Skewers Grill

The food is very good here. The cucumber salad was one of the best I’ve had and I’m from NYC where these type of restaurants are in abundance. The skewered shrimp were seasoned to perfection. The herbed rice complimented the meal perfectly.
My only complaint has to do with BILLING AND COST.
Be sure to verify what you ordered and the price BEFORE you hand over any money. Let’s just say it will lesson any chance of a disagreement when the food comes out.
COST IS HIGH for a little joint located in a Shell Gas Station Bodega. I had a shrimp combination plate and was charged $ 15.93…whoa…Do I get a free oil change with that ?
The lady serves good food but don’t let her fast talking demeanor get the best of you… will return for sure but unfortunately I won’t return as often as I’d like to due to «Cost Is High «.

Fantastic! Found this little place via Unilocal while traveling through the area. Was a little difficult to pinpoint the location from the GPS at first, but boy those few extra minutes spent looking were worth it. Mary greeted us and gave us excellent recommendations. She even threw in some free hummus to mix with the tabbouleh. Everything we ordered was delicious, as promised. Excellent, excellent Mediterranean fare. Great, friendly service. If you ever have occasion to be in the area, stop in and treat yourself– you’ll be glad you did.

This place has great food and wonderful service! It was a little tricky to find, but I’m glad Unilocal lead me to another great find. I had the a la carte skewers (veggie & chicken) and hummus. Really enjoyed the place– I’ll be back!

OMG. the best salad dressing! I beg Mary, the super friendly owner, every time for her secret recipe… and no luck! EVERYTHING is DELICIOUS! Kebabs, hummus, salads, rice, tzatziki… the only place I eat when I am in that area and I have been known to drive out of my way just to have some of Skewers YUMMY food!!!

If you let the gas station factor stop you from eating here, you are blowing it! Every item on the menu is top quality, from the main entrees to the sides. Everything made with unique recipes so you won’t find this anywhere else or be able to duplicate it yourself. On top of the food, the owner Mary is a sweetheart. She actually cares about her customers and makes all of her food with love. If you are in the area do yourself a favor and stop by skewers located in a shell gas station, and u will be amazed. I guarantee you will be back.

Simply the best Mediterranean food, if you can ignore the location inside the Shell gas station. Lunch while your car being washed.

This is hands down the best gas station food I’ve ever had in my life. Ever. Yes, you read that correct GAS STATION. This place is inside the shell gas station. So this isn’t the place for date night but makes for a good lunch.
I walked in and approached the counter to order, no one. There’s a bell sitting there with the sign «ring bell for service» so I ring the Bell. No one. A shell gas station employee gets on the overhead paging system *customer waiting at the grill.* An employee scurries out of a back office. No smile or greeting just a stern «can I help you?».
So I placed my order for a salad, rice combo with chicken skewer. It was $ 11.80 with tax but then I had to process a second transaction at the shell gas station for the drink for a couple more $‘s. Kinda pricey for a gas station grill.
I took a seat at the lovely dining area wedged between the bathroom corridor and the carwash. If you’ve ever wondered what the inner working of the carwash look like you will get a reaaal reaaal good view here. So close you can reach out and touch it, literally.
My food was served in a styrafoam to go container and although the server was standing 3 feet from me he called me over to get it myself. That’s cool man you work behind the counter, you’re not paid to walk the 5 extra steps. I get it.
The food was OUTSTANDING. I was seriously blown away. When I open the container the smell of dill and other herbs filled my nose and took me away to a Mediterranean land. The flavors in the food were very subtle, not overpowering and blended great together. The chicken was cook just right to provide a slight crisp grilled exterior and was nice and juicy. It tasted like it was brined and had a lemon juice marinade soaked through. Really tasty. The salad was a bed of green leaf lettuce, olives, feta, tomato all tossed homemade herbed vinaigrette.
I had to do an average to get this rating. It was a little tricky because of the disparity between service and food quality.
Food = 5+
Ambiance =2
Service = 2
Price = 3
That pulls in 3 stars BUT I seriously couldn’t believe that something so good came out of a gas station so I rounded up to 4. I’d fo sho get it again.

It’s hard to decide between 4 and 5 stars on this one but I went with 5 based solely on the deliciousness of the food and friendliness of the owner. The price is a little bit on the pricey side but the servings are not dainty. Nestled inside a gas station, you would not consider this place as a very inviting venue but looked passed that and you have some extremely enjoyable Persian/​Mediterranean food. It’s an ideal place for take out for that quick persian food fix which is what I sought after but I decided to eat in to watch the cars being washed through the window and enjoy the low key/​low maintenance style lunch.
The owner loves to offer samples of food to prove just how good her cooking is. I got sold on every item. I’ve tried the chicken which was very flavorful and juicy that came with a cucumber salad which was fresh and tasty. The ground beef was also very good and I had that with the herb basmati rice. I think the herb basmati rice alone is worth the trip! She gave a sample of the hummus with pita bread and it’s probably the best hummus/​pita combo I’ve ever had. If I wasn’t so full I would’ve ordered more but that will have to wait another (very soon) day =)

The food here is excellent although definitely a little on the pricey side for what it is. I always get the food to go because I don’t want to eat in a gas station however.

solely based on the service:
i ordered beef koobideh on the phone for takeaway. when i showed up and paid, i saw that he was grilling up a beef filet skewer and since no one else was there, i decided to chime in and let him know that i ordered beef koobideh. he responded with, «well, this is what i made» and then handed it to me letting me know that he clearly didn’t care even though it was his mistake. if it was busy i’d understand, but there were no other customers so it’s not like he didn’t have time to fix his mistake.
moral of the story: if you see a guy working the grill, come another time.

Let go of the location and just enjoy the food. Yummy, high quality, healthy, made from scratch. And while you’re eating, get your car hand washed. Just wish it was closer so I could come more often. This food is truly a labor of love. As for the price, you are paying for top quality and I think it’s worth it. Her dishes aren’t cheap to make. Don’t try to compare to pasta or macdonalds!

Yep, I gave a 5 star review to a restaurant located inside a gas station … but this place is so fantastic! Sweet older lady cooks up some mean (as in good) wraps. Great way to wait for your car to get washed. sit outside with a wrap, drink and nice weather! It is crazy to think that food this good is cooked inside of a gas station!

Normally I would only eat gas station food as a last resort. It’s not fresh or even real food most of the time but this place is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! Fist off this is not gas station food it’s simply a yummy little kabob shop in a gas station. The food is so amazing! And fresh. I always have the chicken kabob and the herb rice. With a side of pita bread .The salad is also delicious. I honesty could eat here all the time. And the price is right. All and all its defiantly a hidden gem. Next time your at the shell or even in Encinitas and want a quick and healthy lunch try this place.

Literally in a gas station. Sweet woman. She said this isn’t a job for her, it is her hobby. The salad… OMG, is huge and amazing. He ground beef skewer full of flavor or juicy. The filet was tender. The herb basmati rice is delicious! My fiancée wants to come back and eat here for breakfast ! Mary prides herself in all home made products made with love. Nothing comes out of a container. We will be back.

Excellent food by a woman who takes pride in her craft. I had to call and personally thanks her for such a yummy lunch. I’ll be back, and I am telling my friends.

Great food. A must try. You would not know that such good food would be served inside of a gas station!

Fresh and delicious food! The portions are really large and the chicken skewer salad bowl was enough for my lunch and to split 3 ways for a dinner salad. Mary is so sweet and really takes so much pride in her food. It’s such a funny place for a grill, but a great way to get gas, car wash and a healthy lunch at the same time.

First time here and wow, I wasn’t expecting this kind of food inside a gas station! Mary the owner is a sweet lady who puts a lot of care into the food. I had the chicken skewer and it was great. Very juicy and full of flavor! Along with perfectly toasted pita triangles and hummus, I’m full and will be getting gas at this shell more often!

I went back and forth on this one, but ultimately went with 4 stars because of the price and location.
The food was delicious! I had the chicken skewer and cucumber salad. The chicken was moist and had great flavor. The salad was diced cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and herbs, tossed in a lemon vinaigrette; it was fresh and clean. But I do think it was overpriced. My meal, those two items, without a drink was over $ 9, when I feel like it should have been about $ 7 given the portion.
Skewers is in a gas station, which is a turn off for many people, and I get it. I am not necessarily turned off by a restaurant just because it is in a gas station, but I do think it plays a role in the overall convenience/​ambiance of restaurant. I mean, the tables are small, lighting is bad, there are oil and filters right next to and that isn’t something that is appealing to me when I am out. If you are getting a car wash around lunch or dinner time (which I was) and are hungry, this is a fantastic option for a healthy delicious meal. But I don’t see myself coming here for a meal unless I am already at the car wash because I rather go somewhere with nicer tables, ambience, etc.
The owner is very nice and friendly and you can tell she takes pride in her work, which I appreciate.

Being Middle Eastern myself, I have tried every Middle Eastern restaurant I could find in San Diego county, and in terms of quality of food and flavor, Skewers Grill is the winner when it comes to kababs.
Don’t be fooled by its location, which is inside a gas station. This is hands-​down one the best places to eat around here. Initially, I didn’t want to try food from a gas station, but after reading the reviews, I had to try it out. And I am glad I did.
They cook and season their meat so perfectly — so juicy and delicious. Their hummus is creamy goodness, and their rice is seasoned amazingly. But you can order their meat a-​la-​carte to try it out first. I haven’t tried their vegetarian options yet.
The cons are, as other reviewers mentioned, the wait time and the location — I wouldn’t bring someone here on a first date. I recommend you «take out» when you order unless you enjoy eating inside a poorly-​lit Shell convenience store. But the wait time is worth it.