Mal Al Sham 388 East Main Street, El Cajon, CA 92020

"One of the best Middle Eastern restaurants I have tried in San Diego. Best in terms of food, not in terms of being fancy, but who is looking for fancy anyway? If you want to impress someone, the food will impress them. The food is as authentic as it can get and thankfully not flavored down to cater to bland palettes. I had ordered a 5 person platter to go which came out $95 with taxes. I had a long day at work so when I came to pick up the food, I was quite hungry myself so I thought I'd order some food to eat there and then pick up my to-go order. I ordered a lamb tikka which came with rice and a salad and it was about $20++. Served in about 15 mins, the dish was too big for me to finish alone. Very good portion of meat. Very moist and the flavor of grilled meat was absolutely delicious and had a hint of the smokey flavor. Excellent value and taste!!!! Slightly fatty but that's expected from lamb. Now let's talk about my order for the 5 person platter. I ordered it because I was too lazy to cook that week so this would be my lunch to work. You can check out my image to see the sheer amount of food that came. It came out to a combination of 9 medium and large containers of food plus a box of hummus and a box of garlic cream/paste). Needless to say, this is more than 5 meals and considering the value, I will likely make this a monthly ordeal where a week of my lunches will be from Mal Al Sham. Overall experience: 9/10 Food: 9.5/10 (slightly oily but that's how it's made) Parking: 8/10 (very busy parking) Ambience: 8/10 Value for food: 10/10 Would I drive 35 mins each way from La Jolla to come here? Absolutely!!!"

"The Syrian restaurant I visited was a true gem! The atmosphere was cozy, and the staff was friendly. I started with a creamy hummus that was perfectly seasoned, followed by juicy kebabs that were cooked to perfection. The flavors were rich and authentic, transporting me to the heart of Syria with every bite. I highly recommend trying there dessert; it was a sweet ending to a delightful meal. Overall, a fantastic dining experience that I can't wait to revisit!"

"We drove 40 minutes to get there and glad that we did. Food was excellent, service was fast and good and reasonable price. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Will go there again."

"Food was warm and tender . We had mix platter and it was delicious as well as pocket friendly . Highly recommended we had two days in row ."

"If you are looking for authentic Syrian food, this is the right place! The food is great. We had Taboleh, kebbeh and Shawarma. We liked the chicken shawarma more, but the beef is still so good and juicy! The grilled Kebbeh takes time (around 25mins.) to be prepared, and it comes great. I would come to this place again and again and again! Update We came for the breakfast and it was satisfying, too. The Fatteh is so yummy and I liked the Mahammarh, delicious and not too spicy. Will come again definitely for breakfast."