Darband Fifth Avenue Grill

 

4

5

Jay C.

San Marcos, CA

If you've ever eaten at Bandar down the street, this place is almost the same, without the high prices. Best Persian food in SD. You gotta try the chicken.

They're very well known for their fluffy rice.

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37

14

Mike A.

San Diego, CA

Darband....

Yes.....Darband...

No Not Bandar....

but....

Darband.....

Kind of similar don't ya think?

Here are some of the differences:

Bandar-  Fine dining experience, authentic Persian food, great atmosphere, downtown location, a little pricey but with good sized portions...

Darband-  Mom and Pop's style dining experience, authentic Persian food, "at home" atmosphere, downtown location, easy on the wallet and good sized portions..

The first time I experienced Darband, I was with the wifey and a good friend of mine..we ended up going during the lunch time rush...fortunately the line moves very quickly.... when we finally got to the front of the line and was greeted warmly by a nice lady....I ended up getting the Barg beef plate (marinated beef tenderloin charbroiled with Basmati rice and a grilled tomato) with a side of hummus..

Seating was very limited, but I got lucky with some seats outside....The food arrived in about 10 min, which in my opinion is pretty faast considering how long the line was....

The meat was cooked to perfection...and the grilled tomato was nice and juicy with some great grill marks seared onto the outside....The hummus was served with some Lvash bread and was delicious!  The only part I wasn't diggin was the rice...was kinda to dry for me...maybe it was just that batch...oh well...it wasn't really a deal breaker for me anyway...

If I were Persian....living in Persia..I imagine this is how my mother's home cooked meal would have tasted like...

Overall Darband is awesome....from there great food....to there great service...this place definately satisfies my Persian food craving...without breaking the bank...ENJOY!

Pro's:  - Very authentic and great tasting Persian food!
           - Great price for the amount of food you get..
           - Nice employees, great at giving their own personal
              recommendations for food..

Con's:  - Limited seating
            - Long lines during rush hours, but moves fast..

FOB Review:  " pood tase so guud dat i'm tinking to ofen mai own
                           Fersian poods restaurant ".....  
                           "Bardand!..apter my unkle prom Manila "

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Elite '08

173

120

Tiffany S.

San Diego, CA

I got the Koobideh kebab (say that three times fast) with rice and salad. It was a long, narrow strip of hamburger and tasted like what you would feed a picky five year-old, not bad, just not deliciously seasoned and spiced like it should be. The rice was nice and fluffy, the salad decent. Prices are a little high-- $8-$14 for lunch plates that are not quite large enough to split (at least not my $8 one).

Get the pistacio ice cream. It tastes like dreams, and is the reason this place gets four, not three stars.

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21

54

lilly g.

San Diego, CA

Back when I ate lots of meat, this was my go-to spot.  Generous servings of kabob, good rice, etc.  Everyone knows Bandar downtown (I know, the names are confusing. You should see my last name), but this is the low-key version of Persian grub.  Go for the food, enjoy it in an unpretentious atmosphere.  They also do deliver and serve with a smile, which makes them doubly awesome.

Yum yum yum.

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1

31

Joe s.

San Diego, CA

It's the antithesis of anything you'll see at the gaslamp. Nothing phony about this place. It's authentic.

Chances that you see grandpa looking men(Persian?) playing chess in front of this Grill/Deli is about 99.5% I've always been intrigued to eat here because it looked so different from what the gaslamp had to offer.

I got the small meal Shish Kabob for $9.50 here which turned out to be a larger than expected. The thing I love about Persian food is the rice. This place serves fluffy rice cooked just right.

The quality of the meat was a little bit on the chewy side(still good though). For the price that I paid I knew I wasn't going to get filet mignon. Served with plenty of greens(fresh lettuce, tomatoes, a nice spicy pepper that keep the meal interesting)

I will be back to sample more meals.

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8

34

taylor e.

San Diego, CA

good place, the workers speak turkish, neto! got 2 falafels and a beef kabob, brought them up to the velodrome, and they diddnt soak through the paper bag! good sign, we chowed on them and they were good! wish they had kibbeh though!

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