Ali Baba Family Restaurant

This place is truly a jewel to your palate and pocketbook! Delicious food, ample serving, personal family service, and all at a fair price! The place could use some cleaning up, fresh paint, putting someone on regular bathroom detail, but that aside I do recommend this place to anyone looking for that Middle East charm!! We ordered the feast for 4, but it could easily feed 6 starving students!

I only went to this restaurant one time,I'm not sure if I will go back only because I'm not a big fan of Arab food. My experience was good the gentleman was kind that served me. He recommended
Me the lamb plate. For the first time ever eating lamb I actually thought it was pretty decent. I will admit that I enjoyed the piece of bread they gave me the most .the ambiance was good . He made me feel welcome and comfortable so I would say the service was great .

Price point for the massive amount of food you get here? The feast for two plate which I bought can easily feed four people. It's no joke. All the meats they brought (chicken, shawrma, beef) were cooked perfectly. The sides of chickpea and rice with onions and tomatoes topped it all off. They also included pita bread and their delicious hummus. This should be a staple try out for any serious foodie in SD.

The food here was just amazing ! We ordered the family meal for 4 even though there was 6 of us we had plenty of left overs . The portions are huge and the Lule Kabob and Chicken Kabob was so tasty and amazing !

The restaurant is very family friendly and comfortable . The servers were very hospitable , I believe they may have also been the owners because they took great care in making sure we were well taken care of throughout our dinning experience.

The amazing thing about this restaurant is the fresh baked bread which is literally stone fired and to die for especially with a cream they make in house called Gemar ! I highly recommend an order of the fresh bread with Gemar topped with honey for an ultimate breakfast ! Soooo tasty .

Have driven by this place for years and was finally able to make it in. So glad I did. Food was delicious, service was so good. The restaurant is mid sized with plenty of seating. Clean. Pleasant.
My only complaint was it was a little pricy...however food was quality and portions were large.
Will be back.

We ordered the feast for 10, it was a lot of food! The shawarma was kinda chewy but everythibg else was great! The salad needs more dressing, I could not even taste the dressing they put in it.
The hummus tastes so good and pita had very generous portion.

It's been the same since day one. The quality of food and the style. Service is ok not best can be improved more. Waseem is a nice guy and polite.

This place is amazing and affordable. The food is always fresh and the service is great! When walking inside you feel welcomed and feel the culture behind all the great food being prepared. We got a family platter for 6 and it came out to be around $128. Great prices and great food what else can you ask for!! Thanks Ali Baba!

While this is a hole in the wall, it is a family owned restaurant by definition with some of the hardest working folks I have seen in this part of El Cajon. You'll find plenty of parking and authentic Iraqi meals that will leaving you coming back as I did here in the past week.

What I came back for was the Quzi/Qouzi that is a lamb shank over rice. The lamb is a large piece for the price and just falls off the bone. I wish something this good could be in LA, and is reminiscent of a Lucknow pulao that I used to have as a kid. The rice is fluffy long-grain and goes well with the lamb, caramelized (sweet) onions and noodle. This dish is topped with parsley, beets, onion and some garnishes on the side. I think mixing these items bite by bite is the way to go.

And does it get better? Without a doubt. I never eat okra, but their okra in tomato base is to die for. Whether it is the cumin touch here, or the addition in the lamb and rice, well, it makes for a wholesome meal that brings me home. It truly brings me to the type of cooking I had growing up and miss dearly. I will certainly be back to support this mom and pop, which is truly underground.

I should remind patrons that this place is about the food and not the decor or service. I think you cannot expect much on that angle, but if you want fine dining then I think you should visit another place. Otherwise, you will find home cooked meals that are memorable.

These sandwiches are the best. Shawarma sandwiches I always go there order it. I love the way this place cooked the meats. Very delicious. I am recommending this place for everyone.