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Paradise Kabab House
Categories: Restaurants Middle Eastern Restaurants Persian/Iranian Middle Eastern, Persian/Iranian [Edit]
2653 Broadway StRedwood City, CA 94063
(650) 306-0238
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 12 pm - 3 pm
Tue-Sat 5 pm - 9 pm
Sun 5 pm - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
235 reviews for Paradise Kabab House
Review Highlights
"The food was awesome, best koobideh ever."
(in 53 reviews)
"Friendly, caring family owned & run restaurant."
(in 20 reviews)
"the lamb stew is delicious as well."
(in 14 reviews)
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235 reviews in English
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Review from Gordon D.
San Jose, CA
1/25/2012
I don't understand how a reviewer with a cheesy Battlestar Galactica offshoot of a screen name can feel the right to blast hipsters for knowing what they like. Wasn't he kind of a sleazy swindler on that show anyway?
Seriously, though, all kidding aside, I've been a professional cook for many years. Heck, I even went through all that trouble to graduate from an accredited culinary school. That being said, the food was an honest interpretation of exactly what the proprietors wish to serve. I'm an adventurous eater, and sometimes pay the price of a wrong move, but this was certainly spectacular food.
I think most Caucasian people think kebab is anything served on a stick. It's a pleasant surprise to see that stereotype shattered with absolutely wonderful food. Sometimes people expect the seasonings to overpower the food. This place avoids that with conscientious and meticulous care to the balance of flavors involved, especially when you go through all the fuss and bother to grind the meat yourself.
Yes, the proprietor actually creates his own grinds of meat. That means he has to carefully weigh and proportion the lean meats with the fattier ones to get that great balance and also so that it doesn't come apart on you during cooking.
Being a kitchen snoop, I asked about his methods. He offered me a peek at his kitchen, and quite honestly for a guy that has two huge grinders, grills, flat tops, and all that, it was spotless. He truly should be proud of his kitchen.
Some places get great reviews, but if you were to look at their kitchen, you'd run screaming. At least you should.
My mother in law is Persian, born in that country we now call Iran, and loves the place. Enough of my wordy culinarian antics, right? If she loves the place, then I trust the Paradise Kebab folks to know what they're doing.
And damn, is it tasty! -
Review from Erica O.
Redwood City, CA
1/16/2012
I love, love, love Paradise Kabab House. I have been here about four or five times (sometimes just a few days in between visits). My boyfriend and I love the delicious, fresh and flavorful meals we have here.
We both order the Koobideh. I get the beef and he gets the lamb (both are spectacular). The plate comes with tasty rice, salad and a grilled tomato if you desire. We also order the yogurt dish with cucumber which we eat with our meal..this really makes it.
The owners are so nice and friendly; they really add to a great dining experience. They remembered us on just our second visit and asked how we were doing. We already cannot wait till our next dinner here. -
Review from Arlene M.
Redwood City, CA
12/22/2011
We haven't had Persian cuisine in years. We happened to find the restaurant on a sunday afternoon as we strolled down Broadway for a block or so.
The family restaurant is small and cute. I felt like we were at a friend's parents' home (hehe). They were friendly and accommodating.
The ground beef kababs were so good with the saffron rice. Because my kids have dairy allergies, they gave them the least amount of butter that they could.
Next time, we need to order a bigger portion because we were hungry for more! -
Review from Jordan J.
San Jose, CA
1/28/2012
three stars - it is just OK.
Inconsistent between 3 to 4, so flavor, service, and cleanliness is a sum of 3. -
Review from Christine B.
Santa Clara, CA
Updated - 12/21/2011 5 Check-ins Here
Love every bite every time. It's hard to make myself save half for lunch the next day. The service is always the sweetest! The family's smiles are very contagious. :)
My usual is now... Eggplant appetizer, yogurt dip with shallots, lamb koobideh! Highly recommended.Listed in: Menlo Park/Palo Alto Favorites
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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3/25/2011
PKH never ever fails except for the two times I've come here when they weren't open! I will… Read more »
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Review from J B.
Redwood City, CA
1/28/2012
Well first of all I have to agree with everyone else that the lady of the house is charming and has a great smile. Unfortunately, I really can't remember the last time I was so disappointed with a meal, especially one that has a 4 star rating....I just don't get it. The lamb I ordered was tough and very very gamey. I LOVE lamb but this was pretty much inedible.....I received 6 small pieces and ate 2 of them. The rice was completely tasteless. We were the only people in the restaurant and it was 6:30 PM with every other restaurant in the vicinity packed.
I really don't understand the difference in ratings here, but my experience is one I won't repeat.
Sorry folks, especially the sweet lady who waited on us. -
Review from Mina D.
Menlo Park, CA
1/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Delicious food! love their Barg and jooje kabab and koobideh!
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Review from allen a.
Burlingame, CA
1/27/2012
I got a takeout the other day lamb kabob and eggplant with lamb shank
amazinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnn
Thanks to moe the owner who showed me the kitchen .
How clean
Go Persian food by paradise..
Great asset to this country. -
Review from Erin G.
Berkeley, CA
12/11/2011
What I ate: Eggplant dip, Lamb koobideh
Visit date: December 10, 2011
First time? Yes.
Yay Paradise! This is hands down the best koobideh I've had. It was tender, juicy and flavorful. The eggplant dip -- SO GOOD! Slather some on lavash or eat with your main course. This stuff could easily be addicting. The wait staff made me feel like I was visiting someone's home instead of a restaurant. It was very welcoming. I imagine this is what Persian home cooking is like. :) -
Review from B M S.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012
Disclaimer: I am not an expert on kababs. However, I think they have really delicious kababs and friendly service! I will definitely be putting this restaurant into the rotation.
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Review from Gaius B.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2012
This place does not deserve their 4 star rating.
The food here is plain. There's almost no flavor in their Koobideh, The Chicken dishes were similarly plain. Even their yogurt tastes like something they get out of a jar from a store shelf. Every dish is nothing but rice and meat that you easily could have made at home for much less.
Worst of all, there's no variety in the menu and if you order a large dish you realize that you could have gotten the same platter with more flavor somewhere else but since this is a "family-owned" place you're supposed to sit down, smile, and feel warm feelings about this overpriced, lackluster food
Also, the service was not good. The young Middle Eastern man would constantly apologize to people for making them wait and we had to call on him to take our order. The only person who actually tended to us well was the owner, who served us our dishes and checked on us once. She needs to train her staff to be as attentive as she is.
This is one of those restaurants that politically correct White and Asian people give a good review to because they have either a) never been to a Persian restaurant or b) refuse to criticize ethnic establishments honestly because they want to seem worldly or understanding of other cultures. Just look at the reviews. Every person who gave this place 5 stars is a 20 something "trendy" Yelper who has a "funny" profile picture of themselves, while people who gave this place an honest review about how bland the food was were serious reviewers who had experience with Persian cuisine. I should have read the reviews more closely before coming here, because man, the hipsters are out in full force over this establishment.
I won't be coming here again. There's nothing special about this place. It only has 4 stars because people think its nice to support something they don't see in the city very often, and that's simply not enough to warrant a good review, unless you're a person who is brainwashed into thinking you should applaud any foreign-owned restaurants who "enrich" your city with their cultural offerings, no matter how plain their food is. -
Review from Sonny S.
Redwood City, CA
1/15/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I was one of their first regular customers when they opened. Great family operated restaurant, Really nice people, great food and Local. Cant beat that!
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Review from Alice T.
Manhattan, NY
11/22/2011 1 photo
This place is sort of a hidden gem. Located in Redwood City, CA. I met up with a friend who recently moved to SF. I stayed with my cousin in Redwood City and he worked in San Mateo so he yelped up this place. The area it is located in is considered downtown Redwood City but it's really quiet with a few restaurant. When you walk in you feel like the place is not open but they only turn on the stove when people walk in. It's sort of like walking into someone's home to have dinner. Interesting I must say.
I ordered the Soltani Combo which included the Barg and Koobide skewers. It's definitely a large portion! The Barg is basically a steak and Koobide is ground beef. It comes with a salad and rice. I opted for all salad. Yummy meal! -
Review from Michael R.
Mountain View, CA
1/3/2012
I was new to the place so I ordered something 'authentic': a stew of some sort with pomegranate juice. They looked at me odd and asked me if I really wanted to order that? Hmm. It turns out the dish I ordered is an acquired taste not often ordered by white people like me. They brought out me dish and it was okay, but a little bitter, with a dark, heavy sauce.. The owner came over and asked me if I liked it. 'It's not my favorite, but I like trying new things.' He was persistent and asked if I'd like to try something else. (I had eaten about half of it.) He was so gracious and concerned, so I ordered the chicken kababs -- which were really good. Great flavor, juicy, just perfect. Kudos to the owner for looking out for their guests. I highly recommend this place.
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Review from Julia N.
Mountain View, CA
1/11/2012
The service was good and the family owners were really nice people, however, the food quality was terrible. The eggplant spread was nothing like the original Kash-o-bademjan. Besides, the fresh garlic in it gives you bad breath for a good 24 hours. The smell and taste of fat in Kabab was so repulsive that I couldn't even finish the dish.
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Review from Hesaam A.
Menlo Park, CA
12/31/2011
The food is horrible. We tried their soltani and the rice, and the kababs tasted really bad.
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Review from Chris B.
Fremont, CA
10/21/2011
The salad shirazi which was served before meal had a funny flavor.. Prob tomatoes.
Kabob tasted like burger, looked great, torshi was big chunks of unpeeled garlic only meaning we had to peel it by hand = stinky fingers later. And it was a $5 "appetizer".. for a bunch of unpeeled pickled garlic. They have canned soda only and charge $1.99 for it.
It is traditional to serve your guests sabzijat (mint, celantro, basil, onion etc) before or with food.. but they don't over here and charge $5 extra for it as an "appetizer".
I couldn't tell if my thigh meat was breast or thigh although was tender and not dry.. But not lots of flavor. The tiny salad which came with the meal had no dressing.. Had to use same dressing for the shirazi so I wasn't just eating a bunch of dry leaves.
Our server was friendly though, probably the owners son. I wouldn't come back here though. -
Review from Margaret M.
Redwood City, CA
12/11/2011
I really would like to write a more positive review than this, but...
Our first foray into Persian food, maybe not the best representation of the cuisine.
Pluses: charming, friendly owners who were genuine in their desire to make us comfortable; inviting atmosphere with Persian touches but not overdone.
Mineses: the "flatbread" bread served before dining seemed to be flour tortillas cut in to squares, bland, not flavor; my husband kabobs was good, but my lamb shank was overcooked and greasy. I also had a tremendous bout of indegestion afterwards and through the night.
Will we go back - maybe, but will stick with what they seemed to do well - kabobs. -
Review from Valentin T.
Redwood City, CA
6/6/2011
One of the best Kebabs I've ever had! Doesn't matter which kind of meat you'd get, every chunk is very tender in juicy! And it's not dry at all, like some of the reviews said.
The owners are super genuine, friendly and nice. They always greet me like I'm their old friend.
Even the water they serve tastes better than in most restaurants, because they filter it and add lemons to it.
Anyway, 5 stars all the way!Listed in: Best Happy Hour
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Review from Suzanne L.
Sunnyvale, CA
12/2/2011
I can't tell you how amazing I found this restaurant. I went here for my 47th bday and everything was perfect. All the communication I had before the partywas great! The food was superb! They even made a special dessert for us that we ordered ahead of time. All 12 of us were blown away by the food and the service. Thank you for making my birthday perfect!!
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Review from Linda P.
Sunnyvale, CA
5/22/2011
I had a family outing at the Malibu Grand Prix and I located Paradise Kabab on yelp and wanted to give it a try since it was close by and good reviews from the yelpers. I contacted the restaurant to make reservation for party of 8 and was informed I didn't need to make reservation since it was slow and there were plenty of tables open to accommodate our party of 8. When we arrived (10 mins after contacting the restaurant), the gentlemen said he wasn't able to seat us since our group was too big?? Excuse me? First off, I called to make reservation & you instructed I didn't have to - secondly, the restaurant was half full?!?!!! We/I felt they didn't want our business, so we walked out!
After walking out, I was still disturbed by the situation & decided to call the restaurant and stress how they handled the situation was unacceptable. The daughter apologize and stated it was a miscommunication and requested we come back. Sorry, it's too late! -
Review from Peggy A.
Mountain View, CA
1/8/2012
I used to go there more often when I was living in Palo Alto. It has a good quality iranian food with reasonable price.
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Review from Iftikhar K.
Round Rock, TX
4/30/2011
As we walked into the Paradise Kabab House, we were struck by the elderly lady welcoming us into the establishment. She was smiling so much, we were wondering if we'd met her before. It felt like we were eating with family rather then walking into a restaurant. The young man who took our order (her son?) was also very gracious and hospitable, taking care of our every need. As we headed back to the bathroom to wash our hands, the father, who was manning the grill, was very sweet to Rizwan. This is a family owned business, and this a family that seems to love what they do. Good for them and that is why I'm giving them 4 stars.
The food itself was good, but didn't stick out in any way (good or bad). This is solid, reasonable, home cooked middle eastern food. I took 1 star off, because right now as I write the review, the food itself doesn't bring up any memories, but the service certainly did. -
Review from Que F.
San Mateo, CA
5/22/2011
Recommended dishes to order: Koobide (ground beef) and Chicken Kabab (the combination). The meat is ground and spiced although it could have more heat to it. We ordered the Shahane Combo (filet mignon and chunks of lamb), which is so-so and I will not order that again. The choice was rice or green salad (or half a portion of each). I chose the salad (full portion), but it was very disappointing as you are supposed to use the oil/lemon concoction on the table. The lamb stew (Qeymey) for $12.99 was very, very little (like a small soup bowl), so you big eaters be aware that it will not fill you up. The dipping sauces were OK, not too great. We also had the Sabzie, which is a small plate of dill, mint leaves, feta and walnuts for $4.99.
Also, it's ok to bring your own wine since the restaurant does not have a liquor license. -
Review from Mona W.
Friendly family run restaurant. Good place for some decent kababs. It takes just a little bit more to earn a 4 stars review from me but this place has the potential.
Tried Koobide and Chicken Kababs that yelpers recommended and they were indeed excellent. I think the Chicken Kababs are really outstanding. Seasonings were distinct but not overwhelming. The thigh meat (ask for it) were perfectly juicy and nicely charcoaled. Koobide was very tender. Lamb Stew (Qeymey) was a bit of a let down. The lamb has good texture but the flavor was lacking the right kick. The rice and the salad could be better. Bread was good. Can't stop eating them even though I don't like their dipping sauce bottle. It was just really hard to get the olive oil out. Would be better if they just put olive oil and vinegar in two separate bottles.
Our server has the biggest smile I have ever seen. Love that attitude. Keep up the good work! -
Review from Michael C.
Redwood City, CA
8/17/2011
Love this place ... our go-to-restaurant for kababs. The owners/staff are incredibly nice and accommodating. The food (we've had pretty much everything on the menu) is excellent - leaning towards the basics, you can't go wrong with the terrific chicken kabab and the baba-ganoush has that nice smokey flavor that is lacking at some other establishments.
We like to use nearby Shalizaar as a benchmark for this type of cuisine but we just enjoy what PKH has to offer - the food, people, location - a bit more. It's certainly not a romantic setting or a place to impress the eye ... but the location is solid (relatively laid-back stretch of downtown RWC). And again, on top of the quality meal is the gracious and hospitable family who owns the place. -
Review from Jack S.
Poughkeepsie, NY
10/31/2011
Had a good chicken kebab platter here. Everyone at the table was happy with their food and the service was very nice and attentive.
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Review from Joanne S.
San Jose, CA
4/15/2011
Great family owned restaurant! They accommodated our group of 10 girls and were very helpful in helping us decide on our orders. We actually showed up a little early, before the restaurant was open for dinner, but they let us wait inside anyway. Very friendly!
I had the chicken kabobs, which you can order white or dark meat. I had white meat. It was really tasty and nicely cooked, not dry at all. Everyone in our group enjoyed our meals and we all brought some home for our boys.
Love the location as it's located on a street with several other restaurants and shops. Good spot for a weekend dinner. I can't get over the service, Even though we were a semi-large group, the owners were so helpful and attentive. Will definitely be back! -
Review from Michelle T.
San Francisco, CA
3/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love this place! Tasty grilled meat on sticks and super friendly service! If you eat Paleo, just ask for the charred meats sans rice.
I'm a big fan of the koobideh, lamb kababs, and chicken thigh kababs. I just wish this place was closer to my house! -
Review from Paul U.
San Lorenzo, CA
6/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here around lunchtime for brunch. I ordered the koobide ground beef but also tried the chicken and lamb from my friends. They were all pretty tasty but I preferred the ground beef the best. I'm not too familiar with the dish but I thought the meat was missing some spiciness to it. We asked for some hot sauce and it tasted a lot better. The dish came with some rice and some tomatoes and a few lettuce. They also give free bread, which reminded me of a thin naan. (sorry, I'm not too familiar with this type of food).
The lady servicing us was extremely nice and friendly. She was always really kind when she took our order, gave our food, and when she passed by to ask us how was our meal.
Overall not a bad place. The meat needed a little hot sauce but it was still a tasty meal. The kind and friendly service made it a really welcoming experience. -
Review from Nathan W.
Alameda, CA
4/22/2011
A tad pricey, but very good...
I came in recently and had the shish kabab. It was served with a large mound of basmati. The meat was very flavorful, and the veggies were good, too. It could have used some heat, though...
The family who runs the place is very pleasant. The mother dotes without being overbearing. It's tough not to root for places like this... -
Review from Mandy C.
San Francisco, CA
3/2/2011
My coworkers and I went to Paradise Kabab House earlier this week for a farewell lunch. We went there around 11:40, because it usually fills up during lunch time. Upon entering, we were greeted by the owner and his wife. They were super nice and welcoming. They immediately gave us water and our menu, as well as some flat bread and greek salad. Everytime they look at us, they have a big smiles on their face; for some strange reasons, I felt very warm, like home.
My boss asked the owner what's popular and the owner gladly suggested a couple options. On top of that, he said he could change it if we did not like it later. We all ordered and he kept coming back to ask if we want more food or rice. When we were boxing our leftover, he asked us if we wanted more rice with that also.
I kept it simple by ordering Chicken Kabab with chicken breast (the house also has chicken thigh), and their Hot Persian Tea that comes with a piece of Baklava. I was surprised to see the owners themselves were doing the cooking as well as serving. Geez, this is some serious authentic home-style Persian cooking. When the food order came out, I had a taste of one of my coworkers' order of Kashk-e-Bademjun, and Lamb Shank Stew on top of my very own order.
Even though it was breast meat, my chicken kabab was pretty tender. The grilled tomato that came with it was really juicy and good. The type of rice used was long and grainy, but it was very tasty. I think apart of it was cooked with some yellow spice and butter. Delicious!
Wow, this tasted like babakolush but grilled. It was also much thicker. The grilled flavor was strong and it lingered. I had to eat it with the flat bread, which suppressed the strong taste a bit. Otherwise, very flavorful.
I am never a fan of lamb because it is so gamey. But I was brave enough to try some of my coworker's lamb shank, and to my surprise, it was not gamey at all. The saffron and the tomatoes definitely helped cover that gamey taste. The lamb was very, very tender. The meat comes off the bone really easily.
I was very satisfied with my lunch at Paradise Kabab House. Great food and phenomenal services. I would go back any time. -
Review from Asim H.
Mountain View, CA
3/10/2011
Great Food. Nice Owners. Koobideh is outstanding. Rose flavored Tea is a wonderful end to a delicious meal.
Great Family Run Restaurant with Fresh and Wholesome Food. -
Review from Brandon S.
Palo Alto, CA
5/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
I found this place through yelp and thought I would give it a try because so many of you seemed to enjoy it. The food was great and the service was as well. I got it to go for lunch and it took about 15 minutes to get my food which I consider not bad.
The only reason I didn't give it a 5 is because I thought the meat could have had just a little more flavor. Though over all I was very satisfied! -
Review from Cynthia H.
Los Angeles, CA
2/10/2011
Five friends and I had dinner here on a Saturday night. We started with shared appetizers of kashke bademjan (grilled, smoked, and pureed eggplant with spices), flatbread, and sabzi khordan (fresh herbs, radishes, walnuts, and feta cheese).\
For entrees, a friend and I shared the fesenjun, a traditional Persian stew of ground walnuts, pomegranate, and chicken. It's served with rice, and it's a fantastic - and labor-intensive - dish: tangy but sweet, velvety, and difficult to stop eating. We also shared a chicken breast kabab, which was well-seasoned and thankfully not dry. I tried a bite of another friend's koobideh (the traditional ground beef kabab), and it was reasonably juicy.
As far as Persian food goes, Shalizaar in Belmont is certainly more refined and thus better for special occasions. Service at Paradise Kabab House was extremely slow when I ate there; we had to wave down the lady who seems to run the place, and also wait quite a while once we had gotten her attention. That said, the food is good and the prices are reasonable, and so I would be happy to return here for more casual meals with friends. -
Review from Elaine B.
Foster City, CA
10/25/2010
One of our favorite spots for lunch date!!
Don't get me wrong, this place is neither fancy nor romantic, it's simple AND clean. The food is always delicious and fresh, and the couple who own the place are the nicest and sweetest people you'll meet.
Service could be slow because they do everything themselves, although they do have a few helpers around. We usually order the kabab plates. Last week we went there for dinner for the first time, and I ventured out to order their eggplant and lamb shank stew. OMG!!! The flavor was SOOO good that my husband and 2 yo hijacked my plate and finished it for me!! :)
Overall, an excellent family owned restaurant, with good food and wonderful service! -
Review from Nicholas M.
San Francisco, CA
11/3/2011
Food = Good. Hospitality=Awesome. The people that run this place are amazing.
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Review from David S.
Los Gatos, CA
1/13/2011
We had a late lunch at Paradise today while waiting to check in at Sequoia Hospital -- it was a great choice! We had the fesenjun chicken stew, which I'd never seen before -- nice and tasty, well-spiced but not hot.
Service was obliging, cheerful, and fast.
I'll happily return. -
Review from Ali B.
Foster City, CA
1/1/2011
This is a family owned business with a very high quality of service and friendly atmosphere. Authentic Persian dishes are prepared to order. Price is very reasonable considering the level of quality.
They use very good cuts of meet for their Kebabs the typical lots of rice that you get with most Persian dishes is also very authentic.
If you like Persian food, you will like Paradise. -
Review from Brett F.
Redwood City, CA
1/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Persian side of our family has made this their primary non-home Persian food haunt. The non-Persian side simply loves it too. The Lamb Koobideh is the best and the Fesenjoon is fantastic.
The owners are incredibly kind ... and they know how to cook great food.
