Advertisement

Is this food truck the best place to eat in America? Yelp reviewers say yes

This San Diego food truck, located on Grape Street in South Park, has acquired hundreds of 5-star reviews since it’s opening last January. This month, Yelp awarded them the #1 spot in their 2020 Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S.

Share

Last year, former cellphone salesman Bryan Zeto achieved his lifelong dream of opening his own restaurant. Today, his Shawarma Guys food truck in the San Diego neighborhood of South Park sits at the pinnacle of Yelp’s list of the top 100 places to eat in the U.S. in 2020.

Shawarma Guys, parked in front of the Bottle House liquor store at Grape and Fern streets, ranks No. 1 on the seventh annual list published Tuesday by the crowd-sourced rankings website Yelp.com. In its first 11 months of business, Shawarma Guys achieved a top ranking of five stars in nearly all of its almost 500 customer reviews.

Bryan Zeto, owner and chef of the Shawarma Guys food truck, breaks open a falafel with a Wagyu beef kabob plate and another plate of falafels under.
(Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune)
Advertisement

Yelp diners universally praised Zeto’s friendly customer service, his ultra-tender Australian Wagyu beef shawarma, his crispy and herbacious gluten-free falafel and the oversize portions he serves.

For Zeto, 34 — who lives in Rancho San Diego with his wife, Reta, and their 21-month-old daughter Sloan — earning the prestigious honor was an astonishing turn of events. Merely hoping to make it into this year’s top 100 list, he was given news of his first-place finish late last month during an on-camera interview with Yelp’s regional team.

“I think I cussed on camera, I was so shocked,” Zeto said. “It was a validation that my hard work had paid off. All year long I’ve been working 13 to 14 hours a day with the goal of making sure that everybody leaves here happy.”

Unlike the “best of” restaurant rankings found on many travel websites, chances are you may have never heard of many of the finalists on Yelp’s list. Yelp comes up with its list based on a formula that looks at a restaurant’s number of five-star rankings and reviews. Extra weight is given to up-and-coming neighborhood restaurants that may not receive the same volume of business and reviews as larger, more established institutions. As a result, many of Yelp’s top 100 are small, family-run eateries.

Bryan Zeto, owner and chef of the Shawarma Guys food truck, carves off chicken shawarma shavings in San Diego.
(Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Two other San Diego County restaurants also made this year’s list. At No. 9 is Soichi Sushi in Parkcrest, an omakase-style fine-dining Japanese restaurant opened in March by former Sushi Tadakoro chef Soichi Kadoya. And at No. 26 is Mr. Bibi, a Korean fast-casual restaurant in Oceanside that opened in June.

Advertisement

Danny Wurst, a San Diego community manager for Yelp, said the reason mom-and-pop shops are so heavily represented on the annual list is that they treat their customers like family, and that welcoming environment prompts customers to share their experiences online. Wurst said Zeto epitomizes the family service ethos.

“Very rarely will you visit Shawarma Guys and not see him there. That really speaks volumes to why it’s run so well and people love it so much. He makes sure to add his signature touch to everything,” Wurst said. “It’s an awesome business, and he’s a really great and humble guy.”

Earning the Yelp award is just the latest honor for Shawarma Guys. In the last year, it has also been rated the best food truck in California by Redbook and Yelp, and San Diego Magazine named it the city’s best Mediterranean food truck in 2019.

Youthful and energetic, Musky Bilavarn ping-pongs around his small Laotian restaurant, Kra Z Kai’s in Corona, like a dervish: There he is manning the gas grill in the kitchen, there he is taking a phone order at the counter, there he is refilling your iced tea before you even notice the cup is half-empty.

Feb. 20, 2019

Zeto said he realized almost immediately after opening Shawarma Guys last January that he needed to get out of the truck to meet his customers face to face. Now, all customer orders are taken and delivered by an employee in the parking lot with a hand-held point-of-sale tablet. And whenever he’s not making food, Zeto is also in the parking lot talking to his customers. Several regulars on Saturday said that Zeto always greets local customers by name, knows most of their usual orders and sets aside treats for their dogs.

Zeto was born and raised in an Iraqi Chaldean neighborhood of Detroit. When he was 11, his family moved to eastern San Diego County, where as a teen he started working in the family business selling paging devices and later running his own business selling cellphones in bulk. From an early age, he loved to cook and became known among his friends for his barbecuing expertise. One of those friends was Steven Hirmez, who owns the Bottle House.

“He has always had a passion for cooking,” Hirmez said. “I would always go to his house and he’d be cooking Wagyu this and Wagyu that. He always made great meals for me and our friends and he always talked about opening his own restaurant.”

Advertisement

When Zeto started looking for a restaurant building in 2018, Hirmez offered him a less risky solution. Why not test the waters first with a food truck that he could park in the Bottle House parking lot? Hirmez also talked Zeto out of his initial idea of opening a taco truck.

“I said, ‘Bro, in South Park there are eight Italian restaurants, two taco shops and fish trucks all up and down 30th Street. You can’t do that.’ Instead he came up with the shawarma idea, and the neighborhood is loving and appreciating it,” Hirmez said.

After two months of round-the-clock recipe testing and experimentation, Zeto opened Shawarma Guys on Jan. 23, 2019. The other “guy” in the title is his father, Samer Zeto, who helps out on busy days. Bryan Zeto said he expected to sell maybe $200 of orders a day in the opening weeks. Instead, he hit his six-month sales goal after 45 days.

Customers at Shawarma Guys food truck in San Diego
Amanda Nascimento serves a chicken and a beef shawarma pita to Tim and Lucy Mays at the Shawarma Guys food truck in South Park on Saturday.
(Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Everything except the dolmas (rolled grape leaves) is made in-house, including the hummus, tabbouleh salad and extra-spicy hot sauce. The shawarma, seasoned meat slow-cooked on a vertical rotisserie, is made with heavily marbled Wagyu beef from Australia. Zeto imports about 1,000 pounds of the Wagyu each month, and what isn’t made into shawarma is sold online.

He also sells chicken shawarma and breaded and vegan chicken options as well as weekend specials like filet mignon kabobs and Wagyu tikka plates. Vegans and gluten-free diners drive from as far as Chula Vista and Temecula for his falafel, the deep-fried chickpea balls that he stuffs with fresh greens and a touch of jalapeño/habanero pepper sauce, then tops with creamy garlic sauce. The food is all halal certified. One thing Zeto doesn’t sell is drinks, per his lease agreement with the Bottle Shop, which is doing a brisk business on soft drink sales during the lunch and dinner hours.

Advertisement

Among the truck’s regular customers are South Park residents Suzanne Delach and David Lee, who said on Saturday that they love the flavorful beef shawarma and the extra-crunchy and well-seasoned falafel. Another South Park regular, Amanda Aultman, said she loves the beef shawarma and the off-menu specials that Zeto’s team will make to order, like savory Philly cheesesteak egg rolls.

“Outside of it being delicious, it’s really convenient and the staff is so friendly,” Aultman said.

Sales have been so strong that Zeto now hopes to open a brick-and-mortar location by May. He’s looking at locations in South Park, Clairemont, North Park and Barrio Logan. His five-year goal is to open 10 Shawarma Guys restaurants in Southern California. In the meantime, he plans to expand his truck hours in February to seven days a week (it’s now closed on Sundays) and continue earning five-star reviews.

“My goal is to just keep delivering the best quality food and the best customer service,” he said. “I don’t want to ever give people any reason to complain.”

Shawarma Guys is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays at 3012 Grape St. in San Diego. Street parking is available. theshawarmaguys.com

Falafels and a Wagyu beef kabob plate at the Shawarma Guys food truck in the South Park neighborhood of San Diego.
(Hayne Palmour IV/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Advertisement

Here’s the list:

Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. for 2020

Businesses that offer reservations or waitlist on Yelp, as of 1/1/2020 ♥Businesses that are available for delivery or pickup on Yelp are marked with, as of 1/1/2020 ⧫

  1. Shawarma Guys – San Diego What to order? The Chicken Shawarma
  2. Pisces Poke & Ramen – Los Angeles ⧫What to order? The Truffle Salmon
  3. Farmbird – Washington, D.C. What to order? The Avocado Lime Salad
  4. Burgerama – Valley Village, Calif. What to order? The Country Boy Burger
  5. Cocina Madrigal – Phoenix ♥ ⧫What to order? The Wild Mushroom Enchiladas
  6. Fratellino – Coral Gables, Fla.
  7. Yardie Spice – Homestead, Fla.
  8. Sweet Rice – Gardena, Calif.
  9. Soichi Sushi – San Diego ♥
  10. Pikul Thai Bistro – Fairfield, Calif. ⧫
  11. Kahuku Farms – Kahuku, Hawaii
  12. Shish Ke Baba – San Francisco
  13. The Fuel Shack – San Clemente, Calif.
  14. PorkChop & Bubba’s BBQ – Bakersfield
  15. Roundhouse Deli – Roseville, Calif.
  16. Tommy Tamale Market & Cafe – Grapevine, Texas ⧫
  17. SP Brazilian Steakhouse – Lakeway, Texas
  18. Kra Z Kai’s Laotian Barbeque – Corona, Calif. ⧫
  19. Karved – Las Vegas ⧫
  20. Southern Charm Cafe – Cape Canaveral, Fla.
  21. Gino’s Deli Stop N Buy – San Antonio
  22. Craft Pita – Houston
  23. Taneda Sushi in Kaiseki – Seattle ♥
  24. Mumbo Gumbo PDX – Portland, Ore. ⧫
  25. Garlic Yuzu – Las Vegas
  26. Mr bibi – Oceanside, Calif.
  27. Bulegreen Cafe Yard – Oakland Park, Fla.
  28. Sky Rocket Burger – Dallas
  29. Scotty’s Cafe – Columbus, Ohio
  30. The Aussie Grind – Frisco, Texas
  31. Greek Unique – Ashburn, Va.
  32. Yahya’s Mediterranean Grill & Pastries – Denver
  33. Nini’s Deli – Chicago
  34. Lewis Barbecue – Charleston, S.C.
  35. Daybreak Pleasant Street – Gainesville, Fla.
  36. Otis – Brooklyn
  37. Achilles – Santa Clara, Calif. ⧫
  38. Gotta B Crepes – Evanston, Ill.
  39. Taqueria La Familia – Denver ⧫
  40. Hometown Cafe & Poké Bar – Providence, R.I. ⧫
  41. Zaap Thai – Portland, Ore.
  42. Asiana Thai & Sushi – Cincinnati
  43. Selam Ethiopian & Eritrean Cuisine – Orlando, Fla. ⧫
  44. Chellas Arepa Kitchen – Lancaster, Pa. ⧫
  45. New Mexico Tamale Co. – Ferndale, Wash.
  46. German Knoodle – St. Petersburg, Fla. ⧫
  47. Kuji Asian Grill – Woodland, Calif.
  48. Bombay River – Red Bank, N.J. ⧫
  49. Carmelina’s – Boston ♥
  50. Arario Midtown – Reno
  51. Indo – St. Louis
  52. The Curry Pizza Company 2 – Fresno ⧫
  53. Barista Del Barrio – Tucson
  54. Korai Kitchen – Jersey City, N.J. ♥
  55. 310 Eatery – Albany, Calif.
  56. Dia De Los Takos – Albuquerque
  57. Healthy Substance – Chicago
  58. Forma Pasta Factory – Brooklyn
  59. Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar – Memphis, Tenn.
  60. Croby’s Urban Viddles – Charlottesville, Va.
  61. Mr. Pollo – Pensacola, Fla.
  62. Yassin’s Falafel House – Knoxville, Tenn.
  63. The Local Wood Fired Grill – Alpharetta, Ga.
  64. Hold Fast Kitchen and Spirits – New York
  65. Tibbitts @ Fern Hill – Tacoma, Wash.
  66. Acevedo’s Hawaicano Cafe – Kahului, Hawaii
  67. Tuna Kahuna – Burlingame, Calif.
  68. Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que – Kansas City, Kansas
  69. Hawaii Poke Bowl – Eagan, Minn. ⧫
  70. Trattoria 360 – Campbell, Calif.
  71. Porque No? Tacos – Oakland
  72. Stella’s – Richmond, Va.
  73. Indian Gardens Cafe & Market – Sedona, Ariz.
  74. Noodle Man – Virginia Beach, Va.
  75. Peck Peck Korean Style Chicken – Teaneck, N.J.
  76. Pruller Restaurant – Marlborough, Mass.
  77. Jackie M’s & Son – Augusta, Ga.
  78. JJ’s Caffe – Brockton, Mass.
  79. Odd Duck – Milwaukee
  80. Chez Genèse – Greensboro, N.C.
  81. Otaru Sushi Bar – New Haven, Conn.
  82. Fox & Fig – Savannah, Ga.
  83. The Box & Burgers Eatery – Kirkland, Wash.
  84. Yummy Pollo – Louisville, Ky. ⧫
  85. El Bocado – Philadelphia
  86. Inizio – Buffalo, N.Y.
  87. MOZZ – Provo, Utah
  88. Bae Bae’s Kitchen – Pittsburgh, Pa. ⧫
  89. Alleia – Chattanooga, Tenn. ♥
  90. Yannis Golden Gyros – Indianapolis
  91. Sunny Point Café – Asheville, N.C.
  92. Wright’s Barbecue – Johnson, Ariz.
  93. Banh Mi Brothers – Charlotte, N.C. ⧫
  94. Ten/6 – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
  95. Los Primos Tex Mex & Grill – Rockville, Md. ♥
  96. Plank Seafood Provisions – Omaha, Neb.
  97. Cafe Kacao – Oklahoma City ♥
  98. MAKS Asian Kitchen & Sushi – Fort Myers, Fla.
  99. Vizo’s African Bar & Restaurant – Lubbock, Texas
  100. Falafel cafe – Birmingham, Ala.

Kragen writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Advertisement