Darna

Ok so this was my first time at Darna and I had higher hopes for this place. First of all the girls at the front were fighting like cats and then one told me that they were serving lamb and the other actually got upset with me when I questioned why I was told otherwise. There are plenty of other places in the area that have better service than this place and are cheaper. Don’t waste your time or money go someplace else. Oh and if you have purchased a groupon you are outta luck they have changed management and aren’t accepting any coupons.

I wish they had more choices buffet wise, but what they do have is very good. The staff is all very very nice, and everything taste great. There is another place down the street very similar, but this place way better staff wise and food wise. I will be back.

El mejor restaurante Mediterráneo!
En mi humilde opinion muchisimo mejor que Pasha.
El Buffet está riquísimo, yo no era muy amante de la comida Mediterránea pero después de venir a Darna, ahora es mi comida y restaurante favorito.
El lugar es amplio, limpio y la gente súper amable.
De cena tienes muchas opciones mi favorito es el plato de Shawarma ya probé el de pollo y carne y los dos están deliciosos!
El buffet es todos los días de 11am– 4pm.
Si! esta ideal para ir a comer después de la misa o servicio o para invitar algún cliente.

Growing up, I was never familiarized with Mediterranean food. And as I got older, I shied away from trying it. Now if only Darna had been around to show me the way. Here and there I’ve eaten a dish but never full-​on and definitely not until I came here. One day I told my partner in crime that I wanted a schwarma. He was pretty surprised and asked where I would like to go. Darna was the spot and I’ve never turned back.
We came during their buffet and although buffets are typically a no-​no in my world, I figured it would be best to try a little bit of everything they offered. Especially since reading other reviews about it. The buffet is pretty fresh: Greek salad, sliced chicken shawarma sandwiches, hummus (homus), fried eggplant, dolmas, falafels, sheesh tawook, rice, chicken with vegetables, etc. Their baba ganoush is divine! Tasting the deep flavor of roasted eggplant on top of a flatbread is absolutely delicious. And depending on the day you come in, there may be goat, fried (or baked) fish, or fried chicken. I have never been disappointed when dining here. One of my favorite foods (not on the buffet) is their manakeesh with cheese. If you’ve never had one, it’s almost like a cheese pizza and I believe they use goat cheese in particular in it. I usually top off with a baklava and every now and again their Turkish coffee.
The employees are nice and accommodating and the prices are very good! You definitely get your fill even just ordering from the menu.

In a city that seems chock-​a-​block full of Mediterranean restaurants, Darna stands out among them. The lunch buffet is second to none. Moderately priced but over delivers on flavor and quality. You can make your own kabob or falafel sandwiches out of the complimentary pita and sides. Leave room for their specialties; the Coconut Chicken was excellent. Save room for dessert too.

I went back after a while, I really don’t know what happened! No sweets, (or at least a minimum of) quality declined markedly
What a shame!

The buffet had a good selection, but I really liked the mixed grill plate from the regular menu. It was a big portion and the grilled veggies were a perfect touch. Plus, it comes with all the fixings– baba ghanoush, hummus, & darna salad. Our server was also very friendly.

Very nice service. Fresh food. Perfectly tasty. Who doesn’t love a «healthy» buffet!
Lunch buffet 11am to 4pm
Open 7 days 11am to 10pm
Parking is plentiful in the shopping center lot.

Nice low key place over by the Medical Center that has great prices and portions.
Favorites were the hummus, cucumber yogurt salad and the large pizza sized bread they gave us for dipping. It was nice they brought out a dish of olive oil with the spice/​herbs off to the side.
The kawoosh was spiced excellently, maybe saffron, paprika and ??? Not a plain grilled chicken kabob. The gyro meat was flavorful but could have come out hotter. The fries with the gyro platter were super crispy and the greek salad was on point. Lots of feta and the dressing was nice and tangy.
Entrees are a great value at no more than $ 11 – 12 unless you get the lamb shank. Big portions and a very attentive staff. This was our first time visiting and we’ll definitely be back.
There is a groupon out where its $ 11 for $ 20 worth of food. Two sodas, two entrees and a large cucumber yogurt salad and extra hummus came to $ 33 after tax. We tipped extra because of our servers and it seeminly like a relatively slow night.

I was in the area and looking for a new restaurant to eat at and found Darna via Unilocal!
The food that I ordered was very good and plentiful, the waiter seemed a little shy but was attentive and helpfully answered my questions about the various dishes offered. I had what was essentially a Vegetarian sampler plate although that’s not what it was called. It had the best Falafel that I’ve had in years, although it was a lot greener in color than any I’ve had to date. The waiter stated that they put lots of parsley in their Falafels. The hummus, bread, dolmas or ‘grape leaves’ were also delicious as was the cucumber and tomato salad. The only reason I didn’t give them a higher rating… Unfortunately, the desserts/​Pastries were not available!

Great lunch buffet with grape leaf rolls, yogurt cucumber dips, chicken dishes, goat, kabobs, rice, naan, and more!
$ 10 for lunch buffet.
Tons of vegetarian options which were my favorite especially the shepherds salad.
Waitress was so sweet she went back and got me a coconut honey cake which was so delicious and rich! Also the baklava is a must! I loved my experience here and I would definitely go again for lunch.

I love Mediterranean food, and I usually stick with some sort of vegetarian platter or falafel. I think Darna wins for having the best falafel I’ve had (so far) in San Antonio!
The exterior and interior of Darna are less than impressive, but it’s quite large inside. We came for dinner, but it looks as though they have a buffet which would be nice to try sometime.
We were given bread after being seated, a huge piece of flatbread with olive oil and spices. It was yummy! I asked for more after my meal came, and she happily delivered some, free of charge.
My husband got some of the kabobs, and he was pleased. My vegetarian platter was overall a little weak, but the baba ganoush, hummus, and falafel were all stand-​outs (especially the falafel). Although the menu says it comes with rice, when the waitress brought me my platter there was none. I asked for it, and she seemed confused and said she could bring me a side of rice. She didn’t charge me for it, but I’m still not sure if it actually comes with the entrée or not. Anyway, after receiving the rice, I wasn’t that impressed with it, but it was nice of her to bring it.
I’m still searching for the perfect Mediterranean place in SA, but Darna is a stand out. And like other Unilocalers out there, look out for the Groupon — it’s a great deal.

This place was great! Our waitress was very attentive. I thought the lunch buffet was a perfect idea. However, I was with co-​workers and didn’t want to «pig out» so much. The lunch menu pricing was great and definitely worth it. I ordered a gyro and it was absolutely delish. I will definitely be back!

Cheap, good, and Mediterranean– three words that describe my ideal date! Nah, that’s how I’d summarize Darna. The menu has a little bit of everything, almost everything under $ 10. The open kitchen and on-​site bakery only add to the authenticity and charm.
BEEF SHWARMA & HUMMUS: Ample portion, slightly-​chalky hummus, but it’s still yummus!
GREEK SALAD: $ 4, no entrée size available, heavily seasoned (not a bad thing).
CHICKEN SHWARMA PITA: $ 8, comes with fries or substitute another side for $ 2. Sided with an intense garlic sauce, giant portion, fresh-​baked pita.
FRIED CAULIFLOWER & EGGPLANT: Same price ($ 4), drastically different portion sizes! Giant amount of cauliflower, nicely crisped but small serving off eggplant, and drowning in grease, both unseasoned. Laying the eggplant on some papertowels to drain would up my appreciation about a million percent. This is perfect with a sprinkle of sea salt.
They offer a buffet at lunch and the service is friendly. The low prices will keep me coming back, but anyone who says this spot is better than Pasha is clearly delusional.
TIP: In addition to having low regular prices, they also come up on Groupon occasionally. Use the app to check before placing your order, for up to half off.

Love this place. They have a lunch buffet from 11am-​4pm. It’s only 10.99 which is a pretty awesome price. Try everything!

I came for lunch today. They had a buffet option so I took it since I wanted to sample many things.
I really like how spacious it is. The waitress we had was super nice and welcoming. While we selected what we wanted she brought pita bread and water for us. The selections were pretty good for lunch. There was rice, chicken, beef kebabs, grilled chicken, lamb, falafel, a chicken wrap, dolmas, samosas, meatballs, bunch of salad options, and baklava and semolina cake.
My brother and I really liked the chicken wrap. It was warm and had a nice pickle inside. We also liked the rice. Quite flavorful (but not as fragrant as I would have liked). We didn’t like the chicken and beef kebabs. They were cold and not that great. I didn’t like the samosas either. But I liked the falafel ok. It was a little better than pashas version. I love that you can get all the hummus and garlic sauce you want. Those are my favorites. I was bummed the pita bread was so thin and small. Pasha has made me expect large, piping hot, fluffy pitas at every Mediterranean restaurant. The grilled chicken was pretty flavorful. I also liked the cucumber and tomato salad.
Dessert was pretty great. Both were too sweet and could have used coffee but I liked them. Their desserts are definitely better than Dimassi’s. I wish I could have had some coffee though.
All in all, a solid, inexpensive lunch place if you are feeling very hungry. I would go back but there are so many places to try that I probably won’t for some time.

I first tried this place when we had it ordered for an event at school. Amazing food for such a large order! Everything was flavorful and moist. I took my family here another time and had the same experience. I wasn’t a fan of so much oil they put in the hummus but the lamb, beef, and chicken are all good.
When you first get to the place it looks a little sketchy but it is definitely one of those hole in wall places that have great food.

Let’s begin with logistics. Darna’s exterior might read hole-​in-​the-​wall, but interiorly it’s anything but. Looks are deceiving; one would never guess the restaurant to be so large, nor kept well as it has. Upon entering, seating is indeed self-​help (no hostess)… by meal’s end, payment too is at the register WITHOUT bill (s). What’s free with any meal? Pita. What’s unavailable at the moment? Desserts — exactly what brought me to Darna in the first place. Assorted baklava, harisa, warbat, and kunafa must be found elsewhere, at least while Darna searches for its next aficionado of Middle Eastern pastries.
Thus far, I’ve narrowed my go-​to, most-​convenient Mediterranean spots to 3 restaurants located within 5 – 10 minutes of one another, all at or near the city’s Medical Center. While my absolute favorite PASHA is the most appealing of them, its relatively loud and crowded environment might be reason enough for some to relocate to the quieter JERUSALEM GRILL (by Ingram Park Mall), or the less busy DARNA (on Fredericksburg). Each of the establishments have strong merits; however, what one lacks, another may or not have, and vice versa. But I’m not the «picky patron» too difficult to please… supply me with good, clean eats and I’m a happy camper. And all three of the above do this extremely well.
Darna somewhat outshines Pasha (Wurzbach) and Jerusalem Grill in a couple areas — accommodations and general value. Darna’s space is expansive, easily able to seat twice as many patrons as both Pasha and Jerusalem Grill. And while P & JG have more curb appeal and character, Darna offers more for your money. Not that P/JG’s portion sizes are lacking… more is simply included with a meal at Darna. All entrées are served with homus + pita, darna salad, and either basmati rice w/​vermicelli or biryani rice. Regarding hot drinks, nothing spectacular’s going on with Darna’s; their Turkish coffee is expectedly flavorful [whether sweet or unsweet] albeit too tiny in amount, and their teas are typical no matter the flavor.
Ultimately, what matters most — food quality — is on par with both P & JG. General service and waitstaff friendliness are equally great. The ONLY items I cared not for were Darna’s dolmas (my friends make far better grape leaves!), tzatziki sauce (reeked of overpowering dill!) and, to a lesser extent, pita (on the edge of nearly stale and too thin!). I think it’s safe to say, however, that everyone does love Darna’s smoky red pepper sauce. Throw it on your meat and your life suddenly perfects itself.
Rating specifics (i.e. 1 – 5, low-​high)…
— Overall recommendation = 4
— Food taste and quality = 4.75
— Portion size = 4.5
— Price = 4
— Atmosphere = 4.25
— General service = 3
— Waitstaff = 4.5
— Location = 3.5

This is our second time at Darna because we bought the Groupon deal. It’s not busy at all lunchtime on Saturday. So, service is very good and fast.
We ordered the Spicy Kebob, the Shawermah Kebob, and the Lamb Tikka off the dinner menu. The price is reasonable and topical for Mediterranean restaurants around $ 10/​plate. Good thing about Darna is the you got several appetizers to come with the main dishes so we had a lot more food than we can eat.
Although taste-​wise, I still think Pasha is better but overall the food is very fresh and tasty. (Pasha isn’t as good as before after the opened the new location though.) I think we will come back in the future even without the Groupon deal.

Update: Darna is more of a 2.5÷5 for me now. Came here a second time with a couple friends and tried the chicken shawarma sandwich with fries. Fries and the seasoning were pretty good, but I didn’t really like the sandwich at all. I couldn’t really finish it. I ate like ¼ of it. The chicken had too much of the sauce in it and it reminded me of a soggy hot pocket. The sauce was overwhelmingly garlicky with the amount they put inside and also made the sandwich extremely salty. I could tell because I had to drink a lot of water afterwards. Service though was attentive and from my interaction with the waitress it seemed like they have been seeking customer feedback on how to improve their food.
I don’t think I’ll go back though.
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Came here with some friends and the fiancé. I ordered the chicken kebab with biriyani with vermicelli crispies. Our food came with loads of bread, baba ganoush hummus, and dolma as well. I’ve had quite a bit of mediterranean food, since my fiancé is half Persian and his parents love to take us to eat Persian food. I know its not the same as Lebanese food, but probably similar.
Chicken kebab– pretty average comparing it to my favorite chicken kebab. This one isn’t as flavorful or tender but still good. The garlic sauce it comes with is pretty tasty.
Biriyani rice with vermicelli crispies– The rice here was okay to me, but didn’t seem authentic. It seemed like it was slathered in butter and marinated in chicken broth. It was a bit reminiscent of the kind of American marinated rice you get from a bag at the grocery store or rice-​o-​roni. I’m not used to biriyani being served this wet.
Bread– we got lots of it and I thought it was very delicious. It was served warm each time and I took some to go and warmed it up later. Still YUMMY!
Hummus– I thought this was above average here and pretty good. I actually liked it more than the baba ganoush.
Baba ganoush– It was okay but had a taffy like texture in parts of it. Besides that it tasted pretty similar to the hummus to me. I’m not sure if that’s normal for this. I’ve had the persian version of this dish (kashke bademjan) which is like an eggplant with yogurt and I prefer the flavors and texture of this.
Dolma– I don’t like dolma that much, but I’ve had better.
Chicken shawarma– My friend order this and I had a try. I liked the flavor and quality of meat of my chicken kabob a lot better. The chicken shawarma was very bland by itself to me, but my friend liked it with the sauce. I didn’t care for it too much.
Although the food was kind of average, the service was pretty good, prices are reasonable, and the portions are large here. They forgot to bring out one of my friend’s dishes and so they gave it to him for free. They also have a good groupon for here, which makes eating here super affordable if you just go 1 – 2 other people.
Overall, I don’t mind coming back here since I can get a large portion of decent food for a good price. it’s just not my favorite mediterranean grub.

I heeded Unilocaler SGTO’s advice and got the Groupon! $ 20 worth of food for $ 11. And for even more savings, my party of Unilocalers opted to get the family sampler at $ 14.99 per person.
Angela F. is right. There was a TON OF FOOD! Chicken, beef, lamb (kabobs & shawarma), hummus, baba ganoush, tabbouleh, pickles & olives, dolmas, salad & flatbread… they all added up to a delightful family FEAST! The owner, Yousef, also sent out complimentary cheese & meat puff pastry appetizers, which were the highlight for me. And at the end of our meal, he gave us complimentary dessert of cheese/​honey/​pistachio/​rose water. I don’t know the name of it. But it was good… as long as I stayed away from the honey-​based section, which was too sweet and overpowered the cheese & pistachio. We also ordered a platter of other pastries. For me, they were all too sweet. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. But my dining companions enjoyed them, especially with the hot tea we ordered.
Melia R. is also right in that you have to eat the bread quickly, otherwise, it becomes too chewy. Fresh though… that bread was YUM & a wonderful envelope for all the food. Melia and her mom (who’ve been here multiple times before) also ordered roasted cauliflower. They asked for some kind of sauce that is normally put on the fried potatoes to be slathered on the cauliflower. Delicious! I could have eaten a whole head of that all by myself.
Overall, it was a great dining experience. I bought another Groupon! Can’t wait to go back.