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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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

Thank you Hala Cafe for being amazing! Hands down my new favorite restaurant. Food, staff, and hookah were all incredible. AND they are open until 2 am DAILY, not just on the weekends! This will 100% be my new spot after my late night classes, too! Very happy that they're on the west side. So happy to have some good food and good people near by! The staff made us feel beyond welcomed. Can't wait to go back and see everyone again! read more

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This place has AMAZING fresh food! After a trip to New York I never thought I would be able to get great Halal food right here in San Antonio and so close to my house. My favorite is the falafel and the hummus! The salad is fresh with a homemade basil salad dressing, so good! The hummus is creamy with a great lemon and sesame flavor, it is honestly one of the best ones I have ever had! The falafel has a crispy outside and cakey inside with a great flavor. It comes with an awesome dipping sauce. I'm not sure what is in the sauce but it is soooo good and kind of like a thin curry and probably laced with heroine. My son loves the beef kabobs and dips them in the hummus. Very good and well seasoned. The chicken shawarma is excellent. The meat has a great tasting seasoning and comes with a cream dipping sauce. Again, I'm not sure what's in the sauce, but it is amazing! Both types of rice are good, perfectly cooked with great flavor, it just depends on my mood. Everything we have tried has been excellent. We ate there 3 times in the week we 1st tried it and it is now a regular part of our routine. We only had 1 problem with any of our orders and the manager made it right. Great place! The outdoor patio looks amazing and we will have to sit out there once all this pandemic crap is over. The patio is open, that is just our personal preference to get our food to go. read more

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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

What a pleasant little gem to find out in the far northwest side of town! Delicious Mediterranean food with a Jordanian twist. The hummus tasted so fresh, the gyro meat so well seasoned, the chicken was the right amount of juicy, the rice was a tangy yumminess and the baklava just the right amount of sweet. Excellent service, I was lucky it wasn't packed when I went - seems to get busy on Saturdays. The ambiance seems to get real when they have shows, from what I heard. If in the area, this is a must for a great carnival for the taste buds! read more

I cannot believe I have waited this long to try this spot....the food is outrageously delicious! I ordered food to go....chicken Tikka and hummus...the chicken was seasoned to perfection and they did such a fantastic job of not drying out the meat, it was cooked perfectly. The rice and salad are the perfect compliment to the chicken....the salad has a nice delicate but perfectly blended dressing, the rice is splendid and very flavorful! The service and staff were very friendly and efficient...I am kinda sad that I didn't try it sooner but now that I know it is so amazing....I will be back! Loved it!!! read more

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

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We're in from Houston for the weekend and came here for dinner. Husband got the gyro plate DELISH. I got the chicken shawarma plate DOUBLE DELISH. We also got hummus and it was so good. Our baby loved it. The portions are pretty big, the food was great, and the service was awesome. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. read more

I'm so glad we came to this restaurant. The food was outstanding, we ordered the chicken tikka plate and the Gyro plate. Both delicious! Everything was fresh and the service was right in point. Next time we go we'll try the hookah. Oh and they have a beautiful patio and although is a bit hot right now, we'll definitely seat outside once a is cooler. I totally recommend for you to visit this gem! Thanks Khaled. read more

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

Unassuming spot tucked in the back of a little shopping strip off Shaenfeld rd. The to go food was packaged well and the service was fine ordering and picking up. The chicken schwarma was not what I was expecting, it was like a chicken burrito/panini?! The dill pickles in the wrap threw me off to. Flavorful but not what I expected. The hummus had good flavor but it was doused in too much oil. We didn't care for the naan/dosa bread it came with, very hard and thin. I did like the dressing on the salad. We saw high reviews and I'm glad folks enjoy it but it wasn't for us. read more

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Very delicious fresh food ! I have been here several times already and never disappoints. My favorite dish is the chicken tikka, and their Turkish cafe is one of a kind. read more

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

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This place is a hidden gem! Had their Chicken Shawarma Sandwich and Chicken Tikka Sandwich let me tell you what.. this is the most authentic tasting food I've had in a while everything made in house just a flavor explosion! I 100% recommend not just for their amazing food but also their outstanding service!! make sure to ask for Issa! She provided an amazing 1st time experience I will definitely be adding this to my go to spots I didn't even have time to take pictures! but here's the aftermath.. absolutely clean plates! Come try for yourself!! read more

Hala Cafe - The aftermath of Chicken Tikka Sandwich and Chicken Shawarma Sandwich - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

To go order prepared quickly by kitchen staff. Had beef kabob which was DELICIOUS! Loved roasted tomato and sweet pepper. Beef schwarma and chicken schwarma were really good. Rice was plentiful and delicious. Did not care for green dressing on salad. Great meal! read more

Their grilled chicken skewers are amazing. I have only gotten takeout but I think this place is fantastic.

Tasty middle Eastern food and open late so very convenient. The baba ganoush was especially good.

Food was great. Our waiter was friendly and helpful. We got the hummus, babaganoush, and Jajeek (which was new for us). This is a Jordanian influenced cafe, so the dressings and flavors were a bit different. But....still really good. Seems like it may be more of a take out focused place, as not a lot of tables and could be plenty more in the space. Again, not a detractor, just an observation. My wife got the falafel platter....which I feel like it had 20, but probably 8-10.....which was still a ton....and tasted great. My son got the chicken shawarma and I got the lamb tikka. The lamb was a bit over cooked.....but the flavor was good nonetheless. Not a perfect place.....but one I would return to as the food and staff make it repeatable. read more

This honestly was one of the best service experiences I've ever had. Our server was top tier and went above and beyond. The food was delicious !! It was hot, fresh, and flavorful. We ate late at night so for everything to be amazing I was thoroughly impressed. Most of the people there were smoking hookah so the vibe was more like a hookah spot than a restaurant on a Friday late night. We are 20 something's so we enjoyed the music playlist! Wish I took more pics of the food my stomach had other plans. read more

Hala Cafe - Chicken Wings Appetizer - Middle Eastern Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I used to always order from this place and I was trying to place an order and nobody acknowledged me for about 5 minutes, their Doordash tablet was ringing, another person came to pick up an order and the front guy who I believe is the owner was talking to another person who I think was also an employee or family member for about 2 minutes without even asking me if I was helped already, I know I am just 1 customer and they gonna be still doing good without my business but not even a 'have you been helped yet?' or anything, I am not ordering from here ever again read more

My first time at this place and was definitely worth the leap of faith to try it. The staff was great and so was the food, very low-key place to eat with friends and family. read more

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When I travel I love to try new places. I stumbled across Hala Cafe as it was close to my hotel and I love middle eastern food. I had the Falafel for an appetizer and the Lamb Tikka Plate for my main course. The falafel was nice and crisp on the outside and had a soft delicious mix on the inside. It was served with hummus and garnished with these tasty little spicy pickles. The lamb was tender and had an excellent taste. It came with two types of rice and both were delicious. The gentleman that took my order was courteous and the staff were wearing masks as well. I am looking forward to going back and trying the gyro plate. read more

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

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Great service. Food is really good. I personally like the gyro sandwich and greek salad. Very good atmosphere, I highly recommend this cafe.

This is the closest experience you will ever get to visiting an Arabic neighborhood Shisha and coffee house in the United States that you would find in Arab countries. Of course no alcohol is served. It was crowded with mainly all middle eastern men playing cards, dominos and backgammon. Many people smoking shisha which at the end of the meal was bothering me. Loud Arabic music playing with TVs showing various soccer and basketball games. This is the equivalent of a sports bar without the alcohol. Outdoor patio seating was comfortable except for the shisha smokers who arrived mid meal. Very authentic with a cat coming around the outdoor area wanting to be petted and fed. The only women employees were in the kitchen cooking. A box of Kleenex on each table added a touch of authenticity. Now for the food. The hummus was absolutely delicious. The Hala ground beef sandwich was good, I have had better. My dinner mate said the chicken shawarma was fine. I had the Iraqi tea and it was excellent. It was served with honey or sugar. I had it with honey. Plastic cutlery and wait staff helpful. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the restaurant, indoor and outdoor patio. The food was great, we were able to try various different dishes and it was all delicious. I wish they offered gluten free options with the appetizers i.e. tortilla chips or cucumber slices instead of pita. Keep in mind this is a hookah bar, so there is obviously smoking on the outdoor patio. I'm making plans to return for dinner and hangout with friends. read more

Definitely pros and cons here. The good: the food is hot, fresh, tasty, very good. Large portions also. The weird: We went on a July day (very hot 100* degrees) and they immediately took us to an outdoor table in the sun with men standing around smoking cigarettes. We asked if we could sit indoors in the AC and were met with a blank stare and silence. They seated us indoors. The bad: You are not told this (although I think another reviewer mentioned it), but if you order water to drink, they will bring you plastic bottled water and charge you $2.25 for each. My girls always get water at a restaurant and we ended up paying almost $7 for 3 waters. Not cool. Just a heads up. The service is very slow. I've been here twice now, and both times I had to wait at least 10 minutes after finishing eating and waiting for the check when I finally give up and just walk and stand at the register until someone comes and rings up the bill for me. I guess that is how it is done here, so don't expect them to bring the check to you. Bottom line: A bit hard to find, slow service, $$ for water, but great authentic Mediterranean food. I hope my tips help you have an enjoyable experience! read more

Great food, nice people, I took my kids here, and they loved the food.the place is a bit off the beated path, but well worth finding.

My mom ordered food from here using Uber Eats and went on and on about how good it was so we decided to go as a family Sunday afternoon. When we first drove up we weren't sure we were in the right place as the restaurant is set back behind the buildings that you can see from the street. We made our way back to the parking lot and saw that the restaurant was next to to a Vape Store. We got a bit nervous as we were taking my elderly mom and brother in for food and wandered about the ambiance. We couldn't have been more wrong!!! The restaurant is clean, spacious and inviting. The staff VERY friendly. And the food.... Wow! We eat Mediterranean fold often and this was one of the best Mediterranean meals we've had in San Antonio!! Highly recommend! Very, very good!! read more

I've always seen this restaurant but never stopped by until today. I cannot stress enough how DELICIOUS the food was, our server was absolutely amazing. He recommended the platter that feeds 4 to our group of 4. We had steak kebab, chicken and lamb, rice, salad and hummus. Everything was to die for!!! I initially thought the chicken kebab would be dry but NOPE, it was tender and full of flavor. Our waiter knew it was our first time and since we decided to just chill at the table and talk, he brought our table over a pot of cardamom tea and WOW! He also gave us the Little Judy dessert which is absolutely incredible. We were definitely impressed and want to go back very soon. read more

Great food. Splendid service. Secluded and quiet. Ambiance was perfect. I can hardly wait to go back!

I've been coming here regularly for a couple years now. I mainly eat here but have done hookah a few times as well. The service is always great they check up on you frequently and make sure everything is running smoothly. The food is also very consistent and really good never disappoints and it's a good size portion and variety you get with one plate. One time late at night they passed out of on their desserts complimentary which I thought was nice and makes you feel at home. read more

After eating some of the best shawarma I've ever had during our trip to the east coast, I was craving some again today, and this place was near our house, had good reviews, so I figured we'd give it a try. First off, it's a bit hard to find, hidden in the back of the parking lot where they're at, just keep driving, you will find it (I almost thought it wasn't there). I like the atmosphere of the place. It's a combination of a restaurant/hookah bar, so it's open late and a nice place to relax with friends. (We didn't stay for the hookah tonight, as we had our daughter with us, but maybe another time.) I ordered the Chicken Shawarma wrap, my wife ordered the Chiken Tikka wrap. Both sandwiches were great. Not quite on the same tier as the best I've ever had, but definitely good and who knows if I'd be able to find better in San Antonio (I'll test that theory over the next few months before we move). It did feel like it was a bit lacking on the garlic sauce, but the meat was well seasoned and overall it tasted good. Fries that came with the sandwiches are pretty standard, not the best ever, not the worst. Overall, I'd recommend this place, and should we still be in the area when I'm next looking for some Mediterranean food (or should I be looking to combine food and hookah), we'll be back. read more

The gyro sandwich didn't meet expectations. We ordered two and asked for extra yogurt sauce. Both sandwiches had only two thins slices of tomato and red onion. There was no lettuce and definitely didn't appear to have extra yogurt sauce as there was barely any on there to begin with. I definitely wouldn't come back here for any sandwich, especially since the fries that come with it are low quality as well. Perhaps their plates are better quality, but I'm not sure I'll give them another shot. read more

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

Holy moly, went there for lunch today with my son. What a great time we had, the cucumber/ yogurt dip was wonderful with naan. We ordered both beef and lamb skewer plates. The vegetable rice was amazing along with the salad and dressing. Then, the main course of lamb and beef...I should have stopped eating but I couldn't !!! This place is a hidden jem off Shaenfield Rd. Look closely, it sandwiched between a Day Care center and a Head Shop...It is also a hookah bar but don't let that fool you. The Middle Eastern food here is to me, unmatched in San Antonio... Come in and try it... It will blow you away! Oh, the service is amazing also...Love this place. read more

This is a gem. Food is delicious and portions are generous. Staff is excellent. On a beautiful day like today the patio was perfect. We will be back. There are so many more things I want to try I had the chicken tikka which was fabulous. My daughter had the chicken Shawarma. My son had the gyro and my husband had the Hala Baghdad. All wonderful. We topped it off with most excellent cardamom tea. Tea and chicken shawarma. read more

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

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Great food! My daughter and I Enjoyed it very much. Great atmosphere. It's beats eating the same food a the time. Change is good:)

Great food and atmosphere, more people need to know about this place. Food is amazing and great place for a night hang out!!!!

Food was decent for delivery. Would definitely go back again. Price matched quality,

Naadem was so awesome very informative of hookahs and so glad he was our waiter. We were so thankful he waited on us and we have been to other hookah places and this has been the best place that we have been too. The owner came out and introduced himself as well. I highly recommend this place the atmosphere was so nice. read more

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

Such a chill vibe and very great food! Enjoyed every second of being here. Customer service was spot on and welcoming. read more

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

This spot was pretty decent the salad had mint dressing I don't particularly care for and heavy on paprika but meat and hummus were bomb I will be coming back for lamb gyro read more

Wonderful tasting food. The wait staff very knowledgeable about everything on the menu. This was very helpful.