I had an absolutely amazing experience at Cafe Naderi, and a huge part of that was thanks to Sara. From the moment we walked in, she made us feel genuinely welcomed with her warm smile, positive energy and incredibly respectful. Always anticipating what we needed before we even had to ask. If you're going to Cafe Naderi, ask for Sara, you'll understand exactly what excellent service looks like. read more

I ordered chicken kebab to go, but when I got home, it was nothing like a proper Persian chicken kebab. The chicken had almost no flavor and tasted like it had never been marinated. It seemed as if it was only seasoned with salt and pepper, with none of the traditional spices or marinade that make Persian chicken kebab so delicious. I called the restaurant hoping to speak with the manager, but the employee who answered refused to let me speak with them and was very rude. Instead of trying to resolve the issue, I was treated disrespectfully. The food quality was disappointing, and the customer service was even worse. Unfortunately, I won't be coming back, and I cannot recommend this restaurant based on my experience. read more

Cafe Naderi - Supposed to be jojeh kebab but not - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Irvine, California

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I'm so glad we tried this place today. The food is very good. The staff (I think they were the owners) were warm and welcoming. They made sure we had everything we needed, and patiently explained the food to us. We ordered our food with half salad and half rice for no additional charge. My mom had the lamb kebabs, which were fork-tender, popping with flavor. They were the best lamb kebabs I've ever had. I had the gheymeh stew. The flavor was less exciting (still good), but the eggplant and beef melted in my mouth. Our rice was topped with a pinkish crispy cracker that tasted like rice. Maybe it was a variation of tahdig. The salad was fresh and came with a nice dressing. We also had some of the house-made yogurt, which was hearty and refreshing. The space was well-lit and the open door kept it well ventilated. Videos of rural Persian cooking played on the TV. The walls were tastefully decorated with maps and photographs giving visitors a taste of Persian culture and history. If we didn't arrive at a lull in foot traffic, the noise might have been overwhelming for my mother, who is sensitive. Overall, we had a great experience and I will definitely be back! read more

Just super delicious and original! Forgot to mention that there are no additives . We will go shopping groceries right next door. Excellent variation of international foods and produce read more

I had the best Kabob Torsh here. The beef was very flavorful and juicy and it was super tender. This dish can be hard to get right. I was truly impressed with the lean beef, the marinate, and the doneness. It came with a good portion of rice and tah dig. The Baghali Polo and lamb shank was also very delicious. We ordered their homemade dough (yogurt drink) and zeytoon parvardeh (marinated olives) which were also super, and I got some extra to take home! My family tried their Beryooni but unfortunately the verdict wasn't as good on that one. I will go back again until I try everything else! The staff were friendly women, which I appreciated. Be mindful that they don't have a restroom though, and they charge 18% tip by default on every dine-in order, even though you have to order at the counter. Because tipping should be optional (while it is best practice and expected in most places), this didn't seem quite right. It made me wonder if it was their response to a less than ideal tipping situation and the cost of running their business, or simply their approach. read more

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So good, 1st time here and want to come back when I am in the area; great cafe ambiance, big windows to let in the sunlight, relaxing acoustic music; authentic food that is delicious! Nice place to eat a meal alone relaxed without feeling pressured. Finished my whole meal without disliking anything. Good balance of meat/seasoning, rice, and salad to refresh the palate. Good portion servings for the price, is pretty reasonable. Fresh whole ingredients and friendly staff. My waitress was so sweet, kept checking in on me. A nice little tucked away corner for a great experience :) read more

Cafe Naderi - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Irvine, California

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The food itself is great. The menu we found a bit overwhelming but once you weed through it it's not so difficult to decide what sounds interesting. We ended up going with the dip sampler: the eggplant dishes were so interesting but I was fascinated by the chicken and potato salad mix. I wasn't expect that at all and it worked so well. And they were pretty plentiful for three separate dishes. We also grabbed the baghali polo & lamb, which ultimately was pretty fine. Good amount of meat but not so memorable. Ultimately, however we found the wait time difficult. Despite them having a very normal amount of customers, we probably waited 50 minutes for either of the dishes to arrive. After it did, we weren't given the dishware/napkin setup that other tables had, which was also a bit of a bummer. read more

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Terrible customer service. The staff were rude, cold, and completely uninterested in treating customers with basic respect. No greeting, no smile, and they ignored simple courtesy throughout the interaction. The food might bring people in, but the attitude of the employees is enough to make them never come back. Management should seriously pay attention to how customers are treated because this level of service is unacceptable. read more

Located next to Wholesome Choice market. This place was busy when we came. Even though only half of the indoor/outdoor seating was taken, the food took a while to come out. They have Persian ice cream and various desserts. The server was attentive and friendly to our kids. Queen Kabob combo- Beef Koobideh and Chicken Kabob was the highlight for me. The chicken was so tender and flavorful. Chicken sandwich (#31)- packed w plenty of chicken. Fries were ok. Would definitely come back again especially since it's near our favorite playgrounds and love the market next door. read more

Cafe Naderi - Queen Kabob, chicken sandwhich - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Irvine, California

Sandwiches are not fresh and they are not using a good quantity.I ordered tongue and their special sandwich both of them were super salty.They add too much salt to cover the bad quality.Horrible!Do not order sandwiches there if you have craving for nice Persian sandwich.I returned my sandwich and they said they can't refund my money and 10 mins later the waitress told me she tried and noting was salty! Basically the employee didn't care at all.Poor customer service. There are bunch of other Persian restaurants that you can try and see the differences. read more

Cafe Naderi - Super salty nasty low quality sandwich - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Irvine, California

Came here at around 3pm lunch time after finding this place on yelp. Cafe Naderi is located next to Wholesome choice and is prime location in irvine in my opinion. Smack next to UCI, in the hub where students , grandmas, and friends can call congregate and eat some Persian Food. As I was walking near the Cafe, the undeniable whiff of kabab filled the air and like the cartoon ratatouille, its hard not to get hypnotized by the smell and swing on by. I initially wanted to order a Koobieh sandwich, or chicken something to go. But, this girl cant eat Persian food without testing the waters and judging hard. IYKYK! Instead, i decided to order the Beef koobieh kabab, which is the most basic there is. If this place cant make a decent koobideh, then they are in trouble. To make it more interesting, i also ordered the Soltani and on both decided to get 1/2 rice and 1/2 salad. I realize at $55.00 for 2 plates its a bit much, but ill know my gage of the place by eating these two plates and that will determine if i come back. I was told at least 20 min wait time, no problem. I decided to sit inside the cafe and listen to persian music and feel out the vibe. The vibe is a good one. Bustling with persian and non-persian patrons. Thats a good sign. Seeing grandmas here, also a good sign because if the place sucks, they will be be scarce. Inside has a small amount of seating, id say about 12 tables but for the space its enough. There is a few outside seats as well. I can guess , ordering to go might be best for the UCI, IVC students. Came home and was blown away at the steak tenderness of the soltani. Wow! Juicy, tender, not burnt perfect! The tomato was perfect . Thats where it stops short. The koobideh was a bit different. Not bad, just different in taste, texture. I liked the soltani better. The rice could have been cooked better /fluffier. Texture was off. If they would have provided lavash bread, and sabzi i would rank it higher. All you get is one 1/4 onion, 1 small butter and somagh, and salt/pepper packet and you are on your own. WTH? Overall, would i go out of my way to dine here? Probably not. There are other solid options at the same price point that id go to, that give better value and quality/quantity for what you pay for and what you get. Ex. Bahar, Mission Ranch Market, heaven on a fork. To name a few. If you are in the neighborhood , id come here. Maybe ill try one of their sandwiches and update my review. Thats a big "IF". Over all solid 3/5 read more

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We ordered for take out and the ladies working there were all so sweet! They offered a scoop of Persian ice cream to our toddler while we waited for our food! The beef kabobs were tender and juicy. We were most impress with the chicken (boneless) kabob because it was so moist and flavorful! We'll definitely be back when craving kaboodehs! This little cafe is literally next to Wholesome Food market. Parking is plentiful! read more

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Great food cozy atmosphere reasonable prices their kebabs are fresh and juicy Convenient location next to the Persian market wholesome choice read more

We ordered 2 plates of the queen platter. I wanted to order one extra kabob but they don't sell kabobs separate from a plate. The staff told me they would still charge the same as a plate if I wanted just the kabob. Service is a little slow, perhaps because they were also grilling up for larger to-go orders. It took around 30 mins for our food to come out. Would I come here again? Maybe not 100% sure. There are other Persian restaurants nearby to try out read more

Cafe Naderi - Queen Kabob plate - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Irvine, California

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Unfortunately, this restaurant was a major disappointment, especially considering the prices. We tried several dishes, including the fish and the BARG, and were let down across the board. Both of the rice plates had an off, almost moldy taste -- it was hard to tell how long they had been sitting out, and the oils used clearly didn't taste fresh, possibly canola or worse. For the quality of the food, the prices feel completely unjustified. Honestly, you could walk next door and get similar, if not slightly better, food for half the cost. Given the combination of high prices and underwhelming flavors, I cannot recommend this restaurant. Very disappointing. read more

Cafe Naderi - Barg - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Irvine, California

This place is amazing!! Quality service and very generous portions for each entree. The food is cooked to perfection. I have to be honest I wasn't that hungry when I came but when I saw the food I was overtaken with the overall look and smell of the food. Definitely recommend!! Also the pricing in my opinion is very generous. I saw this restaurant on a delivery app for my neighborhood favorite place and I can definitely see why people love it. Thank you Maryam for your service you are the best read more

Cafe Naderi - The food is cooked to perfection - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Irvine, California

Delicious food and great customer service. Leila M was super nice and freindly. No waiting read more

Café Naderi is one of those rare places that truly feels special. As a pilot, I travel a lot and experience many restaurants and cafés in different cities, but this is one of the places I always make sure to visit whenever I travel to Los Angeles. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, the food is consistently delicious, and the quality is always impressive. Everything from the flavors to the presentation shows real care and authenticity. The staff are friendly and professional, which makes the experience even more enjoyable. Café Naderi is not just a restaurant; it's a place you want to come back to again and again. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates great food and a memorable dining experience. read more

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Delicious Persian food. The tomato and eggs are amazing too. The tea was perfect also. I highly recommend this place for middle eastern food. Come here and you won't regret it. read more

Cafe Naderi - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Irvine, California

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Best Persian food in with very reasonable pricing Orange County. Very polite and professional staff.

This place is phenomenal. I love Persian food, and having been to many Persian restaurants, one complaint is that most restaurants generally have the same standardized menu. Cafe Naderi, on the other hand, offers items that you'll find at almost no other Persian restaurant. Their menu offerings are innovative, their food is scrumptious, and staff confirmed everything is halal. For these reasons, I highly recommend Cafe Naderi. I had a Persian restaurant classic, the beef soltani. The barg was absolutely spectacular. It smashed all my expectations, and it's unique compared to other kabob bargs I've had. So tender, so flavorful. The koobideh that it comes with was good, but ordinary. It's the barg that really stole the show here. This is an expensive dish, at around $35, and I think it was definitely worth it. I also had the kashk o bademjoon here, and it too was top notch. In terms of ambience and service, it's important to recognize this is a hole in the wall. The attraction here is the remarkably delicious food, not the service or ambience. You order at the cashier, and they bring you your food. This isn't some fancy place with waiters walking around. There are no waiters. When I ordered, there wasn't even an option to leave a tip. But to me, that's all part of the charm of this place. In short, I highly recommend this place, and I'm excited to go back and try more from their menu. read more

I've only had pomegranate Soltani while traveling in Europe, so I was excited to find it here--and it didn't disappoint. The flavors brought back great memories. The koobideh was also moist, tender, and full of flavor--one of the highlights of the meal. The only downside was the chicken. It lacked flavor and seemed to have no saffron or seasoning at all, which was surprising given how well everything else was prepared. Overall, a great experience with standout dishes--I'd definitely return, but probably skip the chicken next time. read more

Cafe Naderi - Chicken - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Irvine, California

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The restaurant has a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. The food quality is excellent and the prices are very reasonable. We ordered the Gheymeh Nesar, and it was honestly one of the best I've had outside of an Iranian restaurant -- a generous portion, easily enough for two people. We also tried the Haleem, which was very tasty and flavorful. Highly recommended! read more

We were at Wholesome Choice selling something for Cub Scouts and ended around lunchtime. I had walked over to Cafe Naderi earlier to check it out and the food looked delicious. We ended up ordering the Queen Plate (chicken and steak kebabs), and my husband got the steak I think. We sat outside and they gave us a number. The food was brought out in a few minutes on these giant metal plates and was plated beautifully. The meat was tender and the rice was plentiful. They came and checked on us and asked if everything was good. We had spilled some rice and I was cleaning it up, but they said not to worry about it and they will take care of it. They were really attentive and seemed like a small business. We will definitely return! read more

Great food and customer service . Many thanks to Sara joon, you are amazing Best service read more

Cafe Naderi - Persian hot tea - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Irvine, California

Absolutely one of the best food places! The food was incredibly delicious and I believe made with fresh ingredients _ every bite was full of amazing flavor. The staff was very polite and professional. Highly recommended -- I will definitely be coming back! read more

This was my second time I went there with friend of mine.The first time I ordered some appetizers and they put too much salt and I told them.This time we ordered sandwiches and kashkbademjan both were salty.The bread was nasty. I explained to the workers and they didn't care.Not recommended. read more

We catered from here for our daughter's birthday party. Food was good and delivery was on time. Price is a bit high, but I understand that costs are high now. We did have to make a couple things at home to supplement. Overall, we would order again from a party of similar size. read more

I will definitely be coming back. Highly recommended for anyone looking for good food, great service, and a wonderful atmosphere.

Cafe Naderi has one if the delicious Persian food in Cali...The food quality and taste is nostalgia. The service is very pleasant. People who work here are very welcoming and friendly and every bite will take you back to Iran's street and kitchen. The ambiance is chill and the smell of food specially Saffron make it very different experience! They have shole zard and bastani sonati ready to go! Also, there is a big parking lot outside. It's always bery crowded! read more

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Our first day to visit this Cafe/restaurant just yesterday, amazing staff, they are super friendly and welcoming, the siting area is small but its very clean, they also have outside tables. The food woow, we had Gheyme Nesar that was outstanding delicious, we also has Ash and Kashge bademjon that was excellent. I really recommend this restaurant as you would looove the food. read more

Cafe Naderi - Gheyme Nesar - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Irvine, California

Leyla was the best server! This was my first time here. It is a small quaint Cafe. You order at the counter and they bring the food to your table. I love that it is an authentic Persian experience with Persian music and all. My favorite was The Naderi kabob plate. The kabob barg is delicious too. My sons favorite ice cream was the blueberry ice cream. My husbands favorite ice cream was the caramel ice cream. The choleh zard (saffron rice pudding) was a family favorite too. Thank you Leyla! read more

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The food was incredible but the real highlight was the kindness of the staff, particularly Bahar who was so sweet and helpful. We will be back! read more

Hidden gem! We ordered the Kaleh Pacheh soup which was super hearty and authentic! We also had both the saffron rice pudding and saffron ice cream and both were delicious! Staff is very friendly and hospitable as well. Will definitely be back again to try the rest on the menu! read more

Cafe Naderi - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Irvine, California

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I ordered Briani, I received a round kotlet with ambiguous taste! It's not Briani. Briani is mixed of chicken and rice or beef and rice little bit spicy! read more

I used to get food from Cafe Naderi, and my order was kaleh pacheh. Unfortunately, when I picked up my food, the bread they gave me was insufficient. Then, they offered me sangak bread for an extra $7, while the total price of sangak at wholesome Choice store is only $3.99. When I brought the food home and started eating, I found something in it--I'm not sure if it was a hair or something else. But as you can see in the picture below, I found it in my food. I absolutely do not recommend this restaurant. The food quality is extremely poor. read more

Cafe Naderi - Hair in my food - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Irvine, California

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We are visitors from a different city and decided to try it out. The staff and owner were extremely friendly and service was excellent. The dessert selection was amazing and we had the shole zard (yellow rice) very very good, the rollette (excellent), and puft balls (very good). We had the soltani, fish, and meat stew. All were excellent. and I also had the pache (lamb feet).... really happy they serve this 7 days a week!!! read more

Loved our experience at Café Naderi. The food was great and everything was wonderful. Leila V was so sweet and helpful and really made our visit memorable. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

- really good persian food - welcoming and 10/10 service that go above and beyond - chill vibes read more

Cafe Naderi - really good persian Beef Koobideh with Mixed Rice - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Irvine, California

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Great food & service. Leila M. is a rockstar! We'll be back here again soon. She's always very positive & fun.