Delicious everything. Good weekday lunch specials. Their chicken shawarma wrap and kufta burger (with melted provolone, grilled onions and mushrooms, lettuce, tomato) are especially tasty. I was worried when Al Amir left, but I think they're virtually indistinguishable. Service is friendly enough, just a bit neglectful at times. Nice mix of college students, professors, and business professionals. read more

My first visit to Sahara was great... I will definitely come back to further explore the menu. ...so after reading a few reviews I stoped by on a Friday evening with a few friends. Upon arrival the place had a few customers but was not packed as we had expected. The decor of the place reflects a modern Moroccan style and had a good capacity of (45plus). Service was excellent, the waitress that served us was very friendly and helpful...I can't recall her name but she really elevated the experience. We started with humus and some bread. The humus lacked that smoky kick but it was still good. For our main- two of us had the kofta and the other had the chicken wrap. The wraps were flavorful but didn't satisfy the Moroccan flavors We were searching for maybe next time we will go for something else. read more

Soooo yummy. The chicken was tender and moist! The hummus and veggies were also excellent. Highly recommend this place to all food lovers!!

Great restaurant with fast service and prices.Lunch specials with chicken gyro and fries $5 the fries were very good!!

Love it! Nice people & good food! It's a Must try! A lot bigger on the inside than you'd think! read more

This place is a gem hidden in a strip mall. I've eaten Middle Eastern food all over this country, and these Morrocon chefs really know their stuff! Everything was clearly homemade, right down to the lemony dressing on the fatoush salad. The hummus was good, but needed a sprinkling of salt to bring out the flavors. The baba ganouj was sublime, among the best I've ever eaten. And both dips were served with a hot seeded griddle bread that was worlds better than ordinary pita. I will definitely be back! read more

I walked in and waited for about 10 minutes before one of the gentlemen in the kitchen saw me standing there and came out to take my order. Apparently at 4 pm, in a seemingly pretty empty restaurant, the one server working was just that swamped. Anyway, I placed a to go order of a falafel appetizer, a chicken shawarma entree and a vegetable curry entree - both with saffron rice. It was ready in a fair amount of time, and I was on my way back to Fort Jackson. By the time I arrived back at my hotel, I realized that the vegetable curry had leaked. It had been so filled to the brim of the container - which was one of those foil pans where the edges fold over the top of a cardboard/paper cover - that it had completely soaked through it and onto everything else in the bag. Fun. At least the server had been nice enough to double bag it so that it didn't end up all over the passenger seat of my car. It all smelled delicious though, so that could have been forgivable. Everything also looked really great upon opening the containers. However, that's where the good both begins and ends. The chicken, though appearing fresh, was dry and overcooked. The "saffron" rice was a paler than pale yellow hue and was neither fragrant nor savory; no taste at all. Husband and I both agreed that we'd never had such flavorless Mediterranean food. The falafel was the most enjoyable item and the tzatziki sauce was probably to thank for that. So best of its kind in the area? Yikes. I sure hope not. Sorry, I just didn't get it, not even a little bit. Also, their parking out front sucks. Good luck trying to back out of one of those spots when the sidewalks are teeming with college kids walking around, oblivious to anything but their cell phones. You're better off parking on the street. read more

Nice little treasure in downtown. Within walking distance of my hotel. Friendly server. She recommended several items. I tried the cucumber and tomato salad (faroosh?) and a main dish with lamb and rice (shawarma?). Both were yummy. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was that it's a bit run down. If you are looking for a non-chain restaurant and like Mediterranean food, give this place a try. read more

Sahara On Main- formerly Al Amir- is almost exactly the same as it was under the former management. They still have the same weekday specials. I love their hummus so much. They drizzle some olive oil on top and it is so decadent. The Damascus bread is fresh and baked in house. It's so delicious to mop up your hummus with. My favorite is the beef gyro with pickled cabbage. I love pickled cabbage! It's pretty solid middle eastern food. I once ordered the curry chicken and didn't care for it. The chicken was dry and the curry was very thin and soupy. Everything else on the menu is great though! Will be coming back many times for sure. read more

Great place for good deals during lunch. Bread is homemade delicious! Feta salad is awesome. The food is reliable and good. Great place for college students. I love their fries, must be the oil they use. Definitely try to make it to their lunch specials. I will say the weekend special, with the two kebabs, leaves much to be desired. read more

This is an excellent Middle Eastern food restaurant that my wife and I like to visit whenever we're in this part of town and want to switch things up a bit. The food is great and so far I've enjoyed the fish options (tilapia and salmon) and the Pascha chicken. The turkish coffee goes well with the desserts afterward. Parking is a little tight out front, so you may have to find a spot on the street if it's busy, but that shouldn't be a problem. read more

Sahara offers savory authentic Mediterranean food for a decent price. I loved the hummus and falafel. The only thing keeping Sahara from having five stars is the slow service and the space itself (too hot inside and lack of parking). Sahara is an ideal spot for students and people working near the statehouse. read more

Great food!! The chicken pasche was very good. They have pizza for little ones that aren't ready for good Mediterranean. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. Really glad we stumbled across this restaurant. read more

I love the food here. Feta salad with chicken, their pizza, the hummus and the ghanoush are all outstanding. Service is just average.

Love their hummus and grape leaves service is great too, I'm a frequent flyer there, this is my favorite middle eastern in the CSRA Area

Quite possibly the best food on Main Street. Great food and great prices, and the service is quick and friendly. Get the shawarma chicken!

A real find for me as I travel here frequently. I always make this one of my lunch stops whenever I am in town. One of the best gyros I have ever had. Truly authentic. read more

I've been a huge fan of Al Amir since before they closed the one down in Sandhills. Unfortunately, when it closed I was forced to go downtown to eat at one of my favorite establishments. However, It is well worth it. The name may now have changed to Sahara but the food and service is still excellent. I always get the Damascus Humus with Lamb. The portion size is perfect and includes a salad and Damascus bread. read more

Very kind and attentive staff! I brought in a large group from out of town and they seated and served us very quickly and checked in often. The food was delicious and arrived not long after we ordered, which was great for 23 hungry people. (I meant to post this several months ago and it accidentally got left in draft mode, oops! We visited in September of 2016) read more

The food was so delicious! We have been looking for a good Mediterranean restaurant in the Columbia area and we have definitely found our new favorite! The Pascha chicken entree was delicious and it was so much food - I had leftovers for lunch the next day. The lamb gyro was also very good. And everything was so reasonably priced! We will definitely be back soon. read more

Stop by the way home. We had sampler appetizer dish and Shawanna dinner. All was good. Tasted good. Service was a bit slow. Only one waitress by she was nice. Would return for another go around. read more

Very close to the business school. Shawarma is soooo good. Love their pizza too, try Damascus or Turkish with grilled chicken.

Best gyro in Columbia ! They have $6 specials everyday. Worth fighting for a park on Main Street

Ordered the lamb kebabs, nothing to get excited about, mediocre at best. The Felafel was greasy, the grape leaves were out of a can, the pita bread was not well done as I asked. I'm not giving up though, I am of Turkish decent and this was definitely not my mother's cooking. I did want to point out the young waitress was very nice and polite.I'll give it another try and report back! read more

Good lunch specials. Friendly staff. Nice place to meet with your friends. No loud music and comfortable seating. It's a great break from the regular chains. Check out their specials that really keep the cost down. They have a good menu that is different than anything else in the area. read more

Sahara has the best Mediterranean food in Columbia at the best price, hands down. Come on Tuesdays and Fridays to get the gyro at only $6!

I use to go all of the time when it was Al-Amir for the gyros and fries! The grilled Salmon is amazing. This time I opted for the hummus and pita bread for an app and chicken shawarma over saffron rice and grilled veggies! It was already drizzled in tahini sauce and the presentation was beautiful!!!! I will return again!!! Everything tasted amazing!!!!!!! read more

I have eaten here before and found it good. Not tonight. I ordered the Lamb Kabob and a Feta salad. When the salad came out it had less than a half a teaspoon of Feta on it. I had to ask for more. The Lamb Kabob had only four pieces of (i think it was lamb) on a huge plate of dry rice. it did have one small slice of green pepper, one very small slice of onion and 5 slices of zucchini. The lamb had been cooked so long that i could not get it down with out water. The only flavor in the whole meal was a sprinkling of mediterranean dust you can buy at Walmart that was sprinkled over the rice. Oh, i should also mention that it was not cooked as a Kabob. Kabob means cooked on a skewer. There were no wholes in the meat, or vegetables not even the over cooked squash. I don't think i will return. read more

The humus is the best I've ever eaten, with out a doubt. Damascus bread and pasha chicken are wonderful.

I had the gyro and fries. Really quick and fresh. Fries are fries so ehhh. But the gyro was amazing! It was tender and flavorful. I hope to visit again soon. read more

I've been here a couple of times just to make sure I gave the menu a fair chance. While the people are nice they do not put that same effort into cooking their food. From overly greasy gyros, to dry chicken (desert dry), and everything in between being devoid of much taste this place has some work to do. They even have gotten my order wrong several times no matter how many times I specify it. This place is more a cheap college grub zone than it is a restraunt. read more

Sahara (Formerly Al Amir) consistently serves amazing Mediterranean food and the service is always great. I usually get the gyro and fries, but I've ordered a few other entrees before and everything was fantastic. Good location near campus, too. read more

We ate here for the first time tonight and will definitely be back. I got the falafel platter with the feta salad and it was all very good. My husband got one of the marinated chicken dishes with saffron rice and he enjoyed it. My daughter got some type of chicken wrap with friea and she liked it. They have kid friendly options too. read more

Great food, usually good service, so-so on ambience. (I eat here about once a week.)

Great food! Good attentive service. Damacus bread was the best i ever tasted! Great hummus!

Kind, caring waitresses and good food. Relaxing atmosphere. When they get busy, it's pandemonium, but they do the best they can for their costumers and are always nice as well as respectful. read more

Stupendously delicious! If you like Mediterranean style food, this is the place. Grape leaves, hummus, Damascus bread, rice, beef tips, fresh salads. Everything was wonderful. read more

Good food. I tried almost everything and everything was delicious. It's the best Mediterranean food in Columbia. Try their shawarma and pasha chicken with saffron rice it's so yummy. Their hummus with the bread is great. Literally everything is yummy. read more

This was our first time trying this restaurant. The service was great and the staff was very courteous and attentive. The Damascus bread with the hummus was very tasty. However, when it came to the main entrees, we weren't very impressed. I ordered the kabob combo with shrimp and chicken. The shrimp was tasty but the chicken was bland and dried out. My wife ordered the steak medium well and after two attempts to get it cooked the way she wanted it, they were still unsuccessful. The dessert selection was adequate and pretty tasty. We will probably try this place out again but will stay away from ordering chicken or steak. read more