4. Restaurants

Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine

5915 Balboa Ave, San Diego, CA, 92111
  • (858) 278-7770
  • Store is closed

Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine Menu

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  • Jane S.

    First of all, I entered this place STARVING so we ordered a kebob dish before doing or grocery shopping. We ended up also buying humus and cucumber yogurt to accompany the rice and it was delicious! Second of all, I had so much fun exploring the store and seeing traditional Mediterranean groceries that you can't find in Ralph's. there are endless dates FYI if you're into that. We got some flat bread (not pita, not sure what its called) and Persian cucumbers and lamb, pastry shells, and cheese (again, nkt sure what type but again it was unique to this store) to make dinner. There was a great selection of European chocolate and desserts (KINDER BARS etc.) and an awesome selection of olive oil!! If your not familiar with this type of food, i would recommend stepping out of your comfort zone and making a trip here!

    (5)

  • Simon V.

    Great food & Service! Def recommend this place to anyone in town and trying some Persian food

    (5)

  • Ramtin K.

    Great food, great atmosphere, great band. I had the chicken koobideh and beef koobideh plate and it's obviously not as good as the koobideh in Iran but this place is one of the best Persians places in SD. The service is also outstanding as they are very attentive and helpful. One my family members had the barg tonight and it was very juicy and tender. Been coming here for a while now and I was waiting to see if their service and food was consistently good, and in fact they are. Their sunday brunch is great as well with unlimited champagne.

    (4)

  • Marisa L.

    Very bland. This was my second time here for the lunch buffet. I can't believe all the other reviews, maybe I was unlucky 6 months ago, and then unlucky again 3 weeks ago. :/ Pros: Clean, Great service, lots of parking space, comfortable seating and atmosphere, Delicious celery beef and hummus. Cons: not many options for the buffet, just a few meat dishes and a salad bar. I don't think it should cost more than $10.

    (2)

  • Noor H.

    Stopped by to eat for Mothers Day and they were booked. The hostess said she was sorry they were booked without even giving us an option of being placed on a waiting list. All restaurants have a waiting list, even if its a one or two hour wait. I would rather have been provided an option as opposed to sorry and waiting for our family to turn around and leave. Awkward moment...

    (1)

  • Delphino M.

    Always great, the food is fresh and service is good, thanks Sufi, especially the desert the Napoleon pastry are to die for, their house salad dressing is the best, this is somewhere I'd eat every day if I had the chance

    (5)

  • Ali R.

    The koobideh was the best I've ever had - very moist and flavorful - and the tadig with fesenjan was also good. The shirin palou had much to be desired of, though. The service was very good.

    (4)

  • Badeah S.

    Went to Sufi with my husband, who is Persian, last Saturday night. Their Persian cuisine is undoubtably the best in San Diego, and we've tried all of the local restaurants. The ambience is lovely, and the service was attentive. We also enjoyed Yuri's beautiful singing. Ended up the evening by dancing with friends. We'll definitely go back and plan to have them provide us with food for our family tradition of having a Persian Christmas Eve dinner. It's that good.

    (5)

  • Allyson F.

    I came here for a private party. It's nice that they can close off a room for our big party. But what they failed to do is provide enough seats for the number of guests that we provided. The food was good. When I asked one of the servers if alcohol was included in our dinner, he replied, "I'm afraid I can't answer that.". He probably meant he didn't know but he could have went and asked his bartender and give me an answer. But he just left me with that answer. Our party started doing a presentation but in the middle of it, the restaurant band started playing and we couldn't hear anything anymore. This place is ok to me. But I probably would go elsewhere for Mediterranean food and for hosting parties.

    (3)

  • Lady N.

    We had been waiting for this place to open to try it, only to be severely disappointed. The Hummus was bland and thin. The tahini was watered down. The baba ghanouj tasted like it was burnt. The falafel was dry in the inside and outside, not crispy, grainy, and barely edible. The filet minon was overcooked, dry, and extremely bland. The ground chicken was flavorful, and the rice and grilled tomatoes were the best thing we ate. The Salad Olvieh was also good. For your money, you are better off going next door to the Balboa Market- the food is better, more flavorful, and more reasonably priced. And, if you notice, quite a few of the good reviews are for the Balboa market and not actually for the Sufi restaurant which opened Spring 2011. The waiters were very friendly and provided good service. The hostess didn't seem to know her own menu and was as useful as a box of hair. It seems to me that most of these reviews must come from friends of the owner, with the exception of brunch, which I have not experienced.

    (1)

  • Kim T.

    So delicious. We had ghormeh something, beef khoobideh, taadig and it was all so yum. Out waitress was really nice and very attentive. I was curious about the yogurt drink so she let me try a sample. She was right, I didn't really want to order an entire cup. Service was great, food was delicious and there were live belly dancers too on a Saturday night. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Ryan P.

    Great food, great atmosphere. They usually have belly dancing or living music on fridays here. I came on a friday night and they had live spanish music, some DJ music afterwards, and belly dancing. As for the food, I recommend the Koobideh Kabob, it's very flavorful and juicy. The Barg Kabob is just okay in my opinion.

    (5)

  • Al C.

    Had a terrible experience last night at Sufi. Thursday April 6th. They had 1 waitress working the entire restaurant. Waited a long time before she got our orders. Food was cold and took way too long to come out. Forgot our bread and yogurt dip. Takes our good back and comes back 15 min later and doesn't even take anything of the bill for us. Never going back here again!

    (2)

  • Sajjad H.

    Excellent! Their chicken is the best by far I have ever had!

    (5)

  • Marjan P.

    We went to Sufi for lunch on a Saturday and we liked it. The portions were large. My 8 year old got a hamburger and it was really good. I got the salad which was very fresh and my husband got the kabob. The place was clean and the service was good. The market next door is a great place to go for fresh baked bread

    (5)

  • Hirad K.

    I've been their customer for 2 years (I've been living in San Diego only for 2 years), and this is my regular place to get Persian Food. I always go in, enjoy the food and leave generous tip. However, I totally lost respect for this place on my visit today. I went in at the all you can eat buffet time. First of all, all of the choices of meat (chicken, Koobideh, chicken wings, and fish) were empty, and it took them more than 20 minutes to PARTIALLY refill them which led to all of the customers and I waiting a long time for a few pieces of chicken and beef. Anyways, I finally get my food and start eating. The food is good as always. Before I'm even halfway done with my food, my waitress named Katy brings me the check without even me asking for it, and without saying anything a typical waitress would say at this situation like "whenever you're ready". I keep eating my food, ignoring the bill till she comes back in 5 minutes and ask if she can take the check. I tell her I haven't looked at it yet but I gave her my card anyways. She leaves and takes care of the transaction and then comes back with the receipt and my card. I finish my food, but when I reach for the pen to tip her, I see this thing that totally pisses me of. This waitress, Katy is rude enough to HIGHLIGHT THE TIP SECTION and also THE SUGGESTED TIP AMOUNTS. Being their faithful costumer who always leave a tip, this behavior from a waitress is extremely uncalled for. A so-called "professional" waitress like her needs to understand she receives tips only if the customers feel they received a good service or feel generous. No one is entitled to tip, especially not if she is going to be rude about it. And to add to all of that, I should mention all this happened during the buffet time when everything was self-serviced and literally all she did for me was bringing a glass of water. I was gonna tip her anyways, and I still did tip her more than enough to show her I'm not cheap. However, now that I think about it, I should have never tipped her to teach her a lesson. Hopefully the management sees this review and do the necessary actions to make sure this won't happen again. I've been to this place more than a hundred times and I really deserve more respect as a faithful customer.

    (1)

  • Chuck I.

    Don't usually trust buffets but this is excellent and fresh with top notch Koubideh and chicken wings. Only restaurant where I order buffet over a la carte.

    (5)

  • Sam P.

    I can see why this place is a local favorite for San Diegan Persians, and a must-visit for the adventurous who enjoy experiencing cultural flare that goes beyond their delicious meals. The entertainment was delightful (belly dancers, a lady with a snake, dancing from the restaurant patrons which would have included myself if neither of my gf nor her mom would have been too embarrassed to go out and dance with me). We had a variety of dishes in family style so I won't bore you to death with the breakdown of each plate -- suffice it to say it was all quite delicious. Highly recommended for family dinners and a date if you're trying to show off how culturally adventurous you are.

    (5)

  • Donna A.

    We were looking for Sunday Buffet not Continental\Asian food. We found Persian\middle eastern cuisine. This is not bad at all. Its $25.00 per person including bottomless Mimosas. I suggest that you come 5 mins before they open because then it is all fresh and just cooked the meat,fish,etc.

    (4)

  • Stevi B.

    Came in to check out the lunch buffet Dad seems to love... Curious as to if I would agree! Upon entry, the food smelled amazing. It wasn't quite ready at the 11:30 open, so we sat at our table for about 15mins until the buffet opened. My first taste was of the Persian Tea, complimentary with your Yelp check-in. Call me a kid, but I love the novelty of sugar cubes vs packets. Pardon my ignorance in lack of knowledge for correct names of each dish/item!! There were pickles at the salad bar that looked like pickled okra, but had an artichoke flavor mixed with dill. The array of items at the salad bar made for a delicious compliment to the kabob meats (tandoori and beef being my two favorite.) I would have liked a tad bit more seasoning to the meat, but still very good. You can never go wrong with the cucumber yogurt spread and babaganoush to spread over everything! The buffet had a fantastic spread of vegetables and meats. I didn't get to try the lentil soup. Service was great. It wasn't just waiting around for one person. There were two or three that kept the tea and water full and checked in at appropriate times. I had three items for dessert that I could not find a name for. The first was a flaky dough with cream on top... It tasted similar to a vanilla wafer! I went back for seconds. It was delicious. The second was a white creamy type thing (custard?) topped with pistachios. It was light but I wasn't able to clearly identify a flavor. There was also a yellow one topped with a cinnamon spice and pistachios. It had a lemony "clean" flavor that I didn't quite care for. (Dad said more of a tapioca flavor... So who knows the accuracy of my palate!) I imagine I am done eating for the day! Curious as to the events that take place on their stage.

    (4)

  • Sam G.

    Lovely food , great service. Food variety was amazing. Very family friendly. Will repeat with friends for sure . Good work guys!

    (5)

  • Bekzad M.

    Was there on Saturday with spouse. Live music, dim lights, nice menu. All you need just go and try.

    (5)

  • Amine C.

    Excellent place if you are in San Diego area.

    (5)

  • E. S.

    I have no experience with this type of cuisine, but it was very good! We went with a group from work for the lunch buffet which was very good, but at $15.95 also a bit pricey. There are 3 separate buffet lines, and everyone seems to start at the salad station which wound all the way to the front door! If you are not picky about the order of your food, you might start with the hot section first and do the salads after that. Dessert options are presented on the bar.

    (4)

  • Esmaeil K.

    Last time I was there on a Saturday night good music to start your dinner nice staff , food some dishes are good some are not ,I ordered my favorite dish Baghali Polo with lamb shank ( Broad Beans and rice ) when I compared my Lamb Shank with the one I got last time at Alborz resturant in Del Mar wasn't half that and I hardly found 3 or 4 broad beans in my dish where at Alborz you get two Larger Lamb Shank instead of one. Staff are alway nice and friendly as usual. The live singer I think should perform some of the Iranian pop singers songs beside other multi language songs and Belly dancer Rachel who dances beautifully . Lots of kids and babies in dancing area at that late hour of the night very unusual. Place looked like a very private family wedding party with kids. A bit annoying .

    (3)

  • Aaron H.

    Mixed feeling about this place, or maybe mixed questions? The decor and layout is more up scale from what one would expect from of a Persian/Iranian restaurant that does a big chunk of their business from buffet. The buffet is impressive, and any business offering a buffet should take notes from Sufi. I appreciate that they offer an extensive menu while doing most of their business with their buffet. I looked over the buffet as best as I could without being a weirdo. I'm not much of a buffet guy, but was intrigued viewing so many dishes. Probably one of the most prettiest and lavish buffets I've seen. I wanted it, but for the price point and not being that hungry, I wanted to try something off the grid. I opted for mirza ghasemi. It sounded perfect for an over casted day, and I'm a sucker for stew. A pretty plate came out. The mira ghasemi quantity was limited and looked like an Indian dish over shadowed by the rice. The rice was perfection. I'm not a huge rice guy, but the rice blew me away on many levels. The mirza ghasemi flavor and thick broth was nice, but the choppy and stringy eggplant was over cooked and mushy.This place needs to be reviewed tasting several dishes to make a rational decision. I'll be back to try the buffet and more dishes. Hopefully I'll be bumping the stars up. The experience left me intrigued and wanting more.

    (3)

  • David Joshua D.

    I've eaten here a few times now and I must say that each time has been really good. They do endless mimosas on the Sunday brunch I think. Not sure if they do it any other time but that's a plus when they do! The food is tasty and different. I don't eat much Mediterranean food so I don't know what's good or what the names are. But for the most part, the food was good and tasted delicious. This is a buffet style. They have salads, humus, some soups, beef, fish and chicken dishes. They even have ole spaghetti which my nephews like eating. They also have a dessert section which us pretty good too. This place has been a great surprise to me of how good it is. I like to try out the different foods because I don't eat this often. The place is big and can cater to big groups. It's nice to have a party here and they take reservations as well. They have a few TVs in there too. I'd definitely come back and would recommend this place to anyone wanting to try new things!

    (4)

  • Mel J.

    Is the lunch buffet worth $13.95? The Mediterranean food was pleasant and fun, but not as good as my favorite Mediterranean places in San Diego. My rating is 3 stars for the pleasant Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine, and a galaxy of stars for my beloved family members who celebrated with me and treated me to lunch! Pros: --All you can eat --Fast (no wait for buffet at early lunch) --No wait for ladies bathroom. Lots of stalls & automatic sinks. --Light Mediterranean desserts included --Hot tea or soda included --We were greeted and welcomed upon arrival for an early lunch. Cons: --I can't eat a lot so $13.95 is pricy for a lunch buffet. --The food was warm but NOT piping hot at the buffet. I'm slow at buffets and a slow eater. By the time I ate my food, it was cold. --Food was pleasant but for $13.95 nothing was amazing. --Servers are busy. Couldn't get cream or milk for my tea, although I asked twice. Buffet Food: --Lentil soup was tasty but lukewarm so I didn't eat much. --Chicken kebabs had nice flavor but I can get much more tender chicken kebabs at Aladdin Restaurant on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. & Doliva Dr. --2 basmati rice dishes were nice --Hummus had a delicious flavor with lemon & spices. It's true that the texture is grainy, but this didn't bother me. I enjoyed 2 servings of the hummus. --Beef: 2 types of beef, one tender and one a little tough. --Desserts: a few light desserts are included with the buffet. I enjoyed some of these, but don't know what they were called. --Hot tea: a pleasant hot tea similar to Earl Grey was included. At Sufi, I missed the amazing scents of exotic spices which I've inhaled in other restaurants. For me, the food at Sufi was not aromatic enough, but it was a pleasant lunch. I feel it's a bit overpriced for people with an average appetite. Hey Mom, if you are reading this, you've spoiled me! Nobody can compete with your delicious cooking! (-;

    (3)

  • Aysel B.

    One of my favorite places in San Diego. Almost every weekend I am there with my friends. We always have fun there. The food is good and not pricey. Very nice shows on Saturdays especially arabic dance and live music. The singer Yourik will always sing Azeri song :)

    (5)

  • Lizz T.

    They always go beyond of what is expected! Their food is amazing, their service is phenomenal and their music is just soothing! I recommend this restaurant to anyone craving some Persian food. Their catering is also out of this world and delicious!

    (5)

  • Bob L.

    The meat is halal so I recommend it to muslims. I choose the buffet because I really liked kabab (persian steak). They have really good Koobideh (ground lamb steak). I did not expect this quality from a buffet. I also liked the environment and the traditional music. They have persian traditional ice cream and rice noodle (faloodeh) as extra and I recommend it to complete your persian cuisine experience. They also offer arabic (baba ghanooj, tabule) & indian dishes (tandoori chicken & sag paneer).

    (5)

  • T J.

    Was suggested by a co-worker as a good place to go. Being vegetarian often means the options are limited but I wish they had a little more to select from. I agree with other comments that the venue is a little too large and for us that meant that a large event was being planned for the evening so we almost felt in the way at 4:30pm. May or may not go back as it is not that close to home.

    (3)

  • Mike T.

    Whenever I go to San Diego I stop by this place for the amazing Buffett for a great price... Love the rice pudding! Never had it this good... The service is great. The blond guy gives u great service and he is so nice. Great job!

    (5)

  • S S.

    I only go here for their lunch buffet priced at $13.99. Pretty good deal considering all you can eat meat and vegetables. The price also includes a soft drink. I always get the hot arabic tea. Very good service and food!

    (4)

  • Christine D.

    Came to Sufi Mediterranean for the first time with my family and really enjoyed a night of good food and Friday night live musical entertainment. I believe they even have belly dancing nights too. I loved the ambience of restaurant along with the dim lighting. It makes a nice setting for a romantic date night. I do recommend making reservations as the host will ask if you've made dinner reservations even though when we came to the restaurant and there were a number of empty tables available. Luckily I made reservations. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. If you like meat this is the place to go although they do have a lot of vegetarian options as well (salads, tabouli). We ordered the lamb and beef koobideh, lamb shank, chicken tandoori, and hummus. The portions here are big and is probably enough for two to share an entree. The meats were really tender and flavorful and just so delicious I couldn't stop eating it! The prices are reasonable ranging from $17-24 for an entree. The hummus was $5. If you check -in through Yelp you get free tea. We also ordered dessert. My fiance was excited that they had the equivalent of Jalebi, their Zoolbiah and Bamieh. I loved it! I have yet to find a place in San Diego that had good Zoolbiah and I think I've found it here at Sufi. They also have lunch buffets and Sunday brunch here. I did want to order Turkish coffee which was on the menu but my server looked at me kind of weird when I asked for it as if they don't serve that there? I'm not sure maybe I was over analyzing it. I really had a good experience here at Sufi and I will recommend others to try this place out. I want to come later in the evening so I can fully enjoy the live entertainment.

    (4)

  • Kristen B.

    Our favorite place to go when we need our fix. The interior is clean and well decorated. Service is always excellent. Food is absolutely delicious. Entertainment on the weekend night is fun too!

    (5)

  • Alex D.

    Sufi offers a delicious blend of coastal Middle Eastern cuisines from around the Mediterranean in a casual dining environment particularly suited for large groups. The $22 Sunday all-you-can-eat buffet deal here is seriously great. However, as a result, the ever-present danger of over-eating is admittedly amplified. For example, on my most recent visit last weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday, I found myself consuming four or five plates of irresistibly addictive goodness, which included chicken kebabs, various forms of basmati rice, veggie dishes and the most exquisitely amazing hummus. As part of the deal, you can also order a custom omelette personally prepared by the chef as you watch. Although prices are a bit steep, the food is great and the Sunday special can be worth every penny.

    (4)

  • Alex L.

    Great food, great service, nice ambiance, easy parking. The portion they serve is quite big so do show up hungry. The servers were very attentive and the environment was clean and spacious. Bravo to the owner and staff. They mean business. We ordered grilled eggplant dip, rack of lamb, combo kebab, sufi salad as a side, and saffron pistachio ice cream. The lamb and kebab were juicy and tender, and the caramelized grilled vegetables added extra flavor to the dishes. The aromatic saffron rice was a nice touch too. Overall, a very satisfying experience.

    (5)

  • Red A.

    Can't really give an honest review on the food as we did not get service. I called an hour ahead of time to ask if the food was halal and when they close, but when we walked in we were told there were no seats available and we could not be seated without a reservation. The lady on the phone had told me nothing about making a reservation, or even the fact that there were no reservations available so if I'm interested in knowing when they close, she should have at least told me that. When we walked in their waitress came up to us first, but the manager had to butt in as well to say that they could not seat us. After telling him about my conversation on the phone I quickly realized this guy had no idea what I was saying nor what he himself was saying as his English was just terrible. Bottom line: unprofessional and horrible etiquette. I do not plan to go back. EDIT: Psst, just want to add.. want the same food, but cheaper? Go next door, to the Balboa International Market, and order from there. They have the same exact food (the menus overlap quite a bit), except tremendously cheaper.

    (1)

  • Andrew T.

    My uncle told me about a brunch buffet that was Persian and since I've been on a Mediterranean kick I decided to come here with my family on a Saturday morning. 25 per person after tip and tax is what I think we ended up paying. I'm not a Persian food expert or anything so I can't compare the quality to that of Persia... but for my typical American palette I can say I really enjoyed the food and the Beef Kebab was by far my favorite. What made this place stand out to me was the excellent wait staff. My family ordered every drink in the place from the unlimited mimosas, to the Persian Tea, to Dooge (pronounced "Duke") which is a salty-sour yogurt drink my uncle likes. I would highly recommend this place if you like to try new foods and ethnic foods. The wait staff also told us about how it turns into a "night club" on Fridays and Saturdays and I could definitely see this place being used for a reception since there's tons of special-lightning and huge space.

    (4)

  • My T.

    My very good friend is Persian, and boy is his momma's home cooking on point -- so I KNOW my persian food. Although Sufi by no means comparable, it does the job! Boneless Chicken kabab koobideh & beef kabab - mouthwatering!!!!! it was moist, succulent, dripping with flavor!!! the rice was nice and fluffy and paired well with the meat & the roasted tomato. yommsssville. Falafel: a bit dry for me, but the hummus that accompanied the falafel was spectacular, creamy, dense, delicious. Crispy rice (Tadig): I'm still not sure whether or not I liked this, it's not at all similar to the typical Asian crispy rice that I've been so fond over. and I've had crispy rice over at my friend's house before and it didn't really taste like this.... it was a bit too oily, and the stew on top was a bit off. The cucumber dip is to die for, i can lap that up for dayyyyys. the bread that they serve as a starter with butter was.... unfortunate. it was great at first, and then it became stale and inedible. i noticed that some people have asked for pita, i'm going to do that next time. All in all, I'm pretty impressed with Sufi - definitely go here for the kababs. I have to further explore the menu and i'll let you know what other delights may be in store!! PS. There's a lunch buffet Monday-Saturday and Brunch buffet on Sunday!!!

    (4)

  • Houman M.

    Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, Sufi Mediterranean cuisine is by far the BEST buffet around. You get everything with their Sunday brunch buffet. Excellent high quality beef and chicken kabobs along with 8-10 other main course persian dishes. The service is excellent and the food is at an unbeatable price. Oh and the owner Jafar, is kickin a$s on the skillet in the dining room restaurant making fresh omelettes. He really spares no expense and includes bottomless soft drinks or mimosas, as we'll as a world class pianist playing the likes of Fur Elise creating a wonderful experience. Your biggest problem when coming here is not being able to walk on the way out after eating so much high quality Persian food. I can't wait till next Sunday's brunch!

    (5)

  • Kristen S.

    I have fallen in LOVE with Sufi. They have tons of awesome healthy options and the food is super delicious and authentic. I will definitely be back to try more of the menu. FOODS: *chicken kabobs: so good! nice and juicy and flavorful *tabouli salad - yum! *eggplant app (forget the name) *lentil soup - pretty good but could have been more flavorful

    (5)

  • Somebody ..

    since i'm vegan, i asked the male waiter for some help on what the items were at the buffet but he barely helped me at all.. didn't seem interested... only a couple of the items were labeled..... it was just a very expensive salad bar and the restaurant is way too dark... i'll never come here again....

    (1)

  • Gina B.

    The food was delicious! I recommend the beef koobideh kabab and the Ghormeh sabzi... this place does it right! There seemed to be only one server working (among some bussers) at dinner time so the service was kind of slow, but they still got the job done. At least they were friendly and I could tell he was working hard to make sure every table was happy. The restaurant is beautifully decorated inside. Everything from the ground to the ceiling has a really nice design. Great food, good service, nice decor.

    (4)

  • Carmen V.

    One of those very warm days/cloudy cold nights of May...and wishing some meat. Someone I met the other day while hanging out with a friend mentioned Sufi Mediterranean as his favorite Persian restaurant in San Diego. Located in Balboa Ave, next to the Balboa International Market (I wonder if they are the same as the North Park Produce, as they cater so similar products and similar brands). So my friend and I arrived for an early dinner and we got into this huge salon dividing a party place (they were having some corporate event) from the rest of customers (in this case, only the two of us). My friend commented that this place is quintessentially Iranian, big table with ample chairs with some sort of satin fabric, traditional Persian music with a romantic tint, those gigantic chandeliers with Persian calligraphy...and dark colors. Food was ok and I still prefer the service of smaller places like Sultan Banoo.

    (3)

  • Tony R.

    One of the best Persian restaurant in SD. The buffet is the best they have really good food. Which it's always fresh and warm and the dessert are good.the have two different soups and rice and kabobs and salad is really good also. but the good thing about it is kids eat for free under 5 so u could go there and enjoy the atmosphere and the good food for a really really good price.

    (4)

  • Natalie S.

    Is it possible that I am still drooling, weeks after I left this amazing lunch buffet?? I had a food bucket list prepared for my trip to San Diego. This list was not diet friendly but I had to conquer it nonetheless. Lucky for me, Sufi offers so many healthy options that I didn't feel too guilty about it. The food is incredible, so fresh and flavorful. This is by far the best buffet you will ever try. The desserts are incredible, all made with real whipped cream and fresh fruit. I can't say enough about how good the food is here. Notice that I haven't mentioned the service?? I rather not, I want to give them 5 stars. The food is that good.

    (5)

  • Mariana L.

    The service here is not the fastest or the best but the food makes up for it. I am not sure how they marinate their beef and chicken but its to die for. On weekends they have belly dancers and a dj playing mostly middle eastern songs. I come here with my persian friends for a change of scenery. Decent place for a group hang out.

    (4)

  • Sara A.

    Buffet. Some good items. Not the best. Lacking selection. Elegant ambiance. Fair price. Slow service...too busy and understaffed. Our server was nice but didn't have enough time for any table.

    (3)

  • Cindy G.

    I have been hoping to find a favorite local Persian place, and while I would go back, this isn't the one. Decor: This is a large restaurant with nice decor that looks recently renovated. The banquet-hall-sized space has a stage, high ceilings, chandeliers, and a movable divider in the middle, which allows half of the restaurant to be used for large private parties. The live music on Friday and Saturday evenings is a nice touch. Food: I came for dinner on a Friday night. The food was only okay and not as good as it should be for the price. The Fesenjan tasted only of sweet and sour, as opposed to a richer flavor. The Naderi Kabob, while tender, was served well done despite being ordered medium. On the plus side, the portions were generous, and they will upgrade the rice side of the entrees to a variety of flavored rices for only $2 more. (They also have a lunch buffet and a Sunday brunch, but I have not tried those yet.) Service: The service was mediocre, as the waitress only came by rarely despite a mostly empty room.

    (3)

  • Chris D.

    I started this review a long time ago and forgot to finish it, but trust me when I say that you WANT to eat here! Great food, a little expensive, but delicious and it was worth it.

    (4)

  • Shana D.

    We had this brought in for a wedding shower and the food was wonderful. Loved the chicken and rice as well as the tomatoes.

    (5)

  • Denise K.

    The international Sunday brunch buffet was just OK. There was quite a variety to choose from. My favorite meats were the Koobideh Kebab and the Tandoori chicken. The hummus was excellent, but unfortunately they make their own bread instead of the traditional pita bread. Their bread was a bit dry for my liking. Other items on the buffet line: salad, tabouli, baba ganoush, chicken curry, chicken kebab, grilled tomatoes and veggies, basmati rice, rice with cabbage, and maybe 5-6 desserts. The tiramisu was pretty good! Overall, this place is not that memorable. Not sure I'll be back.

    (3)

  • Allen B.

    This restaurant honestly sucks! The manager starts raising her voice on you! All I asked was if I could move up to a better table! I reserved 4 hours ago too! Like I honestly will never come nor recommend this Iranian slop restaurant! If this was an American restaurant they would satisfy the coustemer first. These people are also very over rated food wasn't good, Ali baba and sultan are way better. SAVE YOUR MONEY!

    (1)

  • Ashlee B.

    Sufi is my go to spot when I'm in town. I've always ate here during the week between 4-5pm, so it's pretty quiet. The Beef Koobideh/boneless chicken combination is my favorite. The meat has really good flavor and is moist and juicy. Ryan has been my server twice now and he has great knowledge of the menu, excellent follow up and you can tell he really enjoys the food! The Shirin Polo (a delicious Pistachio rice with some nice sweetness) was a great complement to the savory meats. super bomb!

    (5)

  • Dan P.

    5 star food, 2 star service. Good serving sizes and really flavorful foods, but we had to constantly remind the servers to do their job and they forgot an item and even argued with us about whether or not we ordered that item (we did, I was the one who did it). Thankfully the food was delicious (Chicken Koobideh and Falafel...the falafel was not crispy like I'm used to but still very tasty) but the service definitely detracted from the experience.

    (4)

  • Frank J.

    This one of the best Middle Eastern restaurant cuisine in Southern California And maybe in the whole country. They are very clean the food is always fresh the salad is awesome the service is really good And the price $14 all-you-can-eat I love it.

    (5)

  • Khadidja M.

    The food was good but yesterday I had a very bad experience with one of the waitresses there. She is a tall, thin woman with dark hair. We were a large group of people and the waitress asked us if we wanted drinks; at the beginning I did not want to have anything and then when she came back I told her that I changed my mind and I want a hot tea. She replied with a mean way and said "SERIOUSLY!". That was shocking for me because it is her job to serve me politely, even if I had to ask her several times.

    (3)

  • Eula B.

    This place is awesome!! Come here with my husband,first time. The food is really good and the price is reasonable! The only thing is the dessert,They need to add more selection. But overall its a good buffet!!

    (4)

  • Jamie L.

    We had a great experience the first time we came here. Our waiter was extremely friendly, polite, and really went the extra mile to make us feel welcome. So tonight we decided to order some take out and had a very different experience. I should mention that I don't think this is really a "take out" kind of place, the staff seemed a bit puzzled. The food is okay, not great. The service is a mess. Our previous waiter is the only competent guy, and he is overworked and trying to hold the whole place together. The bartender was very stressed out but did her best, though honestly I don't know why it takes so long to fill a tray with glasses of ice water. The other guy, oh my... I hope it was his first day working there and he has never worked a day in his life, because that's what it seemed like. He needs to be let go, and they need to hire a couple more decent workers. Disgruntled patrons were approaching the counter every few minutes asking where their drinks or their food were, and the staff just kept dumping everything on the one awesome waiter, who was also making drinks, ringing up checks, and cutting up bread. I felt really bad for him. He was getting all the abuse, and he was the only one actually DOING anything. Anyway, the whole experience was bizarre and left us feeling like the restaurant really didn't know how to operate as a business. Get two more waiters like our superstar waiter, and the place will be awesome. No need for the owner/manager type in the business suit to even bother showing up unless he learns how to answer the phone or use the cash register system. You've got the fancy dining room, now figure out the details of how to run the place! We won't be back until that happens.

    (3)

  • Nick B.

    BOMB ASS FOOD!!!! Great Persian Food. THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER. This is the kind of restaurant where the owners think the only key to success is making great food. They don't give a fuck about the actual customer. It shows in their servers that are not attentive at all. Then when we asked to play a slideshow, the manager would not help at all. I mean we BOUGHT THE PLACE OUT. We had a 150+ event - at least play my 3 minute slideshow. Ok enough rant - BOTTOM LINE - Great Food. Horrible Service.

    (3)

  • Vivienne R.

    Delicious! The service is terrific! And the food quality is high. You can order family style or pesonal dishes. ALWAYS thee most enjoyable dining experience. The service really is phenomenal. I just discovered their Sunday brunch (bottomless mimosas included) - an absolute gem!

    (5)

  • Ali G.

    Great atmosphere and food. We went to two other restaurants before we ended up here. The service was great and they were very attentive. The food was yummy. I ordered the ground kabob and my wife the lamb. Both came sizzling hot and delicious.

    (5)

  • Shereen Y.

    DELICIOUS FOOD. My family and I came for an early dinner this past weekend and I'm glad we chose this restaurant. Very lovely decor, and well-prepared, fresh, authentic Mediterranean food. Especially great for families and groups. **Make sure you specifically ASK your server for pita bread because they'll give you a thicker breadstick-looking bread by default. All the bread is yummy, but if you're not eating pita bread at a Mediterranean restaurant then you're just doing it wrong.** We had a party of 11 plus 2 little kids, and everyone loved the food. For appetizers we ordered hummus, Baba Ghanoush (roasted eggplant dip), and falafel, while the kids munched on some french fries. The hummus was unfortunately very bland and so we squeezed some lemon on top to make it tastier (I stole the lemon from my little sister's ice tea... hahaha). But all the entrees were divine. We ordered just about everything on the menu between the dozen of us; the Chicken Sultani, Naderi Kabob, Beef Kabob, Lamb Shank, Filet of Grilled White Fish, Grilled Atlantic Salmon, Persian Salad, and Grilled Shrimp & Veggie skewers... just to name a few. The entrees were served with rice, grilled tomatoes, and optional salad. VERY filling, especially if you're eating the bread along with it. Even though the menu is very heavily meat-oriented (beef, chicken, lamb), as a vegetarian I still had plenty of options. I ordered the Persian Salad and some falafel (vegan!) and it was delicious. The Baba Ghanoush (roasted eggplant dip) is also vegan, for those interested. The service definitely needs some work, but altogether I'd say Sufi's is definitely worth a visit. Great food. I'd make a reservation if you're planning on coming with a large group. The buffet is also fantastic, and maybe even better than menu-style ordering considering you won't be waiting on service. They also have a daily lunch buffet and the selection seems awesome. Whether or not you're familiar with Mediterranean cuisine, I'm sure everyone can find something they'll love. Try it out!

    (4)

  • Aria F.

    Let me start off by saying that since I am from Iran, I have a good understanding if Persian cuisine. This restaurant is not good at all. I have yet to find a Persian restaurant that serves quality food without trying to rip you off. The only thing attractive about this place is the dance floor with some belly dancing. I tried the koobideh kabab and it was very disappointing. If you want to have a good time on the dance floor with some Persian tunes then it's great but don't get the food. It's expensive and not at all worth your well earned money.

    (3)

  • Katherine L.

    Decent food, large portions. Kinda salty and oily, but the saffron rice is delicious and everything is packed with flavor. Wasn't really impressed with the waiter - it took forever to bring the food, get water refills, get the check... Will return again, but only because it is close to my house. Perhaps the Sunday brunch is a better time to go. (I went for an early dinner in the middle of the week)

    (3)

  • Luciana M.

    My husband and I love this place, the food is absolutely delicious! Everyone is so friendly and the prices are great. There's so much to choose from. I'm sure you family will enjoy it as well.

    (4)

  • MaryAnn L.

    We wanted to try a new place for us. Let us start with good service. It was down hill from there. I ordered one of the chicken stews with a sweet sauce, pomegranate and walnut. The chicken had a very strange texture and over cooked, .more sauce than meat and a ton of rice on the side. It came with a salad, we both ordered caesar, the croutons were stale. Small flies landed on the table all night. My husband ordered the lamb and meat dish. He liked it but we both did not feel it was worth coming back. No buffet was available. House wine was $6, a bit high for the quality. No atmosphere in a very huge open space.There is much better in Clairemont, like Alladin Medditeranian Cafe on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. We will return to our favorites!

    (2)

  • He H.

    Maybe it's authentic and we were just unlucky to order the food we got, but it was not an unpleasant dining experience. First, the waiters delivered wrong food twice. Second, the waitress was unsure about the drink my boyfriend asked on the menu. Third, the food we got were dry and...boring, with tons of rice (that we can eat for 1 week). The beef skewer were tasteless, and it was cold and didn't taste like a cut from filet mignon (as it should be on the menu). Last but not least, it is PRICY and is not worth of the food we got there.

    (1)

  • Joe C.

    First time today and I was impressed. For $13 you get all you can eat buffet including choice of beverage. All the usual Mediterranean meat and salads including humus. The ambience is very pleasant and comfortable. Staff is very attentive. Also a few dessert offerings...try the hot tea w your dessert...lovely! I hear the lunch buffet is a Monday thru Saturday thing w Sunday brunch at $23. Nice Mediterranean market next door. The place is a little hidden so go to the back of the shopping center.

    (4)

  • Paula S.

    Very professional. Good tasting food and always friendly.

    (5)

  • Artgenta A.

    on my second visit had a far better experience! i like the variety and flavor of foods and the ambiance a good place if you want a vegan alternative, and healthier foods than most places!.

    (3)

  • An Y.

    Not bad, just on the pricier side. Ordered the Boneless Chicken Kebab - came with a salad, rice, and tomatoes. The Mediterranean restaurants I've been to have all been generous with their portions. Well, by that I mean they give you a lot of rice. Wasn't a fan of the falafels here though - the sauce was rather bitter and the falafels themselves were dry. I ordered them b/c the ones at The Kebab Shop were so good, but I guess not all falafels are made the same. The setting is somewhat fancy - definitely somewhere 'nice' to eat at or take someone to. Entrees ranged from $11 - $20. They have a stage and a whole other seating area if you want to reserve the place for a private event. Overall, would recommend the place if you're planning to take a long lunch to sit and talk, but otherwise, there are cheaper places to go to for good Mediterranean food.

    (3)

  • amy z.

    A group of us about 15 went here to day for lunch. Had already made reservation with John. The quality of the food, cleanliness and the service, all exceeded my expectation. Would recommend this place.

    (4)

  • Dung N.

    I met up with a friend here for lunch, and the bill was pricey for lunch- around $30. It does come with salad, but it wasn't that great. The portions are pretty big though. The service was fast and food was pretty good. I tried the hen, chicken kabob, and koobideh. I liked the hen the least, which was most expensive, because there were bones in the kabob- nothing wrong with the seasonings or anything. Just not that easy to eat... :)

    (3)

  • Robert B.

    Just discovered this great new Persian place in Clairemont. The food was delicious, the staff friendly and fast, and the atmosphere cozy and quiet. Will be back soon!

    (4)

  • Sherry H.

    This is the worst buffet in the history of all restaurants. 1_ Horrible service, it at all any. 2_ Never seen a buffet with very limited choices, and that's not all they also ran out of several if the items by 12.30 pm.... There was no more dessert or fruit in the tiny dessert section !!!! 3_ Food was cold, not fresh, tasted worse than my cooking, and I've never seen a place at hot water to bbq chicken to keep it warm.... Whi does that? I went there with friends (neely wed) whom I was inviting out for lunch. I spent the whole time apologizing for this bad experience, I was so embarrassed! I don't understand why there are all these misleading good reviews about this terrible restaurant. Please save your money and time. Yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck !!!!

    (1)

  • Tala H.

    My friends and I went to Sufi Restaurant on Saturday and I must say that everything was amazing!!The food was great,the entertainment was fun and class act 100%. The customer service was absolutely suburb!! Last but not least the pricing was unbelievable !You must try this place...

    (5)

  • Eduardo S.

    Their food is amazing! We had an event there a few nights ago and the service was spectacular. The waitresses were on point and never showed frustration or an attitude with our endless requests.

    (5)

  • Chris R.

    I went here recently for a dinner show. The show was fun. However, the service was terribly slow. I felt sorry for the staff. Basically the restaurant was packed to the brim with tables and chairs but there were too few wait staff for the amount of customers. The food was OK. I have had better Persian food elsewhere.

    (2)

  • Ted M.

    After waiting over 20 minutes after being sat without even being talked to at all we walked out (let alone getting any menus or anything). Worst service or should I say no service.

    (1)

  • Laura T.

    Good Persian food, big portions, decent pricing! If you are into belly dancing, entertainment and dancing to Persian/middle eastern music, this is your place; whole families get up after dinner and start dancing. Any Friday/Saturday night will turn into a wedding-like event. If not, make sure you enjoy an early dinner and leave before the music starts because you won't be able to have a conversation. Good for bigger groups and family dinners and interesting place to get a more authentic experience of the Persian culture than for example Bandar.

    (4)

  • Joanna B.

    Come here for the all you can eat lunch special during the weekday. Great service and awesome selection of food inside a beautiful restaurant.

    (4)

  • Gee N.

    Decent Sunday buffet The options are plenty - make sure you are hungry enough to justify the $21.99 price tag.. Delicate flavors - you can always ask for the spicy sauce.. Fortunately we did get a good server so the experience was good overall..

    (4)

  • John G.

    Now that I have joined the ranks of the elite, I feel the same pressures that Dick, Buddy and Sally felt when Alan redlines the entire show. It better be good--otherwise there goes your status. Rather than pacing until I trip quite comically, I'll give it a whirl. The wife and I were mulling about Clairemont, thinking that the International Marketplace might make for an ideal birthday lunch. We cannot help but notice the new (well, new-ee) establishment boasting Sunday brunch. Dressed in our finest (baseball jerseys and shorts), we wandered in to see what it was all about (recall this is Saturday). Lo and behold, a wonderous buffet splaid out before us. We took up the mantle and threw down the gauntlet and ventured in. In no time at all, we became enconsed in koobideh and hummus, welcomed by the warm embrace of basmati. Sufi is quite a place to people watch as well. I swear that I saw the villain from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom lecturing peers at his table. I also saw a dead ringer for Wo Fat (Hawaii Five-0 nemesis) at the counter. And, this is after seeing blonde Zack Gillafankis (Gilla-Fan-Axis? The Hangover guy) at Starbucks, but I digress. So, if you long for quick quality Persian food and would like to gawk at celebrity stand-ins, Sufi is the place for you. And me. I'm the short Harry Crane near the Pepperidge Farm cookies.

    (4)

  • Paolo D.

    So we accidently found this place on our way to the Balboa market (which is by the way not worth going, it sucks! Worst market I've ever seen. Very dirty). They had a buffet lunch and we thought let's give a try. They had few of normal Persian dishes, they could have had better selections; but they all tasted good. It was not the best I've ever tried but it was not bad either (we didn't get sick). The decoration and music was wonderful. Now I am taking 1 star off because: they didn't refill their dishes mainly the desert when there was still about 1 hour left before the lunch buffet was over. Not good. The 2nd star off because of the service: the waitress greeted us so warmly and jolly, but as soon as she found out we are going for a buffet and not ordering from the menus she completely ignored us for drinks etc. not cooll

    (3)

  • Danalee D.

    I don't know if their food is authentic or not, but I think it's really good. Pair dinner with their live entertainment on a Saturday night, you get a fun date night. =) I always get their koobideh combo and bf likes the chicken & beef kebab combo. Get that with a side order of maast o'khiar and you're good to go! They bring out some bread and butter to start, but don't fill up on that yummy carb. There is so much food that you'll have enough leftovers for another meal or two. My daughter loves eating off my plate, which is a good thing since she tends to be a picky eater. Also, if you check in on Yelp, you get a free Persian tea! I can't wait til the next time we can plan another date night at Sufi. =)

    (4)

  • Regina U.

    The lower stars are based purely on a seating/service issue. Came here on a Saturday night to taste what there is to taste and see what there is to be seen. When we asked for a table, the host actually asked "for right now?" No, we are here to make reservations for next week, idiot. I told him if it was a problem, we could leave. After muttering to himself for a bit, and stomping around - he sat us down. So apparently, if you would like to come eat here, you should make reservations. Reservations in Clairemont, you say? I know - but fear the wrath of the host if you fail to do so. Food was great - Persian style shish kabob that came out super quickly. Not everyone's flavor, I know, but we certainly enjoyed it. Two drinks came out nice and strong, and after all that, the waitress was great. All in all, I would probably not go back, I like to feel as if a place likes and wants to earn my money.

    (3)

  • Charlton C.

    * Great Persian Food, Lots of Choices * For a random somewhat tucked away store, the food is pretty dang good. I've had their chicken and beef combo and have been happy with everything. The tabouleh is good, as is their yogurt drinks, roasted tomatoes and anything else you can get your hungry little hands on. Prices are around $10-12 per person and since it's a grocery store if there's anything you like and want to have at home, just go buy it when you're done eating.

    (4)

  • Ola H.

    Cute place, very nice service, great buffet! Will be back!

    (4)

  • Firas D.

    Pretty good buffet and the service is great! Pretty busy on Sundays so try and make res!

    (4)

  • Stella A.

    I went here for my friends birthday and it was very entertaining. Our waiter was very SD and had the heaviest american accent, and bless his heart for trying to say all the Farsi items on the menu. He was so great and curteous. The food itself was very tasty and I would honestly recommend it all. The entertainment of the night was a set of bellydancers and a singer who I could not tell what language he was singing in. Everyone seemed to have a great time and the only down side was the fact that it took a while for the food to come out.

    (4)

  • Jamila M.

    Wow! Where was this place hiding? I can't believe I've only recently come to Sufi. It's this huge restaurant hidden behind all these other buildings. Google map it before you go, bro! Anyway, I have to say that the food here is very good. I'm not usually a fan of chicken because most of the time, let's face it, it's dryer than hell. HOWEVER, this place knows how to cook their meats! I cannot believe how flavorful and juicy their meats were. I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed by that. Both kabobs I had were delightful, and while I only had the regular rice, it was still very good. Overall, I give this place 5 on food considering my experience with Mediterranean cuisine which usually means I'm hitting a place that's not as fancy as this. Then, you might be asking, why 4 stars? Well, truth is, this place isn't friendly on the wallet if ya know what I mean. I mean, yeah, it's good, and the service was alright, but you have to drop some bills to eat at this joint. For that, I'm not sure that I will return here until I get out of my economic slump. If I were to spend this kind of dough, I think I'd go somewhere else. Just sayin'. Maybe I'll have to find out if they have cheaper lunch specials or something.

    (4)

  • David H.

    I have been there for their lunch buffet (once during the week and once on Sat). Both times I am impressed on the freshness and variety of their food. There are plenty of choices for people who like meat or vegetables. Their service is attentive. Their food is delicious. It is a little hard to find as it is hidden behind a bank. Just remember that it is near Mt. Alifan. Their buffet has a salad area (don't miss the bread at the beginning), a couple selections of soup, and then vegetable and meat selections. It ends with some kid-friendly items such as spaghetti and chicken wings. They have a separate dessert and fruit table (don't miss their Napoleans). Their meats are always fresh and tender. They use buffet trays with roll top covers to help keep the food warm and fresh.

    (5)

  • Brook M.

    Yumm!!! The food was fantastic! I will be back soon!!! The market next door is a great place as well :-)

    (5)

  • Rachel S.

    I went to dinner & a show for a date. It was really awesome to see Daanyavad & the Shimmy Sisters entertain the crowd. It was a packed house & so cute to watch the interaction of the guests with the belly dancers, esp the children. Food was awesome, BUT next time they do this, the servers should be fully staffed, because it took us about an HOUR to get our Food. Great Space, Great Entertainment, Great Food! Looking forward to the next one. =)

    (4)

  • Helen M.

    best persian restaurant in all of san diego!

    (5)

  • Marlou A.

    I've been here twice, the first time was for dinner on a Saturday night. For entertainment, food, and ambiance I would have rated Sufi four stars. Price wise, i think what they charge per entree is a little high. My most recent visit was for lunch and we were planning on ordering off the lunch specials and the kids menu for the two kids with us. Sufi was having their lunch buffet ($13.95 with drink I believe, and I assume that's the M-F price) and we opted for that since they had plenty to choose from. I only wanted the Barg Kabob, but they don't have that as a lunch special (so I went with the buffet). Also, we wanted to order the kids cheese pizza and the server told us they didn't have any. I hate that. The buffet had a good array of options, but as expected, the quality of food wasn't too high up there. Not bad, just not great. I think I will keep looking for another Persian restaurant to try before I come back to Sufi. Overall, 3 stars.

    (3)

  • Bumble B.

    Let's start with I've lived in San Diego for over 20 years and was never really impressed with Persian restaurants till Sufi opened!! Best koobideh I've ever had!! Delicious!! Wait staff are ALL courteous and prompt. If you have never been you are missing out!! Thank you Sufi for a delicious meal :)

    (5)

  • SD B.

    Love this place. Every time I come here I am not disappointed. Amazing atmosphere and great quality food. Can't beat the buffet here. I have come on weekdays and weekends. The Sunday buffet has more and well worth the price. Love everything especially the shabzi, favs bean rice, chicken and beef tika. Best I have had. Will be coming here a lot more.

    (5)

  • Sasan A.

    They have very good champagne brunch buffet on Sundays. Some of their items are not at display, so make sure to ask your waiter what else is available.

    (4)

  • S And T B.

    We ordered: Sufi's Salad (without the beets) Hummus & Pita Sufi Special #3 (Shish kabob, chicken kabob, lamb kabob) Everything was wonderful. The salad dressing was different and very tasty! Portions are very generous and enough for our family (2 children 2 adults) to have two meals.

    (4)

  • Angelica G.

    Wow! I'm in love with Sufi!!! Let me begin by saying I spent 3 years in a Persian family with a lot of home cooked meals. I may be Mexicana but I KNOW good Persian food. I even cook it at home. Seriously this place is beautiful, the waitstaff was wonderful and the food was DE-lish! It would be great to see this place succeed. My friend and I shared a Meza Plate and the Koobideh Kebab. It was way more than enough food. The meat was juicy and cooked to perfection. The rice was great and of course the tomatoes were nicely grilled. It was a great meal! Great now I'm hungry again haha I can TOTALLY understand paying a little more for the ambiance as opposed to the "market" next door. Some days you just prefer to have it quiet and nice lighting as opposed to the middle of the store eating in 5 minutes hehe. The ambiance definitely makes it worth while. :) I love what they've done with the place. I just wish it was easier to find as I passed it twice! hehe

    (5)

  • Jordan J.

    Sufi is amazingly awesome!! I usually don't eat that much Mediterranean food, however when I do it's usually an occasion when I do. Now after eating at Sufi, I can definitely say that I am genuinely addicted! Their food is amazing (big portions, and you definitely get "bang" for your buck!!). The restaurant is also very contemporary and has a very chill vibe. and a very friendly staff. They also have a stage for live entertainment which I think is an awesome addition to any restaurant. Additionally, (as a DJ, this is the first thing I look for at any venue) their sound and lighting systems are very technologically up to date and ergonomic, which definitely shows me that they went above and beyond to make sure their delivery of entertainment was top quality! I definitely recommend this place. Prepare yourself for some awesome food!! :)

    (5)

  • Tony K.

    Not sure what to think of this place! Food is OK but not that great especially when you can get the same items from the market next door for much much cheaper and to me way better tasting. Service is horrible during lunch time. When I went they place was packed and they only had one server and a busboy!!! Ended up being there for more than 1:45. Obviously people from surrounding business can't eat there.

    (1)

  • Ann S.

    Great food thank you!

    (5)

  • Eric P.

    San Diego's best kept secret for middle eastern food. Lunch buffet is unbeatable.

    (4)

  • Oren P.

    Good food, but expensive - and service is not exactly attentive. Not the best place for a date - partly due to their big screen TV.

    (3)

  • Heather B.

    This place is amazing! The atmosphere is terrific, the staff is VERY friendly AND the food is OUTSTANDING! Best Koobideh I have had in San Diego! I totally recommend this place to anyone who likes Mediterranean cuisine! I have not tried the brunch that everyone is raving about, but I definitely plan on experiencing it VERY soon! If someone suggests this place, GO GO GO GO GO!!! DON'T THINK TWICE!!! YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

    (5)

  • Arash M.

    We went to Sufi for a Friday lunch buffet. The food was amazing and so was the desert. I highly recommend this place!

    (5)

  • Will G.

    Wife and I attended Sunday Brunch buffet. Both the food and selection were excellent, easily 4 stars (4.5 stars if you are a carnivore). I would give the food five stars if there were more variety in terms of dish types (it's mostly meat)-- that's just a quibble, I tried a little of everything and nothing disappointed. For $21.95 it was an excellent value. With the additional bonus that the meats were Halal (if that matters to you). Service was excellent, and the place is huge.

    (5)

  • Steph L.

    I came here last Friday night, with a big group of close friends and family. The renovations that have been made to this space are really quite amazing, nothing like the old building which I believe was mostly a take-out fast food joint. Sufi is now a great banquet hall filled with beautiful white-linen covered tables. You could easily fit 300 people in this space! Some of my group are Muslim and don't drink alcohol, but for those of us who do enjoy a cocktail every now and then...there is a full bar. My lovely friend Gloria talked me into ordering an apple martini, and when it came out it was perfect. Not sickeningly sweet, and very strong. Loved it. They had a nice variety of wine choices, which was great for my sister. The food is authentic Persian cuisine, delicious, and the portions are huge. Each entree cost approximately $18-25 dollars, but that was easily enough for two people. We had a variety of dishes: lamb kabob, lamb shank, fried fish, chicken kabob, fesenjoon (pomegranate stew) etc etc. Their Persian rice was the fluffiest I have ever had. We tried not to fill up on appetizers and bread, but they were sooooo delicious it was hard not to! There is a dancefloor and live Persian music. Bonus points because of the rainbow strobe light. :) Absolutely loved everything about Sufi. Reza and I are now considering having our after-wedding dinner reception here! Love to our hosts the Levi's for taking us here, and introducing us to this wonderful and very fun place.

    (5)

  • Tyler S.

    YUM!!! As with all great food Del Phillips brought here for brunch, WOW....great food fantastic service and great value. I loved it and was amazed at the quality and large selection of great food! I will go back very soon! With Del of course!

    (5)

  • Bella D.

    My review is based on Sunday Brunch. So my man decided to take me here because he mentioned that he has gone a few times for lunch with co-workers. Unfortunately on Sundays, the only option was brunch. We were hoping to order off the menu since I'm a pretty picky eater. The cost of the brunch was $21.99. Definitely not worth what I would have paid for it. The restaurant looked nice in the inside but unfortunately the food selection wasn't up to par. First of all, I should let you know that I'm not a big buffet eater to begin with but since we were already there, we thought we would give it a shot. I did try a little bit of everything but nothing really stood out. I was hoping that the hummus and the bread would be amazing since I love hummus and bread but the bread was cold and the hummus tasted like something I could just buy from the store. I think the best thing I had was the grilled zucchini which might not be saying much since I tried the rice and a several of the chicken and beef entrees. I believe the chicken curry was OK. The chicken kabob was dry. And the Tandoori Chicken was also just OK. The beef kabob was a little better but nothing above average. There wasn't too much flavor in any of the food items. They had a selection of mini desserts which I normally enjoy but the desserts were also not something to be remembered. I think the best dessert was the cookies that looked like they came from a tin can. They had an omelette station but since it was already 2:30 in the afternoon, we weren't in the mood for breakfast. It took a while for the waitress to come by and take our drink order but once she did she was nice and pleasant. For the amount of money spent, we could've had a nice lunch or dinner somewhere else so I won't be coming back anytime soon.

    (2)

  • Justin B.

    Oh man, this is currently my new favorite restaurant! The food is incredible, the portions are generous, the price is fair, and the staff is phenomenal! If you want a filling lunch, come during the day and order a combination plate. If you want to enjoy an upscale brunch, come in on Sunday and bring the whole family. The koobideh is so juicy it'll bring you to tears.

    (5)

  • Faith F.

    Joined a group of friends for dinner and live entertainment. A great time was had by all. Upon entering, I was thoroughly impressed by the luxe mediterannean decor which included a variety of tapestries: wood, leather, fine fabrics, and crystal. The internal highlights for me were the fine fabrics and crystal chandeliers throughout. This made for an inviting and warm fellowship experience. The food was good. I had the lamb kabobs with saffron rice. Though good, I would have preferred the meat to be more tender. I'll try beef or chicken next time. The service was lacking as there weren't enough attendants to handle the large amount of guests. As a result, we waited a very long time for food and water. The live entertainment consisted of a jazz band and a belly dancer, performing at different times, a nice contrast. After the live entertainment, the dance floors were opened with a DJ spinning the turn tables to hot middle eastern beats. This is the place to go for great food, fun, fun, and more middle eastern FUN. This is a hot spot indeed!

    (4)

  • Katerina J.

    I've been here for Sunday Buffet-Style Brunch we a few friends right after our regular Sunday tennis: enjoyed delicious Mediterranean (mostly Persian) food, great ambiance and interesting crowd. Service is excellent (given that was a buffet-style brunch), very attentive and friendly. Quality of food is great, really liked eggplant paste (just melted in my mouth) and rice dish with lamb . Yes, it does look more like a banquet hall than a restaurant but I'll take it! This aspect adds some authenticity and uniqueness to the place and I really enjoyed it.

    (4)

  • The Critic ..

    I have to be honest some of the best places I have dined at have been in the most remote locations in the city. Sufi is located behind a shopping center down on balboa and genesse. The exterior of the building looks recently remodeled and the interior is where this place shines the most. Truly a spot that needs to be in the gas lamp quarter if you ask for my opinion. Great food, juicy dishes that are fresh and make your mouth water. The fresh bread is crispy and hot fresh out of the oven. Hats off to a diamond in the rough The Critic.

    (5)

  • Chris P.

    i got the lamb kebab entre. I got 4-5 chunks of pretty well seasoned lamb and a bit of onions and tomato with enough rice for a family. It was way out of proportion and not really in a good way.

    (3)

  • Alkarim S.

    The location was massive! From end to end tables, this looks more like a banquet hall than a restaurant. We were seated at what looked like the back end, there is a stage at one end that is difficult to see from the back end. The tables and sparse decorations were nice, elegant and not overdone. We ate the appetizers, kask e bademjan, eggplant, it was tasty along with the free bread. The main courses were good, but the chicken could use more flavor. I thought the koobideh, beef and chicken were incredibly flavorful. It was only the chicken kabob that was not as impaction. i would definitely come again, I would like to try the lamb sometime. It was a shame that the chicken kabob was weak on the flavor, that is my favorite dish. I forgot to say that there were belly dancers. Not bad, we were just so far away. It was a show but the singer was more entertaining. I didn't need to see him, nor did I have to stretch my neck out to look at the dancers.

    (4)

  • Rafa D.

    Came here with a group for lunch. Service was friendly and quick. Had the lamb shank which was good, not great. I guess I expected a little more seasoning...I would actually call it bland. Portions are big. Everyone else seemed happy with their choices (chicken and beef skewers). I would definitely go back but probably not order the lamb shank.

    (3)

  • Zak S.

    Awesome food. Clean, family oriented ambience. Very reasonably priced. Tried their buffet and a la carte menu. Have been there 3 times in 3 trips to SD. You have to check them out if ever in the area and want to have good middle-eastern food.

    (5)

  • Judy P.

    The food here was very good. We had the Boneless Lamb Shish Kabob served with Basmati rice with Saffron, and grilled tomatoes for $19, which was so tender and delicious. We also had the Gheimeh Bademjan for $12, which is sautéed eggplant, yellow split peas, seasoned beef stew simmered in tomato sauce, served with Basmati rice with Saffron. The stew was good, but for me, it's not a "gotta have it again" dish. I also had the Tabouli salad for $5 and I loved it. Our waitress, is another story, she lacked customer service skills, often seemed unsure of herself, and rarely checked on us. When we were ready for our bill, we had to search for her and asked her on 2 separate occasions for our bill. Not a good experience on that note. However, there was a Busboy who was very friendly, very helpful, and definitely had acquired great customer service skills. The roles between our actual waitress and the busboy should've been reversed. There is live music on the weekends, but check with the restaurant for events. We went to see Michael Battista perform on a Friday night, which is always a great performance!

    (3)

  • Melinda L.

    Don't eat with your eyes here. There, you've been warned. I came STARVED, and ordered everything that looked good, thinking I would definitely have room to pack it away. Wrong. The 2 appetizers had me and my best friend so full, we barely made a dent in the entree. We had the Falafel (unfortunately dry and soggy, but the hummus it came with was one of the best I've ever had), the Crispy Rice Tadig (interesting flavors, but alas, too oily and tart), and finally the Boneless Chicken and Beef Kabob plate. THAT PLATE. Oh man was it good. I didnt know grilled chicken could be that flavorful... and JUICY. It was so tender and practically melted in your mouth. The beef was wonderfully flavored, spicy (with spice, not hot) and complex, and the rice was the perfect mild balance/accent to the whole dish. The Yogurt dip we bought to accompany everything was crisp and refreshing, a perfect accompaniment to all the roasted/grilled-ness of our meal. I would definitely come back, and knowing that they have a daily buffet only solidifies that.

    (4)

  • Alon K.

    The juiciest koobideah I ate in San Diego, the best by far. decor is nice, very clean, great service, very good price for lunch (combination for 11$ with huge portion of meat in high quality), can not beat that!! don't order Hummus, Tahini etc...it's Persian restaurant, but the meat and the Persian dishes are just excellent... 5+++

    (5)

  • Ma S.

    Unbelievable food and ambiance. what a hidden gem in San Diego. They make you feel at home, entertainment was awesome and the food tastes like home made. We ordered chicken and lamb kabob and it was made to perfection. Plenty of parking space so beats downtown hassle. I'm definitely going back.

    (5)

  • Julia E.

    Eww...a buffet.

    (2)

  • Yekta A.

    I can't say that the food is SO GOOD like everyone else, but I am giving it greta ratings because of the environment, the friendly staff and music on a Saturday night.

    (5)

  • Johnny D.

    After an irritating encounter with the hostess in regards to being seated in a proper table I was given a plate of Filet Mignon that did not look right. I mentioned that to the waitress and she seemed oblivious. That was probably the worst I have had in a Persian Restaurant to date. The chicken was okay as well as the rest of the food. What bothered me the most was the continued harassment of attempting to take away our plate as there was still food on the table. I had to turn them away at least 4 times. The waitress seemed to disappear but I sure had a ton of bus boys trying to clear my table. Entertainment was good but we should keep with the theme of middle eastern music and stay away from the George Michael and Gypsi King music. It does not work.

    (3)

  • Soma M.

    but for the fact that it is not advertised in the public media and i didnt get the information about this restaurant before (neither did mnay of my friends) i would give this a 3 star, otherise it would be a 5 for me.... **************************************************­************************************************ this is a hidden gem....awesome food, live music and dance, romantic ambience. sunday brunch is the best..so many different types of dishes to choose from.....the desserts are totally delectable...i still cant forget the black tea....loved my lamb polo and chicken and okra and the squash curry as well, among several other dishes i tried that day...very enjoyable hangout for the mediterranean foodie..

    (3)

  • Will F.

    We went on a Saturday for the buffet and it was pretty good. Not the best I have had but decent for San Diego. The beef and chicken kabobs were tasty but lacking that true Persian flavor we experienced on the east coast. Now on to the service which was strange and poor. When we entered the restaurant I asked the hostess the pricing policy for the buffet and was told 12 and under half price and she asked how old my daughter was I told her 12 so she said "2 at half price and 2 regular price" we decided to give it a try. More on this later! After reading on Yelp that you had to ask for pita bread I gave it a shot and was given a very strange look by the server like why would you want pita with kabobs! I was brought one packaged pita cut up into triangles for the whole table of four people. I also had to ask for a drink other than water and then beg for one refill as the server never returned to our table after my pita and drink request. The server only returned to refill water and drinks when we waived her down which I find very poor service. We finished eating and sat around talking for at least 10 minutes waiting on the check which never arrived so we got up and I went to the cash register and waited on the check for another couple minutes as they could not locate our server. When I received the check it was for 3 adults and 1 child which I immediately brought up to the hostess and reminded her of our conversation when we came in. She said wait a second and disappeared to the back room then another gentleman came over and said the hostess was wrong and my daughter would be charged as an adult. I said "we discussed this with the hostess and she said 12 and under was half price. I also said you can't tell us one thing then charge another and I that I would like to speak the manager" the server disappeared for 5 minutes. When the server returned not the manager he told me in a rather abrupt way that they would only charge us half price this time but next time it would be full price. I said to him maybe you should post the prices instead of misinforming people. He said to me that" its very clear 12 and under are half price" which I responded with she's only 12. Maybe its a language issue I'm not sure but it ruined our experience and I most likely will never return

    (2)

  • Roselle E.

    Are you done with Chinese buffets and looking for something different? Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine is a hidden gem. Literally, it is in a hidden shopping complex off Balboa Ave. But once you've found it, it is so grand you can't miss it. The Sunday brunch at 11:30 is by far the best buffet for $21.95. We practically tasted everything from the salad bar to the main entrees to the desserts. They were ALL good. We will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Nasim S.

    We were there last night for New Year's celebrations, and we had an amazing time. The food was absolutely delicious, the service was impeccable and entertainment was fantastic . Our new year got off to a really nice start.

    (5)

  • Kayvon D.

    While the service does sometimes have a little room for improvement, the food is awesome and I still feel the service is above average. They also offer an awesome Sunday brunch with bottomless champagne!

    (4)

  • Camilo G.

    I wish I could give this place full 5 stars but since it is new I guess it is still learning the hoops of the business. If you've ate at Balboa Int. market, this place is basically the same food only better. Great rice, very tender kabobs, amazing appetizers and excellent service. Already been here twice since it first opened and I'm already a regular. The prices are very reasonable for the amount of food they serve. My uncle is the one always ordering the dishes so I don't remember the names exactly but we've tried a great variety and all have been very good. The location has plenty of parking and the installations of the restaurant are very clean and elegant (bar, stage, tables, restrooms). If you feel like trying some Persian food without the plastic forks and paper plates from Balboa, give yourself a treat and enjoy Sufi!

    (4)

  • Hossein S.

    Great food and service all the times we have gone in. The Sunday brunch is amazing anything and everything is pretty much available for a low cost and it's not your typical Buffett brunch it's high quality food. All the staff are attentive and nice. And to too it off parking is super easy unlike downtown San Diego where other persian restaurants are.

    (5)

  • Kamran M.

    The food quality at Sufi is somewhere between ok and good but nothing fantastic. Service is good and the price is on the medium side. If you are on an economy budget try eating at their sister cafe next door in the Balboa market. This ia a good place to have parties and large family get togethers. Their Kabob dishes are better than the other items on the menu. This is one of the better persian restaurants in San Diego but still nothing compared to Los Angeles :(

    (3)

  • Erwin M.

    Better than bandar that's for sure. Fantastic salads, kebabs are amazing and the Koobileh was yum yum. I'm trying the stews next time!

    (5)

  • Maxwell J.

    I came here for brunch last Sunday. Impressed. Excellent Persian cuisine with fresh, simple, and delicious flavors. Attentive and warm staff. And a very charming co-owner brought me the most interesting sheep's tongue dish. Overall, a great experience. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Phil B.

    We did the lunch buffet. not a big buffet person, but it looked nice so we gave it a try for like 13 buck a person. the staff was friendly and very pleasant. all the flavors were great- delicious! everything seemed very fresh- the hummus, salads, lentils, fresh fruit- the chicken kebobs were very moist- overall, a great meal. would go there again in a heartbeat.

    (5)

  • Don A.

    This place is a great Mediterranean restaurant with live shows on Friday and Saturday night. The food was absolutely delicious! We got the beef Soltani which consists of two skewers one of ground beef and one of steak. We loved each and every bite. They're also very friendly and personable. Another great thing to get is the tadig which is a crispy rice dish. I really like this spot.

    (5)

  • Jim H.

    Buffet never disappoints. Beautiful restaurant. Best decor and ambiance. Great friendly staff.great food. Go on family special occasions. I feel like a king when I visit here and that is why I bring my visiting family from east coast. Beef kobedeh is really good. The pistachio ice cream next door is to DIE FOR.

    (5)

  • Brandon W.

    Came here for lunch. They have a pretty decent buffet. I would recommend it if you're looking for a nice lunch spot in the area.

    (4)

  • Feri D.

    I have had food here 3 times. I prefer the sunday brunch which has great variety of good food. Koobideh, shish kabob, ghormeh sabzi were my favourite. Olive salad is also very good.

    (4)

  • Sk T.

    If you want to have your ear drums blown out, go to Sufi on Friday night. We were seated pretty close to the speaker and it was absolutely horrible. I cannot f-ing eat when it's f-ing loud. We literally had to yell at each other to talk and soon nobody said anything since it was just traumatizing. There were little kids too and I wanted to put noise cancelling headphones over their ears. Belly dancer is fine, but not the older patrons shaking their wrinkley bellys in hoochi mama clothes and throwing dollar bills at the belly dancer. Add the cheap strobe lights, shameless grannys grinding and Voila, you are at a pseudo strip club. Service is hella slow but understandable, since I don't think anyone would be able to focus in that kind of setting. Blasting music with insane bass just ruined everything. If the volume was low enough so we can hear each other, it would have been much better.

    (1)

  • san diego P.

    Great place, kitchen looks immaculate. Food is awesome and great selection for brunch. Price is totally reasonable. My only complaint? They took a long time setting their brunch line up. Other than that, I'm definitely going back there.

    (5)

  • K F.

    OMG!! The best Koobideh I have ever eaten!! We went there on Friday and my hubby ordered Koobideh Combination and I ordered chicken kebab. I tried some of my hubby's beef koobideh and it was just sooooooooooo goooooooooooood!! It was very juicy and flavorful and soft. Chicken kebab I got was also flavorful. If you are craving for Mediterranean food, you have to try their koobideh!!

    (5)

  • Johnny D.

    I've been there multiple times. Every time the service has been great. Two or three weeks ago I went in with my lady and we got excellent service from the waitstaff. They gave me this amazing hot sauce that changed my life. I wish they would bottle it and sell it next door at Balboa International Market.

    (5)

  • Beth R.

    This was okay, not great. We had the buffet, $14 per person. Nice enough selection. Hummus was somewhat bland. Barley soup was great. Tandoori chicken was not too flavorful and dry.

    (3)

  • Adam M.

    This is the grill inside Balboa International Market - a Persian grocery store. The food is excellent, and comes in large portions. Whenever I get an urge for Persian food, and feel too lazy to make it myself - this is where I often end up. Homestyle food - I am especially fond of their chelo kebab (ground beef kabab) - although their chicken nd lamb preparations are also much beloved.

    (4)

  • Aluanna F.

    Oh my goodness. This is heaven on earth. This place not only has a friendly yet classy atmosphere, with great live music and entertainment, but the food has QUALITY, you cant help but go back again and again. Very delicious, with a wide range of dishes to choose from. Their famous filet mignon is enough to make you fall in love with this place. Simply one of the quality restaurants in California. Also the price is decent. Check it out, you will love it :)

    (5)

  • Beatrice M.

    I love their Sunday brunch... best Mediterranean food and nice waitress. My husband and I enjoyed the food a lot. I wish they offer more variety and some more Veggie dishes. I will be back for sure

    (5)

  • M. E.

    food was okay nothing special really ! went there for lunch and the waiter never told us of the lunch specials ! it wasn't until i ordered that I noticed that what I asked for was on the lunch special for 6 $ cheaper! when i got the bill, I told our waiter but he did not do much about it and said i had the larger portion of the food ! it was rice and chicken ! in a normal portion. I worked for restaurants for years and I think they should have charged me for it as a lunch special. I also asked for veggies with my meal more than rice and I never got the veggies ! the manger was nice and I did not want to take this matter with him.. I just wanted to leave ! I was over it as I was hoping they would be more honest then waiting for their customers to figure things out. I also thought my chicken was under cooked ! I wish them the best but I am definitely taking my Business elsewhere!

    (1)

  • Yashar A.

    I love this place! It's like a dream come true for Sunday Brunch Buffett I don't like buffets usually, except the better ones in Vegas like Wynn, but I always wanted to go to a Persian/Mediterranean buffet, and lo and behold Sufi has just that on Sundays! Price is reasonable, I think it's $20/person? I have not paid myself since every time I have been there thus far has been with family. Anyways, awesome food, wait staff are great too, and well, just try it out, and you'll see.

    (5)

  • Kevin B.

    I'll keep it short...Go to the market next door. cheaper price and better. Sorry Sufi, despite not being persians, I have tasted too many good persian food, and I know. Your cooking is too mediocre, hence the lack of a crowd in your establishment. Your meat is too dry, your salads came from souplantations' day old garbage, and services are no better than a chinese restaurant in the hood. Hard to have good persian food here in SD, guess I must get my fix in Irvine instead.

    (2)

  • Pashtana M.

    Overpriced, and food is terrible. Plus they charged me $248.00 instead of $121.00, which was voided and I was told it will be fine next business day. Today is Day 5 and its still reflecting in my account. I will never take my friends again here - there are other great places to spend your money and have way much better food.

    (2)

  • Omar Q.

    Finally went here for the Sunday Brunch with a group of friends after hearing about this restaurant for a long time and I have to say i was impressed. Their Service was Awesome. I cant remember the last time i went to restaurant were the staff was as friendly as here. The Food Was Delicious as well. They had Omellet bar made to order similar to ones in Casinos in Vegas. I would Definitely be going back to this place and recommending. A Few areas of Improvement i would suggest to the management are, improving the Dessert Bar. Desserts such as cakes and Custards should be served cold. Not at room Temp. I tried both their and they were chilled at all. Also for a $25 Brunch Buffet i would expect a few more Items on the Menu. They had all the Basics. which was maybe 12 to 15 dishes but for that kind of money generally their are more choice based on my experience. Overall a good experience and good tasting food along with great service so i definitely recommend giving it a try.

    (5)

  • Tommy T.

    Went after buying a $50 gift cert for $25...Glad I didn't pay full price.. Started with the Sufi salad which we shared Had to ask for a extra plate 3 times, from three different people...service was very slow and the place wasn't even at 50% capacity..I had the ground beef and filet kabob with the standard saffron rice..large portions but...Ground beef kabob is bland..I expected better seasoning...Filet kabob was better and the meat was really tender...rice was bland and vegies on the kabob were two blackened tomato halfs .My partner had the shrimp kabob with the "upgrade" seasoned rice ($3 extra, much better flavor) Shrimp were good sized, and plentiful,,,good flavor, but a little dry...needed a sauce or melted butter.. Deserts were interesting and the live band and dancers were fun (but the drummer plays way to loud compare to the others and downs out the singer!)

    (2)

  • Oliver J.

    Went here for a dinner hosted by the Center for Policy Initiative. The food was great and the waitstaff was polite and attentive. The night could not have gone better. I'd recommend them for any catering event you need.

    (4)

  • Tony P.

    I would check out the Persian market next door .. same menu just cheaper.

    (4)

  • Safoura G.

    It was our first time at this restaurant, greatly disappointed. We have been to many persian restaurants and by far this place was one of the worst! The service was great and prompt, but thats all!

    (2)

  • Mo A.

    We didn't go at a peak time, it was 3pm on a Saturday. It was pretty empty inside, we got seated and service was appropriate. They brought out toast bread?? I've never been to a middle eastern restaurant and been served toast. I had a Pinot Noir, pretty good for $8. I split a soltani with mommy dearest. The koobideh was great, the barg was pretty bland. Rice was also really good. I'm used to decent size portions and this thing was a little meager for $22. We ordered the keshke bademjoon appetizer and it was horrible, didn't taste horrible, just didn't meet any requirements for a restaurant quality appetizer. I wouldn't say the place is horrible, might be fun with if out with a few friends but the food definitely gets a 2/5.

    (3)

  • Marion M.

    Been here several times now and have thoroughly enjoyed it! Service is spotty but go when your not in a hurry.

    (4)

  • Reid O.

    This is the sort of place that I have to force myself NOT to eat at, because I always want to. The food is cheap and tastes delicious. It's got a nice family-run feel, as well.

    (5)

  • Downtown B.

    The location is pretty obscure for the type of restaurant this actually is. The atmosphere comes across as very formal and we felt kinda silly in super casual attire & flip flops but the staff was super welcoming. We told our waiter we had never been to Sufi and he made great suggestions on drinks, appetizers & entrees. We ordered the chicken and lamb and it was wonder full even though we were there at the very beginning of dinner service. This is a time of day when food and service could be sub par. But above anything wait staff and service was great and that always can make or break any dining experience.

    (4)

  • Bita L.

    its a best place to go eat persian food and shop at the same time. they have great deals on meat, and vegetables. their kabobs are juicy and tasty. they have excellent customer service. I highly recommend shopping and eating here.

    (5)

  • Marshall L.

    Great space.. awesome buffet.. service makes all the difference in the world and the gentleman in front was fantastic and welcoming! He knew my name.. wish I got his.. treated me like VIP.. for a take out order! Regular spot for my favorite Mediterranean food?? DONE!

    (5)

  • Vida B.

    great place and great food. loved the customer service and the food is better compared to other places we have been to. would def recommend.

    (4)

  • Michele M.

    One star not because the food is bad, the food is delicious, but because of the racist girl who seated us. When we went in, a girl at the front seated us down. We had 5 people in our party, 4 girls and 1 guy. Immediately after she sat us down, the girl asked the guy if he is Chinese or Japanese, which put us at an awkward place. Although 4/5 of us are asian, none of us were even Chinese or Japanese. When he answered none of them, the lady then asked again so are you like from China or Japan...that just brought the mood down for us. Just because we are asian does not label us as being Chinese or Japanese... who asks these types of questions when people just came in and sat down looking forward to a delicious meal.

    (1)

  • Sahar E.

    This place has the best Persian food in all of San Diego. Believe me I've tried them all!! Very pretty restaurant and good atmosphere. I Looooooove this place! If you haven't been then you're missing out. Oh and please don't go and order a cheeseburger. Order a kabob or a stew so you can actually say you've tried Persian food. The also have buffets on Sunday's I believe but In my experience the food is more fresh when they make it after you order.

    (5)

  • Jack M.

    My intentions was to have an a la carte lunch here, but I quickly learned that they had lunch buffet Mon-Sat for $13.95, and when I realized I would be paying practically the same amount for what I was planning to order, I decided to go for it. First, I piled on the kebabs and rice, because that was what I was planning to chow down on anyways ( yelp.com/biz_photos/sufi… ). The chicken kebabs were fantastic. They were juicy through and through, and well seasoned with Mediterranean herbs and spices. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/sufi… ) The beef were good too, but needed a little more seasoning, especially herbs, but still they tasted good. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/sufi… ) Both the basmati white rice and herbed and cherry basmati were very good and properly steamed. On my second trip, I had some salad with and excellent house green dressing, the juicy and mildly spice chicken wings, ( yelp.com/biz_photos/sufi… ) tender well seasoned roasted chicken as well, and a savory vegetable soup with macaroni. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/sufi… ) I enjoyed everything on this plate. I also tried there hummus, which I found to be to grainy and not so flavorful. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/sufi… ) They did not provide pita or flat bread, to my disappointment, but rather a thick herb focaccia type bread, which was quite good. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/sufi… ) At last, I went back for another serving of chicken kebab and white basmati rice because they were both my favorites. If you check-in here with Yelp, you get a free Arabic hot tea. ( yelp.com/biz_photos/sufi… ) It was quite good. Service was provided by several individuals, although they all did fine, my favorite was Kate, because she was the most personable and friendly of the bunch, and she kept my water filled. One thing this buffet needs, is pita bread, so we can make our own wraps...but a very good buffet for the price indeed. Gimme pita....

    (4)

  • Bin H.

    Absolutely by far the cleanest restaurant with exceptional friendly and professional service and amazingly delicious food. Enjoy a healthy Mediterranean Iranian cuisine buffet daily 1130 am to 3 pm. And Mon - Thursday dinner buffet too. I used to come here all the time with my 2 kids and everyone was patient with us despite the mess kids made. Thanks and congratulations to The owners Manager John, accounting and management team Servers Ealnaz, Ryan all others I am so sorry I don't have good name memory to all serves period, the Iranian brothers, Hispanic busboy, amd the young bus girl too, all the cooks chef and the kitchen crew. I am so sorry that I had to move to a different city. I will miss you guys. Hope to see you soon.

    (5)

  • Desmond F.

    I'm told this place is a staple for those in the community who have Halal dietary restrictions. Their menu is varied and the dishes that I've tasted are very good. They are on the pricier side when it comes to other places though. Still, the ambiance is very nice, and when they have their performances on Fridays it is well worth it!

    (4)

  • Hanuman R.

    Wonderful all around; the hostess is very sweet and always has a smile on her face when she greets us. We usually go for the buffet, which ALWAYS has the standards we go for; tabouleh, hummus, babaganouj etc...so we can count on that. Then they mix it up with kebabs, kibeh, stews of all sorts and even a wide selection of deserts. You can stuff yourself until your belt no longer buckles, OR you can eat a healthy, well-rounded meal with all you need to stay healthy (fresh vegetables, salads, mean, etc). The only negative is the bread selection can be borderline stale sometimes, so more attention should be made to ensure those of us who can't have a meal without bread get the same quality as the rest of the food. Highly recommend this place.

    (4)

  • Suzanne T.

    My boyfriend loves this place. I am not big on Greek/Persian food so I'll give it a 3.5. They have a nice selection. Love their fresh made pita bread. They all different types of bread. The Greek salad and pasta salad. Normal. Hummus and baba ganoush was flavorful. They had beef kabobs, chicken and some other type of meat which I didn't like. The proteins were ok. It could get dried. They some desserts which had some type of cream filling in it. It was small but it came with a nice sweet bang. I say give it a try. I might not be the best person to rate it but i would go back again to give it another try. I loaded on a lot of salads and bread so it was wasteful for me to even be there.

    (3)

  • Mel B.

    Ate here for lunch one day during the week. We got here around 11:45 and it was almost empty. We were seated right away. This place is buffet style. I tried a little of almost everything and everything tasted fresh. The restaurant itself looks fancy. I don't know how much the cost of the buffet was per person because we were treating out a friend for her birthday but I ended up paying $20 for myself, tip and a portion of birthday girls meal. I had a pleasant experience and will return. Only thing they don't serve is flat bread or pita but they do serve some kind of bread. Also, I wish they had a better selection of dessert.

    (4)

  • Malia J.

    We still love this restaurant. It is my Persian husband's home away from home. The food is always fresh and delicious. The best Persian food in SD handsdown.

    (5)

  • Sahar A.

    We usually go for dinner with the whole family. My favorite Persian restaurant in the San Diego area. Usually very busy so good idea to call ahead, especially on weekends when they have programs like live singers and belly dancers. You really can't go wrong with anything you order but my favorite is the sultani plate and the tadig with gormeh sabzi stew. I also like the salmon and sabzi polo or the chicken kabob! All of it will make your mouth water. Overall no complaints, very lively and professional service with great management.

    (5)

  • Tony K.

    Atmosphere: Very nice restaurant, the inside is very clean and decorated very nicely. the ambience is business casual.(4/5 stars) Food: Went to the lunch buffet, i would have to say, out of the 25 different foods presented, i thoroughly enjoyed the chicken, rice, lettuce with the honey mustard sauce. The dessert was very good as well. Dealbreaker was the price: $15 for chicken and rice. (2/5 stars) Service: Started off very good, but ended up poor. Waiter came by one time during the whole hour we were eating. They had one server working the whole floor/15 tables. While the owner was sitting on the other side of the restaurant enjoying his persian tea, and tallying up his receipts. The manager was at the bar making small talk and relaxing, while all this was going on. I almost did not want to pay the gratuity that they included on our receipt. (1/5 stars) Would i go back? heck no. $15 for chicken and rice, no thank you.

    (2)

  • Shamila I.

    Wow wow wow!!! Amazing food! We went on Sunday for the lunch buffet. All I can say is that it was a glorious experience. Soft and succulent beef kebabs, juicy chicken tikka and desserts to die for. We had an amazing time. The place is gorgeous. Beautiful restaurant. It was super busy and I can see why. The staff are friendly and eager to assist. We ate until we rolled out the door :) I advise yelpers to go and experience this restaurant. Mondays to Saturdays the lunch buffet is $14.00 and on Sundays it's $21.95. But man, what an overload for my tastebuds!

    (5)

  • Tony B.

    I always love the lunch buffet at this place. Persian salad stuff with chicken and beef kabobs along with many other buffet options. Not cheap at $15 per person but if you come in hungry well worth it as the food is delicious. Service is always good and the servers extremely nice.

    (4)

  • Christina R.

    Buffet Lunch $14.95 good deal includes one drink. Chicken Karaji: easily the best dish on the buffet but watch out for chicken bones, especially the needle-shaped one that I can't find a name for. Almost got skewered. Tender juicy chunks of chicken swimming in a curry sauce. Beef Kheimeh- with peas, tasty Beef gormeh - very strong flavor - giant balls of allspice, look out! they're cooked so long, they get squishy and I accidentally thought one was a mushroom. Kebabs Chicken and Beef (Khoubideh) - tasty with the Mast o khiar. Chicken Tikka - tender dry flavorful Lentil soup - average Barley Okra spicy soup - 3 on a heat scale of 1-10. I don't eat Tilapia anymore, so that's the only entree I didn't try. The salads were delicious and refreshing. Top notch chopped cucumber tomato salad and excellent homemade dressing for the loose leaf lettuce. Pita bread was soft and doughy. Desserts- flaky pastry with roll of cream on top, strawberry layered cake, rice pudding, corn pudding, and a fresh fruit tray. Average, not worth it if you are watching your calories. Plenty of seating. Nice upscale decor, atmosphere. I was still comfortable walking in covered in sand and flip flops for lunch though. Service was a mess. The hostess was pretty useless. It's a buffet. She waved a hand in the direction of a table and looked like a deer caught in headlights. The poor waiter served the ENTIRE! restaurant alone! When customers walked up to pay the hostess who had a computer/register behind her podium, she took the check back across the restaurant to the poor waiter scrambling behind the bar and turned her back on him without telling him anything. She literally handed him the cards with no order description and took off to stand pathetically at the podium doing nothing. That guy deserves a raise! And she needs to be fired.

    (3)

  • Josh I.

    It's like I died and went to Muslim heaven without the 72 Virgins Oh my Allah Yelp, this restaurant is amazing!! That buffet is awesome. The only con I can think of this restaurant is, they don't have lamb meat in the buffet but other than that, if you want a sample of the greatness that is Iranian/Persian cuisine, then this restaurant is a good bet Next time I'm here, I'll be sure to try the food on their menu

    (5)

  • Zach W.

    Great buffet! I came here with my girlfriend for the lunch buffet ($14 a person) when it opened and nobody was there. ALL the food was the delicious! We had no trouble with service. Our waiter gave us drinks, answered any questions we had, and the food was excellent. My favorite choices were the beef kabob, basmati rice, and roasted veggies. Unlimited kabobs is something I can get used to! The place turns into a nightclub-type venue at night, but it was very quiet at lunch time. The $14 per person is also a great deal, especially since Sufi is eligible for the Costco restaurant gift card. We stopped at the market next door just to check it out, and also the bakery on the other side where I bought a delicious pastry that we loved. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Melody R.

    Kabobs. Chicken and beef kabobs. ALL YOU CAN EAT CHICKEN AND BEEF KABOBS!! Ever get a craving for middle eastern kabobs but feel like most places don't give you enough protein for the price you pay? Yea...I feel you man! Have no fear, the answer to your first world binge eating problem is here! This place is flipping amazing. You can load up on protein and skip or fill yourself with veggies and rice. Yummy basmati rice! And roasted veggies! They also have a selection of other non grilled meats...and soups/stews...and an array of salad toppings...okay point is - there's food here and you should come eat it cuz it's delicious. Also their cucumber salad is really really good. And they have a hot sauce mixture that compliments the kabobs wonderfully.

    (4)

  • Joyce D.

    Sufi is on Balboa Avenue behind Chase bank. You gotta keep your eye out for it so look for the 2 story Chase. The restaurant is pretty big and is good for big parties. The restroom is clean which is always a good sign. We ate here for lunch buffet on Labor Day. I believe it was about 14 bucks per person. They also offer brunch with bottomless mimosas, but I'm not sure of the price. The food is delicious. The meats, salads and dessert were good. They provide pretty good service as well. I would recommend this place, and you may want to consider it for big parties.

    (4)

  • Irina Z.

    My number one favorite Persian food restaurant. The food is simply amazing there. Everything is always top notch. Grilled meets are great, tender and very flavorful. A great variety of chicken dishes, beef, and lamb. On sat and sun they also have lunch buffet. Sun is a couple of dollar more, but a bit greater variety. Have been there both days, and equally enjoyed either. Fri and sat nights they have belly dancing, which is fun to watch, but it does get pretty loud, so if you are looking for a place to have a conversation, this one is not the best option. Food is to die for!! :)

    (5)

  • Anna L.

    Love this place! I've definitely seen this place on Yelp everytime I search up "Mediterranean food" so I've been dying to try it. I am so glad I did because I had such a great experience! Plus I'm a huge fan of Mediterranean food! T_T I drool just thinking about it sometimes.. Upon entering you can see that this place offers such an elegant dining experience. My friend and I had just missed the lunch buffet, so sad! But we still wanted to get dinner here. I got the chicken kabob dish which came with rice and some grilled veggies. Their portions are huge, and their places a bit pricey. But I don't regret it, the food was worth it though, plus you'll feel like a queen/king eating here. Props to the interior decorator! The place looks amazing! If you're looking for a place to go on a date, look no further, here it is! You can definitely find parking in the lot, since it's huge! I can't wait to come back and try more dishes, and I really want to hit up the lunch buffet here! This place is a definite MUST TRY!

    (5)

  • Tanya T.

    Visiting San Diego with friends. We wanted Mediterranean food and this came up on the list. Hands down most fantastic, delicious, amazing meals we have ever had! Big big portions and very filling. (We came home with about 2lbs of leftover rice!) We arrived around 6:30pm and the place was empty. Little did we know that the buffet was starting at 7:30pm that had a little bit of everything on the menu for $14.95. That's when the big crowd was rolling in! The atmosphere is gorgeous... Absolutely beautiful! We came straight from SEAWORLD and felt a little under dressed at the beginning until people started showing up. They hold wedding receptions here as well. We left and our party is still talking about how good it was!

    (5)

  • Pramod K.

    Best lunch buffet ever had.I never knew the fact that Persian food places had lunch buffet until I got here. -Fresh good -Great Ambience -friendly staff

    (4)

  • Michelle F.

    Look for a Bank of America and this restaurant is directly located behind it - I am sure you won't once you get inside the parking lot. This place is huge! We got seated before 6pm on a Friday night and it quickly got full - I am not too sure if they make reservations, but maybe just try to get in early. I think there was a band playing too - but we didn't really stay in for that. I ordered the beef and chicken koobideh combo which was only $11. I think we had to ask the server just to make sure that it was a combo with the rice and tomato - because that is fairly cheap. I'd say I had some sort of expectation b/c we just went to another Persian restaurant recently - but this was definitely better than that one. The food was really delicious and try the seasoning (not too sure what it was) but it was fairly light and compliments the rice/meat. I will definitely be back and check out the buffet

    (4)

  • Joleena J.

    The resturant is good and the food is good but service is very bad i ordered food and the waitress brought me a different food and i asked her thats not the right order change it for me. She said no we cant.!!! The service is number one for a customer and we are paying!

    (1)

  • Jenny W.

    Pricing: Good-Expensive. $24 is kind of high, but maybe it's for the ambiance. Quality: Good-Excellent. Stew dishes were very delicious. Turnaround: Good-Excellent. Trays were mostly full except for the chicken and fish. Service: Good. Did not always see someone available to help. We went for brunch, which costs $24 before tax and tips, which is a little harsh, but the reasoning is because they have more options then. Although the food was pretty good, I did not feel that the price tag was quite reflective of the options. I feel that since I pay about $20 for Korean BBQ or hot pot buffet, $24 kind of hurts, but then again, the restaurant is kind of fancy so maybe I am paying for ambiance. On another note, the food is pretty good especially the awesome fish & stewed chicken. The fish was lightly flavored and appeared to be baked in some kind of marinate that was really refreshing. The stewed chicken was also flavored very nicely, juicy, and very satisfying to the palate. These two were the dishes that were always empty. I also loved the koobideh and other skewer choices too and at first, I did not want to try the ground beef casserole because looked unappetizing. However, once I got a little, I noticed it went very well with rice and wanted more. They also had a lot of hummus variety with different types of bread and pita to eat it with. I was impartial to the dessert options, but the fruit options were of melons, which is my favorite type of fruit. Given that this is a buffet, I did not expect much of a service and I was not disappointed. We had our water refilled maybe once, but they cleared my empty plates relatively quickly.

    (4)

  • Kathryn W.

    Very misleading, the website and yelp list them as open till 9:00 PM but when I arrived at 8:30 they said the kitchen always closes at 8:30. so you best call and make sure they mean what you think they mean.

    (1)

  • Jocy C.

    Lunch buffet price increased to $17. That's an increase of $3 in 4 months, huh? Food quality is still good though.

    (3)

  • Saeed D.

    Good Persian food. Although I've had better, but Kabobs were very good. I was there while the buffet was open, and i didn't get a very good service. so it's why i'm giving them 4 stars.

    (4)

  • Kelly C.

    The good: very nice ambience, came here on a saturday night. They had a dancer there for entertainment, and it was quite busy. Food: 4/5 stars. got a salad which had a lot for the price, soup was good and filling. tried other friend's plates including lamb, shrimp, and chicken. They were tasty. The bad: The wait. we were there for a total of 3 hours. an hour just for the bill and change. We had cash, but they didn't have change so instead of telling us, they were waiting for others to pay and that took until 10pm, we were ready to leave by 9. We could of just gave a card instead if that was the case but we weren't informed till later since the waitress was too busy to be tracked down. If i go back, I'll be for take out.

    (3)

  • Nelce S.

    Spaghetti is tops! Tilapia fillet with humus n baba ghanoush please. Buffet is the only way to go ... Dessert is too good!

    (4)

  • Ivonne V.

    Went for dinner and it was really good food, good service, nice ambiance... We were planning to come back with the whole family... But... Music which is a really important part of the restaurant was not working, since the speakers where having a bad function, and the sound on our side was out for pretty much 80% of the time we were there, also the music was really good during dinner but when we were ready to dance, the music started to get bad and got worse as time passed. Even the dj saw everyone left and suddenly the floor was empty, he left the music playing and who knows where did he go. (It was his time to shine and he leaves... Hmm...) We were so excited and looking forward for dancing after a great dinner. But we were disappointed and left early. :( And gratuity was included which last thing I checked that's illegal now.

    (3)

  • Mark A.

    I had early dinner here last night and thought it was great. The food was delicious (try the hot sauce, I went next door and bought some to take home with me). What really made my experience worthwhile was the service. Ryan was the nicest guy and did a great job of making sure I enjoyed my dinner. Water was always refilled, bread was warm, cutlery was clean. Just a very enjoyable experience. Thanks!

    (5)

  • Dante S.

    This place is amazing. Great quality food at a reasonable price. Must try the buffet at Sufi.

    (5)

  • Haydeh M.

    Very relaxing place, very organized, the food is amazingly delicious.

    (4)

  • Matthew S.

    The atmosphere here is a little overpowering, everything seems a little larger than it needs to be. However, this might have been because it was largely empty when I went. I had the salmon kebab and it was exactly what I was hoping for. Good flavors and very generous portions. The grilled tomato and veggies were of course there as well. All great. However, it seems a little too expensive. I am used to paying $3-5 less for a meal of this quality and type. Maybe you are paying for the ambiance and the gigantic doors you walk through. The price is what will keep me from going back. In terms of service they were good and checked with the kitchen about preparation and ingredients for any gluten cross contamination. They did still bring me bread though, which had me a little worried, but it all worked out!

    (3)

  • Silvan S.

    I actually went there to see a Spanish guitarist play (David Maldonado) and decided to have dinner and hang out after as well. He didn't get the greatest reception - I mean they like his music but I could tell the crowd thought of him more as ambient rather than the "main event" because when the belly dancer came up or the middle eastern music came on - they were immediately electrified by that. I'm basically saying - this is a place heavy on culture of the middle east and THAT is what excites people here - although anyone can go and hang out. It caters to everyone. The servers are really polite and cool. Some of the staff (like the seater) didn't really speak any English it seemed so when I asked about the place and how busy it gets - there was no real comprehension of what I was saying. I guess that's okay to a point considering I'm walking into a middle eastern place and I'm sure they are used to people speaking their language there. Although - it's also in an area heavily populated by English speaking people so maybe make the attempt to understand next time mmkay? Thanks. Anyway - the food was really good, very well prepared. It "looked" really good as well which was definitely a plus. I'd go back here again anytime. It was an enjoyable experience - I had a good time so yeah.... Check it out if you want to try a good middle eastern place...

    (4)

  • Selma N.

    Best halal restaurant in town. Food is delicious. Staff are the nicest people. Restaurant kept very clean. Decor is beautiful. Perfect place for a large gathering. Buffet is setup nicely. You have to try their house salad dressing.

    (5)

  • Daniel F.

    Simple but soooo good. Grilled salmon with cucumber salad was amazing so I complimented them on the meal and they gave me complimentary desserts. Friendly staff. Great environment. This is my new weekend spot. Check it out

    (5)

  • Joseph L.

    Recommend: Beef and chicken kabob combo with upgraded specialty rice Avoid: The vegetarian stew plate was a bit too tomato-y Amazing Persian food. Make sure to upgrade to get the specialty rices. Also, even though plates may seem pricey, they are HUGE. You can easily share one plate between two people or take half home for lunch. The place is quite elegant, and though casual dress is welcomed, you might feel a little out of place. Still, that hasn't stopped me from going in my shorts and flip-flips. Fun note: the urinal's in the men's bathroom are positioned quite strangely.

    (5)

  • Shalee K.

    My boyfriend and I went there last week for our date night and it was a good time. The food was great and the ambiance was awesome. The dessert was awesome and I was so full that I did not eat all of my dish. The belly dance show was good and not too long and then the DJ started playing music. My boyfriend did not like the music he played, but as long as I can move to it, it's fun for me. I would go here again and am thinking about doing my birthday here with a group of friends.

    (4)

  • Hamed A.

    It used to be a nice place but a DJ was in charge of the stage and asked everyone to leave without any prior notice. There were almost 50 people on the dance floor and he stopped the music. Who does that? I'd rather sit home and watch comedy central than driving 35 miles down there for an hour. Plus, drink is so expensive that most people bring their own drink. We were a group of 15 and left very disappointed. Not cool at all.

    (1)

  • Alexi R.

    Good food overall, but bad service. I called to make a reservation and the lady who answered was so arrogant and said "we don't have tables for you today" and I said to her, "can you please check because it's for 4:30 pm and were long time customers" and she straight up hung up the phone. Unacceptable. I'll take my money elsewhere.

    (2)

  • Chrissy N.

    3.5 stars, but I'm rounding up since I'd be willing to go back. Came here for a late lunch (around 3pm) on a Sunday. Apparently we had just missed their brunch, but the restaurant was completely empty. We were seated quickly. They gave us bread and butter, which was ok. The bread was kind of dry. We orders the appetizer sampler with two types of eggplant dips and hummus. The baba ganoush was NOT good. It tasted like they added a little bit too much liquid smoke and it made it nearly inedible. However, the other two dips were tasty. It doesn't come with pita bread, but we asked for some and the waiter brought us some. Unfortunately, they didnt warm the pitas, so it was a little meh...but still good. The entrees we ordered were tasty. I got the chicken and beef kabob and Alex T. got the lamb. His lamb was super delicious, but the serving was somewhat small. The kabobs weren't anything to write home about, but they were more than satisfactory. Each plate was served with rice, salad, and a charred tomato. I am currently not eating rice, but they were able to kindly sub extra salad for my rice. That's nice of them. I'd like to come back for their brunch buffet sometime, but $22 seems a little steep. Actually, all of their menu items are a little pricey (not unreasonable tho), but I guess the quality is somewhat reflected in what you pay. You get what you pay for, right?

    (4)

  • Patrizia T.

    I found the food to be excellent. I highly recommend it. I havent had the opportunity to try everything yet but everything so far has been great! Try it , it is worth it!

    (5)

  • Richard C.

    They have live music on the weekends and the hummus and tabouli is really good They have great desserts too

    (4)

  • Mustaf S.

    Great buffet, must come if you like middle eastern food, good customer service too, worth the trip....

    (5)

  • Tom N.

    Food is always on point here

    (5)

  • Wendy B.

    Well, you don't get what you pay for here. You get more. I am not so interested in the comments from others about "it's not authentic". Pish posh and who cares? Anymore the West Coast is a myriad of fusions. It makes it fun and surprising. Bottom line, does this place serve really good food? Yes. The food: They use understated Mediterranean spice combinations. The presentations were beautiful. And on top of it all, the amount of food was so voluminous, only a hefty football player could clean their plate. I personally could hardly make a dent in mine. First of all, I checked in using Yelp. The first nice surprise was a free Persian tea with my check in. A very fragrant, flowery, delicious hot tea, unsweetened. They did a refill as well. Then next came a hummus appetizer. Always very good place to start. It was decent but maybe not the best I have ever had. Still, not to be avoided by any means. Then, dinner for 3: Two combo plates -a chicken kabob and a beef koobideh (seasoned ground beef, skewered). Both kabobs were tender, moist and rich with flavor, and more than enough to share. Delicious. And, one order of lamb shashlik. I am more familiar with this as a Ukrainian dish. But it is possibly the same, marinated in yogurt and spices. 6 rib chops, meaty and tender. The accompanying rice, large green salad (add $2) with feta dressing, and the grilled tomatoes were excellent. So now I must tell you about the salsa. The waiter was quite insistent we should try it. Yes, a very spicy, more "Mexican" salsa (yep, fusion here!) that is so good it will make you want to hog the whole bowl. I don't know how an Iranian chef learned such skills, but he has got that fusion salsa down to a science. We brought a tub of that wonderful sauce home, and for free (shhhhhh). Make sure you ask for some (Sometimes its the simple things that help make a difference) Dessert was a Persian ice cream, vanilla flavored with rose water and chopped pistachios. A nice touch for the end of the meal. And again one serving was plenty to share. They closed at 9 pm. We did not leave until 9:20, and at no time did we feel rushed. Our server was classy all the way and very attentive. The atmosphere, including piped in Middle Eastern music, was absolutely pleasurable. There is a stage for weekend live, Persian entertainment which has got to be fun.

    (4)

  • Jeremiah D.

    Holy crap great kabobs. I mean, I am in love with meat, so when some great zesty meat comes my way, I'm a sucker. I went here for the all you can eat lunch special (not a bad price either, I think around $13-15?). Anyways, I started off with a little salad, a little rice, a couple grilled veggies, maybe two kabobs of chicken, and then a F**K ton of the beef kabobs. I mean seriously, I think I ate 7 kabobs and luckily no one at the table noticed how many I ate because I was slightly ashamed... Okay, no I wasn't. It was super delicious citizens. Then the dessert took me for a delicious spin and I was in food coma heaven. The end.

    (5)

  • William W.

    Very nice ambiance, food is decent, buffet is worth it. Excellent service.

    (5)

  • David B.

    I like the food here but the service is definitely lacking. Been here two or three times, always for dinner later in the evening. The restaurant has been mostly empty (weekdays), and we were usually one of 3 or 4 tables with guests. It takes a LONG time to get served anything. Food, drinks, the check... be prepared to wait. That being said, I'll go back again when I have a ton of time for a long drawn out dinner.

    (4)

  • Ahmed M.

    The ambiance here is great and well suited for business meetings. I'm used to their food being tasty as well, though recently the meat was a bit dry. Nevertheless, they get high ratings for their overall service and ambiance. Will still go back.

    (4)

  • Mason S.

    Tonight was probably the last time I have gone to Sufi. When a person pays 17.99 for a meal he expects at least some comfort and relaxation along with the food that he/she is eating. Every time I have gone to Sufi around 8-9pm they're always doing sound checks and the speakers sound like they're blowing up and terrifies any guest they have at the place. The music is wayyyyyy too loud every time I have gone to this place. I can not enjoy what I'm eating since the loudness causes so much stress within me. The staff on the other hand were always bunch of sweethearts and work like machines. The food is good, yet tonight I didn't get the Must-o-Museer with my meal. If I'm eating at your restaurant, I am supporting your business and I expect to receive anything I ask for no matter if you have excluded some side dishes due to the event you're having. This place needs to separate it's dance floor and music time from the dining section wo whoever wants to dance and get loud could go to the right section and whoever is seeking comfort and bliss could enjoy their food happily with no harsh interruptions or continuance of annoyance.

    (2)

  • MEHRAN S.

    if you are looking for Persian food in descent price with acceptable quality Sufi is The one. we have been there many times and I can not say anything bad about them. kababs are really good. however waiting time is little bit long but they will take care of you with while they are prepare your order.

    (5)

  • Zoe S.

    Came for a dinner with a large party. I guess they recently started doing dinner buffet style which is good to me. Great quality dishes! I'm happy to have found an authentic Persian restaurant here in San Diego.

    (5)

  • A. M.

    It's a good place if you want a more lively persian dinner experience since they have a DJ or live music on weekends. But the meat is poor quality. Maybe I am used to homemade kabob or LA kabob restaurants, which wasn't comparable. But the food overall was mediocre. I also think they gave me lamb koobideh when I ordered beef and I hate lamb so maybe that's why i REALLY did not like it... but their plates felt like they were missing something-- maybe bc it doesnt come with a salad like other places and they had a very small roasted tomato, which wasnt even soft and just black on the outside... no onions on the table or other veggies on the plate... was disappointed...

    (2)

  • Chub T.

    They have the brunch buffet for ~$15 on weekends. Most of their food taste good but they just have a few different kinds of things to choose from.

    (4)

  • Lala H.

    Where do I begin? This place is truly a hidden gem (literally). Hidden behind the Bank of America & Chase Bank on Balboa you will find Sufi (note: don't miss the international/persian market next door)--if you blink you might miss it. As you walk in you'll have to take a double-take because it feels like you're walking into an upscale, classy Persian restaurant (but without the pricey menu). Sufi is fairly casual and the customer service is ALWAYS amazing. The staff seem to go above and beyond to make their patrons feel welcome. The food? Well, I'm salivating as I type this...longing for my next visit. The koobideh and chicken kabob plate is out of this world! The prices are surprisingly affordable (not over-priced at all...don't let the upscale decor fool you). Bonus: Amazing lunch buffet for only $13, Mon-Sat. Delicious food, wide variety and great quality. Highly recommended: Sunday champagne brunch for only $22 (a few extra items than the lunch buffet, as well as an added made-to-order omelet station). Do yourself a favor and experience the deliciousness of Sufi.

    (5)

  • Dan R.

    We drove by several times and finally made it in to give it a try. Very good, very authentic and a friendly staff that provided for us to the "T" we will be back with our friends and family!

    (4)

  • Rashon B.

    Great Place to have Persian/Mediterranean buffet. Good chicken, gyro and Napoleon desert.... Either number 1 or 2 best spots to eat at in San Diego for Mediterranean food

    (4)

  • RJ S.

    Same menu all the time, needs to have different items in the buffet. If you are a customer for the first time then the buffet is good. I have visited Sufi more than 5 times and liked the food. Service needs to improve , one time I have finished with my buffet without any water or drinks, no one bother to come and ask. I feel like they are always short handed. Ambience is nice.

    (3)

  • Steve O.

    Bad service on the phone, they dont know what they are doing. They have issues in the booking process

    (1)

  • E K.

    How can you NOT love Sufi??!! My husband is Iranian and he agrees this is one of the best Iranian restaurants in San Diego. It is a huge restaurant, newly remodeled with plenty of tables and seats. They even have a banquet area if you want to host a party there. We usually come for the weekend brunch buffet. It is an extensive selection of rice dishes, meat options (chicken, beef, fish), stews, salads, appetizers, and desserts. The food is always fresh and cooked to perfection! It is flavorful and delicious. They provide great service every time we go. Worth the price! If you want a quick bite and don't need a fancy setting, check out the food stop inside the Balboa Market next door to Sufi which is owned by the same person. They provide quality Iranian dishes for a reasonable price.

    (5)

  • Max K.

    Well I can say was a disaster!!!!! For the best part of 30 to 40 minutes or more buffet items were completely empty..... The gentleman in a tuxedo vest was more than accommodating trying to help us deliver food to our table Kudos to that manager for being patient and understanding as literally being Pulled in different directions and some lady dressed in black being unpleasant to staff Some of my friends arrived a little later Their food took almost 40 minutes ?!! What's going on there were only 2 tables But staff were really helpful and trying to accommodate all guests Well done to manager !!

    (1)

  • Deirdre R.

    I have only eaten here once. When I am in the area again, I will come for a return visit. Having said that, for some reason as nice and enjoyable as this place is, I was not bowled over by the food. It was a great evening, the wine was good, the food was supportive, but not really the main event. This is more of a total vibe kind of place than a destination for knock your socks off food. This is a fun place to eat and for that reason I give it a solid four stars and the expectation that I will return.

    (4)

  • Felicitas N.

    The buffet and tea with milk were a hit!! My friends and I loved it!! Authentic and savory would describe each dish. The waiters were very customer friendly with a nice ambiance of sparkling chandeliers.

    (5)

  • Duke D.

    Somehow they managed to screw up Filet Mignon. No, seriously. We had a wedding reception here, and on the menu was fried chicken and hummus, grilled shrimp, filet mignon, house special lobster, fried rice, mixed fruit, etc. The hummus was excellent, the fried chicken was hard and rubbery. Grilled shrimp was very good. Filet mignon was, uh... are we sure that was even filet mignon? One of my cousins mentioned that the filet mignon tasted like flank steak. I laughed, but he wasn't wrong. It was gray and looked like it had been boiled. No signs of charring whatsoever. The house special lobster was mediocre at best. And there were 4 whole pieces. They didn't even bring out the fried rice to our section of the table. Does it matter if half the people aren't there? Maybe they're up on the dance floor and they'll be back. The food is already paid for. Just bring it out anyway. Don't take the money for food and then not deliver it. The "mixed" fruit was literally just some slices of mango and oranges. To be fair the service staff was nice, but when I ordered an AMF it was rather disgusting and reeked of cheap alcohol. Maybe their regular food is really good, but don't take wedding menus you're not experienced in, and don't take someone's money and have a BS excuse to not deliver the goods. This is the first wedding I've ever been to where I wasn't full at the end. And I'm not a big guy.

    (2)

  • Romy D.

    Mediterranean cuisine!?? Please do not be ashamed , call it Persian food or Iranian food I have been to this place quite a few times, but this time around I decided to give them a yelp. I had a feeling that they had a new chef, I try asking the waitress but she had no clue , even though she was very friendly and nice. Two of my friends and I visited on the Friday night hoping to have some buffet which they are very famous for, unfortunately on Friday Nights they do not have buffet. They had live music , at first the band look very shady but when they start playing music they were Awesome! My friends and I decided to get the tadig as the appetizers , meanwhile we were having their hot fresh bread with butter , which is complementary , The bread was fresh , hot and awesome! It was amazing! After a few minutes the waiters came back and said the tadig was not available , tadig is crunchy rice which is created at the bottom of the rice pan , when the rice is cooked on a slow flame with some oil ? That's when tadig is created , tadig is crunchy , it comes with a choice of stew which is put on it to make it soft and tasty. My friends and I were pretty disappointed , the waitress saw our unhappy faces and went back to the kitchen and miraculously brought us some of the leftover tadeak , it was awesome and delicious! My friends and I decided to get the kebab combination family style , The kebabs were absolutely delicious , we got the chicken , lamb and beef kebabs , of course it came with rice which was cooked Persian style. The music was really good played by some local band called Gypsymenco , The service was also good but it looked a bit Chaotic , people were running around like chickens with no head , looks like they need a good Manager , that will make them perfect in service. Overall the food was excellent , The service was good , The music was awesome , people seem to be very happy , I did not see anybody complaining about anything , I hope they will keep up their service and serve excellent food next time around when we visit them again. Keep up the good service and food guys , we will be back to have your delicious food!!

    (5)

  • Jocelyn C.

    Precursor: if you're in for lunch, please don't get the buffet. You'll be missing out otherwise... My girls and I ordered: beef and chicken koobideh, lamb shank, tadig, and ska side of hummus + masto khiar. The koobideh was awesomely juicy, and the tomatoes were grilled to its smoky peak. The lamb shank was as soft as my baby blank. The meat fell write off the bone, into this broth of madly savor. The hummus, homemade (as it should be), and the khiar has just the right amount of dill. Also located next to Balboa Market. If you didn't get enough food, you'll find everything you liked on the menu as this market. And their kabobs aren't all that bad either.

    (4)

  • Youssef S.

    Amazing Buffet . Fresh food I love this place

    (5)

  • Ramie A.

    I reserved a table for 4 people (which is not a big party) & the lady that picked up the phone hung up on me twice before I could set a reservation. Once I actually got hold of her she put me on hold for 15 minutes then told me that she didn't understand what I was saying. After that their manager farzin picked up the phone and told me that he would have a table ready for us although it took more than 30 minutes to simply set a reservation. When we walked in he was very rude and unprofessional, told us that he didn't have a table for us. I was very upset with how they handle their customer. Very rude, their staff barely understood English, and the place wasn't all that it was cut out to be. Highly un-satisfied & would NOT recommend this place for anybody that wants to have a great night.

    (1)

  • Albert W.

    Very large middle eastern restaurant in area. I only came for lunch buffet but the lunch was absolutely wonderful. The service was just as good. I don't remember all the great food that I ate but I would recommmend for large groups, business meetings and to catch up with friends.

    (4)

  • Mai S.

    When I say I love Persian food, I really mean it! They have such an amazing array of spices, yet the food is never overpowered with it. Everything is perfectly seasoned the meats are so tender. Not to mention, the rice is perfectly cooked and I honestly cannot get enough! I got the koobideh and chicken plate. It comes with rice, blistered tomatoes and bread. This was a feast! In fact I ate it 3 times! The beef was tender and juicy. The chick was also very juicy and well seasoned (I'm craving this as I type this *drools*) My husband got the fesoonjun (sp?) and that was really good. You could taste the pomegranate in it and the lamb was so tender! I think we found our new go to middle eastern restaurant.

    (5)

  • Shamshiri C.

    A buffet with descent quality. Ghorme sabzi is actually really good which does not usually happen in typical Persian restaurants . The price is also affordable .

    (4)

  • Shereen G.

    I'm used to spending anywhere between $40-60 for lunch at Mediterranean spots like Luna Grill and Aladdin Cafe. When I read on Yelp that lunch BUFFET was $13.95, we didn't believe it. It's $15.95 now, but still a great deal for all the delicious options. A full salad and appetizer bar, bread, soup, basmati rice, chicken/beef kabobs, chicken curry, and grilled vegetables. They also had spaghetti, chicken wings, and fried tilapia for the kids. Although the adults were eating those too! Nothing tasted like it came from a buffet. Our bill came out to $34.45 with 2 cokes. We'll be back for the buffet and want to come back for Dinner also!

    (5)

  • Nick A.

    Went there for dinner. It's a nice, clean restaurant with good Persian food. Service was okay & the whole family was happy. Food cost is very reasonable & simple menu.

    (5)

  • Joe M.

    I went for a second time. The food was just as spectacular as the first. Love the Buffet. Probably one of the most diverse buffet menu I have seen.

    (5)

  • Susan B.

    this restraint very gorgeous nice..specially farbin..manager. .he has great attitudes! ! but..the..waitress her name is..elnaz..she is terrible attitudes she never say..hi...thank you. ..without greeting. I know she works this restraint for longtime nose up?? I am customers who pay..

    (1)

  • Grace L.

    No idea this place even existed and I drive by the square all the time. The place is hidden behind the See's candies off of Balboa Ave. Amazing Mediterranean food. This would also be a great space for a function. To rent out the room. Apparently there are some nights where they invite a famous singer from Iran and charge a hefty cover, sell out, and just party hard all night. Sounds like a really fun place to be! I can't remember what we ordered but all the food was good. Just trust me. ;)

    (4)

  • Reza F.

    Cool and family restaurant, delicious food, I really enjoyed music and awesome singer (on Saturday night). I promise by first try will love it !

    (5)

  • Jennifer K.

    Worst service I've ever had a restaurant. I've have been waiting for the bill for over one hour and I asked for it several times. Additionally, the food is mediocre and the music is obnoxiously loud. I've never felt compelled to ever write a bad yelp review BEFORE I've left a restaurant until now.

    (1)

  • Amy S.

    I will not even give them a star if i could . they used to be good but i think they have changed the Chef and the food is bad right now . the service is horrible as well . we went today in a group of 16 people . we ordered the Combo plate number 3 and 4 for me and my two friends my 9 years old and her friend ordered the Lamp Chop plate they asked for it to be cooked well done . the food came late and red for the girls . we told the waiters and her reaction was like oh well . then our food came and the beef tasted to bad like the meat has gone bad . we told the waiters the meat is bad and she said what do u mean its bad we told her it taste like the meat has gone bad and she said this is how beef tastes . we told her no it does not taste this way so she said okay i will send the manger . so here comes the ugly man ( the mangers ) he asked the same things and said okay give me all the meat and i will get u something else . after one hour the food came out . we were waiting and we filled our selves with rice and bread . then i told the manger that my 9 years is a good singer and he said or she could sing for us after the program is done then . so the program is done and it was only us who is left and another 4 tables . my 9 years old went on stage and the DJ announced that there is a surprise cuz he knows her from before and he knows what a good singer she is . as soon he did that and my child is holding the mic on stage and the DJ putting the music . i see this ugly man the manger who remind me of the evil man in the Simpson . looked at me in a very scary way then looked at my child in a very crazy scary look . then went like a crazy person to the DJ yelled at him and made the DJ take the mic from my child . who started crying right away . and told the DJ to cut the whole music and to leave . we were all in shock as this happened i felt so bad for my child , the DJ and felt so mad at this ugly man . the look in his face was filled with hate . the other 4 tables were shocked and they said he is a jerk and we will not come back to this place anymore if this is how they treat kids . we walked out as well and we will never come back to this restaurant . the big different between this ugly man manger and the manger before him is like day and night . the manger before him he used to let her sing and dance as much as she wants . one night he kept the place open 1 hour extra while they are cleaning so she can sing more and more . when ever we go there he would come to our table and ask her to sing . this place has lost so many costumers cuz of this ugly man . i was talking to one lady from our group and she said that every time she comes costumers walk out upset and swears the place off their lists . i wish for the sake of the owner he reads this review and he do something about this ugly man , and the Chef as well . good luck to everyone who is going to be the next victim to this ugly man . we are done with this place for good and for sure will be sharing our experience with everyone we know .

    (1)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : Yes
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : No
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Classy
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Dogs Allowed : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Sufi Mediterranean Cuisine

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