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    Mediterranean Cafe

    4.1 (770 reviews)
    Closed • 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    MEDITERRANEAN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Mediterranean Cafe

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    Salmon Greek Salad
    Lin J.

    Such a cute spot. Food was good. Service was good. Portion sizes was huge!! I couldn't finish this salad. Nice location within walking distance to work-UCSD Hillcrest.

    Dinner for Two Special
    Francesca P.

    Came for dinner here on a Saturday with family to watch some friends in the belly dance community perform. There is only street parking but we were able to find a spot that was metered but free after 6pm. The restaurant is small with only a few tables and seems like a small family-run business. The portions were extremely generous, reasonably priced, and each dish I tried was delicious. I got the dinner for two to share and it was massive. I got to try the beef, chicken, gyro, and falafel, rice, grilled veggies, stuffed grape leaves, and side salad. The meat was extremely tender, juicy, and flavorful. The falafel was a little dry but the side sauces that came with the meal helped. I love that they bring local talent to entertain patrons and would definitely return again.

    The salad was delicious also
    Debra G.

    This place is so delicious and the customer service is excellent and the food is soo Authentic and delicious!!! Our new go to Mediterranean cuisine we give 10 Stars

    Empty dinner rush
    Kevin T.

    TL;DR: NO. HEAVY PASS. GO HUNGRY. Sour taste in all dishes. Terrible seasoning. Protein buuuuurned. Oh ya, found a curly hair in my bite. Nothing tasted fresh...including the salad. Avoid at all costs. Do not be fooled by the quality or quantity of reviews. Mediterranean Cafe in Hillcrest is hands down the WORST Mediterranean food I've had, and not just in San Diego - ever. *Sorry for the rant but this was an overall terrible experience* [negative stars if possible] Was craving Mediterranean and blindly decided on Mediterranean Cafe based on the rating, and after reading some Yelp Elite reviews. Friendly reminder to do your homework! Your stomach will thank you Phoned Mediterranean Cafe in Hillcrest and ordered the Dinner for 2 takeout for $36.58. While this is not a terribly expensive meal by today's standards, this is absolutely not worth a single penny of that price tag. If I could go back, I'd rather just have burned it. I'm all for supporting local businesses but this food is not worth supporting. Was told that it would be a 20-minute wait (no problem - was expecting 30 given it was prime dinner time ~7p) - looking back I can't believe it took more than 10 I show up for pick-up and the place was...empty (kicking myself for not realizing what I was walking into). Let who seemed like the owner of the place know that I was there for pick up and paid. He checked the pass and saw my order was partially complete. After a quick conversation with the kitchen, I was informed it would be ready soon. Strolled the empty restaurant for about 5 minutes before I was handed the meal. Still, as I'm writing this, I'm realizing the delay is not frustrating. It's just confusing. Quick drive home and we get ready to dig in (see pictures) and proceed to regret each bite starting from the first Regrets: Salad: [#1 regret] Found such a curly hair in the second bite of already wilting greens...and there goes the appetite. Also, unfortunate to report the rest of the experience was better by 'just a hair'' Chicken and Beef kebabs: everything is charred. Both sides. Onions and bell peppers included. You eat it because it's the protein of the dish, not because you want to Dolma: wow this was weird all the way through. The grape leaf wrapping smelled sour and after biting through, the texture of the wrapped rice was mushy and even more sour. Truly difficult to even put a single bite down Falafel: questionable texture and seasoning. Might have been microwaved. Equal possibility of canned? Definite frozen. Hummus: grainy, and covered in even more sour chunks of feta - not tasty Ok: Gyros meat was acceptable/passable as cooked. Still is not worth getting Pita: dry as a thick soft saltine but at least this was edible and in good amount. Pita was paired with some home cooked eggs for our actual dinner I am not looking for a second chance to prove quality nor show off customer service. I am not looking for my money back. I am not looking for any excuses or apologies. I will absolutely never set foot in there again I am all for supporting local businesses - especially in a post-covid era where franchises and chains have been able to weather the storm and are buying up local shops trying to recover best they can. That said... This is not the food to support To the owner(s): I'm sure food was once your top priority. It is very clear that it no longer is. I hope you rediscover the passion for flavor if you decide to keep serving San Diegans. 0/5

    Chicken Hummus Plate

    Food tastes great. Nice man working the counter and relatively quick service. Good experience overall.

    Chicken Kabob Plate
    Vesta B.

    I came here for the first time with my family and right away we were greeted. Fred (The owner) was so friendly and welcoming that we felt at home immediately. The menu offers you so many options that it's so hard to just pick one thing! We got the chicken kabob plate and it was delicious! It was so flavorful and cooked to perfection. It was so delicious that we were dancing in our seats and just kept saying how good it was. This place is amazing!! If I could give more than 5 stars I would! Excellent staff, service and food! Highly recommended for a great meal and a great conversation!

    Brenda B.

    I loved the chicken on skewer and the gyro meat. The rice was ok. Love the humus and I did like the salad. I placed my order through the website for pick up.

    3 types of meat for the dinner for two!
    Jonathan Z.

    Ordered through door dash, the Dinner for Two for $32 is a pretty good deal considering the amount of food you get. First of, you get a large greek salad, complete with feta and olives and a couple dressing options- one creamy and one balsamic. Then there's also an appetizer platter that comes with tabouli, hummus, dolma, falafels, and a bunch of olives. The entrees include a chicken kabob, beef kabob, and a helping of shaved lamb atop a bed of rice, and two foil-wrapped pitas, also complete with a creamy tzatziki sauce. The pistachio baklava wasn't included, but we decided to get it to complete the dinner. They've also got a walnut baklava option too. While not the best presentation, the quality of the food wasn't bad for the price. It was a nice, quick option for an indecisive Tuesday evening for two.

    Chicken Kabob

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    3 months ago

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    2 months ago

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    Photo of Debra G.
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    1 year ago

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    Photo of Fred L.

    Fred L.

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    9 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    Fred L.

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    10 months ago

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    Fred L.

    Thank you for your kind words. Hope to see you soon again.

    Helpful 0
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    11 months ago

    Authentic traditional Greek & Mediterranean food. Excellent quality and service. One of my go-to neighborhood places for lunch and dinner.

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    Fred L.

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    3 years ago

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    Fred L.

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    1 year ago

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    Fred L.

    Thank you for your review. See you soon.

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    3 years ago

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    Page 1 of 20

    Mediterranean Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Mediterranean Cafe

    Tahini - The Esquire Pita Sandwich with chicken Sriracha Tahini, French fries and mango lemonade.

    Tahini

    4.6(1.4k reviews)
    5.9 mi•Kearny Mesa
    •$$

    A Wonderful Evening at Tahini Restaurant…read more We had such a wonderful evening at Tahini Restaurant! The service was excellent, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the food was delicious. They had unfortunately run out of baklava, but Raz came through like a superhero! Just 15 minutes before closing, he managed to bring two of us baklava--and what a way to finish the meal! That kind of service and attention to your guests really makes a difference. And don't forget to get the pickles! They're listed on the menu as pickled cucumbers, although to me, they taste just like delicious kosher dill pickles. I'm not sure why they're called something different, but that tangy flavor adds such an amazing touch to the meal. Thank you, Tahini, for a great meal, great atmosphere, and a great evening with my cousin. And Raz, you're definitely our baklava superhero! ‍ Five stars all around!

    Had this for dinner around 7pm on a Friday. There was plenty of parking and no wait. I was helped…read moreright away and the customer service is great here. The restaurant is beautiful inside with a lot of seating and great lighting. The first thing that caught my attention is The Esquire which is a Chicken shawarma in pita, stuffed with french fries, parsley mix, tomatoes, and pickled cucumbers, with Garlic and Tahini sauce. Omg this was amazing and delicious! Im going to come back for more 5/5 I plan on coming back to try out some appetizers and a different dish. For my first time here I really enjoyed it

    Photos
    Tahini - Interior of the restaurant

    Interior of the restaurant

    Tahini - Pistachio Baklava

    Pistachio Baklava

    Tahini - Interior

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    Interior

    The Kebab Shop

    The Kebab Shop

    4.3(2.3k reviews)
    2.7 mi•East Village, Core
    •$$
    Healthy dining
    Halal

    First time trying this small place called kebab and do yourself a favor…read more Get the SD Wrap with saffron chicken 10/10

    I was on jury duty today and I wanted to have some Shawarma so I looked up on yelp and found the…read moreK-pop shop was about a 20 minute walk away. The menu was a bit confusing, but I know that I like grilled veggies and Greek salad and then Ike was able to pick my protein that I wanted so that seemed easy enough. The base price with falafel or chicken Shawarma was Close to $16 but since I chose the meat, they added two dollars to my total. It took about 10 minutes for them to assemble my meal, but my veggies were cooked fresh on the stove, which was really nice. They tasted very freshly cooked just as they would as if I had cooked them myself at home. I was there about 1245 on a Monday and there were a few people there and they had some takeout orders so my order took about 10 minutes before I could walk out the door with it. They had a nice condiment bar where you could pick out some yogurt with dill sauce and then they're famous garlic yogurt sauce, as well as a jalapeño sauce And another spicy hot one that I would never try. When I got back to the jury room to eat my meal, I saw that there was a nice quantity of the fresh salad and the grilled vegetables but the meat was piled high! The employees were working efficiently and the place was spotless and orderly.

    Photos
    The Kebab Shop
    The Kebab Shop
    The Kebab Shop

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    Shawarma Guys - Chicken California Shawarma Wrap

    Shawarma Guys

    4.7(1.1k reviews)
    8.7 mi
    •$$
    Kid friendly
    Casual dining

    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.

    Photos
    Shawarma Guys - Ordering counter

    Ordering counter

    Shawarma Guys - Wagyu beef and chicken shawarma plate, hummus and pita bread. All tasted so good!

    Wagyu beef and chicken shawarma plate, hummus and pita bread. All tasted so good!

    Shawarma Guys - The combo wagyu beef & chicken shawarma !

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    The combo wagyu beef & chicken shawarma !

    Alforon

    Alforon

    4.6(1.9k reviews)
    5.6 mi•Rolando
    •$$

    Amazing food here! I love the family run business, which is very genuine on serving the best food…read moreand brining people together. We came here for a late lunch, so we were lucky that there was a parking spot opened up right in the plaza. I can not imagine how difficult parking would be during the busy time! I assume you will need to find street parking. Although the plaza is small, the restaurant is big! It has many tables inside, including larger areas for groups. We went in and saw a family having dinner together. That really gave the restaurant a warm family vibe. You can see in the decorations that they have earned many recognitions and had even been on Guy's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives show! What an amazing place! We started the lunch with a nice mint lemonade! OMG! I highly recommend this! I would go back just for this, so refreshing and perfect way to be primed for a great meal. We had three items, Soujouk Flat Bread, Baba Ghannouj, and Ouzi Lamb. The portion is large! We could not finish and had to take to-go for two of us. I love their baba ghannouj! Very authentic and come with the bread. The serve was smiling when I asked whether it came with the bread. He eventually also told us that we should open the bread like a pita and put baba ghannouj in there. I appreciate the guidance on how to enjoy the food. I also loved soujouk flat bread. So delicious! The highly recommended ouzi lamb lived up to the expectation and it's very delicious. Overall, I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. We will come back for sure because they have so many good delicious food on the menu that we need to try!

    After watching the restaurant featured on triple D on the food network we wanted to experience this…read morefirsthand. This place is located in a small square so parking can be tight. Inside is decorated well and has plenty of room for groups. The menu has depth with starters consisting of salads, bread and entrees. For drinks it ranges from nonalcoholic, wine, beer, tea and a house made coffee. W For drinks we had the fresh lemonade with mint. This was sweet but not overpowering. I recommend this drink. I ordered the fisherman's rice and it is enough for two hungry adults. The love dessert is a showstopper! Save room for this delicious dessert! We see many returns visits to experience this delicious food! Enjoy!

    Photos
    Alforon - Inside seating

    Inside seating

    Alforon - Ouzi Lamb Special

    Ouzi Lamb Special

    Alforon - Lamb fatteh

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    Lamb fatteh

    Mediterranean Cafe - greek - Updated October 2026

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