Chicken Over Rice Co. in Pacific Beach features owner’s favorite dishes

With just $7 in his pocket — all the money he had at the time — Ibrahim Aladogan was putting his trust in his food and his dreams.

After selling his car for $4,000 and purchasing everything he thought he needed, Aladogan set up his first-ever food stall at the OB Farmers Market in 2015.

“It was either going to work or I was going to be screwed,” Aladogan said.

Now, as founder, owner and CEO of the Mediterranean-based Pacific Beach restaurant Chicken Over Rice Co., Aladogan, known as Ibo, said, “I’m so happy for all the decisions I made.”

Chicken Over Rice Co. offers three options for its chicken-based meals; over rice, as a salad bowl or on pita bread. (Courtesy of Chicken Over Rice Co.)

He originally started serving grilled cheese sandwiches at the market, as that was one of his childhood favorites. The sandwiches were unique in using artisan bread and French and Italian cheeses.

Mediterranean style beef and chicken wraps, sandwiches and a rice ball were soon added to his menu.

“For the first two years, I was barely paying my bills and didn’t have any savings,” he said. “It was a struggle, and in a different mindset I could have given up easily.”

During that time, Aladogan expanded to other farmers markets, but kept selling the same food, using his same recipes.

“I didn’t know anything about the business side,” he said. But with a feeling that people were “just not getting it,” he changed his business name seven times as he tried to get his concept across.

“On my eighth time, changing to Chicken Over Rice, I was suddenly making a lot more money with the same marketing and same food,” he said.

By 2023, Aladogan said that as a chef, the farmers market was a great place to work, as he was outdoors and making food he wanted to eat.

But with “insane” lines and 30-minute wait times, he said his customers encouraged him to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

Chicken Over Rice Co. at 1830 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., Suite-E, Pacific Beach. (Courtesy of Chicken Over Rice Co.)

So with the same quick decision making that led him to open the food stall, he quickly found a location and “jumped in,” opening Chicken Over Rice Co. on Jan. 17, 2023.

Eager to open as soon as construction was complete, Aladogan said he “got lucky” the day he planned to open. Someone from his new neighborhood called a local TV news station.

“I wasn’t open yet, but they knocked on the door wanting to do an interview. We were live for about 15 minutes and it really jump started the restaurant,” he said.

Describing his dishes as a “celebration of Mediterranean traditions with a modern twist,” each meal balances proteins, grains and locally sourced vegetables with a simple approach.

Long lines are the norm at Chicken Over Rice Co., simple menu choices keep things moving quickly. (Courtesy of Chicken Over Rice Co.)

“I want to serve something healthy, tasty and quick,” he said. “Technically, we have one item on the menu — chicken.”

The chicken is marinated overnight for 24 hours, then seared on the grill, diced and cooked again to make it crispy and charred. It’s then served on one of three bases — rice, salad or pita bread — with a variety of toppings and sauces to choose from.

Aladogan said he strives to keep his food healthy and also uses only olive oil at his restaurant.

Although he plans to eventually add a pita sandwich and wrap to the menu, for now, he is sticking to his simple options.

“Making one item keeps it really easy for us and for the customers, and keeps the quality really high. It’s always fresh and always consistent,” he said.

The signature dish of Chicken Over Rice Co. is, not surprisingly, the chicken over rice bowl. Succulent grilled chicken, seasoned with a blend of authentic Mediterranean spices and cooked with olive oil, is served over a bed of fluffy rice, complemented by a variety of fresh vegetables such as chickpeas, lettuce, onion and parsley, cucumber salsa and pepperoncini, and topped with a choice of homemade garlic, hot or Tzaktziki sauces.

Side dishes include rice, chicken, chickpeas, cucumber salsa and sauces. Drinks include various sodas and water.

The chickpea dishes are popular among vegetarians. (Courtesy of Chicken Over Rice Co.)

Vegetarians can choose chickpeas seasoned with Mediterranean spices, served over rice, organic greens or pita, with a selection of vegetables and sauces.

With both indoor and outdoor seating, the restaurant has a welcoming, laid back, beach town feeling. Diners pick their items cafe style, pay and can eat on-site; delivery and take out are also offered, as is catering.

Aladogan can also be found at the OB Farmers Market, 4900 Newport Ave., every Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m.

Aladogan said he is a chef from a long line of family chefs in his home country of Istanbul, Turkey. On his father’s side, the family chefs owned restaurants and were in the food business.

“Even when I was a little kid at 8, I was in the kitchen pretending I was cooking for a cooking show. It was just in me,” he said.

Aladogan came to San Diego in 2012 after receiving a job offer here. Although he didn’t know anything about San Diego at the time — and didn’t speak English — he said he looked it up and quickly decided “I’m going.”

“I had a culinary arts degree in Turkey in 2009, and worked in hotels there,” he said. “In San Diego, I worked at the Westgate Hotel downtown for three years and then worked as the banquet sous chef at Hotel Del Coronado for six months in 2015.”

But after six months, Aladogan, who was in his late 20s at the time, felt he no longer wanted to be in the hotel restaurant business.

“I had to clean so many oysters I think I’m traumatized by that and don’t ever want to see them again,” he joked, adding, “I wanted to be somewhere where I could cook the food I wanted to eat.”

With the success of his restaurant, Aladogan said he is concentrating on expanding Chicken Over Rice and is looking for a second location, with plans for more in his future.

“The concept is really easy and would work in any neighborhood,” he said.

When the “time is right,” he would also like to open a restaurant based on his grilled cheese sandwiches.

Aladogan said he is appreciative of his success, which he credits to his PB neighbors.

“San Diego is one of the best cities not just in the U.S., but in the entire world,” Aladogan said. “We have everything here, it’s quality of life, from the air quality to great weather to city life and suburbs. I’ve been here 13 years and it feels like home. Even when I’m back visiting in Turkey, I want to be back in San Diego.”

Find the recipe for Chicken Over Rice Co.’s chickpeas below.