San Diego Cheesesteak on South Park.
I have spent a lot of time in the Philadelphia region (Bucks County mainly) but have never eaten a Philly Cheesesteak. I am talking almost two decades of living in that area. I ate a San Diego Cheesesteak today. Made up of bits of tiny beef chunks thoroughly mixed in with some sort of white American melty cheese I thought it was okay. The store known as Shawarma Guys is probably the story.
Shawarma Guys on Grape Street in South Park operates as the original neighborhood food truck setting, whereas the locations on Jackson Drive in La Mesa and Reagan Road in Mira Mesa provide indoor storefront dining options.
The Origins: A South Park Food Truck (2018–2019)
Founder & Concept: The concept was founded by Iraqi-American chef Bryan Zeto, a former telecommunications salesman and passionate home cook who teamed up with his father, Samer.
The Location: A close friend, Steven Hirmez (owner of The Bottle House liquor store in South Park), offered Zeto a spot in his parking lot at 3012 Grape Street.
Pivoting to Shawarma: Hirmez persuaded Zeto away from tacos toward Mediterranean street food, pointing out that South Park already had plenty of taco shops but lacked quality shawarma. Zeto launched with high-end touches—most notably Australian Wagyu beef shawarma, scratch-made sauces, and vegan options.
The National Breakthrough (2020)
#1 in America on Yelp: In January 2020, barely one year after opening, Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. named the food truck the #1 place to eat in the nation based on customer reviews and ratings.
Viral Demand: The recognition caused block-long lines on Grape Street. Despite the onset of COVID-19 shortly after, its takeout-friendly setup and strong community following kept the truck thriving.
Media Spotlight: The food truck was later featured on Guy Fieri's Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Transition to Brick-and-Mortar Locations (2022–Present)
Surging demand pushed Zeto to plan permanent sit-down spaces equipped with larger kitchens and wider menus.
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The real Shawarma is something else. Here’s a video made from authentic ingredients. That I would probably recommend.
Meanwhile, in the real world.
