International Market & Grill

This little joint is right across the street from school (UCSD) so it's just natural to give it a try! Despite negative reviews from some friends, I still decided to go. I did mention in the past that they ALWAYS disappoint me when I let them choose a place to eat? Yes I sure did. Check the Eclipse Chocolat post. Okay. So if they think something is good and it's clearly not....would something they think is crappy actually be great? I put it to the test. Twice.

International Market & Grill isn't exactly "International". The store primarily sells Middle Eastern fare and makes some mean Persian grilled meats. On two separate visits I've tried the House Kabab Plate, Chicken Kabab (a la carte), and a grilled fish wrap. On both occasions I walked away very satisfied.


House Kabab Plate:

As you can see, the Plate comes with generous servings of salad and rice. Some folks like having half their plate filled with carbs, but I'd much rather see more meat. The (really long) kebab consists of seasoned ground beef and was absolutely mmm-yoso! It was very well seasoned and I could still taste the natural sweetness of the beef. Great stuff. Now if only I could get more meat, please?

The chicken kebab and grilled fish wrap aren't pictured. I always forget to take pictures when I'm ravenous... But, I'll tell ya this: the chicken was also well seasoned and grilled. It was SO juicy. I don't know how the grill-guy (owner) does it, but he really knows how to seal in the juices of grilled meats. I've never had grilled chicken this juicy before. Seriously.

I bought the fish wrap to-go as lunch for the drive back to L.A. and really enjoyed it. I think toasted lavash bread is used as the wrap. It's been awhile, so I don't recall what kind of fish is used, but I do remember it was a white fish. Tilapia? I don't know. Probably. Like the beef and chicken kebabs, the grilled fish was really juicy as well. Veggies inside the wrap include the basics: lettuce, tomato, and onions (red). Yogurt+cucumber spread comes in a separate container...this made driving and eating at the same time a bit more difficult as I applied the yogurt before each bite. Overall, a really tasty nutritionally balanced lunch.

Despite negative reviews, though from unreliable/inaccurate sources, I still gave this place a shot and ended up with a completely different conclusion than my sources. See guys, don't believe every word you hear from normal folks. Heck, I'm sure y'all are familiar with inaccurate posts from Yelp. Unless the general consensus (from folks who know what the hell they're talkin' about) of a dining establishment is negative, why not go try out food from somewhere you've never been?


International Market & Grill
3211 Holiday Ct # 100
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 535-9700