What We Know About the Aladdin Mediterranean Cafe Salmonella Outbreak
San Diego County health officials linked 98 probable and confirmed Salmonella illnesses and at least 9 hospitalizations to Aladdin Mediterranean Cafe in the Clairemont neighborhood of San Diego. People got sick after eating at the restaurant between April 25 and May 1, 2025. Ages of those affected ranged from 1 to 90 years old.
How the Outbreak Was Discovered
County of San Diego public health officials first announced the cluster on May 2, 2025, with 14 confirmed and probable cases and 5 hospitalizations. Within days the case count jumped to 37 with 9 hospitalized. By mid-May, the county reported a total of 98 probable and confirmed illnesses.
Aladdin Mediterranean Cafe voluntarily closed when notified, allowing county environmental health investigators to inspect the facility, collect samples, and interview staff. Despite the investigation, county officials never identified a specific food item or ingredient as the source.
Ron Simon & Associates Filed the First Lawsuit
On May 6, 2025, Ron Simon & Associates filed the first Salmonella lawsuit against Aladdin Mediterranean Cafe on behalf of two diners, one of whom was hospitalized. A second lawsuit followed on May 7 and a third on May 14, 2025. The restaurant’s owner publicly apologized as the case count continued to climb.
What Helps Prove a Restaurant Salmonella Claim
When dozens of people who ate at the same restaurant during the same one-week window get sick with Salmonella, that shared exposure is the basis of the county’s link to the restaurant. Plaintiffs in restaurant Salmonella cases typically need three things: a stool culture or PCR test confirming Salmonella, proof that they ate at the implicated restaurant during the exposure window (a receipt, credit card statement, or reservation record), and medical records documenting the timing of symptoms.
Your Legal Rights
If you ate at Aladdin Mediterranean Cafe between April 25 and May 1, 2025, and developed Salmonella symptoms, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, hospitalization costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages. Medical costs from hospitalization and long-term complications like reactive arthritis may be part of a claim.
Ron Simon & Associates is a food poisoning law firm that has recovered over $850 million for victims nationwide. Our Salmonella lawyers focus exclusively on foodborne illness litigation and are actively representing victims of the Aladdin outbreak. You pay our law firm nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Contact us for a free consultation at 1-888-335-4901.