I hope I don't sound like a broken record, but I can't help it. Every time I go to Sahara East they make me feel like a queen. The service tonight was exceptionally friendly, hospitable, and polite. The food was delicious, and I love the fun atmosphere of being under the tent in the back room. My friends took me here for my birthday, and it felt truly special and a celebration under the brightly colored canopy with twinkling lights. The baba ghanoush and hummus on the Mesa plate are like no other smooth and creamy, which are the perfect compliment to the falafel tabouli, grape leaves, and mousaka with piping hot pita. The chicken Shawarma entrée with salad was flavorful and delicious. The vegetarian pizza with peppers, onions, tomato, and cheese was yummy. Save room for the creamiest rice pudding with mint tea to finish your meal. Thank you again for a consistently good restaurant that I can count on for excellent quality and service. I always feel happy when I leave you. read more

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I really liked my first experience at Sahara East this past Friday night (I think.) Could have loved it but... Sahara East is beautifully decorated with colorful lighting, middle Eastern fabrics and themes. The hookah menu is full of fun, sexy sounding choices. The DJ was FIRE! Great mixes of Trap, R&B and Top 10 hits. All of that was great. Not so great, was the vibe that night. The patrons ran the range from righteous to RATCHET! Someone ran out on a large bill. The one and only toilet in the house fell apart for awhile and out of nowhere, a table full of well- dressed BUT not so well behaved Gen Zs, were seated next to us. One of the brats kept purposely bumping me every time she moved from her table-just looking for trouble. The servers seemed to be a bit bothered by the troublesome spirit in the air as well. Smiles turned to stone faces and it got to a point where we had to flag them down for drink orders. My first experience here was a mix of hot and cold. Maybe I'll go on a weeknight. Overall Sahara East was kind of a vibe and kind of not. Sigh... read more

Sahara East - Tequila and pineapple. - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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This place was just all bad. The man was beyond nice but it was just bad hookah that tasted like charcoal. The drinks we got were terrible, mango margarita. We couldn't even finish them. We were here less than an hour and paid $76. The decor was cute but everything is clearly super old. I wanted to love this place based off other reviews but I just couldn't. read more

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Came here to celebrate a birthday. Was a cool hookah spot for the most part. The front played very lovely music and the back was on the calmer side. There wasn't a DJ, they play from the phone. The food was okay. According to my friends they have really good hookah. I can also say the staff were really nice and accommodating read more

Sahara East - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Open late. Lots of making out and hookah. Tasty going down. Painful coming out. Had the worst stomach situation of my life tho after eating here. The ayatollah's revenge ... read more

Popped in here on an early Saturday afternoon around 2pm. It was the coldest Saturday yet in the city so we opted to not sit in the garden area, we sat towards the front of the restaurant instead. For the majority of our stay there was an employee cleaning around us. Tables, mirrors, windows.... indoors and outdoors. When it was time for him to do the outdoor windows he repeatedly left the door open making it just as cold inside as it was outside. Along with the Love 66 hookah I ordered chicken tacos, cinnamon tea and a passion fruit margarita. I was first told they didn't have the cinnamon tea so I switched to Turkish coffee which they also didn't have. After placing the order the gentleman came back saying they did have the cinnamon tea so I went with that. The tacos were good, the tea was good, the hookah was good for the first 10mins then after moving the coals around the flavor was off and down right nasty to taste. As for the margarita.... I never got it so I can't speak on that. read more

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Awesome staff and food. Decorations inside create a nice ambiance. 10/10 hidden spot in LES

The mousaaka and baclava were outrageously good. Pauli took good care of me and made the experience enjoyable.

This was honestly one of the worst service experiences I've ever had in New York. The server was extremely rude and clearly had no interest in doing his job. The place was empty, yet it took forever for him to come back and serve me. I asked him to put new charcoal on the hookah, and he looked annoyed. By the time he came back, the charcoal had completely burned the hookah. He didn't even know the hookah flavors or bother to check, and he didn't offer a discount or anything to make up for it. The service was a complete disaster, and I honestly do not recommend this place at all. read more

We had such a great time at this restaurant, the owner was super friendly and very welcoming. Made us feel right at home! The food was amazing and the atmosphere was great. Paulie also took great care of us. Would highly recommend. read more

The truly extraordinary part of this experience was the service. The service was outstanding as the staff were very friendly and showed they truly care about their customers. The food was fresh and had a High quality taste and texture. Overall it was a great experience and would definitely come again. read more

Visited 10/12/2020, I would be remiss to not start this off by saying Moustafa is AMAZING! We came with a large and continuously growing party at 4 pm, soon after opening. His other staff were either busy or just not there yet, but he was incredibly accommodating, personable, honest. He really was a treat, everything you want when out for a celebration. PLEASE NOTE: That free hookah bathroom thing past reviews have complained about IS OVER, so don't have that expectation, simple communication with your server could tell you that. Anyhow, the establishment is beautiful. We enjoyed intricate beautiful patterned walls in the outdoor portion of the restaurant (large tent like area feels like another room). I will say the heater is not strong enough to fill that space on a chilly day (it was pouring this day) but they have authentic strong tea that will heat you right up. During the duration of our stay we did get to use the aux cord! And we ordered 2 pitchers, a couple mixed drinks, and two hookahs, one regular, one pineapple head. HIGHLY RECOMMEND pineapple head with pineapple mint mix (Moustafa suggested, I loved it). Prices are a great considering what you receive for it! I will say the $275 for a $50 bottle of casamigos was not great, but that's just a choice you make at the time. I'm not one to ball out that hard lol. The pitchers of passionfruit margarita were hittin! So tasty & even with the house tequila was great! The food, my whole party is still over the moon, general consensus is, get hummus with extra pita, and a mixed grill (large enough for two)! We are still dreaming of those kebabs!!! read more

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My first time coming was terrible but this time the experience was one of my favorites. The customer service was 10 stars not 5 ten the hookah and drinks was everything and the music was up beat read more

Sahara East - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Arrived around 10:30 on a Wednesday night and stayed until 2 just talking because the vibe is so easy. Hookah was very good quality but the service is upsettingly slow. Everything I had to go find the server to ask for - water, if we can order, if we can have the check and then to give the check. Wasn't a busy night either. We ordered food, tea and hookah. High quality hummus chicken and roasted vegetables. I wouldn't order the mint tea again though. I wouldn't order anything again actually except for hookah just because the service is so slow. I've heard it can get very mixy at night on a Thursday/weekend and given the location can have a lot of NYU students read more

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Best Hookah on the lower east side of Manhattan hands down. Lamb Chops are highly rated as well.

Extremely attentive and hospitable staff. The hookah is great and I love how low-key the ambiance is. I found my new favorite hookah bar in NYC. read more

Amazing hookah! Good Moroccan ambience. Excellent service . This place is an hidden gem recommend this place to everyone read more

Sahara East - Hookah - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

The service was horrible. The food took long to come out and they missed a food order for the table. Menu says fresh strawberry juice it was strawberry syrup with water. They charged $24 for tap water!! Disgusting read more

Sahara East - Receipt - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

We would give negative 5 stars if we could. We waited for 1 hour for our WATER and drinks and never got it. And we when we tried to leave, the owner stopped us and tries to charge us $95 for the water and drinks we never got. We ordered the Hookah, 4 tap water, and 2 mojitos. We waited for over 1 hour and asked for 4 times and we never got the water we asked for. When we decided to leave, we left money on the table for the Hookah, which is the only thing we got. The owner stopped us and yelled at us for not paying for the drinks and TAP water, which we never got. This is crazy. We have never experienced anything like this. I will say this the hands-down the worst place in NYC for Hookah, especially drinks. If you want to get Hookah or anything, go somewhere else. Anywhere will be better than this place. I feel so sorry for the customers who every been there. They do not deserve this, just like us. My final advice for anyone who is reading this: DO NOT COME HERE! read more

Sahara East - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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- Lots of hookah flavors - The food and drinks are really good - They play good music and sometimes when it gets really fun, they'll let you choose the music! - There's indoor and outdoor seating - You'll have to get someone's attention to change the coals. Service could be better - 18% automatic gratuity charge - It's fun to come with a group of friends and just relax - Chill environment read more

Sahara East - Menu - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Very chill vibes and friendly staff. There were a ton of flavours and flavour combos to try + cool people to talk to around the bar. Also really great music and lively energy. Will definitely be back! Recommend the Bae Bay Hookah flavor. read more

Sahara East - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Family oriented business the owners treat everyone like family ask for yung faro or uncle paulie definitely recommend the place want to have an awesome experience just come true and enjoy the ambiance in this place the employees are awesome too read more

For all your lock-down kebab needs!! Ordered the mix grill for delivery which was a very generous portion and actually had me beat! It came with a generous portion of rice and salad, but the kebabs and lamb chop were my favorites and were well washed down with a couple of fruity house cocktails. The delivery came with with extra pita, fresh humus & a few slices of baklava...which were much appreciated and enjoyed! read more

Sahara East - Mixed grill for hungry people.. couldn't even fit all of it on my plate. - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Amazing food - small local place but the service is world class - ambience feels like you are in Istanbul

My first time coming here. Expensive BUT, it was a vibe. My friends and I came here on some random shit cause everywhere else, you needed reservations. At first I couldn't find parking, but it all worked out. The food was bomb but the drinks were not strong enough for me. I'm a drinker baby. I does this. lol That hookah was bussssssssinnnn though lol Anywho, overall, it was cool. read more

Sahara East - Chicken Fajitas - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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The hookah lasted a long time and was well made. The drinks we ordered were at par. The host was courteous and accommodated our large group. Giving 3 star because of a rather unpleasant smell where we were seated. Hope they can pay attention to cleanliness. read more

This is the spot. My fave place to work on some things I'm been procrastinating on. The playlist is fire and the service is tier 1

Great place, love the scenery and vibes. Highly recommended for events or pregames. Not overpriced and great music.

The margaritas are amazing! They are strong. We also got Hookah. Really good flavor. Would definitely recommend it to others. read more

Sahara East - Amazing Margaritas here. We got the classic Lime Margarita. They are strong. Would definitely recommend this place. - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

I usually don't leave reviews but i have to it's a must! i come here like 1000 times and it never miss ! The service is always great the lamb chops omg Is to die for i love the music selection it's a calm vibe and they hookah is amazing it last all night! And let's not forget they close late which is great lol shout out to our server Ellie shes bomb will deff be returning with friends im a regular lol . read more

George was great! best hookah and service, the music was fire and it was packed at 3am on a Tuesday

Sahara east is by far the BEST restaurant in Manhattan!! The staff is super attentive and there is a consistent check on the table! Ahmed, the owner, is very professional when it comes to customer service! I've tried so many hookah lounges and the hookah is A1. I'll never go anywhere else, this home to me!!!! read more

Quick recap: cool joint for a good hookah session, amazing tea (minus hibiscus) and decent service. Worth checking out if you're in the area. Hookah here is reasonably priced, the vibe is pretty laid back, and the area is clean. The outdoor patio space is great. Clover tea was amazing. Hibiscus tea was not. Didn't get any food but people around us did and it looked/smelled incredible. read more

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Great place. Great food amazing service. Great drinks. Would recommend. Great place the ambiance was great.

First time there & it was a vibe, got the pineapple hookah & a drink, will definitely be back with some friends read more

I've been to this place 3 times now I love it good vibes their hookah loved it I recommend it to anyone

I used to like their garden, good hookah and their relaxed atmosphere. I came back last night and it was all different except the same old good hookah. The garden was temporarily closed due to construction and the service staff was pushy trying to seat more customers. They forced us to order the more expensive hookah and gave us 18% service fee on tap. I feel disappointed because the service was not good last night although the hookah was still decent. I hope they were behaving that way only because they were trying to accommodate more customers in a limited space. read more

Sahara East - Jiggy Jam Hookah - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Personally I liked the place. But the ambiance isn't for everybody. The music is good in my opinion if you like hip hop/ rap/ reggaeton. We ordered a pineapple hookah mango and mint flavor. The hookah last about an hour and a half. I really like that they brought out a plastic hose and opened it in front of us. We order hummus which was plenty for about 4 people. We also got 2 shots Sahara blue and black magic. The shots are strong and in a mini mason which are equivalent to 2 shots! Very casual place. read more

Sahara East - Hummus - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Let me say we ordered 2 pictures of Fuck Me Up and yeaaaaa we definitely were in route to be messed up. The food was good but the drinks and hookah were great. Vibes were real chill and a little of a turn up. read more

Sahara East - Hookah and Pitchers - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Didn't accept our IDs even everyone part of the party was well over 21.. 0/10 would not recommend take your business to Kazuza on Ave A and 7th read more