B.
San Francisco, CA
6/10/2011
Wow! Yelp steered me well on this one.
Excellent Mediterranean food. All the typical menu items and a number of additional menu items that you don't always find.
Salads were fantastic; very generous on the seasoning. Baba and pita bread was beyond words good. The Baba is an eggplant, garlic, and various other things thrown together similar to Hummus yet so so much better and more flavorful. And they make it extremely well here. So good. I wanted to ask for a vat of it and bring it home. Chicken was excellent. Really well seasoned, grilled nicely, a little juicy, very tasty.
Service was super attentive and knowledgeable. Obviously family run. The meal ran under $15 for the kabob, pita, salad, and a side of the pita/Baba. Incredible deal for amazing food.
I know I will be coming back here, and recommending it to others! -
Review from C I.
Newbury Park, CA
4/1/2012
Wonderful, what a surprise!! Came from out of town and this was walking distance. Thank you again yelp!!! Casual, friendly and yummy! Will be back asap!
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Review from Carinne H.
La Jolla, CA
10/7/2011
I used the Aladdin Cafe to cater an Open House at work for 70 people and they really came through for me. Kameel gave me an excellent price and the service was great. They showed up on time with the food and everything was neatly packaged.
I ordered chicken kabbon, tabouleh salad, greek salad, cheese fatayer, hummus and pita bread.....no one left hungry! I would definitely recommend them to cater your next event.
Thanks Aladdin! -
Review from elena m.
San Diego, CA
3/24/2011
Where do I start?
Okaaay, I must admit the food here is good, I really liked it, but there were a couple of major factors that made me give this place a 1 * rating.
First off, this place is kind of expensive. $23 for a 3 shish cabob mix?? wtf ridiculous! Lets think about this people, they are giving you three sticks of meat with rice (cheap) salad = lettuce (cheap) and a dip sauce (cheap) This is the price of the "expensive" dish at Outback steakhouse and at least there I get some shrimp and steak...hahaha
Second, the service STARTED out great but all went downhill when the waitress got a little "busy". We sat there for about an hour...AN HOUR!!! with absolutely no plates or anything in front of us, waiting for the check. Everytime I tried to make eye contact with the waitress she deliberately looked the other way. Everytime she was about to walk past our section she all of a sudden (non natural looking) body shifted and walked in the other direction. She knew that I was getting mad because it was very obvious that she was avoiding our table. Now...lets go across the room where I see that a party that came in after us had already left and paid. Finally she drops the damn bill off.
Third...she added the 7+ party gratuity to the check. Our party consisted of 5 adults and 2 children. One of which is a baby. A BABY!!! There is no reason for someone to count a baby as a 7+ person party. The two kids didnt even get their own plate because naturally kids do not eat this type of food, they ate some chicken off their moms $23 plate. Fucking ridiculous, but whatever, my family paid the gratuity even though I didnt agree.
The waitress finally picks up the bill 30 minutes later when we were ready within 3 minutes after receiving it.
In a nutshell:
Food is good.
but...I'm pretty sure I can find it somewhere else just as good at a lesser price.
Service was HORRIBLE.
...two kids do not equal gratuity and dont wait forever to give people their bills.
I was extra annoyed bc I ditched my favorite Thai restaurant to come to this place. NEVER AGAIN. -
Review from Laura E.
Little Italy, San Diego, CA
8/30/2011
So Yummy!!
Great prices and huge portions. Staff is very friendly and welcoming.
New favorite Mediterranean restaurant! -
Review from Lynn G.
San Diego, CA
8/21/2011
My boyfriend and I love this place!
The baba ganoush is to die for. I had never had it before eating here!
Glad I tried it. It is way better then the humus. No seriously, it is. Order it!
"A whole new world..." for my taste buds.
Ask for more pita- trust me.
Chicken wrap with sic (as in the bomb) garlic sauce.
Love the salads. Light and fresh. It is nice to have a salad where you can taste the vegetables- one that isn't drenched in fat dressing.
Refill on passion tea. Please. We drink at least 3.
We go here more then we should. Usually for date nights or when we are hungover. After long road trips or Vegas when we need some good grub- all we can think about is Aladdin.
We know the menu by heart- and were sad when they updated/replaced the old ones. We liked getting a giggle from one of the pictures.
Friendly staff. In the last few months there has been some new faces.
New waitress still learning. Bus boy was on top of it.
Owner always friendly- yes he does recognize us.
Get over the price. You get what you pay for.
Keep doing what you do Aladdin. -
Review from Jon H.
Phoenix, AZ
6/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Tried the lamb shawarma and wished that I had ordered the chicken instead. Although I didn't get to try the chicken, It had to be better than the lamb. The hummus was excellent, but doesn't really make it worth going out of your way. Their house salad was pretty good, if you're not going for the lamb, you will probably have a better experience than I did.
You can pick up a http://restaurant.com gift cert for $25 off $35, grab one if you are smart enough to plan ahead and are still interested in going. -
Review from Hai B.
1/9/2011
This Aladdin Mediterranean Cafe is different from the Aladdin Restaurant on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. The menu is identical but the service is crappy and the food is mediocre at best.
The restaurant decided to bake the kebeh instead of deep frying it. The waitress said that they were taking the healthy approach which is fine but at least tell us the restaurant decided to bake the kebeh that day and at the time of our order, not when it gets served. We were really disappointed. Needless to say, we will not be coming back to this Aladdin Mediterranean Cafe. -
Review from Marina Z.
La Mesa, CA
1/2/2012
It is always with great pleasure that we go, as a family mainly, to Aladdin as it is our favorite authentic Lebanese food. The service is just out of this world as it is managed by the owners Camille and Eva. I cannot say enough about the welcoming atmosphere and ambiance by all who are working there. The food is just delicious, and it is good place for all to go. I highly recommend Aladdin to all who are interested in delicious Lebanese food. The kneffeh is just an added desert.
Thanks Aladdin Owners, and team members for joyful and pleasant meals every time. -
Review from F-eezzzyyy N.
San Diego, CA
2/2/2011
The food was AWESOME! it was a little pricey but in the end all worth it.we went on a monday night so it was too busy.the entrance is a little confusing but it was good service and good food.
deff going back! -
Review from Jaime B.
San Diego, CA
6/17/2011
I love Aladdin! I make an appearance here at least once a month!
The hummus, baba ganoush, garlic sauce and labneh are fantastic! And... that's just to start... The freshly baked pita is light, fluffy and simply amazing! Be sure to have a chicken shawarma or koufta sandwich for your meal. The pizza's are very tasty too!
I recommended ordering way too much food... There's nothing better than a pita hummus/baba ganoush snack the next day! -
Review from Shanel S.
San Diego, CA
This place is so fresh and delicious! The waiter was so kind and attentive. I'm really glad I work so close. I'm going to enjoy their food many times a week. Yum!
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Review from Morgan T.
San Diego, CA
10/24/2010
The falafel had the flavor and consistency of "falafel from a box." The server said it was in fact made from scratch, which I might have believed if the fattoush was a bit more than a plate of romaine lettuce with a couple of hunks of tomato. (The sorry excuse for fattoush was $10.50 which I wouldn't mind if it were good fattoush, but this salad wasn't worth the energy it took to raise my fork from my plate to my mouth.)
The baba ghanoush, on the other hand, was excellent.
I've eaten at the homes and restaurants of many-a Lebanese people, and Aladdin's was pretty sorry in comparison. -
Review from Ethan R.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2011
Decent would be the word to describe this joint.
I visited during San Diegos fabled Restaurant Week, since I had a craving for something middle eastern.
The food was standard fare, hummus, falafel's etc. My one complaint would be their pizza. It was awful. Overly greasy, kinda lukewarm, it could have been a Domino's personal pizza if it wasn't for the excessive grease and small amount of Feta cheese.
The dessert made up for it though. It was like that pretty girl you meet at a bar and forget her name, but can't get her eyes out of your head. Crispy strands of something made of grain, soaked through with honey. Lounging on a soft bed of custard just waiting for me to ravage it with my mouth.. I ought to go back and get it's name next time.. -
Review from Sarah W.
San Diego, CA
3/5/2012
Two friends and I ate at Aladdin's recently and Haitham waited on us. His service was exceptional, his suggestions superb and the food was awesome. It was an awesome dining experience and Haitham helped immensely to make it that way. I had the marinated shrimp and my friends had the chopped chicken salad. Everything was wonderful, the shrimp was out of this world and was the krim dela krim of anything I've eaten there. Thanks, Aladdin's for another wonderful dining experience.
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Review from CHARLES J.
Buffalo, NY
11/29/2011
I call this the tasty restaurante with bad habits. First of there was not even a good greeting for a guy who is blowing 25 usd for one person. I got to tell you the food was tasty. Well above average but the waitress kept putting the serving tray on the garbage. Wow really. I could not believe it. There was an older gentleman in the back with a fly swatter... The waiter threw out garbage and never washed her hands. No gloves for the cook. He wipe himself on his self several times. My plate was a B+ and the experience was a C-. Get cleaner Alladdin.
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Review from mark d.
Escondido, CA
8/25/2011
I come here after church with my Jesus friends. I didn't used to like it because I have a somewhat selective stomach. However, LOVED their stuff grape leaves. The best I've ever had. And I ordered the vegetable rice thing, can't remember the name. I got a side of Tzatziki, which is also the best I've ever had. Overall, I love this place now!
