Wild Thyme Bar & Grill brings Lebanese and Greek cooking to San Diego's College Area at 5841 El Cajon Blvd, where the kitchen grinds its falafel from dried chickpeas rather than canned — a technique that produces dense, herb-forward fritters absent from fast-casual Mediterranean counters. Established in 2019 by a management team with nearly 30 years in Mediterranean food service, the restaurant draws recipes from Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian culinary traditions and executes them across a menu running from hummus and baba ghanoush through lamb kebabs, chicken shawarma plates, and a Tiger Cry grilled steak. El Cajon Boulevard's international dining corridor through the 92115 ZIP concentrates Middle Eastern kitchens within a tight radius, and the falafel-and-shawarma format competes directly with the established Mediterranean menu at Fattoush several blocks west. Indoor seating handles sit-down service, while a fenced outdoor patio doubles as a hookah lounge offering a rotating selection of shisha blends, extending table time and creating an atmosphere distinct from the dinner rush. Bars near SDSU tend toward beer-and-wings concepts, and Wild Thyme occupies a different lane: full-service Mediterranean plates paired with draft beer, wine, and cocktails in a setting that functions as a restaurant first and a lounge second. The shawarma program uses vertical rotisserie spits for both chicken and beef, shaving the meat to order rather than pre-slicing, which preserves the caramelized exterior crust that marks properly executed rotisserie technique. SDSU sits within two miles, pulling a mixed crowd of students, campus staff, and El Cajon Blvd regulars who treat the restaurant as both a dinner destination and a late-night gathering point. Lentil soup, dolmas stuffed with rice and herbs, and a vegetarian combination platter round out a plant-forward section of the menu that accounts for a significant share of orders. The combination of a hookah program, a late-night kitchen, and craft cocktails alongside the food menu positions Wild Thyme as an evening gathering spot distinct from the tap-focused pour at Next Door Craft Beer & Wine Bar on the same corridor. The baklava is baked in-house with layered phyllo, crushed walnuts, and honey syrup, and the catering operation handles off-site events sized from office lunches to wedding receptions.