Middle Eastern Restaurants near La Mesa, CA

“Bold flavors that took us pleasantly by surprise. We’ll be going back.“

“food consistently good, tasty, fresh.“

“I had an amazing experience at this restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious, fresh, and beautifully presented. The atmosphere was welcoming, clean, and perfect for a great dining experience.

What really stood out was the outstanding customer service. Dalya, the General Manager, went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect. She was professional, attentive, friendly, and genuinely cared about every guest’s experience. Her dedication to customer satisfaction truly made our visit memorable.

It’s rare to find such a combination of excellent food, great ambiance, and exceptional management. I highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely be returning. Thank you, Dalya and the entire team for such a wonderful experience!“

“I had such a great experience at Falafel California! I ordered the California Falafel wrap and it was absolutely delicious—fresh, flavorful, and perfectly put together. You can really taste the quality in every bite.

What made it even better was the owner, Zina. Her passion for what she does really shines through, not just in the food but in the whole vibe of the place. It’s clear she truly cares about her business and her customers.

Definitely a spot I’ll be coming back to. Highly recommend!“

“This is my first time visiting this family owned and operated family restaurant and it was an amazing experience. We were greeted by Pierre and he was professional, kind, and very informative of all the items on the menu. Everything on the menu looked great and hard to decide what to dive into. The restaurant is very clean open and very bright. I ordered the liver skewers with biryani rice. The skewers very flavorful, tender, and grilled to perfection, paired well with the onion, pickled beets, and pickles. The biryani was delicious. My wife had the beef shawarma sandwich on Arabic bread, which was tender and tasty. The potions are larger than expected which was great! We finished with a cup of hot tea. If you’re looking for some authentic Iraqi food, I highly recommend Al Awael, you will not be disappointed 😋“

“food is very tasty and prices are reasonable. portiobs are very large.“

“I tried this place after a news article on them. The sparkling rose cardomom lemonade is nothing like I’ve ever had before. So refreshing and unique. I highly recommend! The Knafeh is a must try. It’s made fresh to order and is sweet cheesy goodness. I’ll definitely be back.“

“Fun atmosphere - great live music. Love their ceviche and Eli makes a great Moscow mule 😉“

“Awesome food...my first time ..i will be Back“

“Beautiful people that own this place food was so so delish and veggies were fresh and crispy don’t like cabbage but the way they prepared it was out of this world!! Got try this place will not be disappointed I’m coming back for sure !!!

Parking: Big lot lots parking“

“love the food I'm from Chicago and omg“

“It’s the best and my favorite 🤩“

“This has been our go to for takeout since we discovered it. Nothing I have tried there is anything short of wonderful. The Kofte Burger is perfect, with a nice kick from the harissa, the chicken shawarma sandwich is delicious and my kids’ fave, the falafel are beautiful, I’m running out of adjectives but suffice it to say it’s all good and you should try it. With a side of the fries. The owner is lovely, and makes you feel very welcome. Ask her about the doors. When we have time we like to eat in the restaurant. The atmosphere is cozy and unique, you’ll have to go see for yourself.“

“Everyone is nice and easy going. I honestly appreciate it here. You can feel the good vibes, kindness and warmth from them. Celly is a clear example and really shows us the amazing standard they have at the amazing customer service. Pls, give him a raise!“

“Tried out the Temecula location today and I was amazing. Nice to see an owner owed and occupied business in Old Town. Excellent food and service. Highly recommend!“

“I love this place. I love many items on their menu. Here are few: Ribeye Tikka is amazing. Their Hummus and Falafel is so good, falafel is crispy. Their shawarma wraps and plates are so satisfying. Their house made chips reminds me of Baghdad Iraq. Fattoush salad is so good. And most importantly great service and people 🫶😊❤️“

“Tried out the Temecula location today and I was amazing. Nice to see an owner owed and occupied business in Old Town. Excellent food and service. Highly recommend!“

“Gyros House in El Cajon is a great spot for anyone looking for flavorful Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food at an affordable price. The restaurant is well known for its fresh ingredients, generous portions, and friendly service. Popular menu items such as the chicken shawarma, gyro sandwiches, and falafel are packed with flavor and served with warm pita bread and tasty sauces. Although the restaurant has a simple food-court style atmosphere, many customers enjoy the quick service and quality of the food. Overall, Gyros House is a solid choice for delicious and satisfying Mediterranean cuisine in El Cajon.
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“This was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. I usually go to a different restaurant for Middle Eastern food whenever I’m in El Cajon. But it was closed for remodeling, and in search of an alternative, I found this hidden gem. The gentleman who made the food was very welcoming and hospitable. The food was some of the tastiest Middle Eastern food I’ve ever had. Prices are very reasonable, portion size is big, service is great, and the food is delicious. This easily made my list of must go to restaurants whenever I’m in San Diego. I’m usually by the coastline, but I will gladly make the drive to El Cajon to come here. Also great to support local small businesses and Christian business owners. 🙏☦️“

“The salatim platter was amazing, with so many delicious sides, including hummus, muhammara, cucumber yogurt, green tahini, shallot yogurt, pickles, olives, and dukkah, all served with naan, roasted garlic fry bread, and pita. I also loved the Soltani platter, especially with the added steak kebab. The chicken tahchin was incredible and came with the most delicious tahdig. Nicholas was an amazing waiter—professional, attentive, and provided excellent service. The ambiance is absolutely beautiful, and this is the most stunning Persian restaurant I have ever visited in the US. I would eat here every day if I lived in San Diego.“

“It’s the best and my favorite 🤩“

“I would recommend this establishment they have great food great customer service“

“This is a really amazing shop with excellent customer service. The staff are very friendly, helpful, and respectful. The products are high quality, and the prices are fair. Every time I visit, I have a great experience. I truly recommend this shop to anyone looking for good service and quality products“

“I ordered 5 Ground Beef Kabob Skewers , 5 Chicken Tikka Skewers, 1 chicken cream chop, 1 Shawarma Wrap, Rice, Hummus & Salad. Served with Pita Bread, Grilled So when I got home I find out there is only 4 Ground Beef kabob and 4 chicken Tikka And that was so embarrassing for me because I invited 5 people for lunch That was really bad experience“

“one of my favorite place. the food is so incredible. it's a must if your in Hillcrest. I've never been disappointed.“

“Very nice resturaunt with inside seating available as well as outside. Salads are well worth the price as they are delicious and fill you up. We had the family dish which came with 3 kebabs of your choice, all worth trying. Well worth the experience on our travels 😊, and the salads are unforgettable.“

“Delicious food! Loved it!“

“Great food free parking excellent location nice staff“

“scammer Scammer scammer Scammer 👿🤢🤢👿🤢👿👿🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢 scammer 🤬🤬🤬 scammer“

“This is the best Greek food I've ever had I had high hopes when I saw that it was pretty much entirely Greek looking people inside. I'll admit the atmosphere is a little stand off-ish especially if you don't blend in with the people but after some initial stares it's not bad I don't think they were expecting a couple white people to walk in at like 10:30 pm after about a minute everyone was back to their business and ignored us it was a little loud but it was pretty full too.

Now to the good part the food is definitely worth any of what I mentioned and then some this is freaking amazing it's kind of unbelievable that this hidden gem only has a 4.2 it should be a 4.5 at least.“

“Delicious food! Loved it!“

“Just ordered lunch via Door Dash and the beef shawarma plate is excellent.“