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Perky's

4.7 (255 reviews)
Updated over 3 months ago

Services - Perky's

Catering

Perky's Photos

PERKY'S ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Quiet
Dogs allowed
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Perky's

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Reviews With Photos

Steak and Mushrooms Hot Meat Pie
Dianne A.

I've been eyeing this place for quite some time, and finally said f**k it and went here on a whim. Perky's is in a business/industrial complex right off the 163, sandwiched between other notable landmarks and other food places to boot. You might not see it at first, but they do have a sign outside. Once inside, you'll find that the store itself is quaint and small, displaying different decors to highlight Perky's South African roots (love!). They also have a (South African) grocery inside! Perky's is somewhat of a "hole in the wall," but what a hidden gem this place is. An elderly (couple?) was in front of me during my (first) visit. Shortly after, the store was filled with more people! The pies on display were also limited, so an ambulance was going off in my head. I CAME HERE FOR MEAT PASTRIES AND THERE WASN'T A LOT LEFT :( AND PEOPLE ARE BEHIND ME. I DIDN'T WANT TO BE "THAT" CUSTOMER THAT TOOK THE LAST XYZ PIE :'((( WELL, PLOT TWIST: I WAS STILL THAT CUSTOMER ANYWAY, lol. I may have taken one of the lasts: + Chicken & Mushroom Pie + Steak & Mushroom Pie ...So, yeah, I was "that" customer. I'm honestly not sure if they can make more, or if it's a "what you see here is what you get" kind of deal. If that's the case, then you need to come here once they open for the day... I am not kidding when I say that they did NOT have many pies left on display. OKAY, ON TO THE FOOD. I love mushrooms. I'm a mushroom fiend. Mushroom mama. The pies are as big/bigger than a palm (bigger than mine, at least). I heated them up in my air fryer and I, unfortunately, JUST EVERY SO SLIGHTLY burnt them :( It ended up being OK! The meat and mushrooms were neatly tucked away under that layer of buttery and flay goodness. They were seasoned perfectly and each bite was truly just so darn good. Though they were slightly smaller in size, the 2 pies made me full! If you have a larger appetite, I would definitely get a 3rd one (for an afternoon snack... or eat all 3 in one sitting... you do you... and they're that good). CONCLUSION. I am looking forward to many other meaty trips here and will be back to check out their grocery store! GET YA PERK ON AT PERKY'S!!!

Matthew B.

Wow! What a great little spot to get a variety of South African foods. Both handmade pastries and sausages, as well as canned and packaged items. I ordered the Chicken Curry pie, and it was flavorful and delicious. The chicken was nice and tender. I enjoyed the fact the pie wasn't messy, yet each bite had a burst of flavors. PLEASE BE AWARE: The curry had some heat to it. I highly recommend this if you love spice! If you don't, please skip this and try another item. I will definitely come back to try other items!

The freezer of delicious pies!
Rika C.

Now you mean to tell me I've lived in SD my whole life and never went to Perky's?! A crime! This hole in the wall spot sells South African style pies, desserts, and condiments of all sorts! You can buy the meat/veggie pies piping hot or frozen for later -- I grabbed a few of each! My absolute favorite was the steak & mushroom pie ($9), which had a perfectly flaky pastry crust and the most delicious, umami-full steak and mushroom filling. The steak was tender, not chewy! I was able to prepare it at home by simply throwing it into the toaster over for 10 minutes. I still have a beef curry pie at home for later! I also got a milk tart to share ($18 large, $6 small) by recommendation of the owner, and just as he said, it was not too sweet, and almost like a flan! It's a fluffy sponge cake base with custard and cinnamon on top. You'll have to scoop it out with a spoon unless you're really talented with pie cutters, since it's so soft. But oh my was it delicious. Cant wait to come back to try more!

Beef and mushroom pie
Miranda G.

Just had my first meat pie at Perky's! Can I just say that this is about as close to the ones at home as possible. I'm an Aussie and was very impressed with the African meat pies made here. The gentleman who served us (I'm assuming) was the owner and very chatty! He kept telling me that his pies were better than Aussie pies! And so we're his Lamingtons and baked beans.... I had a good laugh with him, he was funny. The sausage roll was pork, I liked it, but did not love it. Either way, I ended up buying some already frozen pies and beef sausage rolls to go as we make our drive back to Vegas! If I'm back in San Diego again, I will be sure to come back and get my fix of meat pies! Tip: if you can - call ahead of time and place your order. When we got there around 12 - all that was left were two beef and mushroom pies and a few sausage rolls.

Graham the owner of Perky's
sean d.

I met the owner Graham and he invited me to come check out his store. The biltong was so tender and well spiced, better than what I had in South Africa years back. I bought a pound of biltong and a mushroom and beef pie, I can see why he has many devoted customers. There is a great little shop in back and Graham says he does catering for parties as well. Thanks for a fun morning on my birthday!

Sparletta Creme Soda
Brent P.

Today my mom and I decided to go here to try out traditional South African cuisine for the first time ever. It can be a harder spot to find and honestly looks closed from the outside but once you open up the door inside there is a counter with warm Gourmet Meat Pies and a hallway to a small authentic grocery market filled with foods, snacks, frozen treats, and more imported straight from South Africa. Today we were greeted by a very nice lady who helped us peruse throughout the store and give us detailed descriptions of pretty much every item in the store. Definitely a great experience especially since my knowledge of South African culture and food was basic. In the end we ordered 1 warm Gourmet Meat Pie with Beef Curry, 1

Pie selection
Darryl G.

If Chicken and Mushroom, Chicken Curry, Pepper Steak and Steak and Mushroom pies do not sound good to, read no further. We just stopped in at Perky's and got these four pies. We went back for seconds, but by then they had already run out of the chicken and mushroom pies. The crust is just soft and flaky, and each of the fillings were really delicious. We will be back for the sausage rolls and cottage pie next.

MILK TART

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2 years ago

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8 months ago

Pretty good steak mushroom pie. Nothing crazy. Personally I found it expensive for what it is.

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3 years ago

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5 months ago

So happy to find this place. Amazing! Authentic !! Loved a taste of home Try everything and then some more .

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8 years ago

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3 years ago

Sooooooooo good. Stop by and grab a pie then go to the brewery next door to wash it down. You are welcome.

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10 years ago

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3 years ago

Food is excellent, service great. Friendly staff and very helpful. The flavor on all the serve is delicious

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Ask the Community - Perky's

Is their pie dough made with butter or shortening?

So does this place serve hot food as well or just frozen?

They have some warm pies and sausage rolls at the front.

What is there menu and prices?

You can view their prices and menu here, but as with all restaurants, in person is the only way to make sure they're up to date. http://www.perkysfoods.com/menu.html

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Flavors of East Africa

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This was my first time here, and I loved it! The employees were the sweetest people, answered any…read morequestions we had about the menu, and gave us great suggestions. We ended up getting the lunch combos so we could get a taste of many different dishes! You can ask them for half & half for rice, meat and/or veggies to get the full experience((: My favorites were the sweet jerk chicken, beef stew, and curry lentils - DELISH.

I have been here lots of times at the farmers market, but this was my first time actually visiting…read moretheir storefront. They offer soo many more options!! I was shocked! Our server was great and I was happy she let me try a sample of their Black Berry Juice because it was soo good! I loved how tarty it was. We got the following food to try: - Sambusas (spicy lentil and potato) - they were good, but not the best sambusas I've had. The shell was crunchy, but the filling had a more subtle flavor than I'm used to and I felt like I was missing the "wow" punch. I really liked the spicy mint sauce it came with. - Goat - this was really flavorful and the meat was soo tender! The size was a bit disappointing especially because we didn't get many goat pieces, but plenty of bones. I also wish there was more than 1 carrot in the whole bowl. It was mostly broth. A tasty broth, but still. - Beef Mbavu Choma (beef short ribs) w/ Dengu (lentils) and Ugali - this was insanely good! The meat was beyond perfectly cooked and we couldn't get enough of it. The ugali was good on its own and with the lentils, but I liked it best when dipping it in the soup broth. I would definitely get this dish again! I really like this place, but the small amount of goat in our curry dish left me a bit disappointed, which is the only reason I'm not giving 5 stars.

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Flavors of East Africa - More indoor seating

More indoor seating

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Muzita Abyssinian Bistro - Shiro & Beggie

Muzita Abyssinian Bistro

4.4(2.2k reviews)
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Down in SD for a ladies weekend to see the Timbers v SD match. We were seated on the restaurant…read moreporch which had heaters and the friendly server asked if we wanted them turned on, but it was a lovely cool afternoon so we went with nature. The porch faced a busy tourist street buzzing with people and it was great seeing everyone come and go. We started with the vegetable sambusas which outstanding. The spice level and filling were perfection and the pastry divine! I had the Shiro + Beggie which was out of this world! My friends shared a mixed vegan plate and everything on it was delicious! Next time I'm here in San Diego I'll remember to return. Highly recommended!

My husband and I have gone by here on our way to eat elsewhere so many times over the years, each…read moretime saying that we've got to stop in sometime. Saturday night after a show at the theater down the street, we were walking along Park and decided that was the night! It was almost 9 o'clock when we came into the charming house-turned-restaurant and asked if it was too late to get a table. We were assured it was the perfect time and seated right away. Our lovely server, Melissa, offered us expert guidance on the menu. We went with her suggestion of the roasted mushroom appetizer and were floored by them. I wouldn't expect to be so stunned by mushrooms of all things (I can only think of one other time and beer batter was involved then) but they're wonderfully seasoned and have unexpected crunchy bits. We completely cleaned the plate, scooping up all the spaghetti squash accompaniment. Our mains were also delicious, a fava bean and a lamb entree with cabbage and lentils as the sides. Melissa delivered extra injera without us even asking, and gave us the excellent tip as we headed out to add our leftovers to a pan of scrambled eggs. We did so the next morning, and ate them with our crisped up leftover injera, a very tasty cap to our experience with Muzita!

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Muzita Abyssinian Bistro - Interior dining area.

Interior dining area.

Muzita Abyssinian Bistro - Inside of one of the sambusas. So much flavor!

Inside of one of the sambusas. So much flavor!

Muzita Abyssinian Bistro - Exterior of the restaurant.

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Exterior of the restaurant.

Mozambique - Peri-peri prawns

Mozambique

3.8(2.7k reviews)
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WOW! I have wanted to try this restaurant for a while now and it was worth the wait. Valet parking…read moreat a reasonable rate. The building has three different sections with different names, themed for what one is looking for... for example... the live music area is called... Ivan'z House Live Music Club. There's a rooftop area that is also a different name, all are part of Mozambique. We went on a Friday and it was packed. We were sat in one of their private rooms that overlook the downstairs main area. The room was intimate and much quieter than the main dining room. The whole place has a great vibe to it. Walking in, you are greeted with a huge bird cage with exotic birds. The decor is really cool and the smells of the food make one instantly hungry to try everything. The service was prompt and the staff was very kind. Now... the food. Absolutely delicious. The menu has a variety of tempting items on it, however, I wanted to try the South African food and it did not disappoint. We had somosas as an appetizer and I had the South African pie. My husband had the steak and lobster. Everything tasted amazing. We ended with a delectable dessert and a cappuccino. Afterward, we went to the bar and saw the live band setting up. Also, a cool place with a nice stage. We will definitely be back and bring the family. Thank you Mozambique for a great night.

I recently dined here with a friend of mine that was visiting from out of town. I specifically…read morechose Mozambique so my friend could experience their elegant dining, service, and food. We were escorted to our table by our server and proceeded to look over the menu. Distracted by conversation my friend knocked his silverware onto the floor, we realized there was a busser nearby cleaning off another table, so we kindly asked if we could get a new set of silverware. I saw her name tag said Alicia as she turned and gave us a nasty look, responding with something along the lines of "I am not responsible for your table, if you need something ask your server not me!" Shocked and embarrassed (since I chose this restaurant to give my friend the luxurious Laguna Beach experience) we apologized for interrupting her. Unfortunately it didn't stop there, she rudely scoffed at us and walked off angrily. We were both caught off guard and tried our best to enjoy the rest of the night. Unfortunately that wasn't it, we were trying to enjoy the night and move past the incident when we noticed that she gave us multiple angry looks through the rest of the evening. We finished our meal and left, I apologized to my friend for what had happened and promised to take him to another restaurant during our trip to make up for the terrible experience we had with Alicia. I love Mozambique and dined here on a semi frequent occasion.. unfortunately I have a bad taste in my mouth for this restaurant now, and won't be returning for a while because I would hate to have another experience like this again.

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Mozambique - Ivan'z house live music club at Mozambique, live music venue

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the Eldo - Double scoop of ice cream- too much unless you're feeding the whole table

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4.3(820 reviews)
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Okay long overdue review. We went here for Valentine's dinner. Originally we had their signature…read moresteak in kind. But we saw the pasta menu, and quickly changed our minds. It did not disappoint! I got the creamy chicken pesto and he got the short rib gnocchi. Both were absolutely delicious. It's quite a popular local spot. Parking lot is small but there's plenty of street parking in the neighborhood. We'll definitely be back to try out the rest of the menu!

Had my first visit with my mother the evening of Thursday the 5th of March 2026 for evening…read morerations. This establishment has a South African theme and I saw both the USA and South African flags flown outside. This establishment is only open for evening rations and was very busy when I arrived and there was a wait for a table. We were called and seated. The waitress pointed us to a QR Code and I told her neither of us do QR codes so she brought us a tablet that had the menu. This establishment does NOT have paper menus. Apparently this establishment wants people to go digital which I GREATLY resent as I am an analogue guy and I do not want to go digital!!!!! This is the one and only reason why I am giving such a low grade. Men's washroom was clean and had paper towels available... good. I ordered the cheeseburger and shake combo deal. The burger was quite good as were the French Fries and the chocolate shake was excellent. My mother ordered the lamb and was very satisfied though she took most of it home. Normally I would automatically give the lowest score possible if a sit down restaurant lacks a written paper or laminated menu or if an establishment forces me to use a kiosk to place an order. However I requested a sample of Biltong and the waitress honoured that request. For this reason I am adding an additional point for a total of two points instead of the one point that I would have otherwise awarded. If a letter grade was assigned as is done in school, this establishment would get a D. NOTE: If this establishment had a paper or laminated menu available, I would have awarded four out of five possible points which would have equated to a letter grade of B. The reason I would not have given a perfect score is because I noticed that some of the guys who work at this establishment wore their shirts untucked which I consider to be highly unprofessional.

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Side of Rice with Prawn curry.

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Taste of Africa Cuisine - Curry chicken, spicy jerk chicken, collard greens, lentil , veggies , yellow saffron rice

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4.5(53 reviews)
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Quite the experience... We were looking for some food near Colina Del Sol Park. This was open and…read morewalking distance, we figured checking it out. Don't judge this spot by the outside--the food speaks for itself Pulled up to this spot and I'll be honest--it's super lowkey and easy to miss. But once you try the food, you understand why people keep coming back. Here was my experience: AMBIANCE: Parking: Street or small lot, it can get busy based on the time of day. Seating: Inside seating, good for small groups. Maybe room for a total of 20 people. Vibes: Welcome to Midcity/City Heights area! It's not the flashiest part of SD but its definitely a grit and grind gem of San Diego. The spot itself is a no-frill type of spot, all about the food and not the aesthetics. You go up to the window and they'll let you know if you have in the kitchen - chicken, pork, beef, or fish. Super no-frills. This is one of those spots where it's all about the food, not the aesthetic. It almost feels like a hidden kitchen more than a traditional restaurant--but that's part of the charm. Reviewers even note it's "unpretentious" and focused on flavor over presentation FOOD / DRINKS: Chicken Combo (Recommend) This is where it hits. The chicken was well-seasoned, tender, and packed with flavor. Complemented with the rice, it made it extra fulfilling. Salad was simple but nice to have. Well worth the $20~ CUSTOMER SERVICE: Straight business. There was a little bit of language barrier but we got things all squared. TL;DR OVERALL: 3.5 Stars. Good food, simple selections, and quite the memorable experience. It's not a place you come for ambiance--but definitely a place you come for authentic, flavorful food. If you're open to trying something new and keeping it lowkey, this is worth checking out. #SupportBlackOwned TIPS: * This is not your conventional restaurant so come with an open mind! * Cash helps!

Foood was amazing. My girlfriend and I wanted to try something different so we found this place…read more Kinda run down, hole in the wall. They don't have a menu. You just tell the chef what kinda meat you want and he'll cook you up something good. Chef was really nice and recommended some dishes. I eventually went with the goat dish.. 10/10. Would definitely come back

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Taste of Africa Cuisine
Taste of Africa Cuisine - Goat with rice

Goat with rice

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Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant - Deliciousness!

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4.8(163 reviews)
6.4 miCity Heights

Came here one evening on a whim because it's close to the church my mother goes to. While I had my…read moreeye on the restaurant for a while, I never realized it was so close. The staff are all very welcoming and kind and quickly got me seated with a menu and soon after got my order in, just an order of Derek Tibs, and started. The water I ordered came soon after in the form of a glass and a pitcher. There's a wait time that's pretty typical of ethiopian food that you'll get used to as you have more of it. When it comes to the Derek Tibs, they're honestly a bit bland, but not any more or less so than what I've grown accustomed to. The Berebere sauce (they offered it to me as hot sauce), and the Injera is really what gives it a lot of flavor. Honestly my favorite part of the dry style Ethiopian food is the texture and amount of crust they're able to get on the meats. Overall a very enjoyable experience, I would definitely recommend trying if you get the chance. Likely will return with friends.

as a san diego college student, i am in a tireless search for affordable and nourishing food in…read morehospitable places, and i was able to find this experience at lucy ethiopian restaurant. we ordered the two meat combo, which was satisfying for two hungry adults, and a glass of tej (ethiopian honey wine), which was a beautiful pairing to our meal. even as someone unfamiliar with ethiopian culture, the food and drink made me feel nostalgic, and the peaceful atmosphere of the restaurant contributed to a blissful dining experience. our server was very friendly and helpful, and the service was very quick. i felt very welcomed in this environment, and i will happily return again soon.

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Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant
Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant
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