I had the gyro plate. Everything tasted good and fresh. About $2 or $3 overpriced. Bread was perfect, hot and soft. The esthetics were very nice read more

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This is one of the best Turkish restaurants I have ever been to and I'm sad it is not near my home in Missouri! Everything, EVERYTHING was fresh and cooked perfectly. They brought us hot tea to begin, before we had ordered using a beautiful tea set. He then sprinkled each glass of tea with rose water. I had a Chicken Kabob and rice and other dishes at the table were: Gyros, Spanakopita, Hummus, Vegetarian Platter and Salad. My friend said the Gyro and tzatziki was the best he's ever had. I ordered another serving of Hummus for the long trip home in the car. The service was great, the family who owns the restaurant was very attentive and kind. To finish, we had Baklava and on par with everything else, it was fabulous. read more

I love this place. The food is great and the owner is very hospitable. Good portions, so one meal equals two for me. I love the chicken and the vegetarian platter. read more

Everytime I stop in I have wonderful food and service. We were looking for a place to remind us of our trip to Greece and we found it!

We had lunch here on a Saturday, and it was pretty quiet so we had no trouble getting a table where we could fit our group of 6, by scooting some of the pouf-chairs around. It was cozy, but we didn't want to start moving tables around. There were two people working here, and they were covering both cooking and service. This is a family owned business, and I'm guessing these were the owners. There was a bit of a wait before our order was taken, but we were enjoying conversation, and so didn't mind, but they were apologetic about the wait. I had a falafel sandwich and fries which was quite good. The falafel was nicely seasoned and everything was fresh. I liked the thinner pita bread which let the flavor of the sandwich shine a bit more than it would have with the thicker Greek-style pita. The fries were fresh, crisp and tasty. I had an iced tea that was definitely freshly brewed. I don't envy the task of trying to run a restaurant. The two people handling everything were working very hard and were even attentive to refilling beverages. They were a bit in the weeds with only a few tables filled though, which in part seemed to be due to what seemed like a pretty steady flow of takeout orders. They didn't seem to mind at all that we lingered visiting a bit after we were done eating which was much appreciated! Broad Ripple parking is fun....but if you don't feel like hunting for a metered spot, the garage is just about 2 blocks away, and it was $5 for nearly 3 hours. I'll definitely be back to try some other menu items! read more

Sahara Restaurant - Falafel Meal - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

What a cute spot on the strip! You could easily miss it if you're not paying attention. The gentleman working was so nice and gave me free baklava while I waited for my to-go order. Their food is delicious and fresh. Gyros are A+! I can't wait to go back to this spot. read more

We love taking the trip to broad ripple for Sahara's mansaf and shawarma! Their mansaf is the best in Indy in my opinion! The hummus and bread is homemade and always tastes wonderful. The atmosphere is relaxed and it has a chill ambience. The only complaint I have is the service is not top notch if you're dining in, but the food always makes up for it! read more

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I get bored easily with Indiana cuisine, so I'm always keeping my eyes peeled for worthy international spots. Additionally, while I'm not a big buffet fan, I do love a sampler platter with lots of different bites to taste. Cue in Sahara's vegetarian platter. What you'll find on the plate: -falafel -stuffed grape leaves -spinach and potato-stuffed pastry -hummus -baba Everyghanoush -pita triangles -tabbouleh salad -a second salad with tomatoes, cucumber, and parsley Everything was very tasty. My top three bites came from the falafel, hummus, and baba ghanoush. Shoot, I would have been happy if those three made up the entire sampler! My only critique: the tomatoes were definitely the less flavorful greenhouse kind. I know they're currently not in season, but some cherry tomatoes would have been a change for the better. Still, that's not going to stop me from visiting again. I might need to grab a falafel sammie to go the next time I'm in the village. read more

Sahara Restaurant - Vegetarian Sampler - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Best service ever!! This owned family business is beautiful and has the best Mediterranean food around! Everything is made from scratch so be patient and the guy is so humble and nice about his food. Please try this awesome place! read more

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Love the food! So fresh and full of flavor. Best falafel and tabbouleh salad we've ever hadn read more

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Food was solid, however we thought the chicken schwarma was dry and could have used sauce. We asked for garlic sauce that the waiter provided for us. Fries were perfect and hit the spot. Gyro was also solid, and very juicy! There is nice indoor seating in here, although it does get hot during the summer. read more

Lamb is very tender & the dolmades are the most flavorful we've ever had. The family/service are just right too! read more

Sahara Restaurant - Another delicious visit! Vegetarian Combo & their specialty, Mansaf (lamb in yogurt sauce). - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

The food is fabulous. Service is wonderful with a great ambiance. Hummus and shawarma is perfect.

Lamb chops are the bomb here!!!! Food came fast, everything looked and tasted great! Service is amazing as well! Great seating and positive vibes. read more

Pretty good Mediterranean food. Wasn't blown away by any means, but it was still good! I had the vegetarian combo plate and my husband had the mixed grill plate. The babaghanush and hummus were both very good, as well as the pita bread. The chicken and beef were slightly dry but the beef was really good. The ordering process for pickup/delivery was slightly difficult, as it didn't allow much room for modifications to menu items. Overall, if you have a craving for Mediterranean food, this place will do the trick, but don't plan to be swept off your feet. read more

Sahara Restaurant - Vegetarian Combo Plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Their falafel wrap was great, so was their hummus and pita bread. The pita was like eating a cloud so fluffy! If you're eating in don't sit by the door if you get clip easily! It was chilly. read more

Stopped by Sunday afternoon for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed my meal. The falafel was warm and flavorful. Service was great! read more

Sahara Restaurant - Falafel Sandwich - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I ordered the gyro tonight (my first time visiting this restaurant). I love gyros; Sahara did not disappoint. What lovely decor--quite a gem. Looking forward to future visits. Joan A. read more

Food is great! The owner is so hospitable and welcoming. We will definitely be returning!

EXCELLENT customer care. Phenomenal cuisine. First time here but not the last! Great lunch date with my Mom. We ventured to Broad Ripple for India Garden which was closed and I am very grateful because this was a pleasant detour and delightful surprise to Sahara!!!! Highly recommend! Excuse some of the photos....I was in the middle of pleasing my tastebuds! Also slightly pricey but worth every penny! read more

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Growing up eating Arab Shami(Levantine) food with my family is something I'm always happy to share more about. My family and I would drive to Chicago to eat quality Shami Food and rare dishes that take extensive labor and time to create; for us, this was worth the 3-hour+ drive. When we found Sahara, we were ecstatic and relieved, the family that runs the restaurant is from Jordan, and they served a dish that reminded me of a home I had never been to. Mansaf is a dish that has a unique flavor and for some Americans, can be an "acquired" taste. It is a Lamb dish that takes a specialty yogurt product called Jameed. Jameed is heavenly if made right, but if made authentically takes up to weeks. However, times have changed, and Jameed is accessible and easier to make. Either way, the Mansaf here is delicious and has saved me hours driving to Chicago because now I can go to Broadripple. The rice every time here at Sahara is worthy of Jannah(heaven), and the overall seating vibe is wonderfully balanced and creates an almost arabesque/Mediterranean romantic atmosphere. The mixed grill is delicious, and all the meats are excellent. Service is family-based here, and they are authentic with how they give and show their kindness, true Shami Hospitality. I love to support them whenever I'm in Broadripple or whenever I am in my cravings for a taste of my family's home. read more

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A great gyro, not the best but good enough I'll be back! Service was amazing and really fast, they even gave us free baklava.

I think it is wonderful to see a halal restaurant on Broad Ripple amidst the general chaos and drunkenness, and I only wish the food here was really good. The father and son who run the business are kind and I am happy to see a Muslim-owned business in the area. I just wish the food was better. It hits the spot if you are looking for healthy alternatives to humdrum American/Hoosier cuisine - falafel, hummus, kibbeh, shawarma, kofta, etc. But I find it hard to believe that anyone who has really had exposure to MENA (Middle East and North African) would find this place authentic. It is a good place for a meal, but it is Arab food to suit American tastes in my opinion. read more

We got lunch catered from here for our staff retreat. The portions were generous and everyone raved about the food. I had the biryani and falafels and it was delicious! Looking forward to having the leftovers for the next few days. :) read more

My work team had our monthly meeting here and we all very much enjoyed ourselves. We were greeted with a lovely tea service and ordered the baba ghanoush appetizer which was delicious. My beef shawarma was yummy. Great local place with pleasant staff. read more

Sahara Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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This has quickly become my favorite Mediterranean restaurant in the area. The kibbeh and kofta kebabs are my fav. The extra touches of grilled tomatoes and peppers are such a nice accompaniment to the meal. The rice is extremely flavorful as well. Definitely a go to in the Broadripple area! Update 5/28- my previous rating was 5 stars bc I love the food. Yesterday we had such a horrendous experience that I had to mention it. We called a to go order (we were picking up) and was told they are too busy right now. It was about 7:30. I said "ok-I guess we can come in and eat". The response was "No. We are just too busy so you can't come in". I was really surprised considering this place is dead anytime we have been or driven by. Well, we decided to grab Shalimar instead but had to drive by.....there was not one single person in the restaurant. I attempted to call the numbers listed on their website for a manager and assistant manager but one number has a nonstop busy signal and the other kicks you to a vm that is full. Why have a restaurant if you don't want to serve people? Guess I'm taking my business elsewhere. read more

Sahara Restaurant - Empty restaurant. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

There's a lot to like about Sahara. The interior is very stylish and uses relief art on the walls that complements the rest of the decor so that you feel like you aren't in Hoosier country. The food was also very good and was ready in a very short time. And even the tea set looks like something out of Aladdin with the fine details and a bit of rose water from an ornate dispenser to enhance the experience. I started with the Tahini Salad which tasted really good with all the fresh vegetables. The salad did have way too much sauce though, as there was a pool of sauce at the bottom after eating all the veggies. Great taste, just a bit too heavy handed on the application. I also ordered the Falafel sandwich which was served halved and wrapped in foil. It was served warm, so I don't know if these are made ahead of time and then reheated or not. The flavor was quite good, but because the sandwich was layered, there were some bites where I got the falafel and others where I got just the accompanying veggies. One thing that I found different about the experience is that I was never given a check when I was finished. I asked the owner/man behind the counter for my check and he motioned me to come up to the side of the counter to pay there. I did see a bill before paying, but found it weird that there was no communication ahead of time to tell me that I was supposed to go back there to pay (I expected to see my bill before heading there like most places that ask you to pay at the counter.) Odd way of doing things. To me, if you aren't going to conform to standard business practice, then you need to let your customers know. I could have been sitting there quite a while waiting for the bill if I hadn't seen other customers head back to the counter on the side of the central area. Of course, parking is always a challenge in Broad Ripple, but if you are lucky, you can street park for a small fee, or find a space a block or two away for free. Review #2281 read more

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Loved it! I was craving falafel and took it to Yelp to see what the bellies had to say as to where to find some good falafel and Sahara caught my eye. Sahara is close to my house in Broad Ripple on 62nd street, across from Kilroys next to the Bagel deli. I have been here before for Doordash but not myself. Every time I come in, there is always a small group of younger gentlemen in there hanging out. Could be a different group and they could be waiting on food but always so ironic. None the less, the staff is really nice and greets me as soon as I come in. I ordered the falafel combo which came with fries and a drink for $8.71. Perfect! The falafel came in a huge wrap. Not on pita but I can't say tortilla because it was thinner than a tortilla. The wrap had hummus, tomato and lettuce. The fries were just ok. The tea tasted like their water which was not good. I will be back! read more

Sahara Restaurant - Falafel w/ fries - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Sahara is the best! The food is delicious and the owners are so kind. I can't recommend this place enough!

The restaurant is located on the downtown Indy. It has street parking nearby. We ordered the falafel to start with. They were so good! We also ordered the chicken Grill. On top of that, we ordered the turkey tea. It was okay. Staff were very friendly. He ordered Basbouseh as a compliment desert( it was good). Very authentic and family friendly! read more

Sahara Restaurant - Chicken Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Tried this place on a whim and absolutely loved it. Its the kind of food that would definitely be good at any time of the day. I had the Chicken Shawarma with fries and it was everything I needed! Big, bold flavors in a decent sized meal. You have to try the baklava. It was some of the best I have ever had! read more

Great food! Amazing service - family operated and so lovely! Support a local business!!

I've loved this place for years now. The food is soooo good. Service is excellent. This is my go-to for Mediterranean food. It's also Halal. Highly recommend if you're looking for gyros, hummus, shawarma, kabobs, lamb chops, etc. read more

If you're looking for authentic, delicious, homemade & fairly priced Middle Eastern food, look no further. Every plate we ordered was delicious from the shawarma to the falafel and tabouleh. Excellent service and friendly staff. Will be back! read more

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The service is always amazing here. It is always so clean and the staff always friendly. The food is delicious. My husband and I love the hummus and chicken shawarma. read more

Mediocre middle eastern food with an aloof waiting staff, but tasty pita bread. Jones'ing for some good hummus and middle eastern flavors, my friend and I came across Sahara on a Friday night in broad ripple. Though the outside of the restaurant is a bit bland and uninviting, upon entering into Sahara I was welcomed to a colorful decor in a clean and quiet dinning area. However, following my initial glaze of the restaurant, I suddenly got the impression that the waiting staff didn't really care that I was there. Pointing towards a nearby booth, the waitress act as though I was somehow bothering or interrupting her previous activities. This continued throughout the night and every time I asked for a water refill. But I thought, ok so the service is sub-par but hopefully the food is good. Well, I was once again disappointed. Splitting the Sahara Mixed Grill, babaganoush, and lamb flat bread with my friend, the food was a bit bland, a bit greasy, and just lacked the freshness I associate with Middle Eastern food. Though thankfully the food was not as bad as the service, it still was nothing special, middle of the road at best. Seeing how crowded Broad Ripple can get and how bad parking can be in the area, I wont be visiting Sahara again. Its mediocre food with poor service is nothing I want to deal with again. read more

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Absolutely my favorite Mediterranean restaurant in indianapolis let alone broad ripple!!! Food is always sooo good, hot, and never tastes anything less than fresh. Service is lovely and like a warm hug, so genuine. Ambiance is comfortable and calming. Has vegetarian opinions also! 12/10 every time read more

Great food, great prices, great staff. Beautiful, quirky decor. Seems family run & everyone is shy but professional and solicotous read more

Sahara Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Ordered a Gyro sandwich with fries. The gyro was delicious but they did go heavy on the sauce and the fires were unseasoned.

This place was amazing! I'm not one to pick middle eastern food as a choice but a friend suggested we go to catch up, & I was impressed! We had the vegetarian combo plate and EVERYTHING was delicious. My personal faves were the falafel & the hummus and pita chips. I literally dipped everything in that hummus. We also got the gyro and it was delicious. Nothing too crazy about it, just a good old fashion gyro! It tasted just like it should. Lol. They didn't have tap water, so if you wanted a drink, you have to buy bottled water or a canned beverage, which was slight annoying but I would definitely recommend this place, and can't wait to go back! read more