Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant — Restaurant in San Diego

A Hidden Gem of Heart, Flavor, and Accessibility – My Unforgettable Experience at Aladdin Restaurant

Today I had one of the most exceptional, heartwarming, and deeply nourishing experiences at Aladdin. This isn't just a place to eat — it's a place to be seen, understood, and genuinely cared for. From the moment I arrived, every accommodation I could’ve needed was thoughtfully and seamlessly provided.

As someone with significant accessibility needs, I often brace for discomfort when dining out. But at Aladdin, I was not only accommodated — I was embraced with care, dignity, and respect.

The staff and the owner, Hamdi, went above and beyond to make my visit comfortable. They placed my table in a more accessible area — safe, yet still beautiful — nestled like a secret garden, surrounded by greenery and sweet floral aromas. The setting was calming, refreshing, and added a peaceful, sensory richness to every bite of the meal.

What truly sets Aladdin apart — beyond the phenomenal food — is the humanity behind every plate. Hamdi is a rare soul: deeply kind, compassionate, and passionate about bringing people joy through food. He and the attentive Mike spent time with me, combing through every ingredient and thoughtfully crafting a menu I could enjoy safely, without making me feel limited or left out.

Now, let’s talk about the food.

I started with tabbouleh, a refreshing salad that was everything I hoped for and more. Finely chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers were brought to life by fresh lemon juice, rich olive oil, and just the right seasoning. Every bite was bright, crisp, herbaceous, and invigorating.

Then came the vegetarian stuffed grape leaves — moist, deeply flavorful, and tomato-forward. The filling of tender rice, herbs, and spices was wrapped in soft grape leaves, perfectly infused with savory tomato broth. A gentle warmth of spice added depth and comfort. These weren’t just satisfying — they were transporting.

And then... the gluten-free veggie za’atar pizza. Yes, gluten-free — and truly spectacular. The crust was warm and airy, pillowy inside with a satisfying crisp outside. It held up beautifully under a generous pile of mushrooms, onions, green and yellow zucchini, all topped with a thick layer of flavorful za’atar. Each bite was a balance of earthy, savory, and fresh — a mini flavor adventure.

Throughout the meal, Mike checked in with genuine care. His attention to detail, creativity, and compassion made me feel both safe and celebrated. It’s rare to find such attentiveness for those of us with dietary restrictions or disabilities.

But the soul of Aladdin is Hamdi. If you’re lucky enough to visit when he’s there, you’ll feel it — his presence, his love for people, his generosity, and his mission to make this world better through food and hospitality. Every corner of the restaurant is infused with his spirit and purpose.

Aladdin is a rare and beautiful blend of accessibility, kindness, and culinary excellence. Whether you’re someone with specific needs, a lover of vibrant Mediterranean food, or just someone seeking a restaurant that radiates heart and intention — go. You won’t regret it.

This food isn’t just made with ingredients — it’s made with love, intention, and care.

Don’t just take my word for it. Go experience it. You’ll leave not just full — but...

It actually took a lot of contemplating before writing this review, but I felt compelled to do so based on how rude/obnoxious some of the staff here are. Let me start off by saying the food is decent (although a bit overpriced, but we can easily afford it, so no complaints from my end). I am not sure if it's a management issue or what exactly, but last time we went, our waitress was on edge (to say the least) and mentioned she/other staffers were trying to calm down this clearly teary-eyes waitress, who apparently was on the receiving end of ill treatment from management, and she mentioned they were 'tough' on the staff. Then, next visit, on a casual day, I see two waitresses rolling their eyes at their customers, with our waitress appearing so distracted/lost that not only did it lead to terrible service (we still tipped well, by the way), but also appeared to complain about how much "pressure" she was under. This is concerning to say the least because I am not sure I care to support anymore a business with such 'unhappy' employees, who in turn appear to take it our casually on their customers. It appears to me that management might have this idea that they're a "five-star experience/establishment," although decor, location and everything about this place is nothing but casual, definitely not a 'special night out' kind of place. When my significant other and I are out about town, we expect less 'drama' from the place where we eat/dine at, as the whole idea is to actually enjoy our time out together. My experience has been far more rudeness/entitlement than this place, frankly, deserves. They don't really appear to 'care' as much (since business is clearly booming, so customer service is taking a back-seat) about the customer experience, and we see passive favoritism for larger parties/tables as opposed to, say, smaller parties (it is quite normal to not get a server immediately at your table OR to have yours server ghost you for a bit in favor of catering to larger tables/parties). My conclusive recommendation is this: if you are going in a smaller party of 4 or less, especially if you are looking for a romantic outing with a spouse or on a date, this is DEFINITELY the wrong place to go (for one thing, the venue is pretty mediocre and uninspiring). I would only recommend trying them out (if you must) during low-traffic hours/days as you might get lucky enough to meet a server who doesn't hate being there, and projects it on you (the customer), but definitely avoid them like the plague during high-traffic hours/on busy...

We reserved a table for six people a few days in advance for a birthday celebration. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, only three of us could make it. From the beginning, our server seemed unhappy and expressed dissatisfaction with the situation. We were told that she could move us to another table, but I didn't understand the issue, as there were plenty of empty tables in the restaurant.

We ordered Meza Platter, Humus, Soup and the Mixed Grill, requesting it medium rare, but were informed that "the restaurant had implemented a new rule and now only serves well-done meat." Interestingly, when we dined at the same restaurant two weeks later, another server had no problem serving us medium-rare mixed grill. We've dined here many times before, but this experience stood out because of the unprofessional attitude we encountered.

Throughout the evening, our server seemed displeased, rolled her eyes—when taking our order, delivering the food, and bringing the check. After the main meal we ordered Kunafa to share. It was served with 3 little spoons. At the end, we decided to order coffee and pistachio Halva Ice Cream. When we asked for 2 extra spoons for the Ice Cream, funny enough...the server responded, stating that she had already brought them with the Kunafa. No problem, we could reuse the spoons, except that the table was cleared, before the Ice Cream was served, including these 3 little spoons.

What was particularly unprofessional was that our server was complaining to her coworker in Spanish right next to us, that the table was reserved for six but only three people showed up. Interestingly enough, many people who don’t appear to speak Spanish actually do. I sincerely hope that this server was just having a bad day and can reflect on this behavior. The food was good, the attitude was not good. Please work somewhere else and don't work as a server, if you don't like people. Please don't complain and bring customers utensils if they need utensils.

The bill for the evening came to over $200 for three, and we were charged a large-party gratuity, which I understand given that we booked the table for six. However, I still don’t understand the attitude we were met with.

I hope this review serves as constructive feedback and helps improve future...