The Sahara Cafe

Good lord this place is awesome! We were recently visiting from Boston and popped in on a lark. Had the falafel sandwiches… THE BOMB, easily better than anything we have had in Denver.

We were searching for a plant-​based meal and saw falafel’s in the Saharah café. There were no customers there when we arrived, but we looked at the menu and decided we would give it a try. The chef said that he could make sure we were satisfied with our selections. To
Say the least this was by far the best restaurant we have been to in a long time. The food was absolutely delicious. The staff went overboard to make sure we were accommodated. I had the falafel Gyro and the grape leaves and rice. Did not leave any crumbs. The sage tea was soothing and calming. The food was so good that we tipped the chef.

I was disappointed with this restaurant. Granted, I’m spoiled coming from a big city and having friends from the Mediterranean who cook the best authentic meals. But alas, this restaurant did not meet my expectation at all: portion sizes were small, the hummus was runny, the plates were cheap-​o plastic; and the sampler platter had shredded meat (why?). I guess it was just not at all what I expected.

Great Mediterranean food.
Very fair prices
Fun place to eat.
Everybody loved their food.
Check them out.

Good gyros, pre packgae desert and powdered drinks. Overall leaving a stale vibe. The Chai tea was powered, with the desert all being frozen and reheated.

Great place to get some Greek food. Owner was really passionate about leaving a positive impression when one of our orders got mixed up.

My daughter was jonesing for a gyro so we popped into Sahara Café while we were visiting Manitou Springs last night. It’s very casual and the furnishings are pretty sparse but the interesting hanging lamps gives it some charm. There is a full menu of lots and lots of coffee drink choices and they sounded wonderful but we were here for dinner.
We ordered a gyro, a sampler plate and a fattoush salad. I didn’t try the gyro but my daughter loved it. It was on the smaller side. Not a bad thing but a normal serving for one person.
My husband and I split the salad and sampler. The salad was okay… nothing to rave about. Fresh mint normally makes fattoush lip-​smacking good but there was none in this one (even though the menu mentioned it). If it was in there, it was not enough to taste. Still, tasty and fresh.
The sampler included a few bites of juicy, flavorful chicken and small bits of gyro meat. The menu mentioned beef as well but there wasn’t any to be found (unless it was disguised among the gyro bits). Two nice-​sized falafel, a warm pita sliced into 8 pieces, small salad and hummus. With the salad, it was just right for 2 people who weren’t starving. A hungry person could finish this themselves and be happy. This was not the best Middle Eastern food I’ve had but it was all good.
Tried the almond baklava as well. A little drier than I like but it’s homemade and a nice way to finish the meal.
Our server was friendly and our dinner was served pretty quickly.
If I could give 3 ½ stars, that would be closer to where I would rate Sahara Café.

I’ve been here a few times. They are very good about making modifications to various dishes and are always friendly!

Great place to eat. We were going to pikes peak and came here for lunch. Easy nice atmosphere, good food. We ordered the falafel sandwich and hummus plate. Both were excellent. Recommend it!

If you don’t eat middle eastern food then this would be amazing food to try but as for a person that has traveled to middle eastern countries, well this is probably fast food. The chicken was a bit raw as well. Hummus was watered down which is completely wrong, hummus should be almost like a whipped texture. Try something else for sure.

It was alright and it’s in Manitou so that’s nice. Good enough to go back to and try the lamb kabobs next time. The dalmos were not that great, I prefer them to be chilled. I have had far better gyros/​schwarma/​elsewhere but I will try it again.

I ordered the chicken shawarma and got a side of fries. The food here was just ok, but the service made up for it. The waiter was attentive and was quick to offer refills. We were in the area before taking the cog train to Pikes Peak so it was a convenient location in Manitou, but we probably won’t be returning.

Great service and excellent Shwarma
The restaurant was clean and orderly. Max seated us and took our order. We ordered the Beef Shwarma with extra tzatziki sauce and drinks. It took about 10 minutes to get the food and it was awesome. It was perfectly prepared with a nice blend of spices. The portions were just right, served in a foil wrap.
Max was quick to refill our drinks and was personable. I will be back often.

Giving it 5 stars based on food quality and service level,
Enjoyed my platter plate a lot,
Fluffy pita bread is different from what I use to get at Denver’s places, — like for that.
The Place often gets packed, so don’t hesitate to get your meal «to go «and enjoy it by the creek

Not bad. Not the best. Middle of the road for sure.
I had the lamb kabob. ‘You Can Be Sure Your Meat is seasoned to perfection’ claims the website. The lamb was fatty and under spiced. It seemed pan fried. The pita was good. The hummus yum, was textured nice and had chickpea garnish. You could see the olive oil. Tzatziki sauce was decent although tasted of dill and seemed stringy. They claim they use ‘secret ingredients.’ Perhaps I was detecting these secrets?
Middle Eastern flavors are always a bonus in my travels. But I have had much better. It filled my craving belly in time of lamb need though. That was what I really needed. Lamb. I had a lamb need.
The iced tea was sweet with mint, which was a shock, but a traditional flavoring. Must stay hydrated though.
The service was great, the staff friendly and the location quaint in the heart of historic Manitou Springs.
If jonesin’ for Middle Eastern foods give it a try. I will try it again. I always give places a second chance. I look forward to my return. I’ll be glad I did.

Amazing Food!!! We ordered a plate of dolmas, falafel basket, chicken kabob and shawarmas.
Absolutely dig the kabobs. They were juicy and unbelievably good. The falafels were super soft and perfectly crisp.
The Shawarma!!! It’s was the best I’ve had in a long long long time. Delicious! I suggest you have the sage tea to wash down all that delicious food.
Would be back for sure.

My family came to visit us and I took them here. The food is so fresh and Amazing! I can’t even explain how good it was.
Everyone loved their meal and the staff was super nice!
I can’t wait to come back!

Always a pleasure to visit this place

Sahara café is really the place to fill your belly before heading to cogtrain.
We really enjoyed the food and the service.
We had lamb kabob, buttery cheese sandwich and a Turkish coffee. All of them were so delicious and very reasonable too.
Will come next time in summer

After going on the cog railway, we came here for a late lunch. We got one of the last two tables available which speaks to how good the food is.
After ordering, we realized we were going to be late for an appointment so we asked for it to go.
The hubs and I both got the lamb gyro that came with taziki sauce, lettuce, and in a new but delightful twist for me, pickled turnip and banana peppers. I’ve never had those on a gyro but the tangy pickled veggies with the rich, spiced lamb was just awesome. Seriously good.
We also got a side of seasoned fries and they were perfection. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside… mmmmmm.
The customer service was awesome and we will be back. Only will stay for an entire meal.