This was my first time trying Greek Chicken! Drive thru…read moreservice was decent we did have to wait a little while about 5-7 mins after ordering our food but I just assumed it would be worth the wait. The garlic bread was so delicious, maybe my favorite part of this dinner. Chicken flavorful and tender. I was surprised this was considered a whole chicken because the portion definitely seems like 1/4 or 1/2 at most but I asked if it was actually a whole and the woman said yes. It wasn't enough to fill my family of 4 but it was definitely tasty minus the corn on the cob I'm wondering if it was just boiled too long because it lacked flavor and was a bit soggy. I'd definitely order again but maybe try a regular combo next time !

I hate leaving negative reviews, especially for a restaurant that has been my daughter's favorite…read moreplace to eat for years, but this experience was so disappointing that I feel others should know. I placed an online order for my daughter's birthday dinner, which included two whole chicken meals with rice and fried zucchini, a side of hummus, a large Greek salad, and a side of tzatziki. When I arrived, my order was ready, and the employee told me that the chicken and salad were in one bag and the sides were in the other. I was almost home (a 40-minute drive) when I received a call telling me they had forgotten to give me the Greek salad. I had to turn around and drive all the way back to the restaurant to pick it up. What was most disappointing wasn't just the mistake, but how it was handled. There was no apology, no acknowledgment of the inconvenience, and no attempt to make things right. Even a simple "We're sorry" or a small gesture of goodwill would have gone a long way, especially considering it was my daughter's birthday and all of our hot food was getting cold while I made another round trip. When I picked up the salad, I asked for the dressing and was told it had already been added. Unfortunately, when I got home and opened everything, the salad had no dressing at all. We were also given only one small container of ranch for two large orders of fried zucchini. The salad was basically a tray of plain lettuce, and without dressing it wasn't enjoyable. By the time we finally sat down to eat, almost 2 hours had passed since the food had been packed. The hot food was no longer hot, the order was incomplete, and it felt like there was very little care or attention given to getting it right. Mistakes happen, and I understand that. What really disappointed me was the complete lack of customer service after the mistake was discovered. This was supposed to be a special birthday dinner for my daughter, and instead it turned into a frustrating and disappointing experience. Sadly, after this visit, I'm seriously reconsidering whether we'll be coming back.

The food here is so delicious! We just discovered it. you…read morewalk up the the counter and order then your for number to be called then get up and get it. The ambience is so nice n cool and better than most faster foods

I feel bad writing the but I have to!! The manager George left me no choice. I've been a customer…read moreof GreekChicken for the past 30 years. I'm in El Cajon native. Couple weeks ago I ordered from the website my usual order to my bad luck. I was delivered someone else else's food. I called the restaurant and George the manager answered and assured me that this was gonna be taken care of by the way he did not even offer to send me the food that I ordered and paid for which was a lot more expensive than the food that I did not order and I didn't want. When I went to the restaurant to my shop, I was told to go chase my money because I was delivered by a third-party. I don't understand. How is this my problem when they hired that third-party not me all I did was go on the website order the food pay for the fees and the tip and the delivery service charge. I have nothing bad to say about the food. But my issue is with the Managment. I hope this message sees its way to the owner. Sam

I can for the viral Wagyu Shawarma Cheesesteak. It was very tasty with a mix of peppers, onion…read morecheese and sauce. Whatever sauce they used gave it a bit of spiciness. I went at 3:30 pm on a Saturday and was surprised that it was pretty busy at that weird time The sandwich was huge ( probably 12 inch sub) so depending on how hungry you are, you could easily split it. I loved the fries. Whatever seasoning they used gave is perfect

Man I really wanted to like this place due to all the rave reviews. Our first experience was mixed…read morewith some meats being great and others dry beef bits that weren't very tasty or appealing. Our second experience we got the chicken shawarma Brian's way. Everything was cooked well, but I guess although I like pickles, I'm not as big a fan of Mediterranean pickles. The first bite or two were actually good, but subsequent bites the pickle tanginess was overwhelming and just not so pleasant as I finished it. I thought maybe I'll get it without the pickles next time. However, after eating I got an unexpected headache that usually comes from ingestion of MSG. The fries were tasty... maybe there was MSG in those? Not sure. I've honestly had much better phenomenal shawarma in San Joes CA. I have yet to find a great Shawarma here in San Diego. Feel free to recommend.

Excellent experience from start to finish! The food was delicious, fresh, and full of flavor. The…read moreservice was outstanding--everyone was friendly, attentive, and made us feel welcome. The atmosphere was great and made the whole experience even better. You can tell they really care about the quality of their food and their customers. We had a great time and will definitely be coming back. Highly this place to anyone looking for great food and excellent service!

I love Middle Eastern food, something about kebabs and shawarma with rice and hummus that I love…read more So I make it a point to try virtually every middle eastern restaurant I come across, especially in downtown San Diego and El cajon. If you want to save yourself a lot of time and trouble, Skip all the others and just head to sahara! I've been coming to Sahara in El cajon for the past 10 years or so and have always loved the food here. They're shawarma is so tender and flavorful, so are the kebabs and the chicken cream chop. Love their garlic aioli and hummus. The employees who work here are very friendly and helpful and the restaurant is clean and inviting. Check out Sahara taste of the Middle East and find out what you've been missing.

This is one of the best spots to get middle eastern food. I like getting their entrees which comes…read morewith rice and salad. All the meat options are good but my favorite is the beef kabob or the chicken kabob. The lamb tikka can sometimes be dry but the smoky flavor is very nice. I also really like their falafel, it's not as dense as falafels you find in Americanized spots. You can really taste the herbs and paired with their tahina dipping sauce, it's amazing. Of course I have to mention their portion sizes. For the price you're paying and the amount of food/quality of food you're getting, it's such a good deal and hard to beat. It has been one of my favorite and reliable spots to eat in San Diego. The servers are all very friendly. Sometimes they expect you to know what you want right away but I think that's because they get a lot of regular customers who do know what they already want. The ambiance is very casual and it's definitely a spot for families to gather for a comforting meal. Just a note, they won't serve you tap water so if you're not willing to pay for bottled water, I suggest bringing your own water bottle. Not really a downside for me but just a heads up for others. Don't let deter you from trying this amazing place out though!!!

I ordered a shawarma sandwich, but instead I received a shawarma plate cut into pieces (Arabic…read morestyle). When I politely explained to the cashier that I had ordered a sandwich, not the cut-up version, her response was extremely rude and unprofessional. She said, "Okay, just eat it. It's going down your throat anyway. Same sandwich, same taste." I have never seen this cashier before, so I assume she may be new. I don't know her name, but her attitude toward customers was completely unacceptable. The owner later spoke with me and apologized, which I genuinely appreciate. My complaint is not about the owner or the food, but about the cashier's disrespectful attitude. My advice to management: When hiring new cashiers or employees, please make sure they understand basic customer service and how to speak respectfully to customers. If someone is in a bad mood and cannot treat customers properly, they should not bring that attitude to work.

Food was amazing! Everything was fresh and recently made! Pita was especially good! The chicken was…read moreso tasty and the rice was perfection! Good macros if you are a gym guy like me. Recommended

Best Gyros in El Cajon. Friendly, helpful staff, always clean, big menu with lots of options…read more Generous portions and a favorable price point. Great parking too.

I was told this is the best place for Mediterranean in town by a very nice man on a plane ride home…read moreto San Diego. I think they are specifically an Iraqi style restaurant. Not quite casual, a little fancy but not really elevated dining or anything. Nice ambiance and polite, attentive service. We ordered the spreads combo platter that came with spicy Turkish baba ganoush, regular baba ganoush, hummus, and tzatziki. It was served with piping hot pita. This was delicious, worth coming for on its own. It was my first time having Turkish baba ganoush, it was delicious! The hummus and tzatziki were excellent. I especially love the addition of a unique crunchy garnish for each dip; chickpeas on the hummus, olives on the Turkish baba ganoush, pomegranate seeds on the baba ganoush, and coarser chopped cucumber in the tzatziki. Presentation is also beautiful, with all the color and each dip smoothed in a nice pattern. My only wish is that the baba ganoush is a little smokier. We also had the Ney classic grill which came with beef shawarma, beef skewer, chicken skewer, 2 lamb kofta, and breaded chicken. The menu claims this serves 2-3, but we probably only ate half between 4 relatively light eaters after our spread combo. I really enjoyed the shawarma; the chicken and filet mignon is a little light on the seasoning but the flavor is otherwise good; the kofta could be more tender in my opinion. I rarely see chicken cream chop in grill platters, but it was well executed. The platter also comes with pickles and rice and biryani, all of who I enjoyed. The biryani comes with almonds and raisins and everything has a nice sumac flavor. They also include garlic sauce and tahini; the garlic is really punchy. The jalapeno was crazy spicy. Everything is served on a bed of lavash, but it gets a little soggy under all the meat. If I were to give feedback, I would prefer the shawarma a little less salty and the grilled filet mignon and chicken a little more salty. Not sure why it's so disparate. For the amount of food, the price is very reasonable for a seated dining experience. One note is that they really blast the AC, so dress a little on the warmer side if you run cold. Come with 4-6+ people, order the spreads platter and the grill platter, and enjoy!

I loved this place! The night before coming here for takeout, I had Mediterranean food down at…read moreSeaport Village. It was tasty and satisfying... but this place BLEW MY MIND. The moment I walked in, I was warmly greeted and asked if I wanted a table for one. I said no, I was hoping to order takeout, and she kindly invited me to sit at the bar while I looked over the menu. Right away, the atmosphere felt welcoming, beautiful, and relaxed. I ordered my food, sipped my water, and honestly didn't think I had ordered that much. Then she came out with multiple filled brown bags of food! First of all, the prices were amazing. Second... the food was TOP NOTCH and completely different from what I had the night before. Everything was packed with flavor without being overloaded with salt. Fresh, vibrant, rich, and incredibly satisfying. The waitress/hostess was knowledgeable, friendly, and gave great recommendations on what to try. You can tell the staff truly cares about the experience. I will absolutely be back the next time I visit San Diego again. And not that I recommend eating while driving ... but the next day on my drive back to Ventura County, I spread out my leftovers and happily snacked on hummus, baba ghanoush, and dolma all the way home. That alone says everything about how good this place was.

I've been here twice now and both were really great experiences. Staff were friendly and super…read morehelpful, and the food was so delicious. Lots of seating and it was cool to see there's outdoor seating as well. Ended up with the boiled eggs breakfast plate (everything so good) and finally tried the sucuklu yumurta which was quite filling. It is a bit pricey, but the food was well worth it. Thanks so much!

We came here on Sunday noon time to grab some lunch. Place…read morewas super empty from the inside and outside. We got our furry friend, so we were sitting outside. And what can I tell you, the place was soooo dusty and there was some garbage on the floor and it could fly away to the table every time there is a wind. I have to clean the dusty table by myself as well!!! In the quite restaurant like this and we are the only customer, come on, even attentive service we didn't get at all. Menu also doesn't include price and contains very minimum info. So fast forward we ordered sucuk (turkish sausage) w/ egg and some turkish breakfast assortment (note that they only serve breakfast menu despite the restaurant mention 'Grill') and the menu was SO pricey. Each of the simple menu, it costs roughly $25, where you may get around $5-$10 cheaper. Will I come back! Big NO

Every time we like mediterranean food, Ali Baba is our first choice. food is great, service is good…read moreand the staff is friendly.

Haven't been here in years, decided to take a trip to El Cajon to have lunch at this mom and pop…read moremiddle eastern restaurant with my mom and pop. They definitely invest their time on the taste of their food and serving large portion sizes instead of fancy tables and decor. It's not upscale fine dining... the interioir looks the exact same for past decade. Although a little dated the place is very clean and fits large or small groups. Not a date night spot -- more a friends and family stuff your face kind of place. They have a dedicated parking lot with plenty of spots. We ordered a ton of food to share. Half roasted chicken with side of fatoush salad, beef kabob plate with side of rice, lamb tikka with side of fries, a large plate of hummus, and an order of falafel (Best Falafel in SoCal). EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS! I personally didn't like the lamb tikka but everyone else destroyed that plate. We ordered a pot of black tea (mint flavored) and they brought our large pieces of steaming hot fresh bread. Service was very friendly and fast. They modified any order to your liking. They also thanked us for coming and meant it when they said it -- Mom and Pop shops are The Best! Highly Recommend if you're looking for good quality middle eastern food with large portions.

Me and my wife moved to San Diego last year August and always wondered why the lines were long…read more Finally decided to see what the fuss was about and man! The food is delicious! We always get the full chicken meal and it's so much food to where I always take for lunch the following day! The food is amazing the people are nice and it's so nice and clean inside. 10/10!

I have always loved the Greek chicken here, which makes writing this review incredibly…read moredisappointing. I went through the drive-thru and specifically ordered dark meat from the guy who took my order. Because it was a drive-thru order, I didn't think to open up the containers and check the chicken before pulling away. Unfortunately, when I got all the way home, I discovered they gave me white meat instead. The customer service at the window didn't make the situation any better. A different girl handed me my food, and she gave off a vibe that she really didn't care to be working there at all. When I called the store to report the mistake, the assistant manager just told me to drive all the way back so they could change it. While I understand that's standard procedure, it's incredibly inconvenient to have to make a second trip and let the rest of your lunch get cold just because the staff couldn't get a simple request right the first time. The food is usually worth it, but the lack of basic attention to detail and indifferent customer service ruined my lunch. Check your boxes before you drive away!