Fairouz Café and Gallery

THE BEST HUMMUS IN TOWN!!! I can't say enough good things about this wonderful family-owned restaurant! It's tucked into a little shopping center on Midway, just before the right turn for Target, if you're heading west. I've been dining at Fairouz for more than 20 years and I've always left feeling happy and satisfied with the experience. Whether you enjoy the buffet or order from the menu, you'll eat delicious and nutritious Middle-Eastern food lovingly prepared my Mr. Nashashibi and his family. The artwork by Mr. Nashsshibi is everywhere, bringing colorful, positive energy to the restaurant's environment. Engage him in conversation and you'll hear great stories about his boyhood days in Jerusalem. Don't miss this unpretentious gem in San Diego!

Great food and a killer atmosphere. Weird location for sure, though. A pleasant surprise in an otherwise crummy area. The lemon chicken soup is amazing!

We weren’t trying to drive away vampires, but we surely would have, if there had been any of the bloodsuckers flying around Midway Drive yesterday. My friend and I lunched at Fairouz Café and Gallery and consumed some of the most enjoyable, garlicky offerings ever presented in one place. Some of the most appreciated items were the garlic-marinated cabbage, served chilled, which I went back for at least three times, and the crisp-tender sliced carrots dressed with garlic and parsley. We practically swooned over Fairouz’s intense garlic dip. We tried to guess what was in the dip, besides lots of garlic. It was white in color and had a super creamy consistency. It didn’t seem to be made of dairy or mayonnaise, so we finally asked the waitress, who explained that the base was made from potato, presumably baked or boiled. We wanted to fill up our soup bowls with this dip, but we constrained ourselves to several large dollops that we spread onto pita triangles. Fairouz Café has one of the best and most varied lunch buffets in town and it’s a bargain at only $8.99. All of the selections are either Greek or Lebanese, and most of the items are vegetarian or vegan, but they do have a few chicken and lamb preparations to satisfy the omnivores amongst us. My omnivore described the saffron chicken as the best chicken she’s ever tasted, and it smelled wonderful. I counted no less than thirteen cold vegetarian items and ten hot vegetarian entrees and vegetables. Which is a lot more than you can shake a stick at! Some of the outstanding dishes were shak shuka, a tangy tomato and egg dish that reminded me of huevos rancheros served in Mexican restaurants, and broccoli and egg oujah, which appeared to be a cross between quiche and a frittata. Cold lentil salad spiced with sweet mustard was a treat too, and I was very pleased to experience hummus that was neither dry nor grainy like some of the store bought products tend to be, with just the right amount of tahini to give it its slightly bitter twinge. At Fairouz Café, be prepared to tickle your palate and cleanse your colon. This food is good and it’s good for you!