Came to this place today after having a craving for some kabobs and that yummy rice. I ordered the lamb and my friend got the chicken and our total was $21 The guy said it would be done in 8-10 min so we kinda wandered around then came back in to get our food. There is a huge amount of rice, 6 pieces of the meat you ordered, and a salad. The rice is really good and so is the salad, but the meat for both the lamb and chicken was kinda tough to eat. Lamb was hard to eat and not really tender The chicken was dry and got all papery in your mouth after awhile. There was also a piece of bread, but no hummus or anything to dip it in, so i guess you eat it straight up This place is pretty good, cheap, and has good portions, but if they could cook the meat a little better this place would be 4 stars or higher! read more

I'd like to consider myself as a connoisseur of all things persian. After having tried multiple locations in the San Jose area, and having a craving for some while I'm at work, I decided to hit up yelp to help me out for a suggestion. Let's say this, if you didn't know this spot was there you would pass right by it and wouldn't give it a second look. It's tucked between El Burro and Central Computers and is set back far enough from Mowry that you might pass it up and never know it was there. Only knocking one star for the portion size. I eat quite a bit more than a normal person I guess you'd say. But compared to portions down in SJ and here, there is a glaring difference. The flavor though is outstanding, it's got a wonderful char on the koobideh which is awesome and you can only get from grilling over charcoal the way the do here. read more

Really enjoy their food. The kabobs are freshly made, moist and well seasoned. I particularly like the fact that their lamb is not hard and chewy but soft and moist instead, not to forget delicious. Reasonably priced. Fairly sized portions. The yogurt sauce is amazing as well. They were closing when we arrived but they still took our orders and cooked for us. Great customer service. This is quickly becoming our fave middle eastern spot in the bay area! Will definitely be returning. read more

Short: The chicken gyro sandwich is a delicious blend of Indian and mediterranean and western flavors. It's meaty, tasty, and reasonably priced. I was surprised at how good it was. This is a great cheap-eats/hole-in-the-wall place to hit up if in the area. For kebab lovers: I love döner kebab in a German style. I travel all over the world to eat it. This is not that kind of kebab, and I didn't expect it to be. So, yeah, don't expect it to be that. This is, however, a really good chicken sandwich. They spice it up with a little Indian/mediterranean combo, and I think it may be my new favorite kebab in the Bay Area (unseating Oasis in Oakland). The lamb/beef gyro meat is just the run-of-the-mill Kronos stuff, which is okay, but it is not at all special. I would definitely go for the chicken if you want something unique to this establishment. read more

Doesn't look like much from the outside but the food is extremely flavorful.

I came here with coworkers to give this place a try. Unfortunately, when we came in, there were already eight people ahead of us waiting for their food orders. I ordered the combo plate which was koobideh, gyro meat, and chargrilled chicken. It also came with a few pieces of pita bread, salad, and basmati rice for $11. As expected, I had to wait a while for food since there was only one other worker who was in the kitchen and the cashier/order taker jumped in to help in there. This store doesn't seem to be the kind of place that can handle a large lunch crowd and their dining area inside can barely seat more than 10-12 people and it's a tight fit to say the least. The other bummer was that the cold salad and the warm rice and meat were in the same foam box so I ended having warm gross salad that I ended up not eating. The meat was still very good which is why I still gave them the 3 STARS rating. I may or may not come back here depending if there are other options nearby. I'm all for supporting a small independent business but I can't sacrifice my lunch hour to wait for the food. read more

Super super delicious! A girl friend and I came here for dinner on a weeknight, and as usual, I was super greedy and wanted to try everything. This is an order-at-the-counter no frills type of restaurant. The server behind the counter was very helpful and patient as I ogled the menu. I asked if we could make a custom combination platter with 4 types of meat, and he was very accommodating and allowed us to do so. Our combo platter ended up having the chicken, beef kebab, koobideh kebab, and lamb kebab. It also came with basmati rice, yogurt sauce, grilled Roma tomato, and Chatni sauce. I'm a big big fan of yogurt sauce and ended up asking for more, which was not a problem. This platter came out to be around $36. Totally worth it as the portions were quite generous and as much as I tried to scarf it all down, we had about 1/3 leftover. All the meat was very flavorful and mouth watering-ly delicious. My favorites were the chicken and the koobideh. If I didn't live so far away I would definitely come here regularly. Overall a very solid place to get your middle eastern kebab fix. Yummmm!!!! read more

Gyros are big in our house. I think these are the number one food choice for the boys anytime we get together. I am not much of a gyro person so I always have to find something on the menu to enjoy. We have ordered from a few places in Fremont but this place has been my favorite. We called to place the order for pick up. There was a lot of confusion and I think everyone was scared that we were going to get the wrong thing. However, the order came out perfect. The guys all had the lamb gyro extra spicy and I got the chicken plate (chicken with rice and a small salad) and asked for an extra piece of pita bread toasted. The food was amazing!!!!!! The chicken was perfectly marinated and had so much flavor. The guys loved the gyros. They weren't kidding when they made them extra spicy. We will definitely be ordering from Saffron more often. read more

So here's the situation. I just got done swimming at Silliman Swim Center and I have two starving kids - one six and one seven. We need something to take on the road back to Santa Cruz. I see a Subway sandwich place and though I'm not thrilled with this option, it is better than a lot of other choices and is something the kids can agree on. We pull up and the two girls bolt into the restaurant right next to it - the Saffron Persian Grill. They are so close it's easy to mix up their entrances. I look inside and between the kabobs and falafel I see burgers. Huh? "They have burgers here. Do you want burgers or Subway?" "Burgers!" "I'll have two cheese burgers. Nothing on them except the patty and the cheese." So the owner, who's working the entire place himself, fires up the grill makes some fresh patties and grills some buns. These patties are huge and at only $4.99 each, these burgers are a serious bargain. Now I'm a vegetarian, been one for 24 years, but this was hands down the best smelling burger I've ever encountered. The meat is chock full of wonderful spices and it was cooked perfectly with just a light blush of pink in the very center. The kids devoured them. So five stars for making a high quality, sophisticated burger, that smells great to an adult who doesn't eat meat, and yet, will be gobbled up by a couple of kids - and all for the very nice price of $4.99. read more

Love this place... Great people kind and welcoming.... My daughter is quite a picky eater.... If we dare to drive by she makes me stop an buy her the Persian burger.... She love loves it.. totally worth your buy.... The chicken wings are my husbands favorite...I love the platters.... but of course you can never go wrong with the gyro... I've actually stop going to other gyro places ... im a regular loyal customer.... Keep up the good work... read more

We found them when we were looking for a place to eat for late dinner. This is around newpark Mall in Newark, next to subway on Mowry. They are open til 10pm which is perfect for people like me who tends to eat dinner late most of the time. I ordered Lamb kebob plate and it was really good. We are a regular customer here and the owner knows us now and gives us extra rice each time. I definitely recommend these small resto. By far the best kebob I have tasted here in Tri-City area. Their food is great! Service is great! And with reasonable prices. read more

I found this place after driving from San Francisco and do not regret eating here it was FANTASTIC! The food here is not only very cheap, but it's comparable to some of the high class Persian restaurants in LA that charge 10X more. I recommend the combination plate with the ground beef, chicken and the lamb as it's a great way to try what this place has to offer. Overall I can give this place nothing less than 5 stars as the food was fantastic and the owners were very personable and kind. read more

Saffron Grill - Fantastic food! - Mediterranean Near Me - Newark, California

They have the BEST gyros ever! This place is the reason why gyros are my favorite food. You can get full off of one gyro, but with my stomach I usually eat 2 and the price is definitely worth it. If I don't get the gyro, then I get the chicken kebab, which surprisingly really juicy. You can't go wrong with this place! read more

Very oily and no hummus. Never seen a plate or wrap without hummus. They just serve flavored mayonnaise as sauces.

I just had the koobideh/Shami kabob plate & it was delicious!!! It was soft enough to chew but not overly juicy as to feel like a piece of gum. The yellow rice that comes with the meal was cooked perfectly & the side salad actually had real vegetables in it (not just a bunch of lettuce). I also had the Persian Dough or yogurt drink & it was freshly made & very delicious as well. The prices are reasonable & the food looked delicious. It's not a buffet but you can choose from a variety of dishes set-up in a buffet manner. They don't have their breakfast menu out yet but when they do, I know where I'll stop for breakfast :) I like to support local businesses, especially ones that are Afghan-owned so I really recommend people to come out & try this new place out. It's been open for about 1 month & it has some great food. It looks like it seats about 20-25 people, it's very clean & well-decorated. I will definitely be back to try out their other dishes which seem just as promising as the kabob I had. read more

I've been looking for a place like this, close to home, great kabobs and not too busy. The chicken kabob is great (ask for some hot sauce on the side). The basmati rice is excellent and the side salad the comes with it is tastefully done. I've been there 4 or 5 times now, and its been great every time. read more

1) these pics posted on here are not accurate 2) this is an Afghan restaurant not a Persian restaurant read more

Saffron Grill - This is the actual picture - Mediterranean Near Me - Newark, California

I been too many Persian grills but i had to say that if you enjoy eating out of left over buffet which was two to three days old be my guest. also for the people who leave good reviews do really need to understand how to eat better. another thing i would like to add is that they do not know how to marinate the meat, they leave all the fat on the lamb meat and the chicken and they use it from the left over buffet. They also do not use chicken breast meat for kabobs they use actually the leg meat. Once again if you know how to eat, you would stay away from this place but there are few people in this world in this state in this county in this city in this location really don't know how to eat real good food. One more thing they cost alot.... if you think i am bluffing email me at jennilai87@gmail.com read more

Chicken was dryer then chewing cardboard, actually cardboard is what this chicken tasted like. No flavor and HELLA expensive for a plate that you end up throwing away. They have great customer service just terrible food sorry about the review but definitely won't come back read more

This place is good but I had better Persian food. Price is good, service is good but the quality of food is so so.

Genuinely nice service and decent food. Side order of falafel came with 3 balls on a bed of shredded lettuce and bathed in tzaziki sauce. A little dry but ok. Combo plate had Kronos meat (also just ok) with salad, 1 slice of pita and the winner was actually the saffron rice and the 99cent baklava! Grand total under 20 bucks. Not too shabby for decent (but not bookmark worthy) Mediterranean food. read more

A little hole in the wall in the Newpark Mall area. Kind of hidden and my first time here. I went at lunch time and was the only customer but another walked in after me so its hard to tell how well they do at lunch. I ordered the gyro meal and it was okay. The flavors threw me off, it had pickles in it. I have never had a chicken gyro with pickles, it also had what looked like Thousand Island dressing on it. It was just weird. It tasted okay but nothing I would ever order again. The fries were hot and good. My meal came with a soda which the guy running this place pulled out of a fridge but was warm, weird! I wont be coming back, the floor had a massive dried ketchup stain or something like that and was very dirty. The guy working there has long hair and it wasnt pulled up or in a net, nothing so the whole time I'm eating my food I keep checking for hair. It honestly made me feel sick. The guy was nice but he really needs to cover his hair and clean the place. read more

By the request of the owner or owners friend(one of the filtered reviews who gave this place 5 stars), I am removing this review. The rating still stands. Let's just say I am ***NEVER*** going to this place again to eat. -This is my first(and i hope last) 1 star rating! read more

I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could. This was the second time I've been here, primarily for lunch. I had the falafel gyro the first time and the combination plate the second. I wasn't disappointed on either trip. Food is fresh and hearty and tons of flavor with each dish. Not sure if I'd eat-in for dinner - takeout maybe as the dining space is a little cramped. What else makes Saffron so good; the service comes with a smile, your the food is made to order, but they don't keep you waiting too long. read more

What an amazing addition to the local cuisine. This place opened up a couple weeks ago and we've been going in about every other day to try new things on their menu. I'm in love with their lamb. Lamb wrap, lamb kabob, lamb in tomato-y gravy from the buffet. It's all so wonderfully seasoned and perfectly cooked so it's tender. Their Persian burger is also amazing. Seasoned with amazing spices (although it's not spicy), a huge serving of ground beef, salad, onions, and tomatoes on a delicious grilled bun. The chicken kabob impressed my pants off. Normally, I avoid chicken kabobs because they're grilled to the point of hardness and burntness. But this chef is an artist. The chicken breast is shockingly tender and perfectly seasoned. All the kabobs are served with basmati rice, salad, grilled tomato, and yogurt. Another new experience for me: basmati rice that I can enjoy. Whenever I've eaten basmati rice before, it's always been unpleasantly hard. Once again, Saffron Grill blew me away by introducing me to soft, flavorful, delicious basmati rice that I can't help wanting again and again. Also, don't ignore the buffet. Although like any buffet food these dishes have been sitting on warmers on hours, they're still somehow amazing. I tried the buffet for the first time today because I was so hungry I couldn't wait for the chef to make something. So I had a three item combo: red chicken that made me groan with pleasure, the aforementioned succulent lamb in tomato-y gravy, and a combo of tender eggplants, bell peppers, and onions also in a tomato-y gravy, served with lots of basmati rice and salad. I had to stop myself from just cramming the entire plate of food in my mouth. Prices are $5-$8 per meal and they all include sides. The owners are friendly and genuinely care that you enjoy your food. Decor is sparse. It's about the food here, not the ambiance. read more

As I am writing this, I am still chewing the last bite I took out of their DELICIOUS Gyro. They've earned a regular customer!! I've seen the restaurant pop up a few times on my quest to find a good Gyro in Fremont, but I was ignorant and decided to go elsewhere. My search is over :) This place should NEVER change the way they prepare their Gyro because it so good! read more

I've gotten the Gyro platter(spicy) twice and each time the meat is juicy, the rice is soft and fluffy and the salad is crunchy with the most delicious yogurt sauce. From eating at various Greek/Mediterranean spots around the bay, from San Jose to Palo Alto, I can tell you the flavors and consistency varies greatly. Often you will find you love the pita at one place and the yogurt sauce at another. You may even love the lamb or chicken but the salad is lacking. I can assure you Saffron gets EVERYTHING RIGHT. I would eat here every day if I could. Plus the pricing is spot on. read more

Good food. Good portions. Love it! Will be coming back again as it is pretty close to my place. My family enjoyed the meal and the service. The owner is very sweet and accomodating. read more

I didn't want to give it 5 stars because no one is perfect. This little gem of a place is very close to being so. First of all when I walked in for the first time (I'm Filipino) I was greeted by the only person working and he was very friendly. The menu looked so good I didn't know what to order but I opted for the Chicken Shawarma. I love Persian food mainly for the unique spices that comes with Middle Eastern dishes. This dish didn't let me down it was so good and for the price, I know I'll be back again. Next time, the salmon kebab! read more

Located in a strip mall next to a Subway, this is an order at the counter next to the refrigerated deli case type of place. Decorations consist mostly of posters of Persian destinations and somewhat mismatched tables. Came here about 30 minutes before closing on a weeknight. I was the only customer that dined in, but a few got take out. Ordered the Saffron Vegetable Plate and was disappointed when it showed up with fries substituted instead of rice, without notice. However, the service was efficient and very friendly and the food good quality, tasty, and simple. I would come here again for lunch or an inexpensive, less than $10, quick and easy dinner. read more

Note sure where the great reviews on yelp are coming from. The quality of food was not up to any standard of proper quality kebab. We order chicken, beef and lamb kebab. Except for beef which only decent the other 2 were simply not cooked correctly. The pricing on top was higher than most restaurants of this category. Something changed, not sure what. read more

This place is very easy to bypass as it is in a plaza that's easily missed, right by the intersection of Mowry and Cedar Blvd in Newark/Fremont. It is a hole in a wall that has maybe 4-5 tables but it is clean and the food is fresh. I have ordered the gyro and the chicken kabob plates at 2 different times. What I like is that their food tasted fresh, they don't skimp on the meat, tomatoes, onions and sauce. They also have this spicy sauce that's really good; you would have to ask for it cuz it's not out in the open for you to see. The people there are friendly and nice. This has become one of my favorites for gyros; I have yet to go and try other things on the menu too. I've been there 3 times now and am definitely a fan so far. read more

I don't even know where to start. I came here craving a falafel, and what they delivered exceeded my expectations. This hole-in-the-wall restaurant has real, authentic middle eastern food. Although the price is a little much, it is definitely worth it. The staff seem very friendly and willing to cater to your needs. I was waiting for them to cook my falafel, and they offered me to try their tea. It was really good as well. The falafel was crispy and really fit with the sour cream and fresh veggies wrapped around with pita bread. I will definitely go there again.. Perhaps I will try their kabobs read more

The lamb gyro was tasty. Not busy at all. Place can fit about 20 people, but only 4 of us were in there during Thursday night dinner which was great. The server was awesome! read more

I was surprised how delicious food was!!! It's very small place and not for a romantic lunch, but the food is just great and fresh. I didn't eat so delicious meet in my life. I will visit this place definitely when I'll be around! read more

The lamb was tough but decent. The chicken was alright. The beef kabob was terrible. Bland food - I typically LOVE Mediterranean food, but this place was a serious disappointment. I couldn't believe it was a 4 star establishment. I will not be coming back. read more

It had great texture, ggreat flavors, meat was cooked and evenly warm and reasonably priced. Loved every bite of it! read more

Saffron Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Newark, California

Went in today for the first time. I was in drive through for my kids and I been craving a good gyro place. So decided to stop there for myself. I placed my order and waited. when it was time to pay there Wi-Fi went down and couldn't do card. I had to go to atm and pull out next door. Walked back and paid and the owner was very nice and gave me a discount for the inconvenience and I really appreciated that. Once I got home and ate man did it hit the spot. Definitely going back. Thank you!! Chicken gyro wrap is a must try! read more

The service was horrible! I ordered chicken kebabs and it was provided in foil instead of a to go box. What a mess...I will not be returning to this place. read more

I have been trying to find a really good Mediterranean place to eat. Of course there's Gater's, Cafe Gyro, ZamZam, etc. but Saffron Persian Grill had a great personal touch and great food. The place is small (warning to large groups). The owner and chef are very friendly. I got the lamb kabob.. My mom enjoyed the chicken gyro plate, and dad got the chicken kabob. All the dishes tasted great, hit the right spot, and were nicely sized portions. My favorite part of the restaurant was the friendly owner. We noticed a shiny silver teapot and asked about the type of tea it contained. He generously offered us all samples and we enjoyed it very much and had a great chat with him. He even gave us a cup to go (: (Persian tea is so good!) Overall a great hole in the wall that I will definitely visit again! read more