Saw the 4.6 star rating on Yelp and thought I'd go check them out. I totally feel catfished coming here lol. I am only giving this place two stars due to the genuinely nice kid who is taking orders up front. He was extremely kind and helpful however the food had no flavor at all and the reason for the poor rating. We ordered a beef and chicken shwarma plates . Each plate will run you $17 and within 5 min our food was out. Large portions of food, food looked good but that was it. Both proteins just smelled weird and tasted off. We couldn't really eat our plates and picked at the hummus with the very good pita bread that came with the plates. Over all the food was a 0 out of 10 here. $41 bucks down the drain unfortunately. Overall, I suggest you check something else out here then the shwarma plates. Maybe you'll have better luck. I just know I probably won't return again, that's just me. But you've been warned so I hope you have a better outcome. Be safe out there folks. read more

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So. Good. Very flavorful, everything seasoned. I got the chicken shawarma plate, chicken was very good, not dry at all. Rice was seasoned and cooked well. Pita bread was nice and soft. Husband got the lamb kabob plate, I tired the lamb, and it was very good. Well seasoned and not overdone. I've had better baklava, but still was tasty. Food was out quickly, staff was nice. Chill ambiance, I went in sweatpants lol. read more

Jaffa Cafe - Chicken shawarma plate - so good - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Excellent Mediterranean food in Santa Maria! Their tabbouleh is yummy. I love this place. Quick, easy service & clean convenient tables inside. read more

Stopped here on a road trip for a healthy family lunch. It was fairly quiet at lunch time but it was a holiday week so unsurprising We ordered the chicken Schwarma plate, Schwarma pita wrap, and the lentil soup. Everything was ready quickly, full of flavor, and delicious. Our 19 mo old loved the lentil soup. While we appreciated the high chair available, a changing table in the restroom would be helpful! read more

Very good and Authentic Mediterranean food soo good I love tge chicken swarna and chicken pesto, and for dessert Baklalava with Turkish coffee mmmmmmm read more

I ordered for piick up and the dishes I selected were delicious. The meat was fkavoral and tender. The basmati rice cooked perfectly. The restsurant was very ckean. There were plenty of tables to accommodate groups. As I waited for my meal, I enjoyed the self serve soda fountain. I will definitely come here again. read more

Love this place but they stopped the delivery through Door Dash and I haven't been able to go back. Hop back on one of those Delivery apps Jaffa.... you'd get so much more business. The food is really tasty and one of the few places in town you can get anything close to Greek/Mediterranean food. The portions for the most part are large. I really love the Gyro salad or Gyro Pita... so good. read more

Meat was overcooked, hummus was not great and overall cleanliness was poor. Soda fountain looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages and the floors were sticky. read more

There is a great team behind this lovely place. The service is consistent and friendly. I usually get the gyro and it's always tasty.

Food is most excellent and i come here frequently. however, i don't know what to make of the customer service. it is sometimes quiet and i just wonder that customer friendliness needs to happen more to make it primo. Please, get rid of the country music though. that's one thing i do not like about the ambiance and i kinda wish it was more lively than having country everytime i walk in. read more

My go-to spot for a healthier option. I love ordering takeout from here. My favorite cashier John is so respectful and friendly. He always puts a smile on my face! The food is always fresh, delicious and most importantly FAST! I've never had to wait long for my order. The atmosphere is nice, clean and calm. The price point is great for the high quality food you get. read more

Jaffa Cafe - Shwarma, baba ganoush, tabouleh - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

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Jaffa Cafe is kind of a toss up for me. Maybe for me it's more that it wasn't "memorable or special" vs it being "bad." My party all seemed to agree for the most part that the food and experience was so so. Out of six of us I think 5 leaned towards 3.5 stars were one person did think it was fabulous. That's why I feel safe with a 3 star rating. The Pros: 1. Hummus was delicious! I know hummus is kinda a dime a dozen nowadays but I'm a sucker for yummy hummus and warm peta bread. All in all I enjoyed this. 2. Cleanliness/accessibility: restaurant was clean & well taken care of. We were able to find a table easily to accommodate six people and that's a fair little bonus point. Plenty of parking also-easily accessible. The Cons: 1. Not a fan of the ordering system. At ALL actually. You order at a counter with some paper menu. It's a little unclear for your first time. After you order you walk your paper over to the cook behind a counter. Then you wait for your food to be called....so my issues with this was 1. Why couldn't this all be taken care of with the first person you order from? 2. The food took a LONGGG time to come out. 3. If your ordering separately and with a big group don't expect everyone's food to come out at the same time. Like I said there was six of us (we ordered separately) whoever ordered first got their food obviously semi quick but then we'd have to wait probably another 10 minutes for the sixth persons food to come out. It was miserable, everyone's food was cold by the time the last persons order came up & those that didn't want to wait were done eating while half the party could just start eating. Again, the ordering setup is weird and doesn't work If there is anymore then 2 people dining together it felt like. All in all my food was "okay" and again that's probably because it was cold waiting for everyone to get their food. Even then, the food was average. I personally wouldn't be back unless they made this more of a dining experience and/or there was some organization to the way in which the food came out. I forgot to mention above it was also hard to hear/understand what was being said when they called orders out. We witnessed multiple people walking up to ask if the ready plate of food was theirs. No bueno. Not a bad spot but just not the right experience for me. read more

Jaffa Cafe - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Some food is very good but avoid the side dishes ( especially the tabouleh- which is 95% parsley.) They should just call it parsley with ) Also double check take out orders because things are sometimes missing. The was 1 free Baclava per entree on Sundays, but now it's one free baclava per order. So beware if you think you got two get home and find one. 4 for the food minus 2 for the service. read more

On our continued search for good food in Santa Maria we stopped at Jaffa Cafe. I'm a huge fan of all Middle Eastern fare (Jeff Chinese). Usually it's harder to find north of LA. This place had good food. We both the gyro with salad. For sides, I got falafels and baba ganoush. Jeff got rice and.... I can't remember. The baba ganoush was the best I have had in a long long time. The falafels were moist inside with lots of herbs. Topped it off with delicious baklava. All in all it was great. read more

Jaffa Cafe - a plate of food with meat and vegetables - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

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The gyro meat was very good. Sometimes lamb meat can get gamey if not cooked right, I was very surprised that the Gyro plate tasted so good! I wasn't a fan of the rice though. I was traveling with a pet dog and wanted a place that was pet friendly. I read another review that they did allow dogs on their patio. The patio area was small but no one was there I we got to bring him along. read more

Restaurant is very clean. Food fresh and delicious. Staff were friendly. Fixins bar was perfect. Awesome sauces and the pickles were sooo good. I had the lamb pita sandwich with a smear of baba ganoush. read more

The restaurant has a great atmosphere, especially the ceiling design. I really like the way they take orders. The dishes are very cost-effective and taste fantastic. They also look quite healthy. The sauces and side dishes are plentiful and varied. read more

Jaffa Cafe - Inside atmosphere. - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Baclava! Gyro's, hummus, Lentil soup and more! Place your order at the kitchen window, pay and a short wait!. Eat in or take out a clean, well organized relaxing night out with family and friends! read more

Food is always excellent. The establishment is also veteran friendly, and US Forest Service appreciators. Veterans get a complimentary baklava. The ONLY THING that the restaurant needs to do is get rid of the country music in the pa system. It doesn't jive for such a fine establishment. read more

The cashier is always the most respectful and sweetest guy! Always love going in there and supporting him. The food is always bomb and they never cheat you on the portions!! You seriously get the best of what you pay for. It's definitely my go to for quick Mediterranean food! read more

Jaffa Cafe - Shawarma Wrap with Steak and all the works - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

My daughter and I have a weekly date for chicken shawarma wraps. I know we both look forward to it. Delish!

Great place for a quick nosh or a full meal. The Gyro Wrap was full of meat and delicious. The Combo Plate Garden Salad with lamb was generous in size and flavorful. The sides of lentil soup and tabouleh were very fresh. As a first time customer, they gave us free baklava. The entire staff were pleasant and friendly. The restaurant was extremely clean and well attended to. We would definitely recommend and return here. read more

Jaffa Cafe - Combo Plate Garden Salad with Lamb (comes with 2 sides) - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

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I just finished my falafel plate seconds ago and had to post this review. Very well done! Great flavor, generous portions, way better than I expected. Thumbs up! read more

Unique food and choices Customer services was great. Cleaned location and very welcome read more

Jaffa Cafe - Cashier area - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Easily one of my favorite places to grab some food from. We have been coming here for years now and it never disappoints. I always get the lamb schwarma plate. Good amount of meat, the hummus is delicious and the pita as amazing. the rice is always great as well. Service is very quick and friendly as well. I highly recommend you check this place out, great food at a good price. read more

The staff were very friendly and helpful, the food tasted ok, tried their lamb gyro pita wraps, lamb gyro plate and the falafel. The falafel was kind of dry but apart from that everything was good. The seating area was nice with many different table options (bar stools, 2 person and 4 person tables.) read more

AMAZING FRESH HERBS, PHENOMENAL QUALITY, and they offer the BEST fresh garlic sauce that's just out of this world ‼ My son and I recently had dinner here and he was just as happy as I was, which says a lot since he's never cared much for Mediterranean dining. And still, he ate every last bite of his Shawarma plate with tons of praise throughout his meal I LOVE GYRO's and with their freshly made Tzatziki sauce and of course GARLIC sauce It definitely hit the spot! We'll definitely be back again soon read more

I have had 3 great experiences at this restaurant. I have mainly had coffee and Baklava. However this time I had a lamb kabob combo. The combo came with rice, pita bread,and hummus for a very reasonable price. It was an awesome lunch. Great food, customer service, and one of the cleanest restrooms I have been in a restaurant. A coffee with the baklava is absolutely amazing. 10/10 keep up the good work. read more

My husband and I went here for a casual Saturday night dinner. We were the only people in there for most of our meal. The food came out fast and was really tasty! We both got the combo plate. We will be back! read more

They have the BEST Baklava I've ever tasted!! I've been around the world and always try Baklava, so imagine my surprise when I visited my brother in Santa Maria CA and discovered Jaffa Cafe's baker with a fresh tray of Baklava!! I bought 6, was given 8. I haven't been able to travel so my sister Paula bought a dozen and overnight shipped them to me. OMG I'm in heaven. Jaffa Cafe needs to ship these!! I'll get more soon!!! read more

I like that this place is very quick compared to The Garden. Their menu is delicious, and I feel like you can't go wrong with anything you want to try. A word about their baklava - it's always been fresh & crunchy. I'm in love with it. I've tried several different things. And now I'm looking forward to going back next time I go to Santa Maria. I keep forgetting they have a location in SLO area, so at least I know where I can get something delish. Husband and I visited the Middle East and the food here is authentic. read more

It's the best Mediterranean bistro on the central coast. Always has been. Friendly, hospitable...the same cooks and the same owners make it a joy. read more

Surprisingly empty? I have no idea WHY BECAUSE THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS! staff is helpful and very friendly! Portion size is plentiful! Ask for the Garlic Butter for the naan (life changer). One of my favorite food spots! Clean and includes outside eating area. (beef shawarma plate is my go to) read more

Friendly staff and amazing food! Nice patio and serious eating yummy food! I love the steak gyro

So freaking good. Definitely one of my favorite places to eat in Santa Maria. Always affordable and always fresh, quality food. I don't usually like falafel or stuffed grape leaves but at Jaffa I love it. Never have to worry about what I order here because it is all amazing. These people really know what they are doing and take pride in their food. Great service as well. Very friendly and accommodating. I hope this restaurant stays around forever! read more

Really good food. They have yummy vegetarian options. Also the tiny cup if coffee is totally worth it! Truly excellent service. I was expecting decent food, but I got delicious food! The flavors and freshness were on point! Tried the grilled veggie pita and it didn't disappoint! I highly recommend. I'll be back soon. Very clean also. read more

It's a basic walk in place and there's plenty of room to sit. The food was prepared promptly and it was delicious. Price was very reasonable too! read more

A fantastic restaurant in Santa Maria. It's offers a solid variety of Mediterranean cuisine with different meat/vegetarian options. The food is delicious and the staff is beyond helpful and kind, they're also extremely inviting! Would definitely recommend to you friends! 8/10 read more

This has been my favorite Mediterranean spot in town since it first opened. Everything I have tried has been amazing, with the gyro meat shawarma plate being my go to (pictured)! They have friendly staff and I am never waiting long for my food. If I could eat here every day I would! read more

Jaffa Cafe - Gyro meat shawarma plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

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First time here recommended by friends. I just got hooked on Mediterranean food when I was stationed in West Germany in the late '80s. I got the peta wrap with gyro and a small bowl of lentil soup, which they make in house. It's not too thick, has a wonderful flavor and a served warm. The house made tzatziki sauce is excellent without being overwhelming and the gyro, which is made in-house as well, was flavorful and delicious. The peta wrap had a small amount of lettuce and tomatoes with the tzatziki sauce and it all just came together. The lentil soup was excellent. The menu says they use red lentils but the soup is green... but who cares when the soup is so delicious. I could have just had a meal of a large bowl of the soup and would have been completely satisfied. Lastly, they give you a free piece of baklava for your first time dining in the restaurant. The baklava is, wait for it..... Made from scratch in-house as well. It's made with walnuts and it's the perfect amount of sweetness. What can I say but as far as I'm concerned, this restaurant knocked it out of the park from me. There are a number of vegetarian options on the menu including falafel, none of which I have tried yet but perhaps in the future. Definitely worth a try. read more