Mid East Market - Middle Eastern/Mediterranean, San Bruno

1776 El Camino Real, San Bruno CA 94066
(650) 875-7100
Parking: very small parking lot, street parking

Last Visited: August 13, 2014

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 stars
Price: $ to $$

Mid East Market is a market with a deli behind it that sells items from their deli case and serves items such as shawerma and falafel cooked to order.  Of course, these are also available in a wrap.  Prices range from $5.99 to $9.99 and while it's not gourmet dining, I think it offers a good alternative for lunch.

All plates are served with pita bread.

- Chicken Shawerma plate - Marinated chicken breast is cooked on the flat top.  Served with hummus, a tomato and cucumber salad, and pickles, it will definitely fill you up.  The meat was flavorful, but does tend to get dry near the end of the meal. The salad is fresh and the pickles add a good balance to the dish.  Depending on your school of thought, you might find the hummus not the right temperature because it's served cold, but it's smooth and has the right consistency.  Two sauces are also served with the dish.  Good. $7.99

- Beef Shawerma plate - Marinated beef is grilled on the flat top.  Similar to the chicken shawerma plate, it too is filling.  I liked the beef more than the chicken.  $8.49

- Falafel plate - During my first visit in July, I tried the falafel plate and found the falafel to be super fresh.  There was a big mound of cooked falafel and then they finish it off for serving.  It contains a lot of fresh herbs so when you bite into it, much of it is green.  According to my middle eastern friend, this is a good thing.  $7.99

- Falafel wrap - On my second visit, I tried the falafel wrap, but this time, I found the flavor of baking soda to be a bit stronger so I liked this falafel less than the previous visit.  The wrap is simple - a shmear of hummus, the falafel, some pickles, and then a few more pickles on the outside. $5.99

On both occasions, the deli is manned by one and at most two people.  It tends to be a bit hectic for the guy cooking when he doesn't have help and depending on the day, he can be a bit moody/less customer service oriented. The trail of ants that were making its way to the counter during my second visit made eating there less appetizing than the first time.  The setup is very simple in that there are probably two to three tables next to the refrigerator holding canned beverages and storage/display racks.  Definitely nothing fancy and it feels dated, but it will do.

Overall, I think it's a good place for takeout and to opt for something different, but it's no frills so as long as you know that going in, you'll be ok.  The market has some ethnic offerings that are somewhat hard to find in a regular grocery store, so since you have to go there to pay anyways, it's a good way to kill time while you wait.