Husband, myself and 18m daughter came to this restaurant after church. I've been craving Mediterranean food for a while and my cravings were satisfied!! My daughter LOVED the bread and hummus. I got the beef kebab plate and my husband got the chicken and beef kebab plate. We also provided with a plate of fresh and pickled vegetables and a soup that was delicious!! I saw a handful of people come in and pick up catering orders so you know that's how good it is! There is another Mediterranean restaurant down the street but if you want a mom and pop feel show this restaurant some love. Their food and customer service was exceptional. We will most definitely return :) read more

If you want to chow on rice and colored water then this is the place for you. Who serves Iraqi stews without any protein? This place.

I think this is a Iraqi and Chaldean restaurant...but I'm absolutely certain you'll get delicious middle eastern food for reasonable prices! There is not much atmosphere, no fake smiling service employees but they'll be efficient and attentive if you get their attention. All meals come with a warm creamy yellow lentil soup...delightful! $16 Chicken Schwarma plate...HUGE! A humongous generous portion of juicy, succulent, tender, seasoned chicken on top of seasoned rice. Some lovely, garlickly, fluffy bread is served along as a carb buddy, alongside some tomatoes and pickled cabbage(Iraqi Kim Chee Saurkraut?). $16 Roasted Chicken Plate...half chicken, crispy skin, moist and succulent meat, yum! Came with a tomato bean soup. Food came out extremely fast, yet seemed very fresh and prepared expertly! Great place to eat before a show at the Magnolia, so long as you don't need ambience and Applebees/Chili's/TGI Fridays style service. read more

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This place was such a treat, lots of parking in and as soon as you open the door you can smell the meats and seasoning. Everything was delicious and the staff was very friendly. Restroom was very clean and they had lots of options. The bread was soft and so good. Will definitely be back next time we are in town They gave us a side of cabbage and pickles and wow!!!!!!! They were so good read more

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al azayem, succulent flavor middle eastern eats like lamb on a bed of rice, with peas and carrots. they cater too. some in store seating. great to go for a big group! read more

Everyone told me this was their favorite authentic Mediterranean food. My buddies brought me here because they wanted me to try it. We got the hummus & egg plant salad to start things off. Hummus was good but The egg plant salad was the best I ever had. Then we shared the breakfast, bastrma & eggs which was phenomenal. I got the combo plate, which is was packed with rice and meats. Came with two beef kabobs, chicken tikka, & chicken kabob. So yummy all the meats were flavorful. My buddy got the shawarma sandwich and loved it. They use fresh bread made daily. My other buddy got the biryani and loved it as well. I had a couple scoops of it and it was delicious. The restaurant was cleans and service was great. Definitely coming back here to try some more items. read more

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We've been wanting to come to a good home style middle Easter food. We had some here today it was so delicious. It was recommended by our friend from Iraq and it did not disappoint. Will be back soon. read more

Al Azayem Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Stopped by Al Azayem Restaurant and wow... the kabob was legit. Super tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. You can tell they actually know how to grill none of that dry, boring stuff you get at other places. read more

Unfortunately, our experience was very disappointing. When we arrived, we were not greeted by any staff and ended up seating ourselves. No one approached our table, so we had to get up and find menus on our own. We were never offered water or drinks, and service throughout the meal was lacking. The restaurant itself appeared dirty and run-down. The plates, utensils, and overall dining area did not feel clean or well-maintained. To make matters worse, the waitress began sweeping the floor around us before closing time while we were still eating. It felt very rude and unprofessional to have dust and debris being swept right next to our table. She also brought our check while we were still eating, which made us feel rushed and unwelcome. Overall, this was a very unpleasant dining experience. We will not be returning and cannot recommend this restaurant based on our visit. read more

I have been here a handful of times and I love the food every time it's amazing and quick service but what I don't like is that this one cashier is very unwelcoming and not the friendliest. I am always nice I smile say hi say what I want get my food and go but I shouldn't have to feel awkwardly nervous to come in I get this feeling like if I am bothering . And today just was really embarrassing, when I went to pick up my order after leaving the store for 7 mins the cashier was packing my order in front of me and without a word walks pass me and ignores my thank you believing maybe the order was for the other person sitting down ? I was so confused and with my hands out I was embarrassed he do not hand me my food directly and then went back to me and said "your order" i wish he was more friendly or at least could of apologized for making a mistake. Oh and not to mention they didn't close the lid securely for the sauce.. and oh the order was not mine after all. So upsetting. Did not felt like coming g back though read more

Al Azayem Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

Unfortunately, this is one of the worst places I have ever visited in my life. About a year ago, I ordered grilled chicken and it arrived undercooked. We found blood inside it and threw it in the trash. Today we repeated the experience, even though we were fasting and in a hurry because we came from Oregon County and drove for hours until we reached San Diego. We ordered chicken and biryani rice, and the pictures are in front of you -- it was the same old problem. We also threw the food in the trash. The biryani was soaked in oil, and it was clear that the rice was old and very bad. Worse than the food was the treatment. When they know you are Muslim, they treat you in the worst possible way. Very racist, contemptuous, and disrespectful people with no manners. The service and behavior are extremely bad. read more

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The food was deliciously tasty, all of our orders were just made to perfection. Visiting from Phoenix Arizona and we will definitely be back. My husband is Iraqi and this place reminded him of home cooked meals. The service is ok and our chai did not come until we asked about it 2-3 times after ordering it. read more

Al Azayem Restaurant - Fava beans with bread, kahi and cream. - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

Originally came here from the son who makes TikToks. Food was alright, lots of competition around with better quality. Grilled chicken was very dry, I needed water to down it and also the water was extra which is a first for a restaurant, kind of like they're trying to scrape every dollar they can get off you. The server had even overcharged me. I ordered the half chicken but he charged me for the full plate/combo with the stew and soup instead, we argued back and forth but I figured it wasn't worth the effort so I just paid and left. read more

Ordered online: Tabouleh, Eggs w/ Basterma & Shawarma sandwich. Didn't meet the staff but the food is really really terrible. Shawarma is too dry & not even a piece of tomato in the sandwich! Just a little lettuce & no tahini only tzatziki which I guess is better than nothing but still barely edible. Who doesn't put tahini on shawarma? Tabouleh is TERRIBLE!! I swear they must have used a quarter of a small tomato to make all that tabouleh and the parsley is not properly chopped you might be eating it raw from the store. They used cucumbers (very little) instead of green onions & I'm not sure there was any bulgur there. In other words, it was just a bowl of chunks of parsely. Not even a drop of olive oil & I didn't taste any salt or pepper. I love tabouleh mind you, but after this, I won't be wanting any for a long time to come. I only took a few spoonfuls anyway. Rest will be in the trash soon. $8.99 down the drain! They spent less than $1 on the ingredients & charged 9 TIMES what they spent! Doesn't take more than a few minutes to cut a few pieces of parsely & throw in a small cucumber & a 1/4 tomato in there!! Note: I've spent that much on tabouleh (tabouli) recently since all restaurant prices are up in CA but at least it was good & tasty. This is just garbage! Eggs with basterma. Someone needs to tell the owners what basterma is. This is an Egyptian dish. Instead of basterma, they used some kind of sausage meat or Sujuk I'm guessing. Definitely not the cured beef basterma that they advertised. And the eggs were terrible too, not really scrambled & juicy but dry and more like an omelette. NEVER EVER ordering from them again. More than $40 for something not worth $5 and that $5 would be for the beef they used in the shawarma dry as it was. The owner needs to shut this place down since they don't know how to cook. From all the negative reviews I read on here, I'm surprised the health dept hasn't shut them down or that they get any repeat customers. Guess it's only a matter of time unless Iraqis have really bad taste in food. read more

I had no expectations eating at the restaurant, but wow....it was amazing. The kebob and lamb shank were crazy delicious. The owner's heart is as full as the plates they serve. He treated us with complementary tabouli and side dish. We enjoyed the food so so much that we ordered extra dishes to go in-spite of our 2 hour drive. read more

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I come here every Sunday for breakfast and it's always a great experience. Everything is made fresh and on the same day, and you can really taste the quality in the food. The flavors are consistent, portions are good, and the service is always friendly. It's a very well-known family-owned business, and you can tell they take pride in what they do. It's become my regular spot for a reason--highly recommend. read more

Great food, very quick service and very affordable. I am here constantly . Love the lentil soup and beef Kabob read more

Worst food I've ever had and an even worse customer service experience. Never again, I'm so surprised at the positive reviews here. Go to Mal Al Sham instead. read more

Amazing Iraqi restaurant that makes food fresh to order. One of my meals there felt like it took 30-40 minutes just for breakfast. But normally I do DoorDash and not bother with the wait. Food is always so delicious and I love to be the only Caucasian whenever I frequent. I am a regular even though I don't post all pictures. read more

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Family ambiance with amazing food. Quick and friendly service. The lamb was so flavorful and tender. The highlight, and possibly new favorite dish, was the eggplant salad (grilled eggplant with peppers and cucumber) . So delicious! Huge portions as well. Definitely coming back. read more

Al Azayem Restaurant - Lamb Shank Dish with Rice & Sauces and Eggplant Salad - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

The most delicious food. The beef kabobs were very delicious.. Good hospitality and service. The food is very fresh and hot off the grill. Highly recommend to try this restaurant. read more

Very good. I got the dolma which is only sold on Fridays. It was just like how my friend's and neighbors moms make it haha. Very delicious. The dolma is warm and there are the onions, eggplants, and zucchini stuffed in it as well. I also got kubba saray baghdadiya and baba ganoush. I got bread with it and it was fresh and an amazing match with everything. I am so glad I went here. Will totally be back for the dolma. read more

Al Azayem Restaurant - Dolma Plate Every Friday - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

The absolute best beef kabob sandwich and only 10$ can't go wrong love this place and friendly staff

He has very delicious food, but more than once I went to enjoy the delicious taste, but it bothers me with sectarian talk.

Just so so good!! Eggplant stew, chicken kabob and lamb is amazing! Everyone working there is so nice read more

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Food was good! You could definitely split this plate in two, and wait time was 10 minutes. Chicken wasn't as flavorful as I hoped and a little tough. read more

Al Azayem Restaurant - Side with Chicken Kebab with Rice - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Good food, staff can be more friendly they all seem super upset or like them don't want to be there, food was decent as I mentioned, but there are better places nearby read more

The shwarma wrap takes the cake. Amazing taste, it's super juicy / greasy goodness. Extremely savory. Falafel sandwich is surprisingly fresh and good. The fries are good as well. That shwarma is awesome. read more

The food is always great as well as the staff. I usually eat here once a week and it is one of the few places with consistent quality.

One of the best shawarma I've had. The place is great and has fresh food. The service is great a we had a great experience, we're definitely coming back read more

I have had many middle eastern/ Mediterranean food, this is by far one of the top places I have been to. The service was great, presentation, taste and experience was amazing. The place looked very middle eastern and authentic. read more

Worst customer service ever!! Order got cancelled for no reason!! Would not encourage anyone to go there or order from them through any delivery app. read more

The food and hospitality were amazing, taste like it was straight from the Middle East. Quality of food is amazing, highly recommend!

I've tried all the middle eastern food in El Cajon and none are as consistently good as Al Azayem. The service is nice and fast so there's never a big wait. If you want to experience middle eastern cuisine I'd skip the others and come here read more

Bread and kemar is on point. This is a typical Iraqi breakfast along with other egg dishes that we did not try. We also ordered tea. Tea tasted house brewed which is also appropriated. Most use single serve tea bags. read more

Al Azayem Restaurant - Kemar is amazing so is the homemade samoon bread - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

Soo good here and very kind people! The food tastes so good and at a very good price. I love it here !

Regular customer Food: consistently good Seating: small group only would not work for Large group, casual. Weekends: can get crowded and u may have to wait for a table My go to place to order home to go when I have people coming over Favorite plates: Large family plate, Eggplant salad ( amazing), Qozi is good) Parking: plenty Decor: old, would help if it gets a lift up Service: usually good and fast only when they r very crowded it can get delayed read more

Super authentic Chaldean food. I was craving dolma but they only have it on Fri. Tried the family dinner for 3 and wow it was enough for 4-5 Super tasty and price is super reasonable. read more

I have been there multiple times for breakfast. The food is very good quality and very consistent. Highly recommend recommended.

I don't eat a lot of Middle Eastern food, but I know a good meal when I have one. The food here was delicious, fresh and plentiful. The service was exceptional, too. Nothing more needs to be said. read more

Al Azayem Restaurant - The empty plates say it all. - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California