Over the years, I've been to my fair share of dessert shops. However, I tend to be curious in branching out to food that I have yet to try to add to my repertoire. This takes me to the Arden-Arcade neighborhood of Sacramento where I had the opportunity in trying out "Sham Sweets". Established in 2019, this hole-in-the-wall Middle Eastern dessert shop is located directly on Fulton Ave and adjacent to Hurley Way. The parking lot is quite spacious as this small business shares itself with many other unique places. Business hours here are also very generous as they are open 7 days a week from 11:00am-8:30pm. I came here on the afternoon of Saturday 2/21/2026 at around 2:00pm. Upon entry, I was pleasantly surprised with how spacious, clean, and inviting this place was. And my oh my, they had a TON of desserts displayed everywhere! Everything from Turkish delights, baklava, künefe, Turkish cookies, and their version of a Middle Eastern ice cream, "Booza". Since it was the most requested item, I took a chance and ordered this. it is quite difficult to explain this food item but it has the chill factor of sweet cream but more of a dense, elastic-stretchy texture. It also had pasty pistachio chunks as a crumb topping. And since I wanted some desserts to go, I also ordered a total of 4 of their "Pistachio Bites"; two traditional/old-fashioned and two modern. Total price for everything only came to $10. The young man who helped me was very friendly, accommodating, and was able to answer all my questions. Since I had already visited their website, https://ediblesacramento.com/editorial/sham-sweets/, I had more of a general idea of what to expect at their bakery. After exiting the building, I enjoyed the Booza outside my car. I have to say that this dessert was like something I never experienced. One thing I have to say is that it is quite dense and creamy, almost a taffy-like custard. And with the chunks of pistachio with other elements packed in, it was quite chewy as well. I loved it but the flavor might turn a few people away. Once I got home, I enjoyed a couple of the Pistachio Bites and those also hit the spot. I love pistachio in general so when you make it into a small savory sweet, the flavor elevates itself on so many levels. The prices here are unbeatable, the customer service here was stellar, they have very generous hours of operation, and the unique Middle Eastern desserts that I sampled definitely did not disappoint. I expect to make many future visits to "Sham Sweets" and this place was sweet! My rating, a unanimous five stars. read more

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The best kunefe I've ever had! Kunefe is a rich, crispy, syrup-soaked dessert with gooey cheese bliss pure sweet joy warm, and that first bite--when the cheese pulls and the syrup soaks through--is what makes kunefe unforgettable So many tasty treats to choose from as well! read more

The first time I tried their pistachio rolled were excellent this time unfortunately they taste nothing like pistachios.it is most likely GREEN BEANS . read more

I wanted to like the baklava but after spending a good amount for them, it was not fresh. Tastes stale and the baklava had absorbed the flavor of other food items. I threw them away. Sorry read more

Wow! Absolutely delicious desserts! I got a variety of different treats and EVERYTHING was delicious.

I had a craving for pistachio Turkish delight and found my way here. I ended up getting a variety pack of goods. Baklava was solid. Turkish delight nougat stuff was fabulous (will definitely get it here moving forward when I have a craving vs. Amazon) Some of the items were just ok, but the person working there also recommended this honey soaked pastry with a cream inside (see photos) and I'm still dreaming about it, so yummy! When the weather gets warm, I'll definitely be back for the famous ice cream (I love Turkish ice cream - it was just rainy when I visited so opted for the pastry goods instead!) So great to have a sweets shop like this in Sacramento! read more

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This spot was my first exposure to Mediterranean desserts and I am so glad I came across it! This spot is nestled in the Arden/ Howe Ave area. It's in a pretty slow shopping center, so parking was easy. Upon arrival, I was immediately greeted and welcomed. There was plenty of seating available. It was a more quiet environment, very lowkey and casual. You can also see that they have racks of sweets to choose from. I let the owner know that I have never tried any of their desserts and he helped me figure out what I wanted to try. He offered me several samples, which I felt was really thoughtful. All of them really good! I ended up ordering the Booza with pistachios and was pleasantly surprised by how flavorful and unique it was. I've never tried anything like it. I loved the pistachios on top. I can't wait to try more Meditteratian sweets, and this spot definitely has many options to choose from! read more

The rose covered Turkish delight was one of the best I've ever had. The rose gave its a slight minty floral sweetness while the pomegranate filling was sweet and tasty. Honestly loved everything I tried read more

"Kanafa" and "Burma" were very good. Only if seating was available, it would be nice...

We stopped by this store to grab some sweets for some occasion. The store is already have a set of trays covered and ready to be purchased but also they had a variety of delicious sweets and lots of pistachios based sweets interestingly. It looks very clean and neat place. There are several tables for families to sit and enjoy coffee or tea with some sweets and they also have savory pastries. We grabbed some pastries and sweets. They were delicious and most importantly fresh. The baklava is so crunchy bit not hard and not very sweet it's perfect balance. The worker was nice too and accommodated our order. read more

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After seeing their booza (pistachio frozen dessert) , I decided to pay them a visit ! Their employees were very nice , but there was a bit of a language barrier . I had to show them pictures of what we wanted . The younger gentlemen mentioned that they offer catering, and to give them a call for more information. The fcomes in a big roll that they will cut into slices for you . Overall, I thought it was ok. It definitely looked better in pictures and tasted like frozen whipped cream to me . I also purchased some baklava which was also just ok . Overall , I wasn't completely blown away by the booza and baklava that I tried , therefore I am in no rush to return . read more

Sham Sweets - Booza, frozen pistachio desert . - Desserts Near Me - Sacramento, California

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If you are a fan of pistachio desserts, you don't have to look any further. This mom and pop Syrian store has trays upon trays of nutty sweets and pastries. We tried a bunch of different things (unfortunately I don't know the names of them). But, I have concluded all my favorite things were triangle-shaped (picture included). I think the smaller was a baklava but the larger was filled with a mild cream of some sort! All were flaky and delicious. One of the wildcards also enjoyed most was a piece out of the slab of stretchy candy(?) made with rose flavor and nuts! The Booza was also really good if you are a fan of pistachios and frozen cream. It's basically what it tastes like after he slices the frozen roll and puts it into a clear cup for you to enjoy. It's not as stretchy as I thought it would be, but it was clean, simple, and creamy. Overall, my review is 4.5 stars. This gem of a sweets place is great if you like desserts that aren't cloyingly sweet (the ultimate form of dessert praise from older Asians). The owner is very nice. It would be awesome (as some others have said) if there were prices and names listed for all the amazing trays of sweets on the counter. We definitely got by showing him pictures of what we wanted, but would be helpful for learning/sharing more about their food culture and for other Yelpers deciding what to grab for dessert! read more

Sham Sweets - The Booza (sliced roll of pistachio, frozen cream) - Desserts Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Get the cheese kunaya! It's amazing. Imo, it's better than the Booza. Very quiet but polite young gentlemen was manning the front when we walked in. read more

Delicious, Clean Food and Sweets! Sham Sweets exceeded my expectations. The food and desserts were delicious and everything was clean and well-prepared. I'll definitely be back and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great place to eat! read more

You must get the booza! I've never had anything like it before, and it's this ice cream made with mastic (a plant resin which makes it sticky), and orchid flour...had to look this up! It has a sticky texture which reminded me a bit like condensed milk (also tasted a bit like that, but with some rose flavor), and also very creamy and thick. The flavor was wonderful and fragrant. I also enjoyed that there was a lot of chopped pistachios for taste and texture. We also got a box of pastries. It would have been helpful to know the names and prices of each item so that we didn't have to just point to and say "that one in front/back." It was nice that the person helping us was trying to teach us some names of pastries along the way though. He also made suggestions for items which was nice. He pointed out this fried looking roll that has cheese in it, and that ended up being my favorite for the textures...the crunchy outside and chewy inside. I believe it's Zainab fingers from what I found on my Google search for this pastry's name haha. Overall, loved the selection of desserts and I would definitely come back! read more

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After trying booza (Arab ice cream) in Michigan, my boyfriend and I have been enamored with it but couldn't find any around where we live, so we drove 2 hours to try the booza at Sham Sweets. We weren't disappointed! The booza is kept in rolls there, and the guy there cut slices of it and arranged them in a lovely rose shape. The ice cream was thick, dense, and super chewy. You can buy the ice cream by the pound too, so we bought 2 pounds as it's not every day we drive 2 hours for ice cream. We asked the guy there how fast it would melt, but he asked how long our drive would be and packed the ice cream in a bag with a bunch of ice for us, which was SO kind of him! (And it survived 2 hours in a hot car!) We also bought cream kunafa, which was made to order in 30 minutes. I'm not an expert on kunafa as I've only had it one other time, but I really enjoyed it from here; it's very pleasant and you can control the sweetness with the sugar syrup. My family enjoyed it too. If I lived in Sac I'd be returning again and again, but it would definitely be worth another 2-hour drive for the lovely ice cream and the excellent customer service. Come try this place! read more

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Wow! Absolutely amazed at the varieties, the flavors and the selections! My family and I stopped by Sham Sweets for a dine in dessert experience! We decided to pick a variety of little sweets including baklava, pistachio kadaif, lokum (Turkish delight) - rose was my favorite and more. You can select the sweets in front and they weigh it by the pound. You can fine booza (ice cream) here also! Savory options are also available! Hands down my new favorite dessert spot! Big trays of baklava and other fine goods available for catering and big parties. Can't wait to come back for more! read more

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I drove two hours to try this place, I left 2 and half hours before they close thinking that 30 minutes should be enough cushion time. I ended up being delayed 20 minutes which is totally on me but still arrived 10 minutes before they closed at 8:20 and everything was locked with the lights out. If you're going to advertise times you're open please stick to it. Now I just drove 4 hours for nothing. read more

I love baklava if it is fresh and well made. This baklava is made on site fresh very day. Different kinds of desserts as well with either pistachio nuts or walnuts. I would highly recommend this place to get your middle eastern treats. We ordered a large tray of baklava for Father's Day to complement our catered Persian food meal. The baklava was a hit and there was plenty to go around. Everyone took some home with them as well. Full baking sheet of baklava is $75. Fresh and very tasty not too sweet which I appreciate. We will be ordering these treats again we ordered baklava but they have other types of desserts as well. All delicious and fresh. read more

I have tried the assorted and I enjoyed a lot. I believe it is made of real sugar and Ghee and hence the taste read more

Sham Sweets - Excellent sweets - Desserts Near Me - Sacramento, California

We found the amounts overpriced, with no prices posted, or receipts given. Owner, I'm assuming, was on the phone and lacked customer service skills. Items themselves did not have very good flavors, and we found the rolled ice cream quite terrible. Items were placed all over the tables, leaving only one open to sit at, which was dirty. read more

I was really looking forward to these sweets, and my husband got me several different kinds on Christmas Eve. They are all stale and soggy. Oh well. We won't be trying this store again. read more

We came to try the booza and baklava and they were delicious! The shop owner was very friendly. We will definitely drop by again to fix our sweet cravings! read more

Sham Sweets - Booza and baklava was delicious! Will be back - Desserts Near Me - Sacramento, California

This is a mom and pop hole in the wall shop that had the most decadent delicious Arabian "booza", aka stretchy ice cream with pistachios! I was pleasantly surprised by how creamy and chewy the ice cream was, and it wasn't too sweet either. The pistachios on top were a great balance to the texture. It was cool seeing them prepare it for us, because they take this log of ice cream out from a plastic container in the freezer. I had thought it was a cake roll at first! The price was a bit steep at $8, but it was definitely worth trying! We also were verrrry tempted by all the pastries that were displayed, such as the baklava. The only thing was that there were absolutely no signs, names of items, menus, or prices to look at. We just pointed and asked for what we wanted. I have no idea what two pastries we tried, but they were good! We didn't know the price until we paid, and they initially accidentally charged us $39 for the ice cream and two pastries, so make sure to double check before you pay, because it turned out it was the bill for the lady before us. The ice cream ended up being $8, and the pastries were $2 each. I'd come back if I ever crave the ice cream again! read more

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Picked up on a Sunday morning from Sham Sweets two dozens of freshly made Spinach and Cheese filled Fatayer ( middle eastern appetizers ) and two trays of Syrian turn overs and baklava to take to an impromptu picnic , Everything was delicious and well liked by all at the picnic. I highly recommend this place . read more

Delicious delicious delicious! So good!!! I had the baklava and it was so fresh and perfect! read more

Sham Sweets - a hand holding a piece of food - Desserts Near Me - Sacramento, California

تجربتي كانت رائعة مع شام سويت الحمدلله طلبت في مناسبتين عندي الناس كتير حبت الأكل صراحة جداً لذيذ ونظيف ومرتب والحلو نظيف مرتب ومعاملة راقية شكراً كتير شام سويت read more

The food was great as was the customer service. Highly recommend for authenticity. The meat pies were good as the ice cream was perfect as were the Turkish delights. read more

If you want a little piece of the Middle East and you haven't tried Sham Sweets yet, then what are you doing! After trying this place once, I was HOOKED. I came back again this time with some friends to bless their tastebuds with this delicious dessert. This dessert is unique and definitely not seen in the United States very often. It is stretchy ice cream known as booza. The most traditional flavor you can get is the qashta/ashta flavor. Each cup is ~$5 and is well worth the price! The owner, Ayman, cuts up the pieces and puts it in a beautiful cup with a rose design. The Ashta flavor includes Pistachios too, which add a little crunch and balances the sweetness of the Ashta. It was super creamy and filling. It really hits the spot after a good meal, a long day, or just about any time! I HIGHLY recommend trying this particular flavor along with their many other Middle Eastern desserts if you're looking to satisfy that sweet tooth. read more

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THE best place for Knafe! We had ours freshly made and there are no words to describe how delicious it was. They offer a great variety of middle eastern sweets, teas, and coffee. Soooo good read more

Sham Sweets - Knafe - Desserts Near Me - Sacramento, California

Great selection, and some of the best baklava I've had. I can't believe someone gave them three stars for "language barrier". Just point to what you want Karen. For me, the language barrier demonstrates authenticity. Someone brought their skill, art, and craft to our city and I am very grateful they did. Highly recommend. read more

We were having dinner nearby and checked for desserts around the area and Sham Sweets popped up. We had two Booza's (arabian ice cream) and they were the BEST we've ever had, so rich in flavours you can tell the ingredients used were all fresh and of high quality. They also had more Ice cream options like plain booza without pistachio and other flavours.. We also got a couple of desserts from the display togo they were all delicious and the nuts used in the deserts are so fresh and crunchy. read more

Sham Sweets - "Booza" Arabian Ice Cream. - Desserts Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Service are great Friendly staff and the sweet taste sooo good, I purchased variety of sweets and they all tasted so good, for sure I will be back soon. Each time I ran out of pistachios Mamool, I will drive from San Francisco to Sacramento to get it, because it worths the drive read more

Baklava was great ice cream was frost bitten and tastes like it has been that was for awhile for charging premium prices I would expect some quality control read more

Yummy tasty kunafa and Syrian sweets that's the best hands down in Northern California.

A hidden gem! Such an amazing place! From the decor to the music. The Desserts are fresh and delicious. I tried the Halawat Jobn( cheese dessert), Basbousa which was so tasty, and the Konafa was mouth watering! Customers can eat there which is very nice! The staff is friendly and welcoming. read more

I will never return to this sweet shop again. We bought 4 maamools and they were very old and taste like old bread. I also bought beklava and mabrooma the beklava tastes like bread and sugar with no flavor at all. The mabrooma had no taste and I bought 8 pieces he gave me 5 end pieces with very little pistachios in them. I felt I was cheated. Looks like he makes large quantities and they stay for a long time in his shop to expire and he keeps selling them. read more

I would give more stars if I could. I'm Palestinian so you can trust me when I say the middle eastern desserts here are freakin AMAZING!!!! Tastes so authentic and fresh, I tried a little bit of everything and they're super generous with the cheese in the knafeh and the pistachios on the different phyllo sweets. I also tried the arabic ice cream and that was amazing too. read more

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This place is one of the most authentic arab desserts I've had in the U.S. It reminded me of back home, you won't get a more authentic taste than this gem. Even their ice cream was spot on. I'm going to come here more often. I bought ice cream and other desserts, that I forgot to take a picture of them. It's a family owned business, they're very friendly and helpful with first time customers. read more

Sham Sweets - Desserts Near Me - Sacramento, California

Wow. I'm so glad I tried this place. It was literally impossible to find at night because their sign isn't lit, but it's to the left of the martial arts studio behind Mountain Mike's pizza in the plaza. I came here on the recommendation of a Palestinian friend, Mona the mana'eesh lady. I'm so glad she recommended it. I tried an assortment of sweets and will gladly come back for more until I try every last one. Everything tasted exceptionally fresh and not too sweet. I was hoping for booza but I didn't see any at the time. Maybe none due to Covid? I hope they bring it back read more

Sham Sweets - Various sweets - Desserts Near Me - Sacramento, California