Amardeen Lebanese and Mediterranean Cuisine

Definitely best Lebanese food in San Diego! Everything is super fresh! Simple love everything there from appetizers, salads to the freshly baked pita bread and Mashviyat.

If you enjoy super well balanced flavors , fresh ingredients and decent portion sizes this place is for you . So much to try and you will not be disappointed. The staff made great recommendations and served everything promptly .

The food is on the pricier side, but the quality is absolutely unmatched in the area. The portions are generous, leaving you satisfied without feeling shortchanged. The service was impressively speedy, and the staff was attentive and friendly. I highly recommend Amardeen for anyone looking for a top-tier dining experience.

I recently dined at this family-owned Lebanese restaurant, and it was a nice experience. The service was prompt and friendly. The salads were freshly prepared and full of flavor. For vegetarians, there is a great selection, including delicious falafel, cheese and spinach samosas, and veggie pizza. Meat lovers will enjoy the BBQ combo, which includes well-seasoned kabobs, tender chicken, and ribs. They offer the famous Lebanese raw ground beef, but you need to request it a couple of days ahead. Also the desserts were authentic and absolutely delightful. This restaurant has been serving the community for 12 years, and with its recent remodel, it offers a refreshed and inviting atmosphere.

Nice and remodelled Lebanese restaurant with an outdoor and indoor seating. A wide variety of options the satisfy vegetarian and meat lovers. They served the food quickly and everything was delicious. If you order Falafel, make sure to get it over cooked a bit to make sure the inside is cooked. If you are craving Kuba Neaa ( the raw meat) you need to order it in advance. They accept walk in and reservations too.

Have had dinner several times with a friend and will order for take out. We always like to try a new appetizer when eating in. They have a quaint small patio to sit outside that is much more delightful than sitting inside. At night, they have small lights all around outside as well which is nice. I love the grilled chicken salad here! It is truly delicious and very refreshing to have. You can order it half or full size. I also enjoy drinking a glass of wine if dining in and their wine options never disappoint. The waiters sometimes may take a bit to come to you but others will also come by to see if anything is needed.

Waitress was spot on and very good. Food was delicious and proportions were WOW! BEST AROUND . Thank you all for efforts on NEW YEARS EVE

My first time dining here for lunch and it was a really good experience. I got the Pistachio Chicken salad half-order (also added the Beef Shawarma) and I really liked it. The portion is very generous. We didn't have to wait long for food to come out. For dessert, Bird's Nest has the right amount of sweetness. Definitely recommend this restaurant.

As a party of 3, we came at 6:30pm on a Friday and were seated immediately. The interior is absolutely gorgeous and well-themed, making it a pleasure to dine in. We weren't particularly hungry today and opted for the Meza platter ($60 altogether including tip). It was amazing and comes with free pita refills, which we wished we knew beforehand, but otherwise the food was great! The hummus and falafels were my favorite selection, and the meats were seasoned perfectly!

Good food - disrespectful service. Came here with my husband and kids to celebrate and we will never be back again. Lebanese food is always great and the food here was good - but this is not middle eastern hospitality. Disappointed.

Amardeen Cafe continues to offer consistently friendly service and delicious food. The atmosphere is pleasant and feels like you are transported to Lebanon's mountainous region in the North near the Syrian border, known for its beautiful nature, cedar forests, and traditional Lebanese life. This is one of our go-to Mediterranean restaurants in San Diego county.

I was in the area shopping at UTC and decided to eat dinner with my family here. Food was good, but service was not. We were rarely checked up on and when asked for something, it either forgotten or never done

Great middle eastern food - but without the middle eastern hospitality. Absolutely disappointing service - I wish I stayed as loyal customer through Uber Eats will never step here again.

I don't normally eat Mediterranean and I don't think I've ever had Lebanese, but all the food I had today was amazing. I was with a group of people so we got the Amardeen Meza Platter, which was a LOT of food; the waitress came over and helpfully named every item on it so we all knew what was what, which was great for remembering what things we'd want to try later on on future visits. The shawarma was super juicy, tender, tasted great, the garlic sauce was easy to spread on the pitas and the pitas were thin yet kept together, weren't soggy, anything like that. The "sunny slope" tea was really strong in a good way, as were the mixed pickles; I'd never had baba ghanouj either, so that was a really unique (but again not bad) taste. They also had free refills for the tea, and the bird's nest dessert was REALLY unique, especially with the syrup; it's super super strong, so don't just dump it on the dessert at first! But if you're reading this, we need to get to the real meat of the review; the bathroom. I went in it and... I've gotta give it a 5/5 too. The lighting was great, the toilet was clean, the sink was clean, and everything looked very aesthetically fitting and appealing; I know this sounds like some sort of generic script, but I mean, what else can I say? Particularly noticed the mirror in the bathroom; it felt like I was looking in "HD" somehow, like it looked especially high quality/crystal clear definition looking at myself. Dunno what they did to pull that off, but it was really damn nice. Also, there's a lot of toiletries just right out in the open for you to use if you run out, which is always an anxiety-reducer for a bathroom visit. Most unique of all in the bathroom though, is that in a single room, there's a toilet, and then there's ALSO a urinal; I'm not sure why they did this, but it again made things feel more "premium" to even just give you that option. Would definitely recommend coming here, the staff, food, and best of all, bathrooms are amazing.

Nice Mediterranean restaurant near UTC. Beautiful decor and quiet/relaxed atmosphere, very friendly and attentive staff, no trouble finding parking in the plaza, and no wait on a Saturday around 5PM. The kafta and chicken from the grilled entree platter were delicious, but the baked kibbeh was not very flavorful. The chicken especially had an excellent char flavor. Unfortunately the grill platter does not come with rice. The chicken shawarma from meza platter was too salty for my table's taste, as were a few other items here and there to a lesser extent. All the dips that came with the meza platter were well executed. Between the two platters, we were able to feed 4 light eaters with leftovers. Probably 4-6 people for a regular meal. Overall a positive experience, but not a knockout best for Mediterranean food in San Diego, especially at this price point.

Second time here definitely did not disappoint! I ordered the lamb kebab plate, and we also ordered kebeh and dolma for the table. All were generous helpings and absolutely delicious! Until next time!

I think I found one of the best Mediterranean/Lebanese spots in San Diego! They have both indoor and outdoor seating. The service was friendly throughout the meal too. I got the Lamb and Beef Shawarma and chose a side of fries. Firstly, the fries were awesome! The texture on these were absolutely perfect. Crispy outside with a fluffy and pillowy interior. These were addicting. The meat in the shawarma was super flavorful and tender. Inside was also some pickled turnips, onions, tomatoes, parsley and tahini sauce. They all went so well together. Their menu is pretty extensive with so many other things that I'd love to try. Definitely going to come back!

I want to eat this food every day for the rest of my life. Truly high quality foods, full of flavor, cooked perfectly, and it is served beautifully. The staff gives perfect service and the restaurant itself is absolutely beautiful.

The wrap was underwhelming. The amardeen pizza was okay. Different flavors than normal, but didn't feel it was so great.

Food Only Review - Ordered via DoorDash Date of Visit: 4.21.2025 Cuisine Type: Lebanese and Mediterranean Vibe: N/A Cost: $20 BOGO deal What I Ordered & How It Was: Chicken Kebab Wrap Combo -5/5- ~$20, Two chucks of chicken breast, marinated in a garlic lemon saffron sauce and rolled in pita with garlic spread and tomatoes. Served with choice of side (Soup, Salad, Fries). Most restaurants usually overcook chicken breast, but this tender and moist chicken pleasantly surprised me. It is not a large wrap by any means, but it is delicious. The fat from the garlic sauce, acid from the tomatoes, and filling salty tenderness from the chicken breast all wrapped up with the soft but structurally solid pita bread combines together to create this fine symphony in each bite (ridiculous I know...but it was too good) Lentil Soup (My Side) - 4/5- A filling soup with a porridge like consistency. There is a good comfy flavor from the combination of likely garlic, onions, carrots, some vegetable stock and Mediterranean spices. Service & Atmosphere: Service: N/A...the order from doordash was still warm when i got it Ambiance: Based on pictures, the space feels warm and intimate with a casual and slightly upscale vibe. The designs are likely culturally inspired from the Mediterraneans, Latin America, and Morocco. There seem to be plenty of modular tables, likely good for big family meals. Overall Thoughts: Best thing I ate: That chicken kebab wrap shoot I'm going to eat my 2nd wrap for breakfast tomorrow Something to improve: Wrap - I wish the wrap was bigger and slightly cheaper. Maybe 3 kebabs? If it weren't for the bogo deal the price would be a barrier to trying this wrap Lentil Soup - Maybe a bit of lemon or option to add that or zataar i think the acid will work well there Would I come back? I'll come eat here multiple times. Looking forward to trying their chicken kebab in real time!

Great ambiance with dining inside and out. Service and food was average. Good sized portion of hummus.

This is a great spot for a casual dinner! The renovation was beautiful and prices were very fair. We got the Amardeen platter, which had an awesome assortment of spreads and meats. We also got the lamb and rice rice dish which was the BEST dish of the night - light notes of cinnamon. Parking was a bit difficult, as it is a shopping center with many other dining establishments around around 6:30pm, there were some hidden spots next to the orange theory. Our server was very sweet and attentive. Ended with the "birds nest" dessert was exceptional and the perfect finale to the night.

I visit about twice a month and usually do take out, which is quick and the food is fresh. Their staff is always kind, whether I dine in or not. My favorite meal is the chicken shwarma wrap. It comes with a side salad which is so tasty, too. Their fries are also so thick and made fresh that I often add those too. Their lentil soup is so yummy on a cold day. They recently renovated inside and it's lovely, and the outside patio is cute. It's a busy complex so you can get some errands done and then head over for a nice lunch or dinner. Easily my favorite Lebanese restaurant in San Diego!

What a beautiful restaurant with amazing food. All the food that I tried was delicious, but I enjoyed the lentil soup and cheese fatayer the most. FYI the plates are on the larger side and great for sharing. Our waitress was awesome and provided excellent service. Definitely returning and recommend this restaurant.

Very good food and excellent service, I had been going to that place for many years, kamel the owner is friendly

Amardeen, while very tasty is expensive, especially eating out family style. they have a range of middle eastern eats on offer. located in UTC.

Amerdeen Café in La Jolla is such a gem! The food is fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented -- you can tell they care about quality. Their Mediterranean-inspired dishes strike the perfect balance between hearty and healthy, and the portions are generous. The service is warm and attentive without being intrusive; everyone makes you feel welcome from the moment you walk in. The ambience is calm and inviting, with a modern coastal charm that fits La Jolla perfectly. Whether you're stopping by for brunch or a casual dinner, Amerdeen Café delivers a consistently enjoyable dining experience every time. There's also a cute garden that you can walk through right next to the cafe. It's a cute little area, don't hang around too long though since it's kind of in a private area.

The young gals waitressing were on top on there game, good service. unfortunately the food fell really really short for it to be overpriced. I'm talking blan no flavor what so ever, $30 for two skewers, rice and hummus is crazy! save your money, your better off going to any other fast food mediterranean place. Save your money and time.

A great place for a group! We ordered the maze platter and shared all the yummy appetizers. And everybody's dish was delicious. Salads, pizzas, kebabs, it's all great. The service was wonderful and will definitely be back.

The food is good But, It's NOT the Real Lebanies food NO Lebanies Chef or Cook The Bread Sucks Sorry ... BUT THE FOOD IS GOOD

Food was new and different and delicious; delicate balance between the chicken salad and kebab plate. Cheese fries accompanied by fig jelly was a nice aperitif :) We are sure to return yum

Overpriced mediterranean food that lacks authentic flavor. I would be more than willing to pay if it was more authentic and tasteful. However it was very underwhelming which was disappointing. And the service was terrible. It looks very elegant and modern inside, which is maybe what you are paying for? Because everything else was a disappointment.

The Meza platter was excellent. The service was quick and attentive. The garlic sauce is an amazing add to the flavor profile.

Amazing food, on the pricier side. We experienced a couple of iffy moments with service and food but nothing that would deter us coming back. Ambiance is great, good for family dinners.

Mark catered a wedding in San Diego tonight and I got to enjoy his delicious creations! He made so many different dishes and served nearly 200 happy people. His made from scratch Tzatziki -- the best I've ever had! Now I look forward to visiting his restaurant Amardeen!

My family enjoyed our dinner here. Really good food, and there were unique dishes on the menu that I had not seen in other Mediterranean restaurants. They also have pizza, which worked for my picky son. This is a nice restaurant for couples and families. Our waiter was pleasant and attentive.

The best Lebanese food in San Diego! Always consistent and delicious and the service is great.

Your review is detailed and conveys your positive experience well. Here's a slightly refined version for clarity and flow: A fantastic place for Mediterranean food! The food is amazing, the ambiance is nice, and the service is outstanding with very friendly staff. Our server, a wonderful guy from Lebanon, impressed us with his perfect Spanish and English. He smoothly switched to Spanish when he heard us talking, which really delighted us. This time, we ordered the shared Meza platter to try a variety of items. It was so good and offered a huge amount of food! My husband and I ate until we were beyond full and still had leftovers. The only thing I would change about this platter is to swap the baked kibbe for the fried one, as I'm not a big fan of the baked version and was craving the fried one. However, this is obviously a very personal preference. The platter options are absolutely fantastic. I checked in with Yelp and received a free Fatayer Sampler, which included one of each of their three fillings: cheese, beef, and spinach. All three were delicious! I personally felt that the Meza platter, given the huge amount of food, was a really good value, and we were very happy with our bill.

So people are aware. If you eat at Mediterranean restaurants to avoid pork, this may not be the place. They sell pork meat and may be cooking it in the same cooking tools as other halal meat (according to what they said on a phone call).

I was a bit nervous when I walked in the door because around 6:15pm the dining room only had 1 large party and two tables seated. But low and behold it was the calm before the storm. I was seated promptly and while I reviewed the menu and took my time to order, the flood gates opened and the dining room was maxed out. I ordered: cauliflower tagline: cauliflower was crispy fried on the florets but stems still had a bit of a crunch. I omitted the tahini and had a small side of garlic sauce - there's is great! 1/2 hummus: creamy and well balanced. Cucumbers instead of pate - cucumbers were Persian variety and extremely fresh. Turnip pickles: this was my favorite of everything I ordered. Super duper vinegar-y... I could eat a bucket of these! Side grilled vegetable skewer... mega for a single skewer/side - packed full of peppers, onions, squash and zucchini. Well flame charred and excellent seasoning. My only compliant is that there was only one baby mushroom. Dining room is basic. There is a large outdoor patio seating area. The staff did a tremendous job handling the rush and worked together to take care of all the tables. Will definitely be back for more!

A fantastic ambiance, paired with lovely cuisine. Known by locals as a destination. Craving healthy food with amazing spices defines the craving.

Amardeen is a clean and nicely decorated Lebanese spot where fresh flavors shine. My friend and I started with the shawarma hummus appetizer--creamy, savory, and perfectly spiced with chicken shawarma. The Greek salad was crisp and refreshing, while the chopped chicken salad was hearty and satisfying with a zesty kick. A great place for a casual meal with bold Mediterranean flair.

It was our first time here, so we got the meza platter to try a bit of everything. It was plenty enough for 2 people. The highlights for me were the hummus (BEST hummus i've ever had), chicken shawarma, and the tabouleh. My husband also said the falafels were the best he's ever had (i'm not a big falafel fan in general, so i was indifferent). I wasn't a big fan of the dessert (bird's nest), but overall we still had a very yummy and satisfying meal and will gladly be back to try more of it.

Good traditional Lebanese food. The mezze is wonderful. Service can be slow. They have just remodeled the inside and it is welcoming.

Nice Lebanese restaurant with authentic options and large portions We shared: - Amardeen mesa platter ($47.44) - Cheese knefe ($14.48) - Almaza ($7.44) The platter is a ton of food and plenty for 3 hungry people or 4 not so hungry people. The Almaza beer was average light beer and I wouldn't order it again. The platter was mostly appetizers, but it came with shawarma. The chicken shawarma was better than the beef. The hummus, garlic spread, and tzatziki were fantastic. I loved putting these and the tahini on the shawarma and pita. I wasn't a big fan of the kibbeh. The baba ghanouj, dolma, and tabouleh were just ok. The peppers were too spicy for me, but I liked the olives. The knefe is a Lebanese type of cheesecake. It was not very sweet and the cheese was loose and melty rather than firm and dense. I would order the platter again as it was a great variety and good value

The kebeh and garlic spread are amazing here! Get the Amardeen Meza Platter to sample everything. Pair it with mint tea and finish it off with a creamy ashtalieh (a sweet pudding with a delicate rose flavor) that will have you mesmerized! One of the best restaurants in all of San Diego!

Good food, good service. Place a bit small but overall great food and great experience!

Absolutely everything here is delicious. Their grape leaves are the best in SD! Good service, nice outdoor patio and interior decor, and consistently excellent food. A go-to!

Visited Amardeen Cafe with a group of 7 on a Wednesday evening, and every single person in our party RAVED about how delicious everything was and how beautiful the ambiance is. We ordered 2 Amardeen Meza platters, a chicken kebab (we had a teenage boy lol) and the bird's nest. Everything was delicious and perfect, and the service was great! My family is now wanting to come here more regularly even though they live 30 min away. Give it a shot, you won't regret it!

I had lamb kabob. My daughter, who was taking me out, had chicken shawarma. We also tried a dessert and an appetizer. We both went home agreeing that it was a wonderful meal, a wonderful restaurant, and that we were glad to have tried this genre of food that we had not been fully familiar with. Very memorable.

This place is a hidden gem near La Jolla. Our friends who live there took us and we will be forever grateful for that. Every dish was flavorful, well cooked and just the right balance of spice. Lots of vegetarian options. Our favorites were the cauliflower starter, spinach spanakopitas and roasted vegetable biryani. Servers were polite and attentive. All in all highly recommend this place! Oh and they recently renovated, not that we had ever been there before renovation but decor sure looks nice.

Good food and good for groups. We had our work luncheon here and it was nice to be able to make a reservation for 12 of us. The food overall was good. The baba ghanouj and Labneh was good. I ordered the shrimp biryani (pictured). The shrimp was cooked well; I probably shouldn't have eaten all of it. My coworker got the lamb chop entree and I had one of the chops. It was delicious. The lamb was so tender and there was enough to share with 2 people. Another person said the Moussaka was standard and the lamb kebab was a little tough

This's restaurant reminds of Lebanon It's a family owned business Great food Amazing customer service Definitely will be back again Big thanks to the mom for the tasty food Over all everything was great Must try the falafel 10/10

Definitely 5 stars for the food. Very fresh and tasty. Nice change from Greek food, but similar with more complex flavors. We had chicken shawarma plates, Greek salad, falafel wrap and all were excellent. Definitely would return. Service was friendly and the restaurant itself is in a strip mall of restaurants and a cvs, so it's as nice as that situation allows.

Been here twice and loved it both times. The food is amazing and the ambience is nice. The service is outstanding, very friendly staff. We tried the Meza platter, so we could try a bunch of different items. So good and so much food! There were four of us and we all went home with another meal! Everything tastes fresh and is delicious. I checked in with Yelp and got a free offer, which we used as well. A Fatayer Sampler. The was a bit small, but still delicious.

Love this place!! The servers are always very kind, the food is delicious, and the portions are great! The parking lot is tough but if you dont mind parking in the back, and walking a little its fine.

The food at Amardeen is consistently excellent! We dine in regularly and have ordered catering for parties twice over the years. Highly recommend. Personal favorite dishes are the chicken shwarma, lamb chops, mujjadra, moussaka, cauliflower tajine, felafel, and the best hummus in town. Great for both vegans and non-vegans.