Amazing food and service! The people here are amazing and welcoming and the food was top notch. 10/10 recommend this place.

What an incredible find! Hala Café is an absolute gem tucked away on Shaenfield Rd. The food, the service, and the overall experience were all amazing. The staff here could not have been friendlier. I had never heard of shrak before, so I asked about it. The waitress actually went into the kitchen, and a sweet lady came out moments later with some for me to try! That kind of genuine hospitality is rare these days. For anyone unfamiliar, shrak is similar to a tortilla--thin, soft, and perfect for scooping up all the deliciousness. The food itself was outstanding. The yellow rice was incredibly flavorful--long, fluffy grains cooked just right. Rice may sound simple, but making it this good takes skill, and they absolutely nailed it. I ordered the beef kabobs with rice and salad, and everything was cooked perfectly. The beef was tender, juicy, and seasoned beautifully. Portions were generous, and the whole meal left me looking forward to my next visit. I honestly didn't know Jordanian-inspired Mediterranean food in San Antonio could be this good! Hala Café is definitely a spot I'll be coming back to again and again. read more

Hala Cafe - Huge delicious fresh bread - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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We wanted to try something new and this hidden gem popped up! It's a quiet restaurant with a warm atmosphere. The food was great and the service was excellent! The lady took great care of us and offered us falafel (which was delicious)! Highly recommend if you want to try something new with excellent service! read more

Food and service were top notch! Best lamb I've had in a while, when they found out it was our first time there, they brought out naan bread and hummus on the house and it did not disappoint! From the dolma, to the delicious lamb, ending the meal with a fantastic dessert, couldn't be happier! Give this place a try, you won't be disappointed!! read more

Hala Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Awesome and friendly service. Clean, and quiet. Dinner and dessert was delicious. Hookah bar is attached. read more

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Service was over the top, 10/10 Staff was knowledge, chose the hookah blue mist flavor and did not disappoint. Good music, clean and friendly. Would highly recommend. read more

Hala Cafe - Teapot - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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After an event I looked on Google to see what restaurants were around. Hala Cafe popped up and i wanted to support local and it was Mediterranean food! We first thought it was closed, but realized it was at the back of the parking lot. A young guy greeted us and had us sit wherever letting us k ow there was outside seating too. I got their popular dish. Eh. It was okay. Not something I'd get again. They're open until 2a. And apparently are busy at that time too! read more

Hala Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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I had a great experience. I got warak enab and chicken shwarma. Both were very juicy and flavorful. For dessert I had the kunafeh which was the first good one I've had since moving to San Antonio. Will be returning and inviting friends. read more

Hala Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Slow Wednesday at lunchtime and immediately struck by the sweet smelling hookah as you walk in. There's only one server but she was so sweet and helpful. The food is delicious and the portions are very generous!! Hummus is served with large freshly cooked naan that arrives warm and all was flavorful. The plate shown here is the chicken tikka. The dressing on the salad is phenomenal tasting of fresh herbs almost like a pesto with a nice basil undertone. The rice was light and flavorful and the chicken too while also being tender. The charred tomato and peppers added a nice touch. I'd definitely return to this cutely decorated cafe. read more

Hala Cafe - Chicken Tikka plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

The ambiance with the music and the flavorful smell of hookah greets you as you walk in. If you like hot tea, you need to try the Iraqi tea and even better with some honey. It's a fragrant cardamom tea. The lamb tikka plate and beef tikka plate were very flavorful and the meat was tender. I really enjoyed the dressing on the salad too. The rice was tasty! Our server was attentive and helpful and courteous. I would say the only bad thing is it was hard to eat with the little plastic fork. read more

Hala Cafe - Iraqi hot tea - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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I just recently tried Hala cafe for the 1st time , it didn't disappoint at all from the hot and fresh bread to their appetizers and main course, it's really worth the try I give it 100/10 read more

A cute little place just off the road. Parking could be an issue as it's a shared lot. Family owned business. Service was nice. Did take out, ordered a gyro plate with veg rice and a salad. Gyro meat looked like it wasn't shaved off a pit, it was more like frozen. Pita was huge and just thrown into a bag with the sauce. Not very appetizing. I may give it another shot with other items, I do want to believe it's good based on reviews but my first impression wasn't very good. read more

Service is a bit slow so don't come in hangry because there's only one person serving for the entire dining area, food is phenomenal and generous servings, clean tables and overall a great hidden gem otherwise read more

Hala Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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A little spot hidden off of Shaenfield rd in Alamo ranch. The venue is rly cool and feels authentic, but the food doesn't compare to others I've had in the past or even in the area. The service was nice but not my first choice for someplace to eat. read more

Enjoyed eating lunch here. The pita bread was so thin and tasty! The baba ghanoush was very flavorful and smoky. The gyro plate was very filling. Rice was light and had a delicious taste. read more

Hala Cafe - Gyro Plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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I was excited to try this place because it has good reviews, it's close to my home and I like supporting local. It is a little hidden, but GPS does take you to the right place. We went on a Saturday for dinner. The place only had two other patrons when we arrived. The service was a little spotty. We asked for plates twice. We were served and not given utensils. To be fair, the server was also the cashier. The food was also a little spotty. I am not an expert in this type of cuisine, but I've had similar in the past. The price is similar to those popular Mediterranean restaurant in town. Hummus: it was good. A good serving for an appetizer. The bread wasn't that great. It was thin and flavorless. 5/5 for the hummus 3/5 for the bread Dolmas: serving is four. They were served warm. The sauce that came with them reminded me of tzatziki sauce, but it was very thick and didn't have the typical flavor of tzatziki sauce. 4/5 Falafel wrap: good size. Good flavor. Came with fries. The fries were good too. 5/5 Lamb Tikka: the lamb was flavorful. They served a good portion of it. The rice was bland. The salad was ok. Some of the lettuce was wilted and the dressing was lacking flavor. 4/5 When you're done eating, you pay at the register. Parking is on site, but shared. read more

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Delicious spot for veggie eggplant baba ghanouj, hummus, pitas and tabouli salads. Kebabs could use some spice to them but the falafels are delicious and crispy. Recommend grabbing some tea boxes on your way out. They have some exotic flavors of tea read more

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I'm sure this place is super great and I'm sure that the food is good but my boyfriend and I waited for almost 25 minutes before we received a menu and even longer for someone to come and take our order. After our order, we waited for what felt like 7-10 minutes and didn't even get our drinks. Usually I don't mind waiting, but after my 10 hour shift at work I was super hungry and I could not wait, so we left. Host was super nice and the server was as well. If you are a non smoker, I recommend sitting outside because the place inside has a smoking stench that's kind of overwhelming. Didn't try the food but it does look pretty good, wish I had the patience to stay. read more

We ended up here for dinner on Sunday night with our party of 10 and didn't realize it was a hookah joint too. However, the hookah area was outside and we non smokers enjoyed our food inside in the family area. The place is clean and the food was decent. We got a family platter, plus hummus and some wraps. Everything was good except the lamb kabobs were overdone and chewy. The poor server was alone but did a good job managing us inside and all the hookah customers outside. The area is kinda sketchy but there's ample parking with decent lighting outside. Check it out. read more

Hala Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Came with a friend during lunch as soon as they opened which was around 1pm. HANDS DOWN THE BEST MEDITERRANEAN I'VE TRIED HERE IN SA SO FAR!! It was a little awkward going as soon as they opened because we were the only customers for a few hours but.. service was great. Interesting though... they serve water in bottled water and all the forks and knifes were from one of those take-out plastic ware bundles.. I guess they don't like doing dishes haha But other than that the food was super good. We got hummus with naan as appetizer and it was super good ! For dessert we tried the Baklavah? that was enough for two people to share! I got the Lamb Tikka plate which was really really delicious. Lots of meat and portion size was good. I will definitely be back with others. I believe this place is also a hookah lounge and they open until 2am. They do have outdoor seating too fyi read more

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Good food, fun place great for having out with friends specially when they have love music

Ordered kabobs plate , very dry tough meat , cold , seems to be made by non Middle Easterners

crazy environment with people everywhere. took a good minute to be helped at the front desk. arrived for a DoorDash order, there was even 2-3 ready already. stated the name, they said they go check on it. it wasn't even being prepared till I said something. just be aware if your dashing... read more

Homemade taste, decent prices. Need separate dining area, away from nargile at least for lunch patrons. read more

I was really looking for trying this place. After work, I stopped by to get something to go. The place looked so clean, flies all over the place, but I thought I'll give it a chance. I order the Hala hummus, I was looking forward to enjoy it at home. The pictures speaks for itself hummus is watery, extremely salty, and the beef is greasy. The worst part was the pita bread. It literally smelled rancid and it was so stiff even heating it up didn't make a difference. I will never go back to this place $13 for nothing !! read more

Hala Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Food is always freshly made and the customer service is always friendly and accommodating! Very welcoming and homey, they also do events posted on their Facebook page! read more

We finally got to try this place. Visited during lunch hour on a weekday and it wasn't packed at all. Service was good and the server, which I think was the owner, was quite pleasant. We ordered the lamb and beef shawarma. It came with a salad as well. We also ordered Falafel as an appetizer. That was outstanding. Perfectly crisp and hot. When the main course came out it wasn't piping hot, just warm. The taste of the food was good. What we didn't like: There was pickle somewhere on the falafel plate or my plate, which threw me off. The naan or bread was hard and thin. Not warm at all. Also, they gave us plastic utensils to use for our meal. Kind of hard to cut thick cuts of meat with a thin plastic knife. Even one of our forks broke. Will we return? Not sure. read more

This place is amazing! We are getting more into mediterranean food after one of our friends introduced this to us and this restaurant is one of the best. Let's start from the SERVICE, you'll be treated well. The time we visited it wasn't crowded, we chose the seat inside but they also have outside sitting and I guess it's really fun with group of people. The crew were really nice and recommend sides or food that can be partnered with your food. About the FOOD, it's a holly molly DELI! Let's start with appetizer that hummus with chick peas and black olives they have this taste that you will keep on eating. Then we ordered Chicken Shawarma and Gyro. The Gyro has this balance taste of lamb and beef and I really enjoyed it. I didn't forget their chili sauce, it's so flavorful, I guess they should sell that as well in a jar, they'll have a sure buyer here! The place is clean and have enticing Interior, the backyard looks fun from afar, we didn't check the backyard like going there but you can see it from the entrance of the restaurant. Overall experience was great and we will surely come back! You can check @houradventure on instagram and facebook to see more food reviews and travel! read more

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Celebrated Mothers Day here and had such a nice time! It was quiet and beautiful ambience. The staff was so welcoming and hospitable. We had a party of 7 and we're able to sit no problem. We sat inside and enjoyed the music. The even have belly dancers on Saturday evenings. We had a more than a few questions with it being our first time and the staff were very nice and answered them all. The falafel and dolma were very delicious. We did a family platter as well! Which was so so good! Everything about the experience was enjoyable and we will definitely be back! If you also enjoy hookah they also offer that too. If your in the area this authentic Jordanian restaurant is a must try! read more

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My beautiful wife and I ate here early on a Tuesday evening. We are new to the area and wanted to try Hala Cafe as we are always looking for great middle eastern cuisine. This is a small, quiet and cozy restaurant tucked away in a small shopping center, just the kind of place we like. Atmosphere was very pleasant, service was great,portion sizes were very generous and our food was very flavorful. This is a great restaurant to sit and enjoy the company of that very special someone and escape the packed, loud ,rushed " ambiance " of some of the more "popular " places. We were so pleased to have discovered this gem of an establishment. I would highly recommend Hala Cafe on Shaefield. This may very well become our new favorite place. read more

Amazing food! Great service!! Perfect ambiance, I love this place. I highly recommend it!!! read more

This quant cafe is tucked away behind Walgreens right next to a smoke shop and my wife and I are incredibly happy that we found it! The food here is great! We had the babaganouj and beef tikka. Both were made to order served with a side of naan, rice, and salad. They also offer hookah with a huge variety of flavors which they allow you to smoke inside. I would highly recommend this place to anyone for a late night eat or quick lunch bite. read more

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Hala Cafe used to be the only halal restaurant in the area but now that there are 4-5 within a few miles of this restaurant, I hope these guys can pick up the quality and taste of their food. I also hope they can work on their customer service. The taste is average. Chicken is okay but rice is definitely good. We had the chicken over rice platter and I didn't really think it was that special or worth it. The fact they charge you for hot sauce on the side is crazy. Their service is subpar. I called on the phone to see if they served white or dark chicken meat and they didn't know/wanted to check with the kitchen. When we arrived we finally found out it was breast meat. The ambiance is also not the place to dine-in if you are not a fan of hookah. The smell was so strong that we actually had to leave a little early and pack our food. I will say that this is our fault as we should've checked it was a hookah bar but I was hoping that the hookah area would be separate. Overall not a bad place for a quick bite. Food is decent and prices are okay. Service isn't awful but not amazing. Ambiance is not good for anyone that isn't into hookah. The smell is strong. read more

This review is not impacted by COVID, but regardless of the pandemic or not, proper protocols in handling food product, no matter where you go, should always be followed by everyone. Ordered from here tonight for my wife and I. She gets the Chicken Tikka Plate, I get the beef. Comes with a side of Mediterranean salad. Which, tastes fresh. We're both enjoying it and even agree that we would order from here again. My wife had observed the orange pepper, not sure what it was or to even eat it. But, she ended up liking it so much that she mixed it with her salad. Then, out of nowhere, she's spitting out her food saying, "Oh my God! No way! It did not!" I sit up in my chair and look over at her plate. Guess what I see? If you're wondering, I called the restaurant and asked the person who answered if they had an employee that was wearing bejeweled fake fingernails and if they were missing one. Reason I mention that is because I have an idea of where they could find it. The owner called me from the restaurant and his cell, but I have yet to call him back because I'm still frustrated at the moment. I've amended it to 2 stars and edited my original review, but the emotions of shock, surprise, and disgust are still prevalent. We both ended up throwing up. read more

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the food it's not bad at all , actually the beef spice pretty well . Salads and vegetables was served fresh. Things that I didn't like :1. We got silverware . I can understand if I did take out to the food , but if I sit in the restaurant it doesn't appropriate. 2. For my knowledge a place that call himself a "Mediterranean" restaurant, need to be more generous with bread and maybe to serve with more sides beside the meal . 3. I think that the place is overpriced. read more

Hala Cafe - Hot Beverages - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Too loud and inconsiderate for families living near by. Attempt to call management and they are just as rude. I'd hate to give my service when people act this way. Not worth my time or money! read more

Public don't go to this place. Just the exterior of the restaurant should be warning enough to not go there but the food is terrible. They share the parking lot with a hookah smoking place tucked away behind a kids daycare. Inside of restaurant was ok and clean though. I ordered the chicken tikka and as you can see in the photo it was charcoal and burned rather than tender or juicy. It was very dry and I had to chew on it forever. The salad dressing had a very strong flavor of basil. Well not everyone likes basil that strong so please leave the dressing on the side. Rice appeared ok but flavor was bland. Worst part of the whole experience was this place is very expensive! That plate of bad food in the photo was $18 after taxes and I usually pay $13-14 in other Mediterranean places with better food. I think the good reviews for this place are deceiving. Beware! read more

Hala Cafe - Burned chicken pieces - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

The food is excellent, the service is fast and friendly. The owner was able to help us with a last minute large order and was very generous, helpful and kind. Hidden gem read more

Fries are incredible, great seasoning. The burger has a nice middle eastern flare to it, thinner patty than an average burger but it has a nice sauce and fresh veggies. It could be improved. The beef shawarma had a generous portion of meat which is a huge plus for this place. The flavor was alright, nothing special. I imagine the chicken shawarma is more popular. read more

Great spot with so many options that are healthy and vegan. Ordered the falafel sandwiches for the first time and was amazed it tasted just like home Came with a side of fries. Definitely a must try, the owner is always there making sure you're taken cared of and they have plenty of hookah supplies read more

Hala Cafe - Falafel Sandwich fries - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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