My first visit to this restaurant was caused by an assignment in my Arabic class at UNM. We had to 1) go to an Arab restaurant in Albuquerque and film ourselves ordering food in Arabic, then 2) writing in Arabic about the restaurant. I came here, the staff helped me with making the video and I ordered a chicken tikka kabob sandwich, labna and mango juice in broken Arabic. I took two stars off this review because the chicken seemed dry and the lack of wifi meant that I had to wait until I got home to publish my video and review. However, the chicken had a lot of flavor and I really enjoyed the labna. I definitely see myself coming back here. UNM. 1) 2) . . . 3 . . . read more

I want to love it, but the hummus is so bland. So were most of the vegan items. The falafel sandwich is a good and affordable option, but I can't deal with the bland hummus. The guy who works there is great and the fries are tasty. read more

My brother recommended this place to me so I was excited to try it. Parking was easy to find. They have a small parking lot but more parking was available in the back and on the street. I entered the restaurant and was greeted by a nice lady who was cheerful and ready to serve. The restaurant was playing middle eastern pop music and the walls were covered with cool murals. I ordered the chicken shawarma and hummus thinking it was going to be served like a pita wrap with a side of hummus. I was wrong. It was served with a couple of pieces of chopped chicken on a bed of hummus and three whole pitas. Not bad up to this point but then I took my first bite. The chicken was bland and had some white sauce that was equally as bad. The hummus was going bad. It tasted like no hummus I've ever had. If you've ever had the displeasure of eating bad hummus then you know it doesn't go sour. It has a zippy taste. Almost as if the hummus was starting fermentation. Sadly the meal, drink, and tip was around $13.00. I didn't want it to go to waste so I put what little chicken I had in my pita and tried to get past the hummus taste. Sadly the best part of my meal was the pita bread. I give them one star for environment, one for service, and one for effort. However, the hummus was horrible and I will not be coming back. I say if you're interested in trying this place and your mind is made up. Then don't get the hummus. They might have other dishes worth trying. read more

I like food. I especially like food when I can pay someone to make it really good, and then they clean up after me. I think they call these places "restaurants." If you're into "restaurants" like I am, then you can't pass up on Sahara. I've got a lot of choices for eateries in the UNM/Nob Hill area, and some of my faves are Two Fools, Ragin' Shrimp, and Mannie's. This said, it is Sahara that I make a point to visit at least two or three times a month. The food is fresh and tasty, the portions are excellent for the price, and "ambiance" of the place rocks with its bright murals and Arabic TV blasting the joint. There are other Middle Eastern restaurants in town, and I've got friends who swear by the others. More than just the food, though, is this family-owned business is beyond friendly to everyone who comes through the door. The food is genuine. The owners are genuine. And I can get my taxes done next door. Not that that has anything to do with my five star nod to Sahara. read more

Omg the food is so amazing My tummy is happy. I can eat this food every day. Healthy and tasty read more

I'm going to be the party pooper and give Sahara 3 stars. I had high hopes after reading the Yelp reviews but the food simply wasn't better than 3 stars. The guy working there was 5 stars. He was super nice and he efficiently whisked a drunk, homeless guy out of the store...twice. I had the beef and lamb shawarma sandwich. It liked that it was really hot and it had decent flavor. The meat looked like it was put through a meat grinder not shaved off a spit as shawarma is typically done. My friend had the chicken shawarma combo. The hummous was okay, definitely homemade. The fafafel was meh, overfried and not enough spices. The salad and rice were fine. I didn't taste the dolmas, but they didn't live up to the standards of his Iranian friend's dolmas. I had cinnamon tea. It has nuts in it. Lots of nuts. Too many nuts. We shared a piece of bakalava. It was really close to being awesome, but didn't have enough honey. read more

Some of THE best Middle Eastern food I've ever had. Super nice staff, amazing food, and calm atmosphere

Amazing, delicious, great gluten-free options and authentic taste! Will be back soon!

I guess my hopes were too high. I came in for a gyro and fries and it just didn't taste the same as I remember. A little too dry and a little too much sauce to try and cover it up. Hopefully next time it's better read more

If you haven't tried this place yet, you are missing out on a unique and delicious meal. This is one of our family's favorite places to eat in Albuquerque. My kids get excited when I tell them we are coming to eat here. We love the food here as well as the service. Omar makes you feel welcomed and like you are family. We always get one dinner, several sides, and extra pita bread, and it feeds all 4 of us with left overs to enjoy the next day. I know that sounds crazy, but their servings are extremely generous. Their Beef and Lamb Shawarma is tender, juicy, seasoned and cooked to perfection, as is their Chicken Shawarma. Sometimes we can't decide between the two and opt for both. The basmati rice is addicting. I don't know what it's seasoned with, but we can't get enough of it. I have tried to duplicate it at home and have failed, but that's ok. Their hummus is creamy and delicious. If I could eat this paired with their hot fresh pita bread everyday at home for a snack, I would. Don't drink the cokes, you can get those anywhere. Order a hot mint tea, it will make you wonder why you ever thought Lipton was a good quality tea. After having this tea for the first time, I went on a loose tea scavenger hunt in all the local middle eastern grocery stores, buying as many different kinds of tea as I could find. If you don't have room for dessert, just order some baklava and take it home for later. It goes great with hot tea or coffee for breakfast. read more

Sahara Middle Eastern Eatery - Beef and Lamb Shawarmah, basmati rice, falafel, hummous, fattoush salad, dolmas, fresh pita, tabouli salad, and hot mint tea. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Love this place! We are always greeted by the owner and the food is always consistently good! It's great that they serve beer too :)The chicken shawarma and the Gyro are my go-to's.. but you also have to try the Dolmas as well. Yum! read more

Sahara Middle Eastern Eatery - Chicken Shawarmah platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

One gyro to-go is all I've had here, but it was the best I've had in ABQ. They've got the meat spooled on a big vertical spit right out front which is exactly what they should have and is so rare around here. The pita had a lovely delicate crust and was lightly warmed. The cucumber sauce (?) was a bit runny for my taste and I'd of liked a bit more. Next time I'll ask. Were those tasty leaves inside cilantro? Nice touch. I neglected to ask them not to, and am pleased to say my sandwich was not NOT over-salted, another mistake routinely made by all too many eateries. Thanks for that. As I close this review it is now about an hour later and I'm still savoring. I will be back and look forward to the hummus. Also, their parking lot is awesome and amazing. read more

D-Lish! We are glad to have the Sahara in the neighborhood. Thanks for cooking dinner Omar. read more

Informal place. Good an cheap food. From my point of view, this is a restaurant for college students. You can have healthy food at a reasonable price over here. The food does not seem to be pretty consistent though. The first time I came, the taste was fine, the second time, it was a bit too salty. read more

Great food and Hummous I eat here often, I suggest the beef and lamb shawarma! The atmosphere is a little outdated and booths are warn, but the service and food makes up for it by far! With a few interior updates this place could be a lot more popular. Definitely get some of their flavored tea. Happy eating. read more

I love the Sahara Middle Eastern Eatery!! Our band has played there twice. We have always been treated like royalty. The food is really excellent ! Everyone is so friendly and sweet. Love, love , love it!! read more

Sahara Middle Eastern Eatery - This is Sazlar playing at the Sahara! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Everything here is very tasty, and the kunafa on Fridays is amazing! The family that runs these restaurants is the best ever. They are so friendly and always make us feel welcome. My go-to's are the lentil soup, mujaddara, falafels, and chicken shwarma. They had a special lamb burger recently with feta that was very good. My husband loves their regular baklava and I really like the custard type. It's cool that they serve alcohol now so I can get a beer or glass of wine with dinner. It makes it a more viable option for date night. Previously it was probably our most regular spot to get a quick lunch or dinner during the week, but the booz gets me in on the weekend occasionally now as well. read more

Excellent food and fast service, I have yet to order something from here that has not been delicious. My wife is vegan and has lots of choices here as well, Sahara is one of our go-to choices when we can't decide what to eat. The shawarma plate and pita are my personal favorites, and the garlic sauce that comes on those is definitely worth ordering an extra side of. Come try their dinner plates, you won't be disappointed! read more

One of my favorite lunch spots. The entree plates are so good and it has a little bit of everything. Baklava and Turkish coffee or lattes are delicious. read more

This place is so awesome! Love the rice , meat is amazing! Highly recommended! Decoration is also very authentic ! read more

Sahara Middle Eastern Eatery - Middle Eastern Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Really good food, and good size plates with decent prices. I was glad the company is only doing takeout only due to COVID-19. The people in the store were nice and very attentive. I recommend it. read more

I love this place! A go to spot every time I'm in town. It's all good, you can not go wrong. They have expanded so there is more sitting room. Family owned. read more

Sahara Middle Eastern Eatery - Chkn shwarma and falafel - Middle Eastern Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

This place is amazing and a diamond amongst the rough. I will becoming back. I've had middle eastern food before but WOW this place is AMAZING. I sampled everything from Arabic coffee to a drink called Jalab to their sample plate I'm stuffed and blown away!!! Very good if you like to try different ethnic foods like me TRY this PLACE!!! read more

Best falafel in town, since the moment he opened. Baklava is good. And Homar, the owner, usually works the counter and is one of the awesomest, friendliest guys around. read more

Sahara Middle Eastern Eatery - Wall paintings - Middle Eastern Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Hands down, the best Middle Eastern food in ABQ. Super friendly folks. The lamb and chicken kebabs are wonderful. The labna (creamy cheese served with pitas and olive oil) is a great starter. Go check them out. read more

Cool guy from New York cooking some bomb food.People were being COVID friendly and there was multiple to go orders just when I was there

I started eating here so many years ago I don't even remember. A friend and I stumbled in one day just on a whim, and we found that they had really excellent food. I quickly became a regular, and introduced my family to the place as well. The chicken tikka combo is one of my favorite meals. I especially like to mix the rice and the humus. It's really delicious. read more

Schwarma not good - beef and lamb schwarma was dry, old, hard and tasteless.

SORRY NOT SORRY. i ordered Sahara twice in one week through Grub Hub. Do not judge me! First time i ordered the Veggie Platter, second time i order some dolmas, baba and falafel. So so so good. Everything is well seasoned and the flavors work so well together. The baba is creamy and garlicy. The falafel is crispy, crunchy but tender on the inside. My little nuggets of joy! And the dolmas are perfectly mild to accompany any dish on the menu. I will be back again! read more

Omar is really cool, I've been going here for about 2 years now and the food just seems to get better. I'd highly recommend the beef and lamb combination plate, the desserts are even better! 6 stars! read more

Vegetarian food can be tricky to find but this is a block from the Doubletree and across from the Hyatt and convention center. It is mildly seasoned but adding spice is easy enough. So glad to find this friendly place read more

Sahara Middle Eastern Eatery - Vegetarian and freshly made big portions for low cost. The Sabizi $7 for example. Most take out but there are tables. friendly staff. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Was excellent Mediterranean food. We had the dohlmas and lamb gyro. We also had the baklava, the best I've ever had. Very light and flaky with pistachios. read more

Only taking off one star and that's for prices. There are definitely comparable places in terms of portion and quality for much cheaper. Also a few corners of authenticity get cut, but what can you expect in the middle of Southwest America? Otherwise, always enjoy this experience. Very pleasant and helpful staff who come off like they truly care that you enjoy your food. Totally decent food. All in all pretty great. read more

We came in here late night and although everyone was really friendly, I was not pleased about the food. Although, my expectations are set pretty high being a bay area native, the falafels were not on par. The falafels had a lot of oil in them and they were more crispier than fresh. I felt like I was biting into rubber when I tasted the falafels. I ordered eight so, I could take some home to Santa Fe with me but, I had to leave them in Albuquerque. We tried their shwarma as well which was mediocre at best. read more

This place is amazing. The only restaurant to ever have our delivery order right. Thank you so much for a delicious meal.

Only $4.99 for an amazing falafel sandwich, oh my god. It's great. They're also very accommodating as they veganized my sandwich without question by switching the tahini cream sauce for hummus. I'm scared because I live two blocks away and walk past every day to and from work... I see many vegan falafel sandwiches in my future! read more

Omg. Worst service I can imagine. As a first timer visitor, I walked in and neither employee said anything to me for 5 minutes. I studied the menu and decided what to order. Still no help. I paced a bit. Nothing. I casually sauntered toward the door. Still nothing. I opened the door slowly giving them one last chance...and sadly! They failed! But I could tell by looking at them that they are the kind of employees who care not about customer service. Neither do they care about the owner who could have had my money and maybe a more positive review. However, we then need to turn our attention to the owner/manager who hired such types. That calls into question their ability to run a restaurant. Service makes a big difference. In my case, it made all the difference. Maybe check out this place after they get sold to another owner. read more

My wife is half Egyptian, half Hispanic and she has been eating middle eastern food her whole life. So one day she in the mood for some shawarma and since I've never eaten middle eastern food i agreed. WELL I have to say at first I was very skeptical at first and really worried I wouldn't like it. I got the chicken shawarma, saffron rice, falafel and dolmas. WOW! OUTSTANDING! First thing, the guy at the counter is legit and makes all customers feel welcome and at home. The food was great and filling. I can't say enough about Sahara, it's definitely worth your money and time. You will definitely go back again and again! read more

What a wonderful family owned business. I cant say enough about how great the food is. The chicken Schwarma {sp?} is amazing! The owners put so much love into the food, you can really taste how much they care! read more

This place used to be one of my favorites. Sure, their prices have always been a little high for what they offer but boy was it worth it! Today, mothers day, i decided it had been too long since I ate there, so we headed on in with the whole family.We were the only ones there at about 5pm which made me wonder but we went ahead and put in an order anyways - a big order ! Now someone please tell me WHAT THE HELL happened to Sahara? The food was DISGUSTING ! Uneatable! I was shocked and horrified. So sad! We took one bite of each thing and we could not believe just how bad it tasted. We paid and left and walked down to another place to eat..... Terrible, terrible! They must have changed owners or something. Do yourself a favor and don't go there! read more