My family & I were visiting from the Bay Area and found this place on tiktok. The staff provided a very welcoming atmosphere & were super kind to us. The food was great and we didn't have to wait long time for it. A special shoutout to our server, Travis, who truly made our experience even better. He was incredibly friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. He checked in on us at just the right times, made sure we had everything we needed, and genuinely went above and beyond to ensure we had a great dining experience. His excellent customer service and positive attitude did not go unnoticed. Beautiful restaurant! read more

Met some friends for lunch today. When we walked in they were greeted like old friends and everyone was so welcoming. Such a lovely atmosphere. We chose this place because we love the food and service. We ordered hummus and the homemade pita were superb. We got the Mediterranean Chicken salad and the Chopped Chicken salad. Both were amazing and flavorful with a good balance of ingredients. Love their dressings. The portions so generous. Parking was a challenge but we eventually found some spots at the other end of the lot. Yay! read more

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The ambience is not set up or conducive to represent its cultural food. Music of choice is representing the culture, but it's too loud. The place is somewhat dark, every table and chairs has been there for years, has been use and abuse. Service is prompt and good, attentive. Food came less than 15 mins. The food amount is enough good portion. Presentation is good. The taste is superb. Tasty authentic flavor. They offer a lot of variety. Recommendable. San Diego location. read more

I visited the restaurant and ordered the Mezze platter, which included hummus, baba ghanoush, kibbeh, beef shawarma, chicken shawarma, dolma, and tabbouleh. Unfortunately, the food was below average. The shawarma tasted reheated, the bread was not good, and the overall presentation and arrangement of the food were poor. I don't think I would visit this restaurant again. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

The service was quick, there is plenty of seating and the parking is easy. The portions are huge so consider sharing if you don't have a big appetite. We ordered the baba ghanoush, and the half and half shawarma (chicken/beef). All were delicious! read more

Aladdin Cafe - Baba ghanoush - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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A lot of people I know spoke highly of Aladdin Cafe so I had to check them out especially since I always see it super busy. I ordered the #1 which is All Nature Free Range Chicken Shawarma. It comes with Chicken, Basmati Rice, Hummus, Tahini Sauce, Arabic Salad and Pita Bread. First, the amount of food you get is a lot. My picture doesn't do the portion justice. Between the spices and flavors, this is one delicious meal. It tasted fresh and light, but yet fulfilling. This place costs $30, but it's worth it. I definitely had leftovers and even after reheating it, it still tasted so good. They have plenty of seating, indoors and outdoors. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly. Our waiter was very nice. It's a great place for lunch, date night or even a family night out sharing delicious food. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Food service and portions were amazing. Background music was pleasant and the meal served fresh. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Chicken tika Greek Salad - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Bombbb food The hibiscus iced tea and passion fruit iced tea were sooo refreshing. The spicy chicken pizzaaa had a nice lil kick and was loaded with toppings, but that LAMB SHANK??? OOOOF. So juicy, tender and literally falling off the bone I loveeee lamb shank and this one definitely satisfied the craving. Everything hit and the portions were solid too. 10/10 I'm coming back because I already know I'm gonna be thinking about that lamb shank read more

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My first time here and I will definitely be going back. They have indoor and outdoor seating. My friends and I shared the Baba Ghanouj appetizer. The smokey flavor was delicious and the pita bread was warm and fluffy. It was a perfect starter for the 3 of us. For my main dish I ordered the 1/2 and 1/2 Shawarma dish. It was a huge portion of beef and chicken. It came with a large side salad with a lemony flavored vinaigrette and rice. It also came with hummus and really good garlic dip. Server was so nice and attentive. It was a great lunch experience all around. read more

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The food was 5/5, but the service last weekend on 7/03 was a 2/5. She was nice but extremely inattentive and slow. It was busy but that just means they need to staff up better. read more

Aladdin Cafe - ##3. Lamb Tika Kebab and #1. Chicken Shawerma - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

An absolute standout, elevated by exceptional service and unforgettable flavors. From the moment we sat down, Ivis set the tone for the entire evening. As first-time diners, we really appreciated how knowledgeable and intentional his recommendations were!! Everything he suggested was spot on. His attentiveness was seamless (never overbearing, always present), and he made the experience feel curated rather than routine. Now let's talk about the food... wow. Every dish came out fresh, beautifully prepared, and packed with flavor. You can truly taste the authenticity and care in each bite. It's one of those menus where everything sounds so good, you're immediately planning your next visit before you've even finished your meal. The ambiance makes it versatile enough for anything, whether it's an intimate date night or a lively group dinner, it executes both effortlessly. Safe to say, we've found a new favorite. We'll absolutely be back... and next time, we're ordering even more! read more

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We arrived at 5:30PM on a Friday without reservation but we got a table shortly. The restaurant is located small strip mall which has limited parking. Service was warm, fast, and efficient. Food: large portion, flavorful, healthy, delicious. Our favorite: the mixed grill lamb chops, chicken, and different kebabs. The garlic sauce compliments the meats well. We can't get enough of it. Arabic salad was refreshing and light with lemon and extra virgin olive oil dressing. read more

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Highly recommend Aladdin to anyone who loves Mediterranean food . They have some authentic flavors & great portions that will make your belly & heart happy. Try the falafels , that's a must! Some of the best falafels I've ever tried . Great service , very helpful with recommendations and made us feel welcome . I will definitely come back for more visits . read more

Aladdin Cafe - #3 Lamb Tika Kebab #4 Chicken Kebab - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Delicious food, generous portions. Be sure to order the fabulous tabouli. Good alone, and on everything! Half order was plenty for 4 of us. The baba ganoush was good, as well as the creamy humus. Don't bother adding beef to the humus, it was very dry. The #5, combo kebobs, was fantastic. We couldn't pick a favorite. They were all tender and flavorful. Each was treated differently, and I loved them all (lamb, chicken and kefta). Very good rice. Before the entree was served cane the house salad. Yum! Very fresh, well dressed and seasoned. Note: we ordered 2 entrees, the combo kebobs and chicken kebobs. It was too much in addition to our starters. Very nice people and good service. read more

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Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant is one of my favorite places for Mediterranean food in San Diego. The Tikka Kebab was absolutely delicious--perfectly seasoned, tender, and full of flavor. The service was fast, and everyone was welcoming and professional. A special thanks to Mike for his outstanding customer service and friendly attitude. He made our dining experience even better. Highly recommended, and I'll definitely be back! read more

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Hands down my favorite Mediterranean restaurant in all of San Diego and I have been to a lot of them since 1998 (the year I moved to SD). I love that their servings are big enough for two people...or just for one with a good appetite. The lamb shank that I ordered was delightfully tender! I would have ordered their wood-fired oven specials but it requires you to call 45 minutes ahead. I will do this the next time I have a hankering for Palestinian food! The photos alone make my mouth water! Mike, our Filipino server certainly made our visit unforgettable. He was fast, knowledgeable and reminds me of Philippine hospitality presented to us with flavorful spices, and aromas! He even convinced us to enjoy half an order of Baklava with Turkish ice cream. Indulging on this decadent desert will surely spike my insulin but...nothing a 20 minute walk or 30 squats can manage to lower. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Pistachio Baklava with Turkish ice cream, Alladin Ceylon Tea with fresh mint - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Didn't want to put this on Yelp as I don't want to flame you, but your website wasn't working! I suggested a lunch there today with my colleagues. I have been to Aladdin multiple times and always had tasty kebabs and salad, hummus, etc. We ordered a mixed grill. Everything was overcooked. Tough. Dry. And the waiter was not helpful. Didn't understand the sizes of the rice and the salad that came with it. It was difficult to order, harder to eat, and very difficult to tip. On top of that, your garlic sauce is not nearly as good as it once was. Not a good experience! And not inexpensive! Please do better. I love your restaurant but after today I am in no hurry to return. read more

Came here after a recommendation from a friend and had a great experience. I arrived 40 minutes before closing and still had to wait 15 minutes (for an outside table - it was fine because it was a nice night out). I guess it's just that popular! We ordered the Arabian mint tea and the mezze platter which came with pita bread. Tea was hot and refreshing. (fyi the tea will make the cups really hot so may have to let it cool down a little). I was impressed by the food and really enjoyed both the chicken and the beef. Not dry at all and very flavorful. Hummus and baba ghanoush were delicious! We had plenty of leftovers. I didn't love the wait or the parking situation but food was great. I can see many people coming here for celebrations. Worth a try! I'm looking forward to my next visit. read more

Aladdin Cafe - #7 Aladdin Mezze Platter - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place is great! Huge portions of deliciousness. Excellent service. Very authentic and we love coming here

Back for dinner with 2 others on a Sunday night. Very busy with a wait, but worth it. Service was quick and the food delicious. Probably the best salads in San Diego. Lots of choices, huge sizes and all under $20. A meal for 1 or 2. Great hummus and fresh warm pita bread. Love this place. read more

Omg every time we come here we have great customer service and amazing food! The place makes you feel like family.

I've been going to this place since 2018-2019, and I hadn't been back until today, but it still hasn't changed. The consistency of the food, the aroma, and the taste remain the same - it all tastes delicious. The layout of the restaurant is even more beautiful now. I prefer the outdoor seats, even though it's cold, because each table has a heater and there are also curtains you can pull to give you more shade and privacy, which is really cool. They have really good teas; I personally love their coffee - it's the best. The mezza platter is one of my favorites to order because it comes with a little bit of everything. I also love their lamb. I'm really intrigued by the combo borak; it looks mouthwatering, but we already had too much food, so I'm going to get that next time. We ordered the shish mix kebab for $45; it's shareable for 2, which was very satisfying. Every entree comes with a salad as a starter and their delicious naan bread. Everything they serve here is fresh. If it's not the first, it's one of my top favorite Mediterranean restaurants in San Diego. FYI: if you haven't tried Turkish ice cream, you should and they have it here. It's so good. Its texture is thick, chewy, sweet but not too sweet and with the pistachios on top, it's so satisfying. read more

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We love this place 30 years we have been eating here ! The best in San Diego!! Mike or Angie is our server ! They know what we like they take care of us every time! The food is always delicious!! 5 star every time read more

Came here for a birthday dinner celebration. Maybe I should've mentioned that. Do they offer birthday dessert dish? Not sure. Although we didn't make reservations, we were seated outdoors right away under the heat lamp. It was nice! With a somewhat extensive menu we tried a salad, lentil soup, hummus, pizza and a platter for a family of 7. Soup was saltier than expected, but everything else lived up to its par and we left full and content would love to try their dessert next time. Service was fine, our waitress was helpful and friendly. They refilled our pita which came out hot. Kids loved the color activity while waiting for our dishes. This cafe is a treat for us when we visit and I always look forward to coming back! read more

Aladdin Cafe - Yum! - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

I would give this spot a 3.75! My family of 7 had a reservation but took 15 minutes to get seated once we arrived. Although the food was great, my rating decreased due to the service. It seemed very understaffed so it was hard to contact our server. The food was so tasty. Appetizers came out surprisingly fast. I recommend the pink hummus and boraks (especially cheese). I ordered the gyro for my entree. The meat and sauce were flavorful and the Arabic salad was a delight. The lentil soup was also quite tasty. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant, but expect slow service! read more

Aladdin Cafe - Boraks (cheese and lamb) - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Most items were tasty. All of a sudden i saw my husband's attitude change. He did not say why or make any comments. I thought he overate and he just feels bad about it because he seemed to be enjoying it. A day passed and i was warming up the leftovers, he said the mens bathroom was filthy and horribly unsanitary and he is not going back there. This is this past Sunday read more

Authentic, fast, and absolutely divine! Huge thanks to my brother for bringing me here! Even on a busy weekday, Aladdin Cafe delivers a 5-star experience. The place was packed, but the service from Mike and Samir was lightning-fast and super attentive. You can tell the staff love working here. The Food Highlights: * Shish Mix: Perfectly grilled and seasoned. One order is good for two people. * The Garlic Dip: Hands down the star of the show. It is so flavorful--we couldn't get enough of it. * Greek Salad: Fresh, crisp, and authentic. * The Finish: You HAVE to save room for the baklava and hot tea. The baklava was divine (flaky, sweet, and nutty), and the tea presentation in the traditional copper pot was a beautiful touch. Highly recommend this spot if you're in Clairemont. We'll definitely be back soon! read more

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In town for a company training and ordered online on my trip back to the hotel. Quick (superior) service. With my pickup they offered me a tea or something sweet. Knowing I was exhausted, I chose their spiced tea. Best part - I get back, open my box and the portion of Gyro meat on the salad I ordered was a meal in itself. Ignore my hotel ambience as next time I am back, I'll stay and enjoy the food, the service and the ambience. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

This is the best middle eastern restaurant we've been to since moving here a year ago, and we've tried several. The ambiance is great, servers and staff are super friendly. The food is amazing. - chicken tikka kebab was soft and flavorful- the best my wife said she ever tried . The cheese borek were so good. The aladdin pizza with zaatar and middle eastern spices and I tasted garlic, was a hit with the kids. The chicken shawarma was also off the hook, and top it all off with dessert that was amazing - one of if not the best dining experience we've had in SD. One thing I'd change is to have cloth napkins! But that's not a big deal.. read more

A large Middle Eastern restaurant with many food items and HUGE portion. Definitely do family style here to try as much as you can. Our waiter was so fun and lively. Made our meal even more enjoyable. We started with the Mezza Plate which came with so many things from chicken shwarma to lamb shwarma to baba ganoush to hummus to tabouleh to dolmes. The dips and the dolmes were my favorite, accompanied with a side of warm pita breads. For my main, I got the Lamb Shank that came with not one but two shanks with fall off the bone tender meat. Tenderness was on point but I wish the flavors were stronger though. My coworkers' dishes on the other hand had flavoful meats that were on the tougher side but that's just my preference. Pro tip, get the curly fries instead of the salad with your main. Some of the crispiest and delicious fries I've had. We also split some Mint Tea and Turkish Ice Cream Baklava for desserts. Both were amazing. I really enjoyed the not overly sweet baklava, filled with toasty pistachios. It's a feast to remember! read more

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This place was AMAZING. I'd go back just for the lamb and cheese borak. I got the lamb shank, it was so tender and flavorful. Well deserving of the hype, I have heard about this place for years and finally got a chance to try it out! read more

Aladdin Cafe - #14 Lamb Shank 2pcs - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

The Mediterranean food here is amazing. It's been awhile since we were here previously and this business has grown in space and In sophistication of all their dishes. We were seated outside in Trevors's section and his service to our group was amazing. Very professional waiter and very courteous. We will be back. read more

Great experience! We had the shish mix plate and shared it between 2 people and it was plenty of food! We ordered fries instead of salad and they gave us so many fries! Food is excellent quality and the kebabs were delicious. Our favorite was the chicken so I would just get that next time! The service was great and the restaurant itself is a fun vibe! read more

I haven't been here in many years but I remember the food was spectacular so I brought my family today... the food was 5 stars! Everyone was very happy with their food. Portions are huge and most dishes can be shared.. makes for a great family meal. The service is great.. seating inside or outside.. both are very nice... I highly recommend giving this place a try... Note: the original location can be mistaken for the current location which is 100 yards down.. make sure you go to the main entrance. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Appetizer cucumbers, hummus and don't forget the hot sauce - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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I'm not sure why I didn't write this before. I ate here with a friend about 9 months ago. The service was fine and the ambience was okay besides it being loud. We ordered a bunch of food to share and thought it was all good. Upon leaving my stomach hurt a bit but I thought it could be from the over eating or the spices. Turns out it was Salmonella. I was sick with Salmonella for 3 weeks. It was so bad I had to go to the ER where I spent the night in attentive care. I know it has been quite a while since then. So I'm not here to really hate on the restaurant. I'm just here to share my experience. Proceed with caution! read more

This was a fun and authentic dining experience with some great Mediterranean style food, The portions were huge and tasty and the service was great. The pizza was a standout item with a crust like pita bread and excellent flavor. We ordered the Aladin pizza as an appetizer and it was a hit. The Hummus appetizer was also delicious with a large portion of fresh pita and vegetables. I ordered the # 5 Shish Kabob Mix and it was delicious and a overwhelming amount of food. Everyone in my party were able to leave with a hearty amount of leftovers as well as satisfied. I would definitely come back, the pizza alone is worth the trip and for the price this is a great dining option in San Diego read more

Aladdin Cafe - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

One of the best places for Mediterranean/Palestinian food in the entire city. The mixed grill is a feast, plenty of food for two people. Another must try is the Maklubeh, a huge plate of rice and meat served Palestinian style. Don't forget the Arabic coffee at the end of the meal, this presentation is beautiful and the coffee is great. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

This place is always amazing. I always get the chicken Shawarma pita wrap with fries today we tried the pink hummus with beats and it was fantastic. Love the size of the food. The flavor and quality. The service is amazing. Robin sat us down very promptly. Got us a great table and Michael was awesome as usual very friendly and will be back for sure. Loved everything here. read more

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First time here and service was quick. Travis our server was on it with the order and the staff were very friendly. The food was amazing, we got the gyro plate and chicken biryani. Definitely will be coming back to try other dishes. read more

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Aladdin Cafe always delivers delicious Mediterranean food with kind service at reasonable prices. Most recently a friend joined me for dinner on a Wednesday night and we shared the Meza Platter. Everything was fantastic - garden-fresh tabbouleh, smoky baba ghanouj, chicken and beef schwarma, dolmas, crispy falafel, beef kebab, mixed homemade pickles, hummus, warm pita breads. It was a cool night, so we had their homemade mint hot tea and it really hit the spot! Ambiance is casual, an easygoing cafe where you can bring a friend or date, or just stop by with the family. The only challenge with this location is that the parking lot can fill up quickly on Friday/Saturday nights - so plan accordingly! read more

Aladdin Cafe - ##7. Aladdin Meza Platter - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California