Guy Fieri loves shawarma—specifically, the chicken shawarma at Tahini—and it’s no surprise why. On Season 30, Episode 3 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, the famously spiky-haired foodie sinks his teeth into a fresh-baked pita made in-house, stuffed with a hefty helping of halal chicken marinated in a tangy and spicy yogurt sauce. It’s topped with sriracha tahini, garlic sauce, French fries, parsley, tomatoes, and pickled cucumbers. Even I’m trying not to drool in envy watching it get devoured.
The shawarma at Tahini had a fast-track to Flavortown, arriving on-screen only about two years after opening by two longtime friends, Osama Shabaik and Mahmoud “Moody” Barkawi.
Courtesy of Tahini Street Food
Shabaik and Barkawi have been best friends since high school. “And not to date ourselves, but that’s about 20 years ago now,” Shabaik laughs. (I’ve got them both beat, but never mind by how much.) Neither of them grew up in families with restaurant or hospitality experience, but they both share two important things: a common heritage of being Muslim Arab Americans, and a drive to share that heritage across San Diego.
“For us, we always wanted to be able to present our identity in our culture, which so much of it is based also around food, hospitality, warmth, inviting people in, and really over coffee as well,” explains Shabaik. So in 2017, the duo decided to open Tahini Street Food as a fast-casual Middle Eastern street food concept in Kearny Mesa. In 2019, Yelp named Tahini as one of the “Top 100 Places to Eat” that year, and in 2023, San Diego Magazine named them the Critic’s Choice for Best Middle Eastern Restaurant in San Diego.
Courtesy of Postmates Food and drinks from Finjan Coffee Co.
The partners then opened a second Tahini location at UCSD’s Sixth College development, followed by Finjan, their Turkish coffee concept. Finjan (Arabic for coffee cup) and the original Tahini location have operated side by side since 2022, and as of this Saturday, the two concepts will be officially under the same roof when they open a new shared location for both in the former Fig Tree Cafe space in Mission Valley at 7710 Hazard Center Drive.
Tahini will soft open on Saturday, December 20 at 11 a.m., and will be open seven days a week. Soft opening hours will run for around two weeks (Shabaik hopes) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and once Tahini is fully open, hours will extend until 8 p.m. or 10 p.m.
Finjan will soft open the week of January 5, 2026, open seven days a week. Hours will likely be 6:30 a.m. or 7 a.m. to open and 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. to close during the initial soft opening phase, with possible late-night hours during the weekends in the future. Both businesses are flexible to the neighborhood, Shabaik explains, and will adjust according to demand.
Courtesy of Tahini Street Food
Guests will still order at separate counters, but will sit at communal dining areas. The menus are the same as other locations, and everything is still made from scratch—the bread at Tahini, the syrups at Finjan, etc. But having a central shared location will help put both businesses in front of a larger audience.
“It’s part of a larger path forward of growth and kind of establishing who we are and our brand and our way of doing shawarma and coffee,” says Shabaik. “I think for us, really Tahini and Finjan have served as a way in which we can kind of bring forth our identity in a very unapologetic way… we felt it was something that San Diego needed.”
Tahini and Finjan Coffee Co. open at 7710 Hazard Center Drive, Mission Valley.
Courtesy of Visit Oceanside
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
The Swell Plates Series Returns To Oceanside In Early 2026
In other “swell” food news (sorry, not sorry), Oceanside’s second Swell Plates series returns from January 14 through February 11 as part of California’s Restaurant Month, with 18 restaurants featuring a “swell” plate intended to capture the spirit of Oceanside. It could be through using local spirits in a cocktail, produce from a local farm, fish caught in local waters… I could keep going, but you get the idea. Considering how high and bright Oceanside’s culinary star is rising, there’s never been a better time to eat your way through the North County’s best restaurants, like Michelin-starred Valle, Bib Gourmand Dija Mara, Michelin Guide–recommended 24 Suns, Allmine, Odie’s Pizza Co., Merenda, Matsu, Magia e Bevi, Rose Café, Jitters Coffee Pub, The Plot, The Victorian, The Market at the Victorian, Piper, 333 Pacific, Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen, Lighthouse Oyster Bar & Grill, and Wrench and Rodent—plus special Swell cocktails at The Privateer and Frankie’s.
Courtesy of Mister A’s
Beth’s Bites
This year, for the first time ever, I decided to take my family out for a Christmas Day feast—no muss, no fuss, and best of all, no cleanup. There are still a few places around town with reservations available, but I strongly recommend nailing yours down ASAP if you want to avoid hearing about your great-aunt Edna’s medical history this year at the dinner table. (And be sure to tip everyone very well—it’s Christmas, after all.)
Once you’ve nailed down your Christmas dinner destination, it’ll be time to pencil in your New Year’s Eve party plans. You certainly have your pick of them—an eight-course menu at Lucien, a five-course celebration at Mister A’s, the famous oyster and martini party at Mabel’s Gone Fishing, and that’s just the start. Throw a dart anywhere in town and you’re guaranteed a rip-roarin’ party leading up to the stroke of midnight.
The Hotel del Coronado knows that its biggest asset is the sweeping views of the Pacific, and it is not afraid to use it. From now until January 4, you can get both the views and top-notch sushi at Nobu on the Knoll, a private tasting at your choice of either a fireside lounge or in a reclaimed whiskey barrel, both featuring its world-famous sushi, sunset views, and a Stranahan’s cocktail or whiskey flight (depending on which you choose). Both activations are 21+, but the view from the beach, as always, is all-ages and completely free.
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Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
