Mystic Grill — Restaurant in San Diego

This was our first restaurant in San Diego, and boy were we surprised! We're not a huge fan of middle eastern food, as we didn't have the best experience before, but this place was definitely the exception. The restaurant was clean, and the food was delicious. The owner Umar and his son Muhammed were excellent hosts—one of the best middle eastern restaurant we've been to.

As this was our first time here, Umar suggested we try the mixed shawarma plate (chicken and beef) and beef kufta (ground) kabob as they didn't have the beef tikka (pieces) kabob. He even gave us a skewer of chicken tikka on the house to try.

The beef kufta kabob was tender and juicy, but the shawarma was a little crispy and dry. The chicken tikka kabob was so good. The hot and garlic sauces were unique and great complements to the food. The hot sauce was our favorite. I loved the feta on the salad, and the hummus and pita portion on the platter. The hummus was so creamy, and the pita was a great scooper for it. Umar even gave us a couple of pieces of Harisa sweets on the house, which were soft and super moist.

Overall, we really enjoyed the food and ambiance. The conversation with Umar and his son Muhammed was eye opening. We discussed and exchanged many fruitful ideas that hopefully we can continue discussing in the future. Also, the prices are super reasonable. We'll definitely be back next time we're in the area....

I was visiting Sea World with family and found this gem nearby. I ordered chicken kababs and beef kababs and lamb leg the first night. Tabuoli salad was great if to like subtle flavor. It wasn't too salty or sour. It was perfect. The chicken seemed like it had chciken powder sprinkled on it I did not like the texture was weird. The beef was okay as well. My husband loved the lamb leg but I thought it was chewy. I loved loved the salad that came with the meal. The next day we bought halal pepperoni pizza. My kids finished it. It was good. The crust wasn't thick nor too thin. Then we order a side if gyro. It was so good. I absolutely hate salty gyro but this was not too salty. And then we order shrimp Alfredo. Best. Alfredo. Ever. The saucy wasn't fatty or thick it was perfect. The vegetables were taste and the shrimp was seasoned great. I again got thier side salad. I had a good food day. Only bad thing about this place THEY TAKE FOREVER to get your food. Couple customers were angry 😠. Both nights they took forever. The owner takes his sweet time. They also donot have lamb or kafta the ground beef ground lamb here. Other than that, order ahead and you will be pleased. Im glad I found this place, next san diego trip I will...

I first tried this place about 1.5 years ago and went back roughly every 4 months and I was really impressed with the quality of food , but within the last 6-8 months it’s dropped significantly. The chicken kabab pieces are smaller and dry , the salad isnt as fresh or green , the hummus and rice are still good however. What really upset me was that it obvious they replaced the pizza dough with a little Caesars type of plastic or some type of synthetic dough. It upsetting because this is what the little ones opt for in my family or any family. It wasn’t until we got home that I realized how bad it was after having some left over pizza ; the dough was puffy, and when cooled down from warming it up , it felt like I was chewing on plastic. Please , charga a little more for the pizza if you have to, but don’t do this to the kids or anyone actually. These type of shortcuts or attempts to keep cost down or raise your profit , are a good way of losing customers. I really enjoy this place due its cleanliness and food preparation but I’m gonna be honest and say that if this doesn’t change , I’m no longer taking my family of 6...