One of my new fav restaurants in SD County! I don't go out to El Cajon much but I happened to be…read moreout there, so I decided to stop by after hearing so many good things about them and I'm so glad I did! I can easily say that Mal Al Sham is my new favorite place for Middle Eastern Food! They have so many great options on their menu but I ordered the Mixed Grill, Hummus, and Fries. The mixed grill came with a chicken kabob, chicken tikka, and two beef kabobs and rice - all the kabobs were well seasoned and the rice was so flavorful. Everything was delicious and the portion sizes are so generous. There was enough food for two people for two meals each. I ordered to go and the food came out quick after I ordered despite how busy they were. The downside is that the parking lot is extremely small. I'm really looking forward to coming back and trying other items.

Went right before closing time, It was still very active and…read morelively. Had the lentil soup, was very skeptical at first but upon the first taste.. WOW! Was left wanting more! Very delicious and citrusy taste. Will come back to try and review the rest of the menu items.

The location is right on the corner you can't miss it. They have their own small parking lot. There…read moreis a lot of similar restaurants in the area that we have tried. They just don't compare. The quality and flavors are out of this world. The inside is very cute. it is clean and welcoming. We enjoy lunch dates and dinner here as a family. The owners are very friendly. Definitely recommend the lunch for 2. FYI it feeds 4 people easily. Dinner for 3 feeds 6-7. Large portions. The hummus is soooooooo good. Pro tip: ask for extra olive oil. Give this place a try!

Haven't been here in years, decided to take a trip to El Cajon to have lunch at this mom and pop…read moremiddle eastern restaurant with my mom and pop. They definitely invest their time on the taste of their food and serving large portion sizes instead of fancy tables and decor. It's not upscale fine dining... the interioir looks the exact same for past decade. Although a little dated the place is very clean and fits large or small groups. Not a date night spot -- more a friends and family stuff your face kind of place. They have a dedicated parking lot with plenty of spots. We ordered a ton of food to share. Half roasted chicken with side of fatoush salad, beef kabob plate with side of rice, lamb tikka with side of fries, a large plate of hummus, and an order of falafel (Best Falafel in SoCal). EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS! I personally didn't like the lamb tikka but everyone else destroyed that plate. We ordered a pot of black tea (mint flavored) and they brought our large pieces of steaming hot fresh bread. Service was very friendly and fast. They modified any order to your liking. They also thanked us for coming and meant it when they said it -- Mom and Pop shops are The Best! Highly Recommend if you're looking for good quality middle eastern food with large portions.

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

Nadeem is a really nice person and I think he has the cleanest restaurant that I've ever seen. The…read morefood 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.

I can for the viral Wagyu Shawarma Cheesesteak. It was very tasty with a mix of peppers, onion…read morecheese and sauce. Whatever sauce they used gave it a bit of spiciness. I went at 3:30 pm on a Saturday and was surprised that it was pretty busy at that weird time The sandwich was huge ( probably 12 inch sub) so depending on how hungry you are, you could easily split it. I loved the fries. Whatever seasoning they used gave is perfect

Man I really wanted to like this place due to all the rave reviews. Our first experience was mixed…read morewith some meats being great and others dry beef bits that weren't very tasty or appealing. Our second experience we got the chicken shawarma Brian's way. Everything was cooked well, but I guess although I like pickles, I'm not as big a fan of Mediterranean pickles. The first bite or two were actually good, but subsequent bites the pickle tanginess was overwhelming and just not so pleasant as I finished it. I thought maybe I'll get it without the pickles next time. However, after eating I got an unexpected headache that usually comes from ingestion of MSG. The fries were tasty... maybe there was MSG in those? Not sure. I've honestly had much better phenomenal shawarma in San Joes CA. I have yet to find a great Shawarma here in San Diego. Feel free to recommend.

This place was such a treat, lots of parking in and as soon as you open the door you can smell the…read moremeats 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

I think this is a Iraqi and Chaldean restaurant...but I'm absolutely certain you'll get delicious…read moremiddle 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.

I loved this place! The night before coming here for takeout, I had Mediterranean food down at…read moreSeaport Village. It was tasty and satisfying... but this place BLEW MY MIND. The moment I walked in, I was warmly greeted and asked if I wanted a table for one. I said no, I was hoping to order takeout, and she kindly invited me to sit at the bar while I looked over the menu. Right away, the atmosphere felt welcoming, beautiful, and relaxed. I ordered my food, sipped my water, and honestly didn't think I had ordered that much. Then she came out with multiple filled brown bags of food! First of all, the prices were amazing. Second... the food was TOP NOTCH and completely different from what I had the night before. Everything was packed with flavor without being overloaded with salt. Fresh, vibrant, rich, and incredibly satisfying. The waitress/hostess was knowledgeable, friendly, and gave great recommendations on what to try. You can tell the staff truly cares about the experience. I will absolutely be back the next time I visit San Diego again. And not that I recommend eating while driving ... but the next day on my drive back to Ventura County, I spread out my leftovers and happily snacked on hummus, baba ghanoush, and dolma all the way home. That alone says everything about how good this place was.

There are restaurants you visit, and then there are places you feel, where the intention behind…read moreevery dish is unmistakable from the moment you walk in. That was my experience at NEY. From the first bite, it was clear this isn't just food, it is craft. You can taste the care, the precision, and the pride. Every element felt thoughtfully prepared, balanced, and deeply satisfying without trying too hard. The standout for me was the biryani, comforting, and perfectly executed. But everything impressed. The tzatziki was bright and refreshing, the hummus topped with beef shawarma was rich and flavorful, and the ney classic plate was generous enough to easily feed two, maybe even three, without sacrificing quality anywhere on the plate. It was the perfect way to try a lot of their items at once and that one disappointed! What really says it all is that I am already looking forward to the leftovers, which is rare for me. This is the kind of place that stays with you, not just because it is good, but because you can feel the heart behind it.

I've been here twice now and both were really great experiences. Staff were friendly and super…read morehelpful, and the food was so delicious. Lots of seating and it was cool to see there's outdoor seating as well. Ended up with the boiled eggs breakfast plate (everything so good) and finally tried the sucuklu yumurta which was quite filling. It is a bit pricey, but the food was well worth it. Thanks so much!

We came here on Sunday noon time to grab some lunch. Place…read morewas super empty from the inside and outside. We got our furry friend, so we were sitting outside. And what can I tell you, the place was soooo dusty and there was some garbage on the floor and it could fly away to the table every time there is a wind. I have to clean the dusty table by myself as well!!! In the quite restaurant like this and we are the only customer, come on, even attentive service we didn't get at all. Menu also doesn't include price and contains very minimum info. So fast forward we ordered sucuk (turkish sausage) w/ egg and some turkish breakfast assortment (note that they only serve breakfast menu despite the restaurant mention 'Grill') and the menu was SO pricey. Each of the simple menu, it costs roughly $25, where you may get around $5-$10 cheaper. Will I come back! Big NO

So delicious! The food was bursting with flavor, and the freshness and quality of the ingredients…read morereally stood out. My dear cousin who normally does not like lentil soup, tasted my soup, and absolutely loved it! And regarding the service, we were so spoiled by ielaria and nahrien. They treated us like family. I highly recommend coming here. Plus, the price is good for amount and quality of food.

it is a sad day when a place that I have loved over the last four years changes management and…read moreeverything slowly changes for the worse. I was so excited to get myself a VEAL kebab for my birthday lunch and I was served a plate of fat... not sure if it was cooked properly... you can immediately tell. I'm extremely disappointed at this $15 dish... not worth it. You can get a cheaper fatty piece of steak from Albertson's. On the positive side, the chicken still taste amazing and so does the fattoush. The lentil soup was good as well.. very flavorful.