Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine Reviews

For my first visit, I went during the week for the lunch buffet. I wanted a fair sampling of food and the buffet did not disappoint. If you are not familiar with this type of food you cannot go wrong with the buffet because it offered a good selection of main dishes and sides. It was a little on the pricey side, but given the options I think it is worth it. You also cannot skip the dessert buffet. I'm pretty sure I sampled everything there. I would definitely go back, but not as a standard lunch option only because of the price. Definitely for a special occasion; going away party, birthday, etc.

Good choices on buffet. From khoreshts to kebabs. Some nice appetizer items like hummus and mast-khiar. bread was a bit stale tho. overall good price and relaxed environment.

I hate leaving negative reviews both here at home and also when I'm traveling but this is one of those times where I feel compelled to leave an objective and honest review. My friend and I were craving some Persian food so he suggested this place. He ate at the place next door which he understood was owned by the same owner. We met up on Friday for our weekly lunch. I was earlier so I got a table and asked to see a menu. The waiter really tried pushing the buffet on me but I wasn't interested in it. He did give me a menu and confirmed you can order from the menu as well. I ordered an ice tea and it never came out. I literally asked maybe 4 times even after my friend came and they never brought it out for about 20 minutes. When my friend got there he ordered a drink and also his never came out. Mine came out when his came out and it was well into the lunch. There were several waiters but none seemed to care since most people were eating the buffet lunch. I didn't read the other post on here about slow horrible service but it was spot on target. The worst thing is when we did get the food it was nothing special. Very mediocre and I'd never come here again based on my experience. The restaurant actually is nice on the inside but the service was just really bad and the food wasn't good enough to make up for that poor service. The only thing that was good was the Pita bread but it took a while to get it. At least there was plenty of parking.

Went in for a lunch buffet, which was incredible, and came back on the same day for dinner. Loved it. Great food, great service. I will go back.

The buffet at this restaurant is truly unique and a wonderful experience. The food delicious and the dessert is out of this world.

We were treated to an outstanding Sunday Brunch at Sufi that was out of this world? The great food was complimented by the Flamenco Jazz Quartet that played during the entire time we were there - no breaks. They too were very good. I didn't know what 40% of the vast choices of food were but tried a little of everything. Nothing disappointed me. The dessert bar was an added treat. Make sure you go there hungry.

We chose this restaurant to try a new cuisine. Our dishes were more than plentiful. The atmosphere and service were excellent. Our waiter made superior recommendations and options. Our eggplant appetizer and mix of breads was a perfect beginning. The boneless chicken shish kabob was succulent and beautifully seasoned. I added a raisin and date mix to my rice, fantastic if you love dates. My husband had trout with an herbed rice. Ask for their special hot sauce, wow! No room for desserts.

Persian food is simple and delicious. Sufi has a great buffet I believe Monday thru Saturday. Lunch buffet is $14 all you can eat. If you want to try Persian food and the variety of dishes stop by!

Came for brunch and it was crazy crowded. Live music and friendly staff. If your party is large do yourself a favor and make reservations. Huge variety of food and lots of it and not enough tummy for it all. This is a must do and very enjoyable. Can't go wrong and won't go home hungry.

This place is so nice and clean It gives you the feeling that you are invited in a wedding in a palace I liked the variety of food there and it was delicious and the dessert were yummy Definitely recommend it

This was our first time to this restaurant. Once we entered the restaurant we felt a very disgusting smell. We decided to try the buffet. I have been to many Persian restaurants and I am telling you compared to the great ones, the quality of food in this restaurant was low-moderate. Very nice staff though. I don't think think that I go back to this restaurant again.

I arrived around 7:0 pm with a couple people having food in there. This is a buffet place with all sorts of Persian foods. Unfortunately, the food was darn cold and tasteless. I understand the time may was not their pick time but still when a restaurant is open one would expect a quality service and warm food. I have dinned in the restaurant couple times and sometime some guests there, but this time I was happy that I did not bring any one with me as the food and atmosphere was disappointing. I am not sure if I try the restaurant once again.

I’ve been to Sufi about 10 times, all during the lunch buffet. I can’t say enough good things about their food preparation and friendly staff. Literally everything I’ve tasted here is amazing. Everything! You will not be disappointed if you love Persian cuisine.

We went for the Sunday brunch. OMG! What an amazing buffet! Go early as there are lots of people who know about this place. The food is absolutely excellent and there is a huge selection. They even have a stage! And a band! WOW!

Nice family style environment & pretty restaurant. Food was great, service was awesome & music was a plus. Definitely a good place for family gatherings.

After reading several reviews stopped in for a quick lunch. Fairly ordinary, a small salad bar with mostly canned or frozen choices (corn, green peas and tiny corn). Two hot soups, again average. One fish selection, chicken wings, rice and a several dessert selections. Fifteen dollars for a lunch buffet that should have been around $7.

Recommended by a local Persian who said it was the best Persian restaurant in San Diego. Came early on a midweek night, chose the buffet. It was a bit quiet, not empty, but just a very big place. Fresh food, all mid-eastern cuisine, lots of choice. Nothing particularly spicy. Next time I will pick a night with entertainment. Tea and soft drinks included so if you avoid the booze the bill is a very pleasant surprise. I'd particularly recommend this place for groups. It's right next to a mid-eastern type supermarket/fast food, presumably co-owned, good to browse after dinner.

The restaurant is newly remodeled and is spacious and lovely. Service was impeccable and the chicken barg was the best I've had and I've had them all!! Prices are fair- falling at the midpoint between the most expensive downtown place and the more modest ones in Mira Mesa. All in all, it's the finest example of this wonderful cuisine in town. Highly recommended.

Every now and then you come across a diamond in the rough. This restaurant is exactly this . We were told to go there by a local merchant in San diego on his strong advice . When we entered the restaurant on Friday night we saw a band setting up on a stage which usually means entertainment but not good food . Boy were we wrong . The food is great from the first course to the desert , everything was supper . The wine list was small but complete . But the best of all was the price . I was blown away with how cheap everything was for the quality we had and I would have gladly paid twice the price , it was that good . The bill for 4 with bottle of good wine came to $158.00 a real bargain. Oh and the band was just as good ,to make a complete night of fun . If you are in san diego you MUST try this place especially on Friday. Restorations required 858-278-3077

We came on a Monday and had their dinner buffet. It was ok. The dining room was a little too dark for me. I didn't think there were a lot of selections. I was hoping for some lamb but didn't see it or I missed it. We are not from this area, so I can not compare to other mediterranean cuisines in the San Diego area. To me, the food was just ok. Nothing stood out for me.

An Experience I'm so happy our Uber driver recommended Ironside - and that someone cancelled their reservation right before I called on a busy Saturday. The building alone, a spacious and quirky renovated warehouse, is worth a visit. But, of course, the food is what it's all about. Server was amazing

The food in this restaurant was above compare the service was also wonderful and very attentive. we partook of the wonderful buffet but it felt like we were being served the whole time wonderful people wonderful food you won't regret it

Im Persian so I am going to be tough on this review and say I was expecting it to be much tastier. The atmosphere is beautiful. Very nice music and Arabic dancing on saturday nights. Slightly crowded, but the space is huge so its not a big deal. The service was good too. Plenty of parking. What I also loved was the grocery store next door which has the same owner I heard. The food however...I have had better Persian food other places. It was good but not great. I had I think Kashk bademjoon for appetizer, along with Mirza Ghasemi which was good. Salad Shirazi, Shallot Yogurt. All tasted good. I also had Aash. I think the Aash could be more flavorful. For dinner I had chelo kabob. The Kabob was good, although I would say required more acidity. I asked for lemons and never got them. The rice ok, a bit too smoky for my flavor. Overall, food is good, but could have been more flavorful.

It took almost 2 hrs to get through a simple lunch with just one waiter and one busboy for a very large dining room which was crowdd, perhaps because of the buffet lunch. When asked what was taking so long for the wine to be served, we were told they could not find the cork puller. The food was just passsable. I will not go back.

Had a family party. Staff was attentive and friendly. Food was tasty. Live music was great. Belly dancer was so much fun. She was the best part. She had everyone dancing old and young.

I have to hand it to the cooks at this restaurant. we were part of a very large group of people. They offered us a buffet. EVERYTHING was over the top !!! Fabulous Food, People, Atmosphere. The Humus was incredible. I ate desserts I never saw before. So flavorful and pleasant to the eyes. I cant wait to go back. I can definitely say this is my favorite place to go eat.

This is like a huge cafeteria seating area where thier are rows and rows of tables. Along with that are rows of tables full of amazing dishes. Problem is your tummy is probably not as big as you wish to try all the different tastes and amazing dishes. This is a great place for the entire family. A must try.

I will not even give them a star if i could . they used to be good but i think they have changed the Chef and the food is bad right now . the service is horrible as well . we went today in a group of 16 people . we ordered the Combo plate number 3 and 4 for me and my two friends my 9 years old and her friend ordered the Lamp Chop plate they asked for it to be cooked well done . the food came late and red for the girls . we told the waiters and her reaction was like oh well . then our food came and the beef tasted to bad like the meat has gone bad . we told the waiters the meat is bad and she said what do u mean its bad we told her it taste like the meat has gone bad and she said this is how beef tastes . we told her no it does not taste this way so she said okay i will send the manger . so here comes the ugly man ( the mangers ) he asked the same things and said okay give me all the meat and i will get u something else . after one hour the food came out . we were waiting and we filled our selves with rice and bread . then i told the manger that my 9 years is a good singer and he said or she could sing for us after the program is done then . so the program is done and it was only us who is left and another 4 tables . my 9 years old went on stage and the DJ announced that there is a surprise cuz he knows her from before and he knows what a good singer she is . as soon he did that and my child is holding the mic on stage and the DJ putting the music . i see this ugly man the manger who remind me of the evil man in the Simpson . looked at me in a very scary way then looked at my child in a very crazy scary look . then went like a crazy person to the DJ yelled at him and made the DJ take the mic from my child . who started crying right away . and told the DJ to cut the whole music and to leave . we were all in shock as this happened i felt so bad for my child , the DJ and felt so mad at this ugly man . the look in his face was filled with hate . the other 4 tables were shocked and they said he is a jerk and we will not come back to this place anymore if this is how they treat kids . we walked out as well and we will never come back to this restaurant . the big different between this ugly man manger and the manger before him is like day and night . the manger before him he used to let her sing and dance as much as she wants . one night he kept the place open 1 hour extra while they are cleaning so she can sing more and more . when ever we go there he would come to our table and ask her to sing . this place has lost so many costumers cuz of this ugly man . i was talking to one lady from our group and she said that every time she comes costumers walk out upset and swears the place off their lists . i wish for the sake of the owner he reads this review and he do something about this ugly man , and the Chef as well . good luck to everyone who is going to be the next victim to this ugly man . we are done with this place for good and for sure will be sharing our experience with everyone we know .

My family of 4 went here for the first time to meet up with some friends that are regulars at the restaurant. They suggested we do the buffet for dinner, that way we could sample different foods. Great idea, we all really enjoyed the food and desserts and will definitely be back. The staff was very friendly, the restaurant was very clean and the prices were very reasonable. Highly recommend.

Came here for dinner, there was no buffet (sigh), but the food was incredible. I got the shish kabob & lamb chop dinner, OMG, never had chicken that tender and the lamb chop, so yummy. You get very big portions so be ready for carry out. Great service. My first persian restaurant experience & it was good.

The Sufi restaurant and the cafe at the Balboa market next door serve some of the very best Persian food in San Diego. In particular the luncheon buffet every day for $15.00 is a great bargain for what they serve. The food is always freshly prepared, with bread baked in their ovens daily, hummus made on site, and all other foods prepared and presented tastefully. Wish I could eat more when I go there. The Sunday brunch is $22.50 and has the same as the weekly luncheon buffet plus a chef cooking omelets to order with whatever most would want in an omelet.

We visit Sufi Mediterranean on Christmas as most of the restaurants were closed. We were pleasantly surprised, they had a delicious mediterranean buffet with some delicious food. Definately a place to visit when in san diego

Can't believe this isn't rated higher. Didn't come up on my TripAdvisor search but should have. Under $20 entrees that are excellent and a wine list that is short but good and very reasonable. They have a buffet that we ignored, not our thing. Do be aware that the servings are large, enough rice on one plate for many. Can't go wrong here, give i a try.

I often go there for lunch buffet, with colleagues, friends and family. The $15.95 weekday buffet includes a huge selection plus soft-drinks and coffee/tea with refill. Can't beat that price if you are hungry. The staff is very attentive. The Sunday buffet is more extensive and higher priced. You also get champagne. I would have preferred the same choices/price as Monday-Saturday. The weekend dinners are accompanied by belly dancer and music for dancing. The dinner servings are very generous, but more pricey than the lunch buffet.

Chicken tandoori, I was so excited! But honestly, how can chicken and rice be cooked wrong? It really can't. My meal was brought out in a timely manner, the waitstaff and seating staff were friendly and courteous. But I came here for the food. It didn't leave me feeling like it was the best Mediterranean food I have ever had, not close. For CA, it's a huge place. They even have a stage. But I came here for the food...and the food I had was very average. Didn't leave me wanting to return.

It's a good place for family gathering , good price and good atmosphere . Food is good but for me ,as as an Iranian , it's taste is not highly recommend . Sometimes I feel that some food is not cooked daily , specially in buffet . I am vegetarian but my family members like its kebabs , dizzy and kale pache.

Now that the casual eatery that used to be inside the Balboa International Market has moved into a spot in between the market and the fancier Sufi Restaurant, it's a much more inviting and larger space. You order at the counter and the bring the food to your table. I love the dish called FESENJAN!! Their fesenjan is delicious - not too sweet. As an aside, my friend ordered the soup. It's a large bowl, not a cup if that is of interest to you.

We went there for lunchbuffet. Good, tasty food. My favourite was the spicy chicken. Serveral options of meat and chicken. Also a few vegetarian options. The kebab could have been better cooked and the desserts did not impress me. The setting with white tablecloths made the place look good!

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Great food and drinks. The entertainment is the BEST! Incredible value. Nice people. If you're open to new things - check this place out.

We had a very pleasant dinner experience here. The service was excellent and the food was very good. We had baba ghanoush (sp?) for an appetizer. It was quite garlicky but very good and the bread was good, too. One of my favorite Persian dishes is Adas Polo which is what I ordered. I was able to ask for dark meat chicken instead of the white meat which is usually served with Adas Polo. They serve it in the broth so the chicken wasn't dry and then there is broth to put over the rice which can be dry. The polo (jasmine rice with lentils, dates and raisins) was a little too sweet for my liking but okay. I didn't expect the prices to be so reasonable so that was a nice surprise. (It's definitely a white tablecloth restaurant so I thought the prices would be higher.) There is no music during the week so that suited us perfectly. Friday and Saturday nights gets REALLY loud due to the high volume music which Persians like so much. I would go back to try my other favorite Persian dish which is fesanjan (sp?).

I have been to this restaurant several times now and each time I go, it is a new adventure. The food is great, I try to eat something different on the menu each time. When there is a show, the only drawbacks are that you really have to get there extra early or you will be stuck in the back and the menu is limited these nights. The teas are very fragrant and there are always orchids with the food. I usually place one in my hair to remind me of the good time. The show is very enjoyable and the music is usually quirky and interesting.

We had a dinner date with friends who heard the food was great here. We drove into a strip mall parking lot and were greeted by a huge neon colored sign which read: SUFI MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE. We were a bit taken aback but ventures in. The room was dark and cavernous, with many Ling tables set for large parties. There was a buffet set up on one side and a stage at the other. We were shown to our table and the hostess explained that we could have the buffet for $15.99 or order from the menu, which essentially had all the same choices. We are not really buffet for dinner lovers, but it made no financial sense to order from the menu. So we grabbed plates and began with the appetizer/salad bar course. There were the usual salad bar fixings plus hummus, babaganoush, pickles, tzaziki, and Mediterranean salad. All delicious! There were two soups, pomegranate or barley. We all had the barley. delicious! There were multiple entrees (beef kabob, chicken kabob, other chicken dishes, vegetable dishes. And dessert. Everything was delicious! So while the place did not look inviting, the food made it all worthwhile. We will be back. Perhaps on a Friday or Saturday when there is belly dancing.

I have Visited Sufi with our friends and family before we decided to be there for our family event. I can say nothing but wawo to the amazing experience. We had an exceptional experience. Javid is one of the kindest, most welcoming, and extremely professional owner I have ever got a pleasure to work with. starting from the arrangements of the place, to delicious appetizers, leading to the main course, to all the way desserts and fruits. Javid and his team did an exceptionally well job in making our event a memorable one. Both servers that were assigned to us were the most amazing DUO you could have ever asked for. Javid thank you so much for all your hospitality and to SUFI's amazing team work. I am not doing any of our future events anywhere else but here.THIS PLACE IS AWESOME.

We went based on recommendation from a co-worker in the area for lunch. Food came late and cold for all 5 people. Did not taste right- and when we questioned if we could get the food reheated there was surprise look on the waiter and she sent a manager over who was equally as rude. They all acted as though we were crazy to complain. All of my group felt the reaction was very rude and inappropriate. Then when the food came back it was all messed up and the workers and the manager were staring at us while we ate. It did not tatse right still. Then the bill came and we had originally asked seperate checks. The manager came and without apology grabbed the bill from my hand and looked frustrated. When the split checks came back 2 were incorrect and had wine charges which we had not even ordered. Talk about a disaster. They took the bills back and finally got it fixed... but we were surprised that they had tacked on a 20% service charge as tips for all our checks. usually it should be no mre than 12%-15%.. so I don't know how the place thinks they deserve a start plus all this tips? for what? Never again if I'm back in San Diego! Good luck !

We came here for dinner one evening before a meeting we were attending down the street. We each ordered the buffet, as they seem so to encourage that, so a to limit table service, I suspect. They advertise live music, but we were there too early to observe it. The food itself is all right as far as Middle Eastern Cuisine goes, though a bit plain for my taste. I've had much more flavourful food in other Mediterranean restaurants.

There was nothing wrong with any of the foods on the buffet. They just weren't very good....except for the hummus, baba ganoush, and maast o'khiar (mint yogurt sauce). The bread was in a basket on a high counter with no sign to tell you what was in it. The potato stick topping was two entrees over from the giemeh (beef and split pea stew) it was supposed to garnish.....and again, no sign to explain what it was for. There were two identical bowls of hot sauce on the buffet....wait for it....with no sign(s) to explain what they were. Two of the entree chafing dishes were empty for a VERY long time. The dessert table was supposed to have two rice puddings, two pastries, and fresh fruit. The pastries were finally carried in from a nearby bakery......after I asked about the empty trays. We had to ask for refills on our drinks because nobody ever came by to check. This restaurant has been open for six years, so perhaps our experience was not typical.....but I cannot recommend this $15.95 buffet. I had REALLY been looking forward to our visit, and was so disappointed. We were there about 1:00 p.m. -- smack dab in the middle of lunch time.

We attended the Mansour Concert on Saturday Decemeber 7th. It was a packed event. The concert was great however, the food quality and portions lacked due to the number of people in the restaurant. Also. It was as if you ordered a half order. Overall we had fun however, it would of been a lot more amazing if the food amazing too. Especially considering the tickets were starting at $75 per person.