Pomegranate Russian-Georgian Restaurant

When my husband and I lived in San Diego this was one of our favorite date spots. The food is fantastic and so unique and we always ordered something different, and it was always amazing. You can’t go wrong here.

Very unassuming and quiet, but this restaurant has great flavors. Even the bread and garlic butter was excellent. We had all the classics, chebureki (fried turnover) with beef and yogurt sauce, they were huge! The borscht was very well done, lots of beet flavor and great textures. The stroganoff was also really great, not too rich, well cooked noodles and overall really tasty. Service was pretty good, no complaints. This was my first experience at a Russian style restaurant, will definitely be returning when I come back to San Diego.

I love this place. The staff is so friendly and happy to serve us. The food is comforting and simply delicious. You can leave a message on the walls and can view the cool pieces of art from Russia/​Georgia. It’s a great spot for foodies or those on a date night.

A+ All around.
Food was excellent. Started with the salad sampler. Waitress explained each one. We each had our favorite. I had the pork skewer. Huge portion and wonderfully tasty. My wife had the stroganoff. Very good and took some leftovers home. I also had a great Russian beer.
The restaurant had a wonderful ambience.
The service was top notch. There were about 5 waitresses and they all made you feel welcome and each was very attentive but not overly attentive.
Would highly recommend this place and will be going back.

Took other reviews as a sign that I should try this place so I finally went! Let me start by saying it is the cutest place! The people that work there are so nice! We got the salad sampler which was so amazing and the cabbage rolls and the dumplings. I loved every salad in the sampler! Everything was soo yummy. The cabbage rolls were just like my grandma use to make! Even the butter they gave us with the bread was this yummy herb butter. I will definitely be back again and probably be talking about it for weeks!
Came back again last night and had the special egg bread and it was amazing! Only available on Friday and Saturdays but definitely worth it!

I’ve had this place bookmarked since it first open and I’m so glad I finally got to try it. I’m not in the area that often so it doesn’t give me a reason to trek down to try this place. However, I think I will now because I was just that impressed with the food and service.
We came here after the Unilocal’s Farewell party on Sunday. My husband and I were starving so we came here and we were all dressed up so it was kind of funny because we looked so out of place in our bow tie and long formal dress. That’s ok though, it made it feel more like an all-​out date night for us. The ambiance is dark and low lighting which set the mood even more for us.
For drinks, I got the Natakhtari Georgian peach lemonade. Holy! Please tell me I can buy this somewhere locally! I want more!!! It was delicious! My husband got the Blenheim ginger ale soda and you can choose medium, spicy or hot so he got the medium. That was also delicious, it was like having really fine ginger beer!
They came out with some bread and herbed butter for us, I loved it and was filling up on it. For an appetizer, we got the Pelmeni, which is Siberian meat dumplings topped with yogurt dill and garlic sauce. It was so fun to eat, like little pillows of goodness in one bite. I loved it
For the entrees, my husband got the beef stroganoff which was really perfectly made and comforting. I wanted the Chicken tabaka but they were all out so I got the Chakapuli which is lamb cooked in this wine and onion soup/​sauce with a side of rice pilaf and potatoes. The lamb was fall-​off-​the-​bone perfect. I couldn’t stop eating, it was delicious!
I wished we had room for desserts, because it looked interesting and amazing but I guess it just means we’ll have to come back again and try the dessert next time.
The waitress was so nice and friendly and helpful from start to finish. I love trying new foods and she really helped me open up that door of curiousity of what to try. Please open up in North County!

Coming from a Ukrainian background and my mama’s homemade borscht, I’m always skeptical about trying out Russian restaurants. Nothing ever compares to mama’s borscht… except for. Pomegranate’s borscht!
I have been here many a times at this point, and the food is as good as it gets if you’re looking for Russian/​Georgian cuisine. Every dish is delicious and spiced to perfection. If you like lamb, I recommend the Chakapuli. The lamb in that dish just falls off the bone and is cooked so unbelievably well.
Honestly, you cannot go wrong with any dish you order here — although I would veer away from the Shashlik. I’ve found that at times it can be a bit dry depending on the type of meat you order (they have lamb, beef, and chicken I believe). Plus it’s not as complex in flavor as some of the other dishes. so try something new like Chakhokbili, or the Beef Stroganoff (most likely different than any other beef stroganoff you have had!), or the Pelmeni/​Vareniki (the Russian version of dumplings).
The Medevik Torte (Honey Cake) is light, airy, and refreshing. Don’t skimp out on dessert at this place.
Pomegranate, Ya Tebya Lublu!

All the way from the freshly baked bread to the amazing dumplings and broth this restaurant is amazing. Not to mention excellent service as well. My wife and I both agreed that we will be going back for more of the menu any chance we get.

I can’t believe I lived next to this place for 3+ years and just made it here a week ago. The phenomenal Unilocal reviews should have had me in the door years ago, but I just never found myself craving Russian food. Turns out, I’m an idiot. I should have been eating here every week.
Like most people, we started with the salad sampler. It is a bit on the pricey side, but large enough to share with a group. Each salad had a unique flavor, and they all tasted fresh. We also ordered a round of the meat dumplings with dill sour cream. The portion on these was smaller and was a good to size to split as an appetizer. The highlight of the meal for me was the cabbage roll entrée. It comes with two large cabbage rolls stuffed to the gills with juicy meat and topped with a tomato cream sauce. This dish was insane. It was also huge, and I was glad I choose to share it.
The atmosphere here is relaxed, but nice enough to take a date. The service is very friendly, and the staff will explain each dish with enthusiasm. Don’t let the fact that this is on El Cajon Blvd detour you from visiting, as you will be missing out on a neighborhood gem.

I was extremely excited about trying out this place and left rather disappointed.
Atmosphere: Really cute and would be a great place for a date night. It’s large enough to hold a few large parties too if you want to have a special event here.
Food:
Cheese pie (special): If you go on a Friday or Saturday, they have a cheese pie that has an egg in the middle. They will then scramble it in front of you and you wait about 5 minutes, the cheese will sort of harden and then you eat it. I think the presentation is unique, but it wasn’t as great as I was led to believe. WARNING: This cheese pie is not on their menu and is around $ 11. There is a cheese pie on the menu, but that one is $ 7.50 and is served Monday through Thursday. Our waitress did not tell us about that distinction.
My entrée was their Shaslik, which is skewed meat roasted over charcoal. We chose the lamb and it comes with rice and some veggies. This was nothing to rave over. The lamb was unfortunately dry and overall, the dish is okay. I wouldn’t pay $ 21.50 for it.
$ 30 something dollars later and all I felt was regret. Maybe this place has other really great items, but I didn’t eat any of them that day. To top it off, I got sick from their special cheese pie and it wasn’t from not waiting long enough for the egg to cook. We definitely waited a few minutes more than what the waitress suggested. I will not be back.

First time here and I had an utterly amazing and beyond delightful experience from everything from the service from all the Russian speaking servers to the warm, dimly lit, cozy setting that feels like you’re in a family’s home in Russia from the furniture pieces to the collectibles everywhere to the artwork, to of course THE FOOD!
Absolutely mouth-​watering comfort food that melts in your mouth.
We had the salad sampler, the cheese pie to start off with (which was to die for and don’t worry about the fat content or calories — SO worth it!).
My main dish was the Borsch soup, which had so much flavor and can evoke feelings of a blustery day sitting by a fire, sipping on this savory, beet/​beef soup, that can be satisfying as a main dish. The first time I had heard of this soup was in the film Eastern Promises, a film I also love, so I had to try it.
Do yourself a favor and a must do in your lifetime — Eat Here!

Finally made it here after years of procrastination. I was part of a group of 4 and we started things off with the ever popular cheese pie. The server mixes the egg in with the cheese and you wait a few minutes for the mixture to coagulate. It’s tasty, but very rich and filling. For 4 people, it was just about right.
I had the Georgian Eagle with chicken and my gf had the Shashlik with chicken. I liked hers better. My chicken had a lot of fatty pieces and the seasoning was pretty bland. The Shashlik on the other hand, was tender and nicely seasoned. The pomegranate sauce added a nice sweet flavor to the meat.
We all shared the Babushka surprise and the Toad sweat ice cream. Both were good, not great. Be aware of the chocolate sauce if you have a low tolerance for spicy food.
3.5 overall, rounding up for the good service.

My husband has been coming here with his Russian WWII reenactment group for a few years. He has always raved about it but never was considerate enough to bring any left overs home. Finally last week he wasn’t able to gorge as much as usual and brought home some beef stroganoff. This is a good thing and bad thing.
Good thing: The best beef stroganoff ever and I love beef stroganoff and have sampled a lot.
Bad thing: I am ruined for any other beef stroganoff. Forget it. There is no point. Nothing can live up to Pomegranates beef stroganoff.
I know Pomegranate has other popular dishes and there are 1000 reviews raving about them. I’m sure they are raving about the beef stroganoff because man… how could they not? Tender beef slices and flavorful sauce topped on noodles. My hubs said you mix yourself so you get the balance of sauce, meat and noodles that suit you.
Now I’m going to expect him to bring it home every time he goes. Bad for him.

Came in on a Monday night and it was pretty empty as expected, but the service was great and we were well taken care of.
Ordered the Chakhokhbili (Georgian Eagle) to share with a friend and the portion is pretty huge. The Chakhokhbili is a casserole comprised of 2 large pieces of chicken embellished with onions, tomatoes, lemons, and other herbs. The chicken is extremely soft and basically melts in your mouth and the flavors from all the vegetables & herbs gives it great flavor. The chicken is not dry whatsoever.
On Monday night, they also had the special Georgian dumplings on their menu. If one is familiar with the popular chinese xiao long bao type of soup dumpling, this closely resembles that, but much larger with a handle in which one can grasp and eat it with. The plate comes with 5 dumplings and 1 dumpling is pretty filling already, so be careful ordering multiple orders of this!
Both the appetizer and the entrée were splendid. I don’t know many Russian/​Georgian restaurants in San Diego, but this place was great. Additionally, our server gave us a little history behind Russia and Georgia, which was also very cool.

I couldn’t tell what was Russian and what was Georgian, but it all worked together pretty well. I didn’t realize that beets (not my favorite) were such a staple in this cuisine. A lot of small but heavy dishes that I strongly advise be shared.
My favorite items were probably the savory pies (meat and cheese?), and the beef stroganoff.
Service was fast and friendly. Parking is on the street. Meters are free after 6 PM, and possibly free all of Sunday.

Although I am bias because I absolutely love Russian food, this place makes the best borsch and golubtsy in SD! If you are in the mood for some Russian/​Georgian goodies, you should certainly grab some dinner at Pomegranate. Also their honey cake is heavenly!
Ps. I even brought a professionally trained chef to try the Russian –Georgian goodies and she loved it! Try it, you won’t regret it!!!

I was sad when they didn’t have their cheese bread but there food is still so good. I love the beef stroganoff here.
One of my favorite restaurant in SD.

LOVE. I don’t think I’ve ever had authentic Russian/​Eastern European food before. We came here to meet a friend for dinner during our visit. He swore Pomegranate has amazing food, and he was right.
The place is decked out in cute European décor. It’s like you’ve been transported to Eastern Europe; even the servers all have adorable Russian accents. The actual service has a bit to be desired, but whenever they came around, they were friendly and helpful.
We started dinner off with some vodka (because how else would you start a meal at a Russian place?). I have to say that this was the first time that I’ve ever had vodka and not wanted to gag afterwards. Which leads me to believe that I have just been having some really crappy vodka all my life. Thanks, Pomegranate. You’ve opened my eyes to a whole world of possibilities with good Russian booze.
For food, I went for a classic beef stroganoff (which was also our server’s recommendation; who could go wrong there!). My boyfriend ordered the lamb soup dish that had a long name that I don’t remember and couldn’t pronounce. The food came and certainly didn’t disappoint. Everything was packed with flavor and cooked to perfection.
Adorable yet intimate ambience, awesome food, good booze. Not much more to ask for in a place, really.

This place is HARD TO SPOT. I’ve driven by it hundreds of times without even noticing it, but finally went in last month. I agree with a previous reviewer that the kitchen closing before advertised time is wack, but I guess my dining party was cute because the hostess quickly changed her «you shall not pass» notice and let us order.
The low lighting created an intimate feel, and the writing on the walls from previous diners enticed my friend to return. I do wish there were more than one bathroom, because I was scared to go in after the guy that took 30 minutes.
Overall, the food was very pleasing. I enjoyed the dishes and was surprised by the amount of great flavor in the eggplant salad. This is a very cozy place and I would like to return for more comforting food.

I hadn’t had good Russion food in such a long time, I was super surprised to find it here of all places. Russian comfort food, borscht and pelmeni in San Diego? Hell yeah!
And it was so good! First, we got freshly baked baguette with garlic butter, then I had the heavenly carrot salad (with pomegranate seeds) and the pelmeni, my two companions had borscht and pork steak. I also ordered some of the deliciously spicy Blenheim ginger ale and loved it.
So, with the food covered… the restaurant itself is a well of entertainment. First off, you will probably need a few hours to read all the comments that guests wrote on their walls — then the Russian paraphernalia on the walls… pictures, old army hats etc. Very cool!
The whole place is a bit dark at night, but I found it very charming.
Service was great (and their Russian accents very cute as my friend added) and friendly, food came out quickly, but not tooooo quickly and the whole place felt more like it should be in Berlin than in San Diego. Will definitely back!!!