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    Sahara Cafe

    4.2 (58 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Sahara Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    SAHARA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Sahara Cafe

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    Beef katikati
    Darrion H.

    Overall experience was a 5, but the food was a 4.366666. Jk... kind of. The parking reminds me of being in another country. All the rules Just go out the door and you gotta make it work. I stayed for a while and the place was never empty. The parking stayed beyond packed. Yes the food is worth it. A while back a unwize friend told me to never start a restaurant. We'll places like this will make you second guess. The service here is amazing. Top 10 I've ever had in the world. Probably because of the owners making sure of this. I highly recommend this place if you live in the area. If you don't live in the area, come if you want the largest portions of food. Besides that, it's average Somali food. That being said, average is extremely good. Their food is absolutely delicious. I just know how good this dishes can really be. If you don't compare this to other African restaurants then yea i would say 5 stars hands down. Also the place could use a make over, but you wont be turned away by the authentic grandfather's family dinner time vibes.

    Lamb gyro plate 5/5
    Kayleigh W.

    I make it a point to stop at Sahara Cafe every time I'm near the airport! I always get the lamb gyro plate because it was so delicious the first time I ordered it. It comes with meat sautéed with peppers and onions, rice, salad, cooked greens, and a banana. The meat is super tender and flavorful. I love the rice; they give you a lot of it! The salad can get very wilty next to the hot food, so I recommend to eat that right away. The greens are flavorful and delicious! Also try the red and green hot sauces! They knock my socks off with spiciness, so make sure you do a taste test before dumping them on. I've always done take out, but there is an indoor seating area attached that is open for dine-in. They do large orders for local community members, so make sure you order early. I wait at least 30 minutes most times I order from there. Another struggle is the parking. There's a tiny drive beside the restaurant for parking and often cars park on the sidewalk. It can be a little scary but well worth the hassle!

    Lamb gyro plate
    Jordan L.

    First initial reaction to this place is that it was difficult to find because the song is really small and the parking lot isn't much of a parking lot. However, it is under surveillance and you can see your car from the inside so that's great. When walking in, the atmosphere was this is clearly a locally owned restaurant and from the looks of it, it seemed the food would be authentic. Now, I have not had homemade Mediterranean food before so I can't speak for how authentic it is, and I was basic and ordered a lamb gyro plate with the spicy sauce, but I can say it was one of the better gyro places I've been to in this area. The spicy sauce was perfect for me. It has a lingering taste and made me sweat but wasn't so hot I couldn't eat it, but I do enjoy my spices so if you can't handle spice, I don't recommend getting it, but if you do then yes get it. The service was also great. The guy behind the counter recommended the Sahara special, which my partner had ordered. I was craving a gyro plate so I didn't budge but I will try it next time. I don't think this is somewhere I'd sit and eat, but I'll probably be making this my go to gyro place in this area.

    Menuu
    Spencer M.

    If you are looking for a tasty snack, large meal or cup of coffee, you cannot go wrong with stopping in at Sahara Cafe in Tukwila. The authentic Mediterranean / African food is delicious and the servings are more than generous. They are also known for their delicious chai tea and I can attest that it is amazing. I was fortunate to meet the owner who is from Somalia. His customer service was excellent and we discussed how his cafe is one of the last few remaining places for his community to congregate. However, all are welcome here and I encourage everyone to stop by if they are hungry or thirsty. You will look forward to returning like I do!

    Delicious beef wrap with a side of rice.
    Caitlin H.

    The beef wrap was everything I could have wanted. It had peppers, onions, and a sauce with great flavor that was slightly sweet and not spicy at all. The bread was really nice, kind of like a roti. I asked for rice on the side. It cost $4, and it was a ton of rice. They included a little salad and a lime with it, too. It was well-cooked, had good flavor, and went great with the beef. I don't need to try any other Somali restaurants. Sahara Cafe is perfect.

    Gyro, Lamb or Beef
    Leslene C.

    Found this place on Yelp, mix of ethnic foods. Would not recommend going there at night, but food was so good, definitely home cooked. We love it, the rice was amazing

    Tom S.

    Ok, yes the parking is terrible and you need to get over that. Once you do the owner takes care of you. The prices are very reasonable to say the least! We ordered the gyro platter which was full of meat, rice & salad. We also had the beef/lamb & chicken combos. The portions are HUGE!! The owner is very nice as he gave us teas to try as we waited for our meal. We had it to go so the other tip is to call in he order. Give them a try as the seasoning is on point! Sorry for the half eaten pictures. We were so hungry and it was so good we almost forgot!!!

    Chicken, lamb/beef gyro plate
    B A.

    My husband and I came across this place purely by accident but we were so happy that we did! The food was absolutely delicious, hot and fresh. We each had the Gyro plate, he got the beef lamb Gyro and I got the combo with chicken. It was a very big serving and came with the most delicious rice. The meat was tender and juicy and super tasty. If I'm back in this area I would definitely stop in here again.

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    5 months ago

    Yummy late-night spot! I tried the chicken gyro and it was delicious. The food was flavorful, fresh, and so tasty. Definitely coming back!

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    1 year ago

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    11 months ago

    The Sahara Special is unbelievably good and the portions are huge! The staff was very friendly.

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Waited over an hour and I called before I arrived. Food was mid. No ambiance.

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    I ate the philly cheesesteak combo with lychee drink, wide variety drink selection. Great sauce, special yellow sauce

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    2 years ago

    I've Been going here for years, i love this restaurant and the customer service is great

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    Marlaina's Mediterranean Kitchen - Gyro

    Marlaina's Mediterranean Kitchen

    4.6(363 reviews)
    2.9 mi
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    If you are looking for a meal where every single bite is worth it, you need to check out Marlaina's…read moreMediterranean Kitchen! The food here is absolutely delicious, incredibly tasty, and packed with authentic Mediterranean taste and flavor. It is the perfect balance of healthy and flavorful. The service was excellent, and the overall ambiance has a very homey, cozy Mediterranean vibe. It is located in a lovely, small downtown atmosphere. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating, and street parking is available right nearby. Highly recommend if you want a healthy, delicious meal in a wonderful setting! Near SeaTac airport

    I came here for lunch. I was looking for Persian food and found this place on Google Maps. The…read morepictures looked kind of similar to Iranian food, so I decided to give it a try. My husband and I ordered a few dishes. The ingredients seemed decent, but the rice had no salt at all, and the kebab wasn't tasty. The garnish on the plate wasn't prepared well either big chunks of onion, cucumber, and tomato, not nicely cut. The stew also didn't have much flavor and wasn't good. Honestly, when food isn't seasoned properly from the start, adding salt later doesn't fix it. We didn't enjoy our meal. Also, we tried calling the servers (both the guy and the lady), but they didn't respond. In the end, my husband had to get up and ask for bread. They still forgot, and near the end of our meal the waitress walked by and said, Oh, you wanted bread?

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    Snack Gyro - Kofta kebab!

    Snack Gyro

    4.4(290 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $

    First time coming here and it was so good. The service was good and quick. You wouldn't think when…read moreyou walk in that it is spacious but there is ample seating to the left of where you order. The food was so good. I got a gyro and the hubby got a shawarma. Such good flavor.

    Snack Gyro in Burien was a really solid spot when I was craving Mediterranean food. It's right up…read morethe street from where my husband works, so I had him grab me a gyro plate for lunch. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal. The rice was great, the gyro meat was flavorful, and the tzatziki was really good. I got the lunch portion, which was good, but I do wish I had gone with the dinner size--definitely doing that next time since I want to try their hummus. The salad was the only part that was a little off for me. It seemed like the veggies hadn't been dried very well, so there was quite a bit of water sitting at the bottom. It also had pickles in it, which was interesting--but I actually didn't mind that part since I like pickles anyway. The reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is because my husband's order wasn't made correctly. He ordered a similar plate with chicken and specifically asked for no salad and no tzatziki, and it was even confirmed when he ordered. But when he got home, both were still on his plate, which was frustrating for him. Aside from that, the food itself was really good. I'd definitely order from here again--and next time, I'm going for the Dinner Plate

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    Snack Gyro - Gyro Salad Worth it! Fulfilling. Didn't even eat it all.

    Gyro Salad Worth it! Fulfilling. Didn't even eat it all.

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    Sahara Cafe - mediterranean - Updated September 2026

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