The hookah and the food is fine. No issues there. My main issues is the atmosphere, service and pricing. I'll start with the atmosphere. Most nights it feels like it's trying to be a nightclub with its insanely loud music and lighting. Others are that special room at restaurants for people's birthdays. To me it's insane that regular customers or just people coming in for the first time are met with someone at the door requiring they pay an entrance fee. There's a bar next door for that kinda thing. The service here is very hit and miss. Whether it's the fact that you see online it opens at 4pm but you get there at 5 and you can't enter because that's when they choose to mop the floors... or you get there around 11 at night and no one waits on you until you go and get them and even then they take their time to get you a hookah or coals or whatever. Finally the pricing is maddening. I'll attach a picture for the pricing which is also just in the pictures for this place but anyways. My first time going here was on a Sunday night. I got a regular bowl(nothing fancy) and then I got a refill of the same thing. Total was around 30. Pretty standard for most places. The next night I went was on a Wednesday night. I was made to pay 10 at the door for someone's bday party and I had to Venmo them instead of the normal way you pay at the end of the night(super sketch). At the end of that night I only had 1 bowl(nothing fancy again) and the price was 37 making that a total of 47.... The third night I went was a Sunday night. Like my first time going I was assuming that maybe it was a fluke for that Wednesday and maybe Sundays were better??? Anyways I only got one bowl again(same) and I had a cover at the door also of 15 for whatever reason... my bill for that 1 hookah on that night was 48 dollars... so a total of 63 dollars for one hookah. Not to mention they look at you and expect tip. Which is insane to me. The reasons I wrote what I wrote are to warn any newcomers. It's definitely a turn off to get taken advantage of at a place you want to come and either relax or enjoy yourself. You should have specific things you do as an establishment and not veer from it. Pricing should stay what it says in the menu and there definitely shouldn't be some stranger at the door getting grinded on asking you to pay a fee just for wanting to sit down. I will be posting this on google also because my experiences have been insane here. All three of my visits happened within two weeks. So anyone saying that prices change over time. Sorry but that's a bust. The main reason I still put two stars was because the food, drinks and hookah are great. Just everything else is wrong. read more

Sahara Hookah Lounge - Menu - Hookah Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Looking for vegan options, entertainment and a place to chill. This place has a very relaxing atmosphere that is fun and alive at the same time. Great music and belly dancing on Friday. The Mediterranean food menu had vegan options. Service was slow but ok. Food had a great taste and the belly dancing was fantastic. read more

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So where do i begin....me and my best friend decided to come here for my bday to just relax. Upon arrival, the hostess was super nice and we told her we wanted to sit downstairs. After going down stairs, we were waiting for our hookah and the gentleman, who we didn't know who works, just sat our hookah down and didn't acknowledge us or anything. So we moved the hookah to the table we were sitting at. Then while we were playing music, not sure if these gentleman worked here or not, decided as we were listening to music to just turn the music down which has never happened in all my time coming here. Then we had someone approach us after the music was barely able to be heard and asked us to turn the music down. This is the type of service you all are doing now? I've been here many times over the years and this will be my last time coming back. Also 2 weeks ago when i came here with another group of people no one asked us to turn our music down or just went over and turned it down. Ridiculous is what this was honestly..... read more

First time at this place.I would like to give this place a 0 star. unfortunately This place is so dirty, the waiter she was rude unprofessional.. FYI seen a mouse going into their kitchen they stated that's normal and they are part of the family bruh .. you tell the health department that statement. Which they will be visiting you soon Enjoy your lunch. Dinner or what ever your eating with their part of their fam drinking their ... . المحل وسسسسخ والله الفيران في المطبخ عندهم عادي .. كيف بتاكلوا عندهم مش عارف اصلا هيك يوم الصحه يوصلها الخبر .. اشي مقرف غير الفوضى الي موجوده في المحل ما توقعت انه يكون محل عربي هيك للاسف read more

Great Hookah with great flavors. Went in on a Thursday night and there were maybe 15 people there. Server was nice and service was prompt. Don't skip the cool black light basement, I didn't go down until we were leaving. I knew they didn't serve alcohol but somehow I missed that it's BYOB. read more

I am a former employee and even though I no longer work here, SHL is my go to for hookah. The vibe is always great. I love the staff and Fadi (the owner) is great. They are all customer service focused. I don't get this service in other places. The hookahs are clean. I know this from working here and from smoking here. Five stars for excellent service, weekly events, the best chicken shawarma's and if you come here often you get connected with some cool people. If you want a suggestion for a hookah I strongly recommend Sunset. Great fruity flavor! read more

Sahara Hookah Lounge - This is a black light basement shot. The main floor has a more middle eastern vibe. - Hookah Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Went here back in the beginning of October with my husband and it was great! I loved having somewhere to sit hookah and listen to music! The service was great! Can't remember if they have food if so we might have ate to! read more

Sahara Hookah Lounge - Hookah Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I'm so glad Sahara is still open right now. I used to come here w my friends a year ago and just came back tonight for the first time since. The new owner has done a PHENOMENAL job with the place. The atmosphere is better and so are the hookahs and flavors. Love it. read more

Sahara Hookah Lounge - Table w couch and the new wall art - Hookah Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I've been disappointed with the hookah scene in Cincinnati. There's a place around Clifton, with a more laid back atmosphere, but I haven't found a place that's more happening, with a more fun, lively atmosphere. Hookah & Food: So I am a huge fan of paan flavored hookah. Naturally they were out of that. At 7PM on a Saturday night. I asked for some recommendations and asked the server about some of the other flavors. Our server wasn't too knowledge about what some of flavors were, so I resorted to googling the flavors. The first hookah we got was a large head and was just awful. It burned too quickly, was either not packed well or packed lightly and was harsh from the beginning. Not worth paying $1 let alone $16. I wasn't sure if I wanted to leave or try my luck with another one. I decided to try another one, this time orange head, which was so much better, lasting for over an hour. I probably would have kept enjoying it but no one came by to change the coals until we flagged someone down. We asked for waters, obviously bottled waters, but were only marginally colder than room temperature. I had a mango smoothie, which for $6, was really good. It was large, topped with lots of whipped cream raspberry syrup. Service: I came early in the evening on a Saturday, and was greeted as I walked inside. There weren't many people at that time. Our server quickly brought menus and asked for our orders a few minutes later. That quick service quickly disappeared. Later, we had to flag down someone to replace our coals, and then again to get our bill. That took 20 minutes to arrive after we asked two times. It got busier throughout the evening, maybe 40-50% full as we left around midnight. We ended up paying cash because we didn't want to attempt to see how long it would take them to come back to take our check. Facilities: Sahara is located in Sharonville, which seems to be an odd location to me. I feel they'd be better off closer to Clifton, downtown, OTR, etc, but Sharonville is fairly centrally locates I suppose. There's a large parking lot in the back. Inside, there's lots of large leather couches. It's very open, not crowded at all. The main floor has a dance floor; while the basement is a more chill, quieter area. It's pretty typical Mediterranean decor, with nice scene lighting. There was a nice Desi/EDM mashup music playing. Later, the music switched to a more mellow Arab mix. The men's bathroom was clean, but my friend told me the women's bathroom was pretty disgusting. read more

Sahara Hookah Lounge - Hookah Bars Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I've been in this place twice. First, when they were packed and busy. Second, when they just open up and we were the first customers. Both visits were just okay. Dont get me wrong I dont hate the place, I went back again because I love the service. My first visit I watched the belly dancer dance which is very cool since that was my first time to see one live. Second visit, I enjoy the fact that we were the only customer, I had the chance to enjoy the place, we ordered fries and wings both were okay but a bit pricey for the small portion that we got. The hookah was average (okay I might not the best person to judge the hookah but I tried some hookah before so from that I could say this one was okay). Service was good both visits, they were attentive and very accomodating both when they were busy and when they were not which is alway a plus for me. Anyway, its not bad to give them a try and see for yourself :) read more

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It was amazing night everything was perfect the food the dancer and the crew I love it so much and we have so much fun read more

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Love this place . Always and forever . They always watch out for us and its always a fun tjme .

Whenever I'm in town, I make it a point to come to Sahara. They have an excellent selection, a chill atmosphere, and the service is great. Be sure to try one of the fruit heads. It's worth it! read more

Been here a couple of times now! If you're looking for cheap hookah in the West Chester area, this is your spot! Gets a little loud on Fridays and Saturdays which is good but the place is small for the same.. Ventilation is a concern.. They could do so much better with that.. But the flavors and the price makes up for it for sure.. About food, just had their hummus and pita which is pretty good.. The servers are a little slow, but like i said you get your money's worth.. read more

Shitty. Sat there, waiting. And waiting. And waiting some more. Two groups came in behind us. The two groups got served. Meanwhile, at our table, we're still waiting. Twenty minutes in and we're pretty much tired of the bullshit. My buddy goes up to the server and tells him what's up. A minute later, the server rounds our table. A shy little kid with a voice like a mouse. He asks us what we'd like. Hookah, a mango shake, a beef gyro, hummus. Because hummus is so freaking good. Especially if it's homemade. Mmm. Nom nom nom. But they're all out of gyro (meat, bread, lettuce? I don't know). And they don't make their own hummus, said the server. It's Sabra. You know, the tub of yellow baby shit you'd buy at the store for $3.99. So, we don't go with the hummus. And we can't go with the gyro. But we stick with the mango shake and the hookah. So far, so not good. Again, we wait. Time ticks. Paint dries. Somewhere, a child is born. Finally, the shake comes. But the hookah is still yet to be seen. I take a sip. It ain't bad. Fruity, sweet, would go good with the hookah. But still, no hookah. Fuck it. We leave. But when we're checking out, the server tells us that our hookah's finally ready. Great timing, right? No, he's a buck short and a day late. We're done. Tossed in the chips. Depressed the ejection button. Flew the coup. Then, I think to myself: if its been ready, why haven't you delivered it to the table? Whatever. There's a first and last time for somethings. This is that something. read more

Always ask for recommendations for hookah, the servers are very knowledgeable about flavors that mix well together. The atmosphere here is INCREDIBLE! The servers remember you & your normal hookah order. Great & genuine products, amazing food & extraordinary customer service. read more

I live about 2 minutes away so I get to go alot. Its very mellow, its based off of an arabic culture, the owner Norris is very nice. The top floor is very arabic. Its really cool. The bottom floor is all blacklights and the customers play their own music. The hookahs are always cleaned exceptionally and the price is slightly high. But it doesnt bother me. they pass around coals when you run out, and the hookahs hit pretty hard and smooth. I always get ice in the bottom of mine but they say it hits harder without. I recommend this place alot. Im gonna go tonight. read more

We walked in and got sat right away but two groups got served before us. My friend had to walk up to the counter to ask to get served. Once he took our order he came back 10 mins later to let us know they were out of gyros. So the next option was hummus, only when we asked if they made it themselves they said no... This was the start of the downward spiral. After waiting a half hour since we got there and we still didn't have the hookah- we decided to leave. I went there to have a relaxing experience and left with being irritated. The hookah lounge back home where I'm from serves you right away. A hookah should not take that long to get together. read more

I always have a great time at Sahara. The hookahs are amazing, food is delicious, and they always provide exceptional service. Love that I can BYOB. Great music and belly dancing shows too! read more

Ever since they fired Izzy, she was the only reason customers even came to the hookah lounge, I will no longer continue coming to this place for the way they treated their employee who has done nothing but the best work there and poured her heart into her job. She made the environment safe and friendly and was kind and greeted everyone with kindness. read more

Best hookah in Cincy!!! Great environment and very comfy to relax and smoke hookah!!! Good vibes!!

I came to my first Bollywood night here and it exceeded my expectations. Although I didn't have reserved seating, the staff was very accomodating and amiable in finding a table. Despite the crowd, the servers were able to run us our menus and orders shortly after seating. Even with an understaffed team, coals were consistent and they followed up on food and beverage throughout. As for music, I'm pretty picky about Bolly playlists, but DJ Shrek led the night with great remixes and originals that kept the floor goin'. Highly recommend this event as well as the bellydancing shows this venue has to offer, especially with Emily and Aziza. My friends and I are longtime customers and we love it here! read more

This place is so bad and the hookha is awful, i will never and ever come back to this place. Also tooooooo expensive, Food I extremely NOT recommend and this place is a competent for taking your money with bad services, Don't waste your time to go there FOLKS read more

This was honestly by far the worst hookah bar I have ever been to. I was very disappointed we were all there with co-workers to smoke hookah and the lady was arguing over the fact our tab is not $90 because we were 8 people. We told them they didn't have drinks and we already ate we don't know how to spend that amount. She made us feel like we don't have money and forced us to spent extra $20 because we didn't want to get anything. I am here for work 2 months and we were planning on going every other day. The amount of business they have potentially lost over us is insane. We are literally 200 co workers looking for a nice spot to smoke hookah here and there. It just sucks that terrible business like this exist. If you guys can improve it in any way that the manager talks in a nicer tone and doesn't treat her employees like kids rather professional. Thanks for your time. read more

A bit expensive but you get what you pay for! If you are into Hooka this place is great! One of the only places around here that do fruit bowls! They also have food! read more

I travel a lot for work and i happened to find a hookah lounge in Ohio! Crazy I know! KC was super friendly. I am glad to have found this place in Ohio for a good hookah. They also have coca Nara coals. If I come back for work I will be sure to stop by this place again. read more

Used to come here all the time when I was younger & it was never any less than amazing! Super fun, the hookahs were always so good & service was fast for the most part. Well, all I have to say was; I got a pretty expensive set up (pineapple head, milk base for extra smoke, ice chamber hoses, king coals for slower burn time & a popular sheesha) and needless to say it tasted like nothing. My group of friends and I called the waitress over a couple of times & had her try it, get it started, bring us new coals, etc and it just never had a taste. It honestly was gross. We went on a slow night, only about 3 other groups of people were there. I'm quite outgoing, so I turned around and asked the other groups sitting close to me if there hookah had any taste and they laughed and said no! I was shocked. They only had one server and I had bothered her enough so I didn't want to bother her again but I was very disappointed that I had wasted all of this money to just leave because I was smoking something that tasted like burnt grass. read more

I really enjoyed this hookah bar. I've meet some pretty awesome people here that I still keep in contact with. Their hookahs are kept very clean and their food is okay. Over all I say it's a place to go and hang out with friends. Also a good place to bring a laptop study and work on reports. read more

Have been to a lot of hookah bars/lounges before and this was a different feel. Different floors give different vibes, which was a plus. Basement floor had a cool black light/fluorescent lighting which made it look very cool. The price for the hookah was very affordable but not the best I've had, still good A little understaffed when I went so the hookah/coals and tea came out a little slow but otherwise it was good service. read more

Went on a Monday night and it was pretty cool. they have a black light section down stairs which was set up pretty nice. The server came very frequently to change out the coals so we never ran out. Didn't get to try out the food. The parking is in the back so your not out on the street which was a plus since I have a bigger vehicle. All and all it wasn't a bad experience will most likely be going back. read more

The service was great! Everything came out pretty fast even though they were crowded. Will definitely go again.

Amazing service, very good shisha, easily top hookah lounge in cincinnati. Izzy and Ezra the best service.

Best Hookah place in all of the greater Cincinnati and Dayton area! They offer a variety of hookah options (ice or fruit hookahs) and flavors. They offer several food selections including smoothies and tea. There are two levels, so you can choose which environment suits you, the upstairs (on weekends) is primarily Middle Eastern themes with music and atmosphere, and downstairs provides a different environment with black light ambiance. On Saturday nights there is a show with belly dancers, so it can get busy and loud (in a good way) upstairs! A lot of dancing on Saturday nights too in between the belly dancer's show and after- this is a lot of fun and a great way to learn some salsa, Arabic/Middle Eastern folk dances, and other cultural music/dancing that take place! Love this place! It's big, roomy, CLEAN, and comfortable! read more

F**k this place. Had a bad experience with hookah and food..No one was paying attention to customer..we ordered chicken shawarma but we got with French fries and potatoes..Never visit this place again read more

Loved this place! It has a really cool atmosphere and the service is great. I would definitely come back again.

First off, this is my first review on this site. My friends and I decided to go try something other than going to Neon's for once (nothing else to do in Cincinnati). My two friends (Friend A and Friend B) ordered a hookah ($22, expensive!). A few minutes later, I showed up with three other friends (Friend C, Friend D, and Friend E). At the reception desk we were told to go towards the back in order to meet Friend(s) A and B. Once we all met outside, the group was elated to be reunited once more. Many scholarly conversations followed, and we forgot the troubles and shortcomings of life. About 20 into our gathering, the Persian girl from the reception is heading to our table with an uneasy face. Our conversation is finished once the employee is close to our table. She opens her mouth. The things that came out of her mouth left us in shock. First she tried to multuliply two single digits (6 and 7). After the math lesson, she told us we "HAD" to make sure we spent $7 dollars per every person of our posse. To her defense, she pointed out a clause on the menu stating that this travesty, was indeed the rule of the land around these parts (Sharonville, Ohio). Three of our men (Friend(s) B, D, and E) decided to fulfill the requirements of the establishment and ordered three chicken shwarmas. We couldn't look at each other for some time, the rage flowing through our veins would not let us. We waited for the food to be delivered. Even though we could see that her skills and physical attributes did not allow her to carry three chicken shwarmas, she decides to go through with this act. As she descended from the kitchen, her uneasy face was even more pronounced. She came. As she set down the three plates, she decided to spill one of the plates onto Friend D's lap. Of course as she is a women, he could not discipline her in public, even though his face showed subtle vibes of retribution and ruse. They ate. The food was not great. She attempted to lighted the mood by bringing out a useless hose that none of us had any use for. Why is she like this? What is the purpose of this establishment? What exactly do her superiors tell her to accomplish? These were the questions that were being asked, but unfortunately not answered. Then came the check. The check was a mystery. One sum was asked for, yet another sum was charged. Why? The elation that was upon us at the beginning of the night has definitely left the atmosphere, and feelings of deceit were being pronounced by us all, though maybe unconsciously. All in all, I am not sure what to think anymore, and neither does my group. read more

Best hookah in Cincinnati for sure!! Izzy and Ezra are there all the time and always offer the best service. They have great food and a wide selection of drinks. They always have great recommendations for shisha. The establishment is clean and has great decor. There are many places to sit inside and outside and they even have belly dancers every Saturday night! Great prices for the service and quality! read more

I've been coming here for 3 years now, but it has gone downhill. At the beginning they were very good at getting back with you and then getting you coals when yours was out. Now it takes them five years to come take our order and then another 5 years to make your hookah. When they take your order you'll see like 3 other groups that sat down after you get their hookahs before you. Only pro is the basement has blacklights and you can play your own music if the cord is available or is working. Or you can sit upstairs and get charged an extra $7 because you are seated up there and you sit there listening to aerobic music the whole time...Either way save your money and time and do something else. This place sucks and some of the servers are rude and don't know what they're doing. read more