Mimoza Mediterranean Restaurant — Restaurant in San Diego

I'm always excited when I see calamari on any menu, but I always end up disappointed. This time was no different. The batter was crispy, but it fell off the squid every time I would pick it up with my fingers or a fork. The squid inside also felt a little soggy/soft. The dolma(grape leaves) were okay. They're never my favorite but for some reason, I always want to eat them when I see it. The shrimp penne pasta was decent as well. I was disappointed when I saw that the shrimp was super tiny (like the small or extra small shrimp at the frozen section). The portion also felt like it was smaller than other restaurants I've been to with the same price range. For $29, I kind of expected a little bit more from the dish. The redeeming trait of this pasta was probably that it had a lot of shrimp in it compared to other places I go to. I'm from out of state, so I'm not sure if it's a san diego thing, but our soda/drinks were never refilled. All the restaurants I go to where I'm from, they're always refilled unless it's a specialty drink, but I hardly consider soda special.

The waitress kept forgetting a few things like how we wanted water, who ordered what dish (we were only 3 people), and refilling the water. We had asked for water along with our drink orders, and she forgot to bring it until we reminded her about it. The waitress rarely came to our table except to give us our food. I did say that I was the one who ordered shrimp, but she placed the shrimp dish in front of my friend instead. I think she came once shortly after giving us our food to ask how it was but never again, which left us without water for about 30% of our time there.

I was writing this review after I finished my food in the restaurant, but I guess maybe someone saw me writing the review with less than 5 star rating because someone had come up to us to ask how the food was and how was everything. I didn't get any say in since my friend was super happy about his fries and he never drinks water so he said everything was good.

The restaurant looks really nice inside. It gives a cozy feel with the fairy lights. The mural on the wall is very nice as well.

One thing that I'm really appreciative of is that we came pretty late (around 9:35pm) to eat (the sign said they closed at 10:30) and they...

Mimoza is a relatively new restaurant in the Gaslamp serving Mediterranean cuisine. I had been wanting to come here since I heard about their opening earlier this year and finally was able to make it over for dinner. We were greeted immediately upon entering and shown to our table. A minute later a smiling waitress named Emma arrived to welcome us and ask if we’d like something to drink. I had noticed an advertisement on the table where you could sign up for the mailing list and receive a free mimosa so both my dinner partner and I decided to do that. We ordered the Guava and Pomegranate mimosas and asked for some water. We also ordered some red pepper hummus at Emma’s suggestion because we couldn’t decide between the three varieties of hummus available.

The mimosas were brought out first and were absolutely delicious. Shortly after the hummus was dropped off with some fluffy and warm pita bread. I enjoyed the red pepper hummus and would recommend it. For our meal we decided to go with wraps rather than a full dinner because we felt like the dinner plates would be too much after the appetizer. I had the Doner (Gyro) Wrap and my partner had the Chicken Wrap. Both came with a basket of piping hot golden French fries and some sort of chipotle dipping sauce. The wraps weren’t huge but were packed sufficiently enough that I could only eat half of it. It was filled with meat, lettuce, sumac, tomatoes and onions. I would definitely order it again. My partner really enjoyed the chicken wrap as well.

The restaurant filled up much more as we had been eating dinner and the atmosphere wasn’t loud but was lively. The bar had four televisions over it showing various sports. All of the employees helped each other out with delivering food, clearing plates and taking orders. All that we encountered were extremely friendly. Thumbs up all around...

Mimoza Mediterranean Restaurant – Authentic Turkish Kebabs in Downtown San Diego

A Turkish friend recommended this spot, and it turned out to be a solid choice for authentic kebabs. Located at the corner of Fourth Ave and F St, the restaurant isn't huge but has a classy and stylish interior, with artistic wall paintings and four large TVs playing sports—perfect for watching a game while dining.

Food & Drinks

Drinks: Extensive selection of wines and cocktails.

Appetizers:

Fried Calamari – A big disappointment. The flavor was off, with an unpleasant sour-salty combo, and the batter fell apart easily. Wouldn’t recommend it.

Beef Börek – A must-try! The flaky dough was crispy outside, creamy inside, with a nice balance of beef, onions, and cheese.

Main Dish:

Mimoza Mixed Grill – A huge platter of kebabs (Adana, Chicken Adana, Lamb Shish, Chicken Shish, Doner, and Kofte), served with rice and salad.

The lamb kebabs were the highlight—juicy and tender. The chicken was slightly dry but still flavorful.

Although meant for two people, the portion is generous enough to share among four.

Service & Atmosphere

Attentive staff, frequently checking in to ensure we were satisfied.

No outdoor dining, so not dog-friendly.

Parking is difficult due to its location in the busy Gaslamp Quarter—be prepared to walk a bit.

Despite the underwhelming calamari, the mixed grill and beef börek made up for it. A great spot for kebab lovers, but avoid peak hours if you don’t want to struggle...