This place is A MUST if you are a lover of all things shawarma Tuesday specials are amazingly affordable w lots of delicious food (three meals more me) read more

Ive visited for years, my mom and I love this place for the family meal or the "small family platter" which comes out to around $50 and change. It comes with 2 beef kabob skewer, 2 chicken tikka skewer, 1 chicken cream chop, and 1 chicken shawarma on a bed of rice, and grilled veggies. comes with hummus and salad. we love ordering this if we have a birthday, or crave middle eastern goodness. this place was one of the first middle eastern places ive tried and I love it. My mom always has seen the owner when we pick up there and he's always kind. I love when you can tell a business loves what they do, its in their energy and the food taste like it was made with love and for that I will always be back. read more

Happy Time Mediterranean Restaurant - note the cheesecake was not from here, but the platter, salad, sauces and hummus were :) - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

This place is trash from the second I walk in rude customer service...large older man looks like owner was rude and there was nothing happy about this place ..17 $$ for a bowl that was very dry salad was chunky with mid veggies..I ordered chicken tiki and received beef shwarma mostly because he was rude and was more worried about what he was going to say next instead of listening to the customer..way better options in the area ... read more

Loved this! Delicious food & massive portions. The kindest owner & staff who were super kind & gracious hosts. Came in a bit earlier for dinner, so wasn't busy & pretty much empty, very spacious & clean. Ordered a beef shawarma bowl to split, and it was honestly the size of a platter!! Deliciously fresh salad, tasty rice, and a mound of exquisitely seasoned beef! The pita & garlic sauce were a hit & couldn't get enough of it. The lentil soup was delightful too! Cannot wait to go back! read more

Nadeem is a really nice person and I think he has the cleanest restaurant that I've ever seen. The food is amazing and it a great place to go. Even if you get food to go. The family meals and trays of food are amazing. I love the chicken, steak and rice. My parents are vegetarian and they said that the falafel sandwich is the best that they ever had. read more

Three stars because everybody's food seemed to be good except mine. I ordered the chicken shawarma and I don't think I'll ever do that again. It was dry and very difficult to eat. The only thing that helped was the garlic sauce but even then I couldn't eat more than a few bites. Pretty dissatisfied especially after we order over $100 worth of food. read more

Happy Time Mediterranean Restaurant - Chicken Shawarma Plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

First the good news- the staff is very nice and prices are extremely reasonable. We ordered the meze sampler and got to choose three hot and three cold dishes. There was plenty of food!! We were also given free tea and free lentil soup- both of which were quite good. We ordered the falafel, chicken and beef schwarma, hummus, fattoush salad and tabouleh. The chicken shawarma and the hummus were very good. Unfortunately we did not care for any of the other food items. The salad had either a pomegranate or balsamic dressing which is did not care for. I've had far better falafel and garlic sauce at alforon and much better tabouleh at marketplace grill. the space is large and there is some outdoor seating. Overall, if you are not picky about your mediterranean food and are looking for a good value this is the place. It just isn't for me. read more

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I checked your website before ordering my food and made my selections based on what you advertise. When I arrived to pick up my order, an extremely rude and bald man told me that if I wanted hummus, I would need to pay extra. He mentioned that my order ONLY include rice or fries. I showed him the website, and instead of addressing the issue, he mistreated me, saying he didn't care and that I was welcome to cancel my order. Then, he walked away, leaving me mid-conversation. We used to order from this place at least twice a month, but after this experience, never again. What kind of establishment treats its customers like this? Please get better, honor your promises, and learn how to treat people with respect. If you can't provide what your website advertises, then fix it. Stay away from this place! To go Sahara instead!! read more

Happy Time Mediterranean Restaurant - Website menu that he said is wrong - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

We dined-in here on a Thursday afternoon and the restaurant was completely empty. We ordered-- -Mixed Grill: came with 2 skewers of beef kabob, 1 chicken tikka, and 1 beef tikka plus your choice of rice, fries, or salad. It was all very flavorful and plenty to share between 2-3 people. The saffron rice and beef kabob, which was tender, juicy, & well seasoned, was our favorite! -Hummus & pita: The hummus was silky smooth and very light compared to store bought. Pita bread was standard. I wouldn't say it's a must get but good addition with entree! -Baklava: A delightful sweet pastry filled with pistachios and topped with syrup. It wasn't as flaky as other ones I've tried & a bit chewier, but still good. No one checked on us during our dine-in, but that was fine as we were provided everything we needed. There was also free coffee & tea. Overall, experience was great with my boyfriend & I would return for the flavorful Mixed Grill! read more

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I've been back to this place several times now. Recently, I have tried the Angus cheeseburger combo special for $10.95 which comes with fries and a fountain drink: a good deal. Also, the Iraqi Hammurabi Burger which also came with fries at $10.95. The Angus cheese burger was tasty but it over temped for my taste. What happen was that the cook forgot to put the cheese on the burger, so instead of firing up a new one, they place the burger on the griddle again to help melt the cheese, which over cooked it from medium rare to medium well. I was a little dumbfounded when they did that. The Hammurabi burger was interesting. I liked the grilled tomato, pickles, caramelized onions and the house sauce , but the beef for some reason or another had a gamey flavor to it. I was not very fond of that. I am not saying there was lamb mixed in with the beef, but it sure tasted like it. This burger was temped correctly at medium rare. One thing that I did not like about both burgers were the sesame bun. First, each time the buns had a dry texture to them. They need to be moister, and they are to large for the size of the beef patties they are using. You can barely see the beef patty from the outside. A good burger should have the patty flushed with the bun or the patty should slightly over lapping the bun. On my second burger, I was hoping they would correct the issue with the fries I had the first time. They are seasoned nicely but under cooked and were to soft on both occasions. They use frozen precut fries, so the inside of the fries retain more water from the freezing. As a result, the inside of the fries are to soft with almost mashed potato consistency. Also, the outside of the fries should be on the verge of acquiring that nice gold brown color and have a good crunch about them. These did not on both occasion. I mentioned it to them on an earlier visit to no avail. one minute more in the flavor would probably do the trick. Oh yes, I also had a fattoush salad with Romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, mint, and toasted pita chips. I loved all the ingredients, but the salad was under dressed. It need more olive oil for sure. Service was friendly enough. read more

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Love the Beef Shawarma wrap with French fries and pickled red cabbage. Delicious! Fast service and nice ambiance. read more

Tried this place for the first time today as we were in the area. The storefront is located near a Chevron and when we arrived, we were the only ones there. At first glance the menu seemed pretty pricey for the area, but my husband and I ended up ordering the kabob combo plate which comes with 3 kabobs, and also ordered a side of rice. This ended up being more than enough food for the two of us and we even had some leftovers. The gentleman at the counter offered us complimentary lentil soup. I can't eat lentils, but my husband enjoyed it. When the food arrived, the portions were plentiful! The chicken was seasoned really nicely and the fries as well. I didn't realize the kabobs were served on top of a wrap so beware if you are celiac. The food was delicious but something bothered my stomach a bit..I am allergic to soy and am thinking maybe the oil used to fry the fries had soybean in it. My husband loved his meal. Overall, a very unassuming place, but friendly service, good food and generous portions. read more

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The beef swarms was so tough it should be beef jerky at this point. Absolutely zero flavor bland and the guy taking my order was acting like he was doing me a favor by taking my order. Real customer service has been in the toilet for a while now but show up With food. Never coming back. I was very disappointed. I luv Mediterranean food and this just ain't it. read more

First time visitors to Happy Time and we were not disappointed. The food was DELICIOUS! We ordered the mixed grill (for 2) and it was amazingly good. We have travelled many times oveseas and this restaurant is legit Mediterranean / Middle Eastern food. Plenty of food, we even took some home, and each bite was GREAT! If you like Mediterranean / Middle Eastern food, Happy Time is for you! read more

Food: I went today and honestly every plate was delicious Iraqi burger: Tasty Scallop Sandwich: Yummy Appetizer: ( combo, hummus, babaganough, Eggplant, Delicious) Tabouli: was bland Chicken Tikka: fresh moist and on point Parking: plenty in the plaza Service: Excellent, owner is very friendly, fast and on time and gave us free lentil soup and tea Ambience: clean nice chill and family friendly read more

Happy Time Mediterranean Restaurant - Babylon Burger - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

Best food, service, ambience. Great place to eat, after a wonderful trip to Lions, Tigers and Bears. Love mediterranean food. Authentic. Tasty. Highly recommended read more

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I stumbled across this restaurant on my walk and ordered take out. The ambiance of the restaurant is very nice. Cleanliness seems to be a priority. The man at the register was very nice and gave some recommendations. The food was well seasoned and very tasty. I will be back for a solo date. read more

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Honestly I don't like writing bad reviews but I feel like I have to. At first, when I walked in, there was nobody during peak hours. Very overpriced! The food was terrible. The meat was a few days old, the hummus was from a can, the soda machine doesn't work, forgot to add one of my items, and the man working there was rude. I do not recommend. read more

When I walked in, the staff were amazing and helped me pick what item off their amazing menu to choose. The appetizer sampler had a ton of options and the wraps feel like they are made from the heart. It has been a while since I have had Mediterranean food this good and I will be coming back here again. read more

Happy Time Mediterranean Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

Remember to check into Yelp to get a 10% discount before placing your order. My friends got the chicken shawarma wrap and falafel wrap and were impressed. They claim they are the best wraps they had, they also provide the most bang for the buck and are highly recommended. We got the hummus which was very bland. The chicken kebab entree came with the most beautiful fluffy rice with a deeply infused saffron flavor without being overwhelmingly so. The chicken kebabs were kind of tame but I guess that's how they are supposed to be. The chicken samosas were good but very oily. The cream chop was delicious and the kids were happy with their fried chicken dish. read more

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This has the absolute worst service. The young girl who used to work there was a sweet heart. The manger is absolutely rude and disrespectful to everyone. You can hear him yelling at the workers while you're eating and it was just not a pleasant time to be eating it and not to mention the fact that it's very expensive and you have to pay for the sauces. The last time I went there I left because the manager started arguing with me like I was a liar saying that I didn't pay for the extra sauces even though I did. The last the other time when I went the girl who was helping me was such a sweet girl and had such good manners and she would look like she didn't an amazing job. read more

First time trying this place and food blew us away!!! From the lentil soup to the hummus to the ground beef kabobs, everything was excellent. The service was great and the restaurant inside was clean and beautiful. We will definitely be back for more!! read more

The service at Happy Time in El Cajon is not just awful, it's actually unsettling, especially because of the owner, who is consistently rude, defensive, and downright aggressive. Three months ago, I did a takeout order where they served me a "salad" that was missing lettuce. I eventually pointed it out with photo evidence and the owner acted like I was lying. He literally told me he went to check the security cameras before admitting I was right and even then, he didn't apologize. He just brushed it off with a nasty, "It's just salad," like I was the problem for noticing. I didn't go back for a while because I felt like he just wanted to argue. However, this last visit crossed a line. After I placed my order, the owner stared at me and said, "By the way, my chef was really upset you complained about the salad last time." Three months ago. I was stunned. Why was he still holding onto that and why bring it up right after taking my order? It felt targeted and creepy. I instantly lost my appetite because honestly, I didn't feel safe eating anything from that kitchen. If this is how the owner treats paying customers, I can't imagine how things are run behind the scenes. I will never go back... and if you value your comfort, respect, or safety, you shouldn't either. read more

What a great experience! I ordered the family meal for pick up. The beef and chicken kabobs were moist and tender and the best I've had. The baba ghanoush, tabbouleh and hummus were equally delicious, and the rice was so good. Very important to add that the packing of all of the food was amazing. Not one spill on the way home! There was enough food to feed a large party for a reasonable price. I will definitely return to Happy Time again and again! Excellent experience here. Very satisfied customer. read more

Very good food and service and very clean price good Thank you so much if we visit San Diego again for sure we will visit it again read more

My family loved the food from Happy time. The falafel, domas and hummus were our favorites. My grandma's loved the gyro meal for 2. read more

Amazing dining experience. Beautiful dining room. Upbeat music vibe. Gracious staff. Abundant portions and beautiful presentation. I had the Baba Ghanoush which was smokey and perfectly balanced. Also, the Beef Tikka was oh so tender cubes of flame grilled filet steak. I opted to have a side salad which was also abundant. My husband had the Beef Shawarma Wrap, which was a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. I told the owner/manager, the food was soooo good, it made me almost cry. Right in the heart of Rancho San Diego, a hidden gem. Absolutely recommend this place. We will go back. read more

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Saw this place on yelp and decided to give it try and let me tell you the food was on POINT !! I love Mediterranean food and we really enjoyed what we ordered . We ordered Family Platter large it says it serves 8-10 people let me tell you that it feeds more like 14-20 people lol. If you are having a get together order from this place you won't be disappointed . I want to tell the owner thank you for taking our big order in a rush we really enjoyed everything . I wasn't able to take pictures but this place was well worth it. read more

Honestly really impressed by this place. I order Chicken Shawarma Plate. The guy taking my order threw in hummus and soup on the side. The service was quick. I was super surprised with how quiet it is. The food and the service were amazing. This is definitely my new go to spot. read more

Clean Store-Nice people-schwarma good chicken good, saffron rice Nice! Take out order a different day was Bery good! Love the hummus!!

The best food & KUNAFA . Please go & try it . The owner is very helpful & Happily welcoming the people . Amazing place, we went from San Fernando valley to there to eat their food. I recommend this place to everyone. read more

Happy Time Mediterranean Restaurant - KUNAFA - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

Normally, I don't post pics of food because most places have a 1000 pictures of the same dishes but I really liked this placed. Happened to pass by it while roaming around, Mediterranean sounded good gave this place a try. Walked into an empty spot playing harmonic Christmas music... whatever. More folks started coming in as i was eating... looked like regulars. Checked out the menu, some guy finally came out, said I wanted some chicken kabob, he told me it was the chicken Tikka. I said ok and ordered it... very reasonable like $20 for what i got. Came with rice and mixed veggies. I said ok. Sat at a table for about 5 minutes and this guy comes out with a HUGE plate of beautifully plated food!! The chicken was perfect, great quality, juicy and seasoned well. The rice was really good. The veggies were like a cold mix with a vinaigrette, next time I would get something else only because vinegar flavor is not part of my food pallet, but I did taste them and the veggies were extremely fresh. Over all great place. Definitely will come again. Lots of food and the place is very clean. read more

Happy Time Mediterranean Restaurant - Chicken Tikka Plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

Mediterranean cuisine today. A must place to try out. Service is superb. Enjoy your day peeps read more

Happy Time Mediterranean Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Stopped by Dec. 30, 2024. In the Late Afternoon....Around 5pm. Food is Quality. Fries are Ok, But Filling... didn't taste as Fresh..& was given a small Portion.... However, it was Filling. Chicken Swarma is Amazing... I Appreciated that it was Cut into Bite Sizes. I Appreciated the man that Offered Suggestions in the First place... I gave in to his Suggestion of 7.00 Salad.... But, it was Pricey for the Size....It was Good though. I wondered if it came with dressing. I Liked the Tajin and chips that was on the top of the Salad. I didn't Like how he didn't Maintain Eye contact Afterwards, Breaking the Customer's Connection ... I Tipped $2.00, too. But, Regretted it as he didn't Appreciate it, Also. I would give 5 Stars for the Quality of Food. But, because the Interaction Fell + Became Good to Mehh, it's a 3 Star for me. However, the Food was Delicious.. I have to also think of the Customer Service for it to be 5 Star in my Book. read more

I'm known to travel anywhere for good food, so El Cajon city was no exception LOL. Last week, I placed my order in the morning and picked it up during lunch time. Masks are required to enter this eatery and dining in was not an option, of course. It was kind of sad to see the restaurant so empty, with all of the chairs up on the tables. I made my way to the counter and everything I ordered was ready and perfectly packaged. I brought my items to work and munched away. I started off with the hummus, which was very good with the pita bread I grabbed from my combo plate. Next, I dug into my entree, which was very hearty and flavorful. There were two beef kebabs, pieces of chicken tikka, pickled veggies, roasted tomatoes, and a thin layer of dough on the bottom! I had no idea what it was, but it tasty and interesting. I'm glad that they gave me some tahini sauce as well, because it elevated this dish even more. The tangy sauce definitely complemented all the protein I had. I was excited to try the kanufa afterwards, since it has rave reviews! This dessert tastes very nice warm. There are some cheesy layers underneath a thin noodle-like pastry, topped with pistachios and simple syrup. It kind of reminded me of baklava! read more

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Discovered this spot through a friend, and I didn't realize why I haven't heard of it sooner! Their selection of Mediterranean food is fresh and flavorful! The different styles of meat, rice, and kabobs tasted very distinct in that the ingredients complemented one another so well. Had the party sampler which they have a special going on right now for takeout. The beef kabobs and chicken were pretty tender and tasty! The hummus was flavored so well too and still light. Great service and awesome experience! Will definitely check them out again! read more

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What happened? My niece and her husband stopped to pick up kunafeh for us because I loved your kunafeh. The cheese was awful. It was bitter and very salty. We ate the kunafeh dough and threw away cheese. It maybe wrong type cheese or old. So sad that your quality has gone down. read more

The event expected today is very elegant, and they still took the time to fill my order read more

Happy Time Mediterranean Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

Spacious restaurant and the food is so so good. They have free hot tea and multiple options. Very good! Friendly and fast! read more

Happy Time Mediterranean Restaurant - Chicken Tikka Wrap - Middle Eastern Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Okay it really was a happy time at Happy Time for me, I can't deny that. I know usually restaurant names with certain adjectives in the front can turn people off from going, but don't let that get to your head. I came on a Wednesday night and it wasn't busy at all which was good cuz the food came out quick! When I first walked in though I have to admit, it's probably the nicest middle eastern restaurant I've seen. It's super clean and everything is modern. Even the bathroom was pretty cool not gonna lie LOL (Just a life tip, always check a restaurant's bathroom, it'll let you know the cleanliness of a place). Anyways super clean, modern design and I was digging it. The parking lot it was in was pretty spacious too in my opinion. As for the food, oooh yes. I tried a variety of different things since I came with a large group (low key too many things to name and list but ima list my faves). Their eggplant salad was literally so damn good I could probably eats plates full of it. Their hummus is legit and I don't say this about any hummus bcuz as an Arab I am PICKY with my hummus! Their fries are so crispy and yummy (I honestly have a fry addiction so whenever I see good fries I can't stop eating them, RIP to my health). The beef kebab came out so juicy and flavorful !! I enjoyed the potato salad bcuz who doesn't love potato salad hehe. They also have chicken cream chop fries which I didn't get the chance to try but they looked good and looked similar to buffalo fries! Their shawarma bowl was also good and I liked how it had a mix of rice and salad to go with it rather than just one or the other. Basically all the food I had was super good and presented in a beautiful manner (which I am really happy about bcuz it's hard to make middle eastern food look pretty sometimes lol). Also apparently they're the only restaurant in the area with those cool soda fountain machines where you can mix & match (it's like the ones you find at the theatre nowadays). How cool is that! Overall, good service, food, and super clean place. Highly recommend checking it out if you're in the area read more

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