Super honest and to the point. Came in for a quick question, with the intent to service the part if I was recommended a repair. Was told that I didn't need a repair (part was worn out and needed to be replaced, which I would do elsewhere due to the nature of the part). Clear and efficient explanation and very honest, was not pushed to do something unnecessary. Thank you for the consultation. Didn't have a service to pay you for but the least I can do is write this review! Would come back in the future with any other concerns and would recommend! read more

Called said cars to old to work on we didn't get past that first time I've ever heard that can't be that good of a shop if they denied service cause of vehicle age. Mind you it's a 2000 Mercedes simple work I'd do my self but not enough time in my schedule to do so, but I'll find another shop to do it. Can't believe someone recommended this shop to me. read more

I've taken my car to this shop a few times. Each experience has been excellent. Ali is friendly and explains the issue clearly he is down to earth and genuinely wants to help his customers. Recently I had my ac compressor replaced. Ali did a thorough job replacing the compressor with an authentic Subaru part rather than an after market part and replaced old seals that are know to fail. I always recommend this garage to my friends and family. read more

Ali is the best! I have had both a Nissan Rogue and Audi Q5 with various needs that Ali has taken the best care of over the last few years. He goes above and beyond always, and is extremely knowledgable, fair and kind. Highly recommend! read more

This is the only place I will take my car now. Mahmoud is the only mechanic I will trust to do what needs to be done and NO MORE. A community institution for over 2 decades. God bless this store. read more

I never thought I'd be able to say that I found a mechanic I could truly trust. Mahmoud is a man of integrity and someone who I experience as committed to practicing what he believes. A rare bird. I took my 2008 car in for brake repairs, and left with new brakes and fixes that I had not even asked for. He said he couldn't imagine fixing the brakes without also addressing a few of the cosmetic issues that were unsightly. He respected not only my car, but in a way my dignity by making my car less embarrassing to drive around. I am super grateful to have met Mahmoud and know that I can rely on him as my mechanic. And I'm grateful to know that Mahmoud exists in the world. read more

Fair prices for the area and very honest and reasonable approach to fixing problems. Ali has convinced me not to make expensive repairs that I thought were necessary, and found economical solutions to other problems. I prefer to drive a 90's car, but other mechanics either won't touch it because it's way past its service life, or want to replace everything at huge expense. Ali has always respected my preference to continue driving it and made repairs that keep it safe and reliable while minimizing expense. I have also always enjoyed talking with Ali's father, Mahmood, and I admire his artwork that adorns their shop. read more

I stumbled across Aladdin on a Google search and was so happy I did!! Mahmood and his son Ali are such kind people and took great care of me and my car. I had to bring it back after my first visit and left my car with Ali at 10 and it was fixed and ready to go by 3pm which was so great. Being new to Boston and having 0 idea on anything cars I was worried about finding a good auto shop that wouldn't take advantage of me but I'm so happy with the work and fair pricing. I'll be coming back here for all my car-related needs! read more

I already gave Aladdin a five star view on 1/22021. Here is another five star review. My car would not start. And the passenger side window would not open. Most other car repair places would have made expensive replacements, costing me up to thousands of dollars. The owner's son spent a long time to find out what was wrong: it was a switch turned off when it should have been turned on, a frozen gear box, and broken wire going to the starter. He fixed it all for $150. And all in a day. read more

I've been bringing my BMW to Aladdin for the past few years and have always received great service at very reasonable prices. Very highly recommended! read more

Amazing mechanics. I would highly highly recommend. There prices are very reasonable. Very well run business. read more

This place was such a good find through Yelp! To the point that I've recommended to my friends and family here... We're super impressed with the services provided here for the following reasons: * honest in letting us know whether we needed to wait for X months to replace the parts or it needs to be done right away * helpful with explaining what needs to be done on our car and answering any questions we have * prices were very reasonable * cleaned the car for us free of charge * minor repair on my bumper without charging me anything * overall both father and son were very friendly and helpful. Definitely would recommend this place!! read more

Mahmood is truly an honest and trustworthy local mechanic. I literally drive from CT to come and get my major car repairs. He always greets you with a nice cup of Persian tea and other goodies in the sitting area. I had a tear in my exhaust (middle part from rust) and he fixed it in less than an hr for me. He always remind me to be thankful and not complain which is awesome. Thank you Mahmood. Oh and he is also a great artist. Check out his shop. read more

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I cant believe anyone who reviewed Aladdin that gave it less than 5 stars. I've never been to another mechanic who is as HONEST and fair as Mahmood. My repairs were explained to me in plain English, once he knew the cost of the parts he called to let me know and ask if the amount was okay, and when the work was done... it was done right. I just moved here from Maine, and the garage is about a mile from my residence. I will never have a need to visit another mechanic... one who can trust to work on my Jaguar, no less!!!!!! read more

I came to Aladdin Auto Service based on Yelp comments. This place has some solid reviews and I totally get why. This place is kinda hard to find -- behind that old movie theatre and to the left. The garage itself made me a little nervous at first... I was like "where the heck am I?" As a young girl I was a little hesitant but within minutes of meeting Mahmood I was put at ease. First of all, Mahmood is hilarious. He's blunt, funny, and honest. He'll immediately greet you and serve you Persian tea and snacks -- usually cookies or fruit. There's always something to nibble on! Then he'll ask what you're in for then check out your vehicle. The first time I went in for an oil change - a quick in and out. But I was so pleased with the service that when it came time for me needing new tires, I knew where to go. I loved that Mahmood recognized me. It makes me laugh how he calls me "Christy Girl" instead of Christina. Not only did he change my tires, but he also checked my oil and my emergency brake cord. I told him my car had rolled downhill a couple times -- he told me the cord was fine and I needed to work on my biceps and pull the brake up harder. HA! In addition to honesty, fair prices, and quick service, you'll get to hang out in a weirdly cool spot that's full of art. Mahmood makes these really neat metal sculptures. I always receive some sort of wisdom as well. Sounds weird, but if I were ever having a really bad day, I know I could go to Mahmood and he'd cheer me up. He encourages you to live a full, grateful life and focus on the positive. tl;dr: friendly service, great auto work, tea & cookies. read more

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Mahmoud and Ali run a tight ship. I have an older luxury car and no matter what goes wrong with it, Ali can identify and fix at an amazing speed and at an extremely reasonable price. Not to mention they are honest and extremely kind. I wouldn't take my car anywhere else. read more

Stop comparison hunting, these are your guys - just pick up the phone and call. Came on recommendation from a friend, and now I'm recommending them to all of you. Ali (son) and Mahmood (father) are going to take great care of you, fairly quote the work you actually need and none of what you don't, do quality and timely work, maintain excellent communication while doing it, and are just generally lovely humans, to boot. Absolutely 110% recommend. read more

This was the most pleasant experience I've ever had with an auto mechanic. Mahmood provides the most exceptional customer service. I came in today and it was literally freezing out. He immediately brought me some hot tea and cookies and noted that I could sit by the stove to keep warm in the garage. He greeted the customers who walked in like old friends and made some jokes while working on the cars. The other customers said they'd been coming to him for years because he is so honest and his pricing reflects that. Such a class act! This was my first visit but now I won't go anywhere else for auto work. Aladdin's is the best! read more

Jeez. Okay, I gave this guy the benefit of the doubt, I really did. I took all the extolling yelpers to heart and decided that he was the mechanic for me. My name is Tamar, my clutch-hungry car's name is Bessie, and here's our story. First I called around, comparing prices for a new clutch, and when he picked up, rather than gruffly giving me the skinny in a cigarette-beaten Boston accent, he just asked me how much money was in my savings account. "Well," I asked, in no mood to play games, "how much is a new clutch?" "First you tell me how much you have, then I'll tell you how much I'll charge." Good guy, right? That's the whole problem--he's an almost disarmingly nice, decent guy. But he's working in a patently practical industry, and the truth is, I want a QUOTE. I went to the garage (an adventure in itself--a note to all yelpers: it's BEHIND FRESH POND CINEMA. Mapquest will lead you hopelessly astray), and he, as has been noted, offered me a cup of tea and had me sit amongst his actually very good artwork while he went off to do mechanic things. When he came back, he told me that my shirt was his favorite color and that he'd knock an extra $100 off the still-unquoted price. Yay, right? BUT WHAT WAS THE PRICE? "Tamar?" I nodded. "What is that in Farsi? Let's look it up." "Um...so, I also need my oil changed..." So we get into a conversation about his artwork, the Middle East conflict, and how we're all connected in a deeply cosmic way...just look up and we'll find the answer in God and unity and spirituality. Beautiful, right? "So...uh...I also think I have a leak in my trunk, it would be great if you'd check that out too..." When I actually came back to get my car, one thing I asked for wasn't even done, my mats were covered in oil, and something rattled so fierce I got a mile away before I had to bring it back and go for round two. To be fair, he took it right in and fixed the problems, cleaned the mats, personally cleaned out the mildew-factory that was my trunk, and gave me a ride back to Davis. Super nice of him, right? He proceeded to spend the majority of this car-ride telling me that I'm overly preoccupied with money and the trivialities of life, and that I should just relax and look up at the stars and gain some perspective. Okay, fair enough, but, dude, YOU'RE NOT MY SPIRITUAL ADVISOR. YOU'RE MY MECHANIC. And I'm sorry that you may be intellectually and spiritually unsatisfied in your chosen profession, but, seriously, THERE IS NOTHING MORE PRACTICAL THAN MECHANIC-ING. I have limited funds, and I need to know that what I need fixed is getting fixed, and I need to know how much it will cost. You fix my car, I give you the money. End of transaction. My clutch is sticking now, and I kinda feel like God is punishing me. This is not productive. read more

Mahmood is the best. Part artist, part mechanic, part alchemist. Don't get me wrong he is one weird bird.... but you gotta love him for it!! I took my 2000 jeep grand cherokee to a jeep dealership (Brigham something on Route 9 in Natik) they said I had a malfunctioning water pump and they wanted to charge me $900 for the parts and labor to fix it.... those douche bags. Of course I declined their services (that price is outrageous!). All they did was diagnose the problem and fill my car up with coolant and they tried to charge me $220... the gall! I haggled (ok, my boyfriend haggled) with them and got it down to $120. So I took it to Mahmood a month or so later and he put 2 gallons of coolant and 2 bottles of some leak-fixing-stuff in the radiator. My car has been running great since.... and best of all.... Mahmood didn't even charge me one red cent!! The man is a god... clearly. He said to come back if that didn't work and then he may replace my water pump. And for that he would charge me (obviously). Also, he makes a mean cup of tea! read more

I went here on the recommendation of a friend who uses this mechanic frequently and checked it against the great reviews here. I was excited about the idea of being able to have a locally trusted mechanic. I needed 2 alternator belts replaced and an oil change. I got a call saying it would be $180, which is really expensive for $40 worth of belts and an oil change even with a reasonable amount for labor. I went to pick the car up and he charged me $200 because he said that one of the belts was harder to get out because of some rust. Really? Aren't those services a fixed rate? I never saw the rust, even if I had I don't think it's reasonable to tack on an extra $20 just because it was more difficult than expected. I'm not a fan of saying anything negative about someone or a business on yelp without trying to resolve the issue with them first. I said that I thought it was odd that he would charge me an extra $20 because of that. Mahmoud's response was for me to consider the guy doing the labor (which was obviously using moral judgement as a tactic trying to distract me from the fact that he was charging me an exorbitant amount of money). I was charged $130 for labor to replace 2 belts (one of which was already snapped off and therefore less labor intensive) and change my oil. That is crazy. Yes, he is a beautiful artist as evidence by his metal sculpture work in and around the shop and he was very polite, even offered me something to drink. I would definitely take your car elsewhere though. read more

Mahmood will offer you tea, sit you down, tell it like it is (oh, and fix your car, too), and not rip you off in the process. An honest, hardworking mechanic who treats his customers with respect. Look closely, because he's waaay back behind the Fresh Pond movie theater (thankfully an easy walk from Alewife). read more

I've gone to Mahmood for nearly three years. Before I moved out of Boston, I went to him one last time to get my car a tune-up in preparation for a cross country drive. My instructions to him was "just replace anything you think needs replacing, and call me before you do it. I trust you." I didn't hear from him at all, so I called him a couple of hours later. His reply to me was, "nothing needs to be replaced. I'm only charging you $45 for the inspection." Rarely does an auto mechanic give you an honest opinion of the repairs you need. Typically, they try to sell you every little repair they can think of. This experience encapsulates my wonderful three year relationship with Mahmood, and the integrity he displays in running his shop. read more

I brought my car here early this morning and it only took an hour for him to fix my muffler. Right away they knew what the problem was and he had me look under the car to see it too. Then, he said "I can cut it here and here and weld a new piece in" and that's $75." If I was to replace the entire muffler, which most places would do, it would cost me $700-900 for the fix. Thanks so much! The tea was tasty too. I've been in a good mood all day from this! read more

Mahmood is the best. I have been going to him for 4 years now My car wouldn't start the other day, I called him and he came over and jump start it then i drove it behind him to his garage, he told me he needs to take a look at it and will call me later in the day, and he insisted to drive me back home in his car because I had a baby with me... then after 4 hours I got a call from him that the car is done and that he will drive it back to my home, he really was super nice when he saw I was juggling kids around with me and he is always very careful not to rush and just change whatever is not working, he is treating the car like his own and not like a way to get money from you like I feel when I go to other mechanics. THANK YOU MAHMOOD read more

This guy is really good! Went to six places trying to find someone to do the work my car needed. All said they were too busy, or did not want to do the (tricky and difficult) work, or could not do the job. Two places simply could not do the job, two were "too busy" (and definitely did not want to do the work), and two gave me quotes and said it would take a day or two in the shop, next week or so. Aladdin/Mahmood did the job immediately, which took only one hour while I waited drinking tea, charged half of what the other guys wanted, and did a better, more complete and correct job compared to what the other guys planned to do. No complaining about the difficulty, just got right to work and did it right. And under-charged. This "difficult" job that was too much for the other guys, was no problem for Mahmood. I rarely give five (or even two) stars - but Mahmood deserves ten stars. Where else in this world can you pay less for higher quality?? You can find him directly behind the Fresh Pond Cinema. read more

This review is long overdue, so my apologies! Last fall, I noticed that one of my headlights was out and a new bulb wasn't fixing the problem. Being new to the area, I logged onto Yelp in hopes of finding a good recommendation for a mechanic. After reading Mahmood's rave reviews, I decided to bring my car down without an appointment in hopes of at least getting someone to tell me what was wrong with it so that I had a general idea. When I walked into Aladdin, I was immediately greeted and after talking to me about everything but cars, Mahmood gave me a cup of tea and sat me down to talk shop. Within 10 seconds, he and his colleague figured out that my headlight had a crack in it and water was leaking in. Within 5 minutes, Mahmood had made three phone calls and found used parts for me. A day later, my parts were in, my car went into Aladdin and came out the next morning all set. Mahmood was wonderful to work with, he's extremely close to Alewife (although I had to make the long trip around the road barrier as it was raining and you couldn't get up the hill to the sidewalk), and I found his prices to be fairly decent. For a couple hours of labor and parts, it cost me under $150. read more

This is a very interesting place to come and view high quality art, speak philosophy, and get some great work done on your car. First time I came in, it was a pleasant experience, and the tea was good. We spoke about the vehicle, and my concern about parking during a week trip I was taking the happened to fall within street cleaning in my neighborhood. He said no problem, leave it here, it will be safe. (It was.) For a first trip he took care of the following for me: - Tune up on a jeep with 208.5k miles (These seemed to double in price every year back in CA...) - Install a catback exhaust. - Fix two power windows. - Check brakes. - Adjust headlamps. - Check suspension. He did this quickly, and when I came back from my trip the car was ready to go with everything working perfectly. The best part was we did our transaction in a relaxed, calm atmosphere. He is most affordable (non-family member) mechanic I've ever had. I will continue to use his services, as well as enjoy his art until my jeep hits at least 400k miles. read more

You gotta try them. Most of the mechanics I've tried don't even think about fixing anything the first thought is always replacing. Aladdin always looks for what is wrong and if it is fixable or not. They are Honest, trustworthy, skillful and efficient. And Aladdin cares about you and your car so he won't try to ripe you off. I finally found the mechanic that I can go to without looking around for better deals or other opinions. read more

I'm giving Aladdin Auto 5 stars because it deserves it. Mahmood deserves it. I live part-time 300 miles away and so have numerous mechanics in my virtual rolodex: one for work; one for home. At home I had to keep changing mechanics because anytime someone suggested a major repair on my car, that wasn't totally crucial and needed to be done asap, I'd go to Mahmood when I got to Cambridge, and he'd not only fix it, but hundreds of dollars cheaper. If I didn't have to occasionally go to the local monkeys at home, I'd only go to Mahmood. Two concrete examples: my car was sputtering every time I turned it on. Mechanics in my town said I needed a new battery. I drive it to Cambridge...Mahmood said, "Let me clean it." He cleaned my battery, I never heard of anyone doing so. But he cleaned it. Charged me $8 and I was able to safely milk my battery for another 2 years. Yokel in my town recently decided that my engine was shot because I haven't been the most faithful with tune-ups. He quoted me a price of $2000 to replace the engine with a used, no-guarantees engine. Plus who knew what else he'd find wrong with my car once he took the old engine out. I was able to drive to Cambridge, get Mahmood to look at it, and of course got a different diagnosis. I needed a new timing belt and a tune-up. $700. Maybe $700 is a high price for timing belt and lube job. But you do the math on what Mahmood is saving me. He's a charming other-wordly guy, The garage is clean and gorgeous thanks to his art. If you are unable to mellow out while waiting in his garage, like what the other reviewers tell you, you will probably not like Mahmood and his artistic ways. Which is great. Go away and don't make him so busy that he won't be able to take my car when I need him to. read more

It's hard to say what is more valuable, the world-class automotive care the team at Aladdin delivers, or the insight and wisdom Aladdin's shop founder Mahmood offered me. A messenger of Unity and mechanic who defines integrity, Cambridge has indeed received a great gift from the presence of Aladdin Auto Services. I am ever grateful for the day I visited it and always stop by when ever back in good ol' MA. read more

Found this guy on here and just had an awesome mechanic experience so figured I should post my own review. Recently my car started making a loud thumping noise every time a wheel turned. It seemed to be coming from my rear right wheel. Something was obviously hitting it. Just got back from Aladdin. I expected to leave my car there for a few days and was just figuring out a way to get home after towing it there on a AAA truck. To my huge surprise the man took my car right in. 20 minutes and a nice cup of tea later it was fixed. Charged me just $45. Didn't try to milk me for any made up issues. In fact, told me that my brakes were fine when I thought they might need to be replaced! When have you met a mechanic that does that? The usual experience is that you come to fix one thing and they tell you there are 3 other things wrong with it and you end up spending 5 times what you expected. Has his own cool art decorating the office. Even knew I was from a little Northern European country of Latvia by the sun burned (so colorless) oval LV sticker on my car. Just to put that in perspective most Americans I've met have never even heard of it so yeah, I was impressed. Anyway, cool dude. If anything goes wrong with my car again I know where I'm taking it. read more

Wow, beautiful experience matched with excellent pricing. Coming from California, I had to rely on yelp to find a place and glad I found this gem. Got my oil changed in a 2000 dodge grand caravan for $30. Only took 20 min. Got to sip on some Iranian tea and eat pistachio cookies from whole foods that they had on the table. Place is surrounded by amazing metal works that are fascinating. There is a very healthy sense of spirituality that really adds to the experience. After we got our oil changed, we bumped into the owner who blessed us with kind and wise words for my partner and I. I highly recommend this place for the price, the efficiency, and the overall experience of divinity. read more

I gotta say it too, I'm a Mahmood fan. Just had my first trip to Aladdin...it was just for an oil change, but the experience was like none other. From the eclectic decorations to the hot tea to Mahmood's wonderful penchant for conversation, the whole experience was great. Best line ever (I had asked Mahmood why engine oil comes out black but goes in yellowish): "We eat lots of different colored food, but the shit always comes out brown." That's it. $35 for an oil change might have been a little high (the first and only other time I got my oil change was at Midas for $30 which included an inspection and tire rotation), but it was well worth it. PS - Mahmood is also something of an accomplished artist. He sculpts large pieces of metal to reflect his spiritual beliefs. That's what he decorates his shop with; the mechanic job is just a side thing he does to make a living. Amazing! read more

I found another great auto body shop, and boy did this one make me happy! Really, I do feel, well, zen, whenever I leave this shop. When I got here for the first time, I was having a *bad day*. I actually had already dropped my car off at another shop. When my car savvy office mate told me that I was nuts to pay over $100 to just have this shop check out my car, I didn't know what to do. I needed some place that was easily accessible, honest and fairly priced. While I love Hondaa King in Allston, I didn't feel comfortable leaving my car at a place on the other side of the river that wasn't near the T. Luckily, I went to yelp and found Aladdin Auto Service. She gave me a ride so I could quickly pull my car from the other place and bring it to Aladdin. First of all, it is important to note that they are located BEHIND THE FRESH POND MOVIE THEATER. Both you and your GPS will get very confused as you drive right by this place, expecting to see it from the main road. Just pretend that you are going to the movie theater's parking lot and keep driving behind it, and you'll do just fine. After I made an enormous loop-de-loop and got stuck in traffic by Route 2 in my own quest to find the shop, I finally pulled my car up behind the movie theater. Yelpers are not kidding when they discuss the owner's art. He has ENORMOUS pieces all around the front of his shop. He is really quite talented with metal. I thought it bode well if a mechanic is willing to put his (impeccable!) welding skills on display. The first thing that I was offered when I entered the shop was tea. I could feel my stress melting away as I sipped it. The warmness enveloped my body, and I knew everything would be okay. It sounds corny, but the tea really is that awesome. Then, I truly knew that everything would be okay when the guy looked at my car. Not only did he look at it right away, but he actually had me come over and stand under my car so I could see exactly what was wrong with it. It turned out to be a lot less dramatic than I had feared. A few hours later, I get a call on my office phone. "It's your best friend calling, your mechanic!" It was Mahmoud, calling to tell me the total price of the repair. His total price was *significantly* lower than what the other shop wanted to charge just to diagnose the car. I picked up my car after work and went on my happy way. I've been to Mahmoud one more time since that initial great experience. A plastic piece actually got torn out of my car by the ice (yuck, I know), and it dragged on my way to work. Mahmoud pinned it up as I waited and had just enough time to finish my tea and cookies, and he insisted on charging me $0. No, that's not a typo. Despite saving my butt and warming my tummy, he would not take any money from me. He trusts that I will go back to him to do the full repair when the weather warms up, just like I totally trust Mahmoud! read more

Brought our ailing Honda Civic into Aladdin's a few months back. The muffler was making a horrible noise, and since we had recently driven cross-country, I wanted it checked up on as well. Mahmood quoted about a week to fix all the problems found. Well, the next day he called up and said the car was ready, much to my surprise. The work was all done well and very reasonably billed. When we picked up the car, we sat and chatted with him for almost an hour. Very interesting man with some great artwork as well. Just today, the same car had a loud noise coming from the engine that I couldn't trace. I brought the car in, drank some tea, and Mahmood and his assistant fixed the problem (loose cable pushing up against the alternator) in just a few minutes, for free. Best. Mechanic. Ever. I can't recommend him enough read more

I went there before a trip to Vermont recently for an oil change. He gave me tea and cookies, and generally made me feel like a welcome guest, letting me poke around all the interesting crazy artifacts and tools in the place. He charged me 30 bucks for the oil change (pretty standard), but not only did he change the oil, he filled the tires and all of my various fluid reservoirs, and gave me an electronics diagnostic. A very positive experience. As long as I am in Boston, I'll be going to Aladdin! read more

I recall INC MAGAZINE running a story on Mahmood and Aladdin Auto years ago. I looked it up and INC still has it archived on-line.Here it is for everyone's enjoyment. - SWJ Additionally. Here's a link to Mahmood's Artst's webpage. BE SURE TO check out the "Singing" sublink. Awesome! http://www.mrkart.com/mahmood/index.html By Chris Wright. Copyright 2001 A woman, visibly upset, walks into Aladdin Auto Service Center, in Cambridge, Mass. "Sit down," says owner Mahmood Rezaei-Kama-labad soothingly, as he ushers her to a couch. "Have some tea." The woman, a regular customer, explains that her car's radiator is leaking, and she doesn't know how she will get to work. "You can use your mother's car," says Rezaei-Kamalabad. "It is an old car, but it will get you there. When you are in the desert, old shoes are a gift." He laughs. "Don't worry; I will fix your car. When you have the money, you give it to me." Aladdin -- located in a scruffy, low-slung building nestled between railroad tracks and a housing project -- is an unlikely haven of inner peace. But Rezaei-Kamalabad knows that when cars break down, their owners often do as well. So he gives customers not only wheel alignments but also spiritual tune-ups. "I try in some way to help, to take care of the person, not just the car," he says. BODY WORK AND SOUL: Mahmood Rezaei-Kamalabad tends to the whole customer. Rezaei-Kamalabad, 49, is a mechanic, but he is also an inventor, a science buff, and a deeply spiritual man. As his assistant removes a distributor cap, the repair-shop owner relates homespun parables and gently offers advice, his voice ringing with the cadences of his native Iran. He always, always, offers a cup of tea. And he assures departing customers that God is with them. In the back of the shop is a prayer room, where customers meditate, pray, or read books of poetry or books about religion or popular mechanics. The more adventurous strap themselves into the "Sense of Unity Machine": a large gyroscopic invention of Rezaei-Kamalabad's that he claims establishes inner harmony. Sprinkled about are the steel sculptures that he builds in his spare time. Aladdin services about 35 cars a week and grosses about $120,000 a year, but Rezaei-Kamalabad has no desire to expand. "A garage with 20 lifts has no feeling of who comes and who goes," he says. Rezaei-Kamalabad, by contrast, knows most of his customers inside and out. And they, in turn, are doggedly faithful. "I come here all the time," says Ashrafali Sheikh, who is having his car's oil changed. "He does a very good job. He understands our needs." read more

Taking the car in for repairs has never struck me as an artistic and spiritual experience, but then I had never before brought it here Instead of ordering an expensive part, my car now has a hand forged bracket by a master metal sculptor (total cost of repair $45). And I received a cup of tea and a discourse on peace, Jerusalem and a world unifying Messiah. read more

This auto shop is so tucked away that most of the people who end up at Mahmood's garage found it by chance. "How did you find me?" Mahmood asked. "I Googled you on the Internet" I replied. He had no idea what I meant. And this is just one of things I love about Aladdin. There's the customary tea; there's art; there's talk of love and brotherhood; and there's a quality, affordable repair for your automobile. Mahmood will engage you in conversation, and even get you to talk to anyone else who's waiting around the garage. He is laid-back and fun. But if you don't have enough patience for his casual attention to time when you walk into his shop, then you don't belong there and he wouldn't want to fix your car anyway. But if you do leave your car with him, he gets the job done quickly. If you trust your vibes about people, this is your garage. It makes you realize the true value of a handshake. read more