Ali Baba Family Restaurant

Visited Alibaba in El Cajon and had a very enjoyable experience. The food was halal, flavorful and well-prepared, with generous portions and a good variety of dishes. Everything tasted fresh and authentic. The service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was casual and welcoming. Overall, it’s a solid spot for a satisfying meal, and I’d definitely return.

I love going here. I just went here for a quick late dinner with my daughter. Always nice people and good food. I highly recommend

We’ve eaten here before and the food was good, but today’s experience was absolutely disappointing. We ordered food for six people to go, and as we were eating our meal, my son found a big curly hair in his yellow rice. My husband called the restaurant to let them know, and instead of apologizing, the person who answered was rude and even accused us of putting the hair there ourselves. His “solution” was to offer a discount next time, well, there will definitely be no next time. What a shame. The food might have been good once, but the customer service and hygiene are clearly not. I do not recommend eating here.

A gem in El Cajon, CA. Food is delicious and authentic. Portions are huge. We had a big group so we opted for the Family Feast Trays. We had more than enough food for 14 hungry folks. Service was quick and friendly. Parking lot available although it fills up quickly.

Great service. Great quality food. Traditional spices. LARGE portions. They have both Coke & Pepsi products. I got the two person family meal. WOW!

We were greeted upon entering the restaurant and immediately sat down. The woman who was serving us was super friendly and made some recommendations for us. While we were waiting for our food, we saw the table next to us get this giant flatbread and we knew we had to try it. We ordered some and it came out pretty quickly; it was about as big as the table!! I loved the crispiness, but also the soft chewiness of the edges and it was delicious with the super smooth hummus. The food was delicious and my plate was enough food that it fed me for three different meals!! I feel like the price was reasonable for the size of the portion and the service continued to be good throughout our meal. We would definitely come back and if you're looking for delicious Middle Eastern food in a relaxed, laid-back environment with good service, this is a great place to go!

The owner himself was so rude and disrespectful. These people think they can act this way because theres no one else but them in El Cajon. Theres so much better places and respectful out there. The owner is disgusting. This place will fall down in no time, I would never have came here if Mal Alsham was open. Just a tip for the owner to teach you some manners, you should treat your customers as your guest at home. I don’t think you’re rude to your guests at home, we’re your guests. Have some respect for your customers. Very musty inside the restaurant and tables are sticky. Got disgusted. Service: 0/10 Food: 2/10 Vibe: 2/10

This place is truly a jewel to your palate and pocketbook! Delicious food, ample serving, personal family service, and all at a fair price! The place could use some cleaning up, fresh paint, putting someone on regular bathroom detail, but that aside I do recommend this place to anyone looking for that Middle East charm!! We ordered the feast for 4, but it could easily feed 6 starving students!

I would definitely recommend this place to anyone, especially for a group/family setting. The portions are huge, the food is delicious, and the fresh warm bread is a great addition. We got a family dinner for 4, but there was plenty of food leftover.

LEGIT! From the moment we sat down, we were served the freshest tanoor bread, straight out of the oven. Imagine a warm, fluffy flatbread with a crispy edge that's perfect for tearing apart and dipping into all the deliciousness that followed. The three of us ordered the Family Feast for Two, and let me tell you, we still had leftovers! Everything was bursting with flavor and perfectly seasoned. The only thing that didn't quite hit the mark was the Cream Chop--a breaded chicken dish that was just okay compared to everything else. PRO TIP: They also have beer and wine (one red, one white). It's not a huge selection, but hey, it's something to sip on while you enjoy all the amazing food! I can't wait to come back for another amazing meal. You know a place is authentic when English isn't the dominant language spoken around you. This spot is a 10,000% must-try!

this place is a great deal!!! They load up the food!! I love to take my home my leftovers. MMMMMMMM MMMMM home made styled food

We were coming from San Diego Zoo Safari Park and had reviewed this restaurant before coming here, and decided to try it out. Food was excellent, as was the service. We were here around 4:45pm, so a bit early for dinner, but ... we were hungry since we didn't really have a lunch at the Zoo and were on our way home - a 2-3 hour drive. While we were here, although the restaurant was not crowded, we did see a steady stream of customers coming in - replacing those that left - as well as quite a few pickups. On our way to be seated, we saw another table with a plate that looked interesting and found out it was Lamb Tekka with rice. We decided to try that dish as we've never had it before, as well as one of our favorites, Lamb Shank. We would rate the Lamb Shank a Definite '5', while the Tekka is a '4'. Both dishes came piled high with Rice - absolutely the BEST rice we've had at any Mediterranean restaurant - as well as veggies. We were surprised by some pickled veggies, which we would not have wanted and if we had known about it, we would have asked for maybe more of the other items instead. If we are ever along this way, we would definitely stop in again. One comment: We were surprised at a 4% Surcharge when we got the bill. It turns out this would be IF we paid by Credit Card. If we paid cash, it would not be calculated. Suggestion: The bill should show it IF a customer pays by credit card and the other Total if paid in Cash!

Always delicious. I've been eating at same restaurant for over 20 years...and the place is the best. Smoothest hummus ever. Fresh bread. Very authentic, humble and always a delight.

Honestly the best Mediterranean food in San Diego, our favorite place to visit on special occasions. We always get the family pack of 3-4 and have leftovers! The service here is also great, always so polite and welcoming. Not to mention they're quick and efficient. Definitely worth it

Been coming here since they opened atleast 20 years ago I think 2003? I've had a lot of middle eastern food and this place tops all of it. dolma is my favorite with alots of flavor. HIGHLY recommend

QUICKIE REVIEW Generous amount of food had here. FOOD This is what I tried: -Family feast for two Wanted to try a bit of everything so had the family feast for two. It says the meal is for two but you can easily feed four. Be prepared for a GENEROUS amount of food to be brought out to you. It was indeed what I was looking, a little (actually a lot) of everything. PARKING Yes. SERVICE There was one waiter do everything (came on a weekday around 3) and he was killing it. PRICE The feast is $59 and then whatever else you want to add on. TIP/OTHER THOUGHTS That "one" meal from the leftovers turned dinner for the next two nights.

This place is truly a jewel to your palate and pocketbook! Delicious food, ample serving, personal family service, and all at a fair price! The place could use some cleaning up, fresh paint, putting someone on regular bathroom detail, but that aside I do recommend this place to anyone looking for that Middle East charm!! We ordered the feast for 4, but it could easily feed 6 starving students!

The Greek salad was simple yet delicious. I love how all the ingredients are served fresh. The dressing was good. The portion was huge for a small-sized order salad. The feast of two was HUGE! It can feed a family of 4. The meat was seasoned/marinated well. The server was very helpful, patient and attentive. We enjoyed our dinner here & we'll be coming back.

Price point for the massive amount of food you get here? The feast for two plate which I bought can easily feed four people. It's no joke. All the meats they brought (chicken, shawrma, beef) were cooked perfectly. The sides of chickpea and rice with onions and tomatoes topped it all off. They also included pita bread and their delicious hummus. This should be a staple try out for any serious foodie in SD.

Very good . Food was delicious . Service was great and would definitely Be coming back. This place is 3 hours away from My House

I've been eating here for years. Everything is so good! Tastes like the meals I had growing up. The fattoush salad and kebab is great! I also get the large family meals when I have people over and it's a great selection.

Have driven by this place for years and was finally able to make it in. So glad I did. Food was delicious, service was so good. The restaurant is mid sized with plenty of seating. Clean. Pleasant. My only complaint was it was a little pricy...however food was quality and portions were large. Will be back.

We ordered the feast for 10, it was a lot of food! The shawarma was kinda chewy but everythibg else was great! The salad needs more dressing, I could not even taste the dressing they put in it. The hummus tastes so good and pita had very generous portion.

While this is a hole in the wall, it is a family owned restaurant by definition with some of the hardest working folks I have seen in this part of El Cajon. You'll find plenty of parking and authentic Iraqi meals that will leaving you coming back as I did here in the past week. What I came back for was the Quzi/Qouzi that is a lamb shank over rice. The lamb is a large piece for the price and just falls off the bone. I wish something this good could be in LA, and is reminiscent of a Lucknow pulao that I used to have as a kid. The rice is fluffy long-grain and goes well with the lamb, caramelized (sweet) onions and noodle. This dish is topped with parsley, beets, onion and some garnishes on the side. I think mixing these items bite by bite is the way to go. And does it get better? Without a doubt. I never eat okra, but their okra in tomato base is to die for. Whether it is the cumin touch here, or the addition in the lamb and rice, well, it makes for a wholesome meal that brings me home. It truly brings me to the type of cooking I had growing up and miss dearly. I will certainly be back to support this mom and pop, which is truly underground. I should remind patrons that this place is about the food and not the decor or service. I think you cannot expect much on that angle, but if you want fine dining then I think you should visit another place. Otherwise, you will find home cooked meals that are memorable.

We came here on Mother's Day.. if you want good Mediterranean food that is not too pricey then this is the place. This prolly my 3rd time visiting this place, because it's far from home and work place. We usually order ahead feast bundle and are delighted of the portions and how tasty the food is. If you want to treat a family or large group of people, you won't be disappointed bringing them here. The service is good. Host will tell you if the food you're ordering is too much ( He means well, and usually he is right if the amount of order will overwhelm your table) :)

Amazing! Everything was so tasty. Perfect Birthday dinner. The bread is so good and the hummus was delicious.

I would say this is one of my favorite middle eastern restaurant. We ordered the family combo for 5 people and literally that can feed 8-10 people. There are variety of meat to choose on the combo so soy can try everything. I also like that they also have fried chicken which perfect when you have kids. Everyone can enjoy it. There are 3 of 4 different rice/bulgur and its all on point. I still craving for the food sometimes

Hot damn on the fish, salad, hummus, chicken and even hot tea... almost forgot the rice. Extra star for the Muslim toilet wash ;) ...(whatever it's called).

The food here was just amazing ! We ordered the family meal for 4 even though there was 6 of us we had plenty of left overs . The portions are huge and the Lule Kabob and Chicken Kabob was so tasty and amazing ! The restaurant is very family friendly and comfortable . The servers were very hospitable , I believe they may have also been the owners because they took great care in making sure we were well taken care of throughout our dinning experience. The amazing thing about this restaurant is the fresh baked bread which is literally stone fired and to die for especially with a cream they make in house called Gemar ! I highly recommend an order of the fresh bread with Gemar topped with honey for an ultimate breakfast ! Soooo tasty .

I only went to this restaurant one time,I'm not sure if I will go back only because I'm not a big fan of Arab food. My experience was good the gentleman was kind that served me. He recommended Me the lamb plate. For the first time ever eating lamb I actually thought it was pretty decent. I will admit that I enjoyed the piece of bread they gave me the most .the ambiance was good . He made me feel welcome and comfortable so I would say the service was great .

This place is amazing and affordable. The food is always fresh and the service is great! When walking inside you feel welcomed and feel the culture behind all the great food being prepared. We got a family platter for 6 and it came out to be around $128. Great prices and great food what else can you ask for!! Thanks Ali Baba!

First time ordering food from this place. We ordered the lamb shank entree and lamb liver skewer. The entree came with pickles veggies, fresh tomato, raw onion, a side of rice (we had yellow rice) and a side of soup (we had okra soup). Lamb shank was tender but no flavor to it and the liver did not taste fresh with a foul smell. I took a small bite of the liver and had to spit it out. The yellow rice was decent and the okra soup was WAYYYY TOO tangy and salty. Since we had our food to go, not sure how the service is. Ambiance was okay inside.

I love love love this wonderful restaurant. We've been eating here for over a decade. The food has always been perfect, whether we've eaten in or taken out. The feast for 6 is enough for at least 10 people if not more. The meats are always juicy and so well seasoned. The rices are amazing too. The falafel is the best I've ever had. And the hummus. THe HUMMUS!!! I dream about it and it makes my mouth water just thinking about it. It will rock your world. It's creamy perfection and I've never tasted a better hummus. The flat bread is tasted and they edges are soft and chewy in the best way possible. Everyone who works there is courteous and pleasant to interact with. The inside is always clean and has a middle-eastern nice ambiance. If you want amazing middle eastern food from nice people, come here. This place does not miss!

This place is really good. The food is excellent the portions are huge, and the staff is friendly. Maybe not the greatest ambiance but who cares everything else is top notch.

Great food, drove 3 hours to get here and have this bread and food! Service excellent

The food was delicious. They give an enormous amount of food for the serving you purchased. We ordered for 3, and I would say it could feed 6. Service was good with the exception of a lady who worked there she didn't say anything as I complemented the delicious food but by her dead stare it said it all. You just know it. I don't go to places where I feel uncomfortable no matter how good the food is. Language barrier, perhaps, but I doubt it. Comfortable setting. I might go back one more time?

We always get a feast for 5 plus baba ganouj. Came out around $94....note that we have a family of four, 2 adults and 2 teens, this was enough for 3 nights dinner for the family. Meats are delish! Perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked, not dry at all, unlike the other Ali place in Escondido. We drove further because of the quality difference. Comes with 2 types of basmati rice and bulgur rice very flavorful and perfect texture. It's the 2nd time we picked up to go from here, only quasi compliant is that the price did jump post Covid, but so did everywhere else.

This place one of the fewest restaurants where you would feel like a family. All the food was well prepared with love and care and you could taste it in every bite. It's not too salty that you could actually taste the food you're eating. We ate the chicken and the Greek salad. The tea is so smooth and tasted so clean. The portion is big and plating of the food items looks excellent! This is our 2nd time to eat here and it's memorable! I wish this restaurant is closer to my place. The decoration was awesome . I felt like I was transported in a other place . Thank you !

Amazing food and amazing service! Very clean and peaceful inside! All the food was so delicious and me and my sister had the best time here definitely recommend if you're looking for good food

These sandwiches are the best. Shawarma sandwiches I always go there order it. I love the way this place cooked the meats. Very delicious. I am recommending this place for everyone.

This place is a hidden gem forsure. Nice friendly service and they bring your food fast. Parking is easy and it's hard to miss. Go on thete website they have a coupon that you could use. I recommend the feast for 3. It's like eating at a buffet when you order it.

Good food, large portions, fair service. Went here with some friends and enjoyed it. Give it a shot.

Last night, me and my friend decided to grab some kabab "to go" as it was 20~ minutes before they close. When we walked in, I asked if they are still open. One person stocking drinks in a cooler said yes, but a person "look like owner or manager" sitting behind a desk said No! So we said "we need some kakab to go" then by the grace of got he said ok :) In this this community there is a very disgusting racism happening within people of the same origin but slightly different backgrounds or religion. And this was one example. We asked for 6 kababs with bread and grilled tomatoes and peppers. But the person be hind the desk look at as and start making it so hard as if he was serving me a kabab made out of Kobe meat. He was pushing us to get kabab plate " kabab on a rice" You can literally get better rice out of cans. I just need kabab they way I wand then you can charge me. And you know how kabab was served originally. But you just decided to act like a fake boss and makes us to cancel the order, while you were writing notes :) Let me give you few words. The sensitivity you have towards other ethnicities is gonna harm nobody other than your own business. You located in America, you rage, 80s time behavior has zero value. My two star are for a person that was stocking drinks. He is a good man and always serves customers in the best way. I wish I knew his name. Note: my usually favorite "real" kabab restaurant was closed, that's why I had to rely on this out of date place.

Love it here. We always order the family meals ahead of time to take home and it's always so much food and delicious! Thank you for the great service and delicious dinners! Their baba ghanosh is magic!! Soooo yummy

Definitely one of our fav places to eat while in El Cajon city. I absolutely love the staff. This is my family's fav spot to dine in or take out.

Ali Baba's is our favorite place to cater for large parties! Their feasts always have so much food and variety included, so everyone is happy. Our latest order was a Feast for 5 People Special, which was enough to feed our family of 8 adults with still lots of food left over. The feast included five different proteins (I am not sure if all the names but I believe it includes the Beef Shawarma, Beef Kabob, Breaded Chicken, Lamb Kabob, and Chicken Tekka - but please call them to make sure though it is for sure five proteins). Also comes with Mediterranean salad, hummus, and huge pieces of flat bread. We have ordered feasts from this restaurant for even bigger parties, such as our baby shower, and it is always a hit. Everything is delicious! The service is great and fast. We love them!

This is the best Mediterranean restaurant I've been to so far. Everything was SO good. I was impressed with their huge fantastic menu (I could even eat the menu itself! Their pictures are so good!). Whatever you decide to order, it's going to be delicious!! I shared some pictures of the appetizers we ordered by I was too hungry to take some pictures of the main dishes, Biryani and lamb shank. The knafeh was 10/10 The chicken shawarma was 20/10 Their pizza, salad, borak (especially the spinach ones), Lamb shank, everything was so so so good. Highly recommended. Will visit again for sure.

I have been here several times and they never disappoint. This is one of my bookmarked places for party trays if you are serving many people because they always hook you up.

Always love getting the Feast for Five for family parties! Awesome to be able to call it in and have it ready promptly

The food was absolutely delicious and the staff were friendly and accommodating. We had a nice family dinner for 3.

The food is awesome!!! The customer service is top of the line. Their food is made from scratch. Delicious bread, hummus, soups, hot teas, everything!!! The ambiance is nice, family style.

If you're in the mood to have Mediterranean food, come to Alibaba try their kebabs Soups, salad anything you see on the menu you can't go wrong at this restaurant I've been going to this restaurant since I was little and I would tell you to visit if you're in El Cajon California.

A feast - the wow factor alone is worth experiencing. Def recommend bringing guests/extra mouths. Great option for sharing and a group.

If you are looking for family style authentic Middle Eastern style cuisine, you got to visit Ali Baba. The restaurant provides ample parking, and the staff are so friendly. Their portions are massive! We ordered a family feast for two and the portion turned out to be a feast for 4+ . Their Qouzi was cooked beautifully, super soft lamb that melts as soon your fork touches it. We knew the portions would be big but not THIS big. The owner warned us it'll be too much food for 2 people but the foodie in me was like "challenge accepted" I loved how the owner of the restaurant would check in on you to see if you enjoyed their food. Needless to say, I had so much food at the end of the dinner I had enough for lunch and dinner tomorrow. I can't wait to bring family friends for a feast in this fine establishment!

The service great and the food is always delicious. My favorite is the kebabs. So much flavor and tender. Great for a family outting

We usually get take out here since we only live a short distance away. What can I say, the food is good, portions are great, and friendly staff. We have yummy leftovers for days! Highly recommended.

My friend took me to this place and I am so glad she did. Delicious food and great prices. Their taboule salad is incredible. We had lamb and need kabobs and they were both great. The lamb was my favorite. Very well seasoned and flavorful. Great humus and warm bread too! The place is not fancy but really, who cares? If you are looking for great food you should check it out.