A small Lebanese restaurant tucked within downtown Gaslamp streets, Yalla Habibi houses authentic mediterranean cuisine that is sure to fill your stomach and wow your taste buds. We got Baba ghanoush as an appetizer and the spices inside punctured my palate while the lemon juice puckered my mouth. All that is to say that the Baba ghanoush certainly did not lack flavor. I also got a beef shawarma, and I'm from Texas so I'm used to seeing Texas sized dishes but this one was United States sized. It was a shame that I was visiting and couldn't take back leftovers but the beef shawarma was easily 2 meals. My only minor complaint is that at $25-$30 the price was not Texas-priced, but it's California so I came in with Californian expectations. All in all, nice family owned Lebanese restaurant. Would recommend a try! read more

Yalla Habibi - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

We got the Falafels to start and they were nicely crisped, but were a bit on the saltier side. I enjoyed that the salad was very lightly dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Simple, fresh, and tasty! My guy got the Chicken Tawook Bowl. The chicken was nice and juicy, but they don't give much chicken for the price. I got the Kafta Kebab Plate and the meat was on the drier side and could've used more seasoning. The hummus was good and both meats mixed well with the rice. While we enjoyed this place, it wasn't very memorable. There's nothing special about what we had and it was pricier than similar restaurants we've been to. read more

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We ordered two chicken shawarma wraps, french fries, and a cucumber yogurt dip for delivery. Im retrospect, I rather have starved. The food was just plain awful. The chicken shawarma was so low quality, GREASY, and poorly seasoned, it tasted like taking a bite out of a bottle of oil. It had absolutely nothing else in it - no veggies, no sauces (extra charge if you order that on the side)... nothing. Just OIL and horrible chicken. The French fries were stale and soggy. The ketchup packets were cheap and loaded with high fructose corn syrup. And even in the cucumber and yogurt they layered it with oil, slimy cucumbers, and a boatload of salt. They even charge for two small triangles of pita bread. This place is far from Middle Eastern hospitality and quality. I would order from literally anywhere else. Morbidly bad food for something that should be easy. And way overpriced!!! $16 a wrap with nothing else in it?? Come on ... read more

The spot is cute and the girl at the register was super nice. However, the food was disappointing. The chicken shawarma fries had chewy chicken that was under seasoned, the fries lacked all flavor. The lahm bajeen was meh. I do give them props for the cheese pies, those were tasty! Oh btw it's a sit down restaurant but there isn't a bathroom. read more

Yalla Habibi - Lahm Bajeen - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Stopped by on our way to a Padres game. It's a small place with a few tables, the food though is amazing, i got the chicken shawarma sandwich. It all tasted so fresh and I am upset on how long it took me to find this place. I will for sure be back to try more. read more

This review is for a takeout order. Placed an order while we were headed to the car in Balboa Park. Food was ready in 10 minutes which was great timing. Got the Chicken Shwarma Salad, which was pretty massive and with generous portions of chicken. I think I would really like this salad at the restaurant, but the to-go version had the salad wilting a bit and chicken had dried out a bit. Nice flavors going on with the citrus vinaigrette and yogurt sauce. I'd recommend getting dressing on the side for a to-go order. Hummus and Pita - Hummus was a large portion - creamy and a crowd pleaser. The pita was a bit on the tough side since it was probably heated and then had the same issues with most takeout food. Happy with our takeout experience, but looking forward to going to the restaurant next time for a sit-down experience. read more

Yalla Habibi - Chicken Salad - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Super fresh and tasty. Falafel plate, hummus, garlic sauce were amazing. The salad was a super fresh surprise.

Great customer service, the owners were kind enough to let us host a surprise party for our friend, great place and delicious food. We will come back again the lentil soup was my favorite dish, great prices too. The waiter was very attentive, great spot in downtown! read more

Super yummy and service was quick. Stopped by to grab a bite before a show at House of Blues. Got the cheese pies and hummus appetizers as well as the beef shawarma bowl. Everything was super flavorful! Loved every bite and will definitely be returning to eat when we are not in a hurry. There are no bathrooms so be aware. read more

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Downhill. This is NOT Lebanese, a Mexican Tortilla is their main ingredient. Very poor standards. Taking the wrong order, zero parking. Food does not taste authentic. I'm Arab myself, I should know. Try Ali Baba or Aladidin. read more

The Lebanese food here is prepared with a welcomed twist to traditional Middle Eastern food. The Chicken Shawarma sandwich is a wrap with butter, melted cheese, and spices. While most wraps are dry, this was a moist & juicy wrap loaded with flavor. Probably one of the best wraps that I have ever had! The tzaziki sauce here is an authentic blend of yogurt, garlic, and dill. The dill is what made this tzaziki special. It accompanied the meal very well. However, the Falafel plate did not look like the picture, unfortunately... I was hoping for an artistic display that mirrored the picture in the menu. This is easy to achieve in a round container, but whomever prepared this dish and packaged it in the rectangular cardboard container, sort of threw it together. That's the only reason why I gave them 4 stars instead of 5 stars. Next time, I will dine in and order some Zataar. As the name of the restaurant indicates, "Come on, My Love!" read more

I recently moved to the neighborhood and was looking for a healthy for dinner (and kind of missing home food) when this place popped up on Yelp! It was literally a five minute walk (for me) right in the heart of downtown. It's a small quaint place with moderate indoor and outdoor seating. You can order takeout at the register or sit and order in at a table. The menu is plentiful with enough options to satisfy all dietary needs. I had the mixed grill plate, which was pretty generous and filling. It comes with a hefty side salad. All in all, the place is great with quality service and food. I didn't look too hard but I did not see a restroom available so that might be something to consider/double check. I also wished that this place didn't carry Coca Cola products, especially with the plethora of options available from our communities. read more

Yalla Habibi - Mixed Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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We stopped here because it was next to the hotel we were staying at and they were open on Thanksgiving. So glad we stopped in - we liked it so much we came back the next day. Mom had the lentil soup which was flavorful and rich. The baba ghanoush was smoky and garlicky and delicious when dipped in pita bread or over some of the meats. We got the mixed grill and all of the meats were full of flavor. Everyone working there is so sweet, friendly, and helpful. We really enjoyed our experiences there! read more

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Everything was good. The chicken shawerma wrap was a 7/10. The fries were 7/10. The fattoush salad was 11/10. I don't know how they do it but that salad here is better than when I had it for the first time. They took a little long for my order but I did have a big one. And the ambience was good. Not to quiet. Not too loud. It was perfect. read more

We were on a trip to SD and we were getting drinks in gaslamp when we stumbled onto yalla habibi, and it was amazing! I still dream about that lentil soup and chicken shawarma. Our server there was also very helpful with recommendations and was very nice and provided a great experience! If you're looking for late night food in the area Yalla Habibi is the best! read more

By far the works chicken shawarma I ever had and it's one of my favorite dish. Chicken had no flavor rice taste like it came out of a box no sides other than skinny slithers of pickles. Crazy. Super low quality. The garlic sauce is also my favorite...theirs was a joke. Literally a side of straight mayo no taste of garlic. I thought the sauce would help but it made it worse. Threw away my food. I'm convinced that half of the good reviews are fake because absolutely NOT. read more

(3.5) Chicken shawarma & falafel wraps were pretty good! I was a little disappointed at the amount of filling and wish there was a bit more chicken in the shawarma. The batata harra was not that great, very greasy and tasted very citrusy/tangy. Had to toss it in a few bites. However, service is good and there was plenty of indoor seating for dining! We did takeout and waited for about 15-20mins for our order. Overall, a decent spot. read more

Ordered for delivery from DoorDash and the food was delivered promptly fresh. Tabouleh salad: 5/5 Very simple, fresh and flavorful. Good sized portion as well. Very healthy option. Hummus: 4.5/5 Creamy and tasty. Served with a side of pita bread. Chicken shawarma sandwich: 3.5/5 Portion is nice and it was delivered nice and warm. Chicken was on the dry side and sandwich was missing something maybe the sauce wasn't flavorful to balance the dry chicken. Probably an item best to consume at the restaurant freshly when it's carved versus delivery which could dry out the chicken. read more

Yalla Habibi - Chicken Shawarma was ok - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Delicious late night spot. We throughly enjoyed the lentil soup and they had fast service.

Woah woah woah, this food was unbelievably good. Came here at 2:50 AM looking for restaurants that were open, tacos el gordo was extremely packed so decided to give yalla habibi a try. Best shawarma wrap I've ever had, the chicken shawarma was extremely juicy and tender, toum (garlic sauce) was perfect, the bread was thin and perfect, it changed my life. Super good service too, they were very nice even though we came so late at night. read more

I'm Lebanese and this food is nothing like real authentic Lebanese food. They can definitely fix their act and produce better quality food for the high price they charge. 1. Chicken shawarma- garlic paste tasted nothing like garlic. In a tortilla too. Chicken tasted like it's pan fried. 2. Beef shawarma was just okay. 3. Zataar pie was mediocre and lacked flavor. They do need good quality zataar and to put more on top of the dough. 4. LahmAjeen - meat pie was super bland and looked very pale as if no spices or vegetables grounded into the meat. I really regret eating here today. Paid more than $50 for food that can't get more than 2/10!!! My search for Lebanon AUTHENTIC food will continue. read more

Best falafel I have ever eaten. All the food is made in house and you can tell. Lentil soup was also amazing.

I'm so glad I found this place on Yelp. I had just finished work and was starving -- this was the perfect way to end my day! Everything I ordered was so fresh and delicious, with great portions too. It's not fancy, but who cares when the food is this good? Highly recommend read more

The food was not good at all. The meat and chicken they fried for us seemed old, and it was covered with a lot of spices, probably to hide the stale taste. We went there expecting a good steak, but unfortunately the experience was very disappointing read more

Great service and we enjoyed the chicken shawarma plate and the hummus shawarma with beef. And chicken tawook plate was delicious. And since we wanted to try more items we were able to swap one hummus to baba ghanoush. Very tasty for a good price. read more

Yalla Habibi means come on darling or something along those lines. In my dictionary it spells delicious with great service! Came in once to get a carry out and loved it so much ended up coming again. Staff is nice, menu is great, and food is delicious. In particular I loved baba ganoush which is likely the best I had. Hummus is good and bean plate for appetizers is delicious!!!! Ambiance is cozy, as it is small place. But well worth it!!! read more

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It means "let's go, baby" in Arabic. Lebanese restaurant on 6th Ave in downtown San Diego. I was meeting a friend there for dinner. Pretty good size menu. We both ordered the lamb plates. Super well prospered and presented. Looked like counter service, but the very nice young man actually waited in us. If you want legit Mediterranean food, give this place a go. read more

Yalla Habibi - Hummus - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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The menu offers a variety of Arabic, Lebanese dishes, shawarma etc. The restaurant is cozy and clean, service and food good. Great for quick bite and reasonably priced. read more

Horrible definitely not Lebanese the chicken looks so bad that i can't eat too oily over cooked and taste bad not recommended will never go there again and too pricey horrible experience read more

I am very content with the food, nice ambient and it feels like a hole in the hole because of how small the restaurant is. If you want to try mediterranean food, this is the spot. I will be coming back here. read more

Yalla Habibi - I had their Lentil Soup and Chicken Shawarma Bowl, baklava and the lemon mint drink - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Great service and food. Our shawarma was freshly made, juicy and delicious. They also have an outside table on the weekends for a quick bite. Simple and wonderful, nice place to stop for a bite. read more

Yalla Habibi - Menu - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Yalla Habibi ("Let's go, my dear") is a new mom-and-pop casual eatery in the Gaslamp Quarter dishing out Lebanese cuisine. The inside seating capacity was limited to less than 20 customers. It looked like a husband and wife team ran the show with a few cooks assisting in the kitchen. The staff at the service counter may have still been in training during my visit as one lady seemed to be unfamiliar with how to efficiently locate items on the register to ring up. At the time, sandwiches, bowls, and plates were the menu categories with about ten choices in each one. Appetizers, salads, fries, sides, and desserts have been added since then. I chose a Beef Kebab Plate for my meal. It consisted of marinated beef cubes with a side of tahini sauce, pickles, rice, hummus, salad, and pita bread. The salad was served first on a separate plate with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, lemon, vinegar, and olive oil. Nothing stood out about this Middle Eastern-style side salad as it was standard fare. The beef cubes were very savory from being well-seasoned. The hummus and sesame-based tahini sauce provided additional flavor as dips for the pita bread slices. Overall, the food was executed at a high level for a small operation. read more

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YALLA for your girl!!! Had a hot date last night, so after throwing on my sexiest sweatpants and least cat hair covered shirt, I was ready to see and be seen... also to enjoy a wonderful dinner! I twirled around so that my date could drink in the fact that I was not only fashion forward, but also thoughtful, because I'd paid attention to the small details. Yes dear reader, I WAS wearing matching socks! Entering we were greeted warmly. The owners were so polite and friendly! I felt really comfortable and excited to see what kind of chow I'd be shoving into my hungry face. The menu is robust and has a ton of vegetarian and vegan options! Meat eaters can also rejoice because they are covered as well! Really, I was so glad to have so much to choose from! I went with the falafel plate. You can choose either hummus or Baba ghanoush (they spell it differently but I forget exactly how). I decided to go with the baba ghanoush option because I eat hummus all the time. When the plate arrived it was simply huge! Just giant! You will not leave hungry from this restaurant. It is impossible! The portion of food was enough for at least two meals for me!!! The falafel was done perfectly! Nice and crispy with great flavor. Not too dry. Excellent!!! They were sat upon rice that was very flavorful. Seriously, a great combo! The "Baba G" (my nickname for the dish I just now came up with and will use often enough to annoy anyone and everyone) was ridiculously good!!! I mean wow! Probably the best Baba G I've ever had!!!! It was perfectly done!!!! I am STILL excited about it as I write this review !!! Why was it so freaking good? The smokey quality was just amazing. I have had so many disappointing versions of this dish, and I almost gave up hope, I am so glad I didn't. It also had the perfect texture and all the ingredients were balanced. Just out of sight! There was pita and pickles plus tahini included. It was a full feast of a plate! During the meal my date asked for one of my falafels... I decided to lean into my naturally giving nature and allow him one. As he was commenting on it being good the owner came over with freshly made falafels and put some on his plate. It was so kind and it probably stopped an argument because I wasn't going to share anymore of mine... I mean I'm giving up to a certain point... too many try to take advantage, and also get their paws on my crispy fried delights. I had to take the rest of my plate to go. So I am looking forward to lunch today! My date kindly bought me another plate of Baba G to go because it's amazing and he is a gentleman. The whole experience was totally worth brushing my hair and putting on my best sweatpants for! If you are in the mood for fresh and tasty food with wonderful service then you need to go now. Because I might eat all of the Baba G if you wait too long! read more

Yalla Habibi - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Man, the food is good but $38 for 2 gyro wraps to go is insane. As a business owner, we're getting hit with tariffs too, but this seems like a lot??? read more

Sweet, unassuming hole in the wall gem. They get their basics right with the yummiest hummus, pita, chicken shawarma and fattoush salad. Service was great too. read more

Really good food. Beef shawarma plate was a lot of food. Would come back. Fast service too read more

Yalla Habibi - Beef Shawarma Plate - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

It was pretty good and the service was nice but also not my most all time fav Lebanese place. Really nice crew working tho. The lamb sandwich was awesome! read more

Yalla Habibi - Lamb Sandwich - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Background: i'm Lebanese this place was bad. Michoz or Furn Saj were amazing, so it's not because i have extremely high standards (even though my mom's cooking will always be the best). I just don't want people thinking this is great lebanese food plus it gave me a bad stomach ache which is the only reason i ever mark something 1 star. The seasoning for the chicken shawarma was not authentic and greasy. The hummus was grainy and i had to add lemon to it because it had ZERO lemon. The grape leaves had no flavor, but i could tell these were handmade (which is why i chose Yalla Habibi), so this might be just because they had an off day. Will not be coming back. Sucks because they have the best restaurant name in town haha. But next time i'm saying yalla habibi lets go to my moms house. Edit: something i will say! The hummus shawarma appetizer came with plenty in it and the price was decent considering it was downtown. read more

AMAZING FOOD!!! As an Arab , this food tasted like my childhood. Such good flavor. Vegan options were amazing. Can't wait to come back. Already dug in before I thought to get a picture read more

Yalla Habibi - French fry sandwich, fool, hummus - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

This was my first time at Yalla Habibi, and I'm already a fan. The was very clean and quiet, the staff was super friendly and made me feel welcome right away. I ordered the beef shawarma pita wrap, and it was amazing -- flavorful, tender, and perfectly wrapped. You can taste the freshness in every bite. I'll definitely be coming back to try more! read more