Old Jerusalem Restaurant

I had lamb shawarma for the first time at this place and it was delicious! I’m so glad I got to have it here for the first time. I also discovered my love of pickled turnips here as it was my first time trying them and I loved them. The waitress was very nice and I loved the mural on the inside of the restaurant.

Hands down, some of the best Mediterranean food I’ve ever had! We tried the mixed grilled items with hummus (chicken, lamb, beef) which was all delicious - with an order of rice on the side. All that with some fresh pita, garlic tahini, and spicy Turkish salad (plus the homemade hot sauce on the table reminded me of Turkish ezme and was amazing too!) I don’t even like vegetables, but I could’ve gotten full off of the stuffed falafel… Oh, and the mint tea to end it all and give your stomach some rest. Just an awesome experience all around!

One of my favorite San Francisco restaurants, and I had discovered it walking by on Mission Street one day. The food is high quality and the services is excellent! The price for the amount of food you get is also great! Every time I’ve come it’s been amazing!

Two of us had a week night dinner here We were seated right away and our server was excellent. She made great suggestions and went way above and and beyond talking about the food of Palestine and the Middle East in general. Our meal came quickly. The dishes were simply prepared and nicely plated.

Amazing food - hadn't been back in several years which was my mistake. Lamb fetta (hummus and meat) was killer with pita, though the chicken kabobs were also quite good. Very friendly staff, quick service. We left with plenty of leftovers ordering three dishes for two people.

Fabulous food. I had the Chicken Shish Taouk, Tea with Mint Leaves, and Kunafa! Each element of each dish was intentionally and exquisitely crafted. The chicken was juicy and flavorful. The sumac onions were just the right level of spicy. The hummus was well spiced. The mint leaves added a breath of fresh air to the black tea. The dessert was plated magnificently. I would absolutely go back if I’m in the Mission District of SF again! Kudos to the team!

delicious shawarma plates with tender meats and generous servings of hummus. pita bread came nice and hot which i appreciate. i got the beef plate and had to pack half of it back because the portion size was so big. the kanafa was also great!

Delicious Palestinian food with a very nice staff. There is a nice outdoor patio seating which will be reopened soon. Hummus, pita, and beef kabobs are fantastic. Staff is super friendly.

I loved their mousakhan ($22.99), which is oven roasted chicken with rice, sweet onions, roasted sumac, and pine nuts over flatbread. The sweet onions were delicious!! Each bite had so much flavor. The chicken was really tender. We also tried their stuffed falafels. They told us the price was for 2, but the ended up only giving us 1. Inside, it was stuffed with onions and pine nuts! Super unique and delicious! Also tried their mint tea which was a nice touch. The service was fast and friendly, but I can see how there could be some miscommunication through English in terms of food/ordering/prices.

The food is delicious. The owner is very nice and it feels like at home. We sat in the patio and it was heated !

The service here was fast, and the servers were so nice. It felt family-owned, and I appreciated the home-y feel. I ordered the chicken shawarma, and it came out piping hot in the best way possible. The portions were huge, and the chicken was flavorful and soft. The olive oil on the hummus also stole the show due to its deep rich flavor. I also ordered the Turkish coffee but personally didn't love how it tasted more herbal than like coffee.

Hidden gem cozy middle eastern food! I got the beef shish taouk with half rice and half hummus. I gobbled it up so fast, felt like I went instantly into food coma. The beef was juicy and especially yummy paired with the side of grilled onions and bell peppers. Also nice that it came with complimentary pita bread, pickles and olives. The ambiance felt mom and pop shop, but there was also a cool patio in the back for seating. Staff were also nice! Would come again!

I got a takeaway chicken shwarma wrap today, and .... (1) it wasn't in the typical bread you expect -- it was in a burrito wrapper, which has a -completely- different mouthfeel (2) it wasn't nicely-spiced: quite to the contrary, it tasted heavily of turmeric and not much else. And I eat a lot of Indian food, so it's not like I need my food spiced like Tim Walz. Very disappointed.

Finally was able to get into Old Jerusalem on a random Wednesday night. Food 9/10 - I ordered the lamb skewer plate with half rice and half hummus. I took off a point because the lamb was a bit dry. It came with roasted onion and bell peppers and pita bread. The pita bread was hot, fresh, and airy. So good! Service 10/10 - they serve complimentary green olives, radishes, and banadurah harrah. The staff made sure our water glasses were never empty! Ambiance 9/10 - it has a quaint little interior with 10 or so tables, murals and artwork on the wall. One thing I would change or recommend is dimming the lights for dinner, because I'm just not a fan of overhead lighting. Overall I really liked this place and would come again!

My friends and I came on a Monday night around 7pm and there were plenty of available tables, which was great for us as they do not take reservations unless there's a party of 5 or more. The prices here are amazing for SF standards!! I got a chicken shawarma plate for about $23 but the portion was enough to feed me for two full meals. Everything tasted great - especially the hummus. The staff were also very nice and always came by our party to check up on us. The only thing I didn't prefer about this restaurant is its location - it's on an incredibly dark street! Walking here from the bus stop was a little scary :(

We swallowed up the Qudsiah. I could have it again, again, again and again. Pita bread was warm, toasty, and melted in my mouth. For some reason, I wasn't in love with the lamb shish kabob. Not a lot of protein.

Got a nice vegetarian plate and it came with a big variety! Got this bc I saw it in was one of the top dishes on Yelp. I enjoyed it! Included falafel, dolma, baba ghanoush, salad, eggplant, and more. Also included pita bread with your order! This restaurant also has nice decoration that make it look like you're in old Jerusalem. Would love to come back to try more dishes!

Great low key Mediterranean restaurant in the Mission. It was ahead of its time, when people were not interested in Mediterranean food. Undervalued.

I loved this place! If you're craving Mediterranean food, this definitely hits the spot. Everything was super well cooked, but particularly, the falafel here tasted better than the falafels I've had elsewhere. Also make sure you try their spicy onion sauce/side (not sure what it's actually called) they provide complimentary! It honestly made all the dishes stand out even more and added extra flavor to everything. Would come back again!

Love this place. This is my second visit with my dad and we now always make it a lunch date every time we come to the bay. Great service and delicious wraps.

Great service great portions amazing shawarma. I love the outdoor patio area as well. The hummus and the meat were top notch

Food is not warm, very low quality. Shawrma is not realted to the actual shawrma, they have turmeric sauce on shawrma.

Had this place bookmarked for the longest time. Recently met up with my friend from out of town but born and grew up in this neighborhood prior to moving out of SF. She told me she passed by many times before, but never tried this place. So perfect, we can both try it now. The first impression of the restaurant from outside is just very average. This part of the Mission can be a challenge sometimes for those uninitiated. Im here to let you know this is a hidden gem. Even though thousands have written reviews on this place, there are still many that don't know. Once we met inside the restaurant, we had a choice of eating in the front or go toward the back where they have a lovely patio area. Go to the patio area! We were the only customers there at the time they opened for lunch, so we had the pick of all tables. We got a plate of pickled radish and olives. We ordered the Jerusalem salad, the Hummus with beef/lamb shawarma, pita bread, and I got a cup of tea that has mint in it. Everything was delicious! The only dish we didn't care for is the Jerusalem salad and that's because we were set on some type of leafy salads, so wasn't expecting this. This meal gave us fuel but not overwhelm us as we were going to be walking and shopping in the neighborhood soon and didn't want to be stuffed. Service was very good. Very clean inside and the ambiance inside the restaurant, especially in the patio area is great! Do come by and support this restaurant and this neighborhood!

Yum! I was pleasantly surprised at how good the dishes were. The meat was very tender and gave pretty decent size portions. The baba ghannoush was pretty good. My favorite was the hummus and falafel - the falafel was very flavorful and not dry at all. Typically other falafel I eat is super dry. I would definitely return!

how do i even begin to explain how much i love this place. i felt like i was dining the last supper with jesus and the holy spirit has blessed me. i wish i could turn back time to try this place for the first time so i can experience enlightenment again. F O O D: 15/10 - chicken shwarma and beef shwarma - this was big enough for two meals. the flavor and smokeyness of the meat and spices and fresh hot rice and the delightful smooth and creamy hummus together was PRFECTIOOONNNNN. i live in san jose and i would travel an hour to the city just to eat this again. my friend had the vegetarian plate and it was pretty good too, i would need my carbs and protein to make a complete meal but theirs was so good. the pita bread felt like a warm embrace, so fresh and yummy. S E R V I C E: 10/10 - great, no complaints, food came out on time A M B I A N C E: 10/10 - cute clean casual

Went with kids, the food was amazing, the service was top notch. They recommended what were the best items and we really loved all the food. Falafel, pita were so fresh!! Chicken dishes were so tasty!

Alhamdulilah. Great food great service great people great ambiance.. Reminded me of home. Will definitely come back.

Food and service is so great that I find myself craving Old Jerusalem all the time. We've been back 3 times in a month since first discovering it. My favorites are the hummus and dips with pita; I'm pretty picky about hummus but I can't get enough of theirs. (Note that I find it's better in person than to-go, sometimes the olive oil leaks out when I get it as takeout.) I also enjoy the chicken shawarma sandwich, as I find their shawarma tastier than their shish taouk. Even though the menu may look expensive, the portions are huge, and I'm able to make it last for almost two meals if I order more pita. I've also always encountered super nice service, and I love that they're open pretty late. Great vibe even at Friday night after 9 PM.

Hands down, some of the best Mediterranean food I've ever had! We tried the mixed grilled items with hummus (chicken, lamb, beef) which was all delicious - with an order of rice on the side. All that with some fresh pita, garlic tahini, and spicy Turkish salad (plus the homemade hot sauce on the table reminded me of Turkish ezme and was amazing too!) I don't even like vegetables, but I could've gotten full off of the stuffed falafel... Oh, and the mint tea to end it all and give your stomach some rest. Just an awesome experience all around!

Best Middle Eastern food ever! We ordered MANSAF, Hummus with meat and Kunafa desert. No doubt will come back every chance I have.

This restaurant is absolutely amazing. I tried this place before the genocide started by the Zionist Israelis in Gaza Palestine. I wish I was close to go and just give these people a hug. We are all praying for your families to be safe in Gaza. Long live Palestine and the beautiful Palestinians with their delicious food. Everyone please go and support not just here but also the rest of Palestinian restaurants in the Bay Area and donate to support their families. Now let's talk about the food here at this particular restaurant. I had a hummus over some beef with an order of Ful and let me tell you it was absolutely amazing. I also ordered some Falafel that I was dipping in the hummus and Ful and I couldn't stop eating them. I can't wait to go back and try the full dinner plates and take the kids and my wife. The only unfortunate thing is that it's over an hour away from me otherwise I would have been here for Breakfast Lunch and Dinner and my wife would have loved it because she didn't have to call me what I was a eat for dinner. Everyone here is so friendly and you can tell they enjoy serving their authentic cuisine. Please please open a location close to Danville and I will promise you I will be there a few times a week.

Delicious hole in the wall middle eastern food located in the mission!! Thankfully my coworkers at my new job created a whole slack channel for restaurant recos. Old Jerusalem was mentioned in the channel so I bookmarked it on Yelp. The boyf and I were trying to figure out what to eat one night while in the Mission and I just so happened to remember this spot. We ordered a combo plate and a kunafa. The combo plate was super filling for two people! This spot is highly underrated and I do plan on keeping it in my middle easter food rotation. The hummus was to die for. I wasn't a big fan of the kunafa itself but everything else, including the service, was great! I could see how when partying near the Mission this spot would be really good for the 2am drunkness.

Unfortunately a bit disappointed. Want to support a local business in mission but it just became an overpriced hype. Ordered vege combo and quality wise, might not on par with $25 they are asking for while similar restaurants are charging $17. A little sad but glad at least I tried.

Great authentic Middle Eastern food. Gyros are generously portioned with a nice tahini and pickle/salt balance. Able to do sit down with large groups in a somewhat welcoming simple space, although it can get packed on weekends and around dinner. Some items are puzzlingly overpriced, such as the vegetarian combo being so much more expensive than the sandwiches, which remain the best deal. More generally, combos are very expensive while sandwiches are reasonable. Highly recommend.

First of all, WOW. Loved the authenticity of the food, from the soup, to the main entree, to the knafa (dessert)! They even have traditional olive oil from Ramadan! Will definitely be back for the amazing ambiance that was middle eastern themed!

Great food, service, and portions! This place has a large interior and patio outside for groups of up to 20. Our server and cashier were both quite kind and hospitable. Mansaf: 4.5/5 lamb extremely soft, fell right off the bone, rice and cheesy milk were delicious, loved the lavash soaked in it. The Mansaf I've had before has had a different palette but this is tasty and feels like hearty comfort food. Chicken plate: 3/5 chicken was a bit dry and only decent/okay I would say. Nothing spectacular Hummus: 5/5 THIS WAS THE STAR! The hummus and olive oil were *chefs kiss* so awesome. I really didn't expect to enjoy it and almost skipped this side but it's delicious.

If you're thinking about it, just do it. The food was all delicious. Great portion sizes, affordable, and hot and fresh! We got the dolmas, chicken shawarma, and hummus platter to share between two people and it was more than enough. Service was very kind and attentive. I would definitely come back here again and can't wait to do so.

The staff were super friendly and helpful, as it was my first time there. The food was delicious, and portions generous!

Had the chicken shawerma which was very good. Restaurant is casual. Employees were very friendly and service was good. Parking was tough on a Friday night but just headed into a side street and walked a few blocks. Looking forward to going back.

It looks really tasty, right. The lamb chops is so fresh that I ate up all in ten minutes.

Everything here was great! Food was a bit pricey, but made up for it in its heaping serving size (HUGE!). The staff was super friendly and nice, and welcomed us in their outdoor patio. I promise you will feel like you've left the grunge and chaos of Mission St and entered an idyllic little oasis (which, by the way, is DOG FRIENDLY). It's quiet and well decorated outside with a great ambiance. Only complaint I have was that the beef shawarma was a bit dry, but it's incredibly difficult to get this meat right anywhere I've gone in the US. Friend was very happy with the half chicken!

What happened to the New Jerusalem? Been in the mood for some Middle Eastern food lately and the Old Jerusalem did not disappoint. I got the Beef Shawarma plate (21.99) slices of beef seasoned with mediterranean spices served with half humus and half rice. They also come out with complimentary radish and olives. The flavors were great and the dish was plentiful. There is a cute little patio outside and an indoor dining area as well. The waiters were fantastic and it is definitely one of the Mediterranean restaurants I've been to in San Francisco! Originally came looking for Nicaraguan food, and stumbled upon here. Glad it happened!

Might've came on a bad day because it seemed like they were understaffed. There was quite a bit of wait for our food but that is not stopping me from giving a 4 star rating because the service was excellent and the food was worth the wait! We had the meat combination plate with half hummus and half rice (comes with pita bread), stuffed fafafels and lentil soup. First of all, the portions were HUGE and that is coming from a girl with a big appetite. I still finished though but I was pretty stuffed. All the meat skewers were really flavorful. If I were to rank them from most to least favorite, it would be #1 chicken, #2 beef and #3 lamb (could be more tender, the lamb skewer was on the tougher side). The rice and hummus were also great. I love that they heat up the pita bread before serving, most places I've been to just serve it room temperature like fresh out of the bag. The stuffed falafels were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The lentil soup was on the house and also my first time trying it. It was quite unique, the consistency was on the thicker side and it definitely warmed me up. Would recommend on cold days! Service was probably one of the best I've experienced. The waitress serving us was really attentive. She brought out our pita bread first but the hummus wasn't ready yet so we waited. About 25 minutes into the wait, our stuffed falafels were ready. She offered us free lentil soup to go with the falafels to accommodate for the wait and even reheated our pita breads shortly before our entrees came. 10/10!

Old Jerusalem is one of our favorite restaurants in SF: the food and service are phenomenal and special and keep us coming back. The owners and everyone who works here are always friendly and welcoming. Special shout-out to Judy and Osama, who make us feel like family. We got an extra large order from Old Jerusalem for the family welcome event the day before our wedding. They went above and beyond: they helped us figure out how much to order, the owner delivered it himself, and the food was a big hit! Definitely order the soft kunafa for dessert: they're the only restaurant in SF that makes it, and they even ship it around the country! Our other favorites: mousakhan, hummus, stuffed falafel...really everything.

To answer the question at the top of mind: yes, I would go again. Upon being seated, we were welcomed with fresh olives and pickled radishes. After debating between the few veggie options, I went for the vegetarian combo platter (subbing the roasted eggplant & cauliflower) for an extra falafel. This large plate came with Ful, Baba Ganoush, Hummus, falafel, dolma, and salad -- all fresh. To accompany, we were served warm pita with dipping sides such as tahini and a sort of pickled onions. In the beautiful, sunny back patio, while listening to trickling water from the fountains, this became the ultimate Sunday happy meal.

What a nice neighborhood surprise !!! After many years of passing by and wishing I can try their food I finally did it. And definitely is a place to go back over and over again. I had the meat combination ( lamb, chicken and beef) and highly recommended to anyone. Very clean spot and so the bathrooms. I can't wait for the next visit!

I ordered the combo plate. The steak and chicken were cooked to perfection. The hummus was soooooooo good! The people working here are the sweetest, kindest people ever! I'm definitely going back and recommending them to everyone!! Sorry for the in the middle of stuffing my face with the food pic....

Great Mediterranean food! Affordable! Family Owned. Fast and friendly service. Been around for years! That says something.

Im a client of this place for a 7 years, love the food, great service, always clean. Part of the people that serve you are family members so they take good care of everyone. As vegetarian I found so many options i can eat. It's definitely my favorite Mediterranean restaurant.

Looking for place for Mediterranean take out this side of town. The pita was fluffy. The hummus was flavorful and the Baba was good. Falafel didn't disappoint.

The food was just ok . The ladies working there were so nice and friendly . They have inside and outside sitting area .

Good vibes all around I went for the first time earlier this month - we ordered the combo plate and I think all that was left was maybe 1/4 of the grilled onion Service was fantastic and I wish there was one on every corner V

Amazing authentic healthy middle eastern food. Everything from the hummus, to the pita, lamb, chicken, rice and side dishes, all excellent! Great customer service that accommodated us right before closing.

Went in around 2pm on a Saturday with my friend. Got our seats right away after being greeted by the friendly staff. We had the option to sit indoor or the outdoor patio and we chose the outdoor seating since it was nice out. The patio was pleasantly decorated and surpassingly big! I ordered the shawarma with lamb and rice. You do have the choice to go half rice and half hummus. (+1$) for basket of pita bread. We decided the share the lentil soup since it has the most reviews. The shawarma & rice was really tasteful and juicy with the hint of sourness with some chopped up pickles mixed in. The restaurant also gives you free olives and pickled beets which is very generous of them. Spent about +25$ for the Shawarma and shared lentil soup! Not the cheapest but the quality was there so no complaining. Overall a great experience and I would definitely come back to try more dishes!

Perfect food, very nice outdoor seating, service is great, would come again Great Arabic food

Kindest people working there! We go for the food, and stay for the people! Owners are too kind. Will continue to support this business. Thankful they've there, and that we get to eat their delicious food as often as we do.

I highly recommend this restaurant their customer service is a second to none I was completely impressed with their professional and customer service and thank nina see you next time