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    The Original Kebab

    4.2 (143 reviews)
    Closed 10:30 am - 9:00 pm

    Order The Original Kebab Takeout or Delivery

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    THE ORIGINAL KEBAB ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Touristy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

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    Reviews With Photos - The Original Kebab

    Beef Shawarma Sandwich
    Jamie M.

    Very little meat, lots of iceberg lettuce in my $15.99 Shawarma pita sandwich. Could barely taste the meat, and clearly not worth the price.

    Gyros wrap
    Trevor T.

    Ordered a gyro wrap and it felt very healthy. It was packaged well and the wrap felt healthy. Would have liked a little more meat, but lots of veggies which is nice. Would have also like the gyros meat to be grilled more. My family purchased the gyros and fries along with the falafel and fries which were huge portions. The gyros on the fries looked crispy and delicious. My mother in law was generous and let me have one of her falafel balls which was like an asteroid of deliciousness. I would order one of those options the next time I come here.

    Menu 2024
    Jaye A.

    waaait wait waiiiit ... its been a week since I've been here last, aand my mouth is still watering thinking about this place? Hands down the best shawarma wrap I've had. I've dined here twice, and I'm not even from the area. Its one of the reasons why I try to come to oceanside. Located near the pier, this spot is such a convenient place to grab a quick bite, or pick up food to enjoy at the beach. There's also plenty of shops parking nearby (I came on a Monday in the middle of summer). It is a bit small inside, but it does have inside and outside seating! The man there seems a bit stern, but once you talk to him, you'll find him very sweet and kind! He knows their food well and will give you honest recommendations. Support this business. They have delicious food! PS: don't forget the white sauce thingy!!

    Linh Y.

    My brother, my daughters, and I were on our way to Handel's Ice Cream in Oceanside. Right next door to them is The Original Kebab. I knew we had to check them out before dessert LOL. It's a mom and pop restaurant. It has an elongated layout. There are inside and outside seating. The two people behind the counter appeared to be the owners, but not 100% sure. Really nice and friendly people. Thanks for the great service and sweet treat! We ordered the chicken tikka plate that is served with bread, rice, salad and 10 piece chicken wings. Prices were on the higher end. Nevertheless, OMG... I should have ordered 20 piece chicken wings LOL... it was SO GOOD... crispy skin on the outside and moist chicken on the inside! Just delish!! We had 3 dipping sauces for the wings. The chicken tikka plate was so delicious, too. Big tender moist chicken chunks! Flavor was so on point. The sides were fantastic. I am salivating right now LOL. Where have you've been all my life Original Kebab... must eat when you're in the Oceanside area! And yes, we did make it to Handel's afterwards... of course we did! No meal is complete without dessert! LOL

    Chicken shawarma wrap
    Pascal L.

    Best falafel, bar none. Fresh made, fresh fried on order. Excellent, crunchy outside, tender inside. Come back smack for me. Other offerings are good as well, especially the beed shawarma. Really flavorful and tasty. Can get it in a wrap or in a pita bread, I like the option. Friendly owners as well really happy to share their food and culture.

    Restaurant
    Ferber C.

    This was a very ordinary place--not particularly clean, and the ambiance lacked appeal. I ordered a gyro plate along with a 20 oz bottle of water. To my surprise, this simple lunch cost over $24.00, and with the required minimum 15% tip, the total came to more than $28.00. Unfortunately, it was not a pleasant experience. When I went to use the shared restroom to wash my hands, I returned to find my food plate left unattended on top of a small wall. Hmmm... this just isn't the kind of place I'd want to visit again.

    A gyro wrap, so fresh and beautifully presented.
    Aiko M.

    I've been eyeing this place since before they even opened, but my family has been stuck on Angelo's for gyro. I finally stopped in and it exceeded my expectations. The owner is a gem; super friendly and funny. He asked me if it's my first visit, I said yes. He then exclaimed, "1st visit?! Here 6 months!" while raising his hands. Totally guilt-tripped me into planning my next visit! I love the open kitchen: the spits are turning right behind the counter and the veggies are all prepped and ready, Subway-style. I ordered the gyro wrap and it was honestly the best I've ever had. Tender meat, lots of fresh veggies, and the tzatziki is fantastic. It's also deceivingly big: I arrived super hungry and finished about half. Overall, I absolutely recommend this place and cannot wait to come back for a plate or Family Meal. Pros: - friendly! - fresh, quality ingredients - clean and new - indoor and al freso dining - food presentation Cons: - parking sucks - a bit pricey but so worth it

    Gyro Plate with rice and veggies
    Kareem P.

    The Original Kebab is Oceanside's premier Mediterranean food spot that has a great selection kebabs, shawarma, gyros, salads and more! Located right on N Coast Hwy, this new establishment is small family-owned and the owner has been mastering his recipes for over 20 years. Although they are clean inside, because the interior is rather small and basic, this is not the best place to bring groups to sit down and eat. There's a counter to order and then a crammed space for small tables with limited seating options. Also, there isn't any interior decor or ambiance that resonates to the cultural essence of the food. Lastly, there's no dedicated parking lot, so you'll have to rely on street parking. Where The Original Kebab shines is their friendly & gracious customer service and the quality of their food. Their portions are fair and although their pricing may seem on the higher side, they are a standard for a small business trying to survive in Downtown Oceanside and more importantly, the food portions are worth it. After sitting in for a few hours, I witnessed the few people that ate inside having complimented the staff on having the best gyro meat they've ever had. Each portion is sizeable and they even seem to be popular for their gyro wraps or sandwiches (I witnessed many do take-out orders). Overall, I loved the gyro plate that I had and the cucumbers with the rice and lamb meat was tasty. I also enjoyed my gyro pita sandwich and mixed their hot sauce with the Taziki for a great blend I look forward to trying more from this small business and I think that The Original Kebab is a great addition to the Downtown Oceanside Food scene!

    Outside seating
    Brandon G.

    We wanted to have a quick lunch and decided to give this restaurant a try. It turned out to be a good choice. We love the gyro wrap. Would recommend you try the wrap. The owner (I believe he is the owner) was friendly. Straight forward conclusion, good food + good service = happy customer.

    Outside
    Kris G.

    Today (6/17/23) is their first day!! Everyone was so friendly. We tried their chicken shawarma and the falafel while waiting for our orders. So good. The falafel was crispy on the outside but not burnt and the inside was flavorful. One of my friends said it was the best falafel he had had in San Diego. I got the Combo plate which had shawarma beef, shawarma chicken, and gyro. It was great to try all the different meat flavors. I all were good as was the rice and the tzatziki sauce which was garlic forward and delicious. Another friend had the gyro pita sandwich and she said it was quite tasty as well. The three friends who live down the street from this location said they are planning on adding it to their regular lunch rotation.

    Beef kebab plate
    Kathryn K.

    First time in trying this place. Mario (owner?) at the front was very welcoming. When we said it was our first time in he gave us samples of the gyro, beef and chicken off the rotating spits in the front. We had beef kebab plate, gyro pita sandwich (awesome if you can't decide between salad and sandwich - huge amount of filling), and added on extra falafel (3 for $3). Food came out pretty quickly and piping hot and fresh. Super enjoyable. Extra tzatziki and hot sauce brought to the table without us asking. It's a pretty tiny place - order at the counter in front. About 5 small tables pushed against the wall and 2 out on the sidewalk. Next time I want to ask about the Doner Kabob I saw a pic of (not on the menu) and the hummus. And the tikka. Loved every bite and we'll be back. It's also right next door to Handel's to get some ice cream to walk around with after your meal. Perfect day!

    Baklawa - not too sweet, I would recommend getting ice cream from Hammonds and crunching these in there

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    good food and kind owners. if ur craving a good bite, this is the place for you. We got the gyro sandwich and it was delicious.

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    2 years ago

    Great food very fresh very affordable great location owners are friendly and the food is tasty and delicious we will be back for sure

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    2 years ago

    Food was delicious. You will not be disappointed. Highly recommend, even our picky eater kids loved it!

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The owner was super nice and the food was great! Try the beef sandwich with all the sauces- yum!

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    2 years ago

    SUPER GOOD! hummus is made fresh and delicious! good service as well! can be described as a hole in the wall restaurant

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Amazing food! Totally recommend this place for a great Mediterranean meal. Fresh and full of flavor.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    tasty hands down & customer service kind and helpful but the food absolutely on point flavorful and fresh

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Best falafel and schwarma in so cal but need some type of atmosphere in restaurant very bleak

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Delicious food, quality and size. A must visit place to grab an excellent meal from in Oceanside. Lovely service and ambiance.

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    Page 4 of 4

    The Original Kebab Reviews in Other Languages

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    Kabob Shack - Eastlake

    4.6
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    This was my sending time here for lunch. The ambiance is casual. There's a large parking lot but…read morethere's some construction at this time. I was still able to find parking. I got the flatbread wrap as a pita sandwich this time with chicken tika since it's what the guy behind the counter recommended. The pita was fluffy, slightly toasted, and flavorful. There's 4 sauces you can have with your meal but you don't really need it since there so much flavor to the pita (or plate if you order one). There's last time I was here, I ordered the flatbread tortilla wrap and that was delicious as well. It's much larger than the pita sandwich for $1 more. There is no bathroom here but I am told that you can go to Handel's to use theirs. I would removed 1/2 a star for that but the food is tasty enough to overlook it. There is a television on one side of the wall and 80s rock music playing in the background (great track if you ask me). They offer catering as well.

    Kabob Shack (Eastlake Pkwy) location in Chula Vista, CA did not disappoint…read more We ordered the SHAH DELUXE BURGER with gyro meat and the CHICKEN Kabob plate with rice, salad and side order of lamb meat. Both orders were excellent 5/5 stars!! The meat in both plates had the right amount of salt & seasoned to perfection. The customer service was also excellent very friendly employees and the restaurant was very clean. I recommend trying both plates but that Shah cheeseburger burger with gyro meat was outstanding!! Give this restaurant a try! Happy Yelping :)

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    Gyro plate, hummus, pita bread, salad and falafel along with assorted sauces ranging from mild to spicy.
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    Panini Kabob Grill

    4.1
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    This location is in a relatively large strip type mall. Depending on which side you approach from,…read moreit can be hard to find and you may need to take, stairs, an escelator, or an elevator in order to get to it. The lot can get crowded due to the many popular businesses in the mall, but it is seems possible to get parking at least during non-peak hours. While the servers here were not rude, they were somewhat cold and not very friendly on our visit. The food is good quality and you get a good quantity for your money here. It is a good value, something hard to say of many places now days. On a Monday around 11:00-12:30 for lunch they were pretty quiet, but had some business. Like many places, it seems like a lot of their business is take out. Their seating area is well decorated and is a nice dining atmosphere. We would come back here and recommend you give them a try or try one of their other many locations in the SoCal area.

    Manager spat in my take out and I had to throw it out. He was very rude and disrespectful to me. I…read morepaid for my take out and he tried arguing I didn't. I showed him my Google Wallet showed the completed transaction and my card showed it. Very rude and I will not ever eat here again! He walked to the back and I could watch it because you can see the kitchen. He spat in it and laughed. They laughed when they gave it over the counter. Don't ever eat here.

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    Kabob House

    Kabob House

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    Kabob House is amazing - an absolute hidden gem in Riverside that I've had at least 20 times in the…read morelast 7 years. I've had halal kabobs from restaurants all over SoCal and the country and this place is still my favorite. It's a great option for catering (I always get the family platter pictured) and this was my go to place when we lived nearby - the flavors are tasty but not too overpowering so it works for all guests no matter their spice preference. We still drive up to 30 mins to cater from here because the food is always so good and a reliable hit with any guests that we have over. FOOD: The meat is not just flavorful but most importantly, it's somehow always just so moist, so juicy, and so tender all the way through. And it's not just the meats - every item they serve is just really unexpectedly delicious. At most kabob places, the rice/pita/salad/hummus are just weak add ons to fill up the plate, but these items are always so delicious at Kabob House and you can always taste the flavor bursting in every item (my fav is the salad which has a lemon/vinegary kick to it that just elevates the meal). All the items on the menu are great, but my personal favorite is the salmon kabob (if you've never had a salmon kabob, do yourself a favor and try it out and at least add one skewer of it if you get a combo) - the owner recommended this to me years ago, and I've always added at least a couple skewers every time since - all my guests rave about it. SERVICE/AMBIANCE It's a small casual family owned restaurant and the service is always super friendly. You can see the food being made fresh behind the counter which shows their confidence - it's clear they take immense pride in the quality of all their items and are eager to share their food and Palestinian heritage. The price is also exceptional value for the quantity of food you get, especially compared to other similar restaurants. OVERALL: I will continue to eat from here and would highly recommend trying it out.

    "Personally I never open a session of parliament without eating a kebab first."…read more ROBERTA METSOLA One just has to love the Kebab, or Kabob ;-) Was in town checking out potential sites for a new affordable housing project and at the end we all checked yelp and this spot was close by. Reviews were good, local hole in the wall, let's find out... Service is counter, friendly and nice. As befits the current economy, prices are a bit higher for a local lunch. Food was excellent, enjoyed my Kafta very much although I would have preferred a grilled tomato and peppers like other places have. Bread was good, rice was good. Soda refillable :-) I will definitely try again when in the city. Recommended!!

    Photos
    Cash resister with business cards and other desserts (sweet dates and sesame cookies, think they were out of mamoul)
    Cash resister with business cards and other desserts (sweet dates and sesame cookies, think they were out of mamoul)
    Family platter - comes with 8 skewers (we chose beef, chicken, salmon), rice, salad, pickled veggies, hummus, garlic sauce, pita.
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    Kabob House

    Kabob House

    4.2
    (489 reviews)
    24.4 mi
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    Happy hour specials
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    Wings - amazing Chicken - amazing…read moreTacos - amazing Overall everything we got was awesome!! Crispy, light, and flavorful. Be careful of the old fashion Mr Kim though.... it's strong whisky or liquor? For some reason I thought it would be like an old fashion donut flavored drink for some weird reason...... lol Overall, great place, friendly owner

    I wish I could say that I enjoyed the food. The up charges on credit card fees and side orders are…read morea little extravagant. The chicken shawarma sandwich was very small for $14. If you wanted a side order with that they charged an extra $4 which was a surprise because it's hard to see the $4 up charge on the menu. However, the french fries were very good so I'm not really complaining about that. The sandwich was very tangy and the meat was dry. The beef shawarma plate that we got first came out with crispy crunchy beef that you could crunch into crumbles in your fingers. I sent it back and the second was cooked better but the flavor was extremely off-putting. There was an excessive amount of sumac on top of the meat, much more than is needed. Also , the taste of wine (I'm assuming it was in the marinade) was very strong. I thought that the baba ganoush I received as a side was very tasty and smoky. It did have a large amount of olive oil floating on the top which was a tad overkill but, still, it was tasty. The presentation of food was impressive. I must say that the service was very good. There was one server that was serving everyone in the entire restaurant and she was really on the ball. There was only one person cooking in the back so food was coming out a little at a time at our table of eight people. Some of us were almost done eating before the last person even got their meal. There were people at our table that got served first. Then we would see food going out to other tables before the rest of the people got served at our table. To me this was a little disorganized and it would really benefit this restaurant if they were a bit more organized and had an extra employee or two for lunch time. I guess the main issue we had was that the food was not good and it wasn't served to all the people at the table in a timely manner. All the food did come out hot thanks to our stellar server. Regarding returning to this restaurant, I do not think I will be returning. We have other Mediterranean restaurants in the area that have better food. A+ for the service and probably C- for the food.

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    The Original Kebab - kebab - Updated July 2026

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