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    Secret Shawarma

    4.8 (124 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    Secret Shawarma Photos

    SECRET SHAWARMA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Secret Shawarma

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    Skirt Steak Shawarma Wrap with Secret Sauce
    Jack M.

    These guys are sporting some great eats! I had the Beef Shawarma Wrap made with tender skirt steak: a good choice of meat cut. The wrap came with some fries for $10. Like I said, the meat was not only tender, but well seasoned and tasty. The wrap came wit a very good quality tahini sauce and a sparing amount of pickled veggies which was a good call, so not to overwhelm the flavor of the wrap. I liked the way they toasted the wrap on the hot griddle. You can choose from a variety of sauces to have with your wrap and fries. I went with the secret sauce which was a tasty peppery concoction. I would have it again and it went well with the crispy well seasoned fries. The food truck offers a variety of eats, including a melee of wraps, bowls, plated, and sides. The two gentlemen running the food truck were super friendly. They also offer a nice creative dessert. It's kinda like a pudding with cookies or crackers in it. Good stuff.

    Truck
    Dawn B.

    I go here at least once a month, it's hidden around a corner from a auto shoppe and next to a large mariscos truck. For all of the Shawarma places in San Diego this is my absolute favorite! The prices are really reasonable and the food is always solid. My favorite is the Gyro plate but I have had everything on the menu. I love the secret sauce (which I think is garlic, mayo, ketchup) and my favorite is the Garlic sauce (i always order extra) if you are a bread fan, order an extra piece. I love their dolma here and they give a huge portion! Their chicken has a really nice flavor as well and that is my hubbys go to. He loves the 2 for 8 buck sandwiches on special sometimes.

    Menu.
    Carah B.

    Delicious. Best secret place off the 5. We come for lunch frequently and love all of the food.

    Veronica H.

    We stumbled upon this place by pure luck. We ordered #1 beef shawarma sandwich. While we waited we couldn't help but smell how great the food smelled from the ppl seating next to us. Our order was ready in less than 15 minutes. We are in our car since it was really hot and humid outside. Our order was packaged perfectly. Now to the food itself, the fries were cooked perfectly and the seasoning overtop definitely added a great flavor. It was our first time trying this type of sandwich and I'll tell you we were impressed. It had such a great flavor combination. We will definitely be back to try more things.

    What's the secret to their shawarma?  Disregard for the health of customers and members of our community during COVID.
    Louise M.

    I really hate to give Secret Shawarma a 1 star review because their food is AMAZING... unfortunately I observed a male worker here inside the food truck WITHOUT A MASK. I watched this unmasked worker deliver food to a customer in their car, and then go inside The Boulevard Liquor store with his uncovered face. The setup inside of the food truck prevents the workers from socially distancing from the shawarma spit that has meat rotating out in the open... all of the germs that the worker is exhaling could be in your next food order. I had a conversation with the worker because I was truly sad by what I saw... but his response to me was that it is close to closing time, so I shouldn't worry. Sorry Secret Shawarma, COVID does not care if it is near closing time; your actions put others at risk and you need to do better if you expect people to trust the food here.

    Menu

    This is one of the best mediterranean food out here I love this place I always eat there on my way to work. I just tried the new ground beef kabab sandwiches and plate with my family and it was delicious I highly recommend it the service is good and the food is delicious.

    Chicken shawarma sandwich with fries
    Ty A.

    Food truck off Main Street and Hollister. Pleasantly surprised by this food truck off the side of the road in a business district. I ordered the chicken shawarma sandwich and a Greek salad. The chicken shawarma was robust in flavor and Smokey with a creamy garlic sauce. Came with a side of fries. The Greek salad was a good salad but nothing above average but a big stand out was the quality of the feta that made the salad extra delicious. I would have to say this worth a try if you are in the area. Happy eating!

    Greek Salad with Beef Shawarma  Dolma
    Karen A.

    Found this spot close to our apartment and wanted to give it a try. I got the Greek salad with beef shawarma and dolma. It is delicious! Both dishes taste very fresh and I love that the beef was slightly charred, but still had the tender juicy taste to it. The Dolma was sooo delicious and fresh! I highly recommend this place to everyone!

    Chicken tikka
    Marwan Y.

    This place is beyond tasty!!!! I can't even begin to describe it because their customer services is perfect and their food is more than perfect. I am actually reviewing them after trying almost everything on their menu because I wanted to make sure everything actually tastes good not just the first order I got. And now I assure you that everything on that menu is just perfect taste and organization wise. I especially recommend you get the beef shawarma and the chicken tikka and you will not be sorry!!!! I love their food!!!!

    Robert A.

    Shawarma plate was pretty good. Beats driving to El Cajon if you know what I mean. My only complaint, the Falafel was dry with no flavor and so I tried dipping it in garlic sauce which also had no flavor.

    Menu

    Legitimately the best shawarma I have had outside of the Middle East! If you want to taste the way a SHAWARMA tastes like. Go visit Secret Shawarma! Great people great food!

    Sarmad B.

    I was sitting at the office with my cousin and She made an order I tried it . it was amazing shawarma so i droves all the way from El Cajon to this location about 18 minutes and it was the best shawarma Ever. my family loved it very much Highly recommended. Definitely you guys deserve 5 stars. Thank you so much.

    This is serious #9 enough said!

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    Great and delicious food just fantastic my new spot it's going to be a regular weekend spot now

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    Sometimes, there are nights when only tacos can fix me. It's no secret that San Diego has tacos in…read morespades and being so close to the border, you'd think that a quest to find the perfect taco would be as simple as rolling down to the nearest taqueria. Except, it's not quite that simple. Many beloved staples have gone downhill, while some newer spots that might boast things like a Michelin mention or multiple locations ranging from TJ to Vegas contain more hype and gristle than tender meat and substance. Enter Chula Tacos. Chula is, and always was, the type of place that makes you forget that you're not actually in Tijuana. While part of me misses their OG Market Street location, seeing them with brick-and-mortars feels hard-earned and well-deserved. This location on Palm in IB is relatively easy to access from the freeway, but parking can be tricky. You can safely assume that it will be busy and you will either have to be very lucky or be willing to find a spot on the street. Out of all the times I've been here, it's always been crowded enough that I've never been able to find a table inside, but I enjoy sitting out on the patio next to the ahumederos. The first thing that hits you walking through the door is how amazing everything smells. The queue to the cashier takes you near a window showing the kitchen where you can see the Chula Tacos team making fresh tortillas, slicing meat from the trompos, grilling up jalapenos, nopales, onions, labio, and tripa. For me, it's not so much a challenge to decide what I want, it's more a challenge to keep myself from ordering everything. My usual is four tacos: two asada, two al pastor (but I've heard that I should also try their world famous keka). The tacos though? Perfection. Every time, the asada is the juiciest and most tender I've ever eaten, the al pastor is succulent and flavorful, and no taco in front of me is long for the world. At $3.50 each, every one of them is absolutely loaded. Three would honestly fill me up, but I always want four. After getting burned by spots that ask around 75% more and deliver anywhere between 25-50% less, Chula Tacos feels like an absolute godsend of a Tijuana-style taqueria and I can't see any other contenders being my go-to. So, when I say "Tacos will fix me," what I mean nowadays is "Chula Tacos will fix me."

    Chula Tacos in Nestor is definitely worth a visit if you're looking for authentic, flavorful tacos…read morewith generous portions. Every item we ordered was packed with delicious flavors and made fresh. One thing that stood out was their attention to detail with to-go orders--they provided plenty of condiments, including a variety of salsas, cucumbers, radishes, and peppers, which really elevated the meal. The highlight of the menu is the Keka Taco. It is incredibly delicious, loaded with flavor, and so filling that it can easily satisfy even the biggest appetite. The only downside to this establishment is the limited parking, which can make picking up your order a bit challenging during busy times. However, the amazing food and generous portions more than make up for the parking inconvenience. If you're in the area, the Keka Taco is a must-try!

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    La Central Birrieria & Menuderia

    La Central Birrieria & Menuderia

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    I have to admit, we didn't expect to end up eating here, but glad that we did. Originally we…read moreattempted to go to Ed Fernandez, but there was no parking. After a quick yelp search we found this place nearby so we decided to give it a try. The restaurant was packed when we first arrived. People streamed in and out so there was always seating. Tables were clean. The staff was amazing -- they were extremely friendly and continually checked-in on us. For food we had birria tacos and a torta, honestly it was probably the best birria I have had in SD so far. I thought it was very flavorful and moist. Sadly Im allergic to onions so I asked for it to be removed and thankfully my torta didn't have any. Though we didn't get to try Ed Fernandez, we ended up at another amazing restaurant! Upon check-out the staff member said that since it was our first time there that we didn't need to tip. I felt bad about not tipping, esp since we got such amazing service. Anyways, we will definitely be back whenever we are in the area!

    Came here after hearing about the split between the brothers, so I had to come see what La Central…read morewas about. Gotta say it's familiar but still has its own unique hit to the birria. The tacos were chunky, crispy, and packed with flavor just how I like 'em. Customer service was next level. Shoutout to Migelsito my guy greeted us with eye contact, a hug, and made us feel like family right off the bat. That kind of hospitality you can't fake.

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    La Taquiza de Tijuana

    La Taquiza de Tijuana

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    I don't care what anyone says best street tacos this side of the border…read more They give you the basics and let you handle the rest like a big boy. They have a pretty awesome condiment set up grilled onions & peppers and beans by the register, radish, cucumber, cabbage, cilantro, onions, lime, and and about 5-6 different salsas. The person who referred to the guac being watered down is an idiot and doesn't understand that you can't leave real guac out sitting because it would go bad so they have it as a guac based salsa which is by the way delicious mix it with your favorite salsa, you know what's up. As for service they're nice they don't speak much english just basic so my boyfriend ends up talking to them and they converse in Spanish with customers I don't speak Spanish so I don't really talk to them just smile it doesn't really matter because I'm too busy stuffing my face with tacos. Also I noticed some people who come there often they see them pulling up and already start their order. They have music playing there so you have to speak up. I'm here at least once a week and I live in Mira Mesa. Yeah, my addiction is that f*cking serious. Adobada & tacos al vapor for life.

    I've ordered and eaten from my share of taco trucks, from the clean and polished, to the…read moreshadier-than-shady-never-will-I-ever ones. La Taquiza de Tijuana is more than a taco truck. Kinda like transformers, the owners of the truck set up a roofed open fire grill atop which flaps of animal protein would be sizzling and releasing their nostril-flaringly delicious meat scents to the nearby trolley station. If that's not an effective way of selling their tacos, the line of fresh condiments and the 4 complimentary salsas will. The owners aren't very fluent in English, so having Spanish in your language repertoire is a plus. You order and pay at the cashier (~$1ea), which is outside of the truck, and walk a few steps to the truck itself; where you'll be handed your order. THEN YOU HIT THE SALSA BAR, which if you couldn't already tell from the caps, was what made the experience. Serious selection here, guys, you'll have a BLAST Only thing I didn't like about the taco I ordered was the fact that it was served as a 2-tortilla taco; I know it's more authentic, it's just a bit strange chewing on two texturally different tortillas from the same taco... The owners are also nice enough to set up a seating area, but who could wait those extra few seconds required to walk over when you could just eat your taco at the salsa bar?! Yeah, yeah, I'm a fatty. Fatty McFatfat.

    Photos
    Tacos al vapor
    Tacos al vapor
    The spot. No joke I wish I could take them home with me
    The spot. No joke I wish I could take them home with me
    Such a good place I can't keep it a secret I had to share.

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    Such a good place I can't keep it a secret I had to share.

    Secret Shawarma - mediterranean - Updated August 2026

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