When you think of lamb chops, kabobs, basmati rice, hummus and fine dinning with a romantic ambiance this is where you go. I had the lamb chops with basmati rice and tomato. That was so delicious when I was eating all the pieces of the meat off the bone. I think my friend was having fun watching me eat lamb chops with my fingers more than eating their chicken kabobs with basmati rice and tomato. I like to use that red pepper spice over my rice not sure what it is then its good to just sprinkle some on. The bread and butter was kind of plain without ordering some hummus to use it to dip the bread in would have made it tastier. This restaurant is very classy with string lights and dimmed lights at night perfect for a romantic dinner. Sometimes they got someone singing songs or playing instrumental music. Service is great here. This is one of those hidden gems you got to try if you really like middle eastern food. read more

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My family and I eat here regularly. we absolutely love the food, the service and the atmosphere. they have always been friendly and courteous and the food is always good quality and delicious . read more

Great food .actually best Persian food in Oc . I always invited my Frined to this place and everyone leave happy and satisfied

I love eating here. I have had lunch and Dinner here and have had excellent service everytime. They have GreAt happy hour specials 4-8pm Mon-fri. The Dining area is very large and so nicely decorated. We came here before going to the Segerstrom Performing Arts Center to see the Wizard of Oz. We had the grilled chicken kabobs and basmati rice and tomato. The chicken was seasoned really good and tender. The rice was very good. The Barley Soup was sooo good and tastey .. The seasonings were on point . Daryas never disappoints .. read more

Darya Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Food was good but service is bad manager is rude and menu is unclear I asked for 3 plates of kabobs and gave us 2 telling us we ordered half without it saying on the menu. read more

The food: The borani (eggplant appetizer) seemed really salty to me, but I am admittedly not an expert. I asked for the dressing for my salad on the side and was glad to be able to control how much was in there. It was great, but too much of it would've rendered the salad a sour mess to me. I felt like the chicken koobideh was a little dry, but the beef one was great. The ambiance: I love it when you go into a place and it seems like you've suddenly gone someplace far away. It feels like that here, at least it did for dinner. It's in the less-traveled center across from South Coast Plaza, and when you open the door and enter, the first thing you think its, "whoa this place is huge." It's also decorated opulently, with dim lighting, chandeliers, candles on the tables and a piano (the pianist wasn't there when we were eating dinner, but slightly cheesy piano music (+ strings) was wafting through the air along with the scent of basmati rice. It felt very un-South Coast to me, which was interesting and fun. I liked that aspect of it a lot. The service: Our server was great and although it seems meals (and accordingly, the service) go a little slower than many Americans may be used to, she was courteous and warmed up to us quickly. Three stars for the food, but four for the ambiance and service. read more

I went to this place for a birthday party and it was my first time having Persian food. I really like the place a lot. The restaurant was renovated and it's beautiful and spacious with high ceilings. The tables are spread apart from each other. The waiters are courteous and friendly. The dishes are elegantly presented. Some of my favorite appetizer's include the tabuli which was very fresh, the borani which was so flavorful that I couldn't stop eating it and the tadig. The main dishes were bountiful and I had the kebab which they were famous for. read more

Absolutely our favorite place for Persian food. We've been coming here for more than 15 years, they know us well and we are treated like family. The koobideh, both chicken and beef are delicious and juicy. The rice is wonderful and they have four different ones to choose from. their stew is great. you cannot go wrong with anything you order on the menu the staff is friendly and the food comes very quickly. the servings have plenty of food and you will you be bringing some home or you can order one plate to share. If you have a party of four or more you may want to order family style because you can get a lot of variety, multiple rice, multiple salads, and tons of food we highly recommend this place read more

I don't usually leave reviews but I thought it's about time after 20 years of going to the same restaurant over and over not bccs I'm Persian but for the quality and the taste. Thank you for bringing my mothers kitchen to my table read more

There is plenty of Persian food in Orange County but none will match the quality, class and ambience of Darya. She wears the crown of Kebab and other Persian delicacies in Orange County and her reign has continued for decades now. This place gives Shamshiri a run on 'old school' Persian food in Southern California. Great service and attention to detail. Not to be missed. Do yourself a favor. Don't cut corners. Do Persian food right! Do Darya!! read more

We went there last week, ordered kabab koobideh & tahdig with 2 kinds of topping. The Tahdig came first, soft tahdig with Joices of the toppings mixed up. The taste of one was okay but the other one ( fesenjoon) was terrible, it supposed to be more sweat than sour. The look of it made me lose my appetite. We told the waiter & he said he never had anyone complain about it & that he doesn't have any more tahdig. This was around 1:00 pm lunch time. Later they gave us 2 free hot tea. The koobideh tasted really awful, couldn't eat it & my friend took it home & she later throw it out. This is the photo of it. Let me see if I can add the photo here read more

Darya Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Excellent food!! Highly recommend their Barg, which is a tender filet mignon, and their Chicken Kabob with Bone. Have 1/2 the rice for almost all their dishes substituted for a salad (get the garden salad). And make sure you mix in the butter with your rice. I think most of their appetizers are overpriced so I won't recommend any. The ambiance is classy, quiet, they sometimes bring a piano player, and great for a date night. Only con is the price. Overall, a must try. AND P.S. I SAW JLO HERE! read more

Food was plenty enough and delicious at a great price for $20 during lunch at a classy place in Costa Mesa across mall. Craving their lamb again. read more

Okay this is the best Persian Restaurant in Orange County. Period. I worked and lived in LAs Westside for 5 years while teaching at UCLA so I love Persian food. There are great places in Westwood but for Orange County this is the place. I pretty much get the same thing every time. White fish and half salad half rice. And I absolutely love their tadiq, which is basically rice at the bottom of the rice cooker. It's delicious. You can only get it after 1pm though. The food is fresh, the parking plentiful, and the restaurant is beautifully and tastefully decorated. Been eating here for over 12 years now and I love the experience every time. Keep up the good work Darya. We will be back next week again for lunch! read more

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WOW! The food was absolutely delicious and the service and staff were so friendly. I felt welcomed from the moment I stepped inside to the moment I left! I've had Persian food before at other restaurants, but this by far surpassed them all. The price is not that bad at all and for the portions you get, it is worth it. I highly recommend everyone to go and try their food. Thank you Darya South Coast for making our night so wonderful and special read more

Darya Restaurant - Beautiful ambience, food and service! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Ohhhh how I miss you soooo much Darya!!! I was a frequent visitor of Darya until I moved to the Valley..this was the spot to be on a Friday night out...The ambience, the decor, the staff, the music, the food, amazingggg... The appetizers were great and the Chicken Soltani and Chicken Koobideh is to die for..Luckily I now live in the Valley and work out in Glendale where I can now enjoy kebabs again buttt this was definitely the spot. Very upscale, pricey, but overall greatttt foood..I definiltey will come back again when I'm out in the OC!! read more

I;m giving this place 3 stars because the service was excellent and the food was delicious. But, the prices are a little high ($85 for 2 of us for LUNCH) and we got food poisoning. :( We got... Panir Sabzi: Feta cheese, walnuts and fresh herbs like mint, basil, watercress, tarragon and radish. - Fresh, delicious, great for sharing. Maust'khiar: Yogurt with cucumber and dill. - Not the best I've had. I would go for plain next time. And its a LOT for a side unless you are sharing. Tabauli: Salad of parsley onions and tomato. - Not the best either. I little soggy and a little bland. Much better than any grocery store though! Adas Polo: Basmati rice mixed with raisins, lentils, dates and saffron. - Deeeeeeeelicious! Seriously a really good dish. Must try it. Albalo Polo: Basmati rice with cherries. - Very good take on this. Sweeter than Adas Polo, but yummy. Chelo Kebab Soltani: Seasoned ground beef and Filet Mignon, U.S.D.A. Choice A combination of charbroiled tenderloin beef, and strip of seasoned ground beef. - Delicious. Would order again in a heartbeat. Lamb kabob: Also delicious. A little overcooked but most Persian meats are. IMO. Great marinade though. The bread was delicious too. The services was great. Lots of assistance and information to help ordering. The bus boy was on it to fill our drinks just enough to help but not bother. Everything was wrapped nicely and the atmosphere was good too. But, the next 2 days were a nightmare from food poisoning. :( read more

Darya Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

I've only been once, but I'd definitely go back! They have reasonably priced dinners, great Persian food, large portions and great service. The dining room is large and elegant, but somewhat stuffy as well since the look is a kind of heavy and dated. I thought they might balk at my flip flopped feet, but it didn't seem to be an issue. The food was amazing and the portions so large that I was full off what I ate and still had more than half leftover to take home. I ordered the shish kebab and chicken combination, my gf got the ground beef and boneless chicken kebabs, and my other gf got the fesenjon. We all shared bites of our meals and I have to say that I liked mine the best. Haha! I ended up picking up the tab since my gf's had come with me to try on wedding dresses. It wasn't bad at all for the great meal we'd all just eaten and so I felt like I'd made out like a bandit. read more

Darya Restaurant - shish kebab + chicken - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

I would give 5 stars for my experience, however not everyone will have the opportunity to go there with a party of 24 and receive free appetizers on the house such as Persian salad and pizzas. The appetizer salad had dates, tomatoes, red cabbage, a sweet creamy dressing, and some other toppings I can't remember, but it was superb (see pictures)! I'm not one to order salads anywhere, cause usually they're just lettuce, and a few cheap toppings, but this was really a one of a kind that you can't satisfy just anywhere. As far as the entree goes, I was on a budget, so I opted for the chicken and beef kebab which came with rice and a choice of soup or salad. I wasn't blown away by the dish, and almost rather have preferred the appetizers we were given. The meat was somewhat flavorful, but I'm not a huge kebab fan anyways. The rice I could have done without, just cause there was so much of it, and rice and meat together are no fun. I want some other toppings such as vegetables or a flavorful sauce! Oh well. The generosity of the manager will never be forgotten though. He personally came to the table to greet us, and made sure everything was ok. He also helped serve the meals. It's great to see management be a part of customer interaction and participate in the work. I truly admire that. In all honesty, I would not come back, just because it is pricey and I already get my fair share of similar ethnic foods (Middle Eastern family), but if you some cash to spare and taste buds to liven up, check this place out, and order something more fulfilling than what I got. p.s The music was a big bummer, wasn't authentic at all, I think it was jazzy type stuff. I was waiting for the belly dancers to come out....oh well. read more

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I found this restaurant on yelp and I went out solo and had a fabulous experience!! I was welcomed by the friendly bartender Amanda and the locals at the bar.. I met the manager and owner. This place has live music! A woman singer on Thursday and Friday nights ;she was amazing! (I met her to)Check the website for other nightly singers. I had happy hour in the bar- a martini and ate the Borani and a beef kabob!! Delicious!!I highly recommend this place! I'll be back next week ;))j read more

Darya Restaurant - This is the singer, she came over and met me in the bar - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

9 out of 10 visits are awsome, they screw up takeout orders on occasion. But the food quality excellent. I suggest with entree (chicken barg, or boneless chicken) specify half rice, half house salad. Their ranch dressing is a little different, but its made in house and really good. Add beef Kubida, and I recommend a veggie kabob side, all onions. well done. Kick it up a bit with Tabasco sauce. Yum! read more

We went there today for our 5th wedding anniversary and had a wonderful time! Food was amazing, server was attentive and kind. They had live music and it was perfect. Will be back soon. Thank you Darya team, food was delicious. read more

Went here for lunch with coworkers.. We had appetizers of: Borani (really good, especially considering I usually am not a fan of eggplant), Hummus (average, extra oily), Maust'Khiar (not bad, yogurt/cucumber dip...but some coworkers found it to have not enough cucumber), and Dolemeh (just ok...nobody at our table was too impressed with it.) For lunch we had a range from the Chef's special Cajun Salmon (really good, soft), Chef's Special rack of ribs (was ok, bit lacking flavor, per coworker), and chicken and beef Kebabs (chicken was delicious, beef was alright but a bit dry). For dessert we tried stuff too, YOLO! Mango cheesecake (not really CHEESEcake, just cake with mango in it...wouldn't have it again, not that sweet and a bit dry), Tiramsui (per coworkers, very good, not too sweet, just right), and a fruit tart that had raspberries and I believe cranberries (sweet, but tart, and with some seeds...but overall very good.) Services was pretty good considering we were the first table seated upon opening. We overall enjoyed our experience and would go again.. read more

So this was my first time here and I must admit, I was a little hesitant because I had no idea what I was ordering. But, now I must confess, I liked it! The food was very tasty, the service was good, and the place and ambiance was nice. It's definitely on the pricey side but they do give you big portions too so make sure you come hungry. read more

Darya Restaurant - All I remember is that this was listed as a #1 option on the menu. Yummy! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Over price and no quality if you have a taste for Persian food. Ordered soltani and zereshk polo and chicken to go ..no butter no bread ..gave me a full onion and I had no knife to split it. I dont get it. $ 26 FOR CHICKEN AND $32 before taxes. Not a big deal but at least give some good or tasty food ..fuck I end up getting in and out read more

Excellent experience! The ambience of both the indoor and outdoor settings is exquisite, refined, clean, and classy. From the hostess to the very attentive waiter, the service was amazing! We ordered the tadig with the three stews to start, and it was cooked to perfection. For the main course, we had the chicken barg and the koobideh. The chicken was good, a little bland, but cooked well. The koobideh was AMAZING! Well seasoned and grilled nicely. Overall a GREAT restaurant with GREAT service! read more

Awful filet barg. Portions are way small. Just fill in the rice and stale lavash. Wow. I get it it's covid but do you have to cut back on quality so much? If you wouldn't dish it out to your grandmother don't dish it out to my grandmother. Thanks. read more

We have been coming as a family to this restaurant for many years. The staff is wonderful, the owner is kind, and the food is always delicious. I am very confused about any poor ratings. I'm sure if you have any problem with the food they are more than willing to fix it and give you something better. The decor could use some updating. However, the ambience, food, and staff make it worth visiting time and time again. read more

Service four stars. Location four stars. Decoration and outside sitting three stars. I was here for the food and I have been to many other Persian restaurants, but OH BOY it was terrible food here. I ordered Sultani dish, which is the main course of any Persian restaurant and there was no flavor at all. The meet was also over cooked and super dry. I even asked for medium and juicy meat. One star for the food and who cares about the rest anymore. There is a restaurant in the city of Glendale called Raffi's Place and its excellent. If you want Persian food check this place out. read more

Been here for lunch a few times and the food & service was always excellent. Dropped in for dinner after shopping at South Coast Mall ....and the dinner was amazing. We started with borani and it was very good. For the main entree, we each had the chelo combo ... yummy and juicy. read more

Best chicken This place like Gods of chicken, it has the best taste and marinated flavor Staff are friendly and nice Place is nice and clean read more

Always a great place and friendly staff - Love Darya's - Never disappointing ! And walking distance from me. read more

Picked up chicken koobideh plate and hummus to go today. The food was bland and the hummus tasted like it had gone bad. Honestly, I grew Up Eating Persian food and this was by far the most bland, oily and flavorless Persian food I have ever had! How do you mess up Hummus?!? read more

I have to say, it was one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. The service was great and the food was delicious! I was lucky to be there for a party, so I got to try a lot of different things. (It all was so good, I can't even pick a favorite, but the boneless chicken stands out to me.) It was good to the point where I went back four more times! I also got to talk to the charming manager, Masi. I am very impressed with the experience and will try to go back as soon as possible! read more

When in the area, we always go to this restaurant. Delicious food. We were able to go yesterday and were so thankful for their beautiful patio dining. Food is very good. We are never disappointed. Service is great, very friendly. So glad you are surviving this chaos during COVID-19 and Newsome's antics! read more

I Love this place. One of my favorite restaurants Lunch special is the best deal. I love the kabob it super juicy and yummy. The rice is the very best. I always get extra Togo. The portion is huge, I can never finish it, extra for the next day. Woo hoo. read more

Love love love this place! I can honestly say this is the best Persian food in OC. The staff if amazing. Hands down this darya beats the one in orange. I have been coming here since I was young and I have never left dissatisfied. My favorite thing to order is the barg and the fesenjoon with tadig. I spoke with one of the servers and apparently the meat is TOP quality and you can definitely taste it with every bite. The location is great and intimate. Perfect for a date night or going out with the family. read more

One of the best Persian restaurants I've been to. Delicious food and great for catering. read more

I checked out this place and saw a huge crowd when I walked in on a Saturday night! I was so excited to try new good authentic food! We got a bunch of stuff and shared! Love to try new foods here. They made the experience pleasant and I would definitely come back! read more

Darya Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Love this place. Great Persian food and great service. SoCal has lots of Persian portions but this is always my go to. Live music on the weekends. Kabob is great! read more