Al Awael Restaurant مطعم الاوائل — Restaurant in El Cajon

Come for the delicious food, stay for the warm hospitality. We were welcome in and treated to a complimentary chilled yellow lentil soup. I had the Iraqi beef with biryani rice, my husband had tashreeb laham, a lamb dish, and my cousin had a falafel wrap.

In the middle of eating, I realized no one had said anything for some time because we were all too busy stuffing our faces. You know the food is fantastic when you’re too busy shoveling food in your mouth to pause to ask your tablemates, ‘How’s your food?’ The portions were so generous that there was a second dinner’s worth of food in leftovers for each of us. After dinner, we were treated to complimentary cardamom tea, dates, and even Turkish candy.

I’m trying to figure out how to convey this without getting sappy. If you’re someone who hates emotion, work on that, but also, skip the next bit.

You can tell that everyone there genuinely wants you to have a great meal and an even better experience. Without being overbearing, different people checked in on us throughout, including the owners. You can tell their hearts are in this; a place where everyone pitches in to help where it’s needed, be that in the kitchen, in the dining area, at the till. And yet they still make the time to walk around the restaurant, greeting and talking to the patrons. A welcoming appetizer, a filling meal, a complimentary tea and treats, and the warmth from every one I met in the restaurant came together to foster a sense of community that is increasingly rarer to find. I look forward...

I had high hopes for Al-Awael restaurant, especially since it reminded me of the original location back home in Iraq, right next to my high school. I even drove all the way from Los Angeles just to try it..but sadly, it turned out to be a very disappointing experience.

I ordered the family platter one , which is advertised as serving 4/5 people for $75.99, but the portions were extremely small barely enough for two. It came with just one small bowl of rice as a side. We asked the waiter to replace the chicken shawarma and chicken kebab with beef skewers. Not only did they forget to make the change at first, but they also charged me an extra $37 for 2 skewers!!

I didn’t notice the extra charge right away because I was busy with my kid, but later I checked the receipt in my pocket and saw it. On top of that, we waited 45 minutes for the food to come out, and when it finally did, it was cold.

We barely ate any of it the food just wasn’t good and we didn’t even bother asking for a to-go box. Between the small portions, long wait, cold food, and unexpected charges, it was a frustrating and overpriced experience. I won’t...

A Taste of Home in San Diego!

I can’t express how happy I am to have this authentic Iraqi gem right here in San Diego. From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere, the aroma, and the warm hospitality instantly took me back to the original branches of Al Awael in Amman and Baghdad.

Basil, the owner of the restaurant was very professional, which is expected as he has years of experience that he brought in from back home.

The food is exactly how it should be — rich, flavorful, and made with care. The Iraqi kebabs were perfectly grilled, the Iraqi bread was fresh and warm, and the Quzi tasted like it came straight from a family kitchen.

It’s rare to find a place that holds so true to its roots, and this restaurant does it flawlessly. Every bite reminded me of home. If you’re craving real Iraqi cuisine with genuine flavor and heart, this is the place....