It's my first time Really recommend recommended the food is delicious…read more I will back again

It was only recently that I started becoming more adventurous with Mediterranean cuisine, since it…read morewasn't something I had eaten very often before. Sofra Grill has quickly become one of my favorite places to enjoy it! Go-to orders: -Chicken Skewers Plate - SO MOIST AND JUICY!!!!! -Steak or Chicken Shawarma Plate -Steak Shawarma Fries FOOD: 9/10 Flavorful food, juicy protein, fresh sides- it is all so good. The portions are pretty big and not overly salty or oily. Their pita bread is very fluffy as well. SERVICE: 9/10 Staff is always quick, very kind, and chill. AMBIANCE: 10/10 They recently expanded! They opened up the wall and added an extended section to the restaurant. The decor is simple yet aesthetically pleasing--nothing feels overdone. I also love the attention to detail in their plating; everything feels thoughtfully presented.

Where do I begin? The food: Fresh and flavorful. The service: Super friendly and fast. The…read morerestaurant: Clean, bright and welcoming. A new favorite, and I appreciated the delicious hot tea. I'll definitely be back!

I stumbled into Grill Kebabs and Gyros in South San Francisco on my lunch break, and I'm SO glad I…read moredid! The portions are GIGANTIC (see pictures!) , the ingredients are fresh, and so tasty I was beyond satisfied. Such an amazing value for the quality and quantity of food. The staff were friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even better. One thing that really stood out to me was that there wasn't a trash can in sight because they intended to clean up after you. I asked where the trashcan was and they said no, and they took it from me directly I've genuinely never experienced that before it was such a thoughtful touch! The restroom was extremely clean, which is always a huge plus. I'll definitely be coming back. Highly recommend! New favorite!

Place has outside seating now, lots of seating inside. Pretty neat looking outside and inside…read more Service was kind. Both meals were good, prices have increased from the last time I came. Kunafa got smaller too but still good. Only annoying thing was a fly constantly passing by our meals.

My older kids and I ate here last week after a quick look at previous reviews. It's in an…read moreindustrial area northwest of SFO. You would never know it's there unless you sought it out. The service was friendly and efficient and the menu options were great! We ended up doing a 3-person Mezze Dinner. Delicious and fresh. And plenty of left overs. All the sides were super fresh and yummy, and the grilled veggies and protein were amazing. I will totally go back. They must do a lot of catering with all the biotechs nearby, but they are open late!!! All in all a great choice! Highly recommend.

This is such a gem in South City -- it's the perfect meet up spot for lunch, happy hour, or dinner…read more Recently had lunch here and the food, service, and ambiance were all lit. Let's start with the service. Our server was incredibly attentive from the moment we walked in. We were handed menus and then asked if we preferred still or sparkling waters - we opted for the latter. Next, he politely made some recommendations to the more popular items on the lunch menu. We went with his suggestions and he did not disappoint! For two people, we shared the following two items: * MEZZE PLATTER - hummus, babaghanouge, falafel, tabbouleh, and pita ($19) * BEET SALAD - roasted heirloom beets, carrots, goat cheese, honey thyme vinaigrette ($18) For our entrees, we had the following: * BEEF SHAWARMA WRAP - lettuce, sumac onion, pickles, tahini sauce, mixed greens ($19) * ROASTED SALMON - pacific salmon, turmeric rice, grilled broccolini ($29) Food was absolutely incredible. Fresh ingredients, simple preparation, Mediterranean fusion, and assembled thoughtfully without compromising nutrition. I am a fan. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with an inviting style for large groups, intimate fireside chats, or bar seating. They even have a pretty neat happy hour menu that I hope to check out one day. All in all, this is a top fav in South City. Looking forward to a future dining experience here!

I attended an off-campus lunch for work at Amoura, and it was such a nice change of scenery. Tucked…read moreaway on a quiet side street alongside what appeared to be mostly convenience stores, the restaurant felt like a hidden gem. The dining room is spacious and sleek, and there were only a few other diners on a weekday afternoon. We were dining as a large party, but multiple serves ensured we were well taken care of throughout the meal. We started off with a few mezze platters to share. Even with three mezze platters for our party of about 10, everyone was pretty much limited to one falafel, one small wedge of thin pita, and a small spoonful of dip. Apart from the small serving size, the hummus and babaganoush were on point. I ordered the roasted salmon for my entree, which our servers kindly packed up for me since I had to leave our lunch early. Even when I enjoyed my salmon about an hour later, it was still flaky and tender. The broccoli rabe was a bit of a challenge to eat with a plastic fork and knife because the stalk was so tough to cut through, but I appreciated the generous portion of greens on the side. The saffron rice was fluffy and seasoned just enough to be flavorful on its own. Overall, the food and service were solid, and I'd consider returning for an offsite lunch.

Mazra is one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants in the Bay Area! I've been numerous times, and…read morealways loved it. Mazra's attention to detail is apparent the moment you walk into their dining room. For example, right now the whole restaurant is decked out in fall decor with pumpkins and squash inside and out. Despite ordering on your smartphone, the personal service is never compromised. Service was attentive, but not invasive. Mazra is based on the Fast Casual model which keeps their overhead reasonable and their affordable menu price points reflect this. A self-service station is provided for extra plates, glasses, water, to-go containers and extra sauces. The food is always fresh and flavorful. Love their fresh lemonades and juices! It's always a treat to visit Mazra for any occasion.

The food and service are always great, as usual! The lamb chops will always be our favorite and the…read moredish we keep coming back for. They never disappoint. One small suggestion would be to have the utensils individually wrapped or covered for sanitary purposes, since they are currently exposed and can easily be touched by others. The same goes for the water bottles/containers that are left sitting open. Having them covered would make the dining experience feel a little more hygienic and give customers extra peace of mind.

Another great meal here. Today I ordered the lamb and beef shawarma plate along with falafel. This…read moretime I went with a dozen, and they were perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. They tasted even better dipped in hummus. The shawarma plate was just as satisfying, with tender and flavorful meat. I like that it comes with two types of rice, fresh salad, hummus, and warm pita bread, which makes it a complete and filling meal. The ordering process is simple. You place your order at the counter, get your number, find a table, and the staff brings your food when it's ready. Service was smooth and efficient. It's a simple, laid-back space where you can enjoy your meal without feeling rushed. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal and appreciate the great service. :)

Came in here as I was recently in the area and saw the great yelp reviews. I was so excited to try…read morethis place out, went in and ordered the schwarma fries and a drink. Customer service was not their strong suit as when I greeted the cashier, he seemed to not care at all. Once my food came out it looked great and I was ready to dig in. First fork full of fries and the beef/lamb meat and this is when it hit me. SALTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTYYYYYYYYYY It was just overpowering the amount of salt on this meat. I ate what little I could and left most of the meal. I would consider going back and just getting the veggie combo meal.

An Authentic Gem for Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Flavors!…read moreIf you are looking for genuinely authentic Middle Eastern food in South San Francisco, Layalena is an absolute must-visit. From the moment you walk in, the hospitality is warm and welcoming, making you feel right at home. The food is the real star here. Everything tastes incredibly fresh and prepared with care. Their shawarma is perfectly seasoned and juicy, the kabobs are tender, and the hummus and fresh bread are exactly what you want them to be--rich, flavorful, and authentic. Portion sizes are generous, giving you great value for the quality of food you receive. Whether you are dropping in for a casual lunch or sitting down for a family dinner, the clean, inviting atmosphere and attentive service make it an excellent dining experience. It is hands-down one of the best spots for comfort food in the area. I will definitely be back!

The food was flavorful, service was great. The server and staff were friendly and attentive. They…read morehad a private lot. Very interesting place to have a restaurant, it's in an industrial park area. But very nice inside, and it's even bigger than expected with the back rooms. Went here for a party. We had reservations (a month in advance) and followed up a week before to confirm everything. But there was a lot of back and forth when we called a week before stating they may not be able to accommodate the party (25 people). But it got resolved. We got appetizers and individually ordered. Half the table got their food and the other half waited for a long time; half the table already finished their meal and the other half still waited for their food. The server shared they weren't expecting this much people. So not a great experience. They said tip wasn't included so we tipped but after we saw there was a service charge that was included. So transparency and clarification would have been nice. But maybe this is only good for a smaller group.

Tanforan Mall is slowly starting to fade, as redevelopment plans solidify. But it still has a…read moresurprisingly lively food court with a good number of tasty options! Pita Gyros offers Mediterranean-inspired fare and custom pizzas, and the Appetizer Combo Plate came with hummus, tzatziki, dolmas, grilled eggplant salad (which was on the oily side), Greek salad (lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olives, feta), and a grilled pita. Everything was tasty and made for a nice mezze spread, though expectedly from a food court stall, the salads and dips weren't particularly fresh.

I will go ahead and give these guys and gals a five star! I love this place. their traditional lamb…read moregyros are fantastic. Sometimes the meat is too thin and and gets little dry when it's cooked, but that's rare. All the toppings are fresh and they make it with care and always listen to the instructions very well. I go to this place at least once a week. I have had the Chicken Shawarma twice. The first time one of the managers cooked it and gave me half of his and it was dynamite. The second time it wasn't so good. I wish that manager would show them the correct way to make one. All in all I give them a five star.

I got a chicken shawarma bowl and it was delicious. I love that you can fully customize everything…read moreyou want in your bowl, it makes it easy to get exactly what you're craving. The portion was really generous; I couldn't even finish it and ended up saving the rest for later. The staff was super nice and welcoming as well. They do offer a student discount if you bring your student ID, which is awesome! Overall, it was a great experience and I'll definitely be coming back.

Ordered on their app which is easy to do and was able to select the items in my chicken shawarma…read morebowl. Also ordered chicken shawarma salad bowl. Both bowls were tasty and all the ingredients tastes death. Love the hummus and tahini sauces. We added the falafel to the bowls but it was cold and soggy so not sure I would order falafel from them. Came with a cup of soup which had a nice lentil/lemon flavor. Friendly staff and it was ready when I got there so kudos to them for handling the dinner crowd.

what a nice restaurant to enjoy your meal! started with caesar salad and calamari. the house made…read moredressing was paired great with the fresh lettuce. calamari came in a large portion. the fried pieces of carrots and string beans to balanced well between bites! the gnocchi sauce was sooo creamy and felt like pillows eating it. i enjoyed it so much! bucatini was the perfect al dente :) service was stellar, ambiance is unique

I wish I could have rated this higher but our experience was stressful and disappointing at the…read moreend. My sister took me here for my birthday dinner. She said she wrote on the reservation "Birthday" and we were seated promptly. Staff were kind and the location is beautiful. It's been in SSF since 2018 and when I looked at the menu, it was nice to see Cafe Figaro as another sister restaurant with the same owner. I love Cafe Figaro and have had a lot of pleasant experiences there! We ordered some wine to start and eventually ordered the watermelon salad and I got the Linguine fruitti di mare. Initially things seemed okay, we got our wine quickly. Servers were smiling. There were 2 servers. We got a watermelon salad with no utensil to serve it, but the server left SO quickly before we could ask. We had to wait a few minutes and then had to ask another server for a spoon. I think that's when we started noticing that the two servers helping on our side were just walking SO fast. It kind of made the ambiance feel rushed and oddly stressful. Like, we are not rushing to eat. BTW we got a reservation for 745pm but they also accept reservations for 8pm. They close at 9pm...(more on this later). We ate calmly when our food came. The food itself was very delicious. However, the service made the whole experience lackluster and incredibly disappointing. I still didn't like how rushed the servers were walking around. I also felt like they were checking often to see how we were doing or if we were done. I felt like I couldn't really eat in peace (being watched but in an odd, invasive way). It was getting to be 8:55 (which we hadn't noticed the time as much), but we asked for a box for my dish to go. I was barely finishing putting it away in the box and the server already came to try to take my plate. I was like "I'm not even done...". RUSHING US. The main server then just came to drop off a check. At NO point did they ask us if we wanted dessert or even earlier on, to say "Btw the kitchen is closing soon, would you like to order dessert.". He just brought the check. We asked, could we order dessert? The server was like "I don't know. I'd have to ask the kitchen but they may not allow it." We were like "Nvm then." We were already annoyed with the situation. I noticed it was 8:57 and one of the servers was already tearing off all the tablecloths from the table. It was very evident they wanted us all out but I guess in other restaurants, even if it's past 9 (a little past 9), they understand that people may trickle out slowly. It wasn't even 9 yet and it already felt they wanted us all out. Especially how rushed they felt overall. When the server came, he said "next time, desserts on me" and I said "there's not going to be a next time." I explained how stressed and rushed it felt, especially with them rushing from table to table like it was a race, and that it was for a birthday and they didn't even give us a heads up to purchase dessert. He kept saying " I don't think I rushed you" and didn't really apologize. My sister too explained she even wrote this was for a birthday and that they were just making us feel like we needed to hurry. We ended up going to Cochinita next door to get dessert and they were so kind, not rushing. I should have gone there instead for dinner or any other Italian place. If you don't want people there at 9pm, don't accept reservations at 7:30, or 7:45 or 8pm. You will be kicked out 40 minutes within your meal as you will see they are subtly trying to kick you out. Go somewhere else where you won't feel rushed and will have a much more pleasant experience. This was surprising to me because I've been to Cafe Figaro multiple times and I've always had such a good experience. Here felt so odd like I was in a diner or a more informal place where it is more normal for waiters/servers to be rushing from table to table. It was an unpleasant experience and would recommend another spot instead with a more pleasant eating experience.