Aladdin

Food is excellent, décor is perfect. It feels very homey and comfortable being there. I highly recommend the hummus, cheese borak and the chicken kebab sandwich. Apricot tea is also great.

I always get the chicken shawarma wrap with a salad. It had never disappointed! The garlic paste they put on there is so AH-​MAZ-​ING! So much so we now order a large order to go so we can put it on everything at home! I seriously can’t get enough of that stuff! It’s a must try!

By far the best Mediterranean/​Middle East Restaurant I’ve been to. I love the Chicken Shawerma, the lamb, & the kebabs!!!

This place was awesome. Great food loved stuffed grape leaves. everything on the menu look delicious. I would definitely check this place out again.

Atmospheric room with Eastern Med décor. To-​die-​for fresh hummus. I had a huge Greek salad that was crisp, and well prepared with ample feta, red onion, & dressing.

Biryani with lamb and beef is yummy. So is the lamb and beef shawarma pizza. The tabouli salad is one of the best in San Diego

This place was awesome. Came here a few months ago with a friend on our lunch break. The garlic paste is seriously the bomb!!! Oh my gosh I just want to learn how to make it at home! I would definitely come back here and order again. After checking out some of the pictures of the soup from here I’m definitely curious and think I know what I will order next time.
Delicious! I had a delicious rice dish that I honestly can’t remember what it was called sorry. But honestly everything on the menu look delicious. I would definitely check this place out again.

Really good food I’m really picky and I enjoyed every little bit of it. Keep up the good work thanks again.

BLUF: very reasonable price, good lunch food, good service, all around good time. They use a lot of Lemmon.
TL;DR: so this is a favorite lunch spot of mine, decided to try it on a whim when I first moved to the area years ago and was not disappointed. Two things on the menu keep me coming back, Turkish coffee, and the lamb and beef shawarma wrap. Probably the thing that surprised me most was the price, incredibly low for a shutdown lunch spot. I should mention that I have been told by a few friends and family members that the food has «too much Lemmon» which is not a flaw in my book but I probably should mention this. Give this place a try you won’t be disappointed.

When looking for a place to grab some food to-​go for the night, Aladdin popped up when looking for some chicken places. Chicken shawarma always makes for a good dinner dish to fill you up and Aladdin came highly recommended on here. Since they share a street with some residential area, parking may be a nightmare in the evening. However there is a major shopping center next door with plenty of spots, however I don’t know if they have lookouts who call for towing. While they share the same name with another place up in Kearny Mesa, they aren’t the same restaurant at all. They have a pretty decent sized menu with lots of options and they even have a delivery service. The inside of their kitchen (
) looked pretty clean and organized, it always makes you feel better when there’s a window directly into the kitchen.
The very first thing you will definitely notice about this place is the steep steep prices. Most entrees here will run you about $ 20 for a plate of food. My chicken shawarma plate (
) came with chicken, white rice, a small salad, garlic paste, hummus and two pitas. So while the price seems like a lot you do get plenty of food for it. My chicken tasted really good, the spices were great and it had lots of flavor to it. However the chicken seemed kind of dried out and had a so-​so texture. I don’t know if it’s because I got my order to go or what. The garlic paste and hummus (
) (
) here are pretty standard. There was certainly no wow effect here, as I’ve had better hummus but it definitely wasn’t on the bad side. The side salad (
) came in a separate plastic container and was very very acidic and had way too much oil on it. The lettuce was literally soaking wet with dressing, not cool. The rice they use here was pretty good, cooked great and was seasoned nicely. By far the biggest thing I enjoyed from this place was the pita bread (
). For a plate they give you two slices of pita bread and it goes really well with their hummus. It was soft, thin and tasted very fresh. I can definitely recommend the pita bread here.
Would I come back to Aladdin ever again? Sure. The food wasn’t half bad even though I consider the prices to be a bit steep. This place definitely seasons their food pretty good, they just need to work on getting their chicken not so dried out. I wouldn’t consider this place to be a disaster or anything, I ‘ve had better Lebanese food, but Aladdin will definitely cure your craving for some. The guy who took my order was pretty cool, and they were spot on about the pick up time.

Chicken garlic sandwhich is bomb, especially with hot suace. Not super filling though, as far as American portion expections go. BUt comes with nice side salad, great for lunch

We are creatures of habit. That’s really the only «good» reason I can give for the fact that, though this Aladdin restaurant is closer than the Clairemont Mesa one, this is our first time actually dining here. Well, that and the fact that we were in the general vicinity this day, and needed sustenance quickly and relatively cheaply.
We were pleased to see that the two Aladdin locations share a menu, as we both went in with an idea of what we wanted for lunch. The parking situation here is maybe about the same as the one on Clairemont — there are loads of spaces available, it’s just a matter of timing, luck and distance.
This restaurant seems to be about the same size as the Clairemont one, as well — lots of outdoor seating, two big dining rooms. The kitchen here isn’t as immediately open as Clairemont, but you can still catch a glimpse of the chefs as they’re whipping up your meal.
We came at an off-​hour, so they weren’t that busy. There was one large party in the dining room at the back, and only one other inside table and one outdoor table were occupied. We were given a choice as to where to sit, and we headed to one of the tables that was up against a bench. Probably not the best move for this short girl; the bench cushions were super cushy and I felt like a little kid sitting at the big kid’s table.
There were two girls working the dining rooms that day — one was immediately friendly but not so available, the other was a bit reserved but always on hand to fill up drinks or clear away empty plates.
We ordered here as we would have at the other location: the half chicken salad for me, the falafel sandwich for him, and a half order of baba to start.
Our food came out fast, which was great because we were starving. The baba came first, with a plate piled high with warm pita. It was just as delicious as we had expected — not too smooth (a little bit of eggplant lump built in), with a toasted/​roasted flavor that adds so much.
The entrees came out right after the baba, and though I loved the salad (seriously, the half order is more than enough to fill one person up), my husband had an issue with his falafel sandwich. He said that the falafel wasn’t crunchy — it was more doughy than anything else, and it threw off the sandwich. He ate it of course — said the flavor was good, but the texture was just all wrong.
We know what to expect from an Aladdin restaurant, so I’m sure we’ll be back in the future. This location has the added bonus of being close to home and to shopping, as well as being a hop, skip and a jump away from Mike Hess Brewing. Yeah… I’m pretty sure we’ll be back.

Visited today for a sit down dinner, as I normally grab take out. I was reminded why I normally get take out, as the service was quite average. It took them fifteen minutes to get our bill to the table.
The food however was delicious, particularly the Aladdin Mediterranean Chicken salad– a long time favorite of mine. I would also recommend the Zatar Wrap.
A must for Mediterranean take out.

I love Alladin. Good food, great service, healthy. Nice Ambiance. They have other restaurants with similar menu but different names and I already tried them all and they are ALL realy good.
They know what they are doing and use fresh ingredients. Good price too.

The lighting here is terrible. Some flicker, some are not even on. They’ve seated us – 7 young professionals who are dressed nicely and looking to spend money for a good time – in the darkest corner of the restaurant, right next to the kitchen, even though there was ample seating in the front room. (It was literally empty as we walked through.)
I arrived a few minutes after everyone was seated. The waitress was at the table, talking with my friend, but she didn’t even acknowledge me as I sat down. I didn’t think anything of it until 20 later, however, when my other friend – a Caucasian male – arrived. Immediately, she was at our table, saying hello, and asking what he’d like to drink.
Just as she was about to turn away, he asked her if she’d like to take my order as well. She turned to me, but stayed silent. After a second I realized she wasn’t going to speak or even offer a belated greeting, so I made my request for tea, then remembered that I hadn’t even received a menu, and asked for that too.
Was the rude treatment because I was a female? Because I was African-​American?
I can’t be sure, and I’d hate to guess. However, it’s an issue the demands addressing, for I’ve experienced this kind of treatment in not only the Hillcrest location, but also the Claremont one. Each time, I’ve visited with a large party that ordered well over $ 100 worth of items, and each time we’ve received disrespectful and lackluster service. Even tonight, not a single person at our table was offered a refill on their water or tea, despite the fact that many had drained their glasses after the first course of appetizers.
Long story short: don’t go here if you want a nice time. The food is fine (certainly not the best, and I can say this because I’m part Iranian and was raised on Persian cuisine), but the service is non-​existent. Visit Sultan Banoo’s instead if you want authenticity balanced by politeness.

Aladdin Restaurant is a great place to have lunch outside on the patio. It has free parking so a plus in Hillcrest. We love the chicken Shawerma plate with salad. They also have great hummus. Friendly Staff and delicious food.

GET THE CHICKEN SCHWARMA SANDWICH!
Everything here is really good. Pizzas, salads, dolma, and hummus are great. Chicken schwarma sandwich is by far the best thing on the menu. I go here with 4 – 8 friends and we ALL order the same thing (recommend putting the side salad inside of the schwarma sandwich).

I must be overly excited about this place to write a review the same day! (I usually don’t) hehe.
This restaurant is within walking distance from my house and all these years, I’ve never thought to try it until tonight! I came in about 10 mins to closing (8:30pm, not 9pm like Unilocal has it) and we’re greeted by the nicest people. They weren’t trying to rush me at all. In fact, the nice gentleman that took my order also offered a complementary drink while I was waiting for my to my food to go. How nice! I already Ike the place for that. I guess I’m just a sucker for good service. :p.
Food: thankfully there’s pictures! Everything looks good, though the entrees were a little pricey. I thought I just try a little bit of each. It was definitely enough food for like 4 people.
–Split order of lamb and cheese borak (they were able to do half and half): I like the lamb more, surprisingly. It’s not gamey at all!
–½ order of hummus: comes with a ton of pita! ½ of was plenty for us. And its delicious!
–Chicken Bryani: my favorite! Tender chicken topped over well seasoned rice and tomatoes and fresh cucumbers. The rice has this Indian like spiced in there, similar to curry, and boy do I love Indian curry! Simply put, it’s just really good!
–Koufta kebab: seasoned blend of ground beef, lamb, parsley and onions wrapped inside a pita with hummus, tomatoes, and onions. The meat is very tasty! And not dry, thankfully.
I can’t believe I’ve never tried this place and it’s so close to home! I’ve always looked for a good greek/​Mediterranean place, but always run into places that are only comparable to like a Daphne’s. Thank goodness I was feeling «healthy» and wanted some greek food. This place is a keeper!

Since it’s been so long, and I just recently dined here again, I had to rewrite my review of course.
After my recent visit I decided to try some new things. I had a Greek salad with no chicken and as usual, it was delicious. I absolutely love their dressing that they put on their salads. It’s always the perfect tanginess.
I also shared a hummus and it was good. It is however the usual hummus you can get at any Mediterranean restaurant. No complaints though.
The other things we shared was their spinach pies and the tzatziki. Both were not very good. Their spinach pies lacked flavor and were too wet. No spices to really bring any flavor out. I would suggest just buying them and baking them. And their tzatziki lacked of flavor as well. It needed garlic or more dill. Something to give it a good dip pizazz.
I would still visit again since it’s one of the last Mediterranean places standing and of course there is a reason why. Most dishes are delicious and service is always great.

Dun dun dun, have you ever had a Baklava that didn’t put you on the brink of Diabetes? I was in absolute denial that such options existed. It was like the silent but deadly killer of a dessert just didn’t have the choice of being lesser sweet and still flow with rich flavors. The food gods of Lebanon had no mercy… till Aladdin! Prince Ali saves the day, and its genie gave me a «wow» for its wish. And, we’re outa here!
Sadly, this review is only for their Baklava. More next time!
Dessert:
— Baklava ($ 5.95 for 2pc): For those who are skeptical of a perfectly balanced Baklava, you need to their Aladdin’s! Poke your fork into one section of the 4inch row of crispy layered comfort, and you’ll understand why it’s so good. Begin with the outer crunch of the flaky exterior, and move right on in, take a bite with the subtle but perfectly balancing pistachio crumbs… and there you have it. The harmony between the honey, cinnamon, dough, and nuts is found right here. It has a soft interior silkiness, but a rich bold flavor that dances around and around. No one ingredient overpowers the other, and every bite kind of satiates any urge for a sweet dessert. My suggestion is since they come as pairs, to only eat one – that’s all you really need.
Pros:
— Beautifully decorated interior, filled with fun stuff to look at (oh my unculturedness, woe is me)
— Helpful and quick waiters
Cons:
— Hmm, we didn’t stay long enough to observe anything less-​than.
I’m seriously not a sweet tooth, so I’m glad Aladdin makes such an impressive dessert. I’m so convinced they must have other delicious things to eat, so, yes, I’ll just have to come back and try more!