Medjool

This restaurant recently had a Living Social deal and my friends and I went with our coupons. We had lots of tasty dishes and our waitress was really nice.
When it came time to pay we were not supposed to use all of our coupons at once. But it was the second day of the deal and they were frustrated with Living social as it was that they let is use all of them. Needless to say our bill was cheap and I felt bad about that so we left a good tip.
I think they were very accommodating and I appropriated that. Plus the food was a delight!
I would go back again and maybe sit on the roof top patio when its warmer.

I had brunch here and had drinks on their rooftoop. For the brunch, I would have to saying «amazing’ for both food and ambience. The all you can eat brunch buffet was a mix of typical brunch items and mediterranean food; It was super delish, and only about $ 12 dollars! Add the bottomless mimosas, the casual comfy couch seating, some great friends… and it’s the prefect sunday brunch in SF!
I also had friends on their rooftop for the my birthday this past weekend, and everyone gasped at the great view we had of the city. The food (dinner this time) was great, everyone was digging in and sharing the plates. The drinks were great too… I don’t remember much after the third one, so I guess I had a good night:)
If anything, if you are a brunch fan, this is definitely a must!

2.5−3 stars
Aside from the roof-​top view, which isn’t that great anymore due to the plexiglass they added to keep out the wind, I just don’t think Medjool brings anything to the table anymore. They recently stopped charging a cover, which is GREAT, but there’s no more DJ and dance music. They’ve turned it into a jazz club and since jazz isn’t really my thing I don’t think I’ll be coming back here.

The happy hour menu was pretty good and cheap: $ 5 per plate! We had the chicken skewers which was moist and tender. The peanut dipping sauce that came with it was slightly sweet and it complemented the chicken very well. We also had the meatballs which tasted ok but they were tiny. The sauce that came with it had spices that reminded me of chicken tikka masala but without the cream. We also had the sweet potatoes which were crunchy on the outside but had a soft texture inside. I liked the honey glaze that was all over the sweet potatoes.
The bartender was super nice. She gave us a complimentary platter of olives, crispy flatbread and dip. I love olives so that made my day. She made this strawberry martini that I absolutely loved. It wasn’t too sweet (which is how I like my cocktails) and it was quite refreshing.
I have to confess that I have not been to Medjool in YEARS. I was bummed when we went upstairs because I saw that the view was not how I remembered it to be. I don’t remember seeing that plastic barrier surrounding the balcony. The plexiglass wall was cloudy due to dirt and bird poop. I don’t understand why they would put up that wall and distort the awesome view of the San Francisco skyline. Did someone try to jump off the balcony or was there a drunk monkey that fell off? I used to like the Medjool rooftop because of an unobstructed view but now I have to look at plexiglass and bird feces. Damn you Suicidal Drunk Monkey for messing up a perfectly awesome view of the San Francisco skyline!

Yes, I’m a girl with high expectations (I first went clubbing in Vegas)…but I’ll party in SF for birthdays & similar special occasions for friends. Medjool just totally falls flat & I’ve definitely had better experiences in SF. Came here after the heavy rain cleared for a friend’s birthday last month. She & the other b-​day girl got a table on the rooftop, however from the rain that stopped hours before, they were forced to have a table inside. Their table however, didn’t get set up for awhile, and there was no control with seating and whatnot.
At the bar. I asked one of my guy friend’s to get me a Heineken Light or Heinken or Blue Moon… they gave him Stella! Ehh. One big minus… the music sucked! One of my friends warned me that there is usually a ghetto crowd at this club every time he’s been, luckily there wasn’t any when I went, but the club sure is ghetto.
I may be contradicting myself, but at least there’s plenty of seating for us ladies to get a break from our stilettos! But that isn’t gonna save you in my book Medjool.

Review for night life only. Came here last weekend and it was dead. But still there was a $ 10 cover charge. We went in anyways since our friend were inside and it was pretty much empty.
Headed up stairs via a lot of stairs since the elevator was taking forever. Finally get to the top and the great view I heard about was hidden behind a whole bunch of foggy window panes they had set up. Apparently they weren’t there before?
Bar on roof is cash only and drinks are small and expensive.
Nice place to chill and do nothing but who would want to pay $ 10 to do that?

I am basing this off my dinner experience. Well, the first thing that I noticed is the tall walls and beautiful lighting hanging from the ceilings. The ambiance is overall nice. Now my beef comes with the menu. I am a vegetarian and didn’t find much for me to choose for main dishes. So I resorted to someones raving review on the Sweet Potato with honey. It was pretty good for $ 9. Filled me up, but that is all I ate.
Don’t even think about trying to park around here. I heard there are some garages? I took Bart and walked down the street. Took me like 6 mins to walk there. If you are wearing heals, might take you a bit longer.

This review is for the rooftop only. *Restaurant was empty.
Drinks on a rare, but warm evening in SF… where else to go? The rooftop of Medjool. Not an empty table, but not overcrowded. The sangria was sooo good — the best I’ve had in awhile. We also shared a couple of apps — hummus/​pita and fries. Fries were just my kind. Loved it. I forgot about this place and you never would think the rooftop was crowded since the restaurant was dead. Nice lil’ gem.

Night life review.
Meh. Meh. Meh.
Bitchy girl at the entrance was being… well, bitchy, to everyone for no reason. Pretty much everyone working here was rude except for one really chill security guy at the stairwell and the bartenders. Pissing off potential regulars is not a smart business decision. There are plenty of other clubs to choose from. Anyway, we were in the restaurant/​bar area early around 930 and were told to wait outside in line for the club area (even though it was just the same area as before…). Of course they don’t start letting anyone in until it’s almost 1030, so although we get inside at 1029, they charge us a $ 20 cover. Seriously? So we can bathe in our own sweat? With all the money they make from the cover, can’t they up the AC? The dance floor is tiny and gets too packed. Also, to be honest, I wasn’t feelin’ the crowd.
So long story short, not coming back here.

NIGHT LIFE REVIEW.
Came here for the second time last weekend. Nothing has changed since the previous time… three floors. Bottom floor is overly crowded with people pushing into you trying to dance. middle floor is mainly where their bottle service/​tables are located and rooftop floor is where all the smokers go or people who need fresh air.
It’s sort of weird when they host clubs here, I guess mainly because of the location but the venue itself is pretty cool, I think what really gets me is their rooftop since no other clubs have that. Definitely a plus in my book.
The only major complaint I have is their bartenders/​bar on the middle floor. We waited about 15+ minutes to grab the bartenders attention to get a few drinks. by that time I was already more than frustrated… I could tell she was very overwhelmed with everyone since the crowd was pretty large and everyone was ordering tons of drinks all at once. The drink itself was DISGUSTING… their cranberry juice was watered down… like REALLY watered down. even the one that I asked for during bottle service was watered down… I was so sad that our $ 200 bottles were getting washed down with some nasty ol watery juice.
It was also really hard to get the bottle service attendants attention too. I swear all these places in SF, you get bottle service… they get their tip and they don’t even help you out. SMH…

Pretty nicely decorated and spacious to accommodate the throngs of people on a Saturday night. To me the crowd was predominately Asian. Cover was from $ 15 – 20 don’t know much about San Francisco clubbing scene, but that’s seemed to be more along Hollywood prices. =/
The music was quite dance-​able but with how many people were on the dance floor not much dancing could be done. Everyone just seemed to be just standing around packed like sardines, you attempt to «wave your hands in the air» all that results is your hands going up half way and you end up looking like a pathetic T-​Rex. =(
I had more fun on the rooftop where it was less crowded and you had good views of the city at night. Used to So. Cal weather July was chilly and I was grateful for the heat lamps that peppered the area. This is the best area to meet people and have interested conversations. There was this one funny guy from Oakland who tried to holla, saying that since I was from out of town he would be happy to give me a personal tour. Lols I declined his offer, I really didn’t feel like getting shot. =p Another random encounter was this guy claiming to be from MIT with a PhD trying to score some coke… wth?! O_​O That stuff’s bad for your, a person that smart should know! Super randomness.
I was good from pre-​partying but I heard that make a really good margarita here. Also screw the elevator it’s slow and packed take the stairs to get to the roof. Plenty of bouncers on staff so a fight will be stopped before you even knew one was even about to start!

–SKY TERRACE CASH ONLY!!!-
Talk about an amazing view of San Francisco! Truly a priceless experience I will never forget.
We ordered
Sampler platter (includes Hummus, Tabbouleh and Baba Ghanouj) $ 13
Mixed Greens with toasted Almonds, Blue Cheese, and Shallot Vinaigrette $ 9
Pomme Frites with Basil Aioli $ 8
Skewer Sampler Platter (2 of each type: herbed beef, lemon-​honey marinated chicken, vegetable, and Zhoug Shrimp) $ 36
Kobe Beef sliders (3), Caramelized Onions w/​Cheddar Cheese $ 12
Shawarma with Lebanese Pita-​Free-​Range Chicken, Garlic Sauce, Roasted Tomato, and Pickles $ 9.99
2 plates of Grilled Lamb on top of «orzo» pasta w/​olives, sundried tomatoes, grilled onions and golden raisins
1 Large Carafe of Sangria
The tabbouleh salad was fresh, herbaceous, and cleansing. As for the hummus it had a smooth texture, mild in flavor, and less dense than most that I have tried. (3 star)
Mixed greens were dressed well and plenty of it (3 star)
Fries appeared to be double fried which gave it a nice crisp exterior while retaining a light interior. The basil aioli was rich in flavor and smooth in texture. (2 star)
The skewer platter:
Beef was tender, packed full of flavor and delicious!!! (4 star)
Chicken was dry, mild sweetness with a slight bite of acidity (2
star)
Shrimp had a strong peppery kick, cooked well, tender (3 star)
Vegetables were good but nothing spectacular (3 star)
Kobe Beef Burgers were plain and honestly if you didn’t tell me I would swear it was just another ordinary burger (1 star)
Shawarma wrap was amazing! Packed full of flavor, cooked well, plenty of filling. The garlic sauce was sensational! (4.5 stars)
Grilled Lamb was cooked relatively well and a decent portion size. The bed of pasta soaked in all the flavor and was quite tasty but I didn’t enjoy the olives in the dish. Also, the sun dried tomatoes were overpowering when I took too big of a bite but other than that a great dish (4 star)
I never had a sangria until Medjool and I must say it was quite good. The sweet fruity aroma was pleasant and inviting. I could taste each individual ingredient working together in harmony. Far warning though, make sure it stays cold otherwise it can become quite harsh going down.
Service was as expected and speed of food was good.
Overall Thoughts
Spectacular views of San Francisco as you kick back and sip a drink. As for the food, it can be hit or miss but the view more than makes up for that

Came here for lunch on a hot day at the Sky Terrace. Great choice! I love the sun, I don’t mind the heat, I love the views. And I’m all about mediterranean food.
I got the sampler platter of hummus, tabbouleh and baba Ghanouj and the medjool mezza plate (all meat). Nothing special but good. And it seemed like they can’t give me enough of the pita bread, they were all over the plates… I’ll try the other dishes next time.
I’ll come back for the night life here (if i don’t decide to go to Laszlo instead). Downstairs looked great too, seems like a good date place (if I don’t decide to go to Foreign Cinema instead).
Oh I don’t understand why this place is cash only. I’m one of those people who never carry cash in their pockets. Besides, there’s more power with the plastic, right?

Medjool is probably…
–the most unique Tapas place I’ve ever been to, with all their delightful creations of dishes…
–the most spacious Tapas place I’ve ever seen
–the nicest Tapas place I’ve ever been to with the dim décor and wooden floors and pretty, welcoming décor
–the most expensive Tapas place I’ve ever been to (but pretty worth it if you have a group to try more dishes and split the damage with)
–one of the busiest and crowded Tapas places I’ve been to. (with such a diverse mix of beautifully dressed men and women)
–the only Tapas restaurant i know that turns into a nightclub… and they have a rooftop nightclub.
–the first tapas bar I’ve been to, that offers Valet Parking for a decent SF price. (finding street parking is super hard around the area. Esp when some event is going on at the Mission (pride weekend and the soccer game. And i’m not about to park ultra far in 5 inch heels)
Our orders…
–From the Middle Eastern Menu Selection–
*Medjool Sampler with Hummus, Tabbouleh and Baba Ghanouj:
came with flatbread… The hummus was really addicting. It was garlicky and the olive oil added a hint of flavor to it. So good. It was my first time trying the Tabbouleh. It looked a bit intimidating, but it was soo good and tastes heavenly on the palette. The Ghanouj is also one tasty dip that super went well with the flatbread. This sampler was enough for 5 people to share. The servings for each kind of dip were really generous. I’d like to say it was pretty much worth it for the price.
*Chicken with Almond-​Pomegranate Sauce
My friends really liked the taste of it… I was just «ok» with it. The spices on this dish was tad too strong for my palette, and I didn’t really taste much of the pomegranate. However, the Almonds did the Chicken for me and made it somewhat awesome. The serving is pretty decent too.
–From The Southern European Menu Selection–
*Coffee Marinated Flat Iron Steak, Potato Cake, Red Wine Sauce
Really unique and tasty however, I didn’t like the fact that we weren’t asked how we wanted our steak cooked. It seemed a little bit too well done for me. If it were cooked Medium, we would have enjoyed it more than we already did. The potato cake was sort of dry. This dish is not enough for 5 people to at least take a taste of. It’s pretty good, a party more than 4 should get 2 orders at least.
–From the North African Menu Selection–
*House Marinated Olives: Tasted sexy. Loved the strong but subtle kick of the taste of olives. Makes me wanna sit back, relax and just keep the dirty martinis coming.
*Seafood B’stilla, Shrimp, Calamari, Preserved Lemon, Moroccan spices
This dish is like a burst of rainbow baked into a flaky magical godly crust of goodness. It’s very tasty and is presented really well.
*Fried hawaiian mahi mahi with preserved lemon and garlic aioli
Think popcorn fish that’s not too overpowered with the taste of deep fried oil… the batter coating isn’t too thick which was good. and really went well with their house garlic aioli.
*Crispy Sweet Potatoes, Goat Cheese, Harissa Powder, and Honey
The sweet Potatoes that are crisp on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. Can get really heavy so i suggest eating light on this one. Goat cheese with Sweet Potatoes –really good.
The restaurant is great for big parties and even an intimate first date. Stay a little longer and you can get free passes to their nightclub (well, the manager offered us the passes, however we decided to not stay)
But we’ll defintiely come visit again to see what the jazz is about upstairs.
$ 10 for Valet parking and totally worth it coz the street is busy and it gets really frustrating to find parking.
Service is okay, we were asked by our server if we were doing okay all the time. We got water refills. however our cocktails took forever to come. The dishes weren’t served altogether at once, which i think is a good thing.
We ate our dishes while they were still warm and fresh from the kitchen.
Oh.if you can… request for a table not close to the stairs. At around 10ish, the bar gets crowded with people and their cocktails and it is damn annoying being hit by gigantic tote bags and hearing screechy girls.
Damage: $ 122. including 4 cocktail drinks. NOT bad as i imagined, being split by 5 people.

The blonde bartender swore she wasn’t from the south; SWORE she was a native San Franciscan who just traveled around and moved a lot, living in Europe and San Antonio and Sacramento and wherever else, but my friend and I weren’t convinced. Her sweet demeanor and slow speech lulled us into smiley thoughts of sweet potatoes and country music. In fact, I nicknamed her ‘Daisy Mae,’ assured of the fact that she could have have a future in Country music with or without a voice if she wanted to.
We laughed at how funny it was to have such thoughts at a place with a Moroccan, North African theme. With the exception of the décor and the menu (which we did not really study since we came in for drinks only), you couldn’t really tell that that was the theme.
My friend and I caught up over Pear Lemondrop cocktails, fantastically made with a rim of sugar. As we talked and caught up, we noticed the pretty, spherical, pastel-​hued light fixtures hanging above the bar and the coral and lime (slightly-​tacky) lounge seating across the way from us. In the corner, a handsome couple talked and flirted.
We found the cocktails delicious (we ordered two) and affordably-​priced and Daisy Mae even brought over shots of a Mexicana Chocolatini just because she liked us so much (told you she was sweet). We left happy that we decided to pop in on a whim and check it out. Can’t vouch for the food either way, but it’s great for a drink with a friend or two or three. Just make sure you tip Daisy Mae well. She deserves it!

Went here for a girls night out and had a great time, but that was due to the company I was with.
I didn’t know what to expect from the restaurant (maybe I thought it would be darker lit like other Mediterrean restaurants) but it was brightly lit with saffron colored walls. The food and the service was okay, it took a while for our server to come over and take our order.
We ordered a bunch of dishes to be shared, family style:
— Moroccan Chicken B’stilla with Cinnamon, Almonds
— Lamb and Fig Tagine
— Grilled Hanger Steak with Sautéed Spinach and Harissa Sauce
— Sesame Crusted Tempura Shrimp, Grapefruit Reduction, Avocado-​Grapefruit Salad
— Bruschetta with Cumin Scented Eggplant, Roasted Red Peppers, and Feta Cheese
— Coffee Marinated Flat Iron Steak, Potato Cake, Red Wine Sauce
— Seared Sea Scallops, Forage Mushrooms, Dungeness Crab Hollandaise, Watercress
— Medjool Sampler with Hummus, Tabbouleh and Baba Ghanouj
I tried every dish except for the Sesame crusted tempura shrimp. I passed on it because the tempura shrimp looked like fried shrimp from Red Lobster, there was no hint of tempura batter anywhere.
I liked the B’stilla (Aziza makes a better one, sorry), bruschetta and Lamb the best out of the dishes. The lamb was tender and figs went well with the couscous. I also really liked the Baba Ghanouj, it had a great smoky flavor and went well with the toasted pita bread.
I was disappointed in the scallops, they tasted fishy and were a little bit on the rubbery side.
At 10:30, the staff cleared out the tables and Medjool was converted into a club. The DJ was good… so good that I managed to burn off all the calories I consumed.

I had lunch on the roof during that heat spell we had a few days ago. And boy, was it nice to be sitting up there with my sangria and plate of fries.
The only downfall is that they don’t take cards but they do have a handy atm machine waiting for you by the elevator.
Oh, and for some reason my friend’s chicken club sandwich (delicious!), which cost $ 9.50 (I think), cost just a tad bit more than my side of french fries, $ 8. I don’t think I’ve ever paid $ 8 for a «side» of fries. Yes, it was about a plate full, but when I said side, I meant the amount that you gave me friend, that amount you piled next to his chicken sandwich. Not the equivalent to his sandwich AND his fries. The pitcher of sangria also didn’t even give me a buzz. I’m small, 5’2 and I weigh about 105 (ideally, lol), and I walked completely sober… hey, maybe it was all the fries I ate… haha.

A cab driver once commented: «Medjool, oh that’s Marina in the Mission». Truer words have never been spoken. Ok, I exaggerate a bit. The restaurant is not Marina like the club portion. The food is good but the portions are small and expensive. I understand that its Mediterranean tapas and all but $ 60 for not a lot of food for 2 is bit much. I’m on a budget though — you know, the «I don’t make 6 figures budget». I will not say anything bad about the food. It was all damn tasty but the price point is high for me and that would prevent me from returning. The service was excellent. Our server gave us her opinions and I loved that.
We started with the «Baby Spinach Salad with Roasted Tomatoes, Pancetta, and Goat Cheese». I substituted the tomatoes with pears and it was AWESOME. The Pancetta was delicious. Easily one of the best salads I’ve tried. At $ 12 that is a VERY expensive salad.
I also had the «Grilled Hanger Steak with Sautéed Spinach and Harissa Sauce» for $ 15. I enjoyed the hanger steak but it was about 7 slices for $ 15. Ouch. Very tasty though.
I also had the «Braised Short Rib, Medjool Date, Cinnamon Sauce, and Twice Baked Potatoes» for $ 17. Ouch on the price. I REALLYliked the braised ribs. Incredibly tasty, but again, only about 8 slices. The twice baked potatoes were absolutely delicious.

The rooftop at Medjool provides a loungey spot to grab a drink or two, if you’re already done with dinner and it’s still too early to get trashed bar hopping. (um, is 9pm on a Saturday early?!)
It’s easy to find seating (even for our large party of 10) if you get here before 10pm. Plus you avoid the cover charge, which you can use towards… DRINKS! (cocktails are between $ 8-​$ 10, expensive for being in the Mission) I stuck with my $ 8 sangria since I already got started on that one from cha cha cha.
The service is quite confusing, when my friend tried to order from the bar, they basically told him to go back to his table and wait for the server. Why?! Another time when my cousin flagged down a server to get more beer, he told her, «oh, I’m only here to give you guys water.» What?!
The line for the ladies room is horrible! (as there is only one stall) It was a 15 minute wait. You’re better off taking the elevator to the first floor and using the bathroom there. And would you believe there was a line for the men’s room as well?!
The view from the rooftop terrace warrants no less than 3 stars for this review. For your best enjoyment, come early and leave when the crowd comes at 11 pm.

The upstairs terasse is CASH ONLY! They have an atm but it charges you a fee. and don’t forget in addition to their fee your bank will most likely charge you a fee (BoA charges a $ 2 non-​atm fee) so it’s really like $ 5 total in fees.
I loved the view from the terasse but it was soo cold and there were very few heat lamps.
Their food is overly fattening and definitely not on the healthy side. And, their mixed drinks were not strong at all.
Just order a glass of wine or a beer and skip on the appetizers as they aren’t anything special. Enjoy the view (bring a sweater though since the heat lamps are sparse) And then leave after an hour or two.
Definitely worth checking out!