We will definitely return! The food was so fresh - lettuce and vegetables in the salad were crunchy, bread fresh, meat tender - nothimg was lacking in flavor. Everything was as it should be.

Quality and value. I paid $12 for a pita sandwich. The pita bread was fresh and made in house, the lettuce was romaine, not iceberg, the tomatoes were ripe, the sauce was perfect, the gyro meat was crisp and moist and not reheated Cisco slop. The service was excellent.

Outstanding Mediterranean food at a very reasonable cost. Extensive selections and very well prepared, truly delicious dishes. Dine in or take out.

I absolutely love the Hummus at the Sahara cafe. It's light, fluffy and delicious.It's worth the drive to purchase here from a local business.Then, purchasing it at any grocery store and getting inferior product. The rest of their food is also delicious as i've been going to the sahara cafe for years.

The food here is fantastic!

It’s no like fancy restaurant but food it’s really good and fresh and the price it’s more than fair ..

Vegetarian options! Reasonable prices, nice portions, pleasant staff, accommodating with special requests and overall good quality and delicious

Everything we had was very tasty and incredibly fresh! Will try again

Amazing food. I wish they were close by I'd eat there everyday of the week! Love it!!!

The food is soooo good, everything is delicious. Best tabouleh is Sarasota.

So good! Everything was excellent!!!

Absolutely delicious! I had the kibbeh, chicken, gyro meat, and kafta. I will be coming back for the shwarma, meatballs, and grape leaves. Simply wonderful.

Best Mediterranean food in SW Florida by far... Me & family been eating at Sahara since first location open about 27 yrs ago. Always delicious Always fresh Always great service We're very happy for second location 🙏

Delicious and authentic food. My favorites are the beef shawarma and Greek salad. Perfect!

This is their second location we have been coming here for many years the food is delicious. The baba ganoush the hummus is very very delicious. Clean and excellent value

The food here was EXCELLENT, clean, fresh ingredients. Highly recommended!

This place is amazing. Just moved to the area and it was close by. It will be a frequent spot for us now.

The food and service are great. Everything was fresh and hot with a good amount of servings. Very authentic! Highly recommend!

Fantastic food and very friendly service. The dining area is clean and tidy. A great place for an affordable quality meal.

5 star. Great food. Great service! This is a gem. Armenian so I know good middle eastern food. Thank you.

Beautiful place and great food,100% recommended

Definitely will be back! Food was fresh and very tasty. Good prices and portions too.

This is the OG Middle Eastern place in Sarasota but at a second location. Great food, fair prices and great serving sizes too.

Sahara Cafe is amazing. Great prices, great service, delicious food.

DELICIOUS! All kinds of delicious options. Amazing service. Super friendly. Also very spacious and clean.

If you haven't tried it, you really should. The food is amazing and the atmosphere is so charming.

Love the food and the service was great

Giant portions very good

Absolute favorite restaurant in SRQ

Excellent fresh food.

Excellent food and service and nice choice of groceries

Very excellent grilled chicken wrap with vegetables and tzatziki. Highly recommend anyone who likes Mediterranean style food to enjoy this restaurant.

Clean establishment serving fresh and delicious food. I enjoy having lunch here and occasionally grabbing take out for the family dinner on the way home

We tried two pita wraps with meat, as well as a separate baba ghanoush pita, and everything was excellent. The pita was fresh and soft, the meat was flavorful and perfectly cooked, and the baba ghanoush was rich, smoky, and very well balanced. It's great to see that they offer plenty of options for vegans too. Generous portions and high-quality ingredients - we'll definitely be coming back and highly recommend this place to anyone who enjoys Greek food.

I came in from South Florida and Im waiting for check in at a nearby hotel. It was either Starbucks or this hem Sahara Cafe that I saw while getting supplies at Publix. While they dont have coffee or breakfast, their food definitely made up for how hungry I am! I forgot what I ordered but it was a big platter and it was good and filling. I didnt get to finish the platter so that was my dinner! Try it! Place is quiet and I got to work for a couple of hours. The internet I used was Publix- Guest and it was fast enough for me.

Food was incredible- everything we ate was delicious. Even took home some items from their “market”. Price were very reasonable.

Delicious fresh food! Great prices. Will be back for sure, so glad they are just a few min away from home

Great food & a little hidden gem!! Apparently this is a 2nd location off the original restaurant in downtown. So glad I found it. Much better alternative to the chains on Clark Rd. Conveniently located off Honore. Forgot to post my first visit however I was back in less than a week! My meals were fresh, made to order and very flavorful. The hostess is really kind and loves giving you insight into the different options. Definitely recommend checking them out!! Right next door to Publix.

Absolutely amazing food. Tastes like home cooked. Hummus is in house made. They don’t used canned chickpeas. The soak them and then cook every day!!! The same for most of the foods they serve. Super friendly service!!’

Best Shawarma ever!! I am so happy I stumbled upon this place going home. Now everytime I go to Sarasota from St Pete I have to come and get my shawarmas!! 😋💖

Delicious. 20/10 everything was fresh and perfect. This is my new favorite restaurant in Sarasota. I’ll be back a lot!!

Opted to give them a chance one Friday night and was pleasantly surprised. They worked with our dietary restrictions. We will be back. Support local small business!

Excellent food! Delicious gyro salad and yummy Tahini and hummus!! Order at counter but friendly staff.

Sergey Boyko

We tried two pita wraps with meat, as well as a separate baba ghanoush pita, and everything was excellent. The pita was fresh and soft, the meat was flavorful and perfectly cooked, and the baba ghanoush was rich, smoky, and very well balanced. It's great to see that they offer plenty of options for vegans too. Generous portions and high-quality ingredients - we'll definitely be coming back and highly recommend this place to anyone who enjoys Greek food.

Jo A.

I came in from South Florida and Im waiting for check in at a nearby hotel. It was either Starbucks or this hem Sahara Cafe that I saw while getting supplies at Publix. While they dont have coffee or breakfast, their food definitely made up for how hungry I am! I forgot what I ordered but it was a big platter and it was good and filling. I didnt get to finish the platter so that was my dinner! Try it! Place is quiet and I got to work for a couple of hours. The internet I used was Publix- Guest and it was fast enough for me.

Ina Astreika

Delicious fresh food! Great prices. Will be back for sure, so glad they are just a few min away from home

Linda Ginsberg

Food was incredible- everything we ate was delicious. Even took home some items from their “market”. Price were very reasonable.

Pawel

Absolutely amazing food. Tastes like home cooked. Hummus is in house made. They don’t used canned chickpeas. The soak them and then cook every day!!! The same for most of the foods they serve. Super friendly service!!’

Stacy Ginn

Great food & a little hidden gem!! Apparently this is a 2nd location off the original restaurant in downtown. So glad I found it. Much better alternative to the chains on Clark Rd. Conveniently located off Honore. Forgot to post my first visit however I was back in less than a week! My meals were fresh, made to order and very flavorful. The hostess is really kind and loves giving you insight into the different options. Definitely recommend checking them out!! Right next door to Publix.

C B

Opted to give them a chance one Friday night and was pleasantly surprised. They worked with our dietary restrictions. We will be back. Support local small business!

Melis Fryar

Delicious. 20/10 everything was fresh and perfect. This is my new favorite restaurant in Sarasota. I’ll be back a lot!!

Alexandra Maus

Excellent food! Delicious gyro salad and yummy Tahini and hummus!! Order at counter but friendly staff.

The food was fast, fresh and delicious. It’s counter service to order but they bring the food to your table and clean up. We had the pita wraps, one gyro and one chicken. So good! The tzatziki sauce was SO yummy. It’s in a hidden plaza off Clark - a literal hidden gem.

I have been here 6 times now Each time I get something different It is my favorite place to go whenever I have time not just when im hungry The Chef here is always running around I will say. The taboulie is heavy on the herbs not the grain so she cuts a very large amount of herbs to create a bite of taboul that is so pleasant. Its easy to go heavy on the grain here to stretch the product but they'll do the opposite which is a sign of a place that is very lucky to have an intuitive Chef.

I don’t love Mediterranean food so I was not thrilled my co-worker picked here to eat, but WOW!! The food was outstanding. Probably one of the best pitas with Chicken I’ve had outside of a trip to Morocco. I also tried their falafel and it was cooked & textured perfectly. You order & pay at the counter and they will bring your food to your table. It isn’t large inside but the food was authentic and delicious, and you cannot beat the prices. I highly recommend this to anyone in the area!!

This place was SO GOOD! It’s taken us a long time to find a great Mediterranean food place and I’m obsessed. If you want something authentic and nutritious go check it out. I personally love the freshly fried falafel, grape leaves, and hummus.

I applaud the Sahara Cafe for offering. interesting healthy non-chain quality food. Their hummus is really good.

Just moved to Sarasota, visited Sahara for the first time, and WOW were we impressed! These are definitely family recipes – amazing flavors, no skimping of ingredients, everything was fresh. The owner was very helpful and pleasant, the restaurant exuded a “we know how to do this right” vibe, and the market has a cooler and shelves filled with little extras to take home (hard to find Bulgarian feta, kalamata olives, pastries and more). Sahara will be our new "go to" Mediterranean place. Highly recommend!

Excellent food. I ordered a falafel gyro and the combination: hummus, tsatsiki and tabouli sides ... Best I tasted in a long time. Being from NYC, I can surely state that the flavour and freshness was top notch. Will definitely be a regular to this Cafe. Highly recommended!

B

Just moved to Sarasota, visited Sahara for the first time, and WOW were we impressed! These are definitely family recipes – amazing flavors, no skimping of ingredients, everything was fresh. The owner was very helpful and pleasant, the restaurant exuded a “we know how to do this right” vibe, and the market has a cooler and shelves filled with little extras to take home (hard to find Bulgarian feta, kalamata olives, pastries and more). Sahara will be our new "go to" Mediterranean place. Highly recommend!

Jim Mathon

I applaud the Sahara Cafe for offering. interesting healthy non-chain quality food. Their hummus is really good.

Roger Wiebke

Clean establishment serving fresh and delicious food. I enjoy having lunch here and occasionally grabbing take out for the family dinner on the way home

Frank Jaramillo

Excellent food. I ordered a falafel gyro and the combination: hummus, tsatsiki and tabouli sides ... Best I tasted in a long time. Being from NYC, I can surely state that the flavour and freshness was top notch. Will definitely be a regular to this Cafe. Highly recommended!

Keenan Bryce Billiter

I have been here 6 times now Each time I get something different It is my favorite place to go whenever I have time not just when im hungry The Chef here is always running around I will say. The taboulie is heavy on the herbs not the grain so she cuts a very large amount of herbs to create a bite of taboul that is so pleasant. Its easy to go heavy on the grain here to stretch the product but they'll do the opposite which is a sign of a place that is very lucky to have an intuitive Chef.

Karen E

The food was fast, fresh and delicious. It’s counter service to order but they bring the food to your table and clean up. We had the pita wraps, one gyro and one chicken. So good! The tzatziki sauce was SO yummy. It’s in a hidden plaza off Clark - a literal hidden gem.

juliana hernandez

This place was SO GOOD! It’s taken us a long time to find a great Mediterranean food place and I’m obsessed. If you want something authentic and nutritious go check it out. I personally love the freshly fried falafel, grape leaves, and hummus.

Ashley P

I don’t love Mediterranean food so I was not thrilled my co-worker picked here to eat, but WOW!! The food was outstanding. Probably one of the best pitas with Chicken I’ve had outside of a trip to Morocco. I also tried their falafel and it was cooked & textured perfectly. You order & pay at the counter and they will bring your food to your table. It isn’t large inside but the food was authentic and delicious, and you cannot beat the prices. I highly recommend this to anyone in the area!!

Nice spot overall—clean, welcoming, and the food was fresh and delicious. The staff were friendly and everything came out quickly. The french fries were good, and it seemed like a popular place for takeout based on how many people were ordering to go. My only issue was with the shawarma portions. We ordered one beef and one chicken, and the chicken had noticeably more meat. The beef was filled more with salad, which left me still a bit hungry, while my husband (who had the chicken) was completely full. I honestly would’ve preferred paying a little extra to get more beef instead of the extra fillers. Aside from that, it was a good experience overall and definitely worth checking out.

I ordered the appetizer platter with hunus, babaganoush (metabel), and tzatziki. The food was quite good. The pita bread appeared to be a heated up store bought kind, but a good value for the price.

First time today trying this place and it was pretty good. I order the chicken curry platter. It comes with 2 side so I picked the hummus and rice pilaf. This rice pilaf is not what I am used to with other rice pilaf I had when it comes to flavor so I thought it was okay. Rice was cooked well very fluffy. The chicken curry I thought was good. I enjoy the hummus the best. They gave a pita bread. It was good. The tziki was actually good. I can tell they use the right ingredients. I recommend exploring the menu as will I. Pricing was pretty good I think. My meal came up to $14.

The food quality is very good and portions are ample. It is very casual as you order at the counter and food is delivered to your table. The presentation lacks as the plates are jammed with food but the benefit is leftovers to take home.

Good, now if they had Turkish coffee, as well...

Good food, so so service, even though everyone is nice, for the price should have a dedicated wait staff. Babaganoush & hummus are excellent.

Jim

Good food, so so service, even though everyone is nice, for the price should have a dedicated wait staff. Babaganoush & hummus are excellent.

Dawn Pondish

The food quality is very good and portions are ample. It is very casual as you order at the counter and food is delivered to your table. The presentation lacks as the plates are jammed with food but the benefit is leftovers to take home.

I love Greek food and sorry, the food is very generic tasting - like someone trying to make Greek for the first time. I had high hopes. You guys can do better.

I was so excited to find out that Sahara cafe opened a new location in south Sarasota. We had been long time fans of the original restaurant. We just ordered some Gyros sandwiches from the new place and was greatly disappointed. Our gyro pita sandwiches hardly had any meat and was loaded with lettuce. So much so that you could barely even taste the gyro meat. I hope they improve this.

Went here because we are visiting and saw there were high reviews. Spanakopita was okay, unfortunately, the gyro platter was upsetting and the meat was dry and oily at the same time. Pita tasted like it had been frozen and it was like eating toilet paper. Greek salad for my other diner was “the worst greek salad i’ve ever had”. Gave a 2 for service because the host seemed rude, didn’t greet other than to have us notice the menus. Unfortunate find in Sarasota. Would not return. We were fed but there was no wow factor.

Lindsay

Went here because we are visiting and saw there were high reviews. Spanakopita was okay, unfortunately, the gyro platter was upsetting and the meat was dry and oily at the same time. Pita tasted like it had been frozen and it was like eating toilet paper. Greek salad for my other diner was “the worst greek salad i’ve ever had”. Gave a 2 for service because the host seemed rude, didn’t greet other than to have us notice the menus. Unfortunate find in Sarasota. Would not return. We were fed but there was no wow factor.

Only sit down restaurant I’ve ever you order at the counter like McDonald’s. Food was not good the hummus and Baba Baba ghanoush tasted like it was from a can. The hummus was definitely over mixed. It was thick as paste. The chicken was dry. The inside was dark and dingy. Definitely won’t be back again