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Sajj Mediterranean Grill

1459 University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103

Sajj is the name of the domed, cast-iron oven that bakes the fresh bread at this Lebanese restaurant in Hillcrest at the corner of University and Normal Street. The grill is a fascinating piece of equipment and all the best dishes at the restaurant are organized around the crispy flatbread that gets served hot and marked from the hemisphere of the Sajj.

The design of the restaurant offers lots of breeze to diners and, though the particular stretch of University isn't the quietest or most scenic for patio seating, the en plein air atmosphere evokes some nice, Mediterranean sentiments.

Table service was a pleasant surprise in the face of the take-out appearance of the restaurant and the girls who work the register and run the food were both very friendly.

The specialty of the house, according to those same friendly girls, is the manakeesh. In it's most basic form, manakeesh is a slice of the freshly griddled bread that's been spread with a mixture of herbs and olive oil for $2.49. The "supreme" manakeesh at the other end of the spectrum also contained cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, mint, and grilled chicken. The chicken was a touch on the dry side as it seemed to be only breast meat. Redolent of fresh herbs, briny olives, and snappy cucumbers, the manakeesh did prove to be extremely satisfying with a lighter flavor than the yoghurt and tahini-smothered wraps that are more typical of Lebanese and other Middle Eastern restaurants.
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Additional Info

Hours

Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Monday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Tuesday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Wednesday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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