Parsian International Market and Deli

I went there last week and was shocked to find the business closed. As I was leaving another car arrived, circling around the business looking for any sign of their new location, only to leave with disappointed.
Fortunately an Iranian restaurant in downtown (also very good, called Darband Fifth Avenue Grill) told me they have moved to Mira Mar. Immediately I drove there salivating over their stews. The business is now called «Grill House Café» on Black Mountain road just behind a large Indian supermarket. They don’t have my favorite walnut stew and eggplant stews yet, but I am looking forward to going there this weekend…

I’ve been here a few times now and I absolutely love the food here. I have eaten at quite a few middle eastern restaurants and this place definitely knows how to serve it up!
They have the juiciest chicken around with tons of flavor. Not to mention, as much as I love red meat, I’m not one for the ground beef kabobs but these are AMAZING. The seasoning is epic and each combo is served up with a mound of basmati rice and a side salad.
The people that work here are so delightful and they are super friendly to all their customers!
Lov-​ing the saffron pistachio ice cream sandwiches! YUM!

The «mini» lunch specials here are pretty big for $ 5.99. Their size is definitely not small and they come with a heaping helping of rice, butter, meat, generic salad, and roasted tomato. The chicken and beef kebabs our her tried were somewhat dry though, which was disappointing given how highly rated this place was on Unilocal.
The service is somewhat slow and laid back, and not very good with English. They were out of hummus when our hero visited, which is odd for a Persian restaurant… it’s like a McDonald’s being out of fries when you visit. Our hero had to ask the server twice if his 2^nd choice dip came with pita bread before the server gave up and asked someone with better English skills to translate. Communication fail.
When Marketplace Grille beats a place for quality, there’s probably better alternatives around.
PROS:
— Lunch is large for the price.
CONS:
— Prices in the market are a bit high and the selection is limited.
— Not much for customer service.

Because I like to try new cuisines, I’m always down to try new places I’ve never heard of. I have never tried Persian food so at the suggestion of my cousin, we went to this place. I was a bit thrown off because I thought we were going to a restaurant but then again this place reminded me of Mitsuwa (and their dining area for Japanese food) and Seafood City (and their dining area for Filipino food). The market is pretty organized from what I was looking at, but my reason for the visit was for the food.
I like how you have a choice of sitting inside or outside. With summer here, I would recommend that you choose to eat outdoors because not only can you people/​car watch, you can get fresh air. The food is delivered to you and at the end of the meal, you leave your trays there.
I got the beef and chicken kabob combo and I finished everything on the plate (even if I said «I’m not that hungry»). The portions are pretty good and the taste is super delicious. I don’t know what it was about their rice, but boooyyy, was that suuuuuuper good. Maybe I’m exaggerating, but being a picky eater, it must mean something when I say the food is delicious and that I would definitely come back again.

Great food and very authentic.
Great prices, very affordable.
Nice and comfy eating area.
Easy to find.

Parsian is a satisfying and relatively inexpensive Iranian Market. I’ve been to superior ones in LA, but it is impressive for the area. I had a koobideh kabob, which I sprinkled with sumac. It was quite good, and it fulfilled a craving I’ve been having for koobideh. Next time I’ll try the fesenjan.
I was also happy to see a wide variety of Persian ice cream brands for sale.

Every so often, I’ll stop in for fresh, round flatbread the size of flying saucers. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think it’s called taftoon. I always try to eat the air bubbles in a «strategic» manner.
Last night, I purchased the hummus, eggplant dip, a block of fresh cheese, and a block of the Lebanese pistachio helva. The proprietor urged me to try all of the cheeses. Now that’s customer service!
All the food was great! The eggplant dip was minty and flavorful. The cheeses were very tangy and pungent. The pistachios in the helva were slightly bitter and deeeeelicious.
I haven’t tried the lunch specials but I already know I’ll be back.

3.5 Stars
Maybe it was my choice in lunch special, but I was hardly impressed by this place. I ordered the lunch gyros special with lamb and beef and earl grey tea to wash it all down.
Likes:
–Earl Grey with sugar cubes was delicious and freshly brewed. I’m such a lover of tea and this was the perfect pair to my lunch.
–Hummus was perfect, greek yogurt was refreshing
Dislikes
–WAY TOO MUCH dressing on my side salad. It was too salty to enjoy and I’m known to over season my food. It really ruined my dining experience.
–Gyros were not impressive IMO and there were more onions than I’d have liked
Next time I’ll be sure to get the kebobs.

Very unsuspecting location. I didnt even know what Parsian was (Iran) until a friend of mine took me here. Its exactly what the name says, its a market and deli. You walk in and see all kinds of goods from Iran. In the front theres a counter with pictures of all the food so you know what you are ordering. There is seating out in the back past all the aisles with a nice patio area.
I ordered the chicken and beef kabobs with rice. Amazing flavor! The chicken was nice and juicy, but the beef was a little tough to eat. They had some kind of purple powder spice on the table so we decided to sprinkle a little of that on our rice. That powder must have crack in it or something because throughout our meal we kept sprinkling more and more until our rice was completely covered in it. It really changes up the flavor but it is very subtle.
The prices are decent and the portions are pretty big. The people behind the counter are really kind. It’s a great hole in the wall type place, it looks like it was an old mcdonalds or something. I’ll definitely coming be back to try out more stuff!

A few things:
1. I am not a big fan of hummus
2. I am not a big fan of chicken boobies (breast meat as me and my grams call ‘em)
3. and I don’t really eat Persian food
So why in the world did I wanna come here? A few blogs I’ve read have been raving about this place. Can’t believe it’s been open 6 years (that’s what the owner told me today) since they’e been open and I haven’t stepped foot inside until today. (My sister jokingly pleaded w/​me not to go there b/​c she said ‘I bet you’ll be the only Asian there…)
Yes, I was the only Asian there. So what. (I only say that b/​c the ppl behind the counter were super nice and the place was ½ empty so what did I care)
Plenty of parking — it use to be a fast food joint I believe (you can tell by the old drive-​thru feature still there)
You walk in and to the top right of the store, you’ll see an ordering station w/​2 cashiers. Menu is on the wall w/​plenty of pics illustrating the menu items.
They had 3 lunch specials — all priced below $ 6 or so but I really wanted a bit more food so i asked the owner (I believe) what she recommended.
This is what we ordered:
1. Traditional Hummus $ 2.99 :Grounded Garbanzo Beans, Olive Oil and a hint of Lemon:
AMAZING, SO GOOD, RAD. That’s my 3^rd grade vocab coming out right now. Nice and thick, AND a strong garlic flavor/​taste. Again, I’m not usually a fan of hummus but every time my friend took his pita to scoop some up, I’d give him the stink eye b/​c he was hogging all of it. Really nice portion for the price as well
2. Eggplant Dip (Kashk-​o-​Bademjan) $ 4.99: A blend of Eggplants marinated in Fresh Garlic, Onion and topped with our Special Plain House Yogurt :
Not really a fan. This is usually a dish I always order and have yet to find something that compares to the now-​defunct Panini Café in LJ. The lady asked me if i wanted this served warm or cold, and the other lady that worked there answered ‘Warm of course!’. So she takes the eggplant dish (served individually from fridge in a container) and walks to the back. I think she dumps the container into a bowl and nukes it b/​c that’s pretty much what it looked and tasted like when it arrived at the table (see pic). It wasn’t a BAD dish per se, just not great, AND definitely not as good as the hummus
3. Chicken & Beef Kabob (Lunch) $ 7.99: A Combination of Grilled Chicken Chunks and Grilled Beef Kabob :
I was speechless when I took a bite of the chicken kabob. I admit it, I was expecting dried out, small pieces of chicken boobies. They don’t offer dark meat BTW (but who does nowadays). But oh my goodnessss… chicken was piping hot, fresh, juicy, succulent. My friend tried to talk to me while i was taking my first few bites and i literally said, w/​my mouth full, ‘please don’t talk to me right now.’ It was THAT good
The beef is not the sirloin or filet. It’s the ground beef (Koobideh). It was ok. The lady said they can’t offer the sirloin or filet for the lunch special b/​c it costs so much more than the Koobideh. Understood. But in the future I think I’m going to go all chicken or perhaps upgrade to the sirloin to try it out.
Comes w/​a heap full of beautiful rice (w/​a pat of butter!), salad, and a roasted tomato. Beautiful…
I asked for a side of water and the waiter brought us out a bottle of Gerolsteiner Mineral water (see pic). I had just gone back up to purchase the same bottle of water from the lady b/​c I was craving mineral water. Waiter said the bottle comes for free so my friend and I were like ‘wow, a FREE bottle of mineral water?! Booyahhh!!’. Thought I was being all bad-​a** by taking the mineral water home since we could not finish and just took a swig and realized it’s tap water filled in an empty Gerolsteiner bottle… wow…I’m so incredibly ridiculous…
Hope this review helps anyone who’s been looking for a Persian restaurant to try out. I can’t wait to come back and try more of their items. I heard their stews are quite good as well.
Cheers…

I’m a HUGE fan of Persian food so when my Persian friend told me that this was his favorite place to get it in SD I knew I had to check it out.
I ordered the Kubideh and Shish Kabob Combo for $ 14.99 to share with my friend and we were both STUFFED in the end. The meat in the Shish Kabob (Filet Mignon) was more tender but I liked the taste of the Kubideh more because you can taste more of the spices in the ground meat. Oh and the grilled tomatoes were sooo good and really brought the whole meal together.
I don’t know if I like this place or Darband more (I still have such a soft spot for Darband) but I’m definitely going to this one more because it’s right by my house AND it’s cheaper. $ 7.99 for a Kubideh plate? Whatttt? I don’t have to drive all the way to downtown anymore? Whatttt? You win, Parsian Deli!
Did I mention. both indoor booth seats and outdoor patio tables? Parking lot too! And a market with fresh veggies and products for you to look through as you’re waiting for your food!

I have been driving by this place quite some time now, and today I was craving Parsian food.
OMG…so tasty I wish I stopped by sooner. I order my food to go and 10 minutes later when I got back to the office, food was at perfect temperature to eat.
My take out order was for two people, the portions are very generous so I have more than enough food for tonight.
1.) Hummus — 10
2.) Shallot Dip — 10
3.) Beef Kabob (two grilled pieces) only $ 7.99 — 10
4.) Vegetarian Quiche Sandwich –10
Price is so reasonable and the quality & taste I give it a 10.
A new lunch place to go, can’t wait to try the rest of the menu!

Definitely one of the best places to get persian food in SD, and better price than most.
Koobideh is a real solid dish here. Good quality beef, moist and flavorful. Almost the best koobideh in SD, 2^nd only to Bandar in my opinion. The chicken kebab is super tasty and moist as well, whereas too many places over cook and dry out the meat.
The fesenjun is also really good, again, i’d say 2^nd place to Bandar, but for the price you can’t beat it.
Best bet is to get the beef/​chicken combo (10.99) and a side of fesenjun (5.99). This is a lot of food, and could be shared among 2 people, but it’s a good way to get a little taste of everything.

So sad to post this, but figure it’d be a public service to announce that this place is currently CLOSED :(
If you want authentic Iranian food, please come here. They simply have the BEST Joojeh (chicken kebab) I have ever had the pleasure of eating. The Koobideh (ground beef kebab) is also quite delicious.
My boyfriend (who’s half Iranian) and I have also been to to other kebab places around (Luna Grill, Kebab Shop, Sadaf) and they can’t quite compare to how great the food tastes here at Parsian International Market and Deli.
My advice: Get the best of both worlds and get their mini combination plate with chicken and beef kebab. Don’t be fooled by the name either; their mini is actually HUGE! And the price is even better (around 8 bucks).
Environment: the place itself could be quite hard to find if you’re not looking for it, but it’s right behind the 7-​Eleven. Now, once you’re inside you’ll be greeted by the interesting aisles of Persian delicacies and deli counter to order food. You can either eat in or take out.
Simply put, best prices and best kebab in San Diego.

Oh wow! The first time I went to this unrecognized gem I had the gyros plate. The pita was fresh, the tzaziki sauce was thick and tangy, and the tomato cucumber salad was great. I felt like such a pig when I realized I had eaten the whole thing. Nom yommy! The folks behind the counter were friendly and made me feel welcome in their shop.
The second time I went I got the mini combo kabob plate. It had chicken and beef, which were seasoned perfectly, with rice and that awesome fresh tomato cucumber salad. A piece of thin bread came with the plate to sop up all the goodness from the salad dressing and rice.
The prices are very reasonable and they have a nice outdoor seating area in front of the market.

Beef and chicken kebab entrée w/​side salad (dinner portion for lunch)
Borjomi (Georgian) seltzer water
Am I allowed to say, «Zomg! This is sooooo good?!» like a 12-​year old?
It appears as if these people looked up the word, «Perfection,» then grilled it to order. Sexy perfume? Football? Bacon? David Beckham? Fast cars? No… If you want to attract someone, rub some Parsian beef and chicken kebabs on the nape of your neck.
Seemingly miraculous tender white meat chicken. You ever hear people say, «Oh, I don’t like breast meat because it’s too dry.» Well, that’s because it’s cooked improperly. On the day I was there, it was char-​grilled to perfection. Oh, so plush (yes, like a pillow). Seasoned perfectly; not too much flavor, not too little flavor. It met exactly at the half-​way point of heavenly and divine.
Juicy just like the chicken, the beef «kefta-​style» kebabs were oh so ridiculously bursting with flavor. Throw a cream pie at my face; I probably wouldn’t notice because I’d be in a hypnotic trance induced by the beef kebabs.
Their rice? Fluffy and perfect. Hey, Lamb, you think your coat of wool is fluffy? Get outta here. I think my eyes sparkled when the chef scooped another patron’s rice on a plate. The rice comes with an unopened pack of butter on top so that it warms the butter and you pour it directly on the rice. It’s unopened because you can choose to discard the butter but why on Earth would you do that? Do you throw away gold? (Please excuse the silly pun [Darigold butter]).
Wait, wait, wait. You’re telling me the pita-​style starch is placed strategically underneath the beef and chicken kebabs as to soak the juice and then you eat it with some meat for ridiculously taste-​bud stimulating flavor explosion? Brillant.
It came with a crappy complimentary side salad. It was a salad you get at a pizzeria (iceburg lettuce, tomatoes, mysterious dressing, etc.) but you don’t come here to eat salad, you fool!
For the best experience: Get a plate, not a wrap. Smurf, go big or go home! Blahlow. Be well.

Ive had the beef and chicken kebab combo here a few times. Good stuff. Chicken was cooked really well (moist, tender) and had good flavor to it too. Same with the beef as well. Both items tasted like their respective meats and it was yummy. Combo comes with a lettuce, tomato, and cucumber salad dressed with what tastes like Italian. Also came with some fluffy rice and pita bread on the side. The rice is on the dry side but the package of butter they pack with the meal is a good remedy. Ah yes, the portion is enough to feed two people if you want to keep it relatively light. Think big styrofoam box, packed. Then another carton for salad and a sleeve for bread.
Walked around the store and they have a lot of spices, unique nuts, yogurt, and teas. Seem like decent prices too. You could probably find some pretty unique things here to cook with. Anyway, I’m a fan.

Whoa! the BEST homemade hummus in the world. So good!
The deli (more like a mini restaurant) inside this small grocery store that sells trinkets and tea pots and canned spices is a really amazing deli.
The salmon kabob plate is so healthy — spiced grilled salmon, fresh salad and a side of saffron rice.
I also tasted the chicken kabob and was enchanted by the saffron spice marinade and the tenderness of the meat. Really fantastic.
There’s a small but pleasant patio with umbrellas for al fresco dining, as well as some indoor booths in the back.
We’ll definitely be back for a healthy priced-​right meal. I really want to try some of the stews and pick up more hummus.
Don’t miss the olivey, salty hummus!
(does not serve alcohol)

Great food. Cheap prices. Gargantuan portions. What more is there to want? Well, I guess the tables could be clean. The outdoor seating could use some new tables and chairs. But that’s about it.
This is my spot for kebabs, great fluffy rice, and dugh. Plus, one lunch plate feeds two! Maybe you need a side of soup or something for the bigger eater. Enjoy!

Interesting little mom-​and-​pop store right in the middle of Convoy. You wouldn’t expect great Persian food around here but not only is it good, the servings are big too!
Got the chicken and beef kabob combo that also comes with flatbread, saffron rice, and salad. Both the chicken and the beef trumps over many places that sells kabobs in SD. The saffron rice was surprisingly good also!
Also tried the vegetable quiche wrap. Didn’t expect much out of it but it was light and the combination of flavors was good as well. For sure a good spot for vegetarians as well!
While you are waiting for your food you can also look around the market. Saw a lot of interesting items that they had stocked up.
Overall, nothing fancy. Just good, simple cooking.