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Categories: Greek, Mediterranean
Neighborhood: MissionMon-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.
Great veggie food! We ordered their large veggie platters for a party and they were a huge success! The baba ghanoush and hummus are great and the felafel went so fast! It also comes with tahini, tabouli, feta cheese, and delicious dolmas. We highly recommend this place for vegetarians (and everyone else!)
Unfortunately they do not have whole wheat pita bread...
Lamb Shawerma- YUMMY AS HELL
Wait- Long, but worth it
Price- Worth it
All of their ingredients in their shawerma was fresh and delicious (:
This rating is just about the prices...have watched them go up as the economy went down...can't afford to eat here anymore...
Lower your prices man!!!
Also, what self respecting Arab would not have lamb shawerma on Tue/Fri...screw the chicken, only little hippster weinies eat that shit!!!
I've always enjoyed the food here... especially the Lamb Shwarma deluxe... but now that they've actually remodeled the place and added some nice counters and prep area, this place has come up from good to GREAT... ergo the 5 star rating, cause the food speaks for itself, and the place is now more appetizing to order at... and the food is great!
Oh man I love this place. Whether I just got off the 16th/mission bart, or blacked out wandering the mission, my salivating mouth always brings me back. Ok, it does wreck my digestive system, but I can usually blame that on all the tecate that I pair with it. Maybe keep a 2x week limit.
Came here last night and ordered a falafel deluxe. After ordering, I found out what makes it deluxe - they add potatoes and eggplant. Turns out, that shit is delicious. To me, the potato in the falafel was kind of like rice in a burrito; it has to be really flavorful on its own or it doesn't add anything but filler to the falafel. But the eggplant was well-prepared, sweet and tangy and eggplanty. I'd never had either ingredient in a falafel before, but now that I've seen the light I'm hooked.
I think the falafel could have used more tahini sauce, but this was the best falafel I've had in the city. I also got a few dolmas, which were pretty good. Not as good as Myconos, but good nonetheless.
Definitely a good, healthier alternative to burritos if you've had too many of those (and not because you're tired of them, because burritos are way too awesome for that to happen, but sometimes you need to take a break for health reasons).
I'm eager to try their other stuff, I'm thinking next visit I'll get a shawerma.
I had no idea what the heck I was in for, but the lamb shawerma is on the Big Eats SF list so I plopped down my $8, waited a few minutes and VIOLA, I was handed what appeared to be a Mediterranean burrito. More specifically, a BABY SHEEP burrito.
It was good but not OMG I NEED TO EAT MORE BABY SHEEP BURRITOS good and it wasn't until I was about halfway through it that it really started to grow on me. Now it's the next day and I'm stitting here thinking about how delicious another baby sheep burrito would be.
Friendly service and delicious baby sheep burritos.
Baa.
Truly Mediterranean....truly delicious.
Yesterday was a blah gray day in my neighborhood in San Francisco. I wasn't in the mood for a gray day spent indoors, so I consulted my Mission sources who informed me that the fog was clearing up over Dolores Park.
I needed lunch, so I stopped off at Truly Mediterranean, which is (surprise surprise) on the Big Eat SF List.
#89 Lamb Shawerma from Truly Mediterranean
The shawerma includes thin marinated slices of lamb and beef, broiled tomatoes, parsley-seasoned onions, and tahini sauce on lavash. Left to my own devices, I would have ordered the falafel sandwich. I contemplated getting both, but the shawerma was already $8, so I stuck with just that. And good thing, because it is HUGE. I mean kept me full for like 10 hours huge. That's no easy feat.
And it was also good. Really good. Though next time, I'm getting the falafel because while I liked the lamb, this was just too much meat for me. The broiled tomatoes were awesome, I thought they were red peppers until I bit into one.
They only serve chicken on Tuesdays and Fridays, and don't serve lamb those days. I think it's an issue of having room for both in this tiny hole in the wall. Service was fast and friendly, and yes, they take credit card!!
I do have one question....has anyone out there mastered the art of eating shawermas/burritos/wrap type foods without the juices spilling out of the bottom every time?? I would really appreciate any advice, to help conserve napkins of course.
Alright, I gotta write this review before AI blows a gasket. What to say..what to say..
Ambiance: None. It's a total hole in the wall. It's the mission. Are you surprised?
Service: Quick. They know what they are and they know what they're not. And the faster they get you to the food the better.
Food: Ahh...the food. I went with a bona fide shawarma expert so my expectations were high going into it. This place did not disappoint. In that, I'm still thinking about the damn lamb shawarma I had last night and what I'm going to try the next time I go in.
I know there are tons of places to check out in the mission, so I'm going to be perfectly honest with you...if you go on a Thursday or Saturday (or not through), first check out Mission Street Food (sorry Anand). Any other day, go to Truly Med.
To come in second in the mission is saying something and this place definitely deserves recognition. Anyway, stop reading this and get your ass over there.
Best Falafel in town hands down. This place is a total hole in the wall, but they provide some legit Mediterranean food. I've been once for a late- night falafel fix and was completely satisfied. It was right before closing and the staff was still super friendly and accommodating. I had originally wanted a chicken kebab, but the man working there said it would take 15 minutes since they were about to close and I was not into the wait at that point. Anyways...long story short: I ordered the falafel and was thrilled with that decision. 5 stars.
Last night, a friend asked me, "You just lovvve being carniverous, dontcha Steph?" Well, I do, and my favorite of all meats is lamb.
But who can really afford to eat lamb on the regular? Me!
My roommate and I gorge ourselves on shwarma weekly. I go big and order the lamb shwarma and add hummus and cucumber salad to it. It's squishy and enormous and oh, just delicious. Sometimes I'll even just pop in for a side of hummus and pita - cheap, quick yumminess.
An added bonus is that the guys behind the counter always put a smile on my face... and that ain't just the lamb talkin.
I stopped in a few times on a cold night when I was in the mood. Basically, good decent Shawarma's. I would rather eat at Ali Baba's Cave though. The prices are a bit better and the Shawarma's a tad larger.
I don't know what all the hype about this place is about. It is not the greatest Mediterranean place in SF but not the worse either. I had the shawerma which came out smoking hot wrapped in a crispy wrap.
Maybe I was just expecting too much but the shawerma was just average.
according to all the other yelpers the lamb schwarma was the way to go, I was excited and made the trek to the mission. Actually it was fairly good, but NOT for $8 (plus tax). If it had been even $6, I would go up to 4 stars, but $8 and no real place to even eat it, except the grubby outside tables, or the weird skinny counter. If you SF'ers want the best falafel of your lives, make the trek to San Jose for Falafel Drive in for a falafel and a banana shake combo. Now THAT is pure heaven.
I was a little hasty in giving it a 5 star review before.
Yes, the falafel is superb. Lamb and chicken are completely below average. The service is fast, but the workers are the biggest piece of shits I've ever met. They talk openly about bangin' broads and insulted me, because I didn't hear that my order was up.
Oasis grill is wayyyyyy better and I'm not some SF douche with an eclectic taste. I'm from NYC where Mediterranean food is at its best. Mamoun's anyone?
#89 on the 7x7 List: Lamb Shawarma
-Tasty? Heck yeah - i should say "hella tasty" since i'm up here. The toasted wrap with all that juicy lamb and delicious sauce inside - makes this the best lunch/$8 spent all week especially for stuff on this list.
-Service: the guy toasting the shawarma is proactive and nice. He saw that J and I were going to share the shawarma so he took our rolled-up lunch back, halved it, and re-packaged it in a portable way with foil so that we could hold it easily and walk/eat if we wanted to.
-Ambiance: Hole-in-a-wall. It's mostly a take-out place. There's counter space if you want to eat in, but it'll fit a maximum of 3 people sitting and one person standing
-Worth the trip/try? Yes. One tasty lamb shawarma for lunch and you're happily set for the rest of the afternoon!
Screw the Mission burrito; Truly Mediterranean's falafel sandwiches are where it's at. Just as big, just as cheap(ish), but far yummier and far healthier. The regular falafel comes packed with hearty falafel (more fava beans than fried coating, thank goodness) and lots of cucumber. The hot sauce is more of a "really mild" sauce, but I'll forgive them for that.
This place really is a hole in the wall though. It's so cramped that eating inside was not a good idea. Bump, bump, bump, bump.
I like to pick up a side of falafel and take them home to eat with healthy pita and my favorite hummus (If you read my reviews, I am picky). This place gives me 6 falafels to go with hot sauce for 2 bucks! and they are good!
They have also been very friendly to me anytime I have been there!
Pretty delicious and easy to eat, especially for something quick, tasty, and fairly healthy on the go. On my walk home from work its sometimes hard to walk by, and always a good choice if I am on my way somewhere and just need to grab a meal to eat on BART (shhh!) or in a car or something.
Also, the guys who work here are friendly and great if they aren't too busy taking tons of orders.
My goodness, this place is heaven. The best falafel I have ever laid lips on. The sandwich is monstrous, packed with that perfect balance of spicy, salty, and savory. The wrap is grilled to seal in that mass of goodness and within minutes you are on your way to food heaven. This is a small, honest establishment that serves great food at incredibly reasonable price. Come hungry because the foot long (not exaggerating!) falafel sandwich needs a fair amount of space to rest in your belly.
Two words: Chicken Shwarma -- only available on Tuesday and Friday.
I order it without onions and and ask for extra hot sauce. Don't forget to add a fresh squeezed carrot juice chaser.
Tip: Early afternoons are the best time to go. If it's crowded, you'll feel cramped and you won't enjoy it.
I'm a regular and I've been going here for years. The owner has a good memory and always remembers what I like, before I open my mouth.
Is it the absolute best? Most likely not, but you'll walk away satisfied. Sometimes I've eaten here twice in one day. It's really that good.
Big fan of this little hole-in-the-wall. Is there anything more perfect than ordering falafal/kebab/hummus/gyros to go and walking up to Delores Park? In think not! The wait sometimes is annoying but you completely forget about that once you have the deliciousness in hand. I read some of the reviews below about the conversations of the cooks. Who cares. Sit outside and wait for your food. A great local find.
I must say, I was pretty disappointed by this place. But, perhaps because I have REALLY high expectations for my favorite cuisine - Mediterranean food!...and good service.
Had just spent the entire day at the SF Pride parade and had yelped this place in advance thinking it would be super cool to hit up this "hole in the wall gem" as many people seemed to have reviewed for dinner. So, I dragged my fellow foodie date with me across town to try it out.
And I kinda felt guilty afterwards making him walk so far because the place was not as cool as I hopped it would be -- perhaps Yelp hyped it up too much =(.
FOOD: We ordered the combo plate (falafel + hummus + baba ganoosh + tabolleh + dolma + warm pita) and chicken gyro (extra spicy). Pretty tasty and decently portioned considering the cheap price (about $15 total for both dishes), but I can definitely say I've had better.
AMBIANCE/STAFF: Mmm...I'll have to be completely blunt: I was pretty appalled when one of the staff started feelin up on one of his customers/good friends. They were probably just playing around or maybe drunk, but uh....yea. Hard to enjoy the food when immature/crude activity is going on about 2 feet behind you. Not cool.
However, the elder staff member who wasn't so busy squeezing boobs on the side was pretty nice -- he was kind enough to cut our wrap in half seeing that we were going to share. One of the two stars goes just to him!
Anyway, over all...I'd have to say this is the first time Yelp reviews has failed me.
For those of you who truly want to discover some REAL tucked away Mediterranean food places, Wally's in Emervyille is the place to go! Check out my review for details. For a sit-down place, hit up La Med in Berkeley on College Ave. Or if you ever find yourself in Long Beach, CA...hit up George's Greek Cafe.
Meh. There's better places to get shawarma & falafel.
I got the Falafel Deluxe (falafel, eggplant), the SO got the Lamb Shawarma. Both were served quickly and both were enormous and filling. The variety of ingredients is good but flavor is lacking. Lamb was chewy.
There was a sign that said "Try our mint ginger yogurt drink!" so we did. Meh.
Locals tell me that this place used to be great but it's gone downhill a little. I'd have to agree.
I happened to be in the neighborhood and hungry week before last. When I saw Truly Mediterranean's sign my stomach sent an urgent memo to my brain: Send down a gyro wrap, STAT! I ordered one to go, plus a pint of hummus. As soon as I got home I popped open the hummus and, at the first taste, I experienced a flashback: I know this hummus! I've eaten this hummus!
That's when I remembered that there used to be a Truly Mediterranean in North Beach a few years ago. It was a regular after-work stop where I would buy a tub each of hummus and babaganouj to devour over the next few days. The hummus was one of my all-time favorites, along with Baladie's. I loved its bright, tangy flavor and smooth texture, and was really bummed when that location closed.
Unfortunately, this location is a tad out of the way for me. Knowing that this magical hummus is so close and yet so far has been torturing me over the past week. I can't wait to get back over there to pick up a couple of pints for the road.
Damn it! Why don't they deliver?!
Truly Mediterranean = Truly Unspectacular
Entering, my stomach growled in delight, as the lamb shawerma boldly presents itself in the doorway, slowly roasting, dripping its succulent juices on itself. I planned on a chicken kebab wrap but after a minute engulfed in the scent of lamb, my mind was made up - an order of shawerma could not be passed up.
When the counter-help taking my order, does a 180 for the grill and grabs what looks like a metal cake pan full of cut shawerma and tomatoes and forks over a heap into my to-go dinner container, I wonder about the juicy spit I was drooling over.
At first bite, I had to wonder, was the lamb spit I was sold on for show not for go? A tease. Blasphemy! Not expecting smoking hot as the food was a to-go order, the meat was barely luke warm and had quite a bit of chew to it. Seems as though this pan atop the grill was merely a vessel rather than a means for keeps the meat hot, juicy, and delicious. Re-heating the meat at this point yielded only a slight improvement but was mostly a lost cause. The lamb's accompaniments added bulk (and the glorious onion breath we all desire) to the meal but not much else.
To scoop up smooth, but not overly creamy, and yes, quite flavorful hummus, we received oodles of heated pitas. Quantity does not make up for quality though and while the hummus hit the spot, the rest of the meal left me longing. If I were to go back, I'm just going to sink my teeth into the spit and tear off a chunk of that which I drooled over initially. Such a disappointment.
Eh, the food is okay. The "cooks" sit there and talk about whores, cunts, and bitches the whole time. The stuff they say is actually really gross and sexist, but if majority of the clientele can't understand I guess they think it's okay.
I'd spend money somewhere else.
All I've had so far is Truly's Falafel Deluxe, and deluxe it is! This fabulous tasting wonderment is gigantic, stuffed with grilled onion, cucumber, tahini, spicy pepper spread, falafel, eggplant, and french fries. I mean, is there really a better thing to eat while drunk (or just really hungry)? There's always the off chance, but this is pretty close to street food perfection. I order the Deluxe sans potato, substituting for babaganough (smoked eggplant spread) instead, and without the potatoes it's insanely filling. They wrap that giant sucker up and put it on their hot grill for a few moments to slightly char the lavash and heat everything up.
Nice service and brilliant food. If only it wasn't so hard to find parking at this hip corner of the Mission.
Mediterranean food was the one flavor I though SF to be lacking. This place, however, was "truly" a great find. Phenomenal Falafel and Lamb Schwarma. Hard to imagine anything better than their Falafel Wrap.
And why is their falafel so darn good? First, all the ingredients were very fresh. The falafel also had the perfect texture and taste. They use seasoned cucumbers and onions, which add to the texture contrast. Their Tahini sauce is perfect, and the special hot sauce on the inside of the wrap brings so much flavor to the falafel wrap. Lastly , the wrap itself is toasted and lightly crunchy. Just the way I like it.
Not expensive, but priced just above the normal hole-in-the-wall restaurants. For a small hole-in-the-wall place, these folks run a tight kitchen. Everything was very clean, and well organized. You can tell these guys have the Mediterranean mojo.
So I have to agree with Danny P. below. Maybe I just came in with ridiculous expectations, but I wasn't blown away at all.
Don't get me wrong... the food was good (and the shwarmas were big), but I doubt I'd trek to the Mission again for them.
The lamb shawarma is huge and pretty tasty. No complaints.
I ordered a side of hummus and it was underwhelming. Bland hummus and bland pita -- the dry floppy kind that you can get in any corner store.
That said, it's a tasty hole-in-the-wall with good portions. Recommended when you want to fill your stomach on the go.
Yesterday we were having a dozen and half people over to warm our new place. We wanted to make things really easy on ourselves, so we went to Truly Mediterranean and ordered a combo platter. For $75, it's not only a significant amount of food for 20 people, but it's delicious taste is impressive.
Hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, cucumber salad, many cubes of feta, dozens of dolma, and a large bag of falafel. A container for the yogurt dressing and one for the spicy sauce. Unfortunately, no onions. Maybe that's not appropriate party food? You also get plentiful pita.
The reception the beautiful platter of food got was fantastic. Everyone loved it. Everyone asked where we got it. In the future, Truly Med should menus with their platters. I'm sure they'd get even more business if they were to.
I recommend ordering in advance. We didn't, but I could tell that it would've been helpful to them if we had.
So if you're looking for value and a feast for your fiesta, try Truly Med. Vegetarians will be appreciative. And, I'm sure everyone else will as well.
I love Mediterranean food: crispy falafel, tangy feta, and hummus that begs for the pita to be… Read more »
I was there last night before bar hopping, grabbing a quick bite to eat. My two girlfriends and I all got the regular falafel, which was phenomenal. What was even more awesome was that we were the only three people eating inside at one point, and some crazy drunk dude was screaming profanities at/about us from outside, and all three chefs walked out and stood at the doorway like they were guarding us. Great late-night snack AND bouncer service? A+
My favorite mediterranean restaurant in the bay area. It's open late enough so you can order a Falafel with spicy sauce and a couple of dolmas to get you through the hangover you have from the many bars in the Mission area club scene any night of the week. In the past twelve years they've gone through several waves of staff, some of them pleasant, some of them not so pleasant, but always more interesting than the yuppies who also frequent the area and take over on the weekends.
Every time I come back to visit San Francisco, probably once a year, this establishment is always on my list of must-eat places to go to.
Hunting around for parking in the Mission was rewarded with a delicious lamb shawarma. I love my mediterranean food, and this is definitely a place I'd go to again!
Thin slices of succulent lamb and beef were wrapped up with marinated onions, fresh herbs, a smear of hot sauce and a generous drizzle of tahini sauce. After it was rolled together tightly, the shawarma was thrown on the grill for a minute to get the lavash warmed through and toasty. Oh, it was SO good. For about $8, it was enough to feed me for lunch and dinner.
In college I studied abroad in Switzerland and more or less had a great experience.
While there I became intimately acquainted with the following, in chronological order:
1.) Fondue
2.) My expanding ass after eating said fondue
3.) Poverty after spending a lot of my money on fondue and new clothes from awesome Zurich boutiques to accommodate that ass.
After all this, I ditched the cheese and began eating falafel, shawerma, and kebabs because I could afford it, there were FIVE shawerma places to choose from on my block, and, most importantly, I get giddy at the sight of meat spinning in windows. And thus we became intimately acquainted. (Hi Ömer!) Upon return to the states, I swore off fondue (still can't do it) but I bemoaned the lack of shawerma in SF until a date introduced me to Truly Med.
Now I stop by every few weeks, and while I miss my favorite spots in Zurich and Berlin, Truly Med does a fantastic kefta kebab, lamb shawerma, and good ol' falafel for when you want those cute clothes to fit right. And if you're on a date or plan to go on one within a month, avoid the garlic mint yogurt drink. It's deadly.
The goodness of the lamb shawerma is indescribable. The lightly toasted wrap with the juicy lamb and the sauce...I only wished I lived in SF! 5 stars hands down, must try this place.
really really good! maybe the best in the city.
i had the lamb schwarma with potatoes (costs extra) and the meat was minced small, but still very juicy and tender. the ingredients taste really fresh and it takes awhile for the schwarma to get soggy, which is a big plus.
i ate the entire thing, and this says alot cause i usually only eat half of any schwarma or burrito.
the guys behind the counter are super nice too.
I know how it goes.
You're hungry.
You're in the Mission.
You're thinking "I need a burrito!"
I'd like to take this opportunity to direct your attention to a burrito of another type... a delicious lamb shawerma. I came and got one and was not disappointed, it was consistently delicious, meaty and about the size of any of the titanic burritos I would've normally been seeking in the Mission.
Truly Mediterranean is definitely on my radar for a quick mission meal.
Best damn chicken shawerma I have ever had. Be sure to get it with the spicy sauce. Drunk and crazy people provide free entertainment while you wait. Awesome!
1/2 Price Wine Special
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Happy Hour Mon-Sat 5PM-7PM
Neighborhood: Mission
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
Category: Convenience Stores
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Fast Food
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Greek
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Middle Eastern
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
Category: Greek
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