Description: Having passed a Persian Restaurant in the taxi on my way to the hotel, I decided to go back and give it a try (I love culinary adventures). I wasn't disappointed. Although at first I felt slightly out of place in this ethnic restaurant, the people were helpful and the food was great!
Darband Fifth Avenue Grill is a cross between a sit-down restaurant and a fast food place. You order and pay at the counter and then receive a number and your food is brought out to you.
I had a kabob wrap, which took all the traditional ingredients of a shish kabob and wrapped them up with lettuce and tomato in a wrap. It was excellent and very filling. If I thought I would have the opportunity to eat the leftovers, I would have saved half of it for later.
The prices were good. Although some of the platters were around $15, many of the sandwich/lunch options were under $10. I had a hard time choosing what option sounded best!
The decor is great-it definitely reflects the type of food served there. There are many pictures from Iran hanging on the walls. The atmosphere created is much better than your typical chain restaurant. The restaurant also has large windows at the front, so it is very light inside.
The only complaint I had was the service at the counter. I was served by about three different people in the course of ordering my meal. This wouldn't bother me except that I was almost overcharged for my meal- a miscommunication among the staff caused them to first charge me for the kabob platter rather than the wrap (at two times the cost). However, when I pointed out the problem to them, they corrected it with no argument.
Overall, I felt this was a great restaurant. Every time I travel to a larger city, I try to get out and sample different ethnic cuisines, and I was not disappointed with my experience at the Darband. I would eat here again if I were in that part of San Diego.
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