Shalizaar

Lamb chops and dolmeh were not bad, but the customer experience was tepid. They never checked on me or refilled my glass.

The best Persian food I have found in the Bay Area so far. Worth the trip across a bridge for. Always great service and excellent food.

It's been a while since I was last here and it was good. I ordered the Koobideh Mix with Half Salad and Half Rice. Tasty and this satisfied my cravings for Persian.

This review is for the banquet hall. We had a banquet of 70 people on Nov 2, 2024 for an Anniversary and Retirement party. From start to finish both Naveed and Shawn were extremely easy and pleasant to work with. I could tell they had done this a many, many times and had all the answers. They even had an easel to put the seating chart on. The food was absolutely amazing. We used the normal banquet menu and just added the herbs & nuts & feta (sabzi). The wine was very good and the wine & beer table worked out really well. The hall and the audio/visual equipment was perfect for our 2 group dances and our one couples dance. They even had a mircrophone we could use. The price point was perfect. We had 3 disabled people, one in a wheel chair, and entrance was easy for them. We used both the parking lot and street parking and no one complained so I assume it was great. We also had about 6 children and it was very kid-friendly. Shalizaar made our celebration the best party I've ever been to. The tables & lighting & mural provided a magical atmosphere. The service was excellent. I VERY highly recommend using Shalizaar's banquet facilities for your celebration.

I recently dined at this restaurant and was thoroughly impressed with the overall experience. The food was excellent, offering great flavors, and the portion sizes were generous, leaving me satisfied. However, I must say that the "kask-e-bademjoon" dish didn't quite meet my expectations; it lacked the same level of excellence found in the other dishes. Despite this, the overall dining experience was enjoyable, and I would still recommend trying their other offerings.

مطعم ايراني I tried this cuisines for sharing couple main dishes and appetizers. The portions for 2 were fair enough. The restaurant was a bit busy 💑👨‍❤️‍👨👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👬👭👫but the service was fast 🕺🏻🏃🏽‍♂️‍➡️🏃🏽‍➡️🏃🏽‍♂️‍➡️🏃🏽‍➡️🏃🏻🏃🏻🏃🏻. The dishes taste good. Not too oily 👍🏼 The price a bit high but it is San Mateo 💵💵💵💵. The restaurant normally for groups thus usually noisy. There was birthday party ss well 🎂 Parkings are available as well. I will put my dishes. Enjoy it and if you like it, click 👍🏼

Tried their koobideh, must moosir and tah dig. All great except the koobideh was too soft. It was well cooked but too soft not sure what happened there and needed salt. I love the fact they bake their own bread in front of you as you sit. The location is decent. Ambiance is good and service was good too. Will come again.

Lovely dining experience. Appetizers were amazing and the Lamb Kabob was perfectly cooked. We dined at 5pm on a Wednesday, service and staff were friendly and never waited more than 5 minutes for our meal. Highly recommend this place!.

Fantastic food! Super fast friendly service Very fancy white linen ambiance Definitely a must eat when in San Carlos. We have been eating here atleast twice a month.

Shalizar is where you go for good authentic Persian food! This place has been opened for over 20 years. You know it's good when Persian people eat there ! Service was great and vibe was awesome. This place has won a lot of awards! Must check out !

Came back the other day and the koobideh is only 2 inches smaller now, not 3. 4 stars!!

Food is amazing and so fresh, service is impeccable fresh bread, fresh feta. Water even tasted good. The restaurant is fancy and clean. I will come back. The prices are great for the amount of food you get on your plate. You will leave FULL and satisfied.

Death, taxes, Shalizars serving good Persian food.............. Is it 'THINGS THAT ARE INEVITABLE" We have had a long relationship with Shalizars. From the tiny restaurant in San Mateo, to the larger Mountain View location (we had one of 2 wedding receptions there), and final the spot most know, the Belmont location. Persian restaurants can be a bit of a nightmare. It is literally feast or famine and even promising eatery may die out without notice, even when they have spectacular food. Shalizars bucks that trend and has done so for decades. The interior of the restaurant has a nice modern feel. Its upscale but also maintains a causal edge. They have an expansive wine list, draft beer, and some of the best doogh in the business. The food: Sabzi Plate with bread: The plate comes as part of the meal. Filled with mint, walnuts, feta, and herbs, it is perfect to eat with the house made flatbread that is being cranked out of the wood fired oven at the end of the restaurant. Torshi: basically pickled vegetables. It is a usual go to for us as it will help with the inevitable richness of the incoming kebabs. The acid hit of the vinegar also helps with balance and evens out the butter rich rice Salad Shirazi: combination of chopped tomato, onion and cucumber it also adds a vegetable and fresh element to the kebabs. I am not going to lie, I also will roll this up in the flatbread with some sabzi and it is heaven Sultani: is traditional one strip of Barg (Filet) and one of Koobideh (ground beef). The Barg was tender and juicy. Tender, juicy and perfectly spiced. The Koobideh was a perfect balance of soft but had a nice mouthfeel to it. The char was a nice contrast again to the overall richness of the meat. The Persian rice here will be a rich affair with a ton of butter. Saffron infused rice topped the regular rice and in addition to adding a bit of color, it also pairs perfectly with the meat. Doogh: Yes an acquired taste, but the combo of carbonated water, mint, yogurt, and salt and pepper is not to be missed The service as always was friendly and on point. The true appeal of this place is that is it is just good all of the time.

Came here with five friends on a Friday evening as I've heard good things about this restaurant. Left full and very happy with coming here. All of the staff were super nice from the person who greeted us at the door to all of the servers and people cleaning up. Food: - Joojeh: I've been to multiple Persian, Mediterranean, and Greek restaurants and have been disappointed by the chicken because it's usually dry. The joojeh at Shalizaar is so good! It was flavorful, it was moist, and overall cooked so well. I know they have so many dishes that are highly recommended, but this dish was so good that I want to order it again! Comes with option of salad, rice, or half and half. - Koobideh: this dish was also tasty and comes with the same side options. Quite a big portion and definitely enough for one person - Mast-o-khiar: fun appetizer to eat with the free "bread" they give in the beginning - "Free bread": I couldn't catch the name of the free dish they give in the beginning. It's not bread or pita, but in between? They bring it with mint, walnuts, and feta cheese as well - Tah dig: we ordered this with two different stews. Nice and crispy and more flavorful with the stews - Mirza Ghasemi: eggplant dish that we also ate with the "bread" and Tah dig. Flavorful and tastes healthy Miscellaneous: - Parking available via parking lot and street parking - We came at 6:30pm on a Friday and it started filling up around 7:00pm. Recommend a reservation if you're going at peak eating hours - Good for pairs, small groups, and large groups. They also have a private party room if you have a larger group

I came here for an event, and a girls dinner 2 weeks later. Both times it was absolutely Delicious meals, beautiful ambiance, and we loved every single dish we tried. I will always rmr the fresh herbs and lavash table starter, aush, koobideh, chicken kabob, palao and even tiramisu dessert. All was wonderful and I will definitely be back!

Delicious food! The koobideh, lamb kebab, beef kebab and eggplant dishes are flavorful and expertly cooked. We love getting food to go--they prepare it quickly, and it's always fresh and hot.

Adasi 3 lentil soup, mildly flavorful Aush Reshteh 2 veggie noodle soup, too plain Sabzi 2 mint leaf salad, red radish, walnuts, feta, no dressing, no flavor Mirza Ghasemi 3 mashed dip, slightly bitter grilled eggplant, tomatoes, eggs, garlic, olive oil Fesenjan 3 chicken thigh, thick slightly sweet & sour pomegranate sauce Gheymeh 3 beef stew, chickpeas, grilled tomato sauce, mainly tomato flavor Ghormeh Sabzi 3 beef stew, red beans, spinach, non-spiced version of beef saag, not flavorful Koobideh 5 seasoned ground beef kabob, juicy, flavorful Koobideh Morgh 4 creamy ground chicken kabob, medium juicy, medium flavorful Baghali Polo 3 huge roast lamb shank, super tender, not gamy, not flavorful, weird flavor dill rice, green fat beans Plain Flat Bread w/ Lightly Salted Butter 2 soft, warm

Came here on a Tuesday night and it was not crowded at all. Service was quick and attentive. We got the beef and chicken kebab and the lamb shank rice plate ($20-24 each). The meats were good, quite moist and flavorful, but overall I felt like there wasn't much differentiation in the flavor and there was too much rice. There was also a ton of dill in the rice for the lamb shank dish which I wasn't used to. The tiramisu ($10) dessert was good and I like how they added some tart sauce on the side.

On Juneteenth, we went to Shalizaar to celebrate my daughter's early birthday. It had been a while since we dined here in Belmont. The nice wall picture of deers in the parking lot will always catch your attention. We were greeted by Shaun (Afshin) who we have known for many years now. He told us we can sit anywhere we wanted. As always, the dining room was clean and beautiful. They baked their own bread "naan" using a clay oven at the end of the dining room. We were given a complimentary sabzi. We ordered Kashk-e-Bademjan as a starter. My daughter ordered Mahi, my husband ordered Joojeh. I got Baghali Polo for a change from Kabobs. Food was delicious. For drinks we just had Doogh & Persian hot tea. For dessert, my daughter & I shared Makhlout. We ordered Soltani to go for our son-in-law who did not make it to join us. We always come back as Shalizaar is a family fine dining restaurant.

Food is delicious authentic Persian / Mediterranean cuisine. Service is fine with attentive responsive waiters. Location is good with many dedicated parking spaces. Good for kids, groups and small parties. There is in house stone oven to bake fresh bread / naan. Try yogurt drink (doogh) for sure with Kabobs. Highly recommend this place for Persian food.

It was my 4th time here . I ordered tahdig with gheimeh Badm Jan and fesenjsn and Koobideh . The food was terrible . Only the bread was good . The only reason I gave 2 stars is for customer service . The workers are all very friendly , nice , professional and efficient.

I love Shalizar food, service and atmosphere. We usually drive from south San Jose once a month to have kabob You should try the best Persian food ever

Fancy ambiance, great food, good portions, quick service. What's not to like about Shalizaar. My brother and I visited for dinner yesterday. We ordered chicken koobedeh and jeju kababs. The tender meats came with flavourful Persian rice served on a lavash. Meats was very fresh, soft, tender. Enjoyed the fancy indoor seating area. The house salad served was super fresh and made with fine quality olive oil. Loved it so refreshing. The salad shalizer was just ok. Not worth as a menu item. Top of our list for good styled kababs in Bay Area. Must visit.

ShalIzaar food quality is sub par. The taste of soltani is not favorable. ghaymeh with tadig is goo. service is acceptabl.

Nothing terrible. Nothing to write home about either. Meats were good. Sides were less good. I was underwhelmed by their bread even though it is freshly baked. Just a place to fill up.

Both kebabs and stews in the menu are very good. There is a combination meat and rice for two ( called shishlik) which is one the best prepared lamb, beef and chicken bbq in any so called Middle Eastern or Mediterranean restaurants in the area. The cocktails we sampled were done very well too. The prices are as expected in Bay Area which reflects the high cost of labor in California.

We are trying shalizar every weekend and no change in portion size or the quality of the food . Shishlik of shalizar comes with 1 skewer of lamb chops , 2 skewers of beef kobideh and 1 Cornish chicken . The restaurant offers Complementary Sabzi with walnuts and original cheese. The service is fast and most servers are Spanish speakers ,but they had been trained nicely. The reservation is also available. They offer the fresh nan from the tandor that they made for their guests.

I had takeout here recently and was impressed. For context, I first had a meal here in 2009 and quite enjoyed a dozen or so experiences thereafter: beautiful interior, attentive staff, and well-executed takes on classic Persian fare. I have experienced some encounters with brusque front-office staff, but nothing I would call rude. Did not visit much during or immediately after the pandemic, and was disappointed to see the spate of poor reviews during that time. Judging from my latest experience I am excited to return for an in-person dinner soon. Both the koobideh / ground beef skewers and the shishleek / lamb chops were tender and well-seasoned. The seeneh / chicken breast was tasty but a little dry; that said, it gets a free pass because it was takeout. The sides were all delicious: the shallot yogurt, the doogh, the shirazi salad. Kudos, Shalizaar Team.

My "to go" place for Persian food. I recently dined at my favorite Persian restaurant in the Bay Area, and it was an exceptional experience. The koobideh, with its perfectly seasoned ground meat skewers, was juicy and flavorful. The Bamdejan appetizer, featuring eggplant, was a delightful start to the meal. The ambiance and service complemented the delicious cuisine, making it a standout dining choice.

Food is good but only if you are not a vegetarian or vegan. Was here for office team dinner few weeks back. Service is good but they hardly have good vegetarian options.

I've ordered takeout twice from Shalizaar and for me it's a little hit or miss. I do like the (beef) koobideh and kashk-e-bademjan which is good because those are two of my favorite things on any Persian menu. The zereshk pollo was also not bad the first time around, though the chicken could have been more moist. The last time I ordered though, the rice was watery and soggy, not fluffy, and quite flavorless. They do give you a ton of rice, which is good if you want to get creative with leftovers, but sadly I ended up throwing most of it out. I also felt like the gormeh sabzi needed a bit more limoo amani or other additional seasoning, though the beef itself was tender and tasty. Takeout is easy and is packaged very well with saran wrap so there is no leakage and the parking lot is large. The interior looks nice. I may give it one more go and try the Fesenjan in the future. We shall see.

Prices in the restaurant are 50 % higher than on the online menu, total rip off. $12 for a bad mirza ghasemi appetizer. Even the online menu prices are way too high but once in the restaurant they are much higher. The servers knew about it and shrugged it off as "oh they haven't been updated".

Incredible. Great food. Great service! I went with work colleagues and all (including a vegetarian) loved the experience and the food.

Party of 8 came here for a birthday celebration. The staff here is quick! The food was really good and it was pretty busy. It was pretty dim inside. I really liked the lavash bread. They freshly make their bread in the back. We thoroughly enjoyed every plate. Our family has been coming here a lot recently and the taste is the same every time. Pricing is fair for the portion!

This is one of my top Persian restaurants around! I have been eating at Shalizaar since it was at their old location on 25th Ave in San Mateo. I love that they make their own bread in a fire-burning oven in plain sight of the patrons. The warm and soft bread is fantastic with their appetizers like their greens with feta chunks (that are complimentary), Kashk Bademjan (roasted eggplant), and Mast-o-Moosir (thick yogurt with garlic). The Mast-o-Moosir passes my infamous spoon test for thickness. If the spoon can stand on its own, the yogurt is a perfect thickness! I suggest adding it to your rice as well (if there is any left by then) This time, I ordered the Shishlik (rack of lamb) that is cooked to perfection and as tender as a filet mignon. I also added 2 skewers of koobideh (ground beef kabob) that were also great and juicy. I do upgrade my saffron rice to the one with dill and fava beans (baghali polo) for $2. When I invite guests, I usually order the Shishlik for two which includes a rack of lamb, two skewers of koobideh, and a skewer of chicken or hen (whichever you prefer). I recommend you request a piece of bread (lavash) under your meats to soak up all of the juices. Wrapping the meats in that bread as you tear it off makes for an even more flavorful meal! My wife loves to order one of three plates; the chenjeh (filet), their salmon which she touts as amazing in many ways, and their shrimp. Although I'm not a salmon guy, every time my wife orders it, it looks delicious and never overcooked. I also love the option to either substitute the rice entirely for salad (diced salad called shirazi or lettuce leaf salad) or just half rice half salad. I sometimes like to change it up. They added a second area that is huge for events such as weddings, birthdays, and other events with its own kitchen. I've been here for a baptism and it was great to share the experience with my family. The owners are a wonderful couple who are always welcoming. I feel like I am entering their home and they cater to my every need/want. They are super friendly and visit tables to check-in on their customers. They have a beautiful personality and are awesome!

Overpriced for not such a great food! They made their portions so much smaller and the barg tasted like rubber.

This place has gone downhill. As longtime customers of Shalizaar (20 years almost) food and quality of everything has gone down. The service has gone down too; slow service it's lost it touch. I've had almost everything on this menu over the years and the kebab dishes are not good anymore. Koobideh is not ok, chicken kebab is a hard pass. Mastmoosir is watery, the bread basket with cheese n sides is standard I personally think this place is catered to those who really haven't had top tier Persian food (& if you've ate middle eastern food your whole life) I also don't think there are ANY good persian spots in the SF/Peninsula area in general. Also there are not a whole lot of restaurants like this in the area-Persian place with large space and private area for parties and events- that's another part of the reason this place gets business. But the bang for your buck is not here, overpriced food with below mediocre taste. Unless i am forced here, i probably wont be back.

Great food, Great ambience and service. Only complaint is that it gets too noisy else it is an absolutely fantastic place

I been going to this Amazing Place to eat for almost over 15 years now and I can't stop enjoying my food every time . The lamb chops are one of the best I have ever had. Service is 5 star and food is great. I love Persian food and it reminds me of my traditional food which is Tajikistani food.

Don't waste your time or money. Have frequented this restaurant a few times and it has gotten worse and worse, very disappointing. Let's start from the beginning...arriving at the restaurant there was no one at the front desk to greet and seat us, instead the waiters just look stared at us...we literally waited 5 minutes before someone came over the seat us. The other odd thing was that there were 2 people sitting at the main table when you walk in they were building aluminum hand railings for the steps into the restaurant and using power tools to assemble...not what I wanted to hear or see during my dinner...seemed like something that should have been done somewhere else... didn't know the workshop was in the dining area. The food was flavorless and the fish did not taste right to the point that it was not eaten. In regards to cost and value...it's not there, recommend that you spend your money and time elsewhere...very disappointing.

Food portion shrinking, that was disappointing. For inflation, should raise price instead.

Note: This review is based on older events (pre-2020) The food itself is maybe 3 stars but 1 star is for the team/service at the time. I parked in their parking lot while I ate there for dinner, and someone broke into my car, stealing several valuable items. It may not be their fault that it happened, but their willingness to help after was non-existent. They wouldn't pull up security footage or do anything to try to identify what happened or when, and even when the police came they were slightly more receptive but still standoffish and difficult. To this day I can't imagine why they were this way (no one was freaking out or being loud, everything was very respectful, the ask was respectful but they insisted only with a police demand would they share anything). Really crummy of the team and management at the time. Hopefully it's been improved since then.

Shalizaar never disappoints. The food was amazing and the service was good. The tahdig was excellent and so were all the dishes. The only appetizer that is always sub par is the dolma. Sorry but it tasted like it came out of a can. Everything else was delicious. They need to change their online yelp prices because their dishes have nearly doubled in price. All in all, it is excellent and best Persian restaurant in the peninsula!

Shalizaar is quite good, and isn't even too pricey despite nice service and a fancy interior. I got the Koobideh combo which came with beef and chicken koobideh. It's served as typical with a large portion of saffron rice and a tomato. I had no complaints at all about the koobideh which was cooked well and very flavorful. We also got ghormeh sabzi which was juicy and delicious. You also get bread with cheese/herbs which was super tasty. The service was attentive and it wasn't hard to get seats, though we got there early on a weekday.

The restaurant itself looks very nice. Ambience is a bit rustic and for me perfect for such restaurant. The food selection is perfect for meat eaters. They have two fish- seafood entrees and one veggie - not a lot of options for someone who is vegetarian. Maybe it's the cousin but in this area and during the time we live in, a bit more choices for vegetarians seems appropriate. The food however was good - I had the salmon with rice and salad. Not sure if it was wild salmon but it was good. The waiters were nice and hard workers. Not sure why but they seemed very rushed and almost worried that something might go wrong. These at least were the vibes we got . There was an older man sitting on a big table right across the entrance and it seamed as if he was observing everything and everyone in the restaurant. It looked like as if he belonged to the restaurant - maybe the boss or some family member. It was very uncomfortable to have him Just sit there and it made the vibes just feel off. He didn't talk to anyone, had no good or drink - he just sat there and kept an eye on everything, everyone around him. It almost felt like as if he didn't trust anyone in there. Very strange. We will probably not come here again because for this very reason. It almost seemed if they don't tryst their employees nor their guests. There are many places as nice and as good where customers feel more welcome and employees trusted and maybe even respected. Maybe I'm wrong but usually my gut is telling the truth.

This review is for the banquet hall. We had a banquet of 70 people on Nov 2, 2024 for an Anniversary and Retirement party. From start to finish both Naveed and Shawn were extremely easy and pleasant to work with. I could tell they had done this a many, many times and had all the answers. They even had an easel to put the seating chart on. The food was absolutely amazing. We used the normal banquet menu and just added the herbs & nuts & feta (sabzi). The wine was very good and the wine & beer table worked out really well. The hall and the audio/visual equipment was perfect for our 2 group dances and our one couples dance. They even had a microphone we could use. The price point was perfect. We had 3 disabled people, one in a wheel chair, and entrance was easy for them. We used both the parking lot and street parking and no one complained so I assume it was great. We also had about 6 children and it was very kid-friendly. Shalizaar made our celebration the best party I've ever been to. The tables & lighting & mural provided a magical atmosphere. The service was excellent. I VERY highly recommend using Shalizaar's banquet facilities for your celebration.

Both of the owners are rude, they treat people base on ethnicity, food are dry and mediocre please save your time and money.

We were planning to have dinner for father's days here today 6/16/24 but the staff was extremely rude to my brother when he tried to put his name on a waitlist for us. Server let him know that "he had no table for him" and when my brother followed up with a questions regarding a waitlist and writing his name down to be seated in the hour the server estimated it would take for us to be seated the server said "no need I'll remember your face." The interaction seemed bizarre and like low class responses. I'm hoping today was a one off because I found service to be pleasant in past visits, but it should definitely be addressed.

Food = OK Service = OK Boss sitting in front that looks angry = Not OK Ambient = Great $20 Koobideh (Juicy) = Unbelievable

Nestled under the foothills of San Mateo stands Shalizaar, a beautiful and welcoming restaurant that is peaceful, serene, and greets you with a no-frills, down to earth, tasty menu that beckons to your taste buds and delights your senses. Whoever designed this place, mad props to you because it presents an open, relaxing atmosphere that is classy and practical. I loved seeing and smelling the bread made from the fire oven (I know there's a name for it, but it escapes me), I loved being introduced to the bread and sabzi(?) - consisting of cheese, cilantro, mint, and walnuts mix. It was absolutely delicious ( I really enjoy walnuts in general) and what I liked most was how the flavors complemented each other, even without seasoning except for the cheese that binds the taste altogether. Then comes the main dish. I chose the salmon Mahi kebab and hubby got the koobideh kebab. I thoroughly enjoyed the salmon as it was cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and the seasoning was perfect. I tried hubby's koobideh and it was good, although I would probably only get their Mahi kebab in the future. Hubby didn't enjoy the koobideh as much, but we both liked the sabzi. All in all, it was a wonderful experience and we would revisit again in the future.

While Shalizaar has a beautiful indoor ambiance, the food has always been bland to me, especially their stews. The only thing I liked here was the ground beef kebob. The items are pricier than those of other Bay Area Persian restaurants. The service is slow, but the staff members are friendly and responsive.

My guests insisted that we dine at Shalizaar in Belmont because they've not been there for at least 20 years and thought this was a childhood restaurant that is still existing. That means it must be good considering all the competition. So coming in from Santa Clara, we drove over 45 mins plus traffic to dine here, praying it won't disappoint . The ambiance is perfect for family coz it's big. Parking is ample and the decor is traditional to a Persian look. There is this musk smell of being old but I think that's the magic there.... I ordered lamb (medium) it came sort of well done (huh!) my friends had the traditionals. Note, you can always order half rice half salad. I thought the meat wasn't seasoned so well but then again... it is my palate, my opinion. Anyway... my friends thought the prices was reasonable, we weren't rushed coz there were not so many guests, and we had a wonderful time talking and talking and re-living the moments when they lived near by. I thought that added to the Shalizaar experience.

I would give this place a zero star if I could. The staff and owner are extremely rude and food is low quality and overpriced. The chicken kabob was dry, koobideh was so small and salty and khosh ghaimeh tasted like freezer frost. The worst part of the experience was dealing with rude owner and unhelpful staff. They were inattentive and unprofessional. We asked them to move our table due to loud noise and kids running around and they refused to do that even though there were empty tables in the other room. Took them forever to bring the check and had double charged us for one of the appetizers. I would never go back to this place.

We come to this restaurant quite often. It is very strategically located in the bay area, midway from SF to San Jose and it is easy for friends to go there. Plenty of parking and they did offer outdoor sitting during covid. That is not why we go there. We go there because the quality of food I usually order Kobideh which is the ground lamb/beef kabab, and it is amazing. Last night, we felt adventurous and ordered Zereshk Polo and Shirin Polo, which they both were delicious. Our friends ordered Soltani and Ghorme sabzi. I have been told the later was a bit sour. The service is quite random. Sometimes it is marvelous and often not so good, but the food is always always promising bon appetit or nooshe jan

We were dropping off family at SFO and I was really craving Persian food. I found this place and while the reviews weren't great, the pictures of the food looked so good I decided to give it a try. They make their own pita bread in a brick oven so Yeah that's a plus right off the bat. The outside isn't much to look at but the inside was nice and clean. The servers were all very attentive and friendly however our server was not helpful at all when we wanted to make a change to one of our orders. Like we literally just wanted to add a skewer of chicken and the menu has it clearly marked that it can be added as a side. When the bill came he had charged us for another plate then tried to take the longest way possible to explain why he charged it like that. He wouldn't budge and basically said it was our fault for misunderstanding how he explained it. The food was good but it was bland. It didn't have that punch of flavor Persian food normally has. It wasn't the worst experience but it wasn't the best.

Shalizaar is our go-to for kebabs. Most of the time we order take out and everything is ready on time and the order is perfect. The food is always super tasty and the portions are generous. We do occasionally dine-in. Service is always friendly. And it's a treat to watch the guy making the fresh flatbread.

Thrilled to discover a lovely Persian restaurant serving my favorite beef koobideh! Bonus points for being walking distance from my new house. Tah Dig - 3/5 There's crispy rice, and then there's rock hard rice. That said, loved that I was able to sample two different stews for only $11.50! The standard is Gheymeh (beef, chana dal beans, tomato sauce) and Ghormeh Sabzi (beef, kidney beans, herbs, and spinach). Both were tasty, though I preferred the Gheymeh. Next time I want to try the fesanjan! Koobideh - 4.5/5 Very juicy! All kebabs come with your choice of rice, salad, or half and half. I got all rice, but next time I'll do half and half for more variety. Joojeh-bu-ostokhan - 4.5/5 Also very juicy and tasty! Prices are very reasonable, and service was quick. Overall, a pleasant and tasty meal. Will definitely be regulars here!