Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine

Having tried dozens of Persian restaurants across Los Angeles and San Diego, I can confidently say that Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine in San Diego stands out. Their Cornish dish is exceptional — perfectly seasoned, juicy, and cooked to absolute perfection. The freshly baked hot bread paired with sizzling kebabs makes every visit a memorable one. There’s something special about the way they serve it — right off the grill, perfectly charred, and full of flavor. What truly sets Sufi apart, though, is the service. The staff is consistently friendly, welcoming, and genuinely attentive without being overbearing. Waiter treatment to costumers is like family — always kind, hard working, attentive and truly customer-focused. They always make you feel like a valued guest, whether it’s your first time or your tenth.

⭐ 1 Star Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine I usually enjoy eating at Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine and have visited many times. But today was very disappointing and will likely be my last visit. The meat was extremely bad — the taste and quality were nothing like before. It felt old and poorly prepared, and I couldn’t finish my meal. I hope the restaurant pays attention to this feedback and improves the quality of their food, because customers expect fresh and good-quality meals every time. The meat smells really strong that’s why we pot it on the other table.

One of the best Persian / Afghani food you can ever get. The food is absolutely delicious and Halal. Staff is very friendly too. A go to spot with family and friends.

Love the restaurant and the grocery. We got tons of good family food multiple nights while in SD. Highly recommended! My favorite thing about Sufi and Balboa International Market: Barberries!

I always try to support small businesses, but this restaurant does not deserve support. New owner must fire his chef and unprofessional employees behind the counter. Yesterday there were 2 events and all of us who were just individual customers and the restaurant had only 1, yes one waiter for the entire restaurant! Poor guy was running from table to table while 3 other employees were standing behind the counter doing nothing. Youngest employee behind counter was disgusting, rude, incompetent. He not only messed up the order, but kept rolling his eyes at customers while standing & doing nothing. Couldn’t he help the waiter to at least get the drinks or deliver some food to tables? I waited one hour and 46 minutes for my simple kebab which was so burned into charcoal, but I will add the picture. Food had no taste. There is no salt, no seasoning, no oil added to the food. Don’t waste your time & $, don’t go to this place. The only nice and professional person here is that poor waiter who has been there for so many years. I wish he was the manager & owner since the new owner does not have ability to run this place.

My 2nd time here and the food is absolutely spectacular! Today, I tried their Chicken Tandori Kabob plate, the rich and savory flavors make the taste buds do a happy dance as you bite into the super tender meat, the meat is very well marinaded as you can see the deep red coloring throughout the entire meat. It's grilled to perfections, slightly charred outside with juice and tender inside. The rice is light, fluffy, and has a mellow yet very tasty flavor. The side salad was fresh/crisp, with crunchy Persian cucumbers, tomatoes, and a light and slightly zesty dressing, with 1/2 a grilled tomato.

I visited Sufi on 22 November with a friend, and we had a good experience. We ordered the Tahchin and Akbar Joojeh, both dishes were delicious and well prepared. The service was great; the staff member who served us was kind, respectful and genuinely pleasant throughout our meal.

Searched a Halal restaurant after Friday prayer and I found this nearby me. Lovely atmosphere, good people, clean and good food. What else you can ask for. I will give 5 out of 5. Delicious food, must visit! Lamb shack I ordered and it came as I expected with a lot of green rice. Not too expensive I found it a budget restaurant.

The food at Sufi is so comforting and delicious! I was kindly invited to dinner by a wonderful friend who wanted to be able to share Persian food with us. What a treat! He walked me through the menu that has some well known items as well as some lesser known options for those not as familiar with Persian food. The menu also seemed to be slightly fusion with some non-Persian foods like chicken tikka masala and samosas. We each ordered an entree, but also shared some appetizers. The only miss was the crispy rice appetizer. It was a little too hard and inedible. Everything else was an absolute hit! I ordered the koobideh combo platter. It came with the garden salad, rice and koobideh (one ground chicken and one ground beef). I was obsessed with the dressing on the garden salad. It was so good, but I also appreciated that it was poured on lightly- just enough to enjoy, not too overwhelming. The koobideh was flavorful and tender. Paired with the rice, it was so warming and good. It also paired really nicely with the yogurt side. This is a great spot to dine with friends. I had such lovely company and we enjoyed our meal on the spacious outdoor covered patio area. They also have a very large indoor area with ornate decor. Parking is very easy here and prices are very fair for the portion!

I have posted a lot of menus here, so take your choice so much to choose from. This is next to the International Market itlt has really changed over the years. We are giving it two stars as my barley soup was watery and tasted more like a minestrone. Rather flavourless and I only ate less than half and It also came with broken pieces of stale bread The waiter came to pick up our dishes and asked me how I liked it and I said I that didn't. He just smiled and walked away. My friend had the beef kabob and said it was very dry and the salad was wilted. We were both very disappointed and will not be coming back.

My friends and I dined here because our daughters were dancing Tahitian during a banquet featuring dancers from all over the world. Duad was friendly and provided gave excellent service. The good was good. I had the Chicken and Eggplant stew. It had a tomato-based brother and was served with basmati rice and salad. We ordered several dishes and shared. It was my first time tasting baba ganoush. Hmmm...not my favorite but at least I tried.

My friend recommended this restaurant, and we decided to have lunch here. The outside sign and the entrance are grand but inside is more like a diner style. Order at the cashier and get a number, self seating and self pickup. The menu has a good selection. Reasonable price. The tables are all long community style tables, which would work for small or large groups. I had boneless chicken kabob and babaghanoosh appetizer. The chicken kabob was very juicy and tender with minimum marinade. Fresh small salad with an interesting vinaigrette dressing, and lots of fluffy white rice! I love the purple sprinkle flavoring on my rice. I don't know the name of the seasoning but it's on the table and tastes like basil. Banaghanoosh was smooth and creamy, but the taste of eggplant was very subtle and minimum. They gave me some cut-up pieces of flat bread to eat it with, but unfortunately, they were stiff and dried up, probably in a microwave. Overall, it's a nice casual Middle Eastern eatery with juicy kabobs. The food had subtle flavors, sort of a bit bland, but definitely not too salty, and for sure on the healthy side.

What a hidden GEM. The food was amazing and the staff was super friendly. I will definitely come back :-)

We visited Sufi restaurant recently with a large group of family . Daud's service was exceptional! His personality and his positive energy makes you want to visit this place again . I would highly recommend this restaurant for the food and for the best service .

I visit San Diego 3-4 times every year and every time i go to Sufi. The Food is amazing. The authentic taste takes to old time and the prices is really reasonable. On top of everything the amazing server, Daud( I hope I pronounce his name correctly), makes your day even greater with a wide smile and warm greeting. Also visit their next door supermarket. Their baklava is so delicious.

This is a counter serve place with Persian or Irani dishes. I tried the ghemeh bedemjan (lentil eggplant beef stew) and ash reshteh (yogurt veg spinach soup with noodle pasta) and the familiar lamb kebabs. The meats are cooked to tender. The food did come out Luke warm so I suspect it's reheated to serve for thr type of establishment it is. It's a good way to try Persian food. The lamb kabob was fresh and cooked well. Worth a try but would have preferr3d a better ambience for the prices.

Best ghormeh sabzi ever! Koobideh's are okay. The yellow salad dressing is really good. I miss the old days but still awesome.

Went for my first time for lunch with my wife. I ordered the chicken and beef combo and my wife ordered a chicken schwarma wrap with french fries. First off, they took about 45 minutes to bring us our food. If we hadn't paid first, we would have walked out. They take forever. Second, when they finally brought the food, they brought my wife some sort of mystery meat plate with rice and salad. She ordered a chicken schwarma wrap and fries. Not even close to what she ordered! My wife didn't want to wait another 45 minutes for the right food, so I gave her my chicken. The mystery meat they served her tasted horrible. So not only did they bring her the wrong food, it tasted so bad, she couldn't eat it!! Third, the customer service is horrible...non-existent if you aren't Middle Eastern. They were constantly going to the tables where Middle Easterners were seated to see if they needed anything (water, napkins, to go boxes). They didn't come to our table once besides to drop off the WRONG food!! Racist and incompetent. It was my first time there, and needless to say. I will NEVER go back. Don't go there if you aren't Middle Eastern unless you want to be treated like you don't exist.

"My experience with Sufi restaurant was an absolute nightmare. Not only did they fail to deliver on their promises, but their customer service was abysmal. The representatives were rude and unhelpful, showing no empathy or willingness to resolve my issue. It's clear that they prioritize profit over customer satisfaction. I will never do business with them again and will actively discourage others from doing so."

Ended up here when another nearby Mediterranean restaurant was closed on a Monday. The value is pretty good- it was about 12.99 for my plate of food. The single chicken koobideh (seasoned ground chicken) skewer was a large portion and tender and flavorful. However, I thought the rice was on the dry side and lacking flavor.

We have been coming to this restaurant for years. Not just because of the amazing Persian food but also for the nicest customer service. Daud is always so courteous and willing to help you with anything you need. He always greets you with a smile and always goes the extra mile to make sure you are taken care of. I see how hard this establishment works and it truly shows in their service. The food always tastes like it was made with love and is authentic. I never go elsewhere as I never leave here disappointed. Thank you Sufi for the amazing food and customer service; & Daud for always going above and beyond for his customers.

Miss the buffet. Very friendly service. Food was not good. We ordered a tabbouleh and it was basically red onion parsley and mediocre tomatoes. Maybe they forgot the oil and lemon or? We also had a veggie kabob and the onions were raw the zucchini super dry. The pita bread was good. Salmon kebab not really a kebab and not really good. Lots of food but not well prepared or enjoyable really.

FaceTime to go to this restaurant since before Covid. Obviously ownership has a changed because the food now is terrible. The cooks have no clue about Mediterranean or Middle Eastern food. They served falafel that was spoiled. the person at the cashier where you actually place your order has no clue about what's in the menu And how to make changes to the items in the menu. Simply put, the worst Mediterranean food you can eat . We left the restaurant grossed out..

Sufi now has fresh press juice for the juice lovers! I would recommend the pomegranate or the watermelon

This place has gone down the drain! I remember coming here and there was a restaurant vibes and good food but now they have hired these young smart A..... teenagers with worst service and attitude . Unfortunately I won't be coming back here again. I'll go back to panini's restaurant in Delmar.

Most of their dishes are great tasting with the exception of their KABAB which is the most important dish in any given Persian restaurant, recently they have raised prices across the board and reduced the portion! The ambiance inside doesn't match the outside decor that one expects . Overall this is a good place to go on the last minute decision for a quick taste of Mediterranean food.

The food was amazing, the staff was helpful and kind. Love the quiet ambience and can't wait to be back in San Diego to experience this restaurant again.

Came back to try their dizi / abgoosht because it is one of my favorite dishes and not many places around here serve it. I was expecting it to be served in a dizi pot with a gooshtkoob (meat masher), but it was instead served in a big bowl with a spoon and fork. Using the gooshtkoob is half the fun of eating dizi! So, I was a little disappointed. I used my fork and spoon for mashing instead. It also came with noon khorshideh (dried bread), onion, and torshi (pickled vegetables). All and all, it had a good taste, but not anything that made me nostalgic for a home cooked meal.

I have been coming here for 14 years for the best Persian lamb shank in San Diego. It is made perfect every time. Tender and delicious. I love it with the white rice. They want to serve it with an herb rice with lima beans. I like to have it with white rice because I feel the other rice interferes with the lamb shank flavors. It comes with a simple salad with a mustard dressing. It is a bit vinegary so only use about 1/3 of the dressing. Arèeeee and

4.5 stars Great option for takeout after a grocery run nearby. Their variety of flavored rice is just amazing. we tried barberry (zereshk polo) and cherry (albaloo polo) rice. barberry is really tart and the cherry one is quite sweet. We enjoyed their chicken eggplant stew. We would return to try other offerings as well.

We came here for my dads birthday a few days ago with a party of 5. We started off with the hummus and babaganoush as appetizers - they were good but the pita was pretty thin and didn't go the best with the dips, I would've liked something a little thicker and doughier. For my entree I got the beef and chicken combination platter which was delicious! I loved the dressing on the salad and the meat was cookies perfectly! It's a very causal place where you order at the register and then sit and wait for your food, so it's great if you want something healthy and casual.

Delicious simple Persian food for those who know good quality. Sufi's Togo/pick up side is no frills when it comes to good quality Persian food without the pomp and circumstance. One of my favorite parts about this place is the consistency. From the shallot yogurt dip to the salad olivieh to the kabob and lamb everything always tastes the same and they always deliver on freshness. Also make sure you try the chicken koobideh. The seasoning on this dish is great! Will continue to frequent this place.

Every weekend, my family and I go to Sufi for lunch, and we always have a great time over there. We enjoy the meal and Sufi's very nice environment. The quality of their delicious food and the service are excellent and the staff are very friendly. I recommend Sufi if you want to have a fantastic time.

"Excellent service, delicious food, cozy atmosphere, and reasonable prices."I strongly recommend this restaurant to any one looking to have a wonderful place and time.

I order Boneless Chicken but this is what i receive after 34 minutes waiting, whiteout any apologize they said no you didn't order Boneless Chicken! They took mistake to me! It is very funny most worst customer service i had ever seen. I strongly recommend NOT eating here. The quality of food is average not so fancy or delicious. I am very sad choose this place for lunch.

Great food and service. Have a great time with family. I highly recommend this place specially for special occasions like birthdays and graduations.

Food and service was terrible I ordered food to pick up When I get home , nobody ate it because it was either old or recooked Called few times , they didn't care

Our favorite grilled chicken and kabob place in San Diego. Great service and enjoyed the atmosphere and the special personal artwork in the dining hall. Can't wait to visit again.

The service is awful, so very unprofessional, the food is not bad but we ordered tahdig and he checked before charging us , once we receive the tahdig it was so cold that i seemed like it had come out of the refrigerator! When we asked why is it cold he put it in the microwave!!! And then when we said we would want microwaved food, she said we will give you a fresh order ! Why wasn't our food fresh from the start ? And then after 20 minutes she comes with the cash to tell us they don't have tahdig ! My mind is blown !

Excellent food. Barberry rice is always the best. Kobideh kabob is best in town. The grilled tomatoes are a perfect addition.

Included in my photo is all the chicken I got for 12 dollars plus tax. I'm still very hungry. Sufi is now a very sad shadow of its once glorious self. Long gone is the amazing buffet and excellent food quality they used to provide. What a shame.

It's very hard to evaluate this restaurant because I do not have enough experience in this type of food, but here is my take on it. Well. Most customers I saw walk in and out the place was middle eastern, I think. I don't wanna judge that but I thought so, which tells me the level of authenticity of the food served. Cuz I am Japanese, and I notice things when I walk into, for an example, a sushi restaurant. If the most customers are not Asian, then I know I am not the target audience. Like, "Here is our original Hula does hula hoop in Hawaii roll, 50% off for happy hour with our original sake bomb!". F that. And target audience here is the middle eastern people, clearly. And the food is most likely authentic. But I couldn't tell how good the food was due to my lack of exposure. One thing I can say, I got the beef and chicken combo and the chicken was the breast meat. A type of meat you can very easily overcook. And This place nailed it. Juicy and moist every bite. Good culinary techniques. No complaints about other dishes I had. So 5 star for now. I need to study this culinary a bit more.

For a graduation party we catered from Sufi. Afshin was amazing in suggesting the right food for the right people. I had over hundred guests and every guest loved the food. They prepared the kabobs (Koobideh and Chicken) in our house. It was so amazing that none of 160 skewers left. They served appetizers, kababs and koko sabzi before the dinner. helped with drinks. Very professional and very warm and welcoming. Carlos and his team were as if they are part of our family. I highly recommend them for your next party. It is relatively inexpensive and taste like home food. Did I say amazing service?

The chicken kabob was dry. The tabouli was the worst I've had, it had giant chunks of tomatoes and onions, the parsley was hardly grated, it had zero flavor or seasoning. The salad dressing has a very strong honey mustard flavor. I don't recommend. I'll stick with Mystic Grill.

I ordered koubideh kabab medium grilled to go. To my surprise it got ready in less than 2 minutes, even faster than fast food stores! The receptionist said they were making for some customers that did not show up yet. When I got home, found out that she had lied as kababs were almost raw!!! The rice was the worst rice I had ever bought from those kind of restaurants. I feel, I was robbed. Awful, awful, awful.

The chicken is moist and juicy. The rice tastes good too and comes with a salad and bread. The plates don't have that much meat tho (only 5 pieces for $17)

Covid Review #116 Best new fries I've had in a long time! I had never been here before but the gentleman who took my order was really helpful. I probably asked a ton of ignorant questions but he was patient with me. " What's Persian Ice Cream?" "What's the difference between the 3 different chicken wraps?" I settled on one chicken wrap that was yummy and a decent price under $10. "Tanks God!" Ok... I came here because I have a new favorite comedian named Kvon, who is 1/2 Persian and he says that... not the first time, something I watched influenced my food craving. https://youtu.be/iREC7eGEX84 The wrap took a little long. A couple ordered after me and they got their orders before me. Later explained that my chicken wrap takes longer than most. Id have liked to have known that beforehand, but it was tasty... wish I had since tsatsiki with it too. No interior tables so I took it to my car and got to see some kung fu in the parking lot. I guess I can see it as dinner and a show. Made dinner not as lonesome. Tip: There is a grocery store with Indian and Middle Eastern items next door.

I love Sufi!! I usually order takeout although they have a nice dining area. The food is sooo amazing I love the chicken kabob and the saffron rice. I don't really like the salad dressing. The workers are not very friendly and are semi Abrupt and rushed but I dint mind because the food is so good. It used to be good priced too but they raised the prices. I come here at least once every month or so

KOOBIDEH - the glorious Persian skewers that we've grown to know and love. While I've passed by Sufi many times en route to Balboa International Market and even popped my head in once, this was my first time trying their food. I lack the nostalgia and joyful past memories that others have expressed but no doubt hope to experience their buffet and concerts one day in the future. Even in the COVID era we live in, the restaurant still felt spacious and luxurious. High end lighting and interior finishes made for a pleasant experience. I called in my order for a two chicken koobideh plate and had a minimal wait upon arriving. The employee was courteous and the food was well packed. For a very reasonable $14, the meal included two skewers and blister grilled tomatoes atop a bed of basmati rice. There was also a side salad with a super tasty honey mustard type dressing. Very balanced, delicious, and flavorful meal. The generous portions left me with enough for two meals. Yum

We had our daughter and son in law's wedding reception at Sufi's. The guys an gal did a great job, the food was outstanding and the service was too. They set the tables with linings and flatware, we had a florists come in to place the centerpieces, the tables looked beautiful. The buffet was great salad, rice, chicken, beef kabobs, tzatziki with pita slices and a delicious stew. The reception hall is beautiful and perfect for a reception of 100 guest or less They have a stage where the DJ can set up to the left of it and the couple sits in the middle of the stage. It's a stage with two or thee steps so not too high just perfect for the couple to be seen I highly recommend Sufi's Mediterranean Cuisine

First and last time trying this place. The rice actually smells stale. Dry, old (or maybe just very very very low quality) rice. No excuse for such a staple. Paid extra for zereshk style and literally got a little handful of the barberries thrown in there. This place isn't cheap. If I'm paying over $20 for a chicken and rice lunch dish, at least the basic rice staple should be decent. Extra star because the chicken was fine.

Best Mediterranean food in SD! My friend and I recently stumbled upon this place when shopping at the International Market next door. I ordered the beef kebab plate and my friend got the chicken beef combo. (I personally like the beef kebab better than the chicken) Firstly, the PORTIONS!! The plate is the size of both my hands combined, for a plate around $14!! I usually eat some there and take the rest home, lasting me a few days. Such a great deal! I also love everything on the plate, the meat, the salad, the roasted tomato and the rice. The wait was short, place was clean, kind workers, and not too crowded. 10/10 Recommend!

Kabobs and rice were good. Appetizers were mediocre at best. Employees didn't care about serving customers one bit.

My favorite Mediterranean restaurant in San Diego! The food is of excellent quality. Never had a meal I didn't like here. The beef koobideh is always cooked to perfection. The stews are quite good as well. Be sure to order ahead, as orders usually take at least 20min to finish. And remember to ask for their red hot sauce. So good!

When I'm at the office and crave Persian, I Doordash Sadaf or Bandar. The food is usually piping hot and flavorful. When I'm at or near home, Sufi is closest and so I go with that. I've always had an excellent experience when dining in person at Sufi. Great food and service. Tonight I Doordashed a combo chicken and beef kabob plate with zereshk polo, eggplant spread, Persian cucumber salad, and samosas. The eggplant spread was on point. Great flavor and consistency. I wish they would add a little bit of the yogurt topping like Sadaf does. Still really good. Samosas were flavorful. The real disappointment was the proteins. Chicken was dry and tasted off. And the beef kabob was cold. Despite the simplicity of these particular entrees, I am always blown away by how tender, juicy, and delicious the proteins are when I dig in. I managed to get a bad dish somehow, and I can't remember the last time I had a less than stellar Persian dish. Also, the rice had very little saffron, to the point that I had to add my own. The barberries were there but it didn't seem like they were cooked into and immersed in the rice. A rare disappointing experience with Persian food. Hope it was an off night.

Good fresh food every time. They selection is impressive, something for everyone in my family

Worst food raw chicken cold rice very inconsistent place I can't recommend this place to anyone avoid at all cost

Great food extremely fresh worth the waiting cause made on order definitely recommend