Very nice ambiance! The store was full of desserts from wall to wall. I ordered the Biscoff Tres…read moreLeches cake (because of the Biscoff) and a couple of Turkish desserts. Very good quality overall. I preferred the Turkish desserts over the cake so I will probably come back for those. The customer service was also good. The woman who helped me was very knowledgeable about their process of ordering and the types of products they offered.

ordered this cake specifically because I was told multiple times that it was a "Pistachino" cake…read moreand that it contained pistachios. I made it very clear that having pistachios inside was important to me. However, when we cut the cake, there were absolutely no pistachios inside. The taste was also very disappointing. It did not have any special flavor. Honestly, it tasted like a very basic cocoa cake or plain cake -- but at a much higher price. I also strongly feel like this cake may have been purchased from Vons and displayed in their showcase as their own product for resale. Previously, their cakes had a unique and distinct flavor, but this time there was nothing special about it at all. Very disappointing experience. I would not recommend it, and I no longer trust the quality.

What a nice place to have afghan food. Best place for parties. It is an Afghan Restaurant and cafe…read morelocated on the heart of El Cajon

Food is great, service is terrible…read more Advice to management: Teach your staff to greet the customers, then seat them, then ask for drinks right away. When you bring the drinks back take the orders. This establishment lacks professionalism and would be a great place if it simply had better, faster service.

Yay! I dont have to drive to El Cajon knowing this is right here!…read more The place has a wide selection of baklava and pistachio yummies even Turkish delights They also have Dubai chocolate Service is always great and the place has seating if you wanna snack and chat

Came here on a whim and the ladies behind the counter were so sweet and helpful. They even provided…read moreme and my son a couple free samples, which were delicious! They have a huge variety of offerings and everything we bought was great. It was pretty affordable too!

The ladies at the food service are always so great. Amazing attitudes, and always so helpful.read more

They have a pretty good selection of Middle Eastern foods. They carry both cooked and regular…read moregrocery foods. The cooked foods smelled and looked wonderful but I did not purchase any. I was a little bummed that they didn't have ground lamb so I had to go somewhere else, but other than that, they had a pretty wide variety of meats and seafood. The cooked food prices looked very reasonable for the amount of food that came with the dishes. The employees were friendly and helped me locate the items I was looking for. It was pretty busy in there and a little bit hectic, but still a good experience.

Came from San Francisco to the San Diego zoo and this restaurant came up in my search. And I really…read moredo not regret it. Amazing staff- amazing food and service. The restaurant is clean- bathroom is clean. Staff is very friendly and smiling all the time. We were group of 15 and they got the food out in time. The owner was very very friendly and made me the best beef shawerma ever. I would recommend this place. And I am definitely coming back. Thank you everyone for everything. God bless you all.

I saw Al Awael on Yelp and the food looked so good. I wanted to check this place out. My party came…read moreto Al Awael later in the evening, after the Iftar rush. As a result, the restaurant was not crowded, but they were out of several menu items. The restaurant is spacious and very color coordinated. The armrests on the chairs are at a slightly odd height for me but very aesthetic. This restaurant is family-run by a father and son duo. The father was cooking while his son was on the front end of things. The service was super friendly and I really appreciated that he explained the menu thoroughly to us. They were out of beef kabob and chicken shawarma (my go-to). I opted for the liver plate with fries, and also tried a bite of beef shawarma. We were also served a complimentary lentil soup as an appetizer. The soup was DELICIOUS. Soft and warm and comforting, with vermicelli bits in it. It was incredibly flavorful and soothing, something I would crave on cold days, sick days, any days really. I will definitely be finding recipes and attempting to make this myself. Middle Eastern places always have the most delicious, freshly fried fries, 10/10 no notes especially with ketchup (sue me, I'm basic XD). My grilled liver hit the spot. I think my one critique would be that because the pieces were quite large, some parts were quite tough. The roast onions and tomatoes had a good smoky char, and the portions were generous. After I polished off my first cube, the son swung by and set a grilled jalapeño down in front of me, saying that his father recommended parting it with the liver. It's personal touches like this that make me really love a local, family owned place! And his father was definitely right about the jalapeño. That and the pickled cabbage were the perfect complement for the rich, earthy liver. Prices were fair and portions were huge. The service was standout here as well. I would LOVE to come back and try their lamb dishes, and I definitely anticipate updating to a 5 star review then.

I've got to give it up to Baklava King! We use their baklavas at Luna Grill, and they're simply…read morephenomenal. Every piece is flaky, rich, and the perfect balance of sweet and nutty. Our customers can't get enough--they come back time and again just to get that baklava fix. Seriously, it's the perfect sweet ending that keeps them smiling!

Extremely happy I found this gem! I was looking for baklava for my friend's birthday when I came…read moreacross multiple Instagram pages. The other locations seemed boogie but if you're looking for real quality baklava to go, you have to try Baklava King! I can't imagine getting baklava anywhere else now. Their services are also always great. Highly recommend!

All I wanted was knafeh and wasn't sure where to find. Happened to drive by Shakira and immediately…read moreturned in. They had exactly the "fluffy orange" cheese Nabulsi knafeh that I wanted! It was not overly sweet, so I did have to make my own simple syrup to sweeten up (boiling water/sugar) - after adding it was perfect! Got a few pieces of baklava to try and they were all good! Was $17.80ish for 7 pieces of baklava and the piece of knafeh. My dog grabbed the baklava box off the counter while I was sleeping & he could NOT open it up to eat. So thank you for having a TOUGH container! Ha ha I've tried a nearby baklava place and felt they were heavy and dense. Shakira's baklava were very airy/light/flaky and you could taste the pistachio correctly// not overburnt, felt it was made with love, if that makes sense. Inside is simple.. fridges to the left with some frozen foods and pastries (?). Did not understand how to order since there is just one cashier a few steps in. Seems you go to the cashier first- if picking up they'll get your order, if not- they'll find someone to pick your items out. I liked their front window branding. Will return soon!!

Shakira Pastry is delicious middle eastern sweets. their baklava platter is perfectly sweetened,…read morenot overdone, flaky and moist. grab a player for your next event for an instant hit!! located in El cajon

Beautiful customer service I love their sweets I love the cake I love the everything they have is…read moreperfect I like the design of the store 10/10 overall

I haven't heard comments nor have I been there Will put it…read morethe to try list for sure Easy to find off the main drag in El Cajon A few of the employees at La Vida say their deserts are delicious