Came here recently off-the-cuff on a date and had a decent time...especially since it was one of the only places that was still letting patrons in past 1am when we came here lol. Sahara is one of those spots in the Dyckman/Inwood area that is in the cut that you might not catch right away but will have to venture along the strip by the 1 train. It's close to other lounges in the area that are more or less the same in music, dining and drinks. The service here was very good and inviting. Music was at a decent level where it was lively and of course primarily Latin. Loud but not too loud that you can't hear the person that you're there with speaking to you. Drinks were on point as I had a frozen margarita on here and I believe a whiskey and coke. Both were strong just how I like it. Didn't get to try their food as their kitchen was closed when we got there but I doubt very much it will be the last time I attend here, so more than likely will give an updated review upon returning. read more

Sahara Cafe & Lounge - a hand holding a margarita - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

I tried some of the appetizers here. The calamari was very chewy. Had a very fishy taste. Never had calamari with so much breading before. The quesadillas were not good either. The chicken had an odd flavor. Not good quality meat. The sliders were decent but not great. The wings were very soggy. I didn't dine in. Got take out. read more

2nd time here for me and 1st time for my husband. We came yesterday to celebrate my husband's birthday and we have a great time. Our waitress Ruth was great, she is very friendly and helpful. We had some appetizers, drinks, and hookah, the prices were very affordable. I liked the atmosphere and the music, the place gets very crowded after 10:30-11:30. Just before leaving we had a problem with one of the securities who approached me in a very aggressive way to asked me to get out of the men restroom as it was the only one available and I needed to use it. He keep saying that I have to wait until a lady who has been in the woman restroom for 20 minutes got out and I told him that he should have knocked on her door instead to see if she was ok because she was taking forever. read more

Sahara Cafe & Lounge - Hookah - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

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On a monday night, I called ahead to make reservations and instead, she hung up on me. She did not even give me a name. When I called again and asked to speak to the manager she was extremely rude. I heard the food was good but HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE OVER THE PHONE. read more

Nice place to grab some Dominican food. They have a DJ you can dance to or listen while you smoke a hookah. I loved the mojito. The burger and fries stood out too. Good spot to come with your girlfriends. They could improve the speed at which your food arrives however. They can be understaffed when they fill up at night. read more

Sahara Cafe & Lounge - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

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This is a small lounge right off the one train. the drinks are pretty strong and the food is relatively good. Good place for a local night out. read more

Came here again on a Friday night with a friend. And of course, this place is still amazing. What I love about this place is that it's never really packed, it always has a good amount of people and I never have to wait to be seated. I always order Mojito pitchers when I come here, and boyyyy do they give me a hell of a hangover the next day, lmao. I don't mind it, though because they taste amazing. This time I bought the strawberry mojito and the mango mojito. Both were great, but I think the strawberry one might take the win here. The only minor problem I didn't like was that they opened a tab for both pitchers & charged gratuity. I'm assuming this was because when I tried to order another pitcher, the bartender said he wasn't making anymore past the time, but I politely asked again and he made it for me. So I guess that's why. I personally don't like when bars charge gratuity, because what if you didn't like the service? Do you still have to pay for bad service? (Btw the mojito pitchers are $34, not bad at all for something that will get you tipsy...I always buy this with one other person so we're sure to get hammered, lol). Either way, Sahara has GREAT service, so I don't mind paying gratuity for the service here. I definitely plan on coming here more this summer, but not too much- don't wanna get tired of it, hehe. :) read more

Sahara Cafe & Lounge - How can you EVER go wrong with mojito pitchers from Sahara? Priced at $35 each. ;) - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

I came here with my 2 girlfriends on a Saturday​ night around 11 pm​ and the waiter was extremely rude and unprofessional. Security had already checked our IDs before getting in and the waiter asked for our IDs AGAIN when ordering​ the Hookah​. I didn't see anyone else getting checked again once entering. She then explained how I would have to pay for the hookah in cash ($25). I went to the ATM that was there and it charged me $3.75. We decided to order a pitcher of margarita​ which came out to be around $45 with tax and tip. (Tip is already included in the receipt​.) What I found odd was the other waiter came by and explained​ we could have​ put the hookah on the bill so I could have​ paid with my card. Which makes no sense... because why didn't the other waiter explained that. The pitcher of margarita tasted like pure shit. They dump a bunch of syrup and sugar in it. I feel like they watered it down on purpose. I burned money at this place for bad customer service, horrible music and a pitcher​ of juice. The only reason I didn't give this place a 1 star was because the hookah was actually good. Maybe it was just a bad night and we got really unlucky. But If you want to go there...to be treated like a child to drink $45 pitcher of juice and listen to horrible music, by all means,​ go for it. read more

Wow love this place!! my new spot- the other places in the area are getting way too crowded. Nice balanced number of people. Celebrated my bday here 12/30/17. Coordinated with the VIP planner. She was amazing with making sure everything was perfect when I arrived. Nice gold decor interior. Alot of seating on 2 floors. Great bottles deal $300 (plus gratuity and tax) for 3 bottles and champagne (not bad at all!). We also got 2 hookahs. The vibe was exactly what I wanted mix of trap English/Spanish music. I had about 10 other people there with me. Everyone had a good time left after 2am. They stop serving food after 12am. Photographer comes around towards the end and takes photos of everyone which can be accessed later on online. read more

Sahara Cafe & Lounge - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

Food service is HORRIBLE ... I repeat HORRIBLE . Like we waited 2 1/2 hours or more for food and the place wasn't even packed which is why I review this place 3 stars that lowered my regards to the place. Also I didn't get what I ordered I wanted lobster stuffed with crab mix . But I was so hungry I didn't even complain about it . The food is great tho everything was fresh out the oven tasty beautiful plating. I got lobster stuffed with seafood mixture. The mojitos in general were great but strong , I like mines on the sweeter girly side so if ur like me make sure u tell them not to make it so strong trust me. The people who were with me ordered chofan and appetizers which were pretty good price points. The music there they played was great. It's not a place that good to bring children at all. read more

Sahara Cafe & Lounge - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

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A group of 14 of us decided to have dinner here to celebrate someone's birthday. The music was beyond LOUD & a lot of hookah but, it's expected it's a Friday night lounge in the InWood area. People said their drinks were good but, some of us experienced some issues with our meals. My friend ordered nachos; it arrived without black beans & when she said something they told her " there's no beans". I ordered mofoquitos de pollo & I clearly said please place the sauce on the side however, when it arrived the sauce was on it :/ this spot is probably just great to chill listen to music / order drinks and NOT to eat...... read more

Sahara Cafe & Lounge - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

Great food just need to learn the difference btw vegetarians is hard when ask for salmon and get pork n salmon but it was okay service was great, Food was great!! read more

Love the food, the environment and the waitress are extremely nice. The drinks especially minutos are my favorite and so is the churrasco! Every time I come I usually order a couple of coconut monjtos and churrasco with yuca fries read more

Sahara Cafe & Lounge - The mojitos are the best! I have honestly tasted every mojito they have and they're all great! - Lounges Near Me - New York, New York

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Very nice layout... the only upsetting things were the service and the food!! Ordered the mojitos, the carafes are small and only serve about 3 glasses, but the drinks are strong! We had a party of about 6... all of our appetizers came at different times. I was eating my entree when some of the people in my party didn't even get their appetizers... Ordered an avocado appetizer, waitress came back and stated that item was not available; so I ordered coconut shrimp. Once I got my shrimp: no coconut... and only 3 shrimps on a kebob stick..! My friend orders the beef empanadas which were super oily... appears like they don't change the cooking oil often. I ordered the salmon, which was fairly salty and the vegetables tasted like complete freezer burn...! Will never go back...! read more

I have been here on various occasions, different days of the week and different hours of the day, and I have never had a single complaint! Even before Sahara's renovation. The hostesses and waitresses are beautiful and attentive. My favorite gal is GABRIELA, she might be a hostess but do not be surprised if you see her walking around and making sure everyone is having a great time. The overall ambience of Sahara makes it a care-free, no drama, chill night in the Heights. Where you can come and dance the night away with friends or make new ones! And if you come during the day, ANY FOOD YOU GET, YOU WON'T REGRET!! Just trust me on this. Sahara Cafe and Lounge is literally a hidden treasure, far enough from the overcrowded mayhem of Dyckman. After your first visit, you'll want to keep coming back!! Tell Them You Read My Review, THANKSSSS! read more

Heavy Spanish music spot; even on the weekends. The bottles and hookah are same price as nearby spots, location is good and space was clean. Overall good experience, just major lack of mix music. read more

The music and vibe is nice but I wanted to order some food and each waiter kept telling me to ask another person and another person I became very annoyed. Then finally when someone would listen i was told the kitchen is close. The kitchen being close wasnt an issue but the run around for them to then tell me it's close was very annoying... also why must I tell the bartender how to make a screwdriver...isnt that bartender 101 I'm just saying the music is great that's why I was nice to give 2 stars but everything else was kind of annoying. read more

Came on a Friday after work and the place was a lil empty at first but as the night progressed it got full, noisy n loud. the food is good, drinks can be a lil stronger but overall pretty good. Service was great! Our server was engaging and tried her best to please. Def going back. read more

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My new spot.... other places in the heights are getting too crowded. We went on Friday February 15 for happy hour and we had a great time. The staff was attentive and friendly, the drinks strong, good and cheap and the appetizers tasted good. The place was clean and the bathroom was also clean. The DJ was playing great music and the hookah was good. read more

Great Dominican food and delicious drinks made with Dominican rum Brugal. Yummy. Look at the awesome pics. The food is delicious and the quantity is so much we could not finish it. The pre set menu is worth every penny. Go after 8 pm and you will see the crowd. Only issue is they didn't have Flan. So we settled with cheesecake and really delicious and warm brownie. read more

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This place is very chill . Love the music. The staff is very attentive even when it's extremely busy.

Ok food, good music - order your drinks and food when you get through the door though, or you may never see it. Took an hour and a half to get two drinks to a table and another drink never even came; meanwhile watch the bar area and there is no activity - barely anyone behind it even. Horrible service/ awkward atmosphere. read more

The food is delicious but the service is very poor. I had a bday brunch there and they didnt keep up with the 2 hours of drinks and they also mixed up the orders of food and took forever to serve the food. The server tried to also blame my guest by saying people took the wrong food. Had she taken the order correctly, she would of known which food to serve to the person. They didnt pickup or clean the plates from the table as people finish there meals either. Like I said the service was horrible. The area that I was having the brunch was not clean,full of boxes in a corner n it was not clean. A big disappointment. read more

When in for the first time cuz my friend was going to be the DJ there...like the atmosphere is typically a hispanic place with music...they have food and there drinks are great read more

Service is super slow. Servers / waitresses are lazy and stand around the bar During brunch service. Unlimited mimosa and sangria is not really unlimited you have to constantly ask them to refill your drink as they do not proactively serve you and check on the status of a table. Food over all was good and so was the hookah but service was slow and unacceptable. Staff needs better customer service training as they look mad to be at work. read more

Odalis and the girl with the long black hair have excellent customer service I bought my friend for her birthday and I had such an amazing time. They constantly checked up on us and have great attitude not to mention the drinks & food amazing and great price ! I like it so much I recommend it 100% low key chill spot read more

Great service and the waitress Ruth was very friendly and polite. She was very helpful when asking her about food and drinks options as it was my first time. However, before leaving there was security on duty who was very aggressive towards me and my wife, just because she needed to use the restroom and I let her go first and use the men restroom because someone on the ladies restroom was taking forever. He came screaming and was very disrespectful toward her. read more

Great prices, the food is avarage nothing fancy, i usually get appetizers. Bottle pieces are decent. Hookah prices are even better. Love the live djs they have. Staff is very attentive. read more

Great place to come with family and friends... Good music, excellent food, awesome staff, waitress are nice and cool... If you are looking for a place to have a good time with friends and also with family, this is the right place for it... And now that they have expanded the place, it is bigger and in the night is more like a lounge than a cafe. They put more hispanic music than other kind of music but thats good for me. read more

Horrible Service what restaurant does not have Black Pepper, this one. What restaurant does not have Parmesan Cheese to sprinkle on Ur Pasta this one. What restaurant do U have to fan away Flies to keep the off of Ur appetizers this one Right over Here! Crazy as Cat Sh*T! read more

Great Food horrible service, We took my mother for mothers day brunch yesterday and also first time going there and it was the worst decision ever, First, we were sitting upstairs supposedly "VIP" section where to get a drink from the unlimited brunch had to wait almost 15mins which I only got 5 mimosas out of the 2 hours we had for brunch and thats because we keep calling for refills, our waitress Lisbeth hardly came up check on us, and to see if our glasses were empty, luckily Gregory who wasnt even in charge of our table was the one attending to us, coming up asking if we needed anything and if we were ok. He was great with my mother making feel good regardless poor service from our Waitress.. I'm giving the one start for service not for food like I said the food was awesome, Gregory gets all the credit and 5 starts but sadly will not be going back!! read more

negative -- came in and waited a while at door waiting for hostess or waitress or somebody to greet and assign a table to us postive -- got a comfortable table for 2 postive -- no pressure to buy bottle service negative -- waitresses and waiters are not attentive you have to wave for them to notice you negative and postive -- ordered a bottle of wine and a mixed drink. bottle of wine was brought to table already opened (a no no) but mojito ordered was well made negative -- ordered food but waitress did not write down order and order was brought to table incomplete -- not sure why restaurants allow their wait staff to not write orders --- it is pretty basic thing to do and avoids mixups, customer dissatisfaction, and all the fixes and apologies afterwards. positive -- excellent mix of Latin music. DJ doesn't get stuck on any particular type or time period positive -- mix of younger and older crowd All in all, a good place to go in Washington Heights. It is not as overpriced as most of the uptown restaurant/lounges. Hopefully, they can make some improvements on their customer service. read more

I came for the first time with my best friend yesterday night. The Bartender was super rude and unprofessional/inattentive bartender I've ever dealt with. She forgot our order. Got an attitude every time we had to remind her for every single other we made. We ordered 3 appetizers and had to remind her for every single one. She still got them wrong. Then added gratuity. I didn't complain to a manager to remove it because it was a petty $5.06 tip. I let her keep it but damn. I wanted to consume more but I refuse to give this woman more money. read more

This is what I had to eat after our waitress forgot my food. Keep in mind our table ordered multiple bottles. Bad service is unacceptable.