On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Greek, Italian, Mediterranean [Edit]
Neighborhood: HillcrestWalking into this place was sort of a whim. The girlfriend and I were on our way to Taste of Italy down the street, but it was cold, so a shorter walk was completely welcome.
The first thing we noticed about this place was it was completely dead. It was the dinner hour, but there were perhaps four other people eating and a group of three middle aged people at the bar. They were certainly enjoying themselves.
I had the angus steak. Probably the best steak I've had in a long while. Granted, I haven't been eating much steak, but as steaks go, this is one of the better ones in recent memory. A little spicy and an overall robust flavor. The mashed potatoes on the side were good and the vegetables were great.
This place understands portions. I'm not used to that as it seems every other entree at every other restaurant is enormous. So I wish I would have ordered an appetizer, but that was more or less my fault.
Decor was awesome and the drinks were stiff. I really don't have a bad thing to say about this place.
"I'm always a little nervous about eating somewhere that's totally dead" my date quietly confessed after we'd been seated on the empty patio of Med Grill Cafe at 8:30pm on a Friday night.
We giggled a bit at this, but had I been reading about this dinner or watching it in a movie, I would have recognized this statement as a literary device called FORESHADOWING.
The super-garlicky pesto oil stuff they served with the ciabatta was okay, though we would have preferred a more traditional oil and vinegar--we weren't given a choice. The Caesar salads that followed were... medium, I suppose. Oily lettuce smothered with powdered Parmesan. Fine. We were hungry.
The oddest moment came when my friend tried to order a couple glasses of wine. He simply asked if the slightly higher-priced Chianti was better than the house brand. Our enthusiastic, attentive (almost over-attentive), friendly server insisted that it was, but instead of simply letting us order the superior wine, he went on to insist he wasn't trying to upsell us, and would prove it by bringing us one of each. He then dared us to taste test and decide for ourselves, which was better. *sigh* Seriously? We weren't looking for a game or a test; we just wanted a wine recommendation that we would have been perfectly content to accept. If my companion was a cheapskate, he would have simply ordered the house wine without question. Perhaps I should simply use the word "simply" just one more time in this paragraph.
Finally the food. Well, the risotto was fine (only fine, but fine), according to my date, but my cheese ravioli? Not so much. Besides the unappetizing presentation (the ravioli were arranged in a circle on a plate in way too much sauce, with a large clump of powdered Parmesan piled on the center ravioli), what was supposed to be a tomato cream sauce tasted like something from the kitchen of Chef Boyardee, cut with skim milk.
I would have loved to like this place--it would be a welcome addition to the veritable sea of Mexican restaurants in the area--but sadly, it did not deliver. The prices weren't particularly high, but far too high for the cafeteria quality.
CAUTION: while still pretty good, there are new owners and it's not the same. not sure what it is but somethings missing. too bad :(
wow. I can't believe this is the first review of this delicious eastern european-mediterranean fusion restaurant. Located in the heart of hillcrest (next to wine steals) this classy while inexpensive cafe offers a romantic setting with a professional waitstaff that's sure to please.
Greek salads topped with bunches of mint, a thick bowl of lentil soup with a fat lemon slice, freshly pureed baba ghanouj and hummus with succulent olive oil drizzled luciously atop, and lightly fried falafel with still warm tahini sauce make for my fantasy meal that in my dreams lasts for hours with a bottle of wine and some good company.
This is the deadest (deadiest? most dead?) joint in Hillcrest on a Friday night. The high ceilings and big windows make the restaurant too big and empty. My date and I dined on dry (although flavorful) chicken and average falafel to the sweet sounds of an instrumental version of Mariah Carey's "Hero" backed by the pumping bass of the nightclub next door. Entrees should be about $5 less than they are.
Guess I won't be choosing the restaurant next time.
I LOVE Middle Eastern food. No really, it's like an affair or something creepy.
San Diego doesn't have much good Mediterranean fare... buttttttttt Med Grill is #1 in my book for getting some good med chow.
I've always driven by it (it's in Hillcrest) to and from Trader Joe's-- but thought it looked kind of cheesy. WRONG. Soooooooo good! Great service, not usually too busy, and when you go in at lunch, there are a bunch of white collars there hiding away in this hidden gem!
You HAVE to try it! While I'm not a vegetarian... there is something called the Vegetarian Delight (something like that), and it is has EVERYTHING I love in it... dolmas, hummus, babaganoush, falafel, tabouleh, cous cous.. and I think one or two other items... AND it's reasonably priced.
If you're down to try something different, you won't regret the Aladdin-like feel of Med Grill!
One of the best mediterranean restaurants I've been to! It's inexpensive with big portions, the atmosphere is dim lit and romantic, and most importantly, the food is oh so tasty. All the entrees come with a house salad, pita bread, hummus, and basmati rice, fries, or couscous. For about a 6 bucks an entree? What a deal!!
Appetizer:
Baba ghanouj -- Baked aubergine eggplant blended with tahini sauce, lemon and garlic, topped with olive oil & parsley. Perfect with the pita bread. It tasted a bit more pureed than regular hummus but it really tasted roasted.
Entrees:
Shawarma djaaj -- Layered strips of marinated chicken slow grilled and served with garlic sauce. It was delicioussss...the chicken was tender, the hummus was tasty...cooked to perfection.
Shawarma lahem -- Marinated slices of tender lamb and beef delicately spiced and slow grilled. Served with tomatoes & tahini sauce. My friend couldn't stop making tasty noises.
If you're a tea lover try the passion hot tea. My friend loved it. This place try if you're in the SD area and you like Mediterranean food!
This is the perfect place if you want a romantic dinner while on date. This place is empty on most nights, which is a crying shame because the food and service really is good. My bf and I think many people pass it by because its quiet compared to nearby noisy places that serve mediocre meals like Baja Betty's. If they start playing dance and hip hop music, maybe it will attract more people. I hope not.
This place was recently bought out and is under new management. I've eaten here twice with my bf and both times I have liked the food and loved the service. When you are the only couple in the restaurant, you literally get one on one service which is so rare these days.
The complimentary bread they serve is worth the visit alone. It comes with a delicious pesto spread consisting of parsley, olive oil, and some other herbs and spices. I like it even more than just plain butter on bread.
The food is a little bit pricey, but Hillcrest and cheap eating don't exactly come hand in hand. The first meal I had was the fettuccine and escargot. It was okay, but I think the escargot could have been substituted with portabello mushrooms and would have tasted better. It does keep well though, because I was too full from eating two servings of the complimentary bread. So I popped it in the frig and used the microwave to heat it up the following day. It tasted almost as good as when they served it at the restaurant.
The second time I ate here, I ordered the 4 cheese linguine. That dish was close to perfect and I would definitely order it again. In both visits, my bf ordered the sausage dish in the back of the menu page. He really likes sausage and seems to like the dish. He did comment that the tomato based sauce on the sausage on our second visit wasn't as good as the first time we visited.
The place has a few parking spots, but otherwise you will just have to deal with the Hillcrest street parking.
It is always dead in here. I know because I drive past it almost every day. I've gotten take out before and it was ok.
Man its gotta suck for the owner unless its a front and hes laundering money or something.
This is my favorite restaurant in San Diego. It strikes a nice balance between being casual and offering great service and food.
The feta cheese fatayer is unbelievable, as is the shish tawook (grilled seasoned chicken). The shrimp and beef dishes are also excellent.
They also have a good wine selection, including more expensive Lebanese wines and their own inexpensive, but pretty decent, private label (bottled locally, but I forget by who...)
Had lunch here today with my friend and her 4 month old daughter- we both got the falafel pita sandwiches, and I added a side of fries. We were the ONLY people in the entire restaurant, and we actually weren't even sure they were open at first b/c it was completely empty.
The fries came quickly and were perfectly hot and crunchy. They were followed a few minutes later by our falafel pita sandwiches, which were spicy and flavorful. The side salad was nothing special, but I did like the mini cucumbers in it. Both of us were pleasantly full after a relaxed and leisurely lunch.
Only criticism would be on behalf of my friend- the bathroom didn't have a changing station so she had to improvise with her stroller to change her baby's diaper. Other than that, $5 for a lunch plate is reasonable, and I'll definitely be back!
Med Grill used to be really good. It had a huge menu with a lot of variety. But I guess it changed owners recently (Mexicans bought it) and it isn't nearly as good as it used to be. The menu choices were slashed by, oh, maybe 50%. The food is now pretty basic Middle Eastern with nothing special. And parking blows. It's either a street spot or one of the three spots in front of the restaurant.
Go to Alladin across the street by Trader Joe's. That is quality Lebanese/Middle Eastern food.
My cousin and I wanted to try something new and we came across this place. Everyone's right: this place isn't that busy but at least we didn't have to wait to be seated.
We started off with the carpaccio - it was good, flavorful with the mustard and capers. Our waiter suggested that we try them with a little vinegar and olive oil too, and it wasn't bad.
I had the ribeye steak and it was ok. A little bland for my taste so I had to reach for the A-1 steak sauce, much to our waiter's dismay. But the meat had a good consistency and wasn't dry. My cousin had the mixed grill and there was a variety of meats. The lamb wasn't as good as Cafe Eleven's though, and everything else was just ok.
Overall, this place was ordinary, it wasn't bad but it wasn't outstanding either.
This place is mediocre at best. I took my girlfriend there on our first date, and let me say, NOT a good place to bring someone you are trying to impress. The food was rather bland and the service was terrible. We were the only customers there, and still had to wait 15 minutes before our drink orders were taken. the server hardly noticed that we were there. I almost felt like self serve buffet style would have better service, and been more worthy of a tip. I would only recommend this place to someone who didn't really like food, or customer service.
The places is always dead
The only nice thing i have to say is it's a nice romantic place.
The food is HORRIBLE. I ordered chicken kabob and the rice was all wet and not cooked. I sent it back and they put it in the microwave for like 6 minutes, when he returned my food it was burning hot and the rice was still uncooked.
My boyfriend ordered eggplant parmisan and it tasted like a TV dinner.
I don't know how they can call it MED food.... They have like 2 middle eastern items and the rest is all pasta or fish.
My wife and I are trying a new thing where we go out to dinner every Tuesday night. We ended up at this place because it's pretty close to home, and it was a wonderful choice.
First of all, this is a pretty liberal interpretation of "mediteranean." A lot of the food is Italian, which yes, technically is on the Mediteranean Sea, but not what I usually think of when I think of mediteranean cuisine. Despite that, the food was delicious (we had the mussel and clam appetizer, I had the risotto verde, she had the portobella ravioli, and we shared the chocolate fondant), although the risotto was a bit too oily and the shrimp were slightly overcooked. I was a bit disappointed at the unimaginativeness of the risotto, but my wife's portobella ravioli were perfect, and the creamy roasted garlic sauce was amazing.
The service was wonderful - there weren't too many people there, so our waiter kept a pretty close eye on us and was very quick to lift a plate or offer more wine, but not to the point that he was hovering over us. All around, we had a very enjoyable dining experience. I would absolutely recommend this restaurant.
The menu is consist mostly Italian with some kebabs and gyro. Bread is served with a pesto sauce, I really didn't care for that. I prefer my bread with butter. Their Hummus is great; the pita is excellent! slightly charred and crispy on the outer edges yet warm and soft in the middle. I must've eaten at least 3 whole (round) of them. The kebabs were nicely cooked, the meat is tender and tasty, gyro was OK, rice wasn't good. It's a little pricey considering the quality of the food is really not worthy.
About the service: their was only one waiter, and he was extremely slow. Even when we told him that we were in a hurry because we needed to catch a flight, he did not come back to take our credit card 15 minutes after dropping off the bill. And it wasn't like he was busy either. Oh, and the owner / manager needs to dressed better, he was wearing some t-shirt and shorts standing outside greeting guests. It just doesn't feel right with the somewhat "upscale" decoration of the place.
Overall, the place is nice, food was OK, service is slow. I didn't like it too much but didn't really dislike it either. I *might* (not with a strong desire) come back another time to have the hummus and pita and try out their Italian side of the menu, maybe there are some surprises hidden in there.
Wow! I wanted to try this place and it looks like it got good reviews, but we were about to walk in the door when my hubby gave me a big nudge and urgently whispered "There's a B in the window!" You know, that letter grade you almost never pay attention to? Well, we just couldn't go in after we saw that. I've heard they're allowed a few problems even with an A rating, so a B is just questionable.
shopping makes me hungry and med grill was conveniently located.
first off, i like that this place has huge windows and you can sit right in the sun, but also has a dark little alcove if you're not in the mood for sunshine.
we ended up getting wraps. mine chicken, his beef & lamb. he got salad and i got fries. the chicken in mine was very nice. no gristle/surprise bites of nastiness. his had a bit of gristle, but he didn't seem to mind so much. not everyone is as squeamish as me, i guess. my fries were kind of limp, but they still tasted alright.
service was friendly, the food was filling but not overwhelming, the decor is pleasant and the price was very reasonable. $11 for lunch for two.
they also have an american menu. so i'd say this is a good place to go when you want mediterranean food but have to cater to kids or those with a conservative palate.
I've only eaten here once. In fact, I went here for dinner the day it opened, which was risky since new restaurants usually have a lot of kinks to work out. I've never eaten here since then. I thought the food was decent, but way overpriced. I would recommend Aladdin Mediterranean Cafe down the street instead.
I think the food here is fine, but I haven't been back in quite a while. One major plus - they serve til 11 which makes it good for grabbing a bite after catching a flick at Hillcrest Landmark.
Really great tasting food, but a little bit pricey. Have eaten there twice. Really liked the chicken marsala and the italian sausage meals. Live within a couple blocks and would go there more often if they were a couple of bucks less, or else included soup or salad for the price they are currently charging. Go to Yogart (awesome people and service) right next door at least a couple of times a week and have noticed that Med Grill usually has less than five tables in use. Tonight we were the only table that was occupied in the place during our entire visit, so service was really great. Creme Brulee is awesome. The lower layer is still chilled with the caramelized top!
With the other brunch places packed out, my friend and I opted for the quiet and completely empty Med Grill on a Sunday afternoon. Literally, we were the only customers in the place from the time we sat until the time we left. Our server was very friendly, but obviously did not understand much english. I was really in the mood for a nice glass of Zin and some stuffed pasta, but despite the racks of wine on the walls, they couldn't offer me any red Zin by the glass. My rigatoni was described on the menu as "stuffed with several kinds of cheeses" but when it was served, turned out to be nothing more than oversized mac and cheese. Don't get me wrong, it tasted fine, but compared to the image in my head, it was a bit of a letdown. Can't say I'd recommend this place, but only because there are better restaurants for your dollar in the area.
Not only is it dead, T.S. BUT up until just recently they had a "B" ...if you know what I mean
An nice place with good mediterranean food. It's not a *crowded* place which I am thankful for. I come for the food and the price. If you're looking for a place where there is a crowd or lots of people waiting in line.. then this is the wrong place to goto. It's a great place if you like to go and enjoy mediterranean food with friends.
Pro: Food, Price, service
i give it only 1 star, and here is why:
it was ladie's night, and we had a gift certificate from med grill for $50. so... being that we live only two or so blocks from it we decided to go in. as several people have mentioned, there is never a crowd. i vaguely recall seeing people in there, and vaguely recall having been there once before, but nothing stands out.
our server was a very excited, very sweet, energetic girl. it seemed all she wanted was to make us happy. we ordered a bottle of wine, some hummus, and started racking up the tab to utilize our gift-certificate to the fullest. we still knew we'd be spending money here. my roommate and i ordered the salmon and the chicken/mushroom risotto to split. i can't remember what the other girls got. the hummus arrived and was excellent. i had never had it with oil and spices like that before, and i was amazed. also, mediterranean hummus has a smoother texture than others.
food came, wine was finished. we ordered another bottle of the same wine, figuring we'd use the certificate for that and pay for the food. the salmon was good, but a little underdone (i'll eat salmon sushi, but when i order it cooked, i want it cooked.) our risotto was bland and the rice wasn't tender enough. (don't pigeons die if you give them uncooked rice? not that we're pigeons, but it wasn't tasty that way all stuck in my teeth.)
after eating, i had to run off and meet a friend (i gave the girls my cash, downed the rest of my glass of wine, and bolted.) here is where it gets interesting. i go on my merry way, and am out with my friend when i get a text message. "they're calling the cops on us." thinking it was a joke, since we were kinda rowdy and goofy on the patio, i text back something silly. she sends back, "no really, bad giftcard." turns out, after all my worrying, the story goes like this: there is new ownership at med-grill, who refuses to take the certificate, even though the restaurant has the exact same f*ing name, and the old owner is his family. he goes outside to bitch out my ladies about this card, they bitch back (having 2 bottles of wine attitude), and he calls the cops on them. the girls slip the waitress her tip and tell her not to let the owner see it, so he won't take it away from her- the girl was great, honestly! then the owner guy calls the girl who issued the gift certificate back when it was different ownership, and no shit she doesn't remember that particular piece of paper. anyway, long story long, he wound up giving us $40 off the bill, instead of $50, no cops came, and he messed with the wrong girls. we are never going back, and we do not keep our mouths shut about that instance. that guy's a dick. good hummus or not, that was an inexcusable bad experience.
A bang for the buck place!
we went there because our united miles were about to expire and they give miles (... after signup on http://united.com). anyway, we (vegan spouse and me) have been going there around 3-4 times a year and it has a new ownership since our last visit. the menu changed quite a bit - it got americanitalized (pasta, etc.) and the wonderful fatoush salad is off the menu. my wife had the greek salad and i had the mozarella tomato sandwich (see pix). the food was good, the price a little on the upside (not the dish but the 2.95 soda!), service was excellent, we were (again) the only patrons, they still have tablecloth, real napkins, and wineglasses on every table. i personally like the "upscale" setup but it may scare patrons away which is a shame. it is not different from all the other places on university, food is better, and although the low number of patrons the salad and food were fresh. give it a try.
WIN a Wii or XBox360
Neighborhood: North Park
Sweet Offer for Yelpers!
Neighborhood: Loma Portal
Neighborhood: Hillcrest
Category: Mediterranean
Neighborhood: Hillcrest
Category: Greek
Neighborhood: Mission Hills
Category: Greek
Neighborhood: Hillcrest
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Hillcrest
Category: Thai
Here is my HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE list of places that…
Loading...
