Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Sadaf

    4.0 (618 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Sadaf Takeout or Delivery

    Sadaf Photos

    Business Info

    SADAF ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Sadaf

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Cucumber salad (Shirazi Salad)
    Vanessa M.

    NEW LOCATION same great food!! They are down the street from original location @534 5th st.

    Crisp Naan
    Christian M.

    Absolute banger. The food makes you feel like youre home. I got their beef koobideh plate and a side of the cucumber yogurt and it was amazing. The naan is freshly made and has the right crisp. The service was fairly quick and the ambiance is nice and quiet. Would definitely recommend this local shop and would come back again

    Menu
    Ritz L.

    This establishment has been my favorite place to eat since I've lived in downtown San Diego(I left for Texas in 2005, but come to San Diego often with my job). I usually order from DoorDash, bc it's usually too far from where I'm staying, but I'm staying in downtown today, so I decided to walk there and dine in. It wasn't busy since it was after lunch. I ordered vegetable soup, Salmon Kabob(my usual), Persian tea and Gormeh Sabzi to go for tomorrow. My server was very kind and welcoming. The soup was delicious(greens, beans and noodles). Salmon Kabob was hot and tasty and Persian tea was amazing. This establishment is spacious and comfortable(outside dining is also available). The weather was so beautiful today and I'm so glad I walked over here to eat. I highly recommend this hidden gem.

    Sohrob H.

    Food Quality: * Service: ** Setting: *** Cost: ** I honestly don't understand the hype around Sadaf Persian Restaurant in San Diego. It's easily one of the worst Persian places I've been to. I've had Persian food at plenty of places, and this just didn't cut it. The barg (skewered beef) was tough and chewy, not at all what I expected. I could barely get through it--it felt more like I was chewing on rubber. The chicken was another letdown: dry and overcooked, lacking any sort of flavor or tenderness. Definitely not worth the price. The service wasn't bad, but it also wasn't anything special. The restaurant itself was fine, just a basic setting with no real charm. Overall, I was extremely disappointed, especially considering how much I was looking forward to a good Persian meal. I won't be coming back here. There are so many better options in San Diego for Persian food. Definitely don't recommend it.

    interior
    Kayson T.

    I wouldn't say the food was out of this world, BUT it's a great place to sit down and talk with friends and eat Persian food. It's pretty cozy inside and the service was a 1000/10, and you definitely will feel valued as a customer. Armand (If i remember his name correctly) was SO kind and made this restaurant really stand out! Definitely worth a try if you're in the area!

    Alex H.

    After many days at comic con recently my group was just wanting to eat somewhere away from the crowd on 5th and our Airbnb was down the street and we were feeling like some Persian or anything along the Mediterranean My friend was like hey this place seems cool and without the major crowds coming down that far on 5th we should have no issues Well the place.had a few tables in service outside but we arrived and quickly realized service may be slow because it was just one person doing the job for everything but the cooking but hey we understand I get it Can't fault that but yeah we sat inside and after a good wait on all things we eventually get some drinks and eventually our food and the food was actually good we liked it Lot but we definitely felt they needed more help that night and our order got a little mixed up but again we get it with the guy doing the best he could Like I said all food we got was good!

    Marjon F.

    I went here with my mom after craving some persian food, we were also looking for a persian food cater for my wedding. We stopped by this past Sunday to try some different dishes for my wedding. We had a few starters, the baba ganoush and dolmeh were amazing! There dolmehs are made in house and they taste just the way you'd have them at grandmas house! We tried their chicken kabob, koobideh and bar kabob. The chicken was well seasoned and flavorful, and our beef was juicy and tasteful as well. I was really impressed with the food quality. I'm really excited and looking forward to trying more of their dishes!

    Bowl of Fessenjan with chicken
    David Y.

    An absolutely amazing meal with a Persian version of babaghanoush, and a stew called fessenjan with chicken! The service was good, considering that they seemed a bit understaffed, and our waitress was very helpful and friendly. This has been the best meal I've had in San Diego, and it's the best Persian food I've ever had!

    Pomegranate Stew (Fessenjan)*CHICKEN*
    Joe S.

    Wow!! I enjoyed this place. I love Fessenjun and Koobedeh, and they make both that taste delicious. Lovely place, nice atmosphere. Two thumbs up definitely!

    Reagan W.

    The. Food. So so so good, prices weren't bad at all and the portions are very generous. Went out with my parents- I got Albaloo Polo and some appetizers, 10/10!! Waiter was so friendly, and the place was surprisingly not busy for the quality and area. Next time I'm in San Diego I'll be back!

    Bland sour tasting rice..
    Robert R.

    Warning there is absolutely no way this restaurant is getting 5 stars.. their menu is a scam and the food is horrible.. we ordered four meals with grilled chicken, a bowl of soup, sides of tzatziki sauce from DoorDash. all we received was four bowls of rice and some soup for $90.00 . When we called them to ask about the order the man on the other line was rude and basically told us that four small bowls of rice costed $90.00. .. there was more to this story that is seriously unbelievable... bottom line is do not support this establishment. Trust is quality ingredients, flavorful food, with kind service if all you will not find here..

    Shishlleek filet -
    William J.

    Excellent Persian Friendly service Nice atmosphere Sat outside very nice Good value.

    Beef barg
    Lauren C.

    We had dinner here after seeing a show at The Balboa. Everyone enjoyed their meals. My friend raved about the cherry rice. My beef barg was tender and delicious. The price was good for the quality. Service was great.

    Beef Shish Kabob

    See all

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of L V.
    0
    14
    43

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Luke S.

    Luke S.

    Wow! Thankyou so much! Come back and mention your review!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Luke S.

    Luke S.

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Lauren A.
    110
    102
    13

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Food was delicious and had an amazing taste. We ordered it for Christmas Eve celebration and everyone was so pleased. Thank you!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    One of the best Persian restaurants in San Diego. The process is good too. I have an order for delivery many times.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Luke was a great server. I enjoyed the food a lot and he did great helping me and my family out!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Luke S.

    Luke S.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Holly H.
    0
    159
    313

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Ii highly recommend this restaurant. Everything we ordered was delicious. And our waiter, Luke was great. We will be back!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ll P.
    100
    49
    35

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Avid N.
    112
    39
    7

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 3
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Luke S.

    Luke S.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ally M.
    45
    40
    12

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Luke S.

    Luke S.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Luke S.

    Luke S.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Great food! Great service. Highly recommend the Albaloo Polo with basmati saffron rice with cherries.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Luke S.

    Luke S.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 2 of 16

    Sadaf Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Sadaf

    Is this restaurant halal?

    Yes, I have confirmed with the workers in the restaurant as of 8/2018

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    The Kebab Shop

    The Kebab Shop

    4.3
    (2.3k reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$
    Healthy dining
    Halal

    Food was amazing! Came out quick and fresh…read more Went out for lunch with my coworkers and everything was great.

    I was on jury duty today and I wanted to have some Shawarma so I looked up on yelp and found the…read moreK-pop shop was about a 20 minute walk away. The menu was a bit confusing, but I know that I like grilled veggies and Greek salad and then Ike was able to pick my protein that I wanted so that seemed easy enough. The base price with falafel or chicken Shawarma was Close to $16 but since I chose the meat, they added two dollars to my total. It took about 10 minutes for them to assemble my meal, but my veggies were cooked fresh on the stove, which was really nice. They tasted very freshly cooked just as they would as if I had cooked them myself at home. I was there about 1245 on a Monday and there were a few people there and they had some takeout orders so my order took about 10 minutes before I could walk out the door with it. They had a nice condiment bar where you could pick out some yogurt with dill sauce and then they're famous garlic yogurt sauce, as well as a jalapeño sauce And another spicy hot one that I would never try. When I got back to the jury room to eat my meal, I saw that there was a nice quantity of the fresh salad and the grilled vegetables but the meat was piled high! The employees were working efficiently and the place was spotless and orderly.

    Photos
    The Kebab Shop
    The Kebab Shop
    The Kebab Shop

    See all

    HillCrust Pizza

    HillCrust Pizza

    4.7
    (425 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$
    Vegan friendly
    Halal

    I don't say this lightly HillCrust serves the best pizza I've ever had. From the first bite, it was…read moreclear this place is on a different level. The flavors were bold, fresh, and perfectly balanced in a way that's hard to find anywhere else. But let's talk about the crust, because it truly deserves its own moment. It was absolutely incredible the kind of crust that makes you rethink every pizza you've had before. The texture, the chew, the flavor all dialed in to perfection. And the drinks menu? Solid selection that paired beautifully with the food. Whether you're grabbing take out or sitting down, they've got you covered. HillCrust isn't just a pizza spot it's an experience. Highly recommend to anyone who takes their pizza seriously. I'll definitely be back!

    Horrible, horrible customer service. The pizza was good but will not be patronizing this…read moreestablishment again based on their response to an issue I had. I ordered a cheese pizza with fresh ricotta for delivery. I received a margherita pizza. I contacted the platform I ordered through and they told me they spoke with the manager, and he said he "could not refund because that's how they make their pizzas". When I replied that was not true with photo evidence, the restaurant then said they had made another pizza and "a guy" came to pick it up. I told them I neither received another pizza, nor was I even informed I would be getting another pizza. Then they said the manager told them that *I* came and picked up the pizza. 1 - I'm female. 2 - I was too sick to leave my house to walk to the restaurant across the street, I was absolutely not getting in my car to drive anywhere. It's unfortunate because I would have come back here because the food quality was good but I work in hospitality myself and it's clear these people don't care about retaining customers. There are enough other pizza places to choose from that treat you way better.

    Photos
    Golden Hill Pizza
    Golden Hill Pizza
    Introducing Our  New Veggie Pizza Parkview!
    Introducing Our New Veggie Pizza Parkview!
    Paradise Hills- Steak Pizza with Mushroom, Onion, Green and Red Bell Peppers Topped off with Our White Sauce!

    See all

    Paradise Hills- Steak Pizza with Mushroom, Onion, Green and Red Bell Peppers Topped off with Our White Sauce!
    Shawarma Guys

    Shawarma Guys

    4.6
    (1.5k reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    We heard about Shawarma guys from YT featuring best food spots in San Diego. We went to their South…read morePark branch. We were initially aiming for the crispy shawarma however only Mira Mesa and La Mesa does it. So I guess that's next on our list! The wraps were unexpectedly big! This is probably the biggest wrap I ever had! Generous with meat and veggies. Their wagyu egg rolls are definitely must have! Falafel fries is really good too! All of these perfectly paired with their garlic sauces. My favorite is spicy lemon garlic! The staff are very knowledgeable about their menu. It's a food truck set up and there's mini standing tables for alfresco dining. SG was definitely lived up to the title #1 restaurant in the country on Yelp!

    Came here on a Wednesday night around 8:30pm. I ordered online in advance and just waited outside…read morefor my order. There were plenty of parking spots around this time. Not really an ambience since there's not much as far as a dining room. There are a couple of cocktail tables where you could eat. After ordering online at 20:20pm, my estimated pick up time was 8:39pm and got the order at 9:03pm. The cashier informed me their chicken is taking a while and added extra time to the wait. It probably would've been faster if they weren't so backed up. I ordered the Wagyu beef and chicken shawarma plate for me and my wife to share. I added 3 falafels and pita bread on top of it. The food was still fresh when I got home 15 mins later. Everything was good and just enough for us two. Also, I'm not sure why there's a range of where they may be located on Yelp since this is just a food truck that seems to be permanent at this location.

    Photos
    Shawarma Guys
    Falafel Plate ($13) comes w/ yellow rice, hummus, tabouli and pita bread
    Falafel Plate ($13) comes w/ yellow rice, hummus, tabouli and pita bread
    Wagyu Beef Shawarma

    See all

    Wagyu Beef Shawarma
    Wet Tacos

    Wet Tacos

    4.9
    (54 reviews)
    1.9 mi

    I usually don't just crave tacos but mannnn! I had these for the first time on Sunday and came back…read moreTuesday just for some more! Service is always fast and friendly! A lot of seating outside. Only street parking. I got the trio. So the beef, garlic shrimp and fried the veggie one. Update on my veggie tacos: came back and Marco fixed it anddd I just want to say I'm going to be so sad when they leave!! Thank you for everything! We will be back!!

    I'm not even sure if I had ever tried a wet taco before I had theirs. It's been a while since my…read morelast one, but I still remember how phenomenal it tasted. And their customer service has always been on point. I remember one time I ordered through IG or over the phone and there was a mix-up. I thought I was ordering tacos, but ended up getting their quesadillas instead, and it was a lot of food. Needless to say, I had lunch for days lol. Honestly, it was a pretty great accident. It's been a while since the Mrs and I grabbed tacos from them since we moved from The Enclave, so I think we're definitely overdue. Also, they're big dog lovers, which is a huge plus for us. They always showed so much love to our black German Shepherd every time we pulled up. Their food is something special...always handled with care and made with obvious love. I really hope we start seeing them around Chula Vista more in the near future. If you're reading this, please support them. They're great people making great food, and it won't hurt your wallet either. Thanks guys! And RIP THOR!!!!

    Photos
    At Plant Stock 2025
    At Plant Stock 2025
    Wet Tacos
    Wet Tacos

    See all

    Sadaf - persian - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...