I've eaten their Chicken Shawarma plate at least once a week for well over a decade. It's just that…read moregood. Don't be intimidated by a line going out the door, though: it moves very fast, and you can expect to have your order within a minute or less (usually much less) after paying.

Fast and good customer service. Food was hot and good. Businesses have gotten comfortable giving…read moreone kabob. This place gives you too. They're not thick pieces however, they are filling and seasoned good. I could've ate and used more salad. However, the portion amount is typical to everybody else. I'll be back. Glad I didn't believe the comment about the decline in flavor of the chicken. No complaints here. Inside was clean and kinda small for the amount of tables and chairs in there. The outside space was nice, clean, and quiet. That's not big either. However, it will do. They even provide shade. Definite plus.

The combo plate is my favorite. The service is very friendly. I've been back several times for the…read morecombo plate. Definitely try it if you haven't been here.

1. The speed - fast 2. The meat - juicy just enough…read more3. The ingredients - fresh 4. $10 you get a full bowl with everything in it, great deal 5. I didn't like the greens inside, made my meal pretty bitter - if you don't want it to be so, remove the greens. Other than that - very well done, great flavour. I got the chicken bowl

Cute interior design, great food, great service. Chicken shawarma was especially juicy.read more

This place is a REAL WINNER!…read more My son brought me here today for lunch. Wasn't sure that I was in the mood for Mediterranean but I agreed to go. So glad I decided to have lunch there! The food is absolutely delicious, the portions are generous, the prices are very reasonable and the guy who took our order was so kind and helpful. I couldn't believe how flavorful everything was! I got the chicken Shawarma and now I won't go anywhere else for Mediterranean. I live in Glendale so I've got a lot of Mediterranean restaurants around me; I've been to a handful of them. But none of them comes close to how delicious this place was. Thank you! You are now my go to Mediterranean restaurant.

There is a massive pressure felt by all Los Angel-inos when we host guests from different parts of…read morethe country. Not only do we have to chaperone the visiting friends to tourist hot spots that we generally avoid in everyday life; but even the restaurants we choose as dining options need to be positioned on a perfect pedestal that impresses but is still comfortable. A very close friend of mine from Nashville visits the City of Angels once a year; and I always feel the stress to impress in regards to dining. In 2026, we decided on a more casual dinner than our usual upscale entertainments and opted for Pasadena. Of course, I turned to Yelp and that is how I discovered Café Santorini. Café Santorini has been a favorite dining option in the Old Pasadena neighborhood of Pasadena since 1993 on the intersection of West Union and De Lacey (a block from Colorado Blvd) nestled in one of the famous historic red-brick buildings with alley alcoves that makes Old Pasadena so beloved. Café Santorini encapsulates European love that is as warm as its bricks uniting the culinary richness of Italy, Greece and Morocco in semi-upscale/trendy real estate with iron railings, high ceilings, exposed brickwork, duct beams and glossy wood surfaces that is both inviting and will absolutely entice tourists and residents, alike. Whether seeking indoor dining bar-adjacent with tables or booths or the lovely outdoor second-floor patio alcove overlooking the plant-filled alleys below; Café Santorini is quite pleasant on the eyes. My Nashville-based friend and I made a reservation for an early dinner at 4pm on a Saturday and Café Santorini was already filled to the gills and bustling with activity (granted, there was a Guns n Roses concert at the nearby Rose Bowl in the evening). Opting to sit outdoors due to the loud volume in the dining room; we had a perfect ratio of casual and date-worthy. Café Santorini is seamless with its 'vibe'. To begin the evening, we opted for some cocktails with a Smoke and Citrus Paloma (grapefruit and lime juice, smoked sea salt agave syrup and soda water, alcohol free at $12 but I made it alcoholic with mezcal) for me while my friend ordered a traditional margarita on the rocks (no salt) as we gazed the menu and also decided on sharing a Grape Leaves appetizer (rice, herbs, tomato paste - $16). If you are Celiac like myself and need gluten-free options, Café Santorini is AMAZING in its GF options (also dairy free and vegan dishes) with more choices than usual competitor restaurants which that alone makes it stand out from the crowd. Our drinks arrived in classy and colorful derivations with my paloma holding a seducing orange hue akin to a setting California sun with dried rosemary and dried fruit with the margarita being perfectly yellow-ish green with a dried lime. My paloma was delicious with an ideal combination of sweet to alcohol and smoke with the margarita being refreshing and tangy. I am quite picky with grape leaves having friends from the Middle East living in the US but Café Santorini's grape leaves (5 pieces) are delicious both in texture and flavor without being too bitter which is sometimes the case. For dinner I chose the Branzino (Grilled Mediterranean sea bass, lemon Greek potatoes, dill, capers- $42) while my friend wasn't super famished and decided on Greek Salad Horiatiki (Valdivia Farms tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, Anaheim peppers, red onions, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, lemon juice - $17). One of my favorite details of Café Santorini is their capacity to present elegant dishes that are still simple and not pretentious on plateware that encompasses Greece itself with colorful mosaic prints and painted motifs. The ingredients are fresh, colorful and artfully displayed. My Branzino was faultless: grilled perfectly with charred grill marks and crispy skin (large filet) with capers and fresh dill with fingerling potatoes based under the fish soaking up the lemon juices. Delightful! The Greek Salad Horiatiki allowed the garden-fresh veggies to truly shine even with the lemon juice/oil and large piece of feta making it a perfect summer option. Service at Café Santorini is friendly and a family-like atmosphere with every staff member acknowledging you as you saunter by, answering all questions and constantly smiling. Café Santorini is an overall pleasant joy of an experience. Whether you need to impress out-of-state friends or simply seeking Mediterranean fare in Old Pasadena; Café Santorini is a musty-try for a casual meets elegance dining experience.

0/5 -- If negative stars existed, this place would have earned them…read more I've had disappointing restaurant experiences before, but this one deserves its own category. The food was a complete disaster. Somehow it managed to arrive looking tired, tasting worse, and costing enough to make me question every decision that led me through the front door. I've had gas-station food prepared with more care. Then there was the bus boy. I'm still trying to figure out how someone whose job is supposed to help keep the dining room running smoothly managed to make the experience even more uncomfortable. The attitude was unbelievable. Apparently basic courtesy was not included with the meal. But the real highlight was the owner. You'd think someone who owns a restaurant would understand that hospitality involves actually caring about the people spending money in the establishment. Instead, the attitude was dismissive and completely uninterested in making a bad situation better. If this is how the owner handles unhappy customers, the rest of the experience suddenly makes perfect sense. And then they brought the bill. That was probably the funniest part of the evening. The prices belonged to a restaurant offering an exceptional dining experience. Unfortunately, nobody told the food, the bus boy, or the owner. I came in expecting dinner. I left feeling like I had paid admission to an expensive lesson about where never to eat again. Save your money. Save your appetite. Most importantly, save yourself the aggravation. I wouldn't come back if the meal were free.

Two Haiku Review:…read more The only thing better Than the amazingly good Chicken here is the Garlic sauce! Portions Are pretty big, and service Is busy, but fast.

The experience as a customer was good. I was greated at the counter and the order was taken…read morecorrectly. The food was great I made a video rating the item I got. I am also a vegetarian of 13 years funny enough before I become a vegetarian I was able to try their chicken 20 years ago. It was amazing! I still remembered the vibe of the restaurant although it looks like the menu was simplified. The hummus was not homemade and it seems to be from a factory so there's that. Although it was okay. My only suggestion would be to get more ventilation bc upon walking up to restaurants it looked steamy. Like what my daughter's JiuJitsu Gym looks like when there's a class in session. The windows look like they could use a PROFESSIONAL wipe down. With chemicals probably after hours lol idk. I love that this place is still there as a staple to Pasadena, although let's step it up a tiny bit guys

Update: Finally decided to try their restaurant with a big group - we were always more than 10 lol…read more Place was easy to find, lots of street parking, there is parking in the back but a bit tight. Of all else fails, there is a lot close to the restaurant. I believe its ok to park there. Food is consistently good! I had already mentioned this in my previous review so no surprise there. Service - very warm, welcoming, its as if we've known each other for years! We loved it so much that we have been coming here several times now. It's becoming our go to Middle Eastern place and we never get tired of it. We are in fact having dinner tonight with a other large group of 20 people. FYI - they do not serve wine but you are more than welcome to bring your own and they will provide the wine glasses without corkage.

From the moment, my family sat down the people here felt like family, even though it was our first…read moretime there. When Sahag came by to take our order, he taught my toddler how to fist bump. When one of the dishes I ordered specifically for my kid arrived, I was worried it was going to be spicy based on the color. Sahag said it wasn't spicy but offered to bring us something else if our kid didn't like it. Luckily, she loved it. This place has a lot of regulars and it's easy to see why. Everything we got was so good!

I love Mediterranean food! We had appetizer sampler, and a combo of lamb chops & chicken thighs; it…read morecomes with grilled vegetables and a side - we opted for half rice/half potatoes. All the food was flavorful & delicious! Bring your appetite - portions are large. We were disappointed they no longer carry Napoleon & syrniki for dessert but tried honey cake and thoroughly enjoyed it. Service was fast and couteous. Space is open & contemporary.

Visited here during the soft opening... I know, it's long…read moretime ago, but the service was really good with great food.

Sahara Middle Eastern Cuisine is truly one of our favorite restaurants in Pasadena. We've been…read morecoming here for the past few years, and the food is consistently extraordinary. Their kebobs are cooked over actual coals, and you can absolutely taste the difference. The chicken is always incredibly tender and flavorful, the beef is tender and perfectly cooked, and I have a friend who could probably live on their tzatziki. Everything is fresh and thoughtfully prepared every day. But as wonderful as the food is, the people are what make Sahara so special. Ana owns the restaurant with her husband and runs the kitchen, and she and the entire staff are simply amazing. This is a true family-owned restaurant where you can feel the care that goes into both the food and the way they treat people. After we lost our home in the Eaton Fire, in Altadena, we were living in a hotel and would come to Sahara for dinner. Every time we came in, they insisted on sending us home with extra food so we would have something to eat later. At a time when our lives had been completely turned upside down, that kindness and generosity meant more to us than I can possibly express. Extraordinary food made by genuinely wonderful people. We love Sahara, and I feel very lucky to be able to support a local family-owned business that puts so much heart into what they do. If you haven't been, go. And get the kebobs. And definitely the tzatziki. And, the tahini...but leave some for my husband because he loves it on the lamb skewers.

I have to be honest I tried so many different middle eastern restaurants and this one was not my…read morefavorite Food was just ok no more than that Pretty expensive especially for what you getting I don't think it's worth it I don't think that I'll be back here Food tasted like it was prepared yesterday and not really fresh

I don't write reviews very often. Usually I have to really want to, and that doesn't happen a lot…read more Raffi's earned one. I had a combo plate. Honestly, combo plates are combo plates. What separates this place for me is the meat. The skewers were cooked really well, and the lula was excellent too. Good kebab isn't as easy to find as people think, and that's what keeps me coming back. I also liked the pickled vegetables that come with the plate. Nice little touch, and the grilled vegetables were done well too. They have indoor and outdoor seating, a large free parking lot, and of course they do catering - as you can see from their name )). If I ever needed catering for an event, I'd definitely consider them. A little sad inside for me. Easy 5 stars from me. The meat alone is worth it.

I first visited and tried Raffi's for a friend's birthday celebration back in 2021, and it's become…read moremy go-to Armenian spot since. Their lule and chicken kebab are always perfectly seasoned, and pair wonderfully with their tabbouleh. The portions are very generous, making it a great meal for sharing with family and friends. They also always have such friendly service.

the location was a bit hidden so you might have to walk around to find it. the interior is very…read morefancy and it felt like a bougie restaurant but our server was super friendly. i got the koobideh which is lean ground beef skewered and grilled and it was good! the beef was nice and juicy and not overcooked so it had a good meaty flavor to it. the portion was big with lots of rice so it was very filling. they also have free pita so i suggest getting hummus to go with it. overall, a very pleasant experience due to the good food and the friendly service and i recommend to anyone whos in the area!!

Girls wanted to go out. They've been here, I haven't. Place…read moreinside is beautiful. It's like an outdoor covered patio. When we were seated, we were served a flatbread, herbs and those wrapped pats of butter. For such an elegant restaurant, that seemed out of place. In my option, I'd rather have a plate of butter. I would have used it for the rice too! Ordered koobideh, hummus, eggplant dip and fesenjoon Koobideh- ground beef was delish! Comes on a huge plateful of rice. Hummus was standard, but the eggplant dip is better! I came for the fesenjoon... basically stewed chicken in a pomegranate sauce. I liked it, but was too tart for me. I first tried this dish at a restaurant in the Wilshire district and saw it here. Service was spectacular. Was very attentive.