It’s been awhile since I’ve been to the Kebab Shop. But I was recently invited to come in and try the menu again and I happily accepted.
I revisited the one in Mira Mesa and was happy to see they have expanded to include two new locations in Encinitas, CA and Little Italy. The Kebab Shop serves up the kind of food you’re used to seeing at Greek places, but slightly different. Their main item are their Doner Kebabs (sort of like a gyro, but wrapped in flatbread instead of pita bread), Shawarma (think sandwiches) and Shish Kebab. They also offer a variety of salads and plates of meats to round out their menu. I got a bunch of stuff to-go and take home for sharing.
[Cucumber Dill Salad, Greek Salad and Hummus]
The Cucumber Dill Salad was one of my favorite salad items here. I’m often afraid that the dill will be overpowering, but on this it had just the right amount – enough to taste the dill without the overkill. The cucumbers are completely peeled and have a nice crunch to them.
The Hummus (which came with pita bread, not shown) was a nice creamy and smooth consistently with a good bit of flavor. Salad is pretty much salad, but it was fresh and crisp and came with a tasty dill dressing (again, not overpowering, woo).
[Falafel]
I also got an order of freshly made Falafel – I’m not the biggest fan of falafel to begin with so I wasn’t totally digging on this one. They seemed to be a bit overcooked and dry. Or maybe I just don’t like falafel.
[Lamb Rotisserie Plate with Greek Salad and Saffron Rice]
This probably looks familiar! They have lamb on a spit that they shave off and serve as a plate with two sides. You get a yogurt based sauce with this (not quite like tzatziki sauce but similar – no cucumber detected in their sauce) and your choice of two sides. I added Greek salad and saffron rice to this.
[Chicken Kebab]
This is one of the shish kebab’s – chicken, to be exact. It had a nice slightly charred flavor though I found it to be a tad dry for my tastes.
[Moroccan Shrimp Kebab with Minted Orzo Zucchini and Saffron Rice]
The Moroccan Shrimp on the other hand was really lovely and tasty and is made with a Moroccan Chermoula sauce which lends the shrimp a nice flavor. Nice and juicy, I really enjoyed the shrimp a lot and you get a fairly good serving size.
The Minted Orzo though, I didn’t care for it very much. It tasted a bit too tangy for me and I just didn’t want to eat it anymore after a few bites. The saffron rice I do like though, reminds me a bit of a pilaf and you can see the bits of saffron in within the rice which gives it a bit of a fragrance.
[Doner Box with Lamb and Saffron Rice]
My favorite item was actually the Doner Box – which was kind of an afterthought to my order. I mostly wanted it for the photo to see it all mixed together in one box but for some reason I really liked it. I think I liked it so much because the sauce is put on for you and I really love the yogurt based sauce (and can you see all of those lovely herbs in there?). This box had saffron rice and lamb, with the fixing for a doner kebab, but without the flatbread. It comes PACKED with meat (on the top and on the bottom, with rice in the middle), lots of sauce, tomatoes, onions and cucumbers.
I liked the Doner Box so much that I’ve already gone back and tried it with the fries instead – and it’s sort of like eating carne asada fries, but with yogurt sauce and lamb. Man, it’s crazy good.
Disclaimer: I was invited to come do a tasting at the restaurant and all food was complimentary. I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own. Thanks to BAM Communications for the invite!
The Kebab Shop
Multiple Locations in San Diego
9450 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126
858-586-0499
I would highly recommend getting a lamb schwarma (looks like a sandwich). I love how fluffy and toasty the bread is that they use! If I feel a little guilty, I’ll get a salad with lamb on top. Have you tried asking for their hot sauce? It’s similar to siracha, but it’s a little more garlic-y. Also, I like how they fry up their fries and I always shake the sumac and herbs over the fries and dip the fries in yogurt sauce and hot sauce.
Hello! I have had schwarma before, though I prefer my lamb “plate style” so I can put it together as I go. I like their yogurt sauce, too – it has a nice garlicky bite that I like a whole lot (I lub garlic). Thanks for the tips and for stopping by!
Have you ever trieed La Mirage Mediterranean Cafe & Grill on 815 F street San Diego 92101. The have great shwerma, chicken , beef and great gyros. Must try their falafels whicjh are Gluten Free and organic not out of a ready mix. Most of the menu is Gluten Free and amazing hummus and salad dressings.