Earlier in the week we did a little window shopping in Solana Beach, and on the way back, I was quite excited to have a chance to have lunch at Alborz Restaurant, which came highly recommended by several People. Located in a strip mall overlooking the I-5 freeway Alborz can be a bit hard to find unless you’re actively looking for it.
I approached the Restaurant positively excited over eating Persian Food. I’ve only had Persian Food in San Diego, at Bandar, Sadaf, and Parsian Market. And my knowledge is pretty much 
limited to Chelo Kabobs, Shirazi Salads, and the like.
The humble facade hides a a very nice and well appointed interior. We were seated immediately, and looked over the menu. And flat bread was immediately delivered to the table.
Along with very pungent and strong raw onion. The large shaker of sumac was also a good sign.
We placed our orders, and were brought some nice lentil and rice soup; well flavored with cilantro and tomato, I really enjoyed the soup.
Up next came our appetizer. Now this is where I made a mistake. An acquaintance of mine told me to order something called Panir Sabzi($6.99), telling me it was a "salad" with goat cheese and walnuts. And me being the doofus that I am at times, really didn’t do any research, and was kind of confused when it was delivered to our table.
There was a small cube of feta cheese, some really good walnuts, scallions, mint, basil, and leek. The Missus and I looked at each other in pregnant silence, until we both broke out laughing. We were waiting for "something else". Having a total lack of any experience with this dish, and having had it described to me as a "salad" I was totally caught off guard. The last time I was served a plate of herbs like this, it accompanied a bowl of Pho’! My bad….. Finally we figured out that you slice off a bit of feta and walnut, roll up the herbs in the bread and eat it. The feta was too mild and totally lost, and the green onions overpowered everything else in the dish.
The Missus ordered the Lamb Shank($10.50):
The green bean rice was on the bitter side, and the salad was decent, though mild and in need of a good quantity of sumac. The lamb shank was delivered separately:
The lamb shank could have used a bit more cooking, but the texture wasn’t really bad, though the overall taste was a bit on the mild side. The sauce was well flavored and slightly rich, and the Missus enjoyed this the best.
I ordered the Lubia Polo($8.99):
The Shirazi Salad(tomato-cucumber salad) needed a bit more lemon/lime for flavoring, I ended up sprinkling alot of sumac on the salad. The tomato rice was delici-yoso when mixed with the layer of saffron rice, I finished it up in no time. The ground beef kabob was very moist, though very bland, again in need of alot of sumac. The charred tomato was quite bitter.
Though the food was decent at Alborz, I really didn’t think it’s worth making a special trip for. I did Email Howie from A Foodie’s Eye View, asking Him what he usually orders. He informed me, that He enjoys the Kobideh, Chicken Kabob, and the Eggplant Borani. I also asked a Co-worker who is Persian and lives in Del Mar, She also seconded the Kobideh, and also enjoys the Kebob Barg. I was also told that the food at Alborz is decent but very "tame". So maybe I’ll order one of those dishes if I’m in the area and decide to have a meal at Alborz again. Or maybe one of you can do that for me, and let me know how you like it.
Some notes on Alborz: Service was excellent and very friendly. I was amazed at how quickly we were served. As the pictures detail, the portions are pretty large, especially for "Lunch Specials".
Alborz Restaurant
2672 Del Mar Heights Rd
Del Mar, CA 92014
hey kirk! i know precious little about persian food, but i would love to try it some time. i’m wondering if the panir sabzi actually came not with feta, but something more like the indian cheese, paneer, which is kinda like mexican panela or queso blanco–made with cow’s milk so it’s bland, a bit springy but firm.
Hi Kirk. I’ve been reading your blog for about a month now and noticed you have some good calls on places to eat. I’ll comment on Alborz because I have been there several times. I do like their food, but unfortunately, they can’t compete with restaurants like Shamshiri in Westwood. I have tried the koobideh combination, the chicken barg, and chicken soltani, as well as the shirazi salad. I haven’t had problems with these dishes in the past. Most times they come out juicy and well seasoned. Since I’m a huge rice fan, I love the basmati rice with the saffron liquid sprinkled on top. It adds a nice flavor, although saffron is so expensive you can hardly taste it in the dish (they probably have to dilute it a lot to save money).
The service at the restaurant is indeed efficient. I have never had problems with friendliness or efficiency. It does get crowded on weekend evenings, so arrive early if you do go then.
I recently went there on a Saturday night and they had a live pianist. It was a nice touch, but he played hava nagila which was a bit unusual for a Persian restaurant. In case you didn’t know, hava nagila is neither Persian nor Arabic. It’s Israeli (Jewish).
Having also eaten at Bandar and Sadaf, I think Alborz is the place I would go to mainly because it’s closer for me and the food is just as good. I can also recommend Marketplace Grill (two locations, one in Mira Mesa and one in La Jolla). They serve the similar kebabs but in a more casual environment. Their herb basmati rice is hit or miss, but when they’re on, it’s really delicious.
I hear there is quite a large Persian community in San Diego, but if you want the best stuff, take a drive up to Westwood in LA. You won’t be disappointed, although you may end up waiting in line for some really good stuff.
That herbiage “looked” like salad…but the fact that you had to roll it like a cigar to eat is hilarious! Gotta try that myself!
Kirk,
My husband is Persian, so we have made the circuit of the Persian restaurants in San Diego. I personally am not a big fan of Alborz. Their plain rice doesn’t have the same flavor that the plain rice at better Persian restaurants has. It’s hard to describe what I’m talking about, but my best attempt is to say that the basmati at Alborz is not as nutty in flavor as the rice at Bandar, for example.
For cheap, delicious Persian food, try International Market and Grill on Villa La Jolla Drive. (It’s in the same plaza as a Domino’s Pizza and the St. Germain liquor store.) The chicken kabob sandwich is my personal favorite, but the chelo kabob plates also are very good. You place your order, and the owner throws a kabob on the fire for you. You also get a side order of must-o-khiar (cucumber yogurt). They also have daily specials of various stews, but I have never tried them.
I’ve been reading your blog for a while now – it’s the first thing I read in the morning! You have taught me how to order dim sum – my husband is now a big fan of sticky rice in lotus leaf.
Hi Kirk!
I don’t think I’ve had actual Persian food before, for it seems too often mixed with with all the other indian and middle eastern cuisines. I for once would like to sit down and catagorize everything! One thing the majority of Asian ethnic food lacks is a variety of savory bread (no one does it quite like the Indians, eh?)!
Hi santos – Sounds like you know more then I do about Persian Food. The Panir in Persian food that I know is usually a goat cheese.
Hi Andrew – Thanks for taking the time out to comment, I appreciate it. Hava Nagila, eh? I would have been rolling…. I think We still prefer Bandar to Alborz. You know, we lived in LA for almost 5 years, yet never really ventured to Westwood/Hollywood (other then Thai Town) for Food. Something that we truly regret. Thanks for the recommendation, i’ll make sure to remember Shamshiri. As for the Persian population, we have 5 that I work with on a regular basis.
Hi Elmo – I was truly thrown off by the Sabzi.
Hi Liza – Thanks for commenting and the kind words. since it looks like both you and Andrew recommend International Market and Grill, i’ll try to make it there in the near future. I’m also glad that you’ve found some of my posts somewhat helpful. There is much more to Dim Sum then SiuMai and Hargow.
Hi Kathy – Persian is a bit different then other Middle Eastern Food I’ve had, at least for me. I don’t think the use of garlic is very prevalent. BTW, all those savory bread like Nan-o Babari and such are soooo very good!
Hi DCCF – Thanks for the invite! Let me check out my schedule and I’ll give you a call.
Kirk,
I would love to try persian food sometime, but the one restaurant that we tried to eat at, would ignore us, while the restaurant was open, and only one table taken. I wonder if I scared them or something. *sigh* I will have to look some up. Too bad the food wasn’t as good, but photogenically they look tasty!
photgenically tasty…er Well they photograph well! 😉
Hi Mills – That’s terrible! Why would they do that! I’m glad the food is so “photogenic”…..smile kabob, smile!!! :o)
Kirk,
Yeah I couldn’t figure it out. I went as far as ask the kabab cook, and he talked to the waitress, telling her to serve us. She totally dragged her feet, and we waited for 1/2 an hour before Dh became angry and we ate somewhere else. I thought maybe we came at the wrong time, but double checked, yup they had been open for 2 hrs. Ahhh well I will have to try they place again, since some friends had a great dinner there. Hmmm I wonder if it was because we came during lunch…*shrug* Oh well.
Hi, All,
Kirk, I’m sorry you didn’t have a better experience at Alborz. It’s been a while since I’ve been there, but I really like it. One thing to note is that amongst all the Persian places I’ve been to, Alborz is by far the greatest bargain. If you go for lunch, you can get soup, salad, a big pile of rice, and a generous portion of kabobs for $5-6. Not bad.
It’s nice to get all these other Persian recs from the commenters. I like Bandar (sometimes more than Alborz, sometimes not), but it’s much more expensive compared to the lunch specials at Alborz.
It sounds like I’m going to have to make a trip to International Market and Grill soon!
Hi Mills – I dunno if I’d give that place another shot.
Hi Howie – The food isn’t bad, and it wasn’t a bad experience – just very uneven. The portions are large, and the service great. I don’t know if they have raised their prices, but the most inexpensive lunch is $7.99 – still cheap though.
Kirk,
Yeah I am not so sure, either but other friends just think it was the waitress, and to give it another shot. I will have to think about it, DH is still not willing.
Hi Mills – Good luck, and I hope it works out well.
Just to clarify – the Marketplace Grill that Andrew mentioned is in La Jolla at Torrey Pines Road and Herschel. International Market & Grill is at Villa La Jolla Drive and Holiday Court. Both restaurants are much more casual than Alborz, Sadaf, or Bandar. International Market & Grill is just what its name implies – both a market where you can buy basic Persian groceries and a grill.
Hi Liza – Thanks for the info. I’m wondering how they compare with Parsian on Convoy…..
Kirk,
International Market is much smaller than Parsian and does not carry the broad range of groceries that Parsian does. The menu also is smaller. If I need Persian groceries, I go to Parsian or to the new Persian market where Parsian used to be. For kabob, though, I prefer International Market.
Hi Liza – Thanks so much for taking the time to clarify all of this!
Hello Everyone, I JUST ATE at PARSIAN INTERNATIONAL MARKET AND GRILL ON CONVOY STREET!! WOW!! What a place, Its like a TRADER JOES MARKET and GRILL. I had thier Filet Kabob and it was better than any other Persian place I have been. I can’t believe how nice the patio seating was too. Prices are just right, not expensive at all, they give lots of food and the people there are so nice.
I highly reccomend you all to check it out, its 4020 convoy street, right across Home Expo on Convoy.
THEY EVEN BAKE FRESH PERSIAN NAAN BREAD DAILY!! only 1dollar for a huge loaf of bread.
Hi, I just had lunch for the first time at Parsian Market and Grill. I got the chicken kabobs and I thought it was fabuous. I thought the price was real good as well. For dessert I got tea and cream puffs and they were soooo good. Im not persian, but the persian people there were very nice to me. Its also a food market so I got some shopping done as well. I give it a 10 out of 10.
Hi Andy and Roxanne – I guess you like Parsian, huh? :o) I haven’t been to the new location on Convoy, but had been to the “old” Balboa location a few times. Sounds like I should visit them soon!
Kirk,
You should check it out, they have lots of new products in the store and the Menu is great. Its really nice that they have both inside and outside patio dinning. Best persian food I have had in san diego. You can smell the kabobs once you park and get out of your car, its amazing.
Check out this pic and ad of Parsian:
http://www.clairemontmesa.com/grocery_stores.htm
Heres the address:
4020 Convoy Street
San Diego CA 92111
I agree with Roxanne and Andy, PARSIAN is the “Best” It been voted “Best Kabobs In San Diego for 2006”
I catered 100 Kabobs from there for our Sharp Hospital Doc’s and everyone loved it.
I give PARSIAN on Convoy street a 11 out of 10!!
My Advice is to pick up one of their Menus when you go there and Call in your order so you get your food right when you arrive.
I think whoever owns this blog/webpage should start a review and page on PARSIAN MARKET & GRILL.
I just read an article from CITY BEAT SAN DIEGO about how Parsian Market And Grill is TOP of San Diego’s Place’s To Eat and Shop.
Lets start a blog up about Parsian since so many people in san diego know about it!
Chicken Wraps At Parsian Are my Favorite!
I see all of you love Parsian – though a couple of you have the same IP address which I find kind of odd. I also sent each of you an email because of the Email addresses were very generic and have gotten “Delivery Status Notification (Failure)” – I do ask that you have a valid Email address, otherwise I have no choice but to place you within the same category as spam and trollers. Since you all seem so passionate about Parsian, I’ll keep the posted comments and the comments feature itself open for now – but since this is a post about Alborz, let’s stick to the subject. And hey, maybe if all you all do love Parsian that much – giving Parisan a blog of it’s own is not such a bad idea – or even a San Diego Persian food blog – we need more food blogs in San Diego!
Best Regards,
Kirk
Hello everyone, I used to eat at alborz all the time until I found Parsian Market on Convoy Street.
the food at alborz is too pricey for the quality.
Parsian Market & Grill has great quality and better price than alborz.
I am from Belgium and love persian food, i know kirk you said that this is an alborz post, but you should consider what these Parsian Lovers are saying.
Start a Parsian Market & Grill Blog. You can get much better pictures at Parsian than these alborz pics you got.
alborz just cannot compete with the quality that Parsian Market gives.
Hi Eric – Don’t get me wrong – I’ve eaten at Parsian before – if you read the post – you’ll know that. I find your post fine – it at least stays on subject.
I was absolutely abhorred by the treatment I received at Alborz persian restaurant. My party ordered 3 full lunches an appetizer and 3 bottom-less sodas. However after having paid and tipped the waitress when we requested a final round of soda the owner demanded an extra payment for this drink. Upon leaving, when it was brought to her attention that she never served us water, she said,”I would have charged you for that too.” She was hostile, rude, unwelcoming. I could use harsher words. Needless to say I won’t go to Alborz again.
I shall never again patronize this restaurant, whose owner is blatantly anti-Semitic. Noticing my overt Jewish identity, the owner approached me – along with my mother and fiance’- after having paid the bill and insisted we owed them extra money for an extra soda refill. This is inconsistent with their stated policy that refills are unlimited. The owner did not take this action with other customers. Our assumption is that the owner- of Arabic descent-is taking out her political frustrations (anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic) on American Jewish patrons. This, by the way, only reinforces the stereotypes that Americans have regarding Arabs generally.
Hi Heidi and Randy – Sounds like a terrible experience, and you have my sympathy. Seeing that you both have the same IP address. I think we’ve gotten the message….but how paying for 3 soda refills have gotten to be a political/racial message? Incidents of discrimination should be reported to the appropriate government agencies…not to a food blog!
Thanks Kirk for your response. I agree that such an incident should also be reported to government agencies. However, when one goes out to eat, the entire experience colors the food. Much indigestion can result from stress, such as that caused by my and my SOs experience.
Hi Heidi – Agreed, I’m sorry that you had to have such a terrible experience. No one should ever treat their customers the way you were treated. And the indigestion….not to mention the heartburn! I hope yoor next restaurant experience will make up for this lousy one.
I was the third person in the group at Alborz yesterday. The owner paid us a special visit, after I had paid the bill, and started yelling at my son–in front of all of the other restaurant patrons. I have contacted various agencies who advised it is considered a “service” issue, which is related to a food blog relating to restaurants.
Hi Sheri – I truly sympathize with you regarding the inappropriate behavior. But please do not tell me what belongs, or does not belong, on MY privately owned(paid for by me) Food Blog, okay?
Then don’t open your blog to the public for comments, Kirk!
Hi Sheri – I’ve emailed some ideas I have about taking appropriate steps. You have a good point; maybe I should enable moderation. But then again, and clearly…..opening up my blog for real time comments, does not mean that anyone can say anything, anytime. And again, you’re ordering me about, and quite rudely at that. That said, I’m hoping that someone can provide some means or channel to help.
Damn Kirk,
No good deed goes unpunished. I feel for you bro.
Hi Kirk,
I had food in Alborz several times and I should say that was good several years back, but now the Persian food doesn’t taste right, the servers doesn’t understand English and the worst is the owners, which have just one idea which is to give your food as soon as possible and give you the bill right away in order to make the table available for other costumers. This is the point of view of all my friends too. Therefore, even the food is very cheap and the amount is more than enough, I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant to any of my friends. The owners are just pathetic and they don’t know how to keep their clients happy.
Go to the Parsian Market in Balboa, you will see how you are welcome there.
Are you somehow an associate of the owner of this place? because u are the only person who is advertising for them. Alborz has one of the worst services in san diego. they are rude and arrogant.
The international market in la jolla is way too stingy. Their food which costs about 12 bucks after tax does not fill u up at all. That guy has a couple of kids at college and is ripping people off with that excuse.
Hi Rouzbeh – I’m not associated with the Owners at all. This is a food blog, not advertising. Of course if you took time out to read other posts, you’d know that by now.
In case you don’t know what a blog is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
The previous comments you posted was rude(as in name calling) and used profanity – I did send you an email explaining that I do not allow profanity. Of course, being that I got a invalid email address error, you never got the email asking you to repost your comments without the profanity, since you used a bogus email address.
Hi, Rouzbeh-I am the one who blogged about International Market and I posted a copy of their menu and the most expensive items on the menu are $9.95- that is for the fish kabob plate and the daily specials which are cooked only for that day. I took photographs of my plates after I got the food and sat down outside; the places I blog do not know I am blogging them and do not give me any sort of ‘special service’ knowing they will be mentioned on the internet. The servings are quite substantial.
If you do indeed have children who are college students, they could learn to live within a budget, as I had to do, and order something less than the most expensive item on the menu and have water as a beverage instead of paying $2 for something else.
Also, please note, Kirk blogged Alboorz in February of 2006, about a year and a half ago, and really didn’t like it all that much. He said it was decent food, but not worth an out of the way drive to go there.
i live by alborz and each time my family and i go the food is so salty and doesnt taste fresh its unfortunate because this has been the case for us everytime, we are persian and know what persian food should taste like.As for the owners they arnt so pleasant as well.
I agree they have that chip on their shoulder