Sahara Greek & Lebanese Cafe

Haven’t been here in a while since it’s a hike from my house. However, it’s good for lunch because my office is not too far away. I love their new logo/​signage. It has a more modern feel and it looks more inviting. I’ve always loved their food here and although I wasn’t disappointed with my gyro platter, it was not as good as I remembered it from previous visits. The meat was on the dry side and the salad was not as fresh. Please tell me — WHY do they have to charge an extra $ 0.75 if you ask for a second teeny cup of tzaziki? I needed it badly for the dry gyro! Service was moderately quick although the servers bringing out the food were a bit confused with the orders. Two of our three orders came out first and the server wasn’t sure if they were ours. The third order came out soon but there was some confusion about it as well. Although we had already finished lunch, we were presented with another set of platters! We jokingly said we’d take it since we love their food so much! We ordered the gyro platter, chicken souvlaki and chicken shawarma. You can get two sides and we all ordered different sides. Yummy, but just okay this go around.
The place is always packed at lunch and can be loud. Parking is also an issue.

The food was so good. the price was ok. servers are so friendly and they explained well about food.

This is a fantastic healthy option for lunch or dinner. Always fresh always high qaulity. You have got try the Sahara tea. Ita like arnold palmers super sexy more attractive sister. Iced with lemonade iced tea and rose water its a true gem. Everything is made to order which does take a moment longer and is well worth the wait. A fresh falafal sandwich has a special place in my heart and this is my number one go to in town. Try the greek fries they are battered and seasoned with lemon, cayenne. Topped with fresh goat cheese they are truely a knock out. So happy a delishus spot like this exists here in town. The pistachio baklava was especually sweet and nutty with lots of honey.

We came after an afternoon hiking in Leon Sinks and we were HUNNNNGRY. I left underwhelmed, but it seems our menu choices were not the best ones available.
Boyf and I ordered the chicken shwarma wrap, which was dry, dry, dry. My side of hummus was tasty and the pita was fluffy and flavorful. I got a side of tzaziki to alleviate the dry, but it was still pretty flavorless and tough to chew.
The people we were with ordered lamb gyros and combination lunch platters. They all loved their meals and I think we’ll have to return and try different meats. Everyone who ordered french fries was totally annoyed, we were all trying to steal them ;) They were insanely good, some sort of magic spice on there was irresistible.
For the price, I felt the lunch menu offered a good bit of food. I came with an appetite and couldn’t finish everything.
The outside of the restaurant looks pretty sad but the inside is considerably nicer. We paid at the register because checks were taking awhile — or maybe that’s how it works? Not sure. We were definitely unimpressed by our first visit but I have a feeling we’ll be back.
When in doubt — go gyro!

Amazing food, great service. I had the gyro & chicken schwarma plate. Dessert was pistachio baklava! Highly recommend & great price too

If I could give 4.5 stars I would. Nice ambient atmosphere. Ordered A Lamb Kabob, side Greek salad. Very good flavorS. The almond baklava is awesome. Kind of pricey for the quantity of food ordered. Great personable service. Really good food

Fantastic! Simple and unassuming place. Great service. Loved the tabbouleh salad — I can’t emphasize this enough! I loved the hummus although I see some reviewers did not. My husband and I really enjoyed the falafel. This will be a staple or us. next time I will eat a little less so I can try the dessert.

Yum! So happy to have found this place, the gyro meat was delicious and the rice is amazing. One word: falafel. Get them! The hummus and pita bread left something to be desired. The hummus was not flavorful enough, but not bad tasting. And we received some toasted tortilla bread to dip, which was not very good.
Aside from that, im willing to go back here anytime! Loved it

Good Mediterranean food at a good price is often hard to find, but that’s not a problem in Tallahassee thanks to Sahara.
This no-​frills restaurant devotes more of its resources to serving high-​quality food than it does to decorating or sprucing what was obviously an old Pizza Hut once upon a time. But don’t let appearances fool you: the food is great, the place is clean, and during lunch it’s buzzing.
Be sure to try the meat stuffed grapes leaves, their lebanese sweet tea, and of course, the hummus.
Parking during lunch may be a challenge, but it’s well worth the minor hassle. Definitely a must-​visit.

Really delicious food and a friendly /​hilarious waitstaff made this a wonderful late lunch on our way back home. We had the hummus, falafel, mujaddara, tilapia, and the mixed grill (lamb kebab, kufta, and chicken) and everything was just awesome. One of the servers in particular had a really dry sense of humor and cracked us up.

First off, I had high expectations because I’d been told about the place from numerous friends. It’s a sit down place and it’s pretty overpriced when you have pitaria to choose from. I’m vegetarian so I got the falafel platter. They were unfortunately out of spinach pie and tabbouleh. The hummus had no flavor and the side of pita was meek and thin. I was expecting more from a place like this. The falafel was okay but too oily and I could tell the oil was sub par oil. It upset my stomach afterwards. The Greek salad it came with was just okay. The service was outstanding. Hopefully their chicken dishes are better, but for falafel, pita and hummus, go to pitaria.

Service was friendly and not too intrusive. The food was excellent, the presentation was pretty, and the portion size was abundant.
My wife got the Chicken Shawarma with hummus and the Greek salad. While she liked all 3, she especially loved the Greek salad. (And is planning on getting the entrée size on our next visit).
I got the Sahara chicken with Fool and rice pilaf. That was a great combination– although when my wife tried it, she said it was a little spicy for her. I LOVED it.
Definitely will be returning soon!!!

Yes, please. Gimme gimme gimme. Love me some Sahara. You will be happy with your tum if you go for their yums.

Sahara offers a unique middle eastern atmosphere in Tallahassee, providing a somewhat pan-​Arabic menu focused mainly on Lebanese fare. Numerous vegetarian options as well as middle-​eastern snack food standards are available. Additionally, a mixed grill is on the menu along with whole fish options.
Sahara’s been around for a while, and likely enjoys constant discovery with our transient population.

Luckily I live walking distance from Sahara, so I didn’t partake in the parking mayhem of Lafayette Street. Proceed with caution, folks.
Sahara presents itself as if you’re walking into someone’s home. I was greeted warmly by a possible manager or owner at the door, and was instructed to seat myself. A server handed me a lunch menu filled with specials, and I landed on the vegetable grape leaves. Each lunch special item includes two sides and pita bread. I chose hummus and Greek salad for sides.
Each item was prepared with care and it really shows in the final product. The grape leaves were hand rolled, savory and tender. The pita was baked to a slight crisp and paired with the creamy hummus swimmingly. I’m not normally a salad guy, but I’m very content with my decision to order it. Crumbled feta on top of crisp greens and a sweet vinaigrette was absolutely splendid.
The only confusion seemed to be with the service. I had three different servers throughout the course of my lunch. One brought my drink, one took my order and one delivered my meal. I’m not a snob when it comes to petty things like this, but this was rather strange in my opinion.
Sahara delivered on classic Greek comfort food. Next time, I’ll be sure to order from the Lebanese portion of the menu. Signed, sealed and delivered, Sahara I’m yours!

Service was good. Not like earlier reviews. Although it wasn’t busy. 5pm on Saturday and maybe 10 people. Chicken shawarma and gyro was good. Chicken was almost over cooked. Another minute and it would be. Borderline dry. Good gyro meat. Would like some tomato cucumber or such to break up the plate.
Note to owners. Clean up the outside. I walked away last time because the place looked closed because of overgrown, dead shrubs and un kept flower beds. Not a great impression. Went this time because I was craving Mediterranean. Not the best, but descent. Could be better. I will be back if in the mood.

The food here is delicious and very filling. The restaurant is cozy and adorable on the inside, but the parking lot is a disaster. It’s hard to find parking if it’s busy, and the lot itself is really tight. The service is okay, I can’t really comment because I was in a large group and know that service dwindles with large groups. It’s kind of expensive, but they pretty much own the market on the Middle Eastern food scene here in Tally.

My husband and I had lunch there. We both ordered the chicken shawarma plates. As someone that has been eating authentic Lebanese food this was not even close. They used actual tortillas instead of arabic bread and the chicken was old. I feel so bad for people that have never eaten real quality Lebanese food because it is NOTHING like this. It is 100 times better! However, this is the only middle eastern restaurant in Tallahassee. :(

Really enjoyed the gryo with the Greek salad… Even returning for a second time the food did not disappoint. Will definitely be returning again.

My husband and I really enjoy eating at this restaurant. It’s one of the few establishments we frequent. They have great customer service and they have a great choice of selections on their menu. My favorite dish is the chicken tabbouleh salad. The chicken has a lot of flavor and is cooked really well. The salad is made with fresh ingredients and is a great portion size for the price. My husband ordered the chicken shawarma wrap (first time ordering this one). The sauce in the wrap is delicious. It really pulls he whole thing together. We also ordered Greek fries as an appetizer. Those were delicious as well.