Friendly and speedy service. The gentleman at the front gave recommendations based on the initial order I put in to upgrade my experience. Got pina colada shisha with an orange head and green tea. I sat in the outer lounge area but there is a party lounge as well. If the party lounge mixed in some Arabic party music I woulda sat there. read more

Service is bad and I don't get why the hookah is $42? The place was dead on Friday night

Place smells like skank. Hookah is burnt and prices were made up. Drinks and other items were also overpriced

Odd, but I think the last time I did hookah pipes was at a small cafe in Thailand but here we are off of Peace Street at the Sahara Cafe, smoking it up a bit. Tutti Frutti? Sex on the Beach? Yes please! For $12 you choose your tobacco flavor, the staff brings you hot coals to keep the pipe heated and you puff away. Water pipes keep the smoke pretty smooth for a relaxing experience. Inside they've got some stuffed couches and board games to keep you happy along with a very nice patio (enclosed for the winter). With drinks and cakes up at the counter, you'll have plenty of ways to keep yourself entertained at the Sahara Cafe. A very interesting spot that's unlike the rest of S. Glenwood. Mixed crowd of young people, just lounging the night away. So yeah, the Sahara Cafe is like an oasis in the S. Glenwood desert, methinks. Ironic, huh? read more

Sahara Hookah Bar - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Naw. Dropped in for some R&R.. NO Air conditioning in the middle of a heat wave. Did not seem to be a lady-friendly establishment. More flies than fellow customers. Sat for about 10 minutes.. REALLY wanted to chill and watch some soccer on the screens.. to no avail.. no one came to even offer water and it was too hot to tough it out. I cannot see a circumstance that would make me return. read more

It's a hookah bar. The shisha was done at the level expected of a college area hookah bar. Would definitely frequent again.

This hookah bar is in close proximity to Glenwood Av and had been a good after party hang-out spot with my friends. But lately they have started to charge a cover of $10 per person on Fridays and Saturdays. I get the idea that you want to make some money as you are the only place staying open late in the area. But $10 per person for a place where you pay on a hookah on average $3 more than in other places is just too much. Also, considering that everyone of us will order something to drink as you only serve bottled water that you have to purchase. Other than that negative experience I want to say that the service has always been good and I like the music selection although it is a bit odd that the YouTube video is never played in full screen mode. I absolutely love your pistachio latte and your coffee! The hookah is a bit overpriced and tastes harsh pretty quickly. They offer Alfakah for $16.99 and Starbuzz for $19.99 if I'm not mistaken. There is a room inside where the screen is and the loudest music and some couches. Then there is an outdoor patio with some chairs and another half covered patio in the back. The furniture/place looks a bit outdated: broken entrance window for at least 1-2 months and some of the fans in the patio are partly burned. So all in one: great location, great service and delicious drinks. Their hookahs burn too fast and are a bit pricey. The cover makes this place almost unaffordable on a weekend night. read more

Sahara Hookah Bar - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This place rocks ! People are very friendly and great atmosphere! Service and hookah are excellent . read more

There were gunshots fired last night. There is always broken glass and liquor bottles everywhere. Fights are common and management is rude and confrontational. Avoid at all costs, this is a very dangerous spot. read more

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The staff in this place are rude. We have been visiting this place for years. However, rules are changing every time. Waitress tell customers that they have to consume more than they need to make it at least/about 25$ if you want to sit inside. The menu should say that but it doesn't. Expect a different rule depending on who you are or something. In other words, on-the go rule making staff. read more

This place is great, hookahs taste amazing, friendly staff, and great customer service. It's also a great spot to stop by after hitting the bars on Glenwood. Try their coffee or tea if you get a chance, you won't be disappointed. read more

Sahara Hookah Bar - Cafe latte and the lemon mint hookah - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I stopped by the other day for the first time. I really liked the covered seating outside with the large windows. Really spacious place. The hookah itself was OK, The set up could use a bit more cleaning because the side vent was stuffy with ashes. The reason why I am rating this place low because nobody came out to check on the coals or replace them for us and when I went to use the bathroom it didn't have soap or paper towel. It wasn't busy at all when I came to visit and the staff were sitting down having their own hookah instead of checking on us and the few other customers that were there. I hope this establishment takes this feedback into consideration and improve on those areas because this is not meant to bash them. I would like to give them a second try in the future but will definitely not give it a third go if the same issues come up. read more

This place is a great way to finish off a night downtown. Louie and Sabahar (?) are attentive guys who clearly care about the place they've got and what they're trying to make it into. I love that you still get a bit of a dance/club vibe late night weekends or a chill spot to hookah most any other time. They pay attention to and change out the coals often, the food is so good and the hookah flavors are prime! I didn't know there was a cover charge starting and when my card was charged more than I expected I called to ask about it and Louie was so gracious about explaining and offered nothing but outstanding customer service. This will always be mine and my friends go to late night spot. read more

Stopped in mid afternoon. There were a couple of people lounging, so it was not busy. Ordered a hookah and sat down. The outdoor structure which is were we sat was a bit run down. The floor was dirty and there were missing glass from windows. Dead flowers littered the floors and the air conditioners leaked inside of the structure. We ordered a hookah and relaxed the best way that we could. I didnt mind the disorder outdoors. The service was good and the prices were good as well. The atmosphere shined through the clutter. It remained chill and smooth regardless of the surroundings. read more

This place used to be really chill and enjoyable. A group of friends and I went in there last night thinking to have a good time like we used to. They were charging people at the door to get in guaranteeing that there was enough seating. We go inside of the building and it's overcapacity with damn near nowhere to sit. The service was poor - two different people asked us what kind of hookah we wanted and we waited for over 30 mins. This proved that there was a lack of communication with staff and no efficient processing. The bathrooms are absolutely filthy! Wet tissue on the floors, no paper towels nor hand soap. The cherry on top is that THREE different fights broke out in each area of the lounge. Hot coals were falling on people, people being tossed around, glass breaking, water from the hookahs were spilled all on the floor. It was a complete CATASTROPHE! I've gotten the idea that management just cares about the money. The hookahs are over priced (there's a really nice upscale spot across the street that doesn't charge what they do), they charge people to get in with no where to sit. The management staff is poor! I will never go to this place again. 0/10 recommendation honestly. read more

Sahara Cafe is a great way to spend an evening if you like Hookah, Turkish Coffee, Tea, playing games, sports and people watching. The Hookah tobacco selection is impressive. they have over 20 flavors to choose from or to mix and match. They have mostly StarrBuzz which is top of the line hookah tobacco. If you want to spurge, they will hollow out an orange or apple to pack the tobacco which adds flavor. The Staff are very nice and knowledgeable. The are always willing to answer questions. There are a nice mix of people young and old from all sorts of cultures so you never get board people watching. They have many TVs with football or Soccer on and lots of board games to play. The parking is cramped, so I have to park a block away because the immediate neighborhood is permit only. I like Sahara if I want to get out of my house and spend an evening doing something other than drinking at the bars. read more

Sahara Hookah Bar - Hookah and Turkish coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Have been here at least 2 times in the past year. It was a top search. The ambiance is relaxing - there's indoor and outside that's closed in. Good options for hookah flavors. We were walking distance from glenwood south. Only reason I give a 4-star is because we had to go find someone to change our charcoal bits. read more

I came 2 times, the first time was a Tuesday afternoon and the service was great! It was calm enough for me to study and when I went there on Saturday night it was amazing to party! It's like two different places in one! The service is incredible and very friendly! Their hookah is great and house tea delicious! I definitely recommend the place! read more

Elijah and I visited Sahara Hookah Bar on a cold, rainy night in Raleigh. There was a friendly atmosphere from the mix of staff and other patrons. There were a number of flavors on the menu but we decided on the Strawberry Margarita flavored and were pleased. The inside of the Hookah bar was crowded, and the heat lamps for outside were not turned on (it was below 40 degrees outside on that day). Luckily, after we placed our order, a table opened up inside and we were able to have our hookah moved inside. The service was great (music playlist too!) and we were given extra coals at no additional cost. If we are ever in Raleigh again, we would probably stop by and give Sahara another try! read more

This was the worst hookah bar that I've ever been to. It was dirty and there were roaches on the floor. The atmosphere was very dry. I would not recommend if you were looking to have a nice relaxing time. The VIP section had dirty white couches. I would give them zero stars but it makes me give it at least one. Do not waste your time or your money. It looks run down. read more

Worst hookah bar I've ever been to. They lose your order. There is no organization. Customer service sucks. Worst place ever. Had to threaten BBB to get a refund. -100 would never attend again. read more

My review is somewhat jaded. I think hookah is dumb, unless you are a smoker. If you don't smoke----what is the point? The tobacco is flavored, but you can barely taste it. I smoked for about 1 hr and felt no kind of effect...so what's the point? Yes it looks cool to blow smoke..but remember you are still damaging your lungs! The atmosphere is cool. Loungy. Mixed crowd. The music is terrible and ear-drum busting loud. The sound system is all trebble and no bass. The service was good while I was inside. However, the parking on the outside is HORRIBLE! I parked in the subway parking lot next door and when I went back to my car someone had parked behind me horizontally blocking me in! My friend went back in to ask the DJ to make an announcement to have that person move their car (it was obviously someone there because everything around there was closed). He wouldn't do it. Then he came outside and threatened to report me if I hit that person's car. I ended up having to call the police. Ugh. read more

I've been to many Hookah bars and This is the only place that is unorganized, and overpriced. They don't tell you about the 25$ you have to automatically pay for a hookah. If you are there during an event or not. They will suck you in with being nice and will up charge you at the end, and you will have no choice but to pay. Don't go here unless you want to hear old men arguing over cards, and pay almost 30$ for one Hookah that doesn't taste all that great read more

Waste of money. The owner charged higher prices than the menu and wouldn't even provide me a receipt.. told me that the business has to make money and to "understand" why he was increasing the charges that are not listed on the menu for drinks and hookah... hookah is also trash and drinks are bland, do not waste your time read more

So I guess my perspective is heavily influenced by the fact that I don't smoke (I recognize that many my stop reading right there), but there are definitely a couple of things that bug me about this place. The first and foremost is that the food...well, it sucks. I mean, it's not sort of ok, it just sucks. And I mean drinks too. The second thing that bugs me is that, at least the three times I went when it first opened, the only women in the place were American. Don't know quite how to explain this to a non-Arab readership, but let's just say that it felt like an all-male space. Like an old-fashioned coffee shop in the Middle East would - i.e., women showing up there might get, well, judged. The one thing that saves it in my mind is the space itself - gorgeously decorated, very Arab in every way. Wish I could take half of that stuff home. I also like the outdoors-y area, since even in winter they make sure to put out space heaters. So all in all, a nice area, but pretty uncomfortable and uninteresting unless you want to do absolutely nothing other than smoke hookah and play backgammon with your guy friends. And you're a guy. read more

I have been going to Sahara for 3 years now, and have come to be very familiar with the staff and service of the cafe. This is probably my favorite place to hang out, because of the great decor, cleanliness, hours and staff. I recommend everybody I know to try out Sahara, whenever hookah is mentioned. Try the Strawberry Margarita or White Peach Flavor! And do miss out on the Arabic Tea, too die for. read more

BEWARE OF THIS BUSINESS!! When I walked in I was told I needed to pay at the door, which I had no issue with. No menu was provided to me and I realized after I was asked to pay on the smallest screen there was a reason they didn't want me to have a menu. THEY CHARGED ME $85 for TWO HOOKAHS!!! I asked the guy helped me at the door for a menu and it took forever for him to finally bring me a QR code to scan which clearly showed the pricing at $17.99 each. When I asked him why I was charged so much he said "We charge double on the weekends, also you are not a regular if you came here daily we would charge you only $17.99" THIS IS SIMPLY NOT AN ACCEPTABLE ANSWER AND TERRIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICES to have different pricing for different customers. THE WORST PART WAS IT WAS ONE OF THE WORST HOOKAHS IVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place and it's scam artist employees at all cost!!! read more

My favorite place in Raleigh. Pros: Good flavor selections, very cool atmosphere, friendly and attentive staff. Cons: Parking is pretty bad, but forgivable. Drinks can be pricey, but they're imported so I guess it's understandable. Sometimes the place fills up and it's hard to find a seat. I just listed more cons than pros, so it's worth pointing out that I really like the place! The cons are pretty minor complaints. read more

This is a cool place to chill on a Friday or Saturday night, it's energetic and entertaining, the hookahs are around 9-11 dollars which is an alright price. They seem to keep putting coal in the center of the hookah head, which burns the tobacco and and makes it useless, the trick is to keep the coal on the outer most part of the top of the head, it will last you longer. The down side of this place, is that they keep loud Arabic pop music on the tv, and it's annoying! And the music played outside is on repeat for hours! Playing a card game with some friends is pretty fun while hookaing, Overall an okay hangout out spot. read more

If I could give it zero stars, I would. We came in, just me and my boyfriend. The place is emptier than a church in hell, with the exception of two guys sitting at a corner table. We get told "have a seat wherever you want", so we do only to have the guy come by a minute later and tell us that "those seats are reserved year round". I pointed out that the place was literally empty and was told that "it doesn't matter, they can come by any minute". I guess those people's money is greener than mine, so I made sure to take my less-green money somewhere else and will also make sure they never see any of it at all read more

I've passed by this place several times but never went in because I didn't know what I was doing! But last night, a friend & I decided to go and see what it was all about. FANTASTIC! While I don't smoke on a daily/weekly basis, I'll definitely return. The staff treated us really nicely. They explained the flavors, what to do, etc. Very good place to go for a first time experience! The Pistachio smoothie drink was amazing too! The only thing I didn't like was the outdoor seats were not all that comfortable and I personally prefer a darker atmosphere. But none of these things will deter me from going back. :) read more

Nice set up and good service, only down is that seats are burned from charcoal hitting them. Also, there is food advertised on yelp but when I asked for it. They claimed that it was posted by the old owner. read more

Terrible customer service and the smoke was wack af. This bar was like the great value brand of lounge spots. I probably wouldn't walk my blind dog past this place. To be quite frank I felt accosted by it overwhelming vibe of discomfort. Yikes read more

This isn't a place you pop in and out of. Its meant to make you sit and relax. I normally do not smoke and my first few times I was perfectly content to not smoke and just sit with my friends who were. I finely on my third visit tried a hookah and fell in love with the taste. I prefer the Blue Mist or the Mint Gold Grape so far but I haven't tired all of them yet. The peach is good too. If you don't smoke then the Strawberry Banana is well worth the trip. Their hot chocolate is alright but I haven't had it in a long time so it may have gotten better. They used to have a problem with the service being a bit slow but it seems to have gotten much much better. Even so this is a nice place to relax even if it is slow on a busy night. I suggest you not park in the main parking lot though. If your unlucky you can become trapped. Parking in the neighborhood behind it is probably the best place. It makes it easier to leave when your ready to go as well. You can park at the Subway too I've never had a problem their ether but it can be hard to get in an out of there as well. read more

Four of us girls went to this cafe earlier this year in the winter. We loved it. It's hard to tell if we loved it because we love ourselves and have a good time wherever we go, or if the cafe complimented us. Perhaps a combination of both? Yes, I think so. I will give this place some credit. We were there for hours and hours, playing cards, checkers, eating pistachios, drinking coffee, eating cream cakes, listening to our favorite arabic music on the tv right above our heads. The cafe hosts a variety of people, and fortunately, frighteningly sleazy incidents were limited to only 2.5 that night. winner. in short, if i lived in NC, we would be here all the time. read more

Walked in on a Friday night and found seating for 4 with no problem. I imagine when the weather is nicer that would change a bit and the patio would be fuller. Since it wasn't very busy, service was friendly and fast...although I get the impression it's like that all the time. They didn't even need to be asked, the coals were cleaned regularly. There were plenty of flavors to choose from and we were even able to create the combination we wanted. I'm not used to the alcohol laws in NC yet so it was different, for me, to see a hookah place that didn't serve alcohol but it worked. They had a bunch of non-alcoholic options to help with the smoke taste. There are a few huge TVs if you want to just go and veg out too. Seems like a good chill and/or party spot. read more

We were in the area and wanted to do some Hookah so we came here. At reaching my husband realized this was the place he used to hang out with friends. Yay Yelp! we got the mint hookah and moroccan tea. Both were equally good. We were there for a good hr and it being a friday night it was slowly filling up. The servers are quiet attentive and friendly and changing coals on time. After an hr they very friendly handed us the check and asked us to take our time with it. I usually would be quite miffed by this but we decided to sit for 15 mins and he didnt come to check on us so he truly meant it. Great place. Will come back if we are in the area read more

This place is a lot of fun. As a guy who doesn't smoke much to begin with I can honestly say all the flavors I've tried thus far have been smooth. My favorite is blue mist. Usually I go there with a couple guy friends and just smoke for an hour or so. Listen to some music and have a piece of cake. It's a nice way to end a long night. A few weeks ago I went and there were some Arabian girls dancing and everyone was circle dancing and playing bongos. It really felt authentic. The staff is friendly and the women that go there are generally beautiful. Good place to see some eye candy or maybe try your luck! Lol I would definitely go again. read more

When you go to a hookah bar, what do you look for? When I went to hookah bars before this one, my standards weren't set too high. I really had not been to a nice bar until I got to this one. As a shisha aficionado, you can really appreciate this bar because they do a few things that no other hookah bar does. 1. They use authentic wood coals. They don't use pre-light, or compressed wood or coals, they use natrual density wood. Most places stay away from using natural wood because its smoky and you have to replace it a lot, but they keep their staff running around to ensure that you always have fresh coals. They also burn them outside in a closed area separate from the outside smoking area on a grill so you don't have to smell them heating up. 2. They smoke the same shisha in a particular hookah. So, rather than having a hookah that had double apple or mango, the hookah that you smoke from has ONLY smoked that type of shisha. It allows you to really taste the true flavor of that shisha rather than a little mix of something else. You really don't realize how much this affects the flavor of the smoke. 3. They actively make sure that your shisha doesn't burn by coming by, replacing the coals in non-hot zones and blowing the bowl out to cool it down. I rarely get burnt shisha so I always get a long time at the hookah with no burnt flavor. I have yet to be at another hookah bar here in Raleigh that matches up to the quality offered at Sahara. They also have chessboards, cards, magazines, and other ways to have fun at the bar while you smoke. Did I mention that they have absolutely amazing coffee and espresso drinks? The only thing bad about it is that they get really packed on the weekend nights, but I guess they are doing something right to get that happening. Go try it out, I promise you won't be disappointed. If you are going for the first time, or want to try a new flavor out, try blue mist, its delicious! read more

The staff are on point with coals and drinks. (They check back about every ten minutes). We got the grapefruit bowl with fresh melon for the flavor. Very fun environment. We were on the patio with the TV. They have heaters in the winter. read more

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