Wide variety of Mediterranean grocery🛒 items with meat items. You can get marinated drumsticks 🍗, shish kebab and gyros. Fresh produces 🍆🍓🍒🥑🍌🍎🍊, fruits and dairy items. If you are looking for dried fruits🥜🌰, nuts and Mediterranean breads🥐🥖🍞, this could be the best place to look for. Very friendly staffs and soothing background music (arabic, I guess🤔). Prices are affordable. I love to shop at Balboa International Market and hope you will like it too.

One of best such markets I have visited, courteous staff, variety of fresh grocery, certified Halal meat. I bought variety of marinated meat for BBQ. Didnt find disposable cups and owner himself went out of his way to arrange it for me from adjacent Sufi restaurant which is also their property. Highly recommend.

Produce is always beautiful and prices so low! Great place to get fresh cheese and olives, tons of varieties of Tea, spices, rice, dried beans or lentils. LOVE the friendly staff and their Sangak bread is the best in town! Hot, chewy with a crispy crust and the mix of seeds on top. *Drool*Also, the Saffron Pistachio ice cream in the freezer section is to die for, best ice cream Ive ever had.

It was my favorite store, food options are great but new stuff are completely NOT helpful! Seems they don’t have time to help customers as well as plenty of excuses and attitude from manager. So disappointed with customer service from managers!Other then that, def a great selection of international food!

Love this place, so many options and new things to try, great prices

Nice clean market. Halal meat of good quality. Lots of spices and veggies at reasonable prices. Fresh bread made daily as well which is great.

Great customer service 👏 👌 I like to visit there

This is my favorite store! Everything about is just perfect in every way.Special attantion I will bring to the meat department, highest quality and very testy! Thank you guys for being here for your customers!Spacial thanks to Sefat! Thank you!

Balboa market is such a secret weapon in your shopping game. They closed the hot deli to make room for extended groceries. Even their eat in section of tables is converted into more groceries. Now you have to order your kubideh and albaloo pollow through Sufi restaurant directly next door. I gotta admit that their service deli with indoor/outdoor seating was one of my all time favorite places to eat with my closest friends. One could Pick out groceries while your order was being made fresh. Hopefully it goes back to the way it was before cocid when this pandemic is over. For now it makes total sense.Also the turkish delights counter is only partially turkish delights and is now flaunting their amazing baklavas!

First of all, this is a great place. Once inside you have new sights and smells. You are a visitor in a different culture. The business is well run, the people are pleasant and helpful. The quality of the produce, meats and processed foods are excellent. No shortcuts, no hidden flaws, just top quality. The packaged foods are a new experience in different foods from very far away. I have been here many times, made some friends and have never been disappointed. Not cheap in cost or quality and not too expensive. The old adage of getting what you pay for exists here, but here you get a little more than what you pay for. The breads selection is terrific and the produce is always fresh.

Everything I need including fresh baked bread. Good place to easily find halal meats. Everyone should know though that they do not accept returns for anything so unless that’s a problem which for me it’s not then you’re all set. You’ll find mostly all Mediterranean products but at good fair prices. The produce is good and also very fair. Good place to frequent but can get crowded sometimes only usually on weekends and after 4 but I’ve been when there’s barely anyone so it can go either way. Overall I do recommend

This market is special for us as our family indulges in international delights, breads, cheeses, veggies, ice-cream, candies, drinks and more. The produce has authentic flavor. (Remember what real oranges or strawberries tasted like?)We love their fresh baked sangak, Turkish delights, olives, fetas, hummus, nuts, and so much more!!We ALWAYS eat at their now next door restaurant. (Loved when it was inside the market.) Prices are reasonable and fair. Service is always pleasant. We have ordered from their catering services too.Only drawback, NOT a drawback for us, is we live in north county San Diego, but we still get down there 1-2 times a month-- no fail! Why? Because it is worth the drive.

I prefer to shop here. No wasting plastic rap on meats. Large variety of fruit and vegetables. Look forward to shopping there weekly.

It would be nice if they can cut Chicken Leg Quarter and give... at least into peices....we at home do not have that equipment to cut.

Incredible Middle Eastern supermarket. Wow, you can find authentic Turkish Delight made of rose that I thought I could only find in Turkey... was I happy. This place sells amazing variety of dried herbs and spices at affordable prices, way cheaper than any other markets. Homemade pita. Ready made take away food restaurant quality! Cheap fresh fruits. Really awesome place to shop and have dinner for take away.

Nice location, great selections, reasonably priced and dated (never had an issue here with outdated stock). Very clean and satisfactory service. Much better than avg international markets of similar type.

A great place to find spices, dried fruits, nuts and authentic Arabic cuisine. Our friend took us here and it blew my mind! The variety is incredible and prices are fair. If I lived in San Diego, this would be one of my regular go-to place for grocery shopping😊

What a good supermarket should be.Amazing offer of freshly baked bread, great quality produce, delicious prepared Persian food, great assortment of groceries from Eastern Europe and the Middle East.Highly recommended!

Great selection of international foods. The price is reasonable.

A perfect place to discover spices, dried fruits, nuts and authentic Arabic food. Our friend took us to this place and it blew my mind! The variety is amazing and the prices are just. If I lived in San Diego this would be one of my regular go-to shopping spots.

Got some veggies and bread. Veggies a little past ripe. Bread great.

Incredible assortment and friendly service. As soon as you walk in you are surrounded by middle eastern fragrances of tasty foods. Love this place!

Very nice Middle Eastern style market. Good selection, very friendly staff.

Fresh produce, theyve got almost all nec. Mid Eastern stuff. employees are very attentive & patient.

I love shopping here. The prices are great and they literally have everything

Molded farmers cheese.

Really nice market, has many halal meats and fish. Has many Mediterranean foods and desserts. Makes one of the best pizza Ive ever had including the zaatar bread.

A great place for hard to find international food and ingredients! Lots of great stuff from Europe, Middle East, and Russia.The only downside is that they dont have quite enough space so their aisle are very narrow.

Wow, this place is great! Middle Eastern bakery on site with fresh breads; Deli counter has all sorts of meats and cheeses (8 varieties of feta!); High quality produce at reasonable prices; and I even found some real halvah to satisfy my elderly mothers cravings.

Not too sure about this place!

$1 up in less than two weeks ?!!

Nice selection of specialty foods from Europe and Middle East. Good prices

This 5 star is for their wonderful Manager!He is always in a good mood, and respects all the staff and customers! Welcoming staff and fresh and good quality food and vegetable

We have a friend out of the state who yearned for some of his native Middle Eastern food. Boy, did we hit the jackpot with this place. They had all the items he craved & then some. So much different kinds of foods. You have to go check this place out.

Great variety of near and middle eastern - Arab, Persian, Turkish, Mediterranean - foods, fresh produce and so forth.

Price is high compared to other Mediterranean grocerie stores employees in the backary are not nice same as the dairy department but i will never go back also i wont recommend it to anyone i no

It’s great place with huge market on one side and great food restaurant on the other side the potions size were huge and beef kofta kabob were delicious!!

Its a good market, but they change the layout way too often and are usually really crowded. Id recommend going when youre not in a rush because you can find some decent purchases when you have the time to look through the aisles leisurely.

They carry everything Persian that I need. Love the fresh flat bread coming out of the bakerys hot oven.

Inexpensive fruits, vegetables, and, meat. You dont need to spend so much money on whole food, trader Joes and sprouts. Discover mom n pops stores like these middle easterner places.

When it comes to Mediterranean food, Balboa International Market stands out. My favorite is the well seasoned well done Cornish Chicken plate with a side of steamy long grain rice tuck in with butter. Also with fresh leafy vegetables. The hot and mustard sauce are perfect to make the meal a delight. Like the food. The price is reasonable, average for a delicious meal.

My wife likes to buy ethnic Middle Eastern Foods here.

From delicious kabobs cooked while you wait to a middle Eastern bakery with irresistible lavash to a wide range of delicacies from Asia and Europe - they have it all! A newly added Turkish delight section offers a rainbow of lokums that you just have to try!Perfect for lunch or to stop by and pick up dinner for the whole family.One of the best ethnic markets in San Diego!

Not very organized and every time we go there doesnt matter what time of the day they dont have a bread we like but if the people they know shows up they can get it and they say they have ordered before but when I called once to order they said its first come, first serve . They need better management.

Halal marketI was customer between 2013, 2016When i vist last week its Improve alot now has a bakery for brid inside 👍🏻

My visit to Balboa International Market was a quick stop just to pick up oranges for juice. Of course I always wind up with an additional $50 or so dollars because I like to look around and see what appeals to me, and if I’m hungry I tend to by 4 or 5 different cuisines. I like when they’re first putting out the fresh meat & produce because I’m being supper vigilant these days because I’ve now known 5 people who got sick and passed away and they were avid mask wearers. I’m not saying mask’s don’t help, I wear mine all the time, but I feel this virus can be transmitted easier than we know. The store was and always keep clean to the best of their ability and the staff is quite friendly once you get to know them. I would always recommend this market for their many choices of hard to find elsewhere foods.

Fruit is not great and not ripe,it was over crowded and hard to get around and then they played stay six feet away.the lanes and store is compact

MY got for Halal meat and fresh Barbari bread, I also love their bakeries pizza, a must try if you want to have lovely pizza that is halal. I highly recommend this place if you want to find middle eastern style groceries

Cool place, has the best bread and those yummy chickpea cookies. It’s funny because whenever I go there, everyone in the shop looks/stares if I walk past them like I’m some creature from Mars. I don’t know whether it’s because I’m a girl with a buzz cut or if I just don’t look cultural, but it’s so hilarious omg

This place is a great cultural supermarket and has a wide variety of food

Anything Mediterranean you want you will find it there

Worst customer service ever! The owner is a main problem.Lets shop at Vin Ripe Market, Much more beter!!!

I love this store! Great Persian grocery, and a lovely place to get lunch!

Cozy market with good products. The food section is good. Staff are friendly. The only down side is inside the store is very very small which makes it hard to move around and with covid its very hard to socially distance. If they expand to make more room for people to move around that would be great

So many memories from my childhood are packed into this delightful market.

Unparalleled service. I had accidentally left an item at the register, and the cashier brought it to me in the parking lot.

Middle Eastern /Mediterranean flavors and products. Great halal meat selections. Has a baclava bakery inside.

These place used to be good. Now every hot food is microwaved which is not healthy at all. Especially when they microwave it in a plastic container.

Eat at Chipotle, the food was delicious and the workers very helpful and professional

Groceries are great and service is amazing.

Popular place to buy fresh breads like SANGAK.

I love this place! I actually came for the Middle Eastern food from the restaurant Sufi next door, but I also purchased a few items at the international market. Very authentic and many items that are clearly imported and that you wont find at your typical Ralphs or Vons. Anyway if you are a fan of Middle Eastern food, think hummus and kabobs and shawarma and falafel and fesenjan and baba ganoush and baklava, come try this place! Generous portions and fair prices for what you get and truly authentic flavors at both the market and Sufi restaurant next door.

For Iranians in San Diego, that’s the only option unfortunately! But the store looks like a very old fashioned store, with no merchandising logics! You could find lots of Iranian needed products, but for the quality, no the bests ones! Especially the Iranian bread is so bad.

The best Mediterranean food around, lamb shankone of my favorites

Great help when I was unloading

Balboa market is a great place to shop if youre looking for zabiha Halal meat as well as some interesting and unique items from across the world. There tends to be a lot of eastern European products here. On my last trip we happened to pick up a bar of dark raspberry dark chocolate from Lithuania. Ive also found ketchup flavored chips from Iraq and other unique items. They also have a bakery inside if you want persian style fresh bread as well as a turkish delight vendor.The item selection can be inconsistent at times which is a tad frustrating, but the staff have always been helpful and kind. Some of the aisles are a little tight and only person can fit down them at a time, but I guess thats the price you pay for having so much selection in a small space.

Great Service. Meat department is great. nice little fresh collection of vegetables and produce.

Okay I love you guys but your meat section stinks so bad.I don’t want to Assume that this odor is caused by improper refrigeration, but please look into this ASAP

My favorite place to shop in the city. I’ve been coming here for years. The closest you can get to authentic Afghan/Iranian food. Large selection of spices, tea, fruits, fresh cheese, clean and good quality meats, produce and dry goods. Great quality food and groceries! The only place I buy bread from is from the bakery located inside Balboa Market. It has the BEST Afghan/Iranian bread in the city! It tastes amazing and it’s super fresh! Cool staff. Support your local small businesses and make sure to include Balboa Market on your next trip to get some groceries.

Ive been shopping here for about a year and am bummed to be moving to North County because Ill be so far away! They always have a diverse selection of foods and produce at a great price. Ive tried so many new recipes with different ingredients since I started shopping here. Hands down my favorite place to stock up on fresh fruit and veggies for a low price. Also a great selection of meat, cheese, and olives.I also appreciate the steps they have taken to maintain a safe shopping experience during the pandemic; the workers and customers are always courteous and everyone wears masks.Great shopping experience, I highly recommend!! Ill miss you, Balboa International Market!

Wonderful to find international products ! I come from France :)

Fresh vegetables, good service

A Mediterranean Mega Store! Get your many hard-to-find authentic Rose Turkish Delights, Quince Preserve, rose jam, Pistachio Halva among the hundreds of other exotic items including Russian and Middle Eastern imports and dont forget to pick up freshly baked Sangak bread here at the bakery- baked right on the premises by the most polite friendly helpful and professional guys I ever met!. I stop here everytime I come back to San Diego. A hidden gem not to miss and highly recommend!

Manager (Afshin )was rude, often out of stock, most fruits are discarded fruits from other popular stores such as Vons, Ralphs ..... etc with already expired shelf life, many items are overpriced.

The service was friendly and observant. Bring your appetite because portions are filling. Reminds me of a place in New York I loved to visit.

Perhaps the only place to get great Turkish Delight.

Seafood and meat is slightly cheaper than the bigger stores.

The best place for chicken kabobs

I wanted to post a food pic but it looked so good i couldnt stop. it has a great interior. i can see why they have so many good reviews.

Good place, good service

During this pandemic were all going through its All American to go in a grocery store and be able to use the rest room!Thanks Balboa Market and Ill always spend my money there!! 🌻

Great experience, found exactly which Basmati Rice I wanted. Also Turkish Delights are amazing and are all imported from Turkey!

Not as good as the location they used to have in poway. Poway had more european items and beer from around the world this one is more for middle eastern items please offer more european items

I love the food, was busy and took a bit more of what I expected

Lokum! Thats really all I have to say. But also the bakery makes fresh middle eastern bread, go early while its hot. Great deli. Love.

A great place to shop for halal, mediterranean and other international foods and recipes.

Good please to get some Middletern in food with good price $$$

Cool spot with cool stuff

Interesting variety of food you can try to make.

Employees are always friendly. Deli remodeled and moved next door. A big improvement and beautiful remodel.

Perfect Mediterranean market 👏👏

Great and extensive selection of goods. Affordable prices and even accepts SNAP/EBT

Good diversity of middle eastern and eastern european products for reasonable prices. The meat section has fresh meat that is just great

Great prices. Definitely the best deal for international markets in san diego. They have a huge selection with stuff you cant find at some other international markets

Good place, good people, good products, very specific for asian people.

This is not a review but a recommendation to owner/manager of this store for improving the cleanliness and handling of meat. I have noticed that the meat storage temperature is not correct in display shelves as I have noticed the smell and my observation of meat/chicken meat floating in water. I would not be very surprised if this place cause cause salmonella poising. I have notified the staff and they had very non-challant attitude and they were dismissive of my complaint. I would like them to take this recommendation seriously before I report this to San Diego county. I am trying to protect others and of course myself not getting sick. Thats all. Thank you

An amazing variety of products needed for middle eastern recipes, some unavailable in regular supermarkets. Za’atar, Fuul, halawa tahina, hummus, baba ghanooj, olives, good quality spices and herbs, pomegranate molasses, nuts and dried fruit, fresh vegetables fruit and herbs such as tarragon, mint, thyme, basil...and especially a delicious freshly baked flat bread called sangak. Try it!

What I have been looking for, this place is a gem! 💎

The quality vs price is good but you need to pick each vegetable and check it dont buy potatoes on 5lbs, 10lbs bags but individuel as they tend to be half no good.

This place is amazing! For me it was like visiting an exotic country.