(858) 277-3600

  Full halal menu

  Alcohol-free

  $$ out of $$$$

   accepted

  Clean restrooms

  Catering available (more info)

  Parking available

  Mass transit nearby

  Child-friendly premises

  Wheelchair accessible

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★★★★☆ This grocery market has done an amazing job in their remodeling and reorganization of it's interior. May your business continue to provide the community with international foods and a variety of options. Thank you! Posted on January 9, 2019

NR I LOVE this place. It is amazing! They have halaal meat, middle eastern groceries, fruits and veggies, and most importantly freshly baked Persian style bread! Also, you can order food at their restaurant which is in the store. I highly recommend this place. Posted on February 15, 2016

★★★★☆ Came here for lunch with my family when we were visiting San Diego. We ordered our food (mostly Persian dishes) around 1:30 and it wasn't very crowded in the dining area. However, it took almost an hour for the food to come! On top of that, they forgot about my burger, although the waiter kept saying it's coming, it's coming. I finally got to eat it after everyone had finished eating... Maybe an hour and half after I ordered it originally. They also didn't seem very apologetic or anything. That was absolutely ridiculous, and for that, I'm knocking a star. (When the burger came, however, it was DELICIOUS!!!!). The market itself has a lot of variety and is reasonably priced. There is also ample room (inside and out) for people to eat, which is good. I would probably go back for that burger if I were in the area... I just hope I don't have to wait an hour for it! Posted on March 8, 2015

★★★★★ Best Burger I have ever had! I had the hamburger one day and then the chicken burger 2 days later. Both are good but I dream about the hamburger. It's been almost a year and I still crave it. I hope I get the opportunity to visit there again. The customer service is another story. As my first time visiting, it was a bit difficult to figure out how to order, as it is over rushed. I eventually got through the system. They don't have time to help you select what you want, so you better know what you want by the time it is your turn to order. Think of the soup nazi episode from Seinfeld. The quality of food is far superior to the quality of service so don't let that deter you from visiting. The grocery portion also has some great stuff. Posted on January 3, 2015

★★★★☆ We visited this Persian/Middle Eastern grocery store cum restaurant on a Thanksgiving day and we thank Allah for this nice place. We ordered some typical Persian dishes and they were done nicely. We enjoyed our food, nice ambiance and courteous staff. I believe they also own the Sufi Mediterranean restaurant right next door. Anyways you've got to check it out. It's very close to the Islamic Center of San Diego, which is another huge plus in my opinion. Posted on December 2, 2014

NR A Balboa employee here. To those of you who complain about grumpy cashiers: you are not a unique and delicate snowflake. We are worked like dogs and although we try our best to be courteous, we are not machines. We can't always smile or make eye contact or tell you we love you or whatever else you want. There are ten trillion people who walk into that store every day, and we do our best to get by. We aren't rude, we are just overworked. There is a difference. If you think you think your idea of "good service" comes at the price of humiliating and further exhausting another human being, then bravo to you. You really are a piece of work. And to the gentlemen who said that the staff isn't Muslim and couldn't care less if they gave people non-halal meat: firstly, there are plenty of Muslim staff. I know, because I am one of them, and there are many others. I won't say that everyone is Muslim. There are many Catholics (Mexicans), Orthodox (Arab Christians), as well as people who don't have a religious preference. If you want all the staff of a store to be Muslim, go start your own store. Millions of Muslims when they go on hajj are unknowingly eating non-halal meat because that country imports their meat from Australia, and you are going to complain about the alleged non-halalness of a market in the US? How ridiculous. Posted on July 12, 2014

★★★★★ Visited them on a recent trip to SD. Awesome food, excellent prices. Very tasty, fresh and great value. Will come again. Posted on December 26, 2013

★☆☆☆☆ They have most horrible and tasteless lamb chopped. If you want meet grumpy resturant staff, go there.cashiers are rude Posted on June 18, 2013

★★★★☆ Good variety of products. You can find zabihah meat and poultry here but they also sell pork products. I think also non-zabihah meat and poultry so you should confirm before you buy. They also have a restaurant Posted on November 26, 2012

★★★★☆ Very reasonable food with the convenience of doing shopping while eating out, at the same place. Prices and portions are very reasonable. Posted on August 20, 2012

★★★★★ we had lunch of kababs and baklava and tea. the food was fresh, moist and delicious. we would definitely go again. my one suggestion would be if they could spruce up the outdoor patio with some plants etc since SD has such beautiful weather. Posted on May 28, 2012

★☆☆☆☆ Untill last year this stoe was boasting to be the only Halal Market that was rcertified by Local Halal Board of Sandiego. Since 2012 they refuse to show Invoices to Halal advocates and clearly told them they will carry both machine salughterred and hand slaughtered meat. Thats the reason its Halal certification was revoked. Staff working in this store is not muslim, why would they care not contaminate both or peddle machine salughter for hand slaughered meat. Also how do we know they used hand slaughtered meat in their restaurant. Same owner also owns next door Pub type restaurant Sufi Mediterranian, where liquor is seved , belly dance is common. Most of the customers in this store are Persians, majority of whom do not care about Halal or not Halal. I would buy or meat from business's certified by Halal Board of Sandiego, these brothers do thorough job of inspection and do pray regularly at Islamic Center of Sandiego. Posted on March 19, 2012

★★★★★ The meat here is sold to the store by a devout and religious local brother that sells meat to alot of stores that adhere to strict rules. I am very strict in my adherence but when I found out the brother they were getting it from then I started buying here. As for their selling pork... I havent seen any but if you mean the cold cuts.. The cold cuts are not halal and they let you know about that. Very good store and you can very well trust their halal. Posted on January 10, 2012

★★★★★ I think this restaurant is a good value. The food is warm, tasty, and reasonably priced along with the convenience of grocery store next doot. Posted on December 14, 2011

★★★☆☆ Ok, so we visted this place on our roadtrip to San Diego, the food was good. However, after we were done eating, we looked around the grocery store, and this made us doubt the validity of the Halaal claim. They sell Pork products in their store in the same cooler there is halaal products in. So yea, i dont think i would return to this place because i am not sure i can trust the meat. Posted on April 4, 2011

★★★★☆ This place is wonderful. It is both a grocery store AND a restaurant. The grocery store section is gigantic (much larger than most ethnic grocery stores) and has a large variety of Persian/Middle Eastern/South Asian products and items. The restaurant section serves Persian food. I had the tongue sandwich while the others I was with had the beef Kubideh and boneless chicken. All were cooked and prepared well and tasted delicious. The prices were decent and the service was good. The place was also neat and clean. I hope to return here when I am in the area again. Posted on December 19, 2010

★★★★☆ They've expanded and the place is great. Very clean, and there's a wide variety of foods in the grocery. I buy all of my meat here, and their marinade (esp. koobideh) is delicious. With respect to the validity of dhabiha, I remember the manager telling me the meat is from Pitman Farms, which is a farm Islamic Scholars have visited and observed. (FIVE STARS for the grocery.) Every time I'm here, I get a kabob platter. The food is great, and the quantity is such that my buddy usually has to take some of his dinner home. It's a notch below Alborz (in Delmar) for half the price. Posted on September 25, 2010

★★★☆☆ A lot of selection but I remember thinking the meat didnt look too fresh. Posted on July 24, 2010

★★★★☆ Good food but pretty bad dining area. Posted on April 17, 2010

★★★★☆ Good selection of kabobs and rice plates with reasonable prices. Posted on June 28, 2009

★★★★☆ Clean nice restaurant inside the market. One of the few places that you can eat good Iranian food in San Diego. Close to Balboa Masjid. Posted on May 24, 2009

★☆☆☆☆ I bought meat from here several times and quite recently I found that their meat (both ground beef and beef stew) smells very bad like it has been kept out of the fridge for a long long time. I have seen few expired items as well. I stopped buying meat from them and started searching for another place nearby. Posted on April 6, 2009

★★★★★ Very clean and nice place. I haven't asked where they are actually getting the meat. Halal signs all over the place. Please check again if you are very strict about zabihah requirements. They also serve ready to eat Iranian food and gyros. Based on what I saw, I recommend the place. Posted on November 13, 2006