San Diego Restaurant Linked to Nearly 100 Salmonella Cases; Lawsuits Filed

As the number of salmonella infections linked to a popular San Diego restaurant continues to rise, multiple lawsuits from affected customers are mounting.

Aladdin Mediterranean Cafe, located in San Diego’s Claremont neighborhood, is associated with at least 98 confirmed salmonella cases, resulting in three lawsuits so far. Nine individuals required hospitalization, and those infected ranged in age from 1 to 90.

County health officials indicate the outbreak likely occurred between April 25 and May 1. During this period, numerous patrons reported experiencing symptoms consistent with salmonella infection, including diarrhea, cramping, fever, chills, and headaches.

On May 1, the restaurant voluntarily closed to allow thorough testing and investigation by the County Health Department. Owner Hamdi AbuKhalaf has since committed to restoring the restaurant’s safety standards, hiring external experts to retrain staff on proper food-handling procedures. Additionally, AbuKhalaf disclosed that his restaurant discarded approximately $70,000 worth of food while thoroughly sanitizing the premises.

One lawsuit filed last week involves a couple who dined at Aladdin Mediterranean Cafe on April 26. They reported developing salmonella symptoms the following day. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the bacteria in at least one of the plaintiffs.

While no fatalities have been linked to the outbreak, AbuKhalaf has publicly expressed regret, describing the incident as an unintentional mistake. Speaking to local media, he emphasized the human element in food preparation: “You know what, we’re humans at Aladdin. All the restaurants are human. The food is cooked by humans, OK? Not by angels or by God. So there is a chance, maybe one in over one hundred million things go wrong. Maybe from us, I don't know, and maybe from the produce we get.”

Despite AbuKhalaf’s expressions of remorse, civil liability in personal injury cases centers on negligence rather than intent or regret. To successfully pursue their claims, plaintiffs must demonstrate that the restaurant had a duty of care to customers, breached that duty, and directly caused harm.

Proving liability often involves gathering medical evidence, expert testimony from food safety or medical professionals, laboratory testing results of the contaminated food or samples, and evidence of health code violations or prior complaints against the restaurant.

Ron Simon & Associates filed the most recent lawsuit. Lead attorney Ron Simon commented, “We intend to use all the tools available to us in this litigation to obtain full and fair compensation for our clients, uncover how this outbreak occurred, and ensure Aladdin takes measures to prevent future incidents.”