I've lived in San Diego my whole life and regret not finding this place sooner. The food is chefs kiss . Service is quick and polite. I ordered my food to go but then quickly changed my mind. The atmosphere in Darband Restaurant is next level. Everything is clean and polished. They obviously know what's up. read more

Darband Restaurant - Shish Kabob and Koobideh combo plate. - Persian/Iranian Near Me - San Diego, California

I am a Persian traveling through San Diego with my American wife and children, looking for good Persian food. What we liked: prices were reasonable, and we had a variety of combination kebabs that were all authentic and tasted good. What we didn't care for: atmosphere has a cafeteria vibe - water was served in paper cups). I liked our Persian server (guessing he was the owner) but unfortunately, I was less than impressed with the service. No-one came to check on us after we ordered; had to flag the staff for water, ask for our missing salad, and ask for a to-go box. I would definitely order takeout from this place but not recommend for dine in, especially if you are looking for a warm and welcoming restaurant. read more

Darband Restaurant - Combination kabob dinner - Persian/Iranian Near Me - San Diego, California

We tried this place while visiting San Diego. They have a pretty big menu with different types of kabobs, pizza and sandwiches. We tried the Darband special which comes with 3 skewers: chicken kabob, koobideh and chenjeh served with rice, tomatoes and peppers. Everything was decent. I also really liked that they have a complimentary tea station. It's self service so you can just help yourself to a hot fresh cup of tea. read more

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Ordered over the phone for lunch and it was ready when I picked it up. The koobideh and beef kabob had a nice smoky flavor and char to it. It's a little on the pricey side but the portion is so large and heavy that I split it into 2 meals. Solid lunch, would come again! read more

Darband Restaurant - 31. Shish and Koobideh Platter - Persian/Iranian Near Me - San Diego, California

When we got off in San Diego I was like oh we're having persian kebabs for lunch. Darband was the closest to the cruise port and our hotel. It's unassuming and not the fanciest, but when it comes to Persian, I don't want fancy. I want perfect rice and flavorful kebabs. We enjoyed Darband so much we ordered it for takeout the next night! read more

Pretty good Persian food but the kebabs are not juicy or mouthwatering "melt in your mouth" types of kabobs I have tried at other Persian restaurants. Overall the place is clean, with ample seating and close to the airport which makes it super convenient for travelers. Their lentil soup is damn good! Their adas palao was mid and could be better. Service is decent usually cashier is the one bringing out the food as well. Again I recommend it but it's not the absolute best Persian food - it is good and consistent. read more

I had the chicken Kano plate. It came with your choice of a salad, hummus, or 2 other options. The chicken was moist. The rice was delicious - almost buttery-like. The service was alright. It was more like order up front and they bring your dish. It's a large restaurant but kinda dead inside. read more

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Darband Restaurant is a slice of community in downtown San Diego where the staff and the frequent customers greet one another like family. Head over for a good plate of Persian food and steaming cups of tea. I walked in on an evening where several groups of people had come together to socialize over heaping plates of food and many cups of tea. The restaurant was polished and refined, the people were amicable, and I felt like I was taking a seat in someone's home. The staff was great in helping me figure out what I was in the mood for, and I ordered a koobideh kabob. While I waited for my food to arrive, I watched other patrons get up and help themselves to cups to tea at the tea station. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, they say. I got myself a cup of tea while I waited. It felt like hospitality! My koobideh kabob arrived, served with a generous helping of basmati rice. The koobideh kabob was delicious. The ground beef skewers were seasoned, well-done, and juicy. The charbroiled tomato and pepper were delicious and tender. I enjoyed the fluffy basmati rice which was accented by the delicate, floral notes of the saffron spice. On the side, I dipped the bread in the maust o khiar, the cool cucumber mint yogurt. And the tea was strong and bold. This dinner was very filling, and I was happy to stay awhile and enjoy my meal. I'll certainly stop by Darband when I'm in town again. read more

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The owner was a polite and nice person but the food quality was not good. The restaurant was decorated in an igly way. The dishes were ugly. Water was given in a paper cup so in general I got the feeling of being in restaurants of small cities of Iran. read more

always great quality food and service is awesome, dosent matter how close to closing time i go they always welcoming and always tables and place is cleaned! definitely recommend their chenje and sultani with most musir. thank you read more

Darband Restaurant - Persian/Iranian Near Me - San Diego, California

We just stopped by here for some Persian food while visiting San Diego. The food was amazing. The service was great. The prices were very fair considering where ever I've gone most Persian dishes are always 50$ or more. The ambiance was great too, very Persian vibes and a huge space. Would be nice to rent out the upstairs for a Persian tea party! read more

Darband Restaurant - Persian/Iranian Near Me - San Diego, California

Darband has an interesting but slightly disjointed atmosphere, with a modern interior and a Persian store tucked in the middle, giving it an eclectic feel that doesn't quite come together. On the menu, the maast moosir was decent but unremarkable, and they only offer bottled doogh rather than a house-made version, which is a miss for a Persian restaurant. The food overall lands somewhere in the middle, not bad but not memorable either. The best way to describe it: it's the kind of quick, functional Persian food you'd grab on the go in Iran, rather than the carefully prepared, flavorful cooking that Persian cuisine is capable of at its best. If you're craving solid Persian food, it'll do in a pinch, but it probably won't be the meal you're thinking about the next day. read more

Super generous portions. Everything is well seasoned and authentically Persian. Beautifully appointed restaurant. Attentive staff. Broad and inspired menu. Extended hours of operation. Definitely worth checking out. read more

Darband Restaurant - 30. Chicken And Shish Kabob Platter - Persian/Iranian Near Me - San Diego, California

Excellent and authentic Persian food! Service was great and the ambience was very nice. Highly recommend. read more

In town for comic con and wanted to introduce my brother to Persian food. So glad we found this place! Food was incredible, service was great! Will absolutely return. read more

Hi, y'all used to be fabulous, but the amount of bread you give with your to-go orders, the large hummus and other sides is the same amount you give with a small side of hummus, it's definitely not enough and what's the point of having a large hummus with such a small amount of bread. Now I have to go to the market for bread just to enjoy this. Figure it out. read more

The restaurant is conveniently located near Little Italy in San Diego downtown. Place is nice and with enough room to fit large groups without any issue. Service is fast and very friendly. Staff is looking for you to have a nice time at restaurant. Prices are also very reasonable. Food Portions and taste is very good. Highly recommended. Definitely a place to visit if you like this kind of food. read more

So delicious food and great atmosphere. Had the lamb chops and green rice. Super good. Once you try will definitely be a place to keep coming back to. read more

This placeee is huge and you wont even believe it. I love the interior design of this restaurant, it brings an authentic Iranian vibe to San Diego. Starting with host she was very sweet and helpful. The "tahdig" as an appetizer comes in a huge portion and I loved the Gheimeh stew. The beef wrap sandwich was sooo good. Although, it was busy, everyone tried to assist us with every single requests we had. I appreciate the good service, good food, and great price of Darband Restaurant . read more

Very modern and easy to drive by, as it's not a corner restaurant, but more so in the middle of a busy city block. As for the food, order online or by phone. Once you place your order, the food is served pretty quickly. Placing my to go order in person took much longer than the food. The meats and veggies are very flavorful, moist and tender. Try the house-made hot sauce, very delicious. read more

Stumbled upon this Persian restaurant in San Diego . Service and food were quite good. Chicken and beef were especially tender and great flavor . Highly recommend read more

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the food was excellent and very reasonably priced. i had the chicken and beef kabobs, salad and a few other dishes. read more

Food is good but I was overcharged, management did nothing about it. Took my phone number and name and never followed up. I say triple check receipts and change if you pay in cash. read more

Excellent food with bold flavors, generous portions, and great service. The grilled dishes and rice were especially delicious. Highly recommended for authentic Middle Eastern dining! read more

Since starting work in downtown Columbia last month, I've made a habit of taking lunchtime walks. During one of those walks, I stumbled upon this Persian eatery and mentally bookmarked it for the day a craving hit. Well, today was that day. It's a casual, pay-at-the-counter spot with more of a cafeteria feel--definitely not the Persian-style ambiance you might expect. I originally planned to try their Thursday special, Khoresh Bademjan, an eggplant dish, but was told they had no eggplant or veggie dishes left... at 12:30, right in the middle of lunch rush. So, I went with the Koobideh Kabob instead. It was okay--nothing mind-blowing, but decent. read more

Food is 10/10 Tea is 7/10 The restaurant food is very god but surprisingly it's very empty. The ambience is not so lively and they can add some more music and make it warmer. Overall, because their food is good I recommend it. It's good for meetings with groups and friends. read more

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I love going to this restaurant to get my Persian food fix. I always get the Darband Special. It includes chicken, steak, koobideh, saffron rice, and grilled veggies. This dish hits the spot everytime. I always get good service there. They recently moved from a smaller location in downtown San Diego to a much larger location. read more

Darband Restaurant - Darband Special - Persian/Iranian Near Me - San Diego, California

I give them 1star because of the following: I ordered chenge and rice Baghali polo and chicken The rice was definitely leftover from yesterday, the limes and salad tasted old We asked them to turn on the AC while today's temp was 85 degree, they told me owner doesn't allow us to do it. read more

Late dinner date was perfect having some Persian food, everything was delicious starting with the lentil soup and bread and yoghurt After we tried the tenderloin and chicken with rice and roasted tomatoes portions are generous so be prepared to take some home. Service was good everybody was very friendly and attentive The location is great right in the little Italy neighborhood beautiful decor and ambiance read more

Visited Darband with a group of 5 friends. It wasn't crowded, so getting a table was pretty smooth. We ordered a few appetizers which were very yummy. I ordered the boneless chicken kebab and it was pretty good. Not dry and seasoned well. They do give you alot of rice with each dish. They do not sell alcohol but have options of canned/bottled soda and carbonated waters. The only complaint I have was it did take time to track down our server, even though it wasn't crowded. It took a while to have someone check on us and take away dirty dishes which was kinda annoying. read more

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The beef wasn't fresh at all maybe for a week ago And they didn't want to change it even read more

Scouted out this spot from yelp, it's an absolute gem. Not only was the service beyond hospitable, but the food was amazing. The ghormeh sabzi pizza was a must-try as well as the chenjeh kabob plate, all the food was very fresh and flavorful. Overall very tasty dinner and new staple for when I visit San Diego!! read more

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It was our first time recently and we loved it!! Delicious food and great portions for the cost, we got the beef and salmon combo and the Tahdeeg and eggplant dip. All so incredible! We will be back soon! read more

Disrespectful restaurant blasting music disrespecting their neighbors. Also terribly dry food with bland dry rice. read more

Below average food, very poor service. Afghan, not Persian. Kitchen staff argued with servers in Dari (Afghani) constantly.

This place has clearly changed ownership from the last location. The food has zero flavor now and the yogurt dip I ordered is not yogurt. I don't know what it is cuz it's oily and light brown. Pretty gross. I honestly have never had Persian food this tastelesss before. Sucks read more

Darband Restaurant - No taste - Persian/Iranian Near Me - San Diego, California

Nice modern restaurant in downtown. Plenty of seating. Open late. I ordered a combo of the beef and chicken with rice. Everything was delicious and they give huge portions which is nice. read more

The worst food ever. The chicken barg kabob was not saffron it was food coloring. Koobideh was awful as well. Not fresh at all. Not recommended!!! read more

Walking in, this place didn't seem like anything special. They have a huge dining area (2 floors) with minimal decor. But, what they may lack in vibe, they make up for with the food. The food here is superb and there's a reason this restaurant has so many great reviews! We started with hummus that is served with their lavash bread. They do not serve pita bread. The hummus was excellent. A very large portion that was so smooth and tasty. During lunch, they have lunch special options. I ordered the Salmon plate. It came with a large salad as well as rice and tender, juicy pieces of salmon. Everything was cooked so well! The spices were perfection and the portions were enormous! Food comes out very quickly! We were pressed for time, but were so impressed by how quickly our food came. Great restaurant! read more

We randomly found this restaurant after a long trip and decided to go there for dinner--and we really enjoyed it! We ordered a few types of kebabs, some gheymeh stew, Shirazi salad, mast-o-musir, and lentil soup. Everything was amazing and super delicious, and the staff were so friendly. It's a really clean and cozy place. Definitely give it a try--you won't regret it! read more

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