I lived in San Diego not that long ago, and I was back in town for a wedding this past weekend. Some of the friends I met there have planted roots and bought houses -- including in La Mesa. When I visit, I try to see as many of them as possible. My friends in La Mesa and I made plans to have dinner at their home, and when it came time to choose a place for takeout, I did a little research and came across Ney Restaurant just a couple miles away. The terrific reviews sold us, so my friends placed the order and I picked it up on my way over. When I arrived, my friends commented that the portions were so large, it looked like a catering order -- which explained the prices being a little higher than they expected. We chose the combo appetizer platter with Baba Ghanoush, Middle Eastern Salad, Tabbouleh, and Hummus. We also shared three entrees: Dulaimiya, Beef Shawarma, and Chicken Schnitzel. I'm a big fan of Middle Eastern cuisine, but I don't recall ever eating Iraqi food before this meal. The meat, rice, bread, and vegetables were all delicious. All of us were quite pleased with everything we tasted. The only criticism I have for Ney Restaurant is the upcharge for paying with a credit card. I've certainly seen that for small charges (typically under $5 or $10) at small shops, but our order was around $100. I can understand preferring cash, and I can even get on board with the 4% credit card fee IF it is advertised on the menu. read more

Ney Restaurant - Entrees: Chicken Schnitzel, Beef Shawarma, & Dulaimiya. Combo appetizer platter: Baba Ghanoush, Middle Eastern Salad, Tabbouleh, & Hummus. - Mediterranean Near Me - La Mesa, California

The lamb ouzi was surreal. Very tender lamb, and the most tasty rice I've had in San Diego! This was a real treat. I can't wait to come back and have it again. read more

This is a gem of a special restaurant in La Mesa. First of all, the place is adorable. When you walk in, it's decorated up for the holidays, as well as having a separate sitting area with beautiful wooden furniture. It has ambience, with soft lighting, greenery, and contemporary decor. It's warm and welcoming. People always greet us with a smile when we walk in like they're happy to see us. That's always such a nice touch to feel welcome in a restaurant. Originally we came here looking for vegan food, and it ticked all of the boxes. The hummus is the most delicious and creamy dish. It's mouthwatering! The tabbouleh is fresh and bright, and the tasty dolmas are served with lemon slices. The falafel are cooked to perfection, and come out hot and fresh. On previous visits, we had the baryani which is made vegan and is a super savory and downright crave-able rice dish. Our son had the chicken tikka wrap for meat eaters, and he said it was fantastical and delicious. Every time we come here our server is always so kind. This time Zoe was our server, and was super attentive! She gave us extra sides of everything, including lots of garlic spread, which honestly is like magical stuff that legends are made of. She cared about our well-being and made sure we had everything we needed for a wonderful dinner. You'll be so pleased when you go to this delightful restaurant. It's the tastiest Mediterranean food in town! read more

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I'm outright going to say that this is the best Middle Eastern restaurant in San Diego, and it's in a very unassuming strip mall not too far from some other very good places. My family and I have never had a bad meal here and every time we come, we get something with great flavor and big portions for a solid price. Their hummus and baba are quite good, their salads are fresh and delicious, their wraps are delicious but its their meats and their insane biriyani rice that steal the show. Their lamb dishes are divine and taste amazing, probably among my favorites, and their chicken is moist and delicious. If you come with a large enough group or if you're hungry you can't beat the Al Muhibs for quantity and quality - leftovers for a few days is never bad in my book. I would only note I've never been a big fan of their beef shwarma, although their chicken version is really good. As a side note, their wine list is also surprisingly good and its rare to go to any restaurant and find good Israeli wines. Their reds in my opinion rank among the best in small restaurants. If you're in the area it's a must visit and you won't be disappointed in the least. read more

This place is a hidden gem. Very clean spacious restaurant, unlike many other ethnic ones. Service was brilliant, on par with top notch restaurants. We ordered felafel app, fries with swarms. Both are crispy with tons of flavor. The star of the night was this lamb tashreeb, the smokiness, the juiciness, the flavor was absolutely decadent. The fork tender lamb tastes awesome even after two days. Will have to come back for rest of items. read more

Ney Restaurant - Lamb Tashreeb - Mediterranean Near Me - La Mesa, California

I ordered the $100 plate for my family. The meat was very chewy. I was very disappointed

We went to Ney for the first time last night and loved it! The decor is modern, clean and comfortable; the service was friendly and welcoming and the food was fantastic. Fresh ingredients, and so well prepared. The spicy babaganoush (a real winner!) was accompanied by some of the most heavenly pita bread I've had in a long time; the entrees were fabulous. My husband had lamb shanks that fell off the bone, accompanied by delicious stewed okra and a pilaf rice and grilled veg and pickles. My beef shawrma plate was the best I've ever had. Very nice wine and beer list, too, and easy parking. We don't live in La Mesa, but it was worth the drive to get there, that's for sure! read more

Absolutely delicious food! Excellent taste and great price and awesome service! Can not wait to go back!!!!!!! read more

Ney Restaurant - Thursday $25 special - Mediterranean Near Me - La Mesa, California

Love this place! Great food, service and ambiance. Easy to park too. Will definitely be back!

I first saw the food on Instagram and immediately was like I HAVE to try this place!! The food and the service did not disappoint at all. We came in around 6 PM on Tuesday, and it wasn't too busy besides a large party and a few other tables. Our waitress was the sweetest person ever and really made our first visit an amazing experience. I saw pictures on yelp of this stew looking dish but I couldn't figure out what it was. After showing our waitress the picture, she told us it was it was an item that they no longer have on the menu, but they could still make it for me if I wanted it. I loved that they were able to do that for me, so of course I had to order it after seeing how good it looked. My bf ordered the beef shawarma wrap and it was so tender and juicy. The food was full of flavor and just amazing overall. The lamb was falling off the bone, and I especially loved the okra pieces in the dish. The star of the show was definitely the lamb dulaimiya, and I hope they add it back on the menu because that would probably be my go to order the next time we visit. Overall, the service and the food were both so so good, and we're already looking forward to coming back here! read more

Ney Restaurant - top: Beef Shawarma Wrap bottom: Lamb Dulaimiya - Mediterranean Near Me - La Mesa, California

Great family restaurant with amazing service to boot. This is in a small strip mall in La Mesa, and I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleased to see what I saw. They had a wide variety of items on the menu. Something for everyone. The lentil soup was delicious as well as my greek style salad. A point of contention is that I called earlier in the day to find out what on the menu was gluten-free and specifically asked about the lamb kebabs and was told they were. Only to get there and find out that they weren't. I also advised the wait staff that I had a gluten allergy and that my soup came out with noodles. I had to send that back. Food allergies are my issues. This shouldn't dissuade you from trying this amazing family restaurant. read more

Amazing menu with something for everyone. Delicious food. We ordered a few plates for 3 of us!! Only observation they could serve coffee read more

So many great things about this place! I've come here several times for happy hour and it's a great experience. I also had my husband's birthday dinner here with the group of about 12 people and it was amazing. The service among the staff is impeccable. The food is authentic and really tasty. The falafel is the best in town and I highly recommend trying out this restaurant! I want to thank the staff here for everything they do, for the amazing service and food. read more

I came here to lunch with a co-worker during restaurant week and we took advantage of the prix fixe menu. Shared Appetizer/lunch/shared dessert read more

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We enjoyed an incredible Lamb Quzi at this amazing restaurant that truly impressed us. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the friendly staff made our experience even better! read more

Ney Restaurant - Lamb Quzi - Mediterranean Near Me - La Mesa, California

Ohhh I like this place so much!!!!!!!!!!! Service is great, food is delicious thank you

Found a gem! This place is awesome! My family in SD took us out here for dinner and it truly did not disappoint. The ambience sets you in a mood to eat Mediterranean cuisine, a little bit dark but nothing a light adjustment couldn't fix. From the appetizers to the main entree, the food came with the right temperature, texture, and ofcourse the Mediterranean flavors in every bite. The presentation was so nice I felt special sitting in front of a nicely put together entrees esp the huge platter Al Muhib. No wonder my aunt comes here once a week, the food is great coupled with the impeccable service that they offer here. Would definitely come back here in a heart beat! read more

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We had been meaning to check out this restaurant after watching all the instagram posts for quite a while and saved it for a special occasion. I must say it was so worth it! What an amazingly delicious food!! We got the Al Muhib platter (serving is big so bring your appetite or take home) upon our friendly yet professional pretty server Zoye' and it was absolutely scrumptious! I highly recommend it and trust me we eat a lot of Mediterranean food, this one is one of the top ones in taste. All the staff was cordial especially Zoye' and another server (forgot to ask his name). Also had the pleasure of meeting the friendly owner of this beautiful restaurant. Two thumbs up! Also the oyster bar next doors is by the same owner, I know where we will be on our date night read more

Ney Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - La Mesa, California

I recently went to Ney for a light dinner with my husband. We weren't very hungry so we planned to split a dish. When we got there, the entire menu looked so good, we struggled to pick our shared plate. We landed on the filet mignon kebab plate which was simply fantastic! The biryani rice was mind blowing. We were floored at how good it was we contemplated ordering more, but were too full. We actually went back the very next day for lunch and tried the cream chop wrap...outstanding. I made another reservation for tonight! read more

Ney Restaurant - Greek Salad - Mediterranean Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Stop what you're doing and go eat here! Amazing food and cocktails. The server was so sweet and gave excellent suggestions! The place is pretty cute and I loved all the plants. The rice was one of the most flavorful I ever had. They made me fall in love with babba ganoush for the first time. The hummus was perfect! The tsatziki was thick and potent. The chicken was juicy. The lamb shank was tasty! Cannot wait to come back and try other things. Eying that gigantic platter! I also have never liked falafel and I was obsessed with theirs. So crispy on the outside and so moist on the inside. These people care! This is a must and quite possibly the best Greek food in San Diego!! read more

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What a great restaurant! We wanted to try them out during Restaurant Week but they were booked. So we went last night. WOW! Great ambiance! Plenty of parking. The menu is Impressive and the food was Fantastic!!!! Highly recommend the filet mignon tikka and my husband loved the beef shawarma tashreeb. Btw, on Thursdays they offer a two or three course meals at a lower price. Check them out! read more

Wow, decided to check out this Middle Eastern restaurant on a whim and I'm so glad I did! It's a little off the beaten path, but in a little shopping center with free parking. When I arrived, the parking lot was almost completely full and when I got inside the restaurant, I found out why! The place was packed on a Saturday night, a lot busier than I was expecting it to be. As a matter of fact, they seem to be turning away patrons that did not have reservations because they were so overwhelmed. The good news was, everything I tried was absolutely delicious! I started off with some hummus and warm pita bread, a bowl of lentil soup which was delicious and not watery, and then had the chicken tikka kabobs which were large tender chunks of boneless skinless chicken breast that were marinated and grilled perfectly and served above some of the best Middle Eastern rice I've ever tried! Full of marcona almonds and raisins and probably butter and olive oil which made the rice alone some of the best I've ever tried. But everything was great and the main course included some pickled vegetables and a purple cabbage salad and garlic sauce was available upon request. Even though I don't live anywhere near me restaurant, I'm pretty sure I'll be making the trip back, but most likely with a reservation first or on a slower weeknight. read more

Ney Restaurant - Chicken Tika kabobs, basmati rice (best I've ever had!), roasted tomato, pickled vegetables, purple cabbage salad and slivers of onion - Mediterranean Near Me - La Mesa, California

I cannot even begin to explain how delicious the food is at Ney. My friend recommended this restaurant for my husbands birthday. We went last night and it was beyond delicious. We've been to many Mediterranean restaurants in San Diego and Bay Area and this one by far exceeded our expectations. The service was great. The restaurant is super clean We ordered the platter. We have leftovers! It was plenty of food for the 5 of us! 3 adults and 2 kids. Hummus- the bomb Babaganoush- Smokey and fantastic Greek salad Pita Go. You will not be disappointed! Yum! read more

Oh my, had no idea dinner would be this good. We ordered one appetizer and two entrées for 4 people. And we had a generous portion of beautifully presented and delicious food. We enjoyed the humus topped with shwarma and it was so beautifully plated. Really enough for 6, but was so good we ate it all. The whole cooked branzino was stunning and we loved the dill sauce. The presentation included the most wonderful basmati pilaf topped with nuts and dried fruit. Fabulous. Also red cabbage slaw, pickled vegetables (a delight!) and pickled daikon radish. Our other entree was the chicken kababs, also a fully loaded plate of treats, but with a garlic sauce. This place is worth a regular slot in your rotation! read more

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Made reservations for a birthday dinner, walked in and the ambiance was very nice, clean and welcoming. The girls that came to take our drink orders were very friendly, great personalities, they seemed to be working well together and checking in on us. We started with an appetizer, the "pick four", we had hummus, baba ganoush, fattoush salad (highly recommend this) and tabouli salad. The portions were generous and served with warm pita bread. The restaurant has a full bar that we enjoyed with good margarita's (top shelf liquor) and good choices of wine. The dinner dishes are very generous and we ordered 3 different plates that we wanted to try. We ordered the Lamb Kebab with biryani rice, best I've had and I'm Chaldean so that says a lot. We also ordered the chicken cream chop with the same rice and the roasted chicken dish, also with rice and all plates came with roasted tomatoes, onions, bread and fermented pickles and beats. Zoe even brought me a delicious dessert and the girls sang happy birthday. This is the most authentic Chaldean food other than my moms cooking. read more

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Ney's always a good bet for us when we're hungry. Staff is great, they know the menu real well so are able to explain it for you if you don't know what certain things are. Ambiance is good. They have a full bar as well. Portion sizes are great as well. Definitely recommend Ney all around. read more

The food was incredible! We just moved to the neighborhood. Callie downtown used to be our fav spot for Mediterranean and I think this is better! The flavors were incredible. Everything was cooked perfectly. Restaurant was clean. Staff was nice. It was awesome! Ordered food to go but will be coming back next time! read more

The dish I bought was the chicken schnitzel cream wrap which was not good at all. I tried eating it but couldn't. The pickled vegetables weren't that great either. I have tried chicken schnitzel and it was delicious so I thought this was going to be as good. I am actually feeling nauseous after trying to eat the dish. I definitely do not recommend it to anyone. It's bland and has no flavor. read more

Ney Restaurant - Chicken Schnitzel wrap. - Mediterranean Near Me - La Mesa, California

Feeling racist at this restaurant by one of the waitress! Be aware if you are Asian! She told us the restaurant is full & suggested us to go next door with the same owner. We listened to her and went into that restaurant and learn the menu was totally different than what we want to eat We left so sad and hungry. However, we are about to get into our car and heard the manager ran out and greet us that his restaurant is not full and invited us to get in. We got in and got our food. The ambiance was little loud and the food was delicious but little cold especially the rice. We looked around and recognized that we are only Asian in the restaurant. We hope the manager will train all his staff to treat all color people fairly. We appreciated his kindness but we did felt underserved! read more

Ney Restaurant - Try the Restaurant week menu. - Mediterranean Near Me - La Mesa, California

Went to visit this restaurant for the first time last night because they were participating in Restaurant Week. When we arrived, we were greeted and allowed to choose our own table. We chose a table in the back and it was a challenge to get there based on their floor plan which includes lots of plants which block walkways. From that point, service was very slow where we had to wait longer than normal to receive glasses of water and for our server to take our drink/food orders. We ordered iced teas and I noticed about 60% through my beverage that my glass had old lipstick on the rim. The food orders came out in good time. For appetizers, we got the hummus and beef shawarma fries. Both were really good. For entrees, we got the lamb quzi and chicken tikka. Originally we wanted to order the filet mignon tikka instead of the chicken, but our server told us that they were out of filet already. The lamb was very good and tender. The chicken had good flavor and came with a garlic sauce, but the chicken itself was really dry. Both entree portions were very big and we took home a lot of it. We finished the meal with a tartufo which was a nice closing to the overall meal. Overall I'd give this restaurant a 3.5 out of 5. I think the RW menu provided incredible value overall so I would recommend others to try it as well. Hopefully your experience with service and cleanliness is more positive. read more

Ney Restaurant - Beef Shawarma Fries and Hummus - Mediterranean Near Me - La Mesa, California

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I LOVE this place! Staff is always kind and everything comes pretty quick , fresh and delicious. I don't mind driving 25 mins to get there because I know I will have a great meal. They just added a pistachio creme brulee OMG is to die for . I give them 5 starts . read more

Ney Restaurant - Greek salad so fresh! - Mediterranean Near Me - La Mesa, California

Stumbled unto this place and decided to try. Beautiful restaurant. Even bathrooms, nice ambiance. We came for lunch but I bet at night its lovely. However, the music was too loud and the server accomodated me by turning it down some, so we could talk better. There was only one other table being served. Surprised. After looking at the menu, I chose the lentil soup and Fatoush salad. I didn't want anything too heavy. My friend ordered the soup and fallafel wrap. Soup waa delicious! Enough spice and lemon. Filled me up. Salad was fresh, good but was heavy on the sumac. I like sumac but not that much. Plus I had asked for dressing on the side, but don't think server understood, so salad was heavier on dressing than I prefer. She saw I only ate 1/2 the salad, and felt bad, so took it off the bill. My friend's wrap was totally unexpected! Huge! See photo, so she took home 1/2. But she enjoyed it. I didn't see dessert on the menu but she asked if we wanted anything, I was thinking baklava..but they had 2 types of gelato, hazelnut with chocolate, and pistachio. I opted for pistachio. Enough for 2 people to share! I would like to come back and try the lamb, but share a plate as portions are huge. Great service!! read more

Ney Restaurant - Falafel wrap - Mediterranean Near Me - La Mesa, California

Food here was pretty good! The servings are big and the servers are friendly. The have a nice, cozy dining area and were accommodating. Although it isn't the best Mediterranean food that I've had, this restaurant is a solid choice and a good option! read more

Ney serves delicious fresh Iraqi food. We ordered baba ghanoush, hummus, fatoush salad, and Middle Eastern salad as appetizers. It was freshly made and refreshing to the palate. Falafel wrap with fries - the falafel was wrapped in laffa, with tomatoes, pickles, and parsley with dips. Simple, delicious combination. Falafels were tender but crispy. The server was very attentive and friendly. The facility is warmly decorated, spacious, and clean. read more

Came in on Father's Day with my family of four. Place was full but we had reservations. The server did an outstanding job! Food was excellent, wine, sodas, and wine were a well excellent. The temperature in the restaurant was freezing, so poor were considering leaving. All four of us had coats on. We asked the server whether they could adjust the thermostat to a comfort level, she responded my saying management wanted it was. The balancing of HVAC is a building department requirement and standard practice in any industry/restaurant/business to allow people comfort while doing business. We have visited this establishment a least 10 times and during COVID. I am embarrassed to say. I WILL NOT RETURN! The is the same response, we got from the Pearl Restaurant next door. (Same Owner) read more

Where do I start? The restaurant is beautiful, decor so clean and elegant. Service was warm and friendly as we ordered. An excellent variety of fun and upbeat music in the background. First, the Turkish Style Spicy Baba Ganoush: beautifully presented, excellently spiced, with perfectly warm, soft pita with the right amount of char around the edges. When our dishes, the Lamb Tashreeb and the Lamb Dulaimiya, came out, my eyes bulged out of my head. The portions are huge! For my dulaimiya, the texture on the lamb was perfect, fatty and falling apart under my fork. And I savoured the marrow on my rice. The okra stew was so rich in flavour, yet bright rather than heavy. The tashreeb was rich, slightly smoky, spiced, and, of course, all that flavour soaked into that lovely bread. Let me tell you, this place does not skimp on spices! We were getting coriander seeds and cardamom pods in every other bite. All finished off with comforting cups of tea. We will definitely be back! read more

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My wife and I decided to try this Iraqi/Mediterranean restaurant, and am I ever so glad we did. It is tucked away in a little strip mall in La Mesa. Wonderful, clean interior. Our server, Loord, was absolutely fantastic. Always had a smile on her face, and never once seemed to be bothered when I continually asked her questions. We started with a wonderful bottle of wine, and then got the Middle Eastern Salad. Oh, what flavors were hitting us! So good! For dinner, we shared the Lamb Quizi and a Chicken Tikka Skewer. So flavorful and delicious. The Lamb Quizi came with Okra Stew, which enhance the experience. Even though we were full, we had to have dessert, and the Baklava with Pistachio Ice Cream was perfect. We are from out of town, but for those of you who live in the San Diego/La Mesa area, you need to try this place. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. read more

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Traveling for work and decided to check this place out. Placed oped about 6 months ago, according to the waiter. He was very polite and attentive. Inside looked really nice. There was a bar area and had ample seating. Let me tell you the food was amazing. We had the combo appetizer plate, lamb kabob plate, shawarma plate and Falafel wrap. Everything was tasty and did not disappoint. Will be back definitely!! read more

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My first time eating here with family and we will be back. We had the chicken artichoke flatbread as well as the spicy sausage and mushroom flatbread. We had the Greek salad and Beef Shawarma fries and all the food was so delicious and fresh tasting. The service was excellent and the background music was really nice and the restaurant was just perfect for a family night out. read more

yummy!!! just tried this place for the first time. the server was lovely and the restaurant is clean and spacious. i ordered ed the fattoush salad and a lamb kabob. hubby got the lentil soup and greek salad. both salads were fresh and the portions were quite generous. my salad dressing was just too sweet for me but the dressing on the greek salad was fabulous. the lamb kebab was quite juicy and came with onions and some lavash bread. hubby loved the soup. there is no outside dining. read more

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