The food took forever to come out and then wasn't that good.
Kalle Maines
Meet there for dinner every so often with friends. The food is always good. Amazingly the owner remembers most of the names of our group of 8+. It's a great place for family and friends, especially if you want to try something different than the usual fare. Had the steak, it was delicious. Met a group of friends there and even though we all arrived at different times, the service was excellent.
Melissa Murphy
Attended a class on Cannabis Oil Therapy for Practitioners in Garden Grove. Tried this place for lunch. Didn't hate it, didn't love it. Probably won't return.
Merek C.
Genie Den sits in what one could call an intenational plaza of food. The area itself is quite nondescript, a strip mall underneath the looming prescence of the Great Wolf Lodge. I had just washed down some boba and was about head to the driving range for some golf. The choice for food boiled down the Genie Den, a long and respected name in the yelp circuit, or shawarma house, the hot and new business on the other side of the plaza. Needless to say, I chose wrong. 1. I forgot to use logic: I looked across the plaza and saw lots of people at shawarma house, there was no one inside genie den. It was so empty inside, i didn't even find the genie in the den who was responsible for taking my order and food. I had to say hello and then someone appeared from the back. For all intensive purposes, it felt like I walked in to a resraurant that had closed and someone forgot to lock the front door. 2. I forgot to use Yelp: If Genie Den were a stock, its days of gains are long behind. Recent posts suggest that many people have been having a negative experience here. If i had one wish, it would have been to do my homework and not come here. But, i believe a genie grants three wishes, which means I get two more. 3. Wish number 1: That when i check in on yelp, i get my yelp check in offer! I ordered my wrap and fries, the man took note of my check in offer, and i headed back to the boba shop to use the restroom (no restrooms here). When I came back, my food was ready, but no stuffed grape leaves. I decided to eat my meal and wait for the stuffed leaves at the end. The problem was, much like before, the man dissapeared and, this time, he could not be found! What a weird dining experience. Wish number 2: That Genie Den bounces back. I am looking forward to tracking reviews on Yelp and if this place gets back to what it apparently once was. I'll be the first one to come back and give this place anothet shot. For now....1 star
Dana S.
The food was awesome!! So much food, it last two dinners! Would definitely eat here again. Ordered the half chicken/half steak platter with basmati rice and an order of falafel. Yum!
Bob C.
Deserves no stars. Have no idea how it rates so high on Yelp. The food is terrible. Chicken shawarma was just plain grilled and tasteless chicken. Salad was flavorless and falafels were dry. It was 12 noon and no one else was there so we should have taken that clue. Do not recommend.
Peter K.
Second time in two weeks they aren't even open on time. Both times I placed an order for pick up through the app. Both times I get to the restaurant around 11:30 AM and the door is locked, open sign is off, and they don't answer their phone. This is ridiculous. Open on time or change your hours!!! This place used to be good when they were on the other side of the strip mall. Maybe they still are, if they ever unlock their door. Finally learned my lesson...I'm never going back.
Maryam Sadat
100% halal Beautiful, clean, great prices, amazing customer service, and great freshly made Halal food. Heavenly service!
Mike V.
Stay away from the lamb. It was super burnt and dry. The rice was dry, roasted onion and tomato were raw. Their quality definitely went down.
Grace M.
Omg so delicious!! The sauces are so good !!! I will be coming back here for sure. I got the half gyro half chicken platter with salad. The portions are huge I'm in love
Ok, what happened to this place? It used to be so great! I mean, really good. Do they have a new owner or something? When they moved to the smaller location in the same mini-mall, we were told it was temporary due to a water leak. Well, here we are a couple of years later, and they're still there. That's part of the problem. The bigger problem now is the staffing, prices, and portions. The man taking the order was nice enough, but didn't really know what he was doing. When he announced my order was ready, someone else took it (I didn't know that.) When I inquired about mine, he gave me a different order (with no explanation.) When I got to my table, I saw that they left out the hummus, I went back to the counter and another man told me it wasn't there because someone else got my order. No apology or anything. I said I also didn't get the pita bread, and he seriously gave me the smallest, saddest piece of pita ever. They used to be kind of generous with it. In addition, my whole meal was on a tray (which was weird, but OK.) They gave the person with me the EXACT SAME TRAY of food, even though she ordered a rice bowl. She told him that, and he said it was. What? Oh, and my whole meal was around $15. Ridiculous. Never going back! PS Look at my old review! Look at all that pita bread. FOOD LOOKS NOTHING LIKE THAT!!!
Amina Maameri
Unfortunately did not have a good experience here. Nothing special, Overpriced, ambiance not like the photos at all. Came in with kids and the meal i ordered contained a super spicy sauce drizzeled over it. When i mentioned this to the owner i was instead encouraged to buy an additional childrens meal instead ($8!!). I did have to do this. Nothing on the menu mentioned the spicy sauce and even i had a hard time downing it. They also did not honor a replacement item i had asked for. Many better options in the area if you want Mediterranean food.
Hoang Nguyen
2/5 sit in experience, 4/5 food experience, all in all would recommend to get take out but would not recommend eating in.
Don Ehrman
Great food, a lil whole in the wall...but love it
Pete W.
Good food and warm hospitality made for an enjoyable experience at the Genie den. Well worth the walk from the Marriott.
The food took forever to come out and then wasn't that good.
Meet there for dinner every so often with friends. The food is always good. Amazingly the owner remembers most of the names of our group of 8+. It's a great place for family and friends, especially if you want to try something different than the usual fare. Had the steak, it was delicious. Met a group of friends there and even though we all arrived at different times, the service was excellent.
Attended a class on Cannabis Oil Therapy for Practitioners in Garden Grove. Tried this place for lunch. Didn't hate it, didn't love it. Probably won't return.
Genie Den sits in what one could call an intenational plaza of food. The area itself is quite nondescript, a strip mall underneath the looming prescence of the Great Wolf Lodge. I had just washed down some boba and was about head to the driving range for some golf. The choice for food boiled down the Genie Den, a long and respected name in the yelp circuit, or shawarma house, the hot and new business on the other side of the plaza. Needless to say, I chose wrong. 1. I forgot to use logic: I looked across the plaza and saw lots of people at shawarma house, there was no one inside genie den. It was so empty inside, i didn't even find the genie in the den who was responsible for taking my order and food. I had to say hello and then someone appeared from the back. For all intensive purposes, it felt like I walked in to a resraurant that had closed and someone forgot to lock the front door. 2. I forgot to use Yelp: If Genie Den were a stock, its days of gains are long behind. Recent posts suggest that many people have been having a negative experience here. If i had one wish, it would have been to do my homework and not come here. But, i believe a genie grants three wishes, which means I get two more. 3. Wish number 1: That when i check in on yelp, i get my yelp check in offer! I ordered my wrap and fries, the man took note of my check in offer, and i headed back to the boba shop to use the restroom (no restrooms here). When I came back, my food was ready, but no stuffed grape leaves. I decided to eat my meal and wait for the stuffed leaves at the end. The problem was, much like before, the man dissapeared and, this time, he could not be found! What a weird dining experience. Wish number 2: That Genie Den bounces back. I am looking forward to tracking reviews on Yelp and if this place gets back to what it apparently once was. I'll be the first one to come back and give this place anothet shot. For now....1 star
The food was awesome!! So much food, it last two dinners! Would definitely eat here again. Ordered the half chicken/half steak platter with basmati rice and an order of falafel. Yum!
Deserves no stars. Have no idea how it rates so high on Yelp. The food is terrible. Chicken shawarma was just plain grilled and tasteless chicken. Salad was flavorless and falafels were dry. It was 12 noon and no one else was there so we should have taken that clue. Do not recommend.
Second time in two weeks they aren't even open on time. Both times I placed an order for pick up through the app. Both times I get to the restaurant around 11:30 AM and the door is locked, open sign is off, and they don't answer their phone. This is ridiculous. Open on time or change your hours!!! This place used to be good when they were on the other side of the strip mall. Maybe they still are, if they ever unlock their door. Finally learned my lesson...I'm never going back.
100% halal Beautiful, clean, great prices, amazing customer service, and great freshly made Halal food. Heavenly service!
Stay away from the lamb. It was super burnt and dry. The rice was dry, roasted onion and tomato were raw. Their quality definitely went down.
Omg so delicious!! The sauces are so good !!! I will be coming back here for sure. I got the half gyro half chicken platter with salad. The portions are huge I'm in love
Restaurantji Recommends
Ok, what happened to this place? It used to be so great! I mean, really good. Do they have a new owner or something? When they moved to the smaller location in the same mini-mall, we were told it was temporary due to a water leak. Well, here we are a couple of years later, and they're still there. That's part of the problem. The bigger problem now is the staffing, prices, and portions. The man taking the order was nice enough, but didn't really know what he was doing. When he announced my order was ready, someone else took it (I didn't know that.) When I inquired about mine, he gave me a different order (with no explanation.) When I got to my table, I saw that they left out the hummus, I went back to the counter and another man told me it wasn't there because someone else got my order. No apology or anything. I said I also didn't get the pita bread, and he seriously gave me the smallest, saddest piece of pita ever. They used to be kind of generous with it. In addition, my whole meal was on a tray (which was weird, but OK.) They gave the person with me the EXACT SAME TRAY of food, even though she ordered a rice bowl. She told him that, and he said it was. What? Oh, and my whole meal was around $15. Ridiculous. Never going back! PS Look at my old review! Look at all that pita bread. FOOD LOOKS NOTHING LIKE THAT!!!
Unfortunately did not have a good experience here. Nothing special, Overpriced, ambiance not like the photos at all. Came in with kids and the meal i ordered contained a super spicy sauce drizzeled over it. When i mentioned this to the owner i was instead encouraged to buy an additional childrens meal instead ($8!!). I did have to do this. Nothing on the menu mentioned the spicy sauce and even i had a hard time downing it. They also did not honor a replacement item i had asked for. Many better options in the area if you want Mediterranean food.
2/5 sit in experience, 4/5 food experience, all in all would recommend to get take out but would not recommend eating in.
Great food, a lil whole in the wall...but love it
Good food and warm hospitality made for an enjoyable experience at the Genie den. Well worth the walk from the Marriott.