I was recommended this restaurant by a friend and it is very unassuming. When I went inside on a Sunday evening, it was warm due to the busy cooks in the back. A couple families were enjoying dinner and I was greeted at the counter by a friendly woman. I ordered to go and it took about 10-15 mins to get my food, so that was about standard. The biriyani rice is the highlight of the show, but the chicken shawarma itself was very dry, so that was disappointing. I also ordered the beef kebab skewers with fries, which weren't bad. Honestly, I would come back, but I wouldn't get their chicken shawarma again. read more

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A hidden gem in Elcajon Opened about 4 months ago Honestly I was a little skeptical as it was not busy but I decided to take my chance. I went to my family Once we walked it It was clean and well kept The owner welcomed us right a way and he was very nice Fast service We had dhyafa ( free of charge) up front lentil soap and hummus with beef shawrma and pickles. All of which fresh and tasty Now the most important part the food Kabob - like Erbil ( the best I had in here and believe me I tried them all) so 100/10 Beef tikka DELICIOuis Qoozi perfect Chicken kreemchup very good all fresh well seasoned and full of flavor large portions HIGHLY recommend to check this place out Ample of parking as well read more

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Found this place by accident and so glad it has an Iraqi chef that knows how to make an amazing meal. Service was top notch, the place is clean and love the simplicity of the menu and welcoming atmosphere. Hope this place thrives as their food was not only delectable but also portions were ample. For sure will be back! read more

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Ambiance is nice the restsurant is clean , nicely decorated. Server attentive and respecful. However. Both our orders came WRONG!! And though they were very appologetic did not offer to switch to the correct dish and instead just gave us a complementary side ( bleh ). I was quite because in any place they would just switch to the correct order. We were hungry I just did not complain now taste wise . I'm actually going to compare to my top restaurant of all time mal al sham. Beef shawerma was good, juicy and well marinated but again mal al sham better for the same price. Fried Chicken with bryani rice - chicken was good again nice crispy and decent but the rice appeard dry and not fresh again mal al sham rice way better and the pmate was pricier at alfanar. Overall i dont think i would go again Only went because mal al sham closed down due to a fire. read more

This is my first time coming to this place since mal al sham is closed for remodeling, I was craving middle eastern food (rare) and decided to stop in to give it a try. Place wasn't empty but not busy at all. The plus is they have free tea and complimentary soup. The cons was the order was wrong, the food took forever to come out (over 40 mins) for some shawarma wraps lol and the food itself wasn't good at all. I honestly will not come back Did I mention people coming in after me received their food before? Yea sums it up read more

Alfanar Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - El Cajon, California

Are you craving some middle eastern food? Yes? Then you have to try this restaurant. Is the typical place where it seems like you are going to a family member's house. Food was really good. Great portions. Priced well. It has a familiar vibe. My rating is more of me expecting a great ambiance. I wish they decorate the place and have some authentic music playing in the background. Service was very nice as well. It is not a fancy place, but some times all you need is a warm cozy familiar meal to have. If you are in the area, try them out. Happy meals! read more

Alfanar Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Came to check a mall nearby and after looking at Yelp where to eat, this AL FANAR RESTAURANT showed up on my page. Gave it a try and pretty good at a reasonable price too. Super friendly staff. The food was delicious ! We had Lamb Shank with Rice plate and 3 Mixed grill Skewers plates. The Lamb Shank with Rice plate, meats were very tender and so delicious and the stew that came with it was very good and very tasty . The 3 mixed grills were also very tender and juicy and very tasty, they were Chicken and 2 Beef. Good portion of food too . That's the only one so far we tried and we already love the food here , we are planning to come back here again if we are in the area, the food was very delicious , and the inside is bright and welcoming. Lots of parking around. read more

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Never again. Not 4 me at all. Service is excellent, the bread all wrong. Parking is excellent, no water unless you pay. read more

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Al Fanar offers a genuine taste of Mid Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine in a comfortable, relaxed setting. The restaurant has a warm, welcoming atmosphere, and the decor reflects a touch of traditional charm without feeling overdone. It's the kind of place that works for both casual lunches and family dinners. The menu features many familiar favorites -- from kebabs and shawarma to fresh hummus and tabbouleh. The grilled meats are generally flavorful and well-seasoned, and the portions are generous. My visit was very short i chose kebab for a quick meal. Service was fast and friendly. Thank you read more

Alfanar Restaurant - Kabob for one person - Mediterranean Near Me - El Cajon, California

Really good authentic Iraqi food, the restaurant owner served us the food himself. Started with very good lentil soup. His Iraqi Kabab was so good. Alfanar Quzi ( Baked Lamb with lamb fat), was so juicy, meat falling off the bone. read more

Alfanar Restaurant - Alfanar Quzi - Mediterranean Near Me - El Cajon, California

Some of the best beef kebabs I've had! Driving by here and I saw they were a new restaurant so I wanted to try them really bad. I got the mix grill plate came with one beef kebab, one chicken tikka, and one rib eye tikka ! Amazing and not bad on the price ! We all shared three appetizers, one yogurt and cucumber, one hummus, and one baba ghanoush. Very tasty we ate it with the bread and the bread was freshly made there. I also go the falafel wrap it was flavorful ! My buddy got the koosi meat and said it was so tender he wanted more ! I took a shwarma rap to go and it was still yummy even at home! They have lots of dinning in space and the restaurant was clean which is always a plus ! read more

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Food is ok. Lady with red hair at the front is super rude and ridiculous. Unfortunate read more

Alfanar Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - El Cajon, California

Five stars for this El Cajon restaurant I visited last Saturday! I got the chicken tikka plate, and wow, the chicken was super juicy, packed with flavor. The crispy chicken sandwich was also fantastic crispy, flavorful, and just the right size. They even started me off with lentil soup that was so comforting. Total steal for the price, honestly everything was perfect. I'm already craving it, can't wait to go back read more

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I was greeted by friendly staff. The restaurant and visible kitchen were very clean! This was my first time eating Iraqi food and it was delicious. I ordered the beef kebab with white rice. It came with grilled veggies and pickled veggies, which were amazing! I will definitely return to explore the rest of their menu. read more

Alfanar Restaurant - Beef kebab combo - Mediterranean Near Me - El Cajon, California

So bad service cursed me out never come again bad food, the food was raw the food was not seasoned there was dog poop on the floor

Came in today or shawarma wraps was really good and fresh. This is my second time at this restaurant. Last time I ordered restaurant the beef kebab was teder and juicy. I need to go back more and try their menu The front lady she was very nice and helpful Highly recommended restaurant read more

I love the service. The owner walks around and people in English and Persian The food is delicious read more

A hidden gem. I spoke to one of the waitresses and she told me that they been there for a few months. Its a new restaurant. This is a mix of Iraqi, Persian, Lebanese restaurant/cuisine. A lot of appetizers. A lot of main dishes. Fresh meats. Soups. Delicious side dishes. The service is excellent. Fresh salads. Fresh made Arabic bread. I am definitely coming back again. In the pictures: Qozi (meat) with rice and Ocra gravy. Mixed appetizers. Meat Shawarma tashreeb. I came back after one week to try other meals. Today was: sheesh kabob meat Shawarma meat Hamburger Tikka meat It is my place to go for sure. read more

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Authentic Iraqi Kabab... nice atmosphere and great customer service. I recommend it and I will be back again for sure. read more

Alfanar Restaurant - Kabab - Mediterranean Near Me - El Cajon, California

Options are limited at breakfast time. Make sure you come after 12 for more options. They still accommodated us the best they could and it was great. read more

We had nice nice evening! We felt like home made food! Also dessert was perfect too! definitely will be back soon ! Thank you for having making good food chef ! read more

I ordered qouze lamb shank was so delicious and moist the okra was amazing and rice too 10/10 and service 10/10 good job guys and good luck read more

Alfanar Restaurant - I ordered qouzi lamb shank was so delicious and moist 10/10 and service 10/10 good job guys - Mediterranean Near Me - El Cajon, California

I called and ordered dolma ,after more than 40 misnutes it was finished cooking. I brought it home and it was completely burnt from the bottom and tasted extremely bitter. I called them but unfortunately they did not care about the matter. Here in this restaurant you waste your money on extremely bad food. read more

We had lunch here today. The restaurant is very clean, decor is nice. Friendly greeting and prompt service. We had the beef and chicken kebobs with rice, lentil soup and the warm delicous bread. We were very please with the food and service. Look forward to returning. read more

The food at Al Fanar was amazing, with excellent quality across the board. I highly recommend the chicken and beef shawarma. The portions were perfect, and the owner even generously gave us extra food. read more

I'm here at the restaurant just got the order it's burned and rough meet you can't bite in to it no flavor at all I'm gonna pay and leave this place can use some decorations noisey seating area basically needs a lot of work in kitchen and out side the kitchen they have a prim location use it But I will not recommend this place to anyone i know read more

The best Mediterranean food in San Diego. They have good service. Everyone can afford it. should everybody try it believe me you won't regret. They have nice ambience. read more

They had me sold with their outstanding customer service from the start. Then came the food. Not only was it great but also way above average portions. A lot more tasty than neighboring restaurants in the same area. Definitely going to be a repeat customer read more

I had a very good experience at Alfanar restaurant the food is very good service was excellent and the price was just regular I highly recommend it read more

Amazing service, very nice people. The food is incredible in every way, very authentic food and a nice setting. Would recommend it to anyone looking for authentic and tasty middle eastern food! read more

Awesome taste and food. Great service and quality. My favorite spot in el Cajon every time j come to work. 100% recommend this place. read more

Great customer service. Food is very very good especially the kebab and quzi. I highly recommand this place!

Great comfort food; service incredible & welcoming. Very kind and generous people! Enjoyed the beef shawarma and chicken so much. Kabob was also fantastic read more

excellent service and very delicious food! I ordered the chicken shawarma sandwich and fries. Fries was super crispy and the sandwich was so flavorful. 11/10 beautiful restaurant! read more