Alforon Mediterranean / Lebanese Cuisine — Restaurant in San Diego

MEDITERRANEAN MAGIC ! My wife and I have enjoyed exquisite meals here many times over the years. Sadly because of the covid situation we haven't been near here in over 12 months...until yesterday. We decided to head down to San Diego on Saturday to do some grocery shopping and a bit of residential research around North Park for future reference. Somehow we ended up driving a fair way along El Cajon Blvd and before we knew it...Alforon was in front of us. The restaurant looked closed but we parked our wheels on the parking lot and I walked over to the front door to see what was happening. To my surprise Samia the hostess / co-owner appeared inside the entrance and greeted me....we will be open in 5 minutes at noon ! Ha ha....after our long drive we were both busting to hit a bathroom but we hung around until Samia eventually opened the front door at 12.05pm. Of course we both hit the bathroom and then settled at a table in the center of the restaurant. Samia was very occupied getting the restaurant open ...moving tables, chairs, signs etc outside. Eventually we were handed some menus and Samia continued her opening process. A few diners rolled up...some to dine in and some looking to place or pick up lunch orders. A steady stream of diners ( all wearing facial masks or facial attire ) continued to enter the restaurant while we perused the lunch menu. I managed to get Samia's attention and we placed our lunch order...1 x Fresh Lemonade, 1 x Soujouk ( Specially spiced blend of Armenian spices with ground beef, tomato, onion & fresh white cheese ), 1 x Fawaz ( A blend of white cheeses in a closed oven baked flatbread ) and 1 x Aaysh Essaraya "LOVE DESSERT". My wife was quite happy with a glass of water to drink. At some point we saw George the co-owner / head chef whiz into the dining room...he gave us a friendly hi and kept moving. Things get busy around here real fast and we understand because the cuisine is unique & outstanding. So much so that Guy Fieri of the famous Diners, Drive-ins & Dives featured Alforon on his popular Food Network TV program. HOW'S THAT ! My Fresh Lemonade came out pretty fast courtesy of Samia who was moving around with the speed of an AFL running back. And my huge glass of expertly made Fresh Lemonade tasted superb. Within a short time Samia brought our Soujouk order out to us. Just as we remembered the spicy ground beef topping was bursting with flavor and of course the amazing delicate flatbread underneath ( baked in a clay oven ) was simply incredible. It is beyond wonderful that we can enjoy these superb authentic Middle Eastern dishes in California. The amazingly delicious Soujouk disappeared very quickly. And voila.....our Fawaz arrived just in time ! This was a new dish for us and OMG was it wonderful to the last bite ! My wife wanted some hand made Lebanese Coffee to pair with our Aaysh Essaraya "LOVE DESSERT" but these guys were just too slammed to make it happen. Our very delicate Aaysh Essaraya dessert tasted incredible ....such a unique treat ! George and Samia said goodbye to us. We were so happy to be here again !

CHECK OUT - My video of George the co-owner / head chef slicing our incredible Phoenician Pie at...

I had this place on my list for over a year and so happy we finally got to go! Really lovely family kind of vibe at this place. The server and chef basically treated my husband and I like their own children. A little strict but also giving us what we wanted, haha. super fun people and I was a little confused at some points whether or not she was actually being strict but I think it was all fun and games, haha. We both get intimidated at a few times not going to lie, haha.

We usually look at the menu ahead of time and plan what to order but then after getting here we asked for recommendations and extremely extremely extremely grateful for all the suggestions our host / server gave us because it was way better than that we would have ordered! It was really nice how she told us they were about guest experience and not about making money because she even mentioned she was saving us money by helping us with this order.

Tabouli - I asked if they could use less oil in this and even though I got a little bit of a stone look I think they actually delivered on that respect. such a beautiful and flavorful Tabouli - so fresh and refreshing! A lot of greens the perfect amount of lemon and not at all oily or greasy. There was also just very very little bulgar which was nice cuz it was like a proper salad and not something you would get at a supermarket.

Za'atar Supreme Bajeen (Za'atar + Labni) We knew we wanted to try the labneh and some form or the other and really happy that it worked out on this Bajeen. We had been considering ordering the chicken one but this one was definitely much better!husband and I both love bread and this was like the perfect fresh baked bread that was warm and perfectly thin and crispy and flavorful as well. The tomatoes and love me on top added a nice touch, but I loved it even just plain!

Majbous (flavorful rice + roasted chicken breast) Husband and I had planned on ordering the chicken kabobs but after we mentioned we wanted chicken she suggested this and man we are so so grateful for that! Such soft and perfectly cooked flavorful chicken!I don't know how they cook that chicken but it was really so so soft and perfect the rice on the bottom was extremely flavorful as well but all the spices that was infused with.there was also some combination of lentils and raisins on the side which went really well with the chicken and rice. 100% recommend this dish! Really big portion size on this dish as well and totally value for money! It's big enough to split among two people.

Aaysh Essaraya - This place is really known for this dessert and I can totally see why. Perfect balance of flavor and texture with the soft creamy pudding and the crispy crunchy pistachios with the rose syrup soaked cake. Husband loved it so much he actually ordered a second one for himself after we split...

Alforon is a Lebanese restaurant that specializes in oven-baked flat breads. Other traditional "middle eastern" menu items are served as well.

On my visit, my waitresses were competent and friendly. The entire place gives off a strong "family-owned and operated" vibe. Everyone is very pleasant. Located in a strip mall on El Cajon Boulevard, I wasn't expecting a great atmosphere, ambiance, or fine dining experience, nor should you. Alforon's space works well enough for what it is.

The following food was sampled during my first Alforon experience:

Chicken Tawook - the Chicken Tawook flat bread is excellent, especially for the price (less than $7). It is about the size of a small pizza, and features ground/minced chicken and garlic paste. The bread was a puffy, warm, tribute to gluten-y greatness; the chicken was savory and buttery; the garlic paste added both texture and flavor. I had this with the jalapenos and peppers, but would order either with or without in the future depending on my particular mood.

Zaatar - flat bread with strong thyme and sesame flavors. I had it with cheese, but could have gone without -- the cheese made it just a little bit too salty. Still, this was my favorite of items I tasted at Alforon. As good as the Chicken Tawook is, I'm making the Zaatar my priority the next time I come.

Foul Moudammas - "dip" with whole fava beans, garlic, lemon, mint, and olive oil. There's also a hint of bitterness to this that provides its character. Don't make the mistake of idiotically trying to eat this like a soup (like I initially did) -- it is meant to be consumed with the complimentary bread provided (which, for me, did not come out to the table until several minutes after the Foul Moudammas).

Baba Ghannouj - for a place that has superior middle eastern cuisine, I was surprised that the Baba Ghannouj was not "special." This was fairly standard issue as Baba Ghannouj goes, which is another way to say delightful, but not transcendent. Served with pickled carrots and beets.

Grape Leaves - vegetarian grape leaves stuffed with rice. Surprisingly filling and potent. Predominant flavors are mint and lemon. Doesn't get much better than this.

If you're planning a meal at Alforon, I'd recommend non-peak meal times, as the restaurant is relatively small (lots of folks standing around and waiting for tables when I went around dinner time on a Sunday), and they do not appear to accept...