Tahini has become a wildly popular destination for lovers of authentic Middle Eastern street food. A 2019 Yelp Top 100 Restaurants in the US, the eatery has made a name for itself on Clairemont Mesa Blvd in Kearny Mesa since 2017 (although the eatery’s origins date back to 2013 when it operated as a pop-up). Today, Tahini has grown so popular, it’s actually outgrown its current shop.
San Diego Eater reports Tahini will move to an adjacent location, taking over the space most recently occupied by Ramen Ryoma, which closed permanently this year. Tahini will head to an adjacent space at 9119 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, while its owners, Mahmoud Barkawi and Osama Shabaik, will open a new café in Tahini’s original space.
What will this new café provide, you might ask? Finjan, which takes its name from the Arabic word for coffee cup, will be a coffee shop with espresso drinks as well as Turkish coffee. Oh, and pastries too.
Tahini will reportedly make the move by October of this year, while Finjan aims to open by the end of 2021. And, best news of all for Tahini fans out there, more expansions are likely to follow.
