Calibanzo Hummus & Grill

Been craving good hummus, laffa, pita and falafel since I moved to San Diego. After numerous strike outs I came and ate here. Amazing food! Just like Israel

See my very first review on 9÷8÷15 for deets about the restaurant/​food. This review is for an extraordinary experience I just had with the owner. Welcome to my coveted Crème of the Crop list!
Never underestimate the power of the human spirit & kindness. Last week, I had a less than ideal experience here (missing food from my order. The flavor was still very good). I wrote a Unilocal review expressing my disappointment and within a couple of hours, the owner private messaged me saying it was the error of a new worker and he wanted to make it up to me by sending me a dinner certificate.
Then hubby was hospitalized so I wasn’t able to get back to him until yesterday. I let him know what had happened and he coordinated a free meal delivery (everything was delicious!) for us last nite. Now that is a classy business owner. He took a less than ideal situation and instead of being negative towards the consumer, not only rectified it, but took it to the next level.
We were so touched by his kindness, you can darn well bet that we will become lifelong customers. I know sometimes things can go wrong. But I care more so about how owners react and handle the situation. Thank you, Rafi! You rock! I posted this on my FB and a bunch of friends said they’re now going to try your restaurant!
PMT: Sign up for their birthday club to get $ 10 certificate. They also have coupon mailers.
ps– doesn’t hubby look good? He is standing now!

CALIBANZO!!! Food was authentic mediterranean/​middle east and as a bonus there was a variety of craft beers, (I tried the peanut butter brew). The lovely Renata was our server, she was helpful, kind, and knowledgeable about the menu. Some of the scrumptious food included: hot tomato dish, eggplant, and chicken shawarma.

I ordered pickup on line. It was ready when I got there. I got the lamb kabob. It was really good. I also got the eggplant humus to try, it wasn’t for my personal liking, but I could see how others would like it from the other stuff I had.

This review is based on just take out and the food itself. I have no comments on the ambience or service.
The food is definitely a hit or miss and on the whole borders on average.
What we ordered :
Hummus with tahini — I have to agree with another reviewer who noted that the hummus is bland and store bought hummus like sabra has more flavor. I also didn’t think it was worth 8 $.
Baladi eggplant — Grilled eggplant with tahini sauce. I was very excited about this dish but honestly I didn’t think much of it. I will probably be getting the baba ganoush next time.
Breaded cauliflower — An amazing appetizer! I haven’t had anything like this before at any other middle eastern restaurant! Highly recommend !
Falafel wrap — A-​okay. The falafel was tasty. And I loved the Israeli salad that was inside the wrap!
Our total was 35 $! I find this restaurant over priced for the food they serve. IMHO Aladdin and Amardeen are more affordable options.
I may be back but the steep price is a big turn off.

Loved it! A delicious and authentic Israeli experience! Great service and absolutely worth going out of your way to visit. The owner is there, making sure everything flows and the customers are happy. Thank you Moshe, we will be back very soon.
Jaya Rubinstein.

High quality, delicious food!
If you’re kosher style, they will prepare kosher meat on a not-​glatt but kosher-​ish pots if u ask.

The food at Calibanzo is really good. Like really, really good. Better Mediterranean food than just about anywhere else I’ve been in San Diego. Way better than Luna Grill or Daphne’s. I used to think a pita bread was a pita bread. Calibanzo’s breads alone are worth the meal.
Yes, it’s a little pricier than the competition, but it’s worth it.
You’ll notice some of the other reviews mention a certain lacking in the service. They’re not wrong. I would call the service «perfunctory». No one is going to check on you to see if you need anything. You’ll have to flag down a server more often than not, and then they’ll help you. Consider it part of the Mediterranean experience. Otherwise, 5 stars, easy.

I have to say their food is great although their service Is so horrible that I only go there very few times when I really really crave kabobs.
Most of the times I wait at the door for a while before any of the waiters notices me to seat us down. I think this is absolutely ridiculous. The fact that I know they see us at the door and not even great us is not the common practice at any other restaurant I go to. Even subway they greats every walk in.
When we finally sit down it takes forever overtime we need something even a soda refill or water refills.
Often times they are not even busy and they would have at least 3 waiters working and when I need something I look out for them and wait for a while when they could be chatting with each other and not paying attention to customers.
Everyone I take to this restaurant notices the same thing and always have a negative experience with their service.
Today I decided I will never go back or take or tell anyone about this place.
I just noticed everyone in the office hates this place because of their poor service. Bummer because their food is great.

Probably the best Mediterranean food ever had. Wasn’t too busy when waiting for the food, then all of a sudden, people started to trickle in, and now it’s obvious, their food was delicious! Lots of parking, same parking area with Trader Joe’s. As for the inside, it’s very modernized, clean, and spacious, with a view of the kitchen, bar, and tv. Had a party of 8+ and the service was impeccable, very attentive. Lots of food were on the table, all different too, that it’s hard to remember what was ordered. Let’s just say, everything was great! Nothing was dry, the seasonings were good, and the portions were big enough to share. Don’t get too full off of the pita and hummus! You have to save room for the main entrees. Will be back and order foods that hasn’t been ordered before.

A very nice and great tasting Mediterranean restaurant nearby!
My girlfriend and I went here on a Friday night, and the parking lot was quite packed. Also unfortunately, while the parking lot of the are was pretty large, a lot of the spots were 30 minute parking only. We eventually found a spot and walked in. The restaurant was about half full when we walked in (it was full by the time we left) and we were seated immediately. They even asked if we had a preference on a high or low table, which was nice, but we had no preference.
Our order was taken promptly, and we decided to get, beef kabob with mashed potatoes and Israeli salad, the shakshuka, and the hummus with lamb to with we also asked to add mushrooms. The hummus came out first, and it was delicious. It was a good amount of hummus topped with mushrooms, ground lamb and olive oil, served with flat bread and 3 sides, a pickled cabbage, a spicy cabbage reminiscent of banan peppers, and some tomato salsa looking thing that tased amazing. The beef kabob was really tasty and flavorful, and the mashed potatoes were really fluffy, but sadly not too tasty. The Israeli salad was a little boring to me as it was just tomato and cucumber. The shakshuka was really good with a little spice giving it a nice kick. It too also came with a flat bread. The only draw back to it, is it was a little too acidic, giving me some tummy problems.
Overall a very enjoyable place, good décor, good service and delicious food. Also nice to see more diversity of cuisine in my neighborhood!

Came here on a Friday night. This place is located in the same plaza as Board n Brew and Trader Joe’s. The inside is rather spacious and very clean and modernly decorated.
I first bookmarked this place because I found out they served shakshuka and I’ve been dying to try it. So of course that’s what I ordered. Also got the hummus with lamb and we asked if we could add mushrooms too (cost a bit extra) so they did that for us. The boyfriend also ordered the lamb kabob and it included mashed potatoes and Israeli salad (you can choose 2 sides I believe).
The hummus came out first and it came with a humongous pita bread cooked naan style. Not the kind of pita you would find at a fast food place. It also came with a few small side dishes (2 styles of pickled cabbage and a red sauce that was really delicious especially when you add it to the hummus). The hummus dish overall was excellent and I would definitely recommend and order again!
Didn’t try too much of the kabob, but boyfriend really wolfed it down so it must have been good. The Israeli salad was comprised of mostly cucumbers and was refeshing but also kind of bland. Its a oretty simplw dish. The mashed potatoes were really creamy and smooth and I love mashed potatoes so I stole some from his plate throughout the meal.
Finally the shakshuka came out in a sizzling cast iron pan and included its own gigantic pita bread. While I felt like it tasted really fresh, I thought it was a bit too sour/​acidic for my personal taste acidic. I was hoping for something a bit more savory and umami tasting. Still glad I tried it.
Will definitely be back here for more of that fantastic hummus and to try a new entrée!

This is a random find in Mira mesa/​scripps ranch. To me this tasted more authentic than my usual go to kebab shop. There is a pretty good amount of seating and is a pretty open area. There are two tvs if a game is on.
Chicken skewers: these came on two crazy skewers that could probably be used as weapons. The chicken was good but nothing memorable. It was juicy but not that much flavor. Got the fries as a side which were good and had the right amount of crispness.
Hummus with schwarma: the hummus is excellent. And the pita is real pita. Not the kind of pita bread you would get at fast food Greek places. It has some charr to it. The bring out a huge piece and free refills. The schwarma on top was ok. I would prob order the hummus without it next time. The side salads included two sauces which were good to dip the pita and chicken in and a plain cabbage bowl.
Good place for authentic Mediterranean food with decent prices for a sit down restaurant with a casual vibe.

Came here on a weekday lunch.
The lunch menu seemed tempting but the portion seemed small so I decided get my food off the regular menu with two beef kebab skewers with grilled vegetables and rice.
1. Beef kebab was juicy and tender.
2. They barely give out any vegetables. I was very disappointed.
3. Portion was perfect overall though (lots of protein!!)
Service was very good even though we were a large party and the turkish coffee was made well. Considering its cheap price, I’d come back again.

New mediterranean place in Mira mesa. I believe the staff here belong to the same family. They are very energetic, polite. The food usually is very good. We have tried their hummus varieties, baba ganoush and other spreads in appetizers. All these are served with warm pita bread…
The falafel they make is very tasty. crunchy, light and very flavorful. Other than the usual things you see on the menu, the side salads they serve are very delicious. If you like to make your food spicy, mention that to them and they add some sriracha and other condiments to make it that way… they also give some on the side just to make sure you have it just the way you like it :)
I always enjoy going here… the portions are pretty good. The hummus is delicious… but dont fill up on the big piece of pita and huge portion of hummus cos the entrée portions are big too :)

So initially I couldn’t decide between eating at Loving Hut, Kappa Sushi, and Calibanzo — the last two of which I never tried before. To celebrate completing my fall quarter of college I really wanted to try somewhere new (Loving Hut is also amazing if you haven’t tried it). Since Kappa Sushi was very crowded, being a Saturday night, we decided to head over to Calibanzo.
First of all, why wasn’t this place crowded? I really don’t understand. Right when you walk through the doors, you’re hit with a pleasant aroma of spices, herbs, and fresh baked laffa bread. Mmm mmm mmm … already hooked. For an appetizer, we ordered the baked eggplant with tahini sauce. Oh my gosh. This was so smooth, so creamy, so divine. Because it isn’t the heavy Italian pasta in cream sauce, you actually don’t feel that guilty eating it — in fact, you tell yourself that so you can keep eating it. We also ordered the endless sides of various salads. With an entrée purchase, it’s an extra $ 5 ($ 10 without the entrée).
While my dad ordered the chicken breast skewer, my mom and I split the shawarma plate. My brother on the other hand tried the lamb skewer and chicken liver. Surprisingly, the chicken liver, which I had for the first time, was my favorite! It tasted like tender hamburger meat haha. The shawarma in my opinion was a little over-​salted.
Overall, great place to check out, especially if you’re feeling adventurous. I highly recommend doing the endless salads. Those by themselves were filling and satisfying. Can’t wait to come back for the chicken liver, the salads, and the baba ghanoush.

Ended up here as our usual Thai Restaurant was packed! It was a blessing in disguise… There was a parking spot open and the place wasn’t busy but not because of the food quality or service… Just cause it was late.
Let me start off by saying the server was extremely friendly and had recommendations which my wife and I went with and were absolutely satisfied with all the different flavors.
From the baba ghanoush to the laffa bread– everything was busting with flavor! My taste buds were not used to this type of food… I really did enjoy my meal– which included a juicy shawarma.
The ambiance of the place is simple yet comfortable. There were huge TVs and the tables were spaced perfectly. I don’t feel enclosed at all.
There’s a small bar that carries a few beers and wine.
You must give this place a try when in the area.
The building owner of the Scripps strip mall has done a great job reinventing this place!

Have been here twice now, once on 9÷14÷15 and today.
Parking lot is huge, but there are at least three very popular restaurants located here, and it fills up… off regular hours is your best bet, if for lunch, around 11:00 during the week should be fairly easy.
Kalei has been my server both times, and the service has been 5 star all the way. She is attentive, sweet and very knowledgeable about the food.
So why three stars?
1. The food-​the quality is good, but the taste and overall dining experience is meh. Both times, started with the hummus, which comes with the Turkish salad, a salsa like sauce and salted/​marinated cabbage, as well as the bread everyone raves about. The first time, I got the house hummus, and it was pretty flavorless. This time I got smart and had the hummus with tahini… little better… BUT…Trader Joe’s makes a tastier hummus, Whole Foods market makes a tastier hummus… Sabra makes a tastier hummus. Calibanzo makes the silkiest hummus I have ever tried, but it is the weakest tasting… I’m sayin’ it, I mean it.
The lamb skewers and chicken skewer I tried today were quality meat, but virtually without seasoning… maybe a bit of salt, but I swear that is it… frankly, I do way better at home. Portion size is decent, and I have a solid appetite, but two skewers, most of the rice, all of the «salads» and about half of the flatbread are now in my stomach, and I could do with dessert.
2. The price is outrageous… first time had two lamb skewers, and the hummus, iced tea, bill with tip was $ 44.00, today it was $ 38.40. I can have three meals at Taste of Lebanon for that price, and will be just as full.
Because so many of my fellow Unilocalers gave great reviews to Calibanzo, I gave it a second shot… my dear brothers and sisters, on this you are out of your frikkin’ minds. Won’t go back, not for nothing!

Calibanzo, you have some work to do if you’re going to take over the former Sombrero’s. (It was an institution for like 20 years!)
Overall, the service was very slow. If it wasn’t for the random ramblings of my date, I might have fallen asleep at the table. Not sure what was going on, but one would think that on a Saturday night, the staff would be better prepared for the date night crowds.
Anyway, for our appetizer we ordered the kubbah. It was incredibly tasty with a crunchy outer layer and a pine nuts for an earthy taste, but at $ 4 each it was overpriced. (The menu didn’t indicate that 1 order would result in 2 pieces.) For my main dish, I got the schwarma sandwich. Although, mighty in appearance, the meat was fatty and the flavor was dry. The pickled veggies were the best part.
Overall, I left feeling disappointed. My date seemed to enjoy his meal, so there’s hope that I’ll be back for another go.

I’ve had my eye on this restaurant for several months now. I didn’t think much about Calibanzo Hummus & Grill at first as I thought it would be all about hummus which isn’t exactly my favorite thing. Calibanzo Hummus & Grill opened about 2 – 3 months ago and the reviews I’ve seen thus far seem mostly positive. Plus, they seemed to have authentic skewers grilled over open coals. Me loves.
Friend and I recently met up here for lunch. We ordered:
HOUSE HUMMUS $ 7
All their hummus appetizers are made in house and the serving size was fair for the $ 7 price tag. Make sure to ask to try their fresh pita bread with the hummus. Friend didn’t like the hummus much and I thought it tasted a bit too peanut-​y for me.
LAFFA BREAD
This is complimentary with the hummus and entrees. You MUST MUST MUST try their laffa bread. It’s similar to naan bread and it comes out piping hot to your table. They use a pillow to put the raw dough into a (clay?) oven of sorts to bake the laffa. The result is a crispy bottom and a soft, chewy top.
COMPLIMENTARY SALADS
I had seen these little salads but didn’t know if it came with an appetizer or an entrée. Jackie, our waitress, said it comes with both I think. These were beet salad, cabbage salad, and a Turkish salad. The Turkish salad was my favorite salad of the three.
BEEF KABOB SKEWER $ 11.50
This beef kabob came out skewered with a samurai sword! Or Zorro sword. Whatever sword you wanna call it. Friend loved the beef and said it tasted tender & flavorful. I thought the mash potato tasted a bit gummy and lukewarm.
CHICKEN THIGH SKEWER (Pargit) $ 11
Hello dark chicken meat on a skewer. I was disappointed with the side of grilled vegetables as they seemed more pan fried than grilled. I could not have been happier with the 4 – 5 pieces of chicken on the skewer. Each piece was so juicy and nicely seasoned. I should have ordered a second skewer for an additional $ 5 dollars. The tabouli side was great — refreshing and oh so good.
The restaurant was relatively busy that day for lunch. There was a nice hustle and bustle without losing personal attention to the customers. Jackie was the greatest server and would bring out additional fresh laffa bread when we asked.
They do have happy hour and carry Ballast Point as their draft beer. We definitely will return to try out more items here at Calibanzo